Recently I went to a conference on Social Studies in Orlando Florida. Awful place for some PD isn't it? Anyway, while there I learned a lot, hence its purpose, but there was one site that I found truly useful, antiquitynow.org. Specifically, there is a teacher created curriculum that is PERFECT for this website. "Using International Star Wars Day as a Teaching Source: Eastern Religion and Philosophy." by Jason Allen. Please check it out, and while you're at it check out the entire site! It's new and up and coming and they are looking for submissions. I plan to include several, just give me time :) 

This morning on my way to work, "When will My Life Begin" came on my Pandora station. Listening to the all too familiar lyrics I had a realization. RAPUNZEL IS ALL THE PRINCESSESS!  I mean think about it. She spends her days trapped inside (Snow White) cleaning (Cinderella), reading (Belle), and dreaming of exploring the world (Merida,Jasmine.) Not to mention....well let me just show you.

Also other princess animal buddies; Mulan and Mushu, Cinderella and the mice, Ariel and Flounder, and Snow White and the whole forest!

So there you have it. Rapunzel is a mash up of all the Disney Princesses. So I guess she would be the ideal Princess? Hmmmmm.......

Several months ago I posted about how the definition of certain words are derogatory and mean, and often outdated.  (You can catch up on that post here.) I mentioned having an activity where students rewrite definitions for words they dislike or find hurtful. 

About a month ago I was actually able to impliment this activity and the results were impressive! For our weekly homeroom meeting, i tasked a group of 5th graders with creating new definitions for words they'd been called, had called others, or imagined would be hurtful to hear or say. In truth, this group of students get along unusually well with each other so getting them to come up with a hurtful word was the hardest. Once they got rolling though, some great things happened. 

Here is a video of the power point I made with just some of the results. Enjoy and please leave comments! I want to share this with others teachers at school and the more ideas the better :) 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZPpyrlM3KQ&feature=youtu.be

Happy Halloween from Geek Teach! Hope your day is fun, exciting, and possibly a little scary :) Remember, if it's a princess, it's looking for a prince. If it's a zombie, it's looking for brains. And if it's a teenager, they're going to come back. Again and again. Because free candy is always worth a second trip :)


Also, be sure and check out history.com's section on Halloween. Found here  It's fun, educational, and the students love it! 
http://www.history.com/topics/halloween/

Part of my job at school, is the manage all the technology in the classrooms. As such, I'm a huge supporter of girls in typically male career roles. Technology and sciences especially. Therefore, when a friend of mine posted this article on facebook, I was annoyed and appalled. This really needs to stop. Is it STILL that hard to believe that whatever boys do, girls can do as well?


A very important message about sexism in the tech industry:

This past weekend, at a major technology conference in Silicon Valley, two men presented a disturbing smartphone app called "Titstare." Their presentation of the app, which objectified and demeaned women on a giant screen, was the first at AOL's Techcrunch Disrupt event - meant to spotlight the future of the industry. It was one of two presentations that day which made it clear that women are still not entirely welcome in Silicon Valley.

Unfortunately, many in attendance were likely accustomed to the hostile treatment of women in the tech industry. However, in the audience on Sunday was also 9-year-old programmer Alexandra Jordan, a young girl who would later present her own app, which allows kids to organize play dates with classmates. Alexandra's remarkable story was overshadowed by the mistakes of the men who came before her.

Whether we look at the team that built the "Titstare" app, or those at Techcrunch that approved it (the company has since apologized), it's clear that we need more women in tech. Not just because women deserve to be represented better, but because girls like Alexandra should be inspired to pursue their technological dreams - without being made to feel like objects for the male gaze. But in the current culture, with its institutionalized sexism and continued marginalization of women, this is exactly what's happening.

So we must continue to call out sexism in the tech world whenever we see it. We should also share innovative stories like Alexandra Jordan's with our own family, friends and colleagues. Her accomplishment has the potential to inspire more girls and women to explore technology and remind boys and men that girls are just as capable and deserving of respect. 

Share this message with your fellow peers. In this way we can ensure that future generations will attend tech conferences full of Alexandras - and free of sexism.

Onwards,

Jennifer Siebel Newsom & The MissRepresentation.org Team

Two days ago was National Comic Book Day. I keep a board on my door that has whatever the holiday is, often with a piece of paper and markers for students to write their own ideas of thoughts on the holiday for the day. SO....being the geeky teacher I am, I made a bit of a big deal for National Comic Book Day.

In study this afternoon, there was a 5th grader who was making it very clear what he was looking up in the dictionary. Weird, nerd, and geek. I can only assume he is not looking up these terms for the betterment of his vocabulary, but for ammunition against another student. I made him stop and took the dictionary away.

But before I did, I was sad to see he got great enjoyment out of showing the various definitions to different students in the class.  It's true the dictionary has unfriendly things to say about werid, nerd, and geek. And it makes great ammunition for bullies to use on other students. And it's not fair. Actually...it sucks. The geeky part of me wants to make a petition to Websters and get the definitions officially changed, but clearly that's a bit out of my reach. (At the moment.)  Just for your records, here are Webster's definitions of weird, nerd, and geek.

Weird: Unusual or strange
Nerd: an unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; especially :  one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits
Geek: a person who is socially awkward and unpopular : a usually intelligent person who does not fit in with other people : a person who is very interested in and knows a lot about a particular field or activity


The sad part is, some parts of these definitions aren't bad! Especially a person who is very interested in and knows a lot about a particular field or activity (Geek). Unfortunetely, I doubt most kids use that definition.

So, for today I give you MY definitions of weird, nerd, and geek. Feel free to use as often as you want! And let your students know that what was once an appropriate defintion of a word, doesn't mean it still is. Make a lesson out of it! Have the students each pick 2 or 3 words that they don't like the definitions of and have them rewrite them! (If I taught language arts I would SO be doing this next week!)

Mrs. Powell's New and Improved Definitions
 Weird: Strange, unusual, or different but in a positive and unique way. (Example: Tim Burton)

Nerd: A person who specializes in an intellectual pursuit with lack of regards to social status or public norms. (Example: Bill Nye, Sheldon Cooper)

Geek: A person who enjoys and obsesses over a specific area of study or interest. These people tend to be friendly, creative, and supportive of others like themselves. (Example: The Guys from Big Bang Theory) 


Also, please help me come up with more examples!! I want to add to this and truthfully give it as a resource to other teachers. Thanks bunches!!

This week has been crazy busy so while I have the topic for my next post, it's going to have to wait. For now though, I leave you with this thought on Star Trek and  Technology.

The best part about teaching, is when something magically geeky happens!

So, at the beginning of the school year I gave myself a goal. I would find SOME way to incorporate The Hunger Games into my classroom. Thinking this was pretty near impossible, or at the least, very difficult, I didn't give it much attention.

Until last Thursday.

Halfway through my second social studies class, I had a student who couldn't quite grasp the idea of early civilization social classes. She knew they were a mark for the beginnings of civilizations, but she couldn't see exactly how all the different statures could exist. Which makes sense; we don't have that detailed and varied a status difference in America, or most of the world.

So without thinking, I compared President Snow to the king of a civilization. And then...BAM!! It hit me like a ton of lego bricks! I could make a Panem Social Status tree to compare the two! Oh HECK YEAH!! 

Of course, I made sure all the students had either read the books, seen the movie, or at least were allowed to read it. After that, I had my next geeky lesson.

So for the good of all geek humanity, here is the PANEM SOCIAL CLASS TREE!!! (Starting from the top and going down. Obviously :)

King=President Snow
Nobles, Priests, Military Leaders=The Capitol, Game Makers, Peace Keepers
Merchants, Artisans= Districts 1-3
Farmers, Common Workers=Districts 4-12
Free People (Beggers, etc.)=District 13
Slaves=Avoxs, tributes
*Districts 1-3 are jewels, weaponry, and technology
**districts 4-12 include agriculture, livestock, fishing, textiles, machinery, and mining
*** And yes, tributes are like slaves. Their freedom is gone as soon as they become tributes, even if they volunteered.

I'm mentioning this particular post to illustrate that making a lesson applicable and relatable to students makes it memorable! It's using prior knowledge and believe me....they'll remember it! Now they may not remember the exact details, but they'll remember the lesson.

So try making things relevant to the students. As geeks, we generally already do this, but if you don't know what your students are reading, watching, or playing, ask them and then do the same! You'd be surprised what you can use in the classroom!

BTW, the girl totally gets social classes now. Mission Accomplished!


So what popular books have you incorporated into your lessons? Please share! I'll t

DragonCon....geek mecca found every year in Atlanta during 4 amazing days over Labor Day weekend! An event I have attended for 7 years and have grown to love. Full of panels, celebrities, costumes, contests, art, 3 dealers rooms, and professional developement.

Wait....WHAT?! PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AT A CONVENTION?!

Yes. You can find professional development at conventions. Not just your typical school based and curriculum based conventions and summits, but at actual geek and pop culture oriented cons. For instance, this year, (Though I myself am not attending the awesomeness that is DragonCon,) There are several panels cattered towards educators and education. Allow me to break some down for you....

First off we have entire panels dedicated to educational pursuits including
*Space Track
*ScienceTrack
*Young Adult Literature Track
*Alternate History Track
*Electronic Frontiers Track

Break that down a bit and you have....

Don’t Call Me Dear, Call Me PhD.octor – 9 women presenting this year! Our 4 PhD’s tell the good, bad & how to survive & thrive as a women scientist or engineer. Parents/Teachers encouraged.
(guests: Pamela L. Gay, Ph.D, Nicole Gugliucci, Ph.D, Erin MacDonald, Ph.D, & Sarah Milkovich, Ph.D)

Young Adult Alternate History Worlds that never were but could have been. The wide expanse of Alternate History isn't just for adults, as our panel of YA authors will discuss. (M. B. Weston, Susan Chang, Emilie P. Bush, Alan Gratz)

Science Through Songs Why music works for presenting science info, plus Emerald Rose’s Professor Boggs sings some science-y tunes. (Donna Governor, Professor Boggs (Larry Morris)

Facts, Figures, and Google – Is Teaching Dead?Teachers, engineers, and scientists discuss how smart phones and instant tech change how we teach. (Rob Osterman, Donna Governor, Jon Voisey )

(DIY Science) Hacking 201 – The Science Track Version All-night Q&A session plus hands-on workshop & demos; sort of like what we’ve done on the EFF Track for the last 15+ years, only more science-y. (Chad Ramey, ATL Radio Club, misc science geeks & educators)

Helping Your Young Evil Genius Dominate the Science Fair This experienced teacher produces state science fair winners each year. She’ll share tips and tricks for creating a winning project. Donna Governor, Professor Boggs (Larry Morris)

NGSS and STEM: To Boldly Go Where No Educational Standards Have Gone Before Last April’s Next Gen Science Standards will take Sci/Tech/Eng/Math education into new territories; what students, parents & educators need to know. Donna Governor, Professor Boggs (Larry Morris)


And I am going to stop right there because honestly, I could keep going! If you want to learn more about the tracks offered at DragonCon, check out there website at www.dragoncon.org. And good luck!!