Well I think that I have finally come up with a workable solution to my blogwriter conundrum (at least one that works for me).  As I have written several times since I have moved to the Mac, none of the blogwriters have done what I want – work as well as Windows Live Writer.  Just recently I feel as though I have come up with a workable solution – Drafting in Google Docs then copying to Blogger’s Blogwriter for publishing.

Google docs has become my preferred Word Processor for most everything, except my Special Education paperwork.  It does post to blogs, but it doesn’t have the ability (at least I can’t find it) to use labels or tags and doesn’t integrate with Zemanta (which I really do like and helps me be a better blogger).  I love that I can also access it from most anywhere, which really makes it convenient, plus if I choose to Share with another blogger before publishing it works like a charm.

So I have begun to use a two-step process, I create my blog post in Google Docs and do all of my image editing, spell checking and other document creation chores there.  When I am finished with the document I do a Command-A and copy everything into my Blogger blogwriter, which works like a charm.  There I double-check what I have written, usually edit it some, use Zemanta to do the in-text links and labels.  I also tend to use Zemanta’s picture suggestions if I don’t have any in the post already.

I have been using this system for the past few days and while it is not exactly what I want (I am not a fan of two-step processes – one should be enough), this combination of Google Docs and Blogger seems to be working better than the other systems/software I have tried since I moved to the Mac.

I have a suggestion for Google (who am I to make suggestions to them, but here goes) either improve Blogger’s blogwriter image management system (which I and others have a difficult time using) or beef up Google Docs ability to post to Blogs by allowing it to Integrate with Zemanta (on some level – perhaps only in the share menu) or by even just having the ability to use labels or tags.  Another thing that would be great even if it worked only for Blogger accounts would be the ability to have your blog’s template available in either blog creation system.  One final thing when will we be able to connect Blogger account to our Google Apps account?  Oh well enough dreaming for one post 🙂

Personally, I would prefer to see Google Docs get the improvements, I am using it more and more and this would just be another reason to use it even more.  I like to use applications for as many different purposes as possible and gDocs is becoming that “one-stop” app for me.  It would be nice to simply log into gDocs and write my post, use Zemanta and then post to my blog.  I can dream can’t I?

I have been very frustrated with Microsoft’ Office – Word for Mac for the past twodays.  I have been working on getting my Individual Education Plans (IEPs) completed.  They are very long and complicated documents (very time consuming and frustrating to prepare) and every time I have run the Spell Check tool over the past 2 days, it crashes Word and I get the following screen

I am starting to see more and more talk about teacher certification by routes other than the traditional four year college or graduate level teacher preparation programs.  Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

• If there are teaching shortages and we are looking for a more diversified teaching profession – many believe that Alternative Certification could be a good thing.

• In today’s climate where there are lots and lots of layoffs, which mean there are many unemployed certified teachers out there, I guess adding more potential teachers to compete for a shrinking number of positions Alternative Certification could be viewed as a bad thing.

Maine Teacher Certification has had an alternative process for several years, which has successfully placed many AC teachers in the classroom.  There are several proposals out there that other City/States are looking at including the KIPP model, Troops to Teachers, Conditional teaching certifications and a bunch of other alternative teacher methods.

I also happen to know a little bit about the Alternative Certification (AC) process because I successfully completed Maine’s back in 2005.  Yes I admit it, I am one of those damn Alternative Certification Teachers, that a lot of teachers and teacher’s unions are so worried about.

A picture of me as a conditional teacher.

It took me over 4 years, while teaching classes with a Conditional Certification, doing Special Education paperwork, taking classes at night and finishing the PRAXIS tests.  When I first stepped into the classroom, I knew my subject matter and I knew how to present to groups, so I felt comfortable with the in class stuff, the prep work (lesson planning, traditional pedagogy, grading, etc.) I had to learn.  Behaviorally, I worked at a Special Purpose private school that focused on student behavior and had been a Certified Behavior Tech for several years, so dealing with student behaviors wasn’t too bad.  Going through the AC process wasn’t easy, but it did provide me with the rudimentary skills to teach.

Was I a great teacher when I got certified — no (I still don’t consider myself a great teacher), but I had a pretty good idea about what was going on.  Did I have some weak areas when I finished my AC program – yep, still have some of them i.e.Educational History/Philosophy, traditional pedagogy, theory (vs reality in the classroom), patience, etc.

Why does it seem that so many people/teachers/unions are worried about Alternative Certification – when at best it will be a small number of candidates compared to traditional teacher entry programs?  From my view it has a lot to do with who controls the teacher preparation programs, more than a bit of protectionism on the part of the K-12 teaching profession/unions and as always money.  Also is there a bit of attitude from the teaching profession – “you didn’t go though the same preparation I did, so you can’t be as good as me?”

Some are concerned that Alternative Certification (AC) Teachers are not prepared to properly teach in the classroom and will lower professional teaching standards where they are AC programs. In some cases this has happened, but at the same time, I wonder how much preparation and support those individuals received? Were they just thrown to the wolves and told “go teach” and then failed miserably.  AC Teachers should be viewed with the same regard as other first year teachers and receive the same level of support and mentoring as those individuals do, otherwise they are being setup to fail.  I prefer to look at the positive things that AC Teachers bring to their schools:

• just like anyone entering the teaching profession – AC teachers “want to make a difference”.
• usually a great deal of experience beyond the classroom
• different perspectives on how “things” work outside of school – which is sometimes lacking?

Does this mean that AC Teacher will not struggle – no…of course they will struggle – hell we all still struggle at times, but in my opinion as long as they receive the at least the same support and mentoring as other new teachers do, they will have the chance to become successful teachers.  If they do not then very few will survive, just like those graduates of teaching preparation programs who are given little or not enough support.

I prefer look at those strengths that AC teachers bring to the table and use it to the school’s best advantage.
You may not agree with my support of some Alternative Teacher Certification processes, but I believe that the teaching profession needs those of us who come from the “outside” and what we bring to our profession.

Oh by the way I don’t want anyone to get too overly worked up over this subject, so here is a picture taken by one of my students during my 8th year of teaching.  I believe it shows a teacher confident enough to look foolish in front of his students, to provide them with a learning moment i.e. how to use some of the features inPhotobooth.

After some point it doesn’t matter how you became a teacher, it matters more how well you reach your students.

Give all new teachers a chance and the support they need irregardless of how they became new teachers.

So here is to a reasonable Alternative Certification Teaching process.  May it be rigorous enough to weed out those who should not be in the classroom, but realistic enough that they don’t push away someone who would be an asset to the teaching profession.   But let there be multiple doorways to the teaching profession.

Have you made a difference today? How?

We are getting close to April vacation and at our school are also finishing up Terra Nova testing on Thursday (we have been testing for 1-2 hours each morning since last Thursday).  This has meant our schedules have been all over the place as far as the length of classes, which significantly affects how we have been able to plan our classes.  I understand the rationale that students should do better if they only have to do short chunks spread out over a week, instead of doing the whole test in 2-3 days.

But the lack of consistency in the schedule for my students and almost daily changes to their normal routines has increased the number of negative behaviors in the classroom.  This is really too bad because for the most part, most of my students have been doing very well behaviorally, which has led to more success academically for them (at least that is my hope).

The thing that many people and some teachers don’t realize is that for some students – a week’s vacation from school is not a good thing.  Unfortunately, for some school is a safe haven, where those students come and for that time they are in a safe place where they can relax for a short time.  For those unfortunate students the week before a school vacation is a time of negative anticipation, where they are beginning to dread the next week and their behaviors are deteriorating rapidly as we get closer to “our” vacation.

During the next few day teachers really need to be aware of why some of their students are starting to fall apart and show some compassion instead getting the hammer out and expecting administration to take care of the “problem”.

It doesn’t take very much time to ask “What’s Up” when a student who normally isn’t problem suddenly becomes agitated over a minor thing and doesn’t let it go.  Then again it might be an inconvenience many people out there or a teacher may get the answer they don’t want to hear.  But when you see a fourteen year old boy sobbing uncontrollably, due to non school related issues, it makes you think about why student sometime act the way they do in class.  It better make us think about how you can help them rather than expect them to be punished for disrupting your class and be pushed away – again.

I am not saying that we can save the world in the next few days, but if we can even help one student…we have done our little part.

Have you made a difference today?  How?