It is now a few months in and I have to say that I could not be happier with the way that my students are progressing. The yearbook is coming along wonderfully. I am starting to feel a bit more confident when using InDesign. I still have a lot to learn, there are so many different steps that have to be taken to place photos and text. I am still working on relearning it all.

The students have been wonderful and trying to keep me up to date with what they have been working on and what they have been doing to gather their information. They are still a bit unsure on choosing the right pictures, so we have spent time going through pictures and discussing why this one would be good or why it would be a bad picture.

We are also starting coming up on the first deadline, which they are not so thrilled about. They are now starting to realize that its approaching crunch time. This is a pretty laid back class and sometimes keeping them on task can be a challenge. However, I think with the deadline looming up ahead they are starting to realize that they need to really buckle down and get to work.

I have also had the chance to sit down and start reviewing these pages. There are some really good ones, ones that need a little work and then there are those that really need some work. I can really tell which ones have been on task so far and have really been working on their pages. I just have to keep in mind that for most of these students this is the first time they have worked on a yearbook or a project of this nature.

I have also been working with the newspaper staff, though I don't get to see them as often. I have already taught one lesson for them. I did that lesson on the use of the AP Stylebook, a book that if any of them are planning a career in journalism, will find it to be one of their best friends. This book is a set of rules that guides all journalists. It can be a bit confusing at first but once they start using it more often, they will become more comfortable with the book.

In the lesson, I went through what it was and what it is used for. I believe that like a new computer program, sometimes the easiest way to learn how to use it is to just start playing around with it. So, I went through some of the major sections that the students would be working with most often. I gave them examples and had them look up the answers. I would not just allow them to throw out answers, but they had to explain to me where in the book they found it and the reason the book gives.

I have already noticed that a few of them have started to use the book, which is nice to see. There are a couple of students in this class that I can see have a very successful journalism career. Maybe one day I will see their name in the newspaper, as a by-line.

My Goals for the Semester or what I had planned months ago and forgot to write

I will be honest, I didn't know what type of goals I would need to set for myself. Now that I have been there for awhile or four months, I have a better idea of things I still need to work on.

I now have a better understanding of things that I still need to learn a bit more about. One of those is InDesign. It is the program that they use to design the yearbook and newspaper pages. It has been close to two years since I have used the program but only for a few weeks, so I did not gain as much knowledge as I would have liked. I guess I will need to spend more time getting to know this program better. Some of what I did learn in my class, is starting to come back, but I still wish I was more proficient.

The class I have been observing has started designing and making decisions about how they want to put their yearbook together. It goes without saying that it has been numerous years since I worked on a yearbook. We did not have the technology that these students have today. It is going to take me some time to learn about all the new programs. Josten's has a number of different templates for page design, so that they do not have to come up with one of their own. Which, in my day was not an easy task. So, I will also need to get to know how to use that one as well.

As we have started working on the yearbook, I have noticed a few areas that every student needs to be more mindful of and that is picture taking, picking the right picture and picture placement. I have already talked to my CT about a lesson on picture placement, particularly when you have a photo that runs through the gutter of the book. It's not something that anyone would think of when they are looking at the page on the computer and this is just something that comes with experience. I have already pointed this out to a few of them and explained why. I believe that it will be beneficial for everyone of staff to have a short lesson on what to look for and what will work for a picture that runs through the gutter of the book.

All that being said, really, my one major goal is to help guide my students through the tricks and trivialities of putting a great yearbook together. It's not always easy and it takes a lot of work and sometimes a few tears. I just want to be their to help them through it all.

Where was In Design?

Needless to say, my blogs have not been like the rest of the groups. I guess if I'm going to be a good teacher, I had better make sure I have the right instructions and that I read them correctly! Oops.

It has been a crazy semester and its only gonna get worse as we head toward finals. Between working two jobs and a full class load, I am truly amazed my brain is not complete mush.

I have been enjoying my practicum and the students have been wonderful. I enjoy watching the yearbook staff, as they create this book that a lot of students will hold onto for the rest of their lives. I have been learning quit a bit from them as well. I knew going into this observation I was going to be a little behind and was going to have to learn on the fly. It has been almost two years since I last used In Design and features have changed. Though I do have to say that Josten's templates are awesome. It makes it easier for the staff to work on their pages. They just have to go in and pull up the design they need and start inserting pictures and text.

I just have to ask, where was this when I was on yearbook staff in high school. Life would have been so much easier.

But, getting back to In Design, this is not as easy as say Publisher. There are so many more steps that have to be taken to get what you want. Thankfully, they did produce a book on using In Design and my CT was wonderful enough to let me borrow it, so that I could read up on the new features. I have also been looking for a copy of the program, but have not had a whole lot of luck. I may just have to break down and buy an old copy.

Since photography is something I love, I have enjoyed being able to teach the students a little something about it. They are used to the point and shot casual family and friend fun pictures. But now they are starting to look at what pictures are good and what make bad ones. I did a lesson on pictures that go in a dominant spot but happens to run through the gutter of the book. The gutter is what we call the center of the book where the two facing pages come together at the spin. Basically explaining to them that they don't want people to be cut in half or have their faces buried in the gutter of the book. Number one, it doesn't look good and number two, I don't think that person would be to pleased with the picture. They have started to become more aware of these types of things and I have been asked a bunch if this is a good picture or if that picture would look better. It's been fun.

Well, the semester is winding down and like all students I am looking forward to Christmas Break. I could use a little break before coming back next semester and student teaching. Here's hoping!!!!

I can finally say I am starting to get into the swing of things. The first part of the semester was just crazy, trying to get my schedule figured out plus my practicum schedule. There were days when I felt like a chicken with my head cutoff.

All is well now. My head is firmly attached and I am walking straight, at least I hope so. My students have been wonderful. They have been good about showing me the utopia of teaching. Believe me I am waiting for the shoe to drop with a side wind. I'll be ready when it comes. If these students can show me something I've not seen before then kudos to them, because there is a lot I haven't seen or dealt with.

So good luck students and bring it on!!!!

Boy I am starting to feel old

The last two weeks of my practicum have gone smoothly. My CT and I are just working on getting a schedule set up and looking at what lessons I will  teach a some point this semester. On that end everything has been going swimmingly.

When it comes to the students, they all are a good group of kids, but they are making me feel like an old 33 year old. During one class the students were looking at photography and what makes for a good and bad picture. They were looking through older yearbooks, everything form 1990 to 2000. One of the students was looking for a 1993-1994 edition, to find pictures of his parents. That gave me a moment of pause, I was a freshman in high school that year and this kid is looking for his parents.

That was just one of several over that last year that has made me think about my age. The other one happened a year ago when I was working at a middle school. The students were to look up words in a dictionary, define them and then write two sentences using that word. Well, one of the students asked me, "why do we have to use a dictionary, isn't that what the Internet is for." That threw me for a loop. So I explained to this student that back when I was their age, the dictionary was my Internet and it is always a good skill to have, just in case we lose power and don't have the benefit of a computer. Needless to say they didn't like that answer, but they were good students and got back to work.

Each of these experience has made me think, good gravy am I getting old?

There is a Light at the end of the tunnel

That is right folks, I have finally made it. I can start seeing that beautiful light at the end of this long tunnel. Yes, that puts me one step closer to stepping out into the real world.

I am both excited but also nervous. I'm soooo ready to be done, but having a few jitters mixed in there. I hope I am ready for this.

Check back with me in a couple of months and I'm sure that will change.