Coming soon, the technology infiltration. I am excited to announce that this week I will be prepped on a new technology that is entering my classroom. My class and the magnet class have been chosen to pilot a new program that provides each students with a remote control. I will prepare questions on a powerpoint and a set of multiple-choice answers. Each student will then press the button on their controller that is associated with the answer they believe to be correct. I can't wait to use it, because any opportunity my students have to think that they are using video games in the classroom will send participation through the roof. Not only will I be able to know who has grasped the material I am teaching, but they will also feel comfortable to participate. If they choose the wrong answer, nobody in the class will be aware of it except for me.
I miss my old sleepaway camp. I heard a song on the radio today, "Standing Outside the Fire" by Garth Brooks, that triggered memories of Cobbossee. We had a tradition there during Color War ( a great competition that runs camp wide towards the end of the summer) where the two teams would rewrite lyrics of powerful adrenaline boosting songs in order to create a fight song for the team. I remember that night that Yann and I stayed up past three writing the lyrics to the fight song for the Victorious Gray Wolverines.
The chorus was as follows:
As color war break and the two team collide
Batallion will fall and the Wolverines will rise.
The Wolverines will rise.
The Wolverines will thrive.
We'll jump into action enflamed by our passion.
The Wolverines will rise.
I spent seven summers there as a camper and two as a counselor. I would have gone back this past summer had the school year not started before camp had concluded. They were really effective at creating traditions and memories that were ingrained in my head. I can't explain what that camp has meant to me, but it was important enough that after a three year hiatus, I had returned. I guess one of my fantasies is to someday open up a sleep away camp of my own. We would steal many of the ideas from Cobbossee but also create our own traditions. We'd have Color War, Pillowmania, Hatchet Hunts, and the water carry. The water carry was my favorite, most pointless event. It basically consisted of the entire team lining up and taking turns attempting to cup as much water as they could in their hands, carry it about five feet and then drop it in a bucket. The team with the most water at the end won. Another perfect event was the bead call. Each camper and counselor was given a blue or gray bead that was on an elastic band. They had to where the band at all times. At any point during the day, the camp director could play the song "We Will Rock You" by Queen over the PA system. If you heard the song, you had to run from wherever you were in the camp as fast you could to the office and drop your bead in a bucket. You only had until the guitar solo, so it was about three minutes. I still get an initial urge to run when I hear the first few beats of the song. It makes it difficult to go to any professional sporting event.
Tonight I'm just stressing a little about my class. I realize it was the day after Halloween, but having an additional eight kids in my class from the teacher who had quit and went back to her school in New Orleans is exceedingly tough. I feel like it's the beginning of school all over again. Alright, that was my brief venting session. All is well, I'll survive. I mean honestly, it was ten times worse last year. Still can't wait for Thanksgiving though.
