"Blue" in the Barrio, Bring it"

Since 1982, this prestigious program has honored more than 6,000 of America's most successful schools, including 538 Texas public schools. Last year, Silva Health Magnet and Coldwell Elementary were named National Blue Ribbon Schools. The Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors public and private elementary, middle and high schools. The schools are selected for one of two honors: • Improving - Schools that dramatically improve student performance to high levels on state tests • High Achieving - Schools whose students rank in the top 10 percent based on performance on their state standardized tests

Douglass Elementary has been nominated for dramatically improving student performance to high levels on state tests. The nominated schools were chosen through an objective evaluation of student achievement statistics and other data for the more than 8,000 public school and charter campuses in the state.

Schools nominated for the award serve as models of best practices for schools across the state.

So having said that, this week the PE department will make a "bold move" (quoting one of our head tech specialist) towards teaching 21st skills to our Blue Ribbon elementary school students.  I have always been a champion of integrating technology into all areas of the curriculum, particularly in physical education.  The students have been encouraged to bring in their personal devices to class(iPods, iPhones, Blackberries, etc), if they have a stop watch application.

We will be collecting times on the 50 meter dash, posting them to a data sheet and applying that collected data to other challenges or projects.  This move will no doubt challenge certain policies that pertain to the use of personal electronic devices during school hours.   When I informed my peers about activity their faces revealed their inner thoughts. So I am getting my head ready for the "Battle of Confiscation".  I will inform you on the next posting how the encounter went. 

I remember the heated discussion I had with my administration, a year and a half ago,  about the use of mp3 players in the PE class, now that encounter lasted well over an hour.  Having checked the policy concerning these particular devices I was able to show that using them in class did not violate policy.  As a matter of fact I encountered a lot of miss information/confusion concerning personal device policies (hear say vs fact).  So as I said before, "Bring It, the challenge is on"!! I think this introduction will excite the students and help engage them more into the academic atmosphere.

So my PE peers what do you think? Have you had similar experiences I would love to hear about it. Please add your comments below.

Dragon Chess Team Moves Around the Community

So what's in your neighborhood?  On June 3, 2011 the Douglass Chess team went for a walk on a warm Friday afternoon to go find out.  This small group of dragons, four members of the team,  left their lair and took a walk around the corner to visit one of their community and educational benefactors, W.Silver Recycling,Inc.

W. Silver Recycling is an international company headquartered in the heart of El Paso's industrial district and resides minutes from the US-Mexico Border and just a ten minute walk from Fredrick Douglass Elementary school.  This company also has taken an interest in the surrounding community. One of those interests is the chess team on the Douglass campus.  The chess team came into existence about eight years ago as a way to challenge and motivate a small group of "At Risk" students early in that academic year (four to be exact). Within six months this group developed into a formidable team, challenging players and schools that had well  established teams.  Hearing about this team's activity at a PIE (Partner in Education) luncheon, the company's  representatives decided to come along side the team and school and support this academic activity.

Support was given in various ways, such as supplying funds to pay for tournament registrations, the team had a sponsors' banner made, and this year polo shirts were fashioned and tournament chess boards were purchased for each team member. 

To thank W.Silver Recycling, the owner and financial manager were made honorary members of the Dragon team. So today the Dragons left their lair to walk around the corner to say,  "Thank You",  for your support of the Douglass Elementary School campus.

More images in the Photo Gallery < http://douglass.episd.org >

Bring It!

So my tennis shoe friends is the term overwhelmed well defined in your life yet, or do you have some more room on your plate?  This past week I experienced along with my co-workers being subjected to "New Stuff" for us to teach as essentials that was delivered with the impact and veracity of a shot gun blast and I say, "Is that all you got?".

Job Alike sessions that when you registered online kicked you out because the mandatory sessions were full and I say,  "Is that all you got?"

Four breakout sessions an hour and fifteen minutes long, Eduphoria/K-1 Skills Book, iTouch/VPE,
Safe Routes to School, Managing it All:Curriculum/Technology held at a site that should have issued GPS units when you sign in and I say, "Is that all you got?"

The presentations were good the presenters were great, but now I realize I have three initiatives with the same due date and the fourth one due the week after and I say,  "Is that all you got?"

Lunch was fantastic, thank you to Famous Daves and our sponsors Marathon Kids and The Paso Del Norte Health Foundation.  I lived out the definition of the word glutton that day on the second and third trip to the table. Sure wish the guest speakers had a better forum and I say,  "Is that all you got?"

STARR In-service today more New Stuff delivered to us for us to teach as essentials that was delivered with the impact and veracity of a shot gun blast (same shot gun I think) and I say,  "Is that all you got?"
( I wonder if they pass these shot guns around?)

New school schedule made that was a logistical nightmare for PE (3rd, 4th, 5th grade 1:00 pm to 3:15 pm). Grade level Pow Wow in the principal's office, Thank God for the word Consensus! (that required only a half capsule of Advil) and I say again,   "Is that all you got?"

The students have yet to arrive at the writing of this blog (they come in four days).  No doubt there will be the usual separation anxiety, crying, clinging and end of summer shock and after three or four days the teachers and staff will be fine. 

So what else can be loaded on our shoulders or shot at us? Because I say if that is all you got you are going to have to do better than that to get us rattled, so now I say,  "Bring It".

As James Brown once said so eloquently, "I am Super Bad"

Super Bad!

 Music Clip
James Brown (God Father of Soul)
Super Bad

Have a great and successful school year, we will see you on the other side in June!!

DragonCoach1   
 

 









     

The Effects of the Economic Recession on Education

I recently respond to a post by a colleague who was very concern about recent economic events and the effect on our educators. Here is his post.

We all know that the current condition of our economy has seriously effected educators. Our own district is feeling the crunch. However, famed economic guru, William Buffet, stated that he feels the economy is on its way to a strong recovery and that everything will be better shortly. What does this "strong recovery" mean to an educator? Our salaries and everything we do in the district is funded by property tax dollars, so unless this strong recovery equates to a property tax increase, how is this going to help us? Unless this strong recovery means that our health care costs are going down (they won't) or the price of a gallon of gasoline goes down (it won't), we are still going to be in the same sad situation we are now. I know that I am probably missing something, so please chime in and tell me that there is hope. Thoughts?

My response was
Clay, hard times ignites great minds (survival mode kicks in). Do we stop teaching because there is no budget? At the present rate no matter what you do something is going to give.
When the price of gas goes out of reach we just put our feet to the pedal (ride a bike) or put our feet to the pavement (walk). When the price of food gets so high then we un-concrete our yards and plant our own seeds. I presented to a group of my Physical Education peers about operating with little or know budget. The title of the presentation was "So you have know budget". I brought to the table this idea, what games and activities did you participate in when you were a child that required no money? Does anyone remember stick ball? Does anyone remember kick the can? Does anyone remember how to play marbles? Does anyone remember how to play Skully? Does anyone remember Hop scotch? Do you remember how to put together a downhill racer using an discarded ironing board, baby carriage and milk crate? The more resourceful people thought of or remembered to add a breaking system before they got half way down the hill or your wore out your last pair of tennis shoes slowing down before jumping off. :) All low or no budget activities. Jump rope required a clothes line that lost its usefull-ness as a clothes line. Rising health care costs would force us to rethink what we ingest. Am I still on topic or am I meddling?

Our own district is feeling the crunch for many reasons a down economy, unwise or under the table spending ventures, leadership on several levels that has been under investigation for the last 10 - 15 years, oops did I say that?

Do we still teach? In light of what our economic condition, what do we teach? How do we teach?

Remember Y2K did anyone really believe that at the stroke of midnight all the bank vaults would open up and planes would fall out of the sky? I had faith in the basic greed I mean resourcefulness of mankind to think of or work through that problem.

If I seem a little cynical please forgive me. But I think we need to get around the no money excuse for not doing what we are passionate about. Yes the job would be a lot easier if there were no money problems but which one of us is in it for the money? So the way is hard and at times bleak, but this may mean a total rethink about our present system. Educators live on the border of genius or for the most part actually are geniuses (I hope I spelled that word right). Especially working through the system of testing, testing and more testing and actually seeing students learning in spite of that now how does that occur I wonder.

So Clay is it darkest before the dawn or darkest before the fall into oblivion? Real cheesy isn't it but it works for now.
Did I stick to the topic about economics? Would this be rated 1,2,3, 4 or 5 writing score? :/

How about you do you have any thoughts on the subject?

Why I Am Passionate About Chess

Kevin is a prime example why we should not condemn and abandon our students to the TAKS only mentality. Click on the title, "Why I am Passionate about Chess". I have taken a lot of heat from my peers on this issue that chess is just a game and has no real educational value. Yet educational systems outside the USA make it a mandatory part of the curriculum (and we wonder why we are falling behind).
Chess teaches critical thinking skills, consequences for your actions, and you do not have to be a super athlete to be successful. I do have one major disagreement with the featured campus policy it is their No pass, no play rule. With such an highly academic activity as chess denying the student the pleasure, satisfaction of succeeding does not make much sense. We need activities such as chess, mancala, mindstorms, brainwarp, and other brain friendly activities to fill in the gaps that become so prevalent in our young peoples minds. I have gotten into some heated debates about our discipline system and thinking when we take away something so vital to the students intellectual development simply because it is something they enjoy. One professional peer became so enraged that they would rather their students go outside and run around instead of learning a discipline that would help in the long run (in detention we have a captive audience so to speak) why not do an activity that engages and not disengages the brain with that detained student? I know this does not sit well with folks, but then again a good deal of things I think don't sit well with some of my peers anyway. Until then, "dar jaque", Check!

Technology is not a dirty word!!

Attending the National Educators Computing Conference (NECC) was an absolute blast!! The conference was held in the Henry B. Gonzalez Conference Center in downtown San Antonio.  And I thought our Civic Center was grand.  This center had 4 levels of halls and conference rooms several that could hold several football fields.  The Grand Hyatt also was pressed into service for quite a few sessions.  

The actual conference started Sunday but I was able to arrive a day earlier to check the place out.  I attended a two day photography workshop sponsored by Adobe.  I will post some of the images that I captured. I also learned about some very interesting activities that are very classroom friendly to really engage our students into learning.  

I was able to attend about 8 workshops a day.  All were very engaging and user friendly.  The emerging technologies are amazing.  I was particularly interested in ideas to use with the available technologies we have on campus.  Yes, even if you have only one computer or a dusty one ( shame on you if you do ). I covered all the content areas (TAKS) science, math, reading, writing even music and its key relationship the content areas .  

The underlying theme was that the state testing objectives can be met outside the "state prescription box".  Meeting the needs of all the students in your class was an overriding theme dealing with Multiple Intelligences (MI seems to be the new buzz word).  

All or most of the presenters posted their presentations and resources to the conference website and will update them some more.  I have posted the url to the conference website which is .  

The conference tried a new format in the sessions called BYOL (Bring your own laptop) which I thought was great.  I was able to download or link to there presentation from so my need to take notes was at a minimum.  Also links were provided to FREE Resources.  It is amazing the availability of so many free writing, math,reading programs that have been develop by a lot of colleges.  One in particular was a college in Florida (Florida Center for Instructional Technology)  that has audio books for free download (mp3 formatt) according to reading levels.  The section log on to is Lit2Go, check it out.  You can browse by category, topic, author, and reading level.  This can be accessed through their website .  A lot of the stories are published works out of copyright.   If you have any students the would benefit from the auditory or who need auditory as part of their IEP.  

The writing workshops stressed blogging as an essential part to writing and particularly writing with voice. 

I will post images from the San Antonio trip at within a week or two need to edit about 500 images.  Time to go by the way on the 15th of July we will interview for a new principal at Douglass (Prayer Time!!)     Please take the time to respond, it works better that way :)     

Mortality Realized

At what point in our lives do we come to the sobering realization that we are mortal? For some people that may occur surviving a near death occurrence. It may occur when a close friend dies. It may occur when your 1st born has a 19th birthday as my son did yesterday and you can not remember your 19th. You know it happen because 54 is here and 55 is knocking on the door. I remember when he was born and all the events that surrounded his arrival, but that was not 19 years ago...was it? Then I looked up and saw the 2nd child and remembered the circumstances surrounding her arrival and now she approaches 18. So, When did I start losing track of time? Should the Lord delay His coming for another 20 years I will have to deal with body break down (another sobering point). Oh well, serious time is over. What do you think? Let me know. In the mean time I am going to go outside and play!!