tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-367893112024-02-19T05:55:28.589-06:00Post-its and PonderingsA middle school teacher's thoughts on science, technology and learningC. Mytkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06930476695074185607noreply@blogger.comBlogger65125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36789311.post-27824603246584756462022-07-16T11:33:00.008-05:002022-07-16T11:37:00.955-05:00How It's Made: Seamless gutters<div class="separator"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgytz6-5lYoj39_XxGtafR-zO1flylFP5BRZDPtSuxUi0ErsvnOdmX0znwbG4xsPj5t4Xh_ugdB9UN92MTNVy0jnHZeTJ0Y7GOubrpDc2scIWDYic-Lu1K8ekqnITOQ9cUwisddKwMx3ii1oaxDwlnc6mHJfNORxUt675kAkL9rxk3TCcYnkA/s1430/Screenshot%202022-07-16%20at%209.07.41%20AM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1430" data-original-width="816" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgytz6-5lYoj39_XxGtafR-zO1flylFP5BRZDPtSuxUi0ErsvnOdmX0znwbG4xsPj5t4Xh_ugdB9UN92MTNVy0jnHZeTJ0Y7GOubrpDc2scIWDYic-Lu1K8ekqnITOQ9cUwisddKwMx3ii1oaxDwlnc6mHJfNORxUt675kAkL9rxk3TCcYnkA/w92-h161/Screenshot%202022-07-16%20at%209.07.41%20AM.png" width="92" /></a></div>Every once in a while, I come across a video (this time on Instagram) and think, why have I never wondered that before?! Such is the case with this video (see screenshot), entitled "Making gutters." <i>What. is. this. machine?</i><div><br /></div><div>I never thought about it. How DO they transport 75 foot seamless gutters? Cue the start of my half hour of Googling "seamless gutter machine." :) </div><div><br /></div><div>I'll let this guy explain: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AVlOQWyg958" width="320" youtube-src-id="AVlOQWyg958"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here's another video: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/p0ppzB47nj4" width="320" youtube-src-id="p0ppzB47nj4"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div>If you are still reading, you can browse <a href="https://www.englertinc.com/gutter-machines">this site</a> to see the different types and watch this far more technical <a href="https://vimeo.com/458161944">machine overview</a>. Here is one final video with perhaps more detail that you want or need about gutter installation:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GNx1--YvDlA" width="320" youtube-src-id="GNx1--YvDlA"></iframe></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>C. Mytkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06930476695074185607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36789311.post-60958141629557615102022-04-23T14:20:00.007-05:002022-07-16T11:20:22.744-05:00Pruning, Procrastination, and Prioritization II<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #414141;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It's been a couple more years and a lot more has happened, but the dust is clearing and I'm trying to revisit this blog once again. I thought it worth running a post I wrote years ago. Looks like a lot has(n't) changed in <strike>four</strike> nine years--the pruning is long overdue.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #414141;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The last posts I posted were: </span></span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: #414141; font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;">Dec 11</span>, 2018 - to share what I learned after a pretty stressful experience with blood thinners</span></li><li><span style="color: #414141; font-family: arial;">July 12, 2017 - my vow to start up this blog again</span></li><li><span style="color: #414141; font-family: arial;">July 11, 2014 - to enter a "teacher organization" sweepstakes</span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="color: #414141; font-family: arial;"></span></p><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Seventeen years; only 63 published posts, and 369 posts in draft. Many of the published drafts are from early in my career and honestly need to be deleted. This summer, let's see what I can get done. </span></div><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #414141;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #414141;">Originally published 7.12.17:</span><br /></span><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #414141;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><blockquote><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #414141;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It's been a couple of years and I've had a lot of jobs, but the dust is clearing and I've revisited this blog once again. I thought it worth running a post I wrote years ago. Looks like a lot has(n't) changed in 4 years--the pruning is long overdue.</span></span></p></blockquote><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Originally published 2.18.13:</span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: arial;">So, my blog has been sorely neglected over the past few years. Right now it is cluttered with draft posts, links and images in a private Tumbler of ideas. Sprinkled throughout is the occasional posts, released in a burst of creative energy and prioritization. However, my blog is mostly neglected as the demands of teaching relegate it to the back burner. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">My blog is also competing with the immediacy of social media. Share a link, or toss up a shortened URL on Twitter, and one quickly receives feedback and commentary from the crowd. As immediately gratifying as this may be, it doesn't really take the place of blogging, a process that (at its best) forces me to consider multiple sources before assimilating those ideas with my own viewpoints, distilling them to what matters in my particular context, and then writing them down. I don't really blog for the crowd; I do it for me.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_c4vGTfUcgxlCEYioxMsCsxYi2RP1TWqlCeRBZyX-tWpmYGOa0H7pzgg0rRdWazqSxjBil7kOmzaRX8mpCj4WXi5ufznC-DPjiGmLKfFkMHLYcV96jwGCEiRu9hKYHesv22V5X4SehiXjpamIzZaFuUFbAWXZqRfE_p9z9Gun2HUHALBlhQ/s976/Phoenix_detail_from_Aberdeen_Bestiary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="976" data-original-width="884" height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_c4vGTfUcgxlCEYioxMsCsxYi2RP1TWqlCeRBZyX-tWpmYGOa0H7pzgg0rRdWazqSxjBil7kOmzaRX8mpCj4WXi5ufznC-DPjiGmLKfFkMHLYcV96jwGCEiRu9hKYHesv22V5X4SehiXjpamIzZaFuUFbAWXZqRfE_p9z9Gun2HUHALBlhQ/w96-h106/Phoenix_detail_from_Aberdeen_Bestiary.jpg" width="96" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">And, so, in resurrecting this blog, I've considered the analogy of the Phoenix - that mythical bird with its colorful plumage and a tail of gold and scarlet. The bird that, at the end of its 500 to 1000 year life-cycle, builds itself a nest of twigs that it then ignites; "both nest and bird burn fiercely and are reduced to ashes, from which a new, young phoenix or phoenix egg arises, reborn anew to live again." (</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_%28mythology%29" style="font-family: arial;">Wikipedia</a><span style="font-family: arial;">) It's tempting to just destroy this blog and start anew, creating a new space from its ashes, but that analogy was not quite what I was looking for.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I've considered, instead, the act of pruning bushes. This seems more apropos to my goals. The University of Rhode Island offers this Pruning Guide [website since deleted]. "Pruning is a regular part of plant maintenance involving the selective removal of specific plant parts."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Why prune? The site goes on to offer these reasons:</span></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">To improve the appearance or health of a plant.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">To control the size of a plant.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">To prevent personal injury or property damage.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">To train young plants.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">To influence fruiting and flowering.</span></li><li><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 1em; padding: 4px; position: relative; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfFUepcrL4KY9S7HMwK9yLuI2I8aCkAHvfVKCeHyncCS1mOXPToUiSpFuCu5FkbGZW2bOD1huxchJLOVxcVzWT_6SOgnzSN-ObcMusmzx3UlhClswViiVTN6SohFIHCKEYaF7_/s1600/Szo%CC%8Blo%CC%8B_metsze%CC%81s.jpg" style="clear: left; color: #1244a4; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" height="85" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfFUepcrL4KY9S7HMwK9yLuI2I8aCkAHvfVKCeHyncCS1mOXPToUiSpFuCu5FkbGZW2bOD1huxchJLOVxcVzWT_6SOgnzSN-ObcMusmzx3UlhClswViiVTN6SohFIHCKEYaF7_/w115-h85/Szo%CC%8Blo%CC%8B_metsze%CC%81s.jpg" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="115" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">CC-BY-SA by <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Hirvenk%C3%BCrpa" style="background-color: #f9f9f9; background-image: none; color: #0b0080; line-height: 19.1875px; text-decoration-line: none;" title="User:Hirvenkürpa">Hirvenkürpa</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;">To rejuvenate old trees and shrubs.</span></li></ol><p></p></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: arial;">That's what my old blog needs - rejuvenation! I started blogging nearly 7 years ago, and over the years have more clearly focused my ideas and vision as a teacher. I plan to start by pruning away those previous posts that serve as a distraction to my professional goals.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Then, perhaps, my blog will grow healthier and stronger than before. Of course, this requires that I actually write. And teaching tends to fill up my to-do list, leaving little time for much else. However, it's good to have goals.</span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="post-footer" style="background-color: white; color: #9b9b9b; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5px; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px;"></div>C. Mytkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06930476695074185607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36789311.post-25743683462021231062018-12-11T12:17:00.000-06:002019-02-19T11:12:29.209-06:00Xarelto & Menstruation (or What I Learned as a Premenopausal Woman Having Periods on Blood Thinners)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVQGwVK35ei2-w9uVPSPKI3-AUOmhlZ82a7GgLyVBYU5An6tSIfR36zLCrcUWfP3f4pPqXtKYttxsVx8UeO4DHC6GAM22M1Zwazj7FqjXzc3YoefpKhccmY366BZEQXgO2atQd/s1600/IMG_5531.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVQGwVK35ei2-w9uVPSPKI3-AUOmhlZ82a7GgLyVBYU5An6tSIfR36zLCrcUWfP3f4pPqXtKYttxsVx8UeO4DHC6GAM22M1Zwazj7FqjXzc3YoefpKhccmY366BZEQXgO2atQd/s320/IMG_5531.JPG" width="320" /></a>This is an uncharacteristically personal blog post, but my hope is that the next active, menstruating person who is put on blood thinners and searches the internet for "blood thinners and periods" finds the info I wish I had in the beginning.<br />
<br />
I'm also a science teacher (not a medical doctor), and I do get a little over-enthusiastic describing the physiology involved in these topics.<br />
<br />
If you are a current or former student, or just squeamish about medical stuff: be forewarned, I'll be discussing my periods and a lot of bleeding, so if that creeps you out, don't read it. :)<br />
<br />
And, finally, if you don't feel like reading the whole post, just know that Heavy Menstrual Bleeding (HMB) affects ∼90% of women with an underlying bleeding disorder and ∼70% of women on anticoagulation (<a href="http://asheducationbook.hematologylibrary.org/content/2016/1/236.full">source</a>). So, if you are still menstruating and are put on blood thinners (especially the newer oral anticoagulants, such as Xarelto, which carry a higher risk of HMB), do yourself a favor--keep a menstruation journal and check in with a gynecologist ASAP. From what I've experienced and read, your cardiologist / hematologist is not going to ask you about your periods--so you will want to bring it up.<br />
<br />
[ADDED 2/19/19: Here is a GREAT resource from <a href="https://www.stoptheclot.org/">The National Blood Clot Alliance</a> (I wish I had found it last September!): <a href="https://bloodclotrecovery.net/menstrual-cycles-and-anticoagulants/">Menstrual Cycles and Anticoagulants: What’s Normal?</a>]<br />
<br />
If you are interested in the scientific details, I recommend the journal article <i><a href="http://www.bloodjournal.org/content/130/24/2603.long?sso-checked=true">How I treat heavy menstrual bleeding associated with anticoagulants</a></i> (Blood, 2017).<br />
<br />
I also recommend this blog by another younger woman on blood thinners: <a href="https://embolismat33.wordpress.com/2017/04/11/blood-thinners-and-menstruation-what-your-doctors-failed-to-tell-you/">Blood Thinners and Periods – What Your Doctor Failed to Tell You</a>. She shares, "Out of the 7 doctors I’ve interacted with, only 1 mentioned menstruating on blood thinners being possibly different than without." My experience was similar, but with fewer doctors.<br />
<br />
Here is an outline of this post:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>PART 0: Varicose Veins and Blood Clots </b></li>
<li><b>PART 1: <b>Learning About Blood Thinners</b></b></li>
<li><b>PART 2: </b><b>What I Wished I Knew From the Start</b></li>
<li><b>PART 3: Learning About Menstruation (on Blood Thinners)</b></li>
<ul><ul>
<li><b><i>How heavy is too heavy?</i></b></li>
<li><b><b><i>Where is this blood coming from?</i></b></b></li>
<li><b><b><i><b style="font-style: normal;"><i>Why (menstrual) clots?</i></b></i></b></b></li>
<li><b><b><i><b style="font-style: normal;"><i><b style="font-style: normal;"><i>What are my options?</i></b></i></b></i></b></b></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<li><b>PART 4: Solutions and Take-Aways (spoiler alert: it involves an IUD)</b></li>
<ul><ul>
<li><b><b><i>SOLUTION 1: Reclaiming my periods (mostly)</i></b></b></li>
<li><b><b><i>SOLUTION 2: Reclaiming my independence</i></b></b></li>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
<br />
<h4>
<b>PART 0: Varicose Veins and Blood Clots</b></h4>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
I have a history of superficial venous thromboses (SVT). As their name suggests, these blood clots are superficial, located just below the skin’s surface and, unlike deep vein thromboses (DVT), are not life-threatening. Superficial vein thrombophlebitis (swelling associated with clots) is generally caused by an injury to the vein and appears in veins where blood flows slower than normal, such as varicose veins (this decreased blood flow is also called <i>venous insufficiency</i>). However, it is worth noting that most people with varicose veins do not develop thromboses (clots).<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Even a slight injury can cause a varicose vein to become inflamed. Unlike deep vein thrombosis, which causes very little inflammation, superficial venous thrombosis involves a sudden (acute) inflammatory reaction that causes the blood cot (thrombus) to adhere firmly to the vein wall and lessens the likelihood that it will break loose. Unlike deep veins, superficial veins have no surrounding muscles to squeeze and dislodge a blood clot. For these reasons, superficial venous thrombosis rarely causes a blood clot to break loose (embolism). (<a href="https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/heart-and-blood-vessel-disorders/venous-disorders/superficial-venous-thrombosis">source: Merck</a>)</blockquote>
So, though they are painful and annoying, my superficial clots are not going to kill me. As stated above, they are not likely to contribute to a pulmonary embolism (PE), a life-threatening condition where a blood clot in the leg breaks loose and travels through the bloodstream to the lung. People show have a unprovoked DVT/PE can be put on blood thinners for life. I was only on blood thinners for three months.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-wTpjkC2_fCNTQHbCzbuOXzE2Qxfply1lvhiD89yW5nf4j5MppNItEXHdcLfBir_Yb2slCpgJGIASH_SQNPyEss0oCDEvHLGlPe22yCVnzgnz54UbzPgcrBUEiUvjtVu5vGHU/s1600/6186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1092" data-original-width="1600" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-wTpjkC2_fCNTQHbCzbuOXzE2Qxfply1lvhiD89yW5nf4j5MppNItEXHdcLfBir_Yb2slCpgJGIASH_SQNPyEss0oCDEvHLGlPe22yCVnzgnz54UbzPgcrBUEiUvjtVu5vGHU/s320/6186.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Venous Ablation</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I've had a lot of superficial clots, beginning in my late 20s. I had a <a href="https://www.insideradiology.com.au/varicose-vein-ablation/">venous ablation</a> in my right leg 10+ years ago and wear 20-30 mmHg <a href="https://bloodclotrecovery.net/compression-stockings/">medical compression stockings</a> on both legs most days--especially on airplanes, long car rides, or days where I do a lot of sitting (such as parent-teacher conferences). If you are interested, you can read more about <a href="https://www.insideradiology.com.au/varicose-vein-ablation/">radiofrequency ablation therapy for varicose veins</a> here -- they basically use radio waves to heat up, destroy, and collapse your <a href="https://www.healthline.com/human-body-maps/great-saphenous-vein#1">great saphenous vein</a> (I recommend that link--it includes a very cool body map).<br />
<br />
In August 2018, I felt a familiar pain and an ultrasound confirmed I had three new clots. This time, with my history of SVT, my vein doctor wanted me to go on blood thinners and follow through with the (previously optional) left leg ablation. So, that's how I ended up on <a href="https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-156265/xarelto-oral/details">Xarelto</a> (generic name: rivaroxaban).<br />
<br />
<br />
<h4>
<b>PART 1: Learning About Blood Thinners</b></h4>
<h4>
<b> </b></h4>
I knew nothing about blood thinners except that "old people" took them. According to <a href="https://www.webmd.com/dvt/dvt-treatment-tips-for-taking-heparin-and-warfarin-safely#1">WebMD</a>, "about 2 million to 3 million people take blood thinners every year." According to doctors and pharmacists I talked to, the majority of these people are older adults--mostly men, and women who have gone through menopause. I imagine this is why heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) seems to rarely be discussed at appointments or in the literature.<br />
<br />
Blood thinners (or anticoagulants), despite their name, do not actually thin the blood; nor do they dissolve existing clots. They do interfere with blood clotting in general, they can help prevent new clots from forming, and they keep existing clots from becoming larger. This gives your body time to remove the clot on its own by activating a protein (plasmin) which breaks down the fibrin mesh (on the outside, we recognize fibrin in a <a href="https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/scab.html">scab</a>). Anticoagulants are different than the so-called "clot-busting" drugs (thrombolytics) that are used in the case of heart attack, stroke, or massive pulmonary embolism--those drugs activate plasmin to actually break up the clot ASAP.<br />
<br />
Here's a (rather complex) overview of how clotting works:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>The coagulation cascade is triggered by tissue factor release from tissue trauma or vascular injury. Tissue factor in the presence of calcium forms a complex and cleaves clotting factors X and IX to their activated forms (factors Xa and IXa). The prothrombinase complex is then assembled and cleaves prothrombin (factor II) to factor IIa (thrombin). <b>Thrombin</b> is one of the most potent activators of primary (platelet-mediated) and secondary (clotting factor-mediated) hemostasis (stopping of blood loss, or clotting). </i><i>(<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3654192/">source</a>)</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Thrombin facilitates the conversion of a soluble plasma protein called fibrinogen into long, insoluble fibers or threads of the protein, fibrin. Fibrin threads form</i> "<i>an interlocking network of fibers and a framework for the clot. This net of fibers traps and helps hold platelets, blood cells, and other molecules tight to the site of injury, functioning as the initial clot." (<a href="https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-ap/chapter/hemostasis/">source</a>)</i></blockquote>
Xarelto is a direct factor Xa inhibitor.<br />
<br />
I learned that blood thinners (anticoagulants in particular) generally include three types:<br />
<br />
(1) <b>vitamin K antagonists</b> - these are perhaps the most well-known and work by reducing your body’s ability to make vitamin K. Without vitamin K, your liver has trouble making blood-clotting proteins. It is also necessary to have to have your liver monitored while taking these, and you have to be careful about what you eat--particularly around foods high in vitamin K.<br />
<ul>
<li>Warfarin (Coumadin)</li>
</ul>
<br />
(2) <b>Heparins </b>- it is my understanding that this is administered through IV or injections at home. Heparins keep one of the clotting proteins, thrombin, from doing its job.<br />
<ul>
<li>fondaparinux (Arixtra) , inhibits factor Xa</li>
<li>unfractionated heparin (UFH)</li>
<li>low-molecular weight heparins (LMWH) </li>
</ul>
<br />
(3) <b>non-VKA oral anticoagulants (NOACs)</b> - These are newer, easier to take (pill form), and require no dietary restrictions or extra monitoring. (Us "younger" folks are most often put on NPACs now.) Plus, when you stop Xarelto, it is out of your system within 24 hours. NOACs keep your body from making fibrin, the protein the forms the clot’s mesh.<br />
<ul>
<li>dabigatran (Pradaxa®)</li>
<li>rivaroxaban (Xarelto®)</li>
<li>apixaban (Eliquis®)</li>
<li>edoxaban (Lixiana [Europe/Asia], Savaysa [Nth Am]).</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br />
Some of these blood thinners, mostly older anticoagulants, have antidotes for when a person on anticoagulation has major bleeding, or when there is a need for urgent surgery (<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12557411">source</a>). Most internet searches on Xarelto highlight that, for at least a long while, Xarelto did not have an antidote. This terrified me. (I was afraid to fall in a bike accident and bleed to death (irrational, but true). I didn't know what would happen if I was in a car accident.) Ends up <a href="https://secure.medicalletter.org/w1549a">Andexanet alfa </a>was approved as antidote for Factor Xa inhibitors Xarelto and Eliquis in May 2018, under the trade name <i>AndexXa</i>. PHEW. </div>
<div>
<br />
Finally, you cannot take Ibuprofen, Naxopren (Aleve), or any other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) while taking blood thinners, as these medicines also thin your blood.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
When you go on blood thinners, doctors seem to suggest getting (1) an electric razor and (2) a soft toothbrush, to minimize bleeding. I certainly wish my doctor had also added (3) an appointment with your gynecologist. <a href="http://www.bloodjournal.org/content/130/24/2603.long?sso-checked=true">One recent article</a> clearly states, <b>"Premenopausal women should be advised of the potential effect of anticoagulant therapy on menstrual bleeding at the time of treatment initiation." </b>But that didn't happen in my case and I certainly did not expect what happened next.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h4>
<b>PART 2: What I Wished I Knew From the Start</b></h4>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
I never talked to my doctor in person initially about blood thinners. He prescribed them over the phone and scheduled a follow-up appointment in 3 weeks. Those three weeks were full of a lot of (scary) bleeding and anxiety. We'll get to the heavy periods later, but it ends up the symptoms of anemia - tiredness, dizziness, light-headedness, fatigue, shortness of breath, irregular or fluttering heartbeat - seem pretty similar to the symptoms of anxiety. So, it was hard for me to tell if I was losing too much blood, or just freaking out about it.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
At the 3-week visit, the doctor stressed to me that <b>Xarelto (or any blood thinners) do not make you any more likely to <i>start </i>bleeding</b>. Rather, once I started bleeding, it would be harder to stop. (Apparently, older men often complain of blood in their urine when starting blood thinners, but that is most often due to a pre-existing, yet undiagnosed, condition.) I don't randomly start bleeding, I seldom fall off my bike--why would this be any different on Xarelto? (The light-headedness from blood loss/anxiety was one reason I did stay off the bike for a while.)<br />
<br />
The doctor also confirmed that <b>Xarelto did have an antidote</b> (PHEW) and that he has only had to use it once in his career thus far. Xarelto is out of your system quickly (within 24 hours) making it different than the older blood thinners. (In fact, the doctor had me take my last Xarelto the day of my venous ablation, a minor surgery. Weird.)<br />
<br />
Finally, and most relief-worthy, the doctor shared that Xarelto had a lower risk of cerebral (brain) bleeds than older blood thinners (like warfarin), though a slightly higher risk for gastrointestinal bleeding; BUT <b>nothing I did from the neck down would be life-threatening</b>. He said, "If you fall off your bike and skin up your legs, it's going to bleed for a while and look really scary, but it is not ultimately going to be a problem." He stressed that only if I hit my head, or fell super-awkwardly on a joint, should I take myself to the ER.<br />
<br />
I'm not going to lie to you, when I got my first good cut on Xarelto (skinned my heel), I was a wreck, not knowing what to expect (spoiler: it bled a lot). However, what I learned next about periods made my superficial concerns laughable....<br />
<br />
Finally, <b>I also wish I knew what was "normal" and what was "too much" for a menstrual period</b>. I don't typically talk to other women about how much they bleed. In hindsight, I've always had relatively heavy periods lasting 5-8 days. But when I found myself unable to change a tampon without blood running down my hands and dripping on to the floor on day 4 of my first Xarelto period, I figured I had a problem. The days following confirmed that this. was. not. normal.<br />
<br />
I've since learned that "A normal menstrual cycle is defined in terms of frequency of 24 to 38 days (the regularity of which can vary between ± 2 and 20 days) with a duration of flow between 4.5 and 8 days and a <b>volume of monthly blood loss between 5 and 80 mL per cycle</b>."<br />
<br />
Heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) happens when you have:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Bleeding that lasts more than 7 days.</li>
<li>Bleeding that soaks through one or more tampons or pads every hour for several hours in a row.</li>
<li>Needing to wear more than one pad at a time to control menstrual flow.</li>
<li>Needing to change pads or tampons during the night.</li>
<li>Menstrual flow with blood clots that are as big as a quarter or larger.</li>
</ul>
<br />
Yep, I had all of that.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h4>
<b>PART 3: Learning About Menstruation (on Blood Thinners)</b></h4>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
Those first weeks, when I was worried about superficial cuts or unlikely head trauma, I severely underestimated how this all worked with menstruation (most people on blood thinners, as mentioned, are men or post-menopausal women). I realized later, despite being a science teacher, that I did not even really understand how periods worked. It was wild, kinda scary, and I learned a lot.<br />
<br />
<b><i>How heavy is too heavy?</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
On the aforementioned Day 4 of my first Xarelto period, I was scared. I made the mistake of Googling "Xarelto and periods." Don't do that--it's terrifying. I kept my Googling to more scientific search terms and learned a lot from this article <a href="http://asheducationbook.hematologylibrary.org/content/2016/1/236.full"><i>Heavy menstrual bleeding: work-up and management</i></a>.<br />
<br />
The <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/blooddisorders/women/menorrhagia.html">CDC page</a> states, "Menorrhagia [now called HMB] is menstrual bleeding that lasts more than 7 days. It can also be bleeding that is very heavy. How do you know if you have heavy bleeding? If you need to change your tampon or pad after less than 2 hours or you pass clots the size of a quarter or larger, that is heavy bleeding. If you have this type of bleeding, you should see a doctor."<br />
<br />
Let's talk about clots for a minute. Normal menstrual clots are smaller than a quarter and only occur occasionally, usually toward the beginning of your menstrual cycle. Abnormal clots are larger than a quarter and occur frequently. (<a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/womens-health/menstrual-clots">source</a>) By day 5, I was passing some gnarly clots (I'll spare you the details). By then, I was also keeping a menstruation journal and documenting EVERYTHING (times, size and number of pads/tampons, percent filled upon removal, frequency and estimated diameter of clots. I calculated approximate volume blood loss using the measurements below--I was WAY over 80 ml for that first (and second) cycle.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Regular absorbency tampons: 6 to 9 grams<br />
Super absorbency tampons: 9 to 12 grams<br />
Super plus absorbency tampons: 12 to 15 grams<br />
Ultra absorbency tampons: 15 to 18 grams</blockquote>
<br />
By the second week, I had made an appointment with a gynecologist. My vein doctor (a cardiologist) had been rather dismissive about the bleeding, asking (not unkindly) if I could just "tough it out." My primary doctor backed off all together, saying that it was not her area of expertise and that I should find a gynecologist who takes my insurance. I just wanted to bleeding to stop.<br />
<br />
That first period was 10 days long, with three of those days (thankfully two on the weekend) involving setting a timer for every 1.5 hours (including throughout the night) to swap Super+ tampons before they'd leak onto the backup pad. Most of the time, I made it in time. Work (teaching middle school) was a challenge--it was hard to raise my voice without feeling light-headed, I occasionally I had to leave the room to lay down when I felt like I was going to faint, and I had to very strategically plan my bathroom access. And remember, you can't take Ibuprofen or Aleve ... Tylenol is better than nothing, but it just wasn't the same.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Where is this blood coming from? (or the shedding of uterine lining):</i></b><br />
<br />
I did not know where all the blood was coming from. I asked my gynecologist that first visit, bewilderedly, "Is it coming from my <i>veins</i>?!" Her answer was "sort of." It was actually coming from my arteries.<br />
<br />
Most of us learned that menstruation typically occurs in a 28-day cycle. Something like: "During the follicular phase (days 1 to 14) estrogen levels rise, the uterine lining (endometrium) thickens. During the luteal phase (days 14 to 21), the corpus luteum (CL) produces estrogen and progesterone. If fertilization does not occur, at the end of this 28 day cycle, the lining sheds." You've probably even seen a diagram like the one below:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxmov5fVNUe3rUyEqujOzOZSA4cpFD_mbUzRw0FM37MG8AEDVZO9MmocjwdNqufgdpTuV6hweW-gjTP0LVoYK6dyOmeudIBEP3sGIU-KUULMHpj5MeS6l3RNsq1urKAf_IMMXM/s1600/F1.large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="697" data-original-width="1280" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxmov5fVNUe3rUyEqujOzOZSA4cpFD_mbUzRw0FM37MG8AEDVZO9MmocjwdNqufgdpTuV6hweW-gjTP0LVoYK6dyOmeudIBEP3sGIU-KUULMHpj5MeS6l3RNsq1urKAf_IMMXM/s400/F1.large.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Boy, did I not understand what was happening during that whole "shedding of the lining" part. Ends up, there are a lot of blood vessels involved, and those blood vessels need to clot in order to stop the cycle's bleeding.<br />
<br />
I learned that the endometrium consists of two layers, the top being called the "functionalis layer." These layers are supplied by arteries.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEjTu6EEUISP-RG6AmJUOQgb64N-PcaBdy1B2ra2AZ35AwRoTBo8ToIqRzYJEpHK_EH1RQjXZ_rZi3gHZAKOF5o_qzskzCcKJtyqf2PhaBr1JndhO0aAis-Vwu8j4a1AQdoS2Q/s1600/00072.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="585" data-original-width="1234" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEjTu6EEUISP-RG6AmJUOQgb64N-PcaBdy1B2ra2AZ35AwRoTBo8ToIqRzYJEpHK_EH1RQjXZ_rZi3gHZAKOF5o_qzskzCcKJtyqf2PhaBr1JndhO0aAis-Vwu8j4a1AQdoS2Q/s400/00072.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://obgynkey.com/implantation-and-placental-development/">image source (obgynkey.com)</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
As the menstrual cycle progresses, these arteries grow at a faster rate than the endometrial layer, resulting in coiling of the arteries. Near the end of the menstrual cycle (day 27), the coiled arteries get so coil-y that they constrict, and cut off blood flow (vasoconstriction) to that layer of the endometrium (endometrial hypoxia) and that layer dies. We experience the subsequent breakdown and and expelling of tissue as our period. Menstrual bleeding is generally arterial rather than venous bleeding. <a href="https://obgynkey.com/implantation-and-placental-development/">This source</a> gets into waaaay more detail about all this, if you are interested in reading more.<br />
<br />
I also had a scare when I remembered an embryology video I show in my science class... as the yolk broke from the follicle, a blood vessel burst (this is why you sometimes get those <a href="https://www.incredibleegg.org/eggcyclopedia/b/blood-spots/">red dots on your egg yolks</a>). I emailed my gynecologist and asked, "is there bleeding during ovulation?" She said, "The risk of bleeding into the corpus luteum is slightly elevated, but your body should still be able to naturally stop that bleeding. Most people on blood thinners do not have issues with bleeding into corpus lutea. However, if it happens, symptoms include: Abdominal bloating, abdominal pain, lightheadedness, palpitations." Once again, symptoms of the new IUD? Or anxiety over the blood thinners? Ugh.<br />
<br />
So, here I was worried about a superficial cut on my heel, when my uterus was basically free-bleeding and there was nothing I could do about it. In fact, rivaroxaban (Xarelto) has a high instance of uterine bleeding occurrence (the bleeding rate was estimated at 29.8 percent) (<a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/12/151222112950.htm">source</a>)<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><i>Why (menstrual) clots?</i></b><br />
<br />
I was curious about the clots. I didn't understand... if I was on blood thinners, wouldn't I have fewer menstrual clots, not more? Turns out that "as the uterine lining sheds, it pools in the bottom of the uterus, waiting for the cervix to contract and expel its contents. To aid in the breakdown of this thickened blood and tissue, the body releases anticoagulants to thin the material and allow it to pass more freely. However, when the blood flow outpaces the body’s ability to produce anticoagulants, menstrual clots are released." (<a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/womens-health/menstrual-clots">source</a>)<br />
<br />
If the bleeding is heavy, clots have time to form in the "pool," but the anticoagulants do not have time to act — so the blood clots.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<b><i>What are my options?</i></b><br />
<br />
Recently, HMB-related therapies (especially in anticoagulated patients) include hormonal therapy, tranexamic acid, anticoagulant management, and surgical interventions. (You can read more details <a href="http://patientblog.clotconnect.org/2010/11/25/heavy-menstrual-bleeds-on-blood-thinners-what-to-do/">here</a>.)<br />
<br />
Basically, a thinner uterus lining will mean less bleeding.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.hematology.org/Thehematologist/Diffusion/8467.aspx" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="688" data-original-width="1122" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg94AtffI634XRaP-0Zq4gkeXlri1tSDFUys-Zu9UJMdApb9dlYv_2P9_ULeRrtMOO-PnUpAEz5Wgr7WGKLuuaDI9cxYxbtZ4ldRW_BMtVjkN1QERfYU2vf37QVoKkdwezb6nhh/s400/Screen+Shot+2018-12-11+at+7.31.32+AM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.hematology.org/Thehematologist/Diffusion/8467.aspx">Source: Management of Heavy Menstrual Bleeding on Anticoagulation</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<u><br />Surgical interventions</u><br />
When in doubt, take it out. "Hysterectomy is the definitive treatment of HMB." (<a href="http://asheducationbook.hematologylibrary.org/content/2016/1/236.full">source</a>) Apparently, if you were on blood thinners for life, the go-to option has been a hysterectomy (removal of the uterus) or endometrial ablation (removal of the thin layer of tissue that lines the uterus), both of which prevent your from ever having children in the future.<br />
<br />
<u>Tranexamic acid (US Brand name: Lysteda)</u><br />
Tranexamic acid (an antifibrinolytic agent) works by blocking the breakdown of blood clots, which prevents bleeding. Apparently, it is taken three times a day for the first few days of the period. (People with the bleeding disorder v<a href="https://www.beyondthebleed.com/von-willebrand-disease/">on Willebrand’s disease</a> are familiar with this treatment. Side note: this disease is also under-diagnosed in men, since they do not menstruate or give birth.)<br />
<br />
<u>Anticoagulant management</u><br />
Sometimes, doctors will recommend reducing the dose or skipping a couple doses during the start of your period. (Don't do this without consulting your doctor, as it may increase the risk for dangerous clots.) Or consider decreasing the DOAC blood thinner dose all together after the initial three months of full-dose anticoagulation<br />
<br />
<u>Hormonal therapy</u><br />
It has been common practice to avoid prescribing hormone therapy and anticoagulants at the same time, but it is not well-studied. Many studies are now saying hormone treatments (like the birth control pill) are fine when taking a therapeutic dose of blood thinners (prevents clots anyway?).<br />
<u><br /></u>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoYosluigQm9KUJrf6qK6aAgnhDFcczHaYcaYqrOr83IXtnQ5OJ_IqKAB_yAvwCC_F0-ZVHWJZLA3ZmxXJ3ObNk_XC7oCy7YSlPj-St0rsX75ZGeT2RBfDmK5-YseLQlQfinQ7/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-12-11+at+1.07.42+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="876" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoYosluigQm9KUJrf6qK6aAgnhDFcczHaYcaYqrOr83IXtnQ5OJ_IqKAB_yAvwCC_F0-ZVHWJZLA3ZmxXJ3ObNk_XC7oCy7YSlPj-St0rsX75ZGeT2RBfDmK5-YseLQlQfinQ7/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-12-11+at+1.07.42+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
There are a number of options but "the levonorgestrel intrauterine system (LNG-IUS, Mirena) is the most effective medical intervention for HMB and is recommended ... as the first-line option for HMB in women who also require contraception." This device diminished menstrual bleeding in more than 80% of women, but with intermenstrual bleeding in almost half of the women.<br />
<br />
The <a href="https://www.mirena-us.com/about-mirena/">Mirena</a> (brand name) works by continuous release of 20 μg levonorgestrel every 24 hours, and reduces endometrial (the lining of the uterus) growth. The most common side effect associated with LNG-IUS and reason for discontinuation of treatment is menstrual irregularity, usually prolonged bleeding/spotting in the first 3 months. This may persist for a longer period in women with HMB. (<a href="https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/html/10.1055/s-0036-1592304#N69582">Cohen, 2016</a>) Levonorgestrel may also prevent ovulation (release of an egg from the ovaries) in some women." (<a href="https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a613047.html">source</a>)<br />
<br />
It's worth noting that some IUDs, such as the non-hormonal coper IUD, can actually make your periods longer and heavier. So, Mirena is the way to go. (Here's a nice IUD <a href="https://www.self.com/story/signs-iud-is-right-for-you-or-not">pros and cons list</a>.)<br />
<b><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></b>
<br />
<h4>
<b>PART 4: Solutions and Take-Aways (spoiler alert: it involves an IUD)</b></h4>
<br />
<br />
<b><i>SOLUTION 1: Reclaiming my periods (mostly)</i></b><br />
<br />
I had never even considered an IUD. I vaguely have <a href="https://www.thecut.com/2014/06/why-the-iud-cant-beat-its-bad-reputation.html">heard negative things about it</a>, and I wasn't all that interested in having a device in my uterus. Plus, the pill just always seemed an easier way to control my periods and provide birth control. (My doctors still do not agree if the pill actually triggered these most recent clots, since <a href="https://www.stoptheclot.org/about-clots/webinar_contra/birth_control_clots/">the pill is more commonly associated with the risk of unprovoked, life-threatening clots</a>. My clots were provoked by, presumably, my misbehaving veins. To be safe, we decided I won't take estrogen-containing pills again.)<br />
<br />
14 days into Xarelto, I didn't care. I just wanted the menstrual bleeding to stop.<br />
<br />
Despite there being many progestin-only options (here's <a href="https://rightasrain.uwmedicine.org/life/sex/birth-control-pills-IUD-how-contraception-works">a nice overview</a>), the IUD seems to be the crowd favorite. "An advantage of the levonorgestrel IUD is that there is very little systemic absorption of the progestin. Nonetheless, menstrual blood flow is reduced 71% to 95%. Reduced menstrual blood flow has been confirmed in women with bleeding disorders and in women on anticoagulation." (<a href="http://asheducationbook.hematologylibrary.org/content/2016/1/236.full">source</a>)<br />
<br />
I met my (brand-new, internet-searched) gynecologist on a Tuesday; my Mirena was placed on that Friday during my lunch hour -- I returned to school and finished teaching that day.<br />
<br />
My second period (post-IUD) was also 10 days long, but with slightly fewer clots. The third period (after a full month with the IUD) was only 5 days, I was bleeding less, and felt much less light-headed! However, the intermenstrual bleeding (presumable from ovulation, or as a side effect of the IUD) was pretty constant, I basically had my period all but 14 days over a 3-month time frame. It got old, let me tell you. But, it also was a tolerable "new normal." I even got to joking about it.<br />
<br />
If you decide to go the IUD route, I also recommend <i>not</i> Googling "IUD insertion" before you go -- some women, especially those who have never had children, describe it as the "worst pain in their life" (<a href="https://www.cosmopolitan.com/sex-love/news/a52561/what-getting-an-iud-really-feels-like-according-to-women/">What Getting an IUD Really Feels Like, According to 13 Women</a>) whereas the mommy-blogs rate the pain a 1-2 on a scale of 10. (Not sure if that's due to physical changes in the cervix, but I suspect that, once you have a child, your pain scale is significantly and permanently altered.)<br />
<br />
The insertion wasn't pleasant, but it wasn't that bad (for me). Through the <a href="https://www.verywellhealth.com/what-to-expect-during-an-iud-insertion-906772">insertion process</a>, only the last step was biting-sharp, but over quickly. I also couldn't take the recommended dose of 600 mg of ibuprofen before insertion, so that was a bummer. My doctor also took a vaginal ultrasound to rule out uterine perforation--this would be bad news on blood thinners! As mentioned, it was quick and I went back to work that day. I even helped a friend pack on Saturday. It is still not always 100% comfortable, but it is better than bleeding all the time.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<b><i>SOLUTION 2: Reclaiming my independence</i></b><br />
<br />
After almost two months of worrying, I told myself I couldn't live like this. I <b>picked up some gauze pads and bandage rolls</b> and threw them in my bike bag, in case of a spill.<br />
<br />
I also <b>ordered a medical ID bracelet </b>(here is <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073XGW445/">the one I chose</a>) to wear when I was out alone. Again there is not that much out there for younger, active folks, but I figured it couldn't hurt in the case of an accident. I choose "blood thinner" on the outside, since "Xarelto" is probably not a recognizable name. I added a label to the inside with the dosage, in case I was ever in need of emergency responders.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh0LIFemvpdatL07MscEbEtSKBFf3LGQjEIJGwWU2ouJDWqlRWlrfPz-rlqTzd-8MUxW8PjO5sEeFXw75iDN9hoAnO1F0qMY7qdop5J7xN6CI2_0dKz4F7WQLV5me1lX9zx2kX/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-11-26+at+9.45.18+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1600" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh0LIFemvpdatL07MscEbEtSKBFf3LGQjEIJGwWU2ouJDWqlRWlrfPz-rlqTzd-8MUxW8PjO5sEeFXw75iDN9hoAnO1F0qMY7qdop5J7xN6CI2_0dKz4F7WQLV5me1lX9zx2kX/s400/Screen+Shot+2018-11-26+at+9.45.18+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Finally, I <b>switched my dosing to nighttime</b>. After the initial 2x dosing, I continued to take my once-a-day in the morning, since the meds had to be taken at the same time each day, and with food. For convenience, I was taking it in the morning and the doctor said that wouldn't be a problem. However, with the periods, I would have liked to have been told that "maximal anticoagulant potency might be better tolerated during night, when the risk to experience accidents or injuries" (or perhaps menstrual bleeding?) "is lower." (<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/jth.13213">source</a>)<br />
<br />
<div>
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />
<b><i>CONCLUSION</i></b></div>
<br />
My clots dissolved and I had the ablation done earlier this month--I could write a whole other post about dealing with health insurance. The bruising (internal bleeding) was extensive but I now have been off blood thinners for the last few weeks and the bruises have just about faded. (My ultrasound tech said, three days after the procedure, that "You are lucky, some folks on Xarelto look like they've been hit by a truck after ablation!")<br />
<br />
I still have the Mirena IUD and it will be interesting to see how it manages my periods long-term. So, far I am enjoying my 10th day in a row without bleeding.<br />
<br />
Looking back, once the periods were under control, I had less light-headedness and, presumably, less anxiety. In fact, by the 2 month mark, it just became a "new normal." I feel fortunate that my experience was short-term and I hope my research can help other menstruating people learn about heavy menstrual bleeding and anticoagulation (periods and blood thinners!).<br />
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If you've read this far, you might also be interested in this other blood-clot-related news, published about one week after I got off blood thinners: <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2018/12/bronchial-blood-clot/577480/">Doctors Aren’t Sure How This Even Came Out of a Patient: somehow, a man coughed up an intact blood clot shaped like a lung passage</a> (Atlantic, Dec 6, 2018)<br />
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Bodies are fascinating. </div>
C. Mytkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06930476695074185607noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36789311.post-49261344649560559572017-07-12T22:41:00.000-05:002017-07-12T22:41:04.012-05:00Pruning, Procrastination, and PrioritizationIt's been a couple of years and I've had a lot of jobs, but the dust is clearing and I've revisited this blog once again. I thought it worth running a post I wrote years ago. Looks like a lot has(n't) changed in 4 years--the pruning is long overdue.<br />
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Originally published 2.18.13:<br />
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So, my blog has been sorely neglected over the past few years. Right now it is cluttered with draft posts, links and images in a private Tumbler of ideas. Sprinkled throughout is the occasional posts, released in a burst of creative energy and prioritization. However, my blog is mostly neglected as the demands of teaching relegate it to the back burner.<br />
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My blog is also competing with the immediacy of social media. Share a link, or toss up a shortened URL on Twitter, and one quickly receives feedback and commentary from the crowd. As immediately gratifying as this may be, it doesn't really take the place of blogging, a process that (at its best) forces me to consider multiple sources before assimilating those ideas with my own viewpoints, distilling them to what matters in my particular context, and then writing them down. I don't really blog for the crowd; I do it for me.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/Phoenix_detail_from_Aberdeen_Bestiary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/Phoenix_detail_from_Aberdeen_Bestiary.jpg" height="100" width="95" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Public Domain</td></tr>
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And, so, in resurrecting this blog, I've considered the analogy of the Phoenix - that mythical bird with its colorful plumage and a tail of gold and scarlet. The bird that, at the end of its 500 to 1000 year life-cycle, builds itself a nest of twigs that it then ignites; "both nest and bird burn fiercely and are reduced to ashes, from which a new, young phoenix or phoenix egg arises, reborn anew to live again." (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_%28mythology%29">Wikipedia</a>) It's tempting to just destroy this blog and start anew, creating a new space from its ashes, but that analogy was not quite what I was looking for.<br />
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I've considered, instead, the act of pruning bushes. This seems more apropos to my goals. The University of Rhode Island offers this <a href="http://www.uri.edu/ce/factsheets/sheets/pruneguide.html">Pruning Guide</a>. "Pruning is a regular part of plant maintenance involving the selective removal of specific plant parts."<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfFUepcrL4KY9S7HMwK9yLuI2I8aCkAHvfVKCeHyncCS1mOXPToUiSpFuCu5FkbGZW2bOD1huxchJLOVxcVzWT_6SOgnzSN-ObcMusmzx3UlhClswViiVTN6SohFIHCKEYaF7_/s1600/Szo%CC%8Blo%CC%8B_metsze%CC%81s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfFUepcrL4KY9S7HMwK9yLuI2I8aCkAHvfVKCeHyncCS1mOXPToUiSpFuCu5FkbGZW2bOD1huxchJLOVxcVzWT_6SOgnzSN-ObcMusmzx3UlhClswViiVTN6SohFIHCKEYaF7_/s200/Szo%CC%8Blo%CC%8B_metsze%CC%81s.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">CC-BY-SA by <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Hirvenk%C3%BCrpa" style="background-color: #f9f9f9; background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.1875px; text-decoration-line: none;" title="User:Hirvenkürpa">Hirvenkürpa</a></td></tr>
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Why prune? The site goes on to offer these reasons:<br />
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1) To improve the appearance or health of a plant.<br />
2) To control the size of a plant.<br />
3) To prevent personal injury or property damage.<br />
4) To train young plants.<br />
5) To influence fruiting and flowering.<br />
6) To rejuvenate old trees and shrubs.<br />
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That's what my old blog needs - rejuvenation! I started blogging nearly 7 years ago, and over the years have more clearly focused my ideas and vision as a teacher. I plan to start by pruning away those previous posts that serve as a distraction to my professional goals.<br />
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Then, perhaps, my blog will grow healthier and stronger than before. Of course, this requires that I actually write. And teaching tends to fill up my to-do list, leaving little time for much else. However, it's good to have goals.C. Mytkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06930476695074185607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36789311.post-2811303536197855922014-07-11T00:44:00.003-05:002014-07-20T11:56:28.342-05:00A few words on classroom organizationLike most teachers, I love teacher discounts. And office supplies. And containers. So, imagine my glee when I read about The Container Store's <a href="http://standfor.containerstore.com/teacher-sweepstakes/">Organized Teacher's Summer Sweepstakes</a> (Unfortunately, it seems that "A total of one winner will be selected in a random drawing from all eligible entries received." but I'll write this post anyway.)<br />
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We’re honored to support teachers’ efforts through our Organized Teacher Discount Program. In fact, we’re going to give one lucky teacher a $1,000 organized classroom makeover from The Container Store!</blockquote>
Let's begin here. This is a picture I recently took of my middle school science classroom. On Facebook, I included the comment "<i>This is my classroom on July 6th, 2014. In an apocalyptic, time-capsule-y way, I have not touched it since the last day of school on June 6th. I suppose I should get in there and make some progress...</i>" This room is a busy place during the school year and is desperate for organization.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKrIPEmFxWfxdXj6tWHmx3Dr__VDg1UwhDkitDjxx4-2FfaV6CNYW35MEWhbNDPSpBZBguOK0TlIWie4s5Bjwwl1OtoleRnZjBvFm7DjG81oItdk2ZWGEUFpDw97vSTNvIUe_Z/s1600/1025384_10204368500322455_7636229843938962_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKrIPEmFxWfxdXj6tWHmx3Dr__VDg1UwhDkitDjxx4-2FfaV6CNYW35MEWhbNDPSpBZBguOK0TlIWie4s5Bjwwl1OtoleRnZjBvFm7DjG81oItdk2ZWGEUFpDw97vSTNvIUe_Z/s1600/1025384_10204368500322455_7636229843938962_o.jpg" height="366" width="493" /></a></div>
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It's not for lack of trying. All of the shelving in my classroom (see photo below) came from <a href="http://www.berkeleyoutlet.com/pages/products.html">Berkeley Outlet</a> or <a href="http://urbanore.com/about-us/">Urban Ore</a>, both local and specializing in used/recycled furniture inventory. I've even used cardboard boxes and duct tape to "custom build" shelving underneath tables for more storage. There are bins with raw materials everywhere - cardboard, computer keys, wire, LEDs, felt, batteries, styrofoam, duct tape - all the tools of art and ingenuity. During science fair season, there are projects literally everywhere! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9jfZ9ISN9f6a0Sx6TWej1xO_QyEojvZhMbezXTfJMqGlwttqVekdOyD0KLn89q__kE1ttjIjRSSkRPltaSv7MpFrux1kDKVq2Puy-me5tMH2aRrbC-66jyKkFEPRJ4zffpNce/s1600/post1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9jfZ9ISN9f6a0Sx6TWej1xO_QyEojvZhMbezXTfJMqGlwttqVekdOyD0KLn89q__kE1ttjIjRSSkRPltaSv7MpFrux1kDKVq2Puy-me5tMH2aRrbC-66jyKkFEPRJ4zffpNce/s1600/post1.JPG" height="181" width="500" /></a></div>
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My favorite repurposed item is this shelf unit (below) from my roommate - she was redecorating at home and I let her know I could put it to good use in my classroom. It has now become our makerspace (read the whole story <a href="http://blog.mytko.org/2013/09/introducing-our-makerspace-with-little.html">here</a>.) I have put thousands of dollars (out of pocket) into materials this year, but my classroom is finally well on its way to being the creative, innovative space I've wanted and I truly believe kids need. Students are constantly working on projects during lunch, recess, science class... they jokingly refer to my room as "nerdvana." I spent $250 alone on those containers you see inside the makerspace.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs5JFh1yqyejQ_raMvqogTEBag-8hg1ggpRBoKRJBYon4oJ5d51fz_x5qurX84qiSRU9tQTQGxairuJuRsFQsGnNRs0ggX7ZDoNHCbzTF5xKEOqJO3naq1fLLayfGi-SHWxk32/s1600/1398068_10202618799621031_1002454494_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs5JFh1yqyejQ_raMvqogTEBag-8hg1ggpRBoKRJBYon4oJ5d51fz_x5qurX84qiSRU9tQTQGxairuJuRsFQsGnNRs0ggX7ZDoNHCbzTF5xKEOqJO3naq1fLLayfGi-SHWxk32/s1600/1398068_10202618799621031_1002454494_o.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roommate's shelf turned makerspace</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsOqpBdlTJ52GOHtQWb7sgv361aY-8o6B7Kif0ziG9Cz-FMaw4cZ75rcy2dmsLiN-gw3zdfxOk_K-3UyDCBJnClPrh82e5yT9RFt2LCsIEaKXb4_Rj4nmcn1566hdw741jCnkp/s1600/1185920_10201881780956025_1768629567_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsOqpBdlTJ52GOHtQWb7sgv361aY-8o6B7Kif0ziG9Cz-FMaw4cZ75rcy2dmsLiN-gw3zdfxOk_K-3UyDCBJnClPrh82e5yT9RFt2LCsIEaKXb4_Rj4nmcn1566hdw741jCnkp/s1600/1185920_10201881780956025_1768629567_n.jpg" height="149" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Transporting the desk piece</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Having the materials in clearly labeled containers was just what I needed to allow the kids ownership over their workflow. They don't need to ask me where the soldering iron, snaps, or embroidery hoops are anymore - they just go grab what they need. Our makerspace is a very busy, student-driven space. With $1000 dollars to spend on organization, I would like to further develop this student centered strategy. I would really like a solid shelving & bin system so that students can keep their many works-in-progress safe, yet easily accessible. </span><br />
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I would also like to bring some order to what I affectionately refer to as our "fabrication studio." Here's where the kids work with <a href="http://talesofa3dprinter.blogspot.com/2014/02/tbt-origins-of-3d-printing-at-bpc.html">our 3D printers</a>. I refurbished these tables from recycling and scavenged the various pieces of bins and shelving you see below.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4dfzGViVfNM64TvZwMwe4Z-m9fQv7RdQmbY3xL0gjnmmbjZBN-CATObdFLJEWs-7cnoSJBZscHXG03AusorrXSypi9drLDTiuHilJ21uHXW-AtPNTOZtgPp84B-NiqqO_vFs5/s1600/DSC_0727.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4dfzGViVfNM64TvZwMwe4Z-m9fQv7RdQmbY3xL0gjnmmbjZBN-CATObdFLJEWs-7cnoSJBZscHXG03AusorrXSypi9drLDTiuHilJ21uHXW-AtPNTOZtgPp84B-NiqqO_vFs5/s1600/DSC_0727.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
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I have many pictures of my science room (the kids often threaten to set up a time lapse in my room just to capture the ebb and flow of the creative chaos) but I will leave you with my favorite Container Store story. <br />
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In 2011, as I do every other year, I hatched chicks and ducks as part of our embryology unit. That year we ended up with a far better hatch rate than expected! I knew I needed a bigger brooder. Racing to the San Francisco store on my bicycle (I do not own a car) at 8:58 pm, minutes before closing, I asked for their biggest clear container. The sales person rang up my order, looked at my bike (propped inside the door) and asked quizzically, "How do you intend to get that home?" I hadn't thought that far ahead; I was focused on the birds. I figured I'd take the bus or something...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg231M70zavII58il1yCqT10VM3vI5wQquIgyK1X5zjx6aEOrAv6rTZkgBRv6oOVNqjVcgNaUw0hZYwwsaYQ5LsVd8qJsrCXQ8sPal-y95Iz8AC0BSL5DvJN_apbnvFTcWLzuNc/s1600/206597_1902595614451_5230896_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg231M70zavII58il1yCqT10VM3vI5wQquIgyK1X5zjx6aEOrAv6rTZkgBRv6oOVNqjVcgNaUw0hZYwwsaYQ5LsVd8qJsrCXQ8sPal-y95Iz8AC0BSL5DvJN_apbnvFTcWLzuNc/s1600/206597_1902595614451_5230896_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
The saleswoman said, "Come here, I have an idea" and proceeded to strap the container to me like some sort of plastic turtle shell. She did such a great job, I put it back on in the morning to bike the nine miles to school the next day! (She was pretty proud of herself and readily agreed to take a photo.)<br />
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(In case you want to see more pictures of ducks, check out our <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/35465446@N07/sets/72157643269275034/">Flickr album</a> - they don't get any cuter than our crew this spring!)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhHVpEcD7go1g-RSsNg8OrRnh0gV9mhO6oBITv57Ev167wTC8lqqaYj1eEPN39MQDrWgMa2gdj37kOEAkpKIf0ty_eSvtT6VmOBwUcHOMHr5eOHQ10D-0jnUaJmOQm4c9uQN_9/s1600/DSC_0133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhHVpEcD7go1g-RSsNg8OrRnh0gV9mhO6oBITv57Ev167wTC8lqqaYj1eEPN39MQDrWgMa2gdj37kOEAkpKIf0ty_eSvtT6VmOBwUcHOMHr5eOHQ10D-0jnUaJmOQm4c9uQN_9/s1600/DSC_0133.JPG" height="350" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Recess in my room one day- kids from all grade levels tend to hang out here during free periods.</td></tr>
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<br />C. Mytkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06930476695074185607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36789311.post-35842281586645541762014-07-07T11:02:00.000-05:002014-07-11T11:06:34.112-05:00Embedding Slide Shows So, I just finished my <a href="http://blog.mytko.org/2014/07/science-bike.html">science bike</a> post. I was surprised to learn that I could no longer embed a slideshow from an album. (Granted, I am a Flickr person and rarely deal with Picassa outside of the mandatory collections from this blog.)<br />
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Luckily, <a href="http://www.mpking.com/2013/03/embed-slideshow-from-picasa-web-google.html">this blog post</a> provided a solution. The author writes:<br />
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One of the great features of Picasa Web was that you could embed a Flash slideshow of your albums. Google would even give you the code to do it. There was a button that said Embed and it would give you the code. Just cut and paste and you were done. </blockquote>
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With the migration to Google Plus Photos, this disappeared. </blockquote>
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Here's a work around. </blockquote>
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Use the following link to get back to the original PicasaWeb site:<br />
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/myphotos?noredirect=1">https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/myphotos?noredirect=1</a></blockquote>
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Hopefully the embed button makes a re-appearance, or Google leaves the old page up forever.</blockquote>
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He also offers an alternate solution, if you want to go <a href="http://www.mpking.com/2013/03/embed-slideshow-from-picasa-web-google.html">check it out</a>.C. Mytkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06930476695074185607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36789311.post-43050033749410570692014-07-06T13:42:00.000-05:002014-07-11T10:57:36.885-05:00Science Bike<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyqU0RjGdh8FdFNTRk38T6Sps4kKhxFj8wAkHNLtIcLBDCD3BhXNdIZAJt0XDDDmdRvq27pcNq9Qo8eQg5-paecj5e-n4EBxP7FlQ3J1yqt8pczi4rsxbhYe9nOHVunH6vcwYA/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-07-11+at+8.38.05+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyqU0RjGdh8FdFNTRk38T6Sps4kKhxFj8wAkHNLtIcLBDCD3BhXNdIZAJt0XDDDmdRvq27pcNq9Qo8eQg5-paecj5e-n4EBxP7FlQ3J1yqt8pczi4rsxbhYe9nOHVunH6vcwYA/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-07-11+at+8.38.05+AM.png" height="197" width="200" /></a></div>
It has been six years since I've sold my car and relied almost entirely on my bicycle(s) for transportation. (Occasionally, I'll still grab a Zipcar - like for this 10 foot gutter for science fair - <i>see photo, right</i>) I am also very, very thankful for Amazon.<br />
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Bike commuting can get pretty interesting as a science teacher. I rode with all of the bike loads below, except for the bike rack, science fair boards, ladder, and shelf/desk combo - it those cases, my bicycle served as my pack mule.<br />
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<embed flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&captions=1&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=https%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2F100670014432061501147%2Falbumid%2F6034695302404896881%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26hl%3Den_US" height="326" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" src="https://photos.gstatic.com/media/slideshow.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="490"></embed></div>
C. Mytkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06930476695074185607noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36789311.post-31812261157241712752014-06-12T13:45:00.001-05:002014-06-22T03:36:13.903-05:00Year-End To-Do ListSchool recently ended for our middle school - and another 10 months of blog post drafts piled up. While I do believe in the <a href="http://blog.mytko.org/2013/02/the-benefits-of-pruning.html">benefits of pruning</a>, there are a few posts of the posts that I will be working on over the next few weeks. Here are some snapshots of the work in progress:<br />
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<li>Impact of BPC in 3D: A 3D Printed Graduation Project (<a href="http://talesofa3dprinter.blogspot.com/2014/06/impact-of-bpc-in-3d.html">Tales of a 3D Printer</a>, BPC STEAM)</li>
<li>BPC Visits 3D Robotics! (BPC STEAMspace)</li>
<li>More on Maker Faire (Tales of a 3D Printer)</li>
<li>3D Printing Infiltrates the Science Fair (Tales of a 3D Printer)</li>
<li>Augmented Reality in the Classroom (Post-Its & Ponderings; BPC STEAM)</li>
<li>Ducks in the Science Room (BPC STEAM blog)</li>
<li>Tips on Hatching and Raising Ducks in the Middle School Classroom (Post-Its & Ponderings)</li>
<li>Ducks in my Makerspace (Post-Its & Ponderings)</li>
<li>Cardboard Arcade (<a href="http://blog.mytko.org/2014/06/cardboard-arcade-using-makey-makey.html">Post-Its & Ponderings</a>; <a href="http://bpcsteam.blogspot.com/2014/06/cardboard-arcade-using-makey-makey.html">BPC STEAM</a>)</li>
</ul>
... plus whatever else I can publish in a timely manner.<br />
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<br />C. Mytkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06930476695074185607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36789311.post-76725416674274284682014-05-03T15:17:00.000-05:002015-02-08T17:31:19.774-06:00Science Fair with Maker Flair (and AR!)Every year for the night of the science fair, I create a program that contains a little map of the projects plus a list of all the student abstracts. On the front of the program, I print a <a href="http://www.wordle.net/">Wordle</a> made from the text of the collection of abstracts. You can see in the image below that this year's science fair had a distinct <span style="color: #cc0000;">maker flair</span>! (For those of you who use Wordle, you might appreciate that this was my FIRST randomly-generated cloud! Often I have to go through 25+ randomizations to find one I like for the cover.)<br />
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I've found it very valuable for the kids to write an <span style="color: #cc0000;">abstract</span> of their projects, especially for the relevance piece. (For some of them, this borders on creative writing... "My oobleck on a speaker will change the world because...")<br />
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(1) what the objectives of the study were; [BACKGROUND]<br />
(2) how the study was done; [METHODS]<br />
(3) what results were obtained; [RESULTS]<br />
(4) and the significance of the results. [CONCLUSION]<br />
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I give my students a lot of freedom in choosing a topic that is personally interesting to them. Many groups choose to do a traditional controlled experiment, but I always allow for more engineering-type projects as well. It was exciting to note that this year (the first year we officially incorporated "Maker Mondays" into the science curriculum) that there were more maker-inspired projects than in previous years.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaT6zpQziVhV_UHZtuybYu-K9RUMyltMloZCjqxXlp9scJOKd5tlfrjdtaJ0HNtwM9Fn4YbvzCybOPB3t6sYLTgyDuxS3vN5HDYvhuha7lRZ2y4zPAx6tqho31oluN29TRNXha/s1600/BLOG+POST+scifair.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaT6zpQziVhV_UHZtuybYu-K9RUMyltMloZCjqxXlp9scJOKd5tlfrjdtaJ0HNtwM9Fn4YbvzCybOPB3t6sYLTgyDuxS3vN5HDYvhuha7lRZ2y4zPAx6tqho31oluN29TRNXha/s1600/BLOG+POST+scifair.png" height="640" width="414" /></a></div>
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Here are some examples from this year's collection of abstracts </div>
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Experiment Title: Parachute Shape Testing Eggsperiment </div>
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Abstract: We ran this experiment to see which parachute would work better. We made two parachutes: one out of a plastic bag, and one out of cardboard. We dropped them from 12.5 ft and timed how long it took for them to hit the ground. The plastic bag parachute average was 1.36 seconds and surprisingly lost to the cardboard parachute which had an average of 1.78 seconds before it hit the ground. We hope this will help future engineers build safer parachutes.</div>
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Experiment Title: The Radio </div>
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Abstract: We conducted a study to discover the antenna most practically shaped to receive millivolts and tried to build a working radio upon which to perform this test. Before working with the antennas, we had to assemble our radio. Then, we tried tuning into thirteen different stations and measured the millivolts each station received per antenna shape and recorded the results of the three best stations for each antenna. The results were unsurprising; the straight antenna had the best reception, followed by the spiral shaped antenna, and finally, the least functional antenna was the looped shape. Our radio was functional, and we determined that the straight antenna had the best and clearest range of stations. This project was significant because, although straight antennas were in use before, we confirmed that they are still the best shape to use commercially, saving future radio engineers time and energy designing new antenna shapes. </div>
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Experiment Title: Measuring Electrolytes</div>
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Abstract: Our goal was to find out which of four drinks had the most electrolytes, by measuring volts. We did our project by creating a conductance sensor by using a multimeter, alligator clips, copper wire, and a 9V battery. We created a simple circuit so that when we put the two ends of our circuit into one drink, it would complete the circuit; we then recorded the voltage shown on the multimeter. We found out found that Powerade had the most electrolytes with 8.49V, then Odwalla Orange Juice with 8.4737V, then Powerbar Energy Drink with 8.4731V, and lastly Gatorade with 8.45V. The importance of this project is that it will help athletes know which drink is best and which drink they should use to replace electrolytes after sweating and working out. </div>
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Experiment Title: Pulse-Sensing Fashion</div>
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Abstract: Our goal was to build a shirt equipped with LEDs that light up up to the wearer’s pulse. We used the Pulse Sensor and the small Lilypad circuit board to achieve this goal. By programming the Lilypad and attaching the Pulse Sensor to it, we were able to make the LED read your pulse. Since we wanted to be able to display this in a cool and fashionable way, we decided to attach it to a shirt. In the future, this technology could be used for heart patients in need of constant monitoring.</div>
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Experiment Title: The Multitasking Mind</div>
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Abstract: We conducted a study to learn whether listening to music or other audio affects reading comprehension. We wrote four similar-length informational paragraphs about nonsensical things and questions to go with them. We took subjects to a quiet place and gave them the tests in four conditions: no music, a pop song, a newscast, and a classical piece. After testing 32 subjects, we graded for accuracy on both spelling and content. We also measured the amount of time each subject took for each test. We have decided to disregard our data on the no audio condition because of the fact that we did all of the no audio tests first, and the practice effect affected the data. The rest of our data showed that the subjects completed the worksheets fastest when listening to a pop song, and slowest when listening to a newscast. We believe this is because the pop song was musically the simplest and most predictable. We did not find any notable differences in the averages of the accuracy scores. The relatively small number of subjects and the wide range of scores may have obscured any differences that may have otherwise shown up in the data. <br />
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Another cool twist on this year's science fair was the addition of <span style="color: #cc0000;">augmented reality</span> (see <a href="http://blog.mytko.org/2014/04/ar-augmented-reality.html">recent post</a>). Using <a href="http://www.aurasma.com/">Aurasma</a>, kids designed trigger images to add to their science fair boards. When these trigger images were viewed through a device using the Aurasma app, videos appeared!<br />
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Of course, it is always best to hear from the kids themselves, but during the times they were not stationed at their board, family, friends and colleagues could hear about the project - in the voices of the kids themselves! Very cool.<br />
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Plus, after the fair and long after the boards have been stripped and readied for next year, the trigger images live on in the hallway, available for anyone who would like to hear more about our science fair projects!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH6XPhHhk3IdXAPhz73BhKgJSgTEBckAKxFZHJqZpPhBXhf565IjDKZUgvOhZDzENWqmIm9BKk5dJJ4SH4or5FlQLYFIIE0jdlRtysjIkc3qHOBour-Um-YWHfGlbyrenSIjII/s1600/IMG_8319.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH6XPhHhk3IdXAPhz73BhKgJSgTEBckAKxFZHJqZpPhBXhf565IjDKZUgvOhZDzENWqmIm9BKk5dJJ4SH4or5FlQLYFIIE0jdlRtysjIkc3qHOBour-Um-YWHfGlbyrenSIjII/s1600/IMG_8319.JPG" height="298" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pre-science fair prep of kids' trigger images!</td></tr>
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C. Mytkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06930476695074185607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36789311.post-15638246274235216982014-04-26T21:42:00.002-05:002015-02-08T17:22:37.678-06:00AR - Augmented Reality At the 2014 Annual CUE conference, I was introduced to augmented reality for the first time, Holy. Cow. Here are the augmented reality apps I am familiar with so far.<br />
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<li class="li1"><span class="s1"><a href="http://colarapp.com/"><span class="s2">ColAR</span></a></span> - 3D coloring pages (Apple & Android) You download and print out the coloring pages from the website. The bird, dot and another random one, along with the holiday pages, are free. You can "unlock" sets of 6 other pages for $2.99 each. </li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6N_-NnC710b_a5Y0PLJPwx-UcegcnR-r0m1oOnpg5QYzvM6YEpsrjQN7KCWC3z0h2UmmOlzyf5TKY1KXBeeMyH-0eRvdUmXCGbESKJ5wYUtNLZKSm3-bey7xjWrlHJBRUmc3g/s1600/IMG_0032.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6N_-NnC710b_a5Y0PLJPwx-UcegcnR-r0m1oOnpg5QYzvM6YEpsrjQN7KCWC3z0h2UmmOlzyf5TKY1KXBeeMyH-0eRvdUmXCGbESKJ5wYUtNLZKSm3-bey7xjWrlHJBRUmc3g/s1600/IMG_0032.PNG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<li class="li1"><span class="s1"><a href="http://www.aurasma.com/#/explore"><span class="s2">Aurasma</span></a></span> - this app allows you to create your own <span class="s3">AR</span> attached to a trigger image of your choice. There is a library of 3D objects, or (theoretically) you can make your own. Keep your eyes open for public "aura"s people have created for common symbols (NFL logo, the back of a $20 bill, etc)</li>
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Book(and other)-specific apps:</div>
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<li class="li1"><span class="s1"><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/imag-n-o-tron-fantastic-flying/id534396897?mt=8"><span class="s2">IMAG-N-O-TRON</span></a></span>: "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" Edition</li>
<li class="li2"><a href="http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/2014/seeit3d.html"><span class="s2">Guinness Book of World Records</span></a><span class="s4"> 2014 (and 2013)</span></li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL13Yrrj1qMwI-uYNZKYAFgWVe_eP9KhEy0GcAYk71ixxoGIKKn2LoR-yIyahHvhz7uGLd380mwOgZuIlB6C9oR4cyMWlUrw4Ep4tcZywhahEwScdd11u57nmc10wbFBtt5yMM/s1600/IMG_0026.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL13Yrrj1qMwI-uYNZKYAFgWVe_eP9KhEy0GcAYk71ixxoGIKKn2LoR-yIyahHvhz7uGLd380mwOgZuIlB6C9oR4cyMWlUrw4Ep4tcZywhahEwScdd11u57nmc10wbFBtt5yMM/s1600/IMG_0026.PNG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<li class="li1"><span class="s1"><a href="http://www.band-aid.com/magic-vision"><span class="s2">Magic vision</span></a></span> - on Muppet BAND-AIDS?!</li>
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Want to make you own? Explore Aurasma + the more hefty apps:</div>
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<li class="li1"><span class="s1"><a href="http://daqri.com/"><span class="s2">Daqri</span></a></span> - an <span class="s3">AR</span> developer that has been around for a while (made the 3D Elements, Anatomy, etc)</li>
<li class="li1"><span class="s1"><a href="https://www.layar.com/"><span class="s2">Layar</span></a></span> - also an <span class="s3">AR</span> dev for print images </li>
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There are a lot of educators already doing cool things with AR and I hope to amass a collection of resources (like <a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/10C98JfjHfrUY50zEXEZT2Av-um7Uv9se6ZJr-rEx87U/edit?userstoinvite=agibson@beaumontusd.k12.ca.us#slide=id.p">this slideshow</a> - by @jstevens009& @Packwoman208 - and this <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OQpIZSlhf33zSwmOwY50EYabMv2THxPokl_k1tcmAkg/edit">list of integration ideas</a>) soon!</div>
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<br />C. Mytkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06930476695074185607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36789311.post-16987595336820299422014-01-01T21:05:00.001-06:002014-01-01T21:12:59.560-06:00Adafruit's Circuit PlaygroundApparently, this has been around for a while, but it is new to me! Adafruit's <a href="http://www.adafruit.com/circuitplayground">Circuit Playground</a> "simplifies electronics reference & calculation so you can have more fun hacking, making, & building your projects!" This app is designed for both iPhone and iPad.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/-0uMrgdlfwI?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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To go along with the app, Adafruit has started an <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/02/adafruit-circuit-playground/">educational YouTube series for kids</a>. I found it fairly useful for my own limited electronics background plus it's something short and sweet I can use with my middle school students (or maybe younger...) The series is co-hosted by a puppet named Adabot and Adafruit founder <a href="http://www.adafruit.com/about/">Limor Fried</a>. It's clear, if a bit cheezy, and whenever Adabot says "accessing database"there are some interesting facts & animations on the way!<br />
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Here's Circuit Playground Episode 1: "A is for Ampere"<br />
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Circuit Playground Episode 2: "B is for Battery"<br />
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If you are wondering.. <a href="http://www.adafruit.com/cappy">C is for Capacitor</a>, but it doesn't appear to be published just yet. And, apparently, you can get matching <a href="http://www.adafruit.com/category/116">plushies</a>! If you want to read more about these cuddly components, check out <a href="http://21stdigitalhome.blogspot.com/2012/11/adafruit-electronic-plush-toys-signup.html">this blog post</a>.<br />
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<br />C. Mytkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06930476695074185607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36789311.post-25678789313598687172013-12-15T15:06:00.000-06:002014-01-01T19:53:25.957-06:00One Side Effect of Maker Mondays<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT1nXuwVxcbMPoNdyLiw717Hr-iDK_T2-KpKJUjTbaLzngGQZrgSTUMSLnVYWmLoDWviCX1Y7o826UYMtti09iebxKwQLxibcTRHRP1bDnbRMRdtSnWdI0xy5Hgq4TpXIlG7Dt/s1600/photo+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT1nXuwVxcbMPoNdyLiw717Hr-iDK_T2-KpKJUjTbaLzngGQZrgSTUMSLnVYWmLoDWviCX1Y7o826UYMtti09iebxKwQLxibcTRHRP1bDnbRMRdtSnWdI0xy5Hgq4TpXIlG7Dt/s320/photo+(1).jpg" width="239" /></a>I've noticed a strange side effect of our school Maker Mondays, which is our version of bringing making into the classroom. I noticed it one day when I found myself disassembling my cordless vacuum. Wait a minute - I don't<i> do</i> things like disassemble my small appliances!<br />
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To provide some context, I was raised in a world of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2KLyYKJGk0">planned & perceived obsolescence</a>. As a kid, I used Ziploc bags and plastic silverware, tossed aluminum cans and cardboard in the trash, and rarely saved plastic tubs for reuse, as my grandmother did. As an adult, I consumed plastic appliances from Target that ultimately failed, and were tossed in the trash. I pay someone to mend my clothes, fix my computer and do basic maintenance on my bicycle (my main mode of transportation).<br />
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But I am a teacher, and therefore a lifelong learner. So I can't rely on apathy.<br />
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I am also expected to set an example for the kids I work with. That's why, though I really, really hate piles of writhing worms, I take a deep breathe and try to handle them in science class like it is no big deal, as to not model the ubiquitous disgust reaction to worms. I've held a tarantula, carried a (pet) rat on my shoulder, and held my tongue on camping trips when I was wet and cold and I wanted to whine, too. <br />
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Both of these responsibilities have come back to the forefront as we embark on our new Maker Monday adventures this year in my 7th grade classroom. I have been fascinated with 3D printers since I saw my first Rep Rap in 2007, and bought my first Printrbot in 2011 to share with my classroom. Since then, we have expanded the tools in my science classroom into a respectable <a href="http://blog.mytko.org/2013/09/introducing-our-makerspace-with-little.html">little makerspace</a> with various tools in traditional and digital fabrication, along with a variety of low- and high-tech physical computing options. <br />
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Let me be very clear, I am no expert. And I am certainly not a <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2012/12/04/business/digital-native-prensky/">digital native</a> when it comes to the hardware side of tech. In order to effectively implement out new program, I had to swallow a lot of pride and be very, very honest with my students. We would be learning together. It's been a slow process, as the whole full time life science teacher gig doesn't leave a lot of extra time for tinkering, but I am getting there, mostly thanks to my adolescent co-learners. I've been right alongside them discovering the joy of soldering, assembling a soft circuit activated by snaps, or getting a potentiometer to control an LED.<br />
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Along the way, I have been noticing a shift in my attitude: I am becoming less fearful about breaking things, and I am gaining confidence that I <i>can</i> learn to fix things, or at least learn a lot as I am breaking them more.<br />
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Last spring, when I experienced my <a href="http://talesofa3dprinter.blogspot.com/2013/04/bungle-1-filament-jam.html">first filament jam</a> on a Saturday afternoon, my first response was, "I'll just wait until Adam [8th grader] is here on Monday." I remember admonishing myself - "Really? You are going to depend on a 13 year old boy to solve your problems?" So, I watched some tutorials and, heart pounding, disassembled, fixed, and reassembled my printerhead.<br />
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Now, I am sure many makers out there (and most anyone from my parent's generation) would laugh at my story, but it was a beginning. Recently, our Cube had a filament error, and no amount of troubleshooting was working. 3D Systems approach would be to contact customer service for a replacement, this consumer-friendly 3D printer is not intended for tinkering. However, I was not interested in taking it out of service yet again (we had to replace our first one for another failure). The Cube community is not as vast as the Makerbot support community, but with a little research, I deduced the problem, fixed it, and <a href="http://talesofa3dprinter.blogspot.com/2013/12/3d-printer-4-our-new-cube-take-2-limit.html">shared my solution</a>. <br />
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Recently, the bracket broke while I was retrieving my bike lock. I reached under the nearby parked car to retrieve the pieces, hoping to save them so that when we do get our <a href="http://www.matterform.net/">3D scanner</a>, perhaps I can scan and print myself a new one. <br />
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Then, a few days ago, I was trying to clean my room and realized my hand-held vac (it's a small room) wouldn't work. Within a few minutes, the head was disassembled and I found & fixed the problem. <br />
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I feel a responsibility to model a willingness to tinker around my students, especially my girls, and it seems that practice may be making it a permanent part of my skillset. But it is becoming more than just something "I do for my students." I've been doing some more minor bike maintenance on my own, browsing TechShop classes, and even dreaming up my own projects! I used to outsource my ideas (mostly bike-visibility-related), but now I am brainstorming ways to bring them to life using my own skills and the collaborative expertise of others.<br />
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As usual, teaching has taught me something important.<br />
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<br />C. Mytkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06930476695074185607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36789311.post-60153946421251396912013-12-13T11:04:00.000-06:002014-01-01T17:08:17.139-06:00Tracking Classroom Software and Laptops<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
We've all seen the tchotchkes emblazoned with <a href="http://www.alphabetgardendesigns.com/Inspirational-Famous-Quotes.html">inspirational quotes</a>. Well, I live by the lesser known quote of "do something that amuses you every day," combined with the middle-school-teacher mantra: "Laugh so you don't cry." (btw: Did you know this has been <a href="http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/scicurious-brain/2011/11/08/laugh-so-you-dont-cry-how-laughing-kills-the-pain/">scientifically supported</a> as effective?)</div>
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Anyway, in order to differentiate our motley crew of class laptops with their wide variety of operating systems and operational particularities, we could have opted for traditional numerical codes. Instead, we opted to use <a href="https://www.google.com/search?sugexp=chrome,mod=8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=chicken+breeds">chicken breed</a> names. Now, you may not find chickens as amusing as I do, so choose whatever category you'd like, but I can attest to how this creative labeling beats numbers any day. Especially in context:</div>
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<i>"Hey, can I have Leghorn? I want to use the Arduino library I downloaded last class - Americana doesn't have it yet."</i><br />
<i>"Who has Silkie? I want to use KISSlicer!"</i><br />
<i>"Let's try the Kinect on Orpington, cuz Wyandotte isn't as good."</i></blockquote>
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Numerical or not, I have also found it helpful to set up a Google Doc to encourage the kids to track the software changes they make to each computer. You can view our <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LMR_p-HEBsZVNiomwM5pYLiBNa6nZ6ym649VQrqKzOY/edit">always-in-progress doc here</a>, if you are interested. </div>
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<br />C. Mytkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06930476695074185607noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36789311.post-42121783119175721622013-09-20T22:38:00.000-05:002017-07-13T16:00:26.781-05:00Introducing our Makerspace, with little emphasis on spaceWell, our first Maker Club sessions of the 2013-2014 school year seemed to be a success. "Maker Mondays" are being successfully implemented into my science curriculum for the first time this year, picking up the slack from our recently dismantled technology program. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh502N89qSR-AlcjHf1gUuBEnNje_l-L35lxcIRbTzdG9Glil9GUIxhD4eSutAtO8BFQbKl_R2K0cl0_7Qf6Hrx3njq0_P3CH265BCtEeJfCgeaZf52D1sNSiZV-4ZRVO_8j7g/s1600/maker.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh502N89qSR-AlcjHf1gUuBEnNje_l-L35lxcIRbTzdG9Glil9GUIxhD4eSutAtO8BFQbKl_R2K0cl0_7Qf6Hrx3njq0_P3CH265BCtEeJfCgeaZf52D1sNSiZV-4ZRVO_8j7g/s320/maker.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
I initially gave all the credit to our new classroom "Makerspace" (pictured to the left), but I'm starting to rethink things. Don't get me wrong, this piece of furniture - donated by my roommate when she decided to reorganize her room - was an incredible windfall. After weeks of combing local used office equipment spaces and other recycling establishments (like <a href="http://urbanore.com/">Urban Ore</a>), I would have been thrilled with even a functional shelving unit. But then this - with coordinating doors, drawers, and the desk - w00t! <br />
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If someone would have told me last year that I could fit this large additional piece of furniture in my classroom, I would have laughed. To give you an idea, here is a picture (below) of my science classroom from the far back corner of the room. It is not large by any means, and space is at a premium. With 24 eighth graders in there, things get pretty tight. But, we figured out a way to make it work.<br />
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If you look to the far right of the picture, you might also see three 4-foot tables that I rescued from various spots from around the school. After tightening some screws and lining them up, they represent our "design studio" with a couple of old laptops, our <a href="http://talesofa3dprinter.blogspot.com/2013/03/our-makerbots-big-day.html">Makerbot</a>* and our <a href="http://talesofa3dprinter.blogspot.com/2013/09/our-new-printrbot-jr-v2-arrives.html">newest Printrbot</a>*. These tables, in addition to the shelving unit required us to push the lab tables even <i>closer </i>together.<br />
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But the loss of space due to the additional furniture was worth it, for it made a dedicated space for all of our tools. We have a bin for <a href="http://www.makeymakey.com/">MaKey MaKey</a>*, <a href="http://www.arduino.cc/">Arduino</a>*, <a href="http://www.raspberrypi.org/">Raspberry Pi</a>* and a <a href="http://arduino.cc/en/Main/arduinoBoardLilyPad">LilyPad</a>*. We also have drawers designated for batteries, safety glasses, duct tape, measuring tapes, sewing supplies*, felt* and timers. We have shelves for our one set of <a href="http://mymakedo.com/">Makedo</a>*, books* (including <a href="http://talesofa3dprinter.blogspot.com/p/recommended-reading.html">my favorites</a>!), <a href="http://makezine.com/">Make Magazines</a>*, a used <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kinect-Sensor-Adventures-Xbox-360/dp/B002BSA298/ref=sr_1_2?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1382911225&sr=1-2&keywords=kinect">Kinect scanner</a>*, clipboards & small dry erase boards for planning, and a bunch of items from a resale shop that we hope to eventually 3D scan. We have a bin clearly marked "tools" and a designated space for the soldering iron* and glue guns. There's even a bin labeled "raw materials" which hold cardboard and other assorted scraps for spontaneous making.<br />
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What is most interesting to me is that, besides the electronics equipment, most of these materials are not new in my classroom. What is new is their <b>visibility</b> and <b>accessibility</b>. Before, these supplies lived in a bin or in some cabinet, only to be taken out when part of an activity in the curriculum. But now, students have been coming in on their free time and lunch periods to calibrate the Printrbot or expand on some idea they are working on with MaKey MaKey. When some kid comments, "I think the gear is stuck," another student will respond by grabbing the pliers out of the tool bin, or when some kid lost the plastic scraper for our 3D printer, another kid jumped on <a href="http://www.thingiverse.com/">Thingiverse</a>, downloaded an stl file, and printed a replacement. For the first time, students do not have to go through me to access the materials - they figure out what they need and know where to find it. And they are starting to train each other how to use the various equipment, increasing their own buy-in, and decreasing my workload! It feels like a working space, and the kids are taking advantage of it. We even have a Google Doc linked off our class wiki where kids post things "we" need (currently: conductive thread/paint, an HDMI to VGA converter, etc).<br />
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If someone would have told me last year that I could make a makerspace in my room, I would have been quick to list all of the limitations of my teaching situation: I don't have enough time, materials, budget or training. I don't have the support of a university, a grant, or other donations. But, we started small and took it one step at a time. For my budget, I started (well before the shelving unit arrived) with an after school 3D Printing (eventually renamed "Maker") club. To my advantage, students do pay for extracurricular activities at my school and, like many start-ups, I chose not to give myself a 'salary' the first few trimesters, instead using that extra money to buy materials. (All of the starred materials above (*) were paid for out of my pocket.) To fill the role of "lab coordinator," I used these self-selected, motivated, after-school kids to experiment with the tools and become the experts I could later use in my science class. And time... well, yeah... I spent a LOT of time playing, learning, and developing a network of resources. But when you love what you do, the line between work and fun is often blurred.<br />
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So, do I wish I had more space for student to tinker and make things? Absolutely. But I knew I couldn't wait until I had the perfect space (and materials) to make that happen. Instead I had to make the space - both physical and (more importantly) perceived. I used to give all the credit to that shelving unit, but we're starting to realize that the shelf does far more than just hold the supplies, it helped shift the attitude from classroom to makerspace by keeping already existing tools visible and accessible, and empowering the kids to use them.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinR6GJvYQjQj4FHpMZ_BZ-auq-O1HcJz1PqFpJuq0sTxLiWdUQfztDfm6s0nc9QZ-V5x9I0Qa8e7btxUAtyX9718PpaTXWED3qKdWQg1Spp_YuMxGnJYPp09uKZvfdvmNJ194c/s1600/makerspc_new.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinR6GJvYQjQj4FHpMZ_BZ-auq-O1HcJz1PqFpJuq0sTxLiWdUQfztDfm6s0nc9QZ-V5x9I0Qa8e7btxUAtyX9718PpaTXWED3qKdWQg1Spp_YuMxGnJYPp09uKZvfdvmNJ194c/s400/makerspc_new.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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If you want to read more about the specifically 3D printing things we are up to, you can visit the blog I created with the kids: <a href="http://talesofa3dprinter.blogspot.com/">Tales of a 3D Printer</a>.<br />
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Added 11.2.13: Here are some resources I find myself referring back to: an Edutopia article on <a href="http://www.edutopia.org/blog/designing-a-school-makerspace-jennifer-cooper">Designing a School Makerspace</a>, the MAKE article <a href="http://makezine.com/2013/05/22/the-difference-between-hackerspaces-makerspaces-techshops-and-fablabs/">Is it a Hackerspace, Makerspace, TechShop, or FabLab?</a> and an <a href="http://instagram.com/p/d5aV4XGuPf/">instagram photo of a makerspace</a> I aspire towards!<br />
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Here are some other local under-construction makerspaces (updated)<br />
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<li><a href="http://elementaryedtech.com/2014/01/04/making-a-makerspace-the-physical-space-is-relatively-finished/">Belle Haven Elementary</a>, Menlo Park, CA</li>
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C. Mytkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06930476695074185607noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36789311.post-1492279551346399012013-05-12T14:18:00.000-05:002014-01-01T20:40:40.752-06:00<span style="font-family: inherit;">Video of Mark Hatch, CEO of TechShop, presenting at <a href="http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?siteID=123112&id=20869299">Design Night</a> at the Autodesk Gallery in San Francisco on Thursday May 2, 2013. This session was entitled "Making it!" Unfortunately, I did not get my act together soon enough to get tickets before they sold out, but thanks to the wonders of technology, I can re-live the experience on the web! :)</span><br />
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<br />C. Mytkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06930476695074185607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36789311.post-67297381504030932452013-04-01T11:08:00.001-05:002013-04-01T11:08:41.503-05:00From STEM to STEAM Education<br />
Many of us are familiar with the acronym behind STEM education - Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. However, I was recently introduced to a new acronym - STEAM - which includes an "A" for "Art & Design."<br />
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Now, this buzzword is not new (it's <a href="http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2011/12/01/13steam_ep.h31.html">been around since at least 2011</a>, or even <a href="http://www.oaae.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=58&Itemid=114">2007</a>, from what I can tell) but it is new to me, and I like it!<br />
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<a href="http://stemtosteam.org/"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Marj81LkNFWF0Lywb1EbGCRHsRfDj7y6Tcvu6vDkUv5f33IaX-UIEzS0eUshOYCDilhw3cbch8idsRbcTtOMtIz8tS6V7o5sNwVX2gQXcssl4KdmzHeHYMdZ2Rby6Z5srkjT/s1600/logo2.png" /></a></div>
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From what I can tell, STEAM is a movement that came out of the <a href="http://www.risd.edu/About/STEM_to_STEAM/">Rhode Island School of Design</a> (RISD) and, according to the <a href="http://stemtosteam.org/">STEM to STEAM website</a>, aims to<br />
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<li>transform research policy to place Art + Design at the center of STEM</li>
<li>encourage integration of Art + Design in K–20 education</li>
<li>influence employers to hire artists and designers to drive innovation</li>
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The focus was put on STEM education many years ago, but to be truly competitive, it's about more than just math and science, it is about creativity and innovation; critical thinking and problem solving; and communication and collaboration. It's about art & design.<br />
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Some sources say (well, <a href="http://www.thommarkham.com/blog/default/why-stem-education-needs-pbl/">Thom Markham</a> says) the term STEM was first coined in the 1890's by the Committee of Ten at Harvard, as a response to the gaps in the agrarian school system of the 1800's. Other <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/sponsored/workforce-of-tomorrow/archive/2012/06/working-hypothesis-stem-jobs-need-better-branding/258544/">sources</a> point to Dr. Judith Ramaley, president of Winona State University in Minnesota, who is said to have coined the term "STEM" when she was assistant director of the education and human resources directorate at the National Science Foundation from 2001 to 2004. (Previous to her, apparently the acronym was "SMET.") Ew.<br />
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For now, especially with my interest in the <a href="http://hackeducation.com/2012/11/21/top-ed-tech-trends-of-2012-maker-movement/">Maker movement</a>, I will adopt the acronym STEAM to inform my own teaching in science & technology.<br />
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C. Mytkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06930476695074185607noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36789311.post-14368127812058306272013-02-18T10:09:00.000-06:002014-01-01T20:37:36.930-06:00The Benefits of PruningSo, my blog has been sorely neglected over the past few years. Right now it is cluttered with draft posts, links and images in a private Tumbler of ideas. Sprinkled throughout is the occasional posts, released in a burst of creative energy and prioritization. However, my blog is mostly neglected as the demands of teaching relegate it to the back burner. <br />
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My blog is also competing with the immediacy of social media. Share a link, or toss up a shortened URL on Twitter, and one quickly receives feedback and commentary from the crowd. As immediately gratifying as this may be, it doesn't really take the place of blogging, a process that (at its best) forces me to consider multiple sources before assimilating those ideas with my own viewpoints, distilling them to what matters in my particular context, and then writing them down. I don't really blog for the crowd; I do it for me.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/Phoenix_detail_from_Aberdeen_Bestiary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="100" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/Phoenix_detail_from_Aberdeen_Bestiary.jpg" width="95" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Public Domain</td></tr>
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And, so, in resurrecting this blog, I've considered the analogy of the Phoenix - that mythical bird with its colorful plumage and a tail of gold and scarlet. The bird that, at the end of its 500 to 1000 year life-cycle, builds itself a nest of twigs that it then ignites; "both nest and bird burn fiercely and are reduced to ashes, from which a new, young phoenix or phoenix egg arises, reborn anew to live again." (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_%28mythology%29">Wikipedia</a>) It's tempting to just destroy this blog and start anew, creating a new space from its ashes, but that analogy was not quite what I was looking for.<br />
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I've considered, instead, the act of pruning bushes. This seems more apropos to my goals. The University of Rhode Island offers this <a href="http://www.uri.edu/ce/factsheets/sheets/pruneguide.html">Pruning Guide</a>. "Pruning is a regular part of plant maintenance involving the selective removal of specific plant parts."<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfFUepcrL4KY9S7HMwK9yLuI2I8aCkAHvfVKCeHyncCS1mOXPToUiSpFuCu5FkbGZW2bOD1huxchJLOVxcVzWT_6SOgnzSN-ObcMusmzx3UlhClswViiVTN6SohFIHCKEYaF7_/s1600/Szo%CC%8Blo%CC%8B_metsze%CC%81s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfFUepcrL4KY9S7HMwK9yLuI2I8aCkAHvfVKCeHyncCS1mOXPToUiSpFuCu5FkbGZW2bOD1huxchJLOVxcVzWT_6SOgnzSN-ObcMusmzx3UlhClswViiVTN6SohFIHCKEYaF7_/s200/Szo%CC%8Blo%CC%8B_metsze%CC%81s.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CC-BY-SA by <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Hirvenk%C3%BCrpa" style="background-color: #f9f9f9; background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.1875px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none;" title="User:Hirvenkürpa">Hirvenkürpa</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Why prune? The site goes on to offer these reasons:<br />
<br />
1) To improve the appearance or health of a plant.<br />
2) To control the size of a plant.<br />
3) To prevent personal injury or property damage.<br />
4) To train young plants.<br />
5) To influence fruiting and flowering.<br />
6) To rejuvenate old trees and shrubs.<br />
<br />
That's what my old blog needs - rejuvenation! I started blogging nearly 7 years ago, and over the years have more clearly focused my ideas and vision as a teacher. I plan to start by pruning away those previous posts that serve as a distraction to my professional goals.<br />
<br />
Then, perhaps, my blog will grow healthier and stronger than before. Of course, this requires that I actually write. And teaching tends to fill up my to-do list, leaving little time for much else. However, it's good to have goals.C. Mytkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06930476695074185607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36789311.post-84028044403357087622010-05-29T21:49:00.005-05:002014-01-01T20:32:54.467-06:00Facebook Safety CenterAs a middle school teacher, I was thrilled to learn Facebook has created a new <a href="http://www.facebook.com/help/?safety">Safety Center</a> for parents, educators, law enforcement, and kids.<br />
<br />
Not only does it have good advice, it has realistic advice. For example, check out these tips for parents (found under the section "Can I friend my teen?"):<br />
<br />
<b>Don't fill your kids' pages with your comments.</b> As it is, simply having parents is mortifying enough at this age. Their friends don't need evidence of your existence (and you can always send them private messages).<br />
<br />
<b>Don't be techno-phobic.</b> Don't be afraid of technology. Learn to text, send a mobile photo, set up a Facebook profile, upload a video. Or have your kids show you how. It's impossible to guide what you don't understand. Not only that, but think of all the anxiety you can avoid by knowing how things work.<br />
<br />
For all those parents who contact me, not knowing where to start with their 13 year old and social networking, I will be sharing this new resource.C. Mytkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06930476695074185607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36789311.post-34963649937793512032010-05-04T11:58:00.007-05:002014-01-01T20:32:35.090-06:00Open Educational Resources (OER)So, a few days ago, I had the pleasure of attending my first <a href="http://wiki.creativecommons.org/San_Francisco_Salon">CC Salon SF</a>. I was excited, since I am currently a little obsessed with Creative Commons and copyright, and I work part-time for the open source respository, <a href="http://www.curriki.org/">Curriki</a>. Although, I was somewhat disappointed to find out I was the only currently practicing teacher there. Although I understand; it <span style="font-style: italic;">was</span> a school night. :)<br />
<br />
Not to worry, the presentation is archived <a href="http://vidsf.com/2010/may/3/creative-commons-salon-open-education/">online</a>.<br />
<br />
I think all educators need to start paying attention. The dynasty of the textbook is coming to an end. I was introduced to resources such as <span style="font-size: 100%;"><a href="http://www.ck12.org/flexr/">CK-12 Flexbooks</a>, </span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><a href="http://cnx.org/">Connexions</a>, </span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><a href="http://www.oercommons.org/">OER Commons</a>, </span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><a href="http://www.clrn.org/fdti/">CLRN Free Digital Textbooks</a>, and the </span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><a href="http://www.flatclassroomproject.org/About">Flat Classroom Project</a>. With all of these free or inexpensive, customizable resources - what it the draw of the typical textbook?</span><br />
<blockquote>
<span style="font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;">Open Educational Resources are all about sharing.</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><br /><br />In a brave new world of learning, OER content is made free to use or share, and in some cases, to change and share again, made possible through licensing, so that both teachers and learners can share what they know. (<a href="http://www.oercommons.org/">OER Commons</a>)</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: 100%;"><br />Want to find some OER for yourself? Curriki lists <a href="http://blog.curriki.org/2010/07/02/look-no-further-for-oer-search-engines/">10 great OER search engines</a> on their blog.<br /><br />More on this later...<br /></span>C. Mytkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06930476695074185607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36789311.post-37610417300792762932010-04-01T22:09:00.011-05:002014-01-01T20:44:38.746-06:00Citing Internet Sources<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;">The most common guidelines for citing sources come from the MLA. The <span style="font-weight: bold;">M</span>odern <span style="font-weight: bold;">L</span>anguage <span style="font-weight: bold;">A</span>ssociation of America is the main professional association in the US for scholars of language and literature. The other common guidelines come from the <a href="http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/">APA</a> (American Psychological Association).<br /><br />I learned that in April of 2009, the newest MLA Handbook was released, and it made a few important changes<a href="http://www.thewritesource.com/mla/"></a> (from the <a href="http://www.thewritesource.com/mla/">Write Source</a>).</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;">Underlining is no longer recommended to represent italics. Use italics instead.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;">Within the list of works cited, all entries must be identified by medium: Print, Web, DVD, CD-ROM, PDF file, and so on. List the appropriate medium(s) at the end of each entry. In the case of a Web source, the date of access follows the word “Web.”</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;">Online sources no longer require a URL listing**.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;"><br />So, what does this mean for you, kids? Well, if you want to cite an Internet source, here's what you need to do. Keep in mind that complete publication information may not be available for a website; so you should provide what is given. You should try and find the following information before you begin:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;">Author and/or editor names (if available)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;">Article name in quotation marks (if applicable)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;">Title of the website (in italics) </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;">Any version numbers - revisions, posting dates, volumes, or issue numbers.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;">Publisher information, including the publisher name and publishing date. (it is suggested that you use use n.p. if no publisher name is available and n.d. if no publishing date is given.)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;">Date you accessed the material. (This is important because web pages often change, and information on the page may no longer be the same later)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;">Medium of publication (in most of our cases, this is "Web")</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;">URL (if required, or for your own personal reference).</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />TO CITE AN ENTIRE WEB SITE</span> (simplified):<br /><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(NOTE: The color-coding in just to help you organize. The actual citation should be in plain black text.)</span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: red;">Editor or author name (if available)</span>. <span style="color: #3333ff; font-style: italic;">Name of Site</span>. <span style="color: #ffcc33;">Version number</span>. <span style="color: #6600cc;">Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site</span>, <span style="color: #33cc00;">date of resource creation (if available)</span>. <span style="color: #ff9900;">Medium of publication</span>. <span style="color: #ff99ff;">Date of access</span>.<br /><br />Example:<br /></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;"><span style="color: #3333ff; font-style: italic;">Windows to the Universe</span>. <span style="color: #6600cc;">National Earth Science Teachers Association</span>, <span style="color: #33cc00;">n.d</span>. <span style="color: #ff9900;">Web</span>. <span style="color: #ff99ff;">Accessed in Nov 2009</span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">TO CITE A SINGLE WEB PAGE </span>(simplified): </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;"><span style="color: red;">Author name</span>. "<span style="color: #66cccc;">Title of page</span>." </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;"><span style="color: #3366ff; font-style: italic;">Name of Site</span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;">. <span style="color: #ffcc33;">Version number</span>. <span style="color: #6600cc;">Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site</span>, <span style="color: #33cc00;">date of resource creation (if available)</span>. <span style="color: #ff9900;">Medium of publication</span>. <span style="color: #ff99ff;">Date of access</span>.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;">Examples:</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;"><span style="color: red;">Strickland, Jonathan.</span> <span style="color: #3366ff;"><span style="color: black;">"</span><span style="color: #66cccc;">How Does the Internet Work?</span></span>." </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;"> <span style="color: #6600cc; font-style: italic;"><span style="color: #3333ff;">HowStuffWorks.com.</span> </span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;"><span style="color: #6600cc;">Discovery</span>, </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;"><span style="color: #33cc00;">n.d</span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;">. <span style="color: #ff9900;">Web</span>. <span style="color: #ff99ff;">Accessed on April 4, 2011</span>.<br /></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;">"<span style="color: #66cccc;">Twitter</span>." </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;"><span style="color: #3366ff; font-style: italic;">CrunchBase.com</span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;">. <span style="color: #33cc00;">n.d</span>. <span style="color: #ff9900;">Web</span>. <span style="color: #ff99ff;">Accessed on April 10, 2011</span>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;"><span style="color: red;">Byrne, Richard</span>. <span style="color: #3366ff;"><span style="color: black;">"</span><span style="color: #66cccc;">Six Easy Ways for Students to Create Videos Online</span></span>." <span style="color: #3333ff; font-style: italic;">Free Technology for Teachers</span>, <span style="color: #33cc00;">November 29, 2009</span>. <span style="color: #ff9900;">Web</span>. <span style="color: #ff99ff;">Accessed in Feb 2010</span>.</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;"><span style="color: #3366ff;"><span style="color: black;">"</span><span style="color: #66cccc;">How to Make Vegetarian Chili</span></span>." <span style="color: #3333ff; font-style: italic;">eHow.com</span>, </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;"><span style="color: #6600cc;">eHow, </span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;"><span style="color: #33cc00;">n.d</span>. <span style="color: #ff9900;">Web</span>. <span style="color: #ff99ff;">Feb 2009</span>.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;"><br /><br />Want to know more? Visit the <a href="http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/08/">Purdue OWL</a> site. Or, you could give the online <a href="http://citationmachine.net/">Citation Machine</a> a try!<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">** <a href="http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/08/">Important Note on the Use of URLs in MLA</a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">"MLA no longer requires the use of URLs in MLA citations. Because Web addresses are not static (i.e., they change often) and because documents sometimes appear in multiple places on the Web (e.g., on multiple databases), MLA explains that most readers can find electronic sources via title or author searches in Internet Search Engines.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">For people who still wish to require the use of URLs, MLA suggests that the URL appear in < angle brackets > after the date of access. Break URLs only after slashes."<br /><br /><br />So, it would look like this:<br /></span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;"><span style="color: red;">Strickland, Jonathan.</span> <span style="color: #3366ff;"><span style="color: black;">"</span>How Does the Internet Work?</span>." <span style="color: #6600cc;">HowStuffWorks.com</span>, </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;"><span style="color: #33cc00;">n.d</span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;">. <span style="color: #ff9900;">Web</span>. <span style="color: #ff99ff;">April 4, 2011</span>. < http://computer.howstuffworks.com/internet/basics/internet.htm ></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;"><http: basics="" com="" htm="" internet=""><br /></http:></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;">"<span style="color: #66cccc;">Twitter</span>." </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;"><span style="color: #3366ff; font-style: italic;">CrunchBase.com</span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;">. <span style="color: #33cc00;">n.d</span>. <span style="color: #ff9900;">Web</span>. <span style="color: #ff99ff;">Accessed on April 10, 2011</span>.</span> <http: com="" company="" twitter="">< http://www.crunchbase.com/company/twitter ><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;"><span style="color: red;">Byrne, Richard</span>. <span style="color: #3366ff;"><span style="color: black;">"</span>Six Easy Ways for Students to Create Videos Online</span>." <span style="color: #6600cc;">Free Technology for Teachers</span>, <span style="color: #33cc00;">November 29, 2009</span>. <span style="color: #ff9900;">Web</span>. <span style="color: #ff99ff;">Accessed in Feb 2010</span>.<br />< http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2009/11/six-easy-ways-for-students-to-create.html ><http: 11="" 2009="" com="" html=""></http:></span><http: 11="" 2009="" com="" html=""><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-family: monospace;"><br /></span></span></http:></http:>C. Mytkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06930476695074185607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36789311.post-58652890496276044312010-03-20T14:05:00.011-05:002014-01-01T20:47:10.824-06:00Search Strategies - More than "Just Google It"Every year, I ask my 6th grade students to respond to the following prompt in their Tech journals: "Describe your strategies for researching using the Internet." Without fail, at least 80% of them will respond with something like, "I type a word into Google and then click on the first website listed" or "I go straight to Wikipedia."<br />
<br />
So, I think it time to teach Internet search strategies a little more explicitly. (Even the New York Times recently posted a <a href="http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/22/just-google-it-developing-internet-search-skills/">lesson plan</a> for dealing with Internet searching skills.)<br />
<br />
These are the search strategies I start with for my students when they begin their projects:<br />
<ol>
<li class="style3">Take note of the domain names types (.gov & .edu <span style="font-style: italic;">tend</span> to have most "reliable" info)</li>
<li class="style3">Check the "About Us" to see if the site seems reliable. Sometimes "Contact Us" or "FAQs" or that site's own blog can also provide valuable hints to a page's reliability.</li>
<li class="style3">Try searching -.com or +.edu. (ex: Twitter -.com) NOTE: There is no space between the "-" and the domain name type.</li>
<li class="style3">Try putting your search item in quotes. (ex: "history of Mt. Vesuvius" instead of just history of Mt. Vesuvius)</li>
<li class="style3">Try subtracting or add words (for example type 'Tiger -Woods' to search for info on the animal.) NOTE: There is no space between the "-" and word you are subtracting. </li>
<li class="style3">Try clicking on the little superscript numbers in Wikipedia articles to find out the source that is used. Or, just scroll down to the bottom of the Wikipedia article and look over all of the sources used.</li>
<li class="style3">Try searching popular news, tech, or science sites - (Newsweek, Time, New York Times, SFGate, Gizmodo, TechCrunch, CrunchBase, USGS, National Geographic, etc. (ex: "Foursquare +Chicago Tribune")<br /> </li>
<li class="style3">Use other media as sources for information, such as videos (TED talks, YouTube interviews) or podcasts (KQED, NPR)</li>
</ol>
Still need more help? Try these links: <span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><a href="http://www.learnwebskills.com/search/engines.html" target="_blank">Using Search Engines</a>, <a href="http://eduscapes.com/tap/topic74.htm" target="_blank">Develping a Search Strategy</a>, and <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/external/gigaom/2010/04/02/02gigaom-10-simple-google-search-tricks-58674.html?src=me&ref=technology">10 Simple Google Search Tricks</a> (NY Times)<br />
<div class="style1">
And, don't forget when you are searching to <a href="http://blog.mytko.org/2010/06/citing-internet-sources.html" target="_blank">cite the websites</a> you use! </div>
C. Mytkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06930476695074185607noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36789311.post-88165003637544854402010-03-05T09:46:00.016-06:002014-01-01T20:44:38.755-06:00Using Images in the Classroom: Copyright, Fair Use and Creative CommonsAs a Technology teacher, I feel obligated to model good intellectual property habits for my students. The problem is, I am not completely clear on the rules myself! I am very thankful for the nonprofit <a href="http://creativecommons.org/">Creative Commons site</a> for helping me start to make sense of it all.<br />
<br />
<center>
<embed allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="260" src="http://blip.tv/play/gpxSkdkzAg" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="320"></embed></center>
<br />
<br />
As teachers, we often claim "fair use." The Fair Use <a href="http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl102.html">doctrine</a> generally allows for the copying of protected material (texts, sounds, images, etc.) for a limited and “transformative” purpose, like criticizing, commenting, parodying, news reporting, teaching the copyrighted work. Under the US copyright laws, fair use “is not an infringement of copyright.” When determining Fair Use, judges typically consider four factors. <a href="http://wiki.creativecommons.org/Podcasting_Legal_Guide#Fair_Use_Under_Copyright_Law_And_Its_Application_To_Podcasts.">Read more</a>....<br />
<br />
However, I am trying to teach my students to forgo their typical Google Image search or pop song soundtrack and really start to think about intellectual property rights. I am no longer hiding behind the approaches: "well, we're not publishing it, so no one will notice" or "it's only a problem if you get caught."<br />
<br />
Here is what I know so far:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.copyrightkids.org/whatcopyframes.htm">Copyright</a> - <span style="font-style: italic;">[MOST RESTRICTIVE] </span>Creative work is<span class="main_txt"> under copyright protection the moment it is created and "fixed in a tangible form</span>." All sorts of creative work are protected including images, songs, and written work. People do not need to register with the Copyright Office to benefit from copyright protection, but the will need to if they ever plan on bringing suit against someone for copyright infringement. If a student wants to use copyrighted material in their presentation or website, they really need to contact the creator for permission. (My students do NOT like this rule.) I tell students that if the rights are not specified, assume it is copyrighted.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://fairuse.stanford.edu/Copyright_and_Fair_Use_Overview/chapter8/">Public Domain</a> -<span style="font-style: italic;"> [NO RESTRICTIONS]</span> "When a work is in the public domain, it is free for use by anyone for any purpose without restriction under copyright law. Public domain is the purest form of open/free, since no one owns owns or controls the material in any way." Mostly, this includes resources that <span style="font-size: 100%;">are government work (USGS, NASA) or very old. Cornell University has an <a href="http://copyright.cornell.edu/resources/publicdomain.cfm">updated table</a> of copyright term and public domain rules.<br /><br /><a href="http://creativecommons.org/about/what-is-cc">Creative Commons</a> - <span style="font-style: italic;">[SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE]</span> This is a way to modify your copyright to allow for sharing, remixing or distribution of your work. There are many "levels" of creative commons licensing. On <a href="http://creativecommons.org/about/licenses">this page</a>, creativecommons.org lists them starting with the most accommodating license type through the most restrictive license type. </span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><br /></span><br />
There are six major licenses of the Creative Commons:<br />
<ul>
<li>Attribution (CC-BY)</li>
<li>Attribution Share Alike (CC-BY-SA)</li>
<li>Attribution No Derivatives (CC-BY-ND)</li>
<li>Attribution Non-Commercial (CC-BY-NC)</li>
<li>Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike (CC-BY-NC-SA)</li>
<li>Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND)</li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: 100%;">Generally, the licenses address different requirements for attribution , share-alike commercial use</span><span style="font-size: 100%;">, and allowing derivative works (can you modify it).</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 100%;"> </span>There are four major conditions of the Creative Commons: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Attribution</span> (BY), requiring attribution to the original author <span style="font-size: 100%;">(giving the author credit)</span>; <span style="font-weight: bold;">Share Alike</span> (SA), allowing derivative works under the same or a similar license (<span style="font-size: 100%;">how you will license any work you create from it)</span>; <span style="font-weight: bold;">Non-Commercial</span> (NC), requiring the work is not used for commercial purposes (you can't make money from it; and <span style="font-weight: bold;">No Derivative Works</span> (ND), allowing only the original work, without derivatives (you can't change it).<br />
<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://mytko.org/random/2010images/08-august/cclicense.png" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 335px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 445px;" /></a>Additional options include the CC0 option, or "No Right Reserved." For software, Creative Commons offers three licenses: the BSD License, the CC GNU LGPL license, and the CC GNU GPL. (I'm still learning about those three....)<br />
<span style="font-size: 100%;">I encourage my students to start at the following sites to find CC or public domain images:</span><br />
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"><a href="http://images.google.com/advanced_image_search">Google's Advanced Search</a> (now you can filter by usage rights <a href="http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/find-creative-commons-images-with-image.html">as of July 2009</a>)</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"><a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page">Wikimedia Commons</a> (part of <a href="http://www.wikimedia.org/">Wikimedia</a>)</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/creativecommons/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Flickr Creative Commons group</span></a></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 100%;"><a href="http://search.creativecommons.org/" style="font-weight: bold;">Creative Commons search</a></span></li>
</ul>
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I know I have a lot left to learn, but at least I am encouraging my students to become aware of intellectual property rights and make it less likely that they will become "uninformed and unintentional plagiarists."C. Mytkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06930476695074185607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36789311.post-68496225559034783902009-11-23T20:03:00.000-06:002014-01-01T20:27:49.844-06:00Brainpop AnimationsI love Brainpop. I have used these videos in classrooms from 1st grade through 7th grade. Even though Brainpop is animated, the information is complex but presented in a clear and entertaining way. Each video is 2 - 4 minutes long, and my students especially enjoy Tim's themed T-shirts! The quiz is a great way to get whole class feedback. With a school subscription, you could use it in a computer lab, but I find it perhaps more useful to use an LCD projector and a screen, so that we can pause, replay and discuss portions of the videos.<br />
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Even though it is subscription-based (see below), there are a number of <a href="http://www.brainpop.com/free_stuff/">free videos</a> you can check out.<br />
I use these videos in three main ways:<br />
<ul class="star">
<li>INTRODUCTION: I might show a video first (ex: Black Holes) to spark kids' interest and help them generate questions about an upcoming lesson. Also, I can use the quiz as a pre-assessment of the class' collective knowledge.</li>
<li>REVIEW: After an activity (ex: kids acted out the life cycle of stars of varying masses), I play the video and hearing the vocabulary in the video helps them solidify their previous learning experience. (ex: "Hey - That's me! I was the nebula!")</li>
<li>EXTENSION: If students finish an activity early, or need more challenging content, I will have then watch other videos extending the current curriculum (ex: Big Bang, or often in Technology class, I will have advanced students watch information about binary code or the internet)</li>
</ul>
However I use it, the kids love it. Check out <span class="wikiexternallink"><a href="http://www.brainpop.com/" rel="__blank" target="_blank">Brainpop</a></span> or <span class="wikiexternallink"><a href="http://www.brainpopjr.com/" rel="__blank" target="_blank">Brainpop Jr.</a></span> for more information.<br />
You can sign up for a 1 week <span class="wikiexternallink"><a href="http://www.brainpop.com/store/trial_step1_new.weml" rel="__blank" target="_blank">free trial</a></span> with an email address, and one year <span class="wikiexternallink"><a href="https://www.brainpop.com/store/step1.weml" rel="__blank" target="_blank">subscriptions</a></span> range from Family ($99) to Teacher ($175) to School ($975) to customizable District options. C. Mytkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06930476695074185607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36789311.post-87521034280588330502009-10-23T17:54:00.003-05:002014-01-01T20:26:50.812-06:00Worthwhile WorkshopsI am sitting here in beautiful Palm Springs at one of my favorite conferences of the year - <a href="http://www.cascience.org/csta/csta.asp">CSTA</a>. This got me thinking about the best workshops I have attended. Here are my favorite the three that I felt were most organized, inspirational and worth the money!<br />
<a href="http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/teacher_training/boot-camp-tour"><br />Steve Spangler's Boot Camp</a> (K - 8, multiple locations): I have pined after Steve Spangler's <a href="http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/teacher_training/science-in-the-rockies/">Science in the Rockies</a> for years, but had the opportunity to attend the more economical Boot Camp this fall in Chicago. It was wonderful. He is a businessman and comedian, but a teacher at heart. His presentations were concise, engaging and taught solid science concepts. Plus, you get a whole box of fun stuff to take home! The workshops should head west in the spring.<br />
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<a href="http://www.watereducation.org/doc.asp?ID=1008">Project WET</a> (CA) - There are <a href="http://www.watereducation.org/doc.asp?id=1016">various workshops offered throughout California</a>. Upon completion of the workshop, participants get the <a href="http://projectwet.org/water-education-project-wet/project-wet-publications/project-wet-curriculum-activity-guide/">Project WET Curriculum and Activity Guide</a>. (The ONLY way you can get the book is through the workshop.) It covers chemistry and conservation topics around water and is truly outstanding. I was fortunate to take the workshop with Kathy Machado at the Santa Clara Valley Water District. She was an excellent facilitator, takes pride in the extensive work she has done at the Water District, and is able to offer the books for free. Her next workshop is March 5, 2010 and I can highly recommend her presentation. (All Project WET workshops are free, but some districts charge for the book.)<br />
<a href="http://ceplacer.ucdavis.edu/Hands_On_With_Science280/"><br />4-H Embryology</a> (Northern CA) - This was quite a drive up from San Francisco, but it was well worth it. June Stewart teaches a two-hour (free) Embryology class in Auburn, CA. I have never met anyone as passionate about and dedicated to teaching embryology as this woman. The workshop is generally in mid-February, and at that time you can order or pick up rented incubators, fertile eggs, and curriculum materials. These are not materials you will shove in a file cabinet somewhere. I used everything and my students enjoyed the experience immensely. I was terrified to hatch birds for the first time, but the program alleviated all of my fears. June is available by phone for any questions and the Extension office will take any un-adopted birds back for up to one year and place them in homes with local 4-H kids.<br />
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These are my top three. What's your favorite national or local gem?C. Mytkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06930476695074185607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36789311.post-88927182615746121602009-07-02T20:08:00.002-05:002014-01-01T20:26:00.144-06:00Did You Know?As I was completing my <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnA02_4SIhw">video entry</a> for the 2009 <a href="http://www.google.com/educators/gta.html">Google Teacher Academy</a>, I kept coming back to a phrase I heard somewhere, "We are currently preparing students for jobs and technologies that don't yet exist, using technologies that haven't been invented, in order to solve problems we don't even know are problems yet." That line has stuck with me since I first heard it.<br />
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I meet so many teachers that think we are instilling knowledge into children. The best teachers think that we are teaching students how to think and learn, for most of the knowledge itself will become obsolete.<br />
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For my project, I was determined to find the source of this great quote.<br />
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My search led me to <a href="http://thefischbowl.blogspot.com/">The Fischbowl</a> blog and a <a href="http://thefischbowl.blogspot.com/2007/06/did-you-know-20.html">post</a> about the original PowerPoint presentation, entitled "Did You Know?," created by Karl Fisch and Scott McLeod. Apparently, XPLANE has reworked the information into this thought provoking video (2007).<br />
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<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pMcfrLYDm2U&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pMcfrLYDm2U&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br />
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UPDATE (7.6.09): Here is an even more recent version (2008).<br />
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<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jpEnFwiqdx8&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jpEnFwiqdx8&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br />
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This particular version has an expanded focus on the idea that "we are living in exponential times." This is truly incredible and no doubt has significant implications for education. This only strengthens my theory that, as a teacher, <a href="http://www.mytko.org/2006/12/power-of-i-dont-know.html">I don't know everything</a>... I CAN'T know everything. I may be more educated and have more experience, but I am learning right along with my students every day.C. Mytkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06930476695074185607noreply@blogger.com0