Disqus - Latest Comments for sharon_elin

Re: Taming the Mammoth: Why You Should Stop Caring What Other People Think

sharon_elin — Fri, 28 Sep 2018 09:38:28 -0000

I've struggled with letting my authentic voice speak in my writing, afraid I'll alienate friends and loved ones if they recognize themselves in my characters, especially if they're portrayed in a negative light. I try to disguise identities by changing their gender or using composite characters, but I hold myself back from revealing too much that might offend. More than that, I'm afraid to expose my own true thoughts, in fear that I will be judged unfavorably. Now I wonder why I should worry so much, especially since I do use caution and discretion. Your article encourages me to defy my fears and tell it like it is. I still think it's important to be sensitive to others' feelings as much as I can; tact is kind -- but I don't want to tiptoe around my perception of the truth and hold it back. Thank you!

Re: Kindle and iPad Books Take Longer to Read than Print [STUDY]

sharon_elin — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 14:30:15 -0000

I love reading on my iPad with a kindle app. I had to get adjusted to the differences, though. Did the subjects in this study have time to get adjusted?

I thought I would miss the experience of holding, smelling, and interacting with a book, but the iPad is so much more convenient and I'm actually reading more than I used to! I find myself just as involved with the text as when it's on a page. The text is more visible because I can adjust the size and brightness. It's nice to be ale to read in bed in the dark without disturbing my husband. I can highlight and make notes while reading, and the passages I marked show up on my Amazon account later for viewing or copying-and-pasting to a written review or paper. As for smell, the leather cover I bought for it smells darned nice! :) The books are less expensive, and I don't have clutter of books I'm finished with all over my house. The only books I'll buy now are hardbacks that I treasure and want to display, or art books.

Re: Cool Cat Teacher Blog: Your Professionalism as a Teacher: The Hope Diamond in Your Pocket

sharon_elin — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 00:12:45 -0000

Thank you for this. Too often, we educators allow others -- and worse, ourselves -- to dismiss and undervalue our worth as guides and leaders of the future generation. We share ourselves unselfishly to help students steer themselves through a maze of information and demands; we cheer them on toward countless accomplishments; we guide them in their learning to prepare them for life... yet we still mumble, embarrassed, to a new acquaintance that we're teachers, as if we're ashamed of our career.

It's understandable, really, that other people outside education don't grasp the complexity and far-reaching importance of what teachers and other educators do. They're on the outside looking in and they have no way of knowing what we do other than being with students in a classroom. But we know, and we should be constantly reminding ourselves and each other about the honor and nobility of our calling. It is a powerful, rich, and precious gift.

Re: What's in Your 21st Century Toolbox?

sharon_elin — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 09:02:09 -0000

Wow, Paula! When you take it all down item by item and track the progress, the quantity of new applications you've adopted for your use snowballs into a huge pool of resources! I find the same trend -- the more software I learn, the easier it is to learn newer programs.

I encourage any leader to take a similar inventory and itemize the technology he or she uses -- and to ask the same of his or her employees. I'm going to do it, as well. By doing so, we can see a clearer map of where we've been, which leads to the next step: where we want to go next.

Like you, I have found that becoming a participant in PLNs (professional/personal learning networks) has quadrupled my exposure to and access to information, help, and resources. Educators who are leaders and those who are "in the trenches" should take advantage of these networks, such as twitter, plurk, or group nings

Thanks for sharing your history/inventory!

Re: Your Honor, I Tweeted

sharon_elin — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 17:57:40 -0000

Cellphones are not allowed in a courtroom. Last time I went in one, when my daughter was getting her first driver's license, signs outside the building clearly stated that, and we went through metal detectors and search of all bags & pockets before entering the courtroom. I would think any electronic device that allows tweeting or any other form of outside communication would be forbidden for the sake of legal privacy and security.

Re: Downtime

sharon_elin — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 05:42:59 -0000

someone commented on my blog post through Disqus and I received notification via email (from wordpress), but their comment is not visible on my blog AND it is not on my Disqus account!

Please investigate and let me know what is wrong. I know the person who commented, so I will ask him to go back and comment in the usual way, without using Disqus.

sharonelin@comcast.net