Rhonda Smith-Baker

Cyber Teacher 2009

Mrs. Rhonda Smith-Baker

The last four weeks has been stressful but fun. Everyone has been so nice and we all seem to get along. It’s like we have known each other for years.

On the first day of class, after we received our agenda with the assignments that we would have to complete, I thought that I would never been able to do it. However, David Luneau and Thomas Wallace have been every helpful.

David taught me how to use Microsoft Excel. This was a program that I’ve always wanted to use. Now I can keep up with my checkbook, make graphs and tables that I need in my counseling program, and create formulas.

Using Microsoft Publisher was exciting. I am real proud of the brochure that I created about Fulbright Elementary and our counseling program. I plan to make these available to parents through our parent involvement center.

I learned how to create a power point that I can use every year at our “Welcome to Fulbright Assembly”. I feel confident that I can create other useful power points on my own.

Now creating my own website was the most difficult project that I had to do. I tried to stay with Thomas during his presentation and then stay after class so that I wouldn’t be behind. When I completed this, I sighed with relief.

Catherine’s presentation, each day, gave us time to relax and breathe. It was a welcoming event that I looked forward to. I really enjoyed the MBTI survey we did because it helped me learn so much about myself.

Overall this class was a great opportunity. I really enjoyed it and I learned so much.

I will recommend the Cyer Teacher IT Gold class to everyone.

This was a really interesting article. I learned about an assertiveness technique to use with my boss called the LADDER.

L- Look at your rights and understand your feelings about the situation.
A- Arrange a meeting
D- Define the problem
D- Describe your feelings
E- Express what you want clearly and concisely
R- Reinforce by explaining the mutual benefits

 I also enjoyed the self hypnosis ideas, “The Island” and “The Four Seasons.”

Today was a very informative day.

I attended this workshop in September of 2008. It was an afternoon in-service offered to parent coordinators. I really enjoyed the topics. I felt that they would be useful in planning and organizing my scheduled parent nights.  The presenter was very organized and easy to follow. Some of the topics discussed were “How to Motivate Your Child,” “Strengthening Your Child’s Home Study Skills,” and “Creating a Home Environment for Learning.”

http://www2.arkansasonline.com/news/sports/

This is my favorite website because I am able to keep up with the news on a daily bases  when I can’t get to a newspaper. I can read only sections that I’m interested in like the obituaries and particular sections of the newspaper at the present date or 6 days back. It is only $6.00 a month for this service.

My listening challenge is day dreaming or thinking about something else if what I’m listening to is not interesting or the lecture is too long. After about 10-15  minutesof lecture, I find myself doodling and thinking.

I try to sit close to the front of the class to keep my focus on the speaker.

Self initiated learning is learning that takes place or is driven by ones self. This type of learning is motivated by a person’s desire or need to learn a particular task or skill. It usually occurs by an individual’s own pace without a tradional instructor. It is the motivation to learn as much as you can about a thing or particular topic.

Last night I couldn’t sleep wondering if I was doing the right thing by taking this class or would the class be too difficult. So, this morning I walked across campus to the Dickerson building and ran into Linda Baker. We had met last week when we picked up our laptops for the class. She seemed knowledgeable in computer technology so I quickly decided that we needed to sit together. Later Melvin came in and sit on the other side of me. I asked him if he felt he was computer literate and he said, “Yes.”

The instructors seemed very helpful. I believe with Linda and Melvin’s help and keeping in mind what Thomas (the train) said about having an open mind and not become frustrated, I think I will make it through these next four weeks.

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