tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-346114342024-03-13T06:48:59.722-04:00Pete Mody's The Whiteboard JungleThe place for conversation and discussion for education, at all levels and in all disciplines, on regard to technology. The particular focus is on technology in the classroom, including what types of products work well, which ones are cost prohibitive, technology policies in education, and issues that technology creates in the academic world. It is also a place to exchange ideas on how to best serve students by assessing needs and delivering technology-rich instruction.Pete Modyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863239141321752660noreply@blogger.comBlogger79125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34611434.post-69976050285255490142012-03-05T21:38:00.003-05:002012-03-05T21:38:49.229-05:00You are so smart…why did you become a teacher?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>This was written by Carol Corbett Burris, principal of South Side High School in New York. She was named the 2010 New York State Outstanding Educator by the School Administrators Association of New York State. She is one of the co-authors of the principals’ letter against evaluating teachers by student test scores, which has been signed by nearly 1,400 New York principals.</i><br />
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By Carol Corbett Burris<br />
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The best part of my day is before the first bell rings. I get to spend time in the halls and cafeteria with our students. I have spent over two decades of my professional life among teenagers, and I must confess each year I enjoy them more. They have a perspective that is insightful and clear, and they are always on the watch for what is fair and what is not, especially when it comes to rules.<br />
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This past week, I read “<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/schoolbook/2012/02/16/as-deadline-nears-a-compromise-on-teacher-evaluations/" target="_blank">the evaluation deal</a>” between NYSUT (the New York teachers union) and the State Education Department. I was surprised, and I was angry. I was particularly struck by the <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/putting-new-yorks-testing-program-on-trial/2012/01/08/gIQAZGEHkP_blog.html" target="_blank">lack of logic</a> and fairness in the rules of the deal. And so to gain some perspective (and to lower my blood pressure) I went to the cafeteria at lunchtime and sat with some kids.<br />
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I bought some bags of chips and put them on the table and told them I wanted input on grading, a subject near and dear to their hearts. The first scenario I gave them was this….<br />
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“Suppose this marking period you had three tests. Each of the tests was on different topics, and you passed all three. Would it be fair for your teacher to fail you?”<br />
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The kids were outraged at the thought, with some choosing adjectives I will not repeat. One thoughtful student asked, “Well, how did I do compared to the rest of the class?”<br />
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“Average” was my reply. The adjectives got a little stronger. Everyone agreed that would be outrageous and that I should overturn the grades of such a teacher.<br />
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I gave them a second scenario:<br />
“Suppose you have three tests, and you bomb the first one. But on the second, you do well. And by the time the third one comes around, you are pretty much at the top of the class—and that is the test that has the most points of all. But because you did so badly on the first test, the teacher fails you for the quarter. What do you think?”<br />
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I think the reader can guess how they responded. Eyes narrowed as the kids became increasingly worried that their principal had lost her mind and was designing a plot to fail them all. I decided it was a good time to take my chips and head back to the halls.<br />
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Now take a look at the chart below, which will be used in New York to <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/are-half-of-new-yorks-teachers-really-not-effective/2011/12/05/gIQAhDXyaO_blog.html" target="_blank">evaluate teachers</a>. It is similar to a chart <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/are-half-of-new-yorks-teachers-really-not-effective/2011/12/05/gIQAhDXyaO_blog.html" target="_blank">I explained here</a>.This is what was decided as part of last week’s grand bargain; it’s what NY lawmakers will be asked this spring to put into law to sort and select public school teachers, with those deemed ineffective for two years to be fired.<br />
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Regulation/Student Growth/Local Measures/Other 60/Composite<br />
Ineffective/..........0-2........../.........0-2.........../.............../.......0-64<br />
Developing/.........3-8........./..........3-8........../.locally..../.......65-74<br />
Effective/.............9-17......./..........9-17......./developed/.......75-90<br />
Highly Effective/ 18-20...../..........18-20.... /................/.......91-100<br />
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Now let’s go back to my first cafeteria scenario, applying it to the chart.<br />
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Ms. Alvarez is a second-year teacher. Her diverse third-grade class, which includes English language learners, takes the state tests. In the first category, ‘student growth,’ the teacher’s students show average growth. She is rated effective and earns 9 points. In the second column, again she is rated effective based on student work and gets 9 points again. Her principal critiques her lessons and there is room to grow, so she assigns her 46 out of the possible 60 points in category three, ‘other 60’. Although the state does not provide ranges for the ‘other 60,’ we can see that a score of 46 based on the proportions in the first two columns, would be effective. Now let’s add the numbers up and look at the final column: 9+9+46=64. Overall, Ms. Alvarez is rated ineffective. She decides that maybe teaching is not for her.<br />
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Now to cafeteria scenario #2. Ms. Smith’s students have serious learning disabilities and before NCLB they would never have been required to take the state exam. Her students are frustrated by the test and show little growth. Her score in the first category is 1.<br />
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Nevertheless, because the district has chosen a more appropriate assessment for her students for the local measure, she gets 9 points, which is in the effective range. Ms. Smith has excellent teaching skills and so she nets 54 out of the possible 60 points, which is in the district’s highly effective range. In the three categories she garners ratings of ineffective, effective and highly effective, but when the district adds up her points it will arrive at a total of 64, ineffective overall. Ms. Smith asks to teach resource room instead next year — she is a single mom and cannot lose her job. Her students lose the best teacher they ever had.<br />
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Let me add one more. Mr. Reed is a 28-year veteran whom students adore. He is the basketball coach, and he has turned around the lives of more troubled teens than his principal can count. He is a fine teacher of English who welcomes struggling students. His scores are 9, 10 and 55 — effective, effective and highly effective. That’s a total of 74 points: this 28-year veteran is labeled ‘developing’ and given a mandatory Teacher Improvement Plan. He retires in disgust.<br />
With the above scenarios I am not creating fiction, I am describing the future — one in which children lose great teachers. The reason the above “band” system is so flawed is because of the obsession of Albany with test scores.<br />
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Our state’s rule-makers wanted to design a system in which the teachers whose students’ scores are in the lowest ten percent could under no circumstances be anything other than ineffective. It created a ludicrous system where teachers who are effective across the board can be rated ineffective overall.<br />
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This was recognized by the August 2011 decision of Justice Michael Lynch, who <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/25/education/25teacher.html" target="_blank">wisely noted</a> that the scoring ranges for the four categories were invalid, because the ranges did not allow the 60-point category to have meaningful impact in the final score. He noted also that these ranges would rate a teacher “ineffective” solely on the <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/leading-mathematician-debunks-value-added/2011/05/08/AFb999UG_blog.html" target="_blank">basis of student achievement</a>. The judge understood what NYSUT and the State Education Department cannot — <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/getting-teacher-evaluation-right/2011/09/15/gIQAPzs9UK_blog.html" target="_blank">test scores</a> should never trump all. Yet in the agreement, NYSUT caved, condemning our schools to become joyless, test-prep factories.<br />
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The legislature, which must now approve the agreement, can bring a modicum of sanity to this awful system. With amendments such as “a teacher who is rated effective in all three categories must be rated effective overall” and, “to be rated ineffective overall, a teacher must be rated ineffective in at least two of the three categories, and be rated less than highly effective in the third,” they can infuse the wisdom of a wise judge, thus mitigating a little bit of the damage that this bizarre system will cause.<br />
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Teachers and their spouses, family and friends will be watching the votes when this legislation is introduced in the budget process this spring. And a governor with an ambitious eye on his political future is wise to remember that the road to the White House is through the primary process. Teachers vote and they will remember.<br />
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One of my finest teachers was near tears the other day. Her student had asked her, “You are so smart…why did you become a teacher?” Within the context of this teacher-bashing climate, that remark was just too much to bear, and I hugged her as she cried. Less than a mile away, her Governor had thumped on a podium at Molloy College saying “if they want the money, perform” as though she and her colleagues were trained seals.<br />
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Words will soften as elections near. Fingers will wag as politicians admonish the public to “not bash teachers.” What educators and those who love them will remember, however, are not the words, but the actions. Those who doubt that should just ask the kids in my cafeteria. They will tell you that is so.<br />
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<b><u>Original Post</u></b>:<br />
<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/you-are-so-smartwhy-did-you-become-a-teacher/2012/02/19/gIQA2vBNNR_blog.html">http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/you-are-so-smartwhy-did-you-become-a-teacher/2012/02/19/gIQA2vBNNR_blog.html</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">SaratogaRugby.com - Join the Stampede!</div>Pete Modyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863239141321752660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34611434.post-29031806303066660972012-03-05T08:49:00.001-05:002012-03-05T08:49:17.761-05:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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As I haven't worked for GlobalSpec, Inc. since the summer of 2009, they finally took down my blog, although all of my posts are still hosted at various other blogs. I have submissions under Education, Automotive, Great Scientists, This Day in Engineering History, Biomed, and Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition. If anyone would like a list of articles that I wrote for them, (about 100 in all), you can find them here:<br />
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<a href="http://cr4.globalspec.com/search/sitesearch?do=show&us=17659&srchobjs=t,be">http://cr4.globalspec.com/search/sitesearch?do=show&us=17659&srchobjs=t,be</a>
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">SaratogaRugby.com - Join the Stampede!</div>Pete Modyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863239141321752660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34611434.post-42473845400655518002011-11-30T00:41:00.001-05:002011-11-30T00:48:46.189-05:00Prezi, Tablets, and Social Media in Education<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I have been really busy with graduate school for the past few weeks, but I wanted to throw this out there for a two fold purpose. One is to show a new type of presentation tool called Prezi (not all that new) and the second is to open some deabte about the role of social networking in education.<br />
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Below is a link to a presentation I made this past summer for a mock faculty meeting.
This is also a chance for me to try blogging on a Droid Tablet, which my wife and I went for on Sunday night when my computer died druring a week when I really needed to be studying for an eight hour exam this coming this Saturday. Just a simple post to investigate the tablet viability for blogging.<br />
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I guess this is really a three-pronged reason for posting (if you don't count taking a break from studying).<br />
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<a href="http://prezi.com/q3gwtlodsey2/social-networking-isnt-the-enemy-of-quality-education/" target="_blank">Prezi on Social Networking by Pete Mody</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">SaratogaRugby.com - Join the Stampede!</div>Pete Modyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863239141321752660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34611434.post-62091605883394513602011-11-03T14:23:00.000-04:002011-11-03T14:23:33.482-04:00Researcher: Technology might be returning us to Stone Age-thinking<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="entry-source-title-parent">from <a class="entry-source-title" href="https://www.google.com/reader/view/feed/http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eschoolnews.com%2Fcategory%2Ftop-news%2Ffeed%2F?hl=en" style="display: inline-block; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">eSchoolNews.com » Top News</a></span> <span class="entry-author-parent">by <span class="entry-author-name">Meris Stansbury</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="entry-author-parent"><span class="entry-author-name"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.eschoolnews.com/files/2011/10/nicholascarrresized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.eschoolnews.com/files/2011/10/nicholascarrresized.jpg" /></a></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.eschoolnews.com/files/2011/10/nicholascarrresized.jpg" target="_blank"></a></span>It’s not a new concept: Technology is changing the
way we think. But one prominent researcher at a recent conference discussed a
more controversial idea: Technology could be moving us away from innovation and
progress, and closer to the Stone Age in terms of how we process information—a
scary thought, considering the country’s desperate call for 21st-century
thinking.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%;">This disturbing theory comes from Pulitzer Prize
nominee and New York Times bestseller Nicholas Carr’s book The Shallows: What
the Internet Is Doing to Our Brain. And at the 15th annual American Association
of School Librarians (AASL) conference in Minneapolis, Minn., Carr emphasized
that it’s not just adults who should be worried.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%;">“Schools and libraries are good places to see a
snapshot of the cultural mindset on digital issues and change, and what they’re
showing us is that instant access to information is everywhere,” said Carr.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />Carr began his opening keynote by relating his
own experiences with technology and the internet, saying he one day realized he
had a harder time concentrating on one task.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%;">“My mind wanted to jump around and not go
word-to-word in a linear way. I thought: My mind wants to behave like the
internet, like my smart devices,” he explained.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Carr then began to research why this brain
pattern change could be happening. The answer, he found, lies in neuroscience
and psychology.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />According to Carr’s research, the invention of
the internet is nothing new, in terms of history—objects like the </span><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">map and the
clock also changed the way our brains operate.</span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">For the full article: </span></span><a href="http://www.eschoolnews.com/2011/11/01/researcher-technology-might-be-returning-us-to-stone-age-thinking/">http://www.eschoolnews.com/2011/11/01/researcher-technology-might-be-returning-us-to-stone-age-thinking/</a></div>
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</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">SaratogaRugby.com - Join the Stampede!</div>Pete Modyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863239141321752660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34611434.post-828313046406064252011-10-26T11:51:00.003-04:002011-10-26T12:11:05.435-04:00The ModyBlog is a Changin'<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Alright, so this blog has become massively defunct over the past two years. I just realized that there is nothing I need to say that is that important. So I am making a change and taking something I used to for GlobalSpec out for spin and I am going to tackle Tech in Education here instead. Hopefully it will generate some conversation, but since I think Jake is my only current reader, that might be too much pressure!</div>
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">SaratogaRugby.com - Join the Stampede!</div>Pete Modyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863239141321752660noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34611434.post-48647297423292086242009-08-04T14:39:00.002-04:002009-08-04T14:43:16.080-04:00Updated Blog Roll<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://cr4.globalspec.com/images/cr4/top/SectionHomepage.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 209px; height: 105px;" src="http://cr4.globalspec.com/images/cr4/top/SectionHomepage.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I have decided to add all of the blogs that I write for in the right hand column for easier navigation. They will auto-update every time a new entry is added. Please keep in mind just because it is there, doesn't mean I am always the author. There are several of the blogs that have multiple authors.<br /><br />If you see <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">ShakespeareTheEngineer</span> in the byline, those are ones that I have written. Any other names (like <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">TechOutReach</span> - who is Mr. Reach, <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Jaxy</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Natural Pro</span> or <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Moose</span>) are people who are on the same editorial team with me.<div class="blogger-post-footer">SaratogaRugby.com - Join the Stampede!</div>Pete Modyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863239141321752660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34611434.post-43336738735148303852009-07-24T11:16:00.006-04:002009-08-04T14:35:49.944-04:00Achilles Repair Blog Goes Global<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://cr4.globalspec.com/images/cr4/top/SectionHomepage.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 209px; height: 105px;" src="http://cr4.globalspec.com/images/cr4/top/SectionHomepage.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I am back at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">GlobalSpec</span> and writing for their blog site <a href="http://www.cr4.globalspec.com/">CR4</a> in a variety of capacities. So far, I have been assigned tasks for their blog sections that include automotive, educational tech, great engineers and scientists, an "on this day in engineering" blog, and finally sports, fitness, and nutrition.<br /><br />Starting on Tuesday, 7/28, and running every Tuesday for about two or three months, the site will be featuring an article and pictures from my ongoing recovery from Achilles tendon rupture. This coming Tuesday's discusses the Achilles tendon, some warning signs of those who are at-risk for injury, and a brief review of how I injured myself.<br /><br />Unlike blogs here, my editors require that I keep entries between 400-600 words, so they are always a quick read for those who have interest.<br /><br />I have already written about 16 entries and probably have another 20 to go before the summer is done. There is something for everyone on this site, so I recommend checking it out. It gets about 300,000 hits a month and has 100,000 daily subscriptions. Exciting that my writing is getting out to that big of an audience.<br /><br />If you would like to find me on the site, my handle (long story) is <a href="http://cr4.globalspec.com/member?u=17659"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">ShakespeareTheEngineer</span></a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://cr4.globalspec.com/blog/106/The-Whiteboard-Jungle"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 61px;" src="http://cr4.globalspec.com/BlogImages/106_L_WhiteBoard_Jungle_79FE49AB-FAB3-637B-73842242277F9761.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">SaratogaRugby.com - Join the Stampede!</div>Pete Modyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863239141321752660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34611434.post-85709067669907782922009-07-11T12:25:00.001-04:002009-07-11T12:25:25.031-04:00Two Weeks to GoI have been out of the splint and into my cast for a week. The good news is three weeks in a cast now and not six (the doc said because I behaved and stayed off of it) so I have two weeks to go.
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<br>After that, it is a month in an orthopedic boot. In other good news (trying to stay positive), I have finished the daily abdominal shots and have moved on to Aspirin which is much easier to handle.
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<br>I also managed to get my first workout in this week, with a 7000 meter row on the rowing machine (holding my left leg in the air).
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<br>I don't really take pain meds (at least in the past week), just some Ibproufen to reduce swelling which has been insane.
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<br>I have been back at work for two weeks at GlobalSpec, Inc. And have begun writing articles for CR4 again. I have an "I'm Baaaack" article going off next week and then a three part series starting on 7/20 about the 40th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. It was a really fun series to write and I learned a ton about the Saturn V rocket (like what is meant when it says it had 34 Meganewtons of thrust in just Stage 1 of the rocket).
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<br>It is just good to be writing for a company again, even if I do have to mix it in with writing product announcements and company profiles and doing web development as well.
<br>Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone with SprintSpeed<div class="blogger-post-footer">SaratogaRugby.com - Join the Stampede!</div>Pete Modyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863239141321752660noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34611434.post-71740551858128768392009-06-24T21:04:00.001-04:002009-06-24T21:04:11.414-04:00Thank God Almighty, I'm free at LastI was finally released from the hospital at 7:40 on Wednesday night. Only 50 hours later than expected. Am home and planning to sleep as much as I can. Who knew crutches were that tiring.
<br>Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone with SprintSpeed<div class="blogger-post-footer">SaratogaRugby.com - Join the Stampede!</div>Pete Modyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863239141321752660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34611434.post-60449585074339283502009-06-24T11:51:00.001-04:002009-06-24T11:51:35.312-04:00Morphine Hangover and "The Tararizor"Well, it has been forty-eight hours in Saratoga Hospital. The night was a breeze with my nurse slipping me the morphine/tordol combo every three hours. I didn't sleep super well, waking up a lot, but I did sleep which was great.
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<br>In the morning, after like five hours without any pain meds, the friend of one of my rugby team mates (Owen "The Animal" Maranville) came to do PT. I had a similar reaction. Just crutching down the hall to his room, going up and down a step five times, and coming back had me light headed and nauseous. He set me up in a recliner, which I tolerated for about 25 minutes before crawling into bed. During that time, I gave myself my first abdominal shot. Didn't hurt at all.
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<br>I awoke to one of the scariest sights a teacher can have: a former student standing over you with a needle. Especially when it is a student whose first name, Tara, was turned into Tararizor because she scared classmates and underclassmen alike.
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<br>The good news is that she is better at drawing blood than remembering the details of the dynastic cycle of Ancient China.
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<br>After that it was time for a chest x-ray (the reason for which I never learned - someone just showed up and said, "Mr. Mody, I am here to take you to your x-ray.".
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<br>Beyond general nausea keeping me from eating much and light headedness that seems to be getting better by the hour, so far, so good. Hopefully I can go home this afternoon.
<br>Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone with SprintSpeed<div class="blogger-post-footer">SaratogaRugby.com - Join the Stampede!</div>Pete Modyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863239141321752660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34611434.post-19791379421059921252009-06-23T19:45:00.000-04:002009-06-23T19:43:06.489-04:00Day 1 UpdateIt turned out to be a pretty miserable day. I couldn't handle crutches very well because the rush of blood to my bad leg was severe. It caused both pain and light headedness.
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<br>When Dr. O'Connor came to see me at 6, he was appalled by my day nurse's unwillingness to dispense pain meds, at one point making me go 6 hours without any and flipping on the lights often so I wouldn't sleep despite hardly sleeping the night before.
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<br>Dr. O'Connor said he couldn't even imagine the level of pain I must be in and described the surgery in graphic detail. He then sent in a max dose (for me) or morphine and then Tordall, with round 2 coming at ten because he wants me to have a full night of sleep. Thankfully, it was like a night and day difference. It was also nice that my mother-in-law and my boss/school mom Chris Gangemi came by to visit. I even at most of my dinner.
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<br>Now exhausted. Signing off...
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<br>Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone with SprintSpeed<div class="blogger-post-footer">SaratogaRugby.com - Join the Stampede!</div>Pete Modyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863239141321752660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34611434.post-3183204477481121362009-06-23T13:15:00.000-04:002009-06-23T13:17:04.898-04:00ComplicationsLooks like falling O2 levels and muscle spasms are causing enough concern to the med staff that they are admitting me for a second night. Currently on oxygen so I can sleep without sending off the sensors.
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<br>On a plus side, the abdominal shots weren't that bad. No where near as big a needle as Devine had to deal with as a diabetic.
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<br>On the minus side, trying to go crutching for more than 50 feet makes me turn green and break out in a clammy sweat. And not a cool Incredible Hulk green.
<br>Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone with SprintSpeed<div class="blogger-post-footer">SaratogaRugby.com - Join the Stampede!</div>Pete Modyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863239141321752660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34611434.post-33017765026852086692009-06-22T20:48:00.000-04:002009-06-22T20:57:14.377-04:00Last Blog of Day ZeroSo the Blackberry's battery is about done. But the deal for now is that I will be on blood thinner's for the next ten days via self-administered abdominal shots. Something tells me I should have read Eric Devine's novel, This Side of Normal after the summer instead of early this spring!
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<br>So I need to stay overnight and have a consult with the PT Dept in the morning. Then finally home, probably mid day.
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<br>Pain has finally started to rear its ugly head so the pain killers are just starting again!
<br>Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone with SprintSpeed<div class="blogger-post-footer">SaratogaRugby.com - Join the Stampede!</div>Pete Modyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863239141321752660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34611434.post-81037592443088913692009-06-22T18:41:00.001-04:002009-06-22T18:41:23.766-04:00Recovery TimeSurvived the surgery. Still numb from the waste down. Now I am just bummed they are keeping me overnight.
<br>Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone with SprintSpeed<div class="blogger-post-footer">SaratogaRugby.com - Join the Stampede!</div>Pete Modyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863239141321752660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34611434.post-58873634199363688282009-06-22T14:36:00.001-04:002009-06-22T14:36:50.074-04:00Hail the Wise Tom PettyTom Petty is right. Waiting is the hardest part. Come on now! I have been laying here for three hours waiting for my number to be called.
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<br>I feel like doing a Joe Swanson-like (from Family Guy) yell: BRING IT ON!!!!
<br>Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone with SprintSpeed<div class="blogger-post-footer">SaratogaRugby.com - Join the Stampede!</div>Pete Modyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863239141321752660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34611434.post-89367660133194878962009-06-22T14:27:00.001-04:002009-06-22T14:27:04.643-04:00The AnesthesiaSo much for general anesthesia... Because it is a posterior injury and I need to have surgery laying face down, looks like I will be getting spinal anesthesia. That just sounds like a treat, doesn't it?
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<br>At least I won't have to deal with being intubated. There's something, I guess.
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<br>Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone with SprintSpeed<div class="blogger-post-footer">SaratogaRugby.com - Join the Stampede!</div>Pete Modyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863239141321752660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34611434.post-63278536001650544202009-06-22T13:50:00.001-04:002009-06-22T13:50:02.645-04:00Hurry Up and WaitSo the IV is in and I am sitting in the hospital bed. The OR is behind schedule (not a surprise) and my wife is claiming I am addicted to my Blackberry (also not a surprise).
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<br>Up next: the anestheiologist....but the nurse just came in with an update. One hour behind just became 2.5.
<br>Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone with SprintSpeed<div class="blogger-post-footer">SaratogaRugby.com - Join the Stampede!</div>Pete Modyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863239141321752660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34611434.post-38786142334024142252009-06-21T23:41:00.007-04:002009-06-22T01:09:46.965-04:00Modyland to Go Under the Knife - 6/22/09<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LbIWLItNmV8/Sj7-NkZG7EI/AAAAAAAAC9o/MoSFbp-u8cU/s1600-h/IMG00212.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 212px; height: 159px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LbIWLItNmV8/Sj7-NkZG7EI/AAAAAAAAC9o/MoSFbp-u8cU/s320/IMG00212.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349992916423470146" border="0" /></a>So it is about time, I guess, that it happened. I have been playing rugby for 15 years and never suffered a serious injury that wasn't related to my head. It only seems appropriate then that my season and potentially career ending injury came on a non-contact play on a day that was about as non-serious a rugby practice as one can have...<br /><br />It was the type of practice that I love to go to. It was pouring rain. The ground was soft. There weren't a ton of people which means fewer drills and more just playing. We even combined the men's and women's teams so we would have about 20 people playing. We just started with tossing the ball around and then when everybody was warmed up, started playing two hand touch. The pouring rain practically kept you from sweating, but I could still taste the salt on my lips from the hard running. People were wiping out in the mud, crashing into puddles, and sliding, face first, into the try zone from four meters out.<br /><br />Forty-five minutes into the practice, it happened. I had already caught a bunch of kickoffs, had a few good runs, and made some solid passes to the speedy Mitch who scored a bunch of tries. I had made halting stops and cut backs and asked my knees to do the moves they groan about. And I was feeling great. As a matter of fact, I can't remember a time lately that I was enjoying playing quite so much and my body was responding in such a positive fashion as it was right then in the cool rain. I ended up on the outside when we were pushing for a try, and I was by myself. The player to my inside dumped the ball off to me as her defender closed in and all I had to do was catch the ball at speed, which I had been doing all day, and after a few hard steps, jog in for a score. As I accelerated to the ball and caught it, someone crashed into my left calf and I felt the smack in my lower leg, as I crashed to the ground, pretty much where I stood. I rolled over to a seated position to see if <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">DeFilippo</span> had fallen on me, maybe slipping while making the tag, and no one was behind me. No one was within five meters of me.<br /><br />My calf was strangely tight. I have had a long history of calf cramps, but this one felt different. I started massaging the calf and trying to get it to loosen up, but by then, Mitch, Noble, and Aussie came over. Mitch took a look at the base of my ankle and asked if a lump had been there before. It hadn't. I already knew what happened and the look on his face as he looked at Noble and Aussie confirmed what I was unwilling to utter. I had just ruptured my Achilles tendon.<br /><br />Aussie had thankfully driven right to the pitch, and after getting assistance to get to his car, he dropped me off at my truck. After asking if I was sure that driving was a good idea, I hoisted myself into my truck, and as the pain began to build in my calf, I started the drive to the hospital.<br /><br />Getting on I-87 at Exit 12, I was hoping that I could make it to urgent care at Exit 15, because I thought it would go better than going to the ER with an injury like this. As I approached Exit 13, all anatomical hell began to break loose. I had my first muscle spasm in my calf. That might not sound like much, but the ER doc later explained that I had likely separated the Achilles tendon from my calf muscle in a rather violent fashion, so a calf cramp at that moment was not ideal.<br /><br />I grasped for my Blackberry and eventually managed to get my wife on the line and<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:EMk_a5NIO2WGjM:http://www.offroaders.com/reviewbox/data/4/nitto-terra-grappler.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 102px; height: 135px;" src="http://tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:EMk_a5NIO2WGjM:http://www.offroaders.com/reviewbox/data/4/nitto-terra-grappler.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> found out that I would miss Urgent <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Care closing</span> bell by about five minutes, so off to the hospital it was. She asked if I wanted her to come meet me, to which I said not until I had some news so she could just hang at home. And then the second cramp hit. She inquired as to the source of the grunting noise I made, and I told her what it was. She asked me if it was a good idea to be driving and my response: "God, I hope so, hon, because I just passed Exit 14." At this point, I had pushed the speedometer needle up around 75, which wasn't much of note except it was still raining hard. Confident that the aggressive tires on my Dodge Ram would handle it, I worked my way off Exit 15 and through downtown <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Saratoga</span> as quickly as I dared.<br /><br />As I pulled into the ER, I saw that there was valet parking. At this point, I was in SOAKING wet rugby gear, still in my cleats, and I couldn't really move my left foot, so valet parking sounded like a pretty good deal. The young valet came to my truck. I explained the situation and he fetched me a wheel chair which sounded like a good deal.<br /><br />Fast forward about an hour. I am face down on a hospital bed. My wife has arrived with dinner, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">alth</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.rehabmart.com/2003/beds/beds/Pictures/RM_Hos18.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 162px; height: 162px;" src="http://www.rehabmart.com/2003/beds/beds/Pictures/RM_Hos18.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">ough</span> I am in no mood to eat. I had spent 20 minutes biting my wallet because when the last round of muscle spasms started, they opted not to stop, and no matter what I did with my leg, I couldn't get them to cut me any slack. A nurse finally showed up with some pain killers. In the next hour, I was given a shot of morphine, a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Vicodin</span> pill, and then another shot of morphine so that my leg would relax enough so they could do what is known as a Thompson Test. This nifty assessment was the kiss of death for both Rugby and Summer 2009. If you are laying face down and someone squeezes your calf, you will point your toes. They squeezed my right calf and sure enough, the toes pointed. The squeezed the left and according to my wife there was no movement at all. I couldn't tell because I was trying not to bite all the way through the hospital bed mattress. Yeah...that test stung a little bit. Oh, and don't forget that they have been covering me with warm blankets because I left a puddle of water under the wheel chair and the mattress is SOAKED because I was, of course, coming from practice in a downpour.<br /><br />The following day I saw an orthopedist by the name of Dr. George Silver. He know<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.orthosaratoga.com/images/silver.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 157px; height: 197px;" src="http://www.orthosaratoga.com/images/silver.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>s me by my first name as my wife and I are frequent fliers, both already having knee surgery out of his office. Not to mention that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Saratoga</span> Rugby sends a lot of business his way. He re-administers the Thompson Test...I have a similar reaction. His reaction is surprising, however. He palpates my calf and traces down where my Achilles should be, if it was intact. I know he is looking at the cavitation that appears just under the skin, the way I was looking at it in the wheel chair at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Saratoga</span> Hospital the night before. Here it comes...it is time for everyone's favorite image: the M.R.I. Filmed in Saratoga and read in Pakistan, it will be like #30 in my career. I have a greatest hits for X-Rays, too! But it doesn't come.<br /><br />He says, "Pete, we don't need to do an M.R.I. because it is clear that you have a complete rupture of your Achilles. I don't an image because I can see and feel it. We are scheduling you for the first open slot that we have for surgery on Monday because we can't get you in this late on a Friday." After I inquire about recovery, only having a few minutes so I can get through the battery of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">pre</span>-op tests, I hear that all of June and July will be spent on crutches, in a splint or a cast. August will be spent in a walking boot. And if all goes right, I might be able to start walking around the time I go back to school for the fall.<br /><br />So that is about it. About a half-hour ago, I passed the food and beverage line, so no more drink or food until I am done with surgery. I start <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">pre</span>-op at 11:15AM tomorrow, and then Dr. O'Connor, since he was the first one from the office with an opening, goes in and tries to repair the damage that I did just by starting to sprint from a jog.<br /><br />It was about 11:45 tonight when I decided that if I am going to be lame this whole summer, at least I am going to blog about the recovery process. I don't know how far I will be able to take the Blackberry tomorrow, but I will try to get pics as I go.<br /><br />My wife and I also have a bet as to whether or not I will return to work on Wednesday from this. She says no, and will do everything in her power to get the doctor to order me to bed. I say yes, and will be fighting everyone I can pretty much think of in my local sphere of influence to continue to prove to myself that this stupid, stupid injury is not going to control my life.<br /><br />Should make for an interesting blogging experience because I just hate losing....<div class="blogger-post-footer">SaratogaRugby.com - Join the Stampede!</div>Pete Modyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863239141321752660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34611434.post-54132991302819555662009-06-10T21:05:00.004-04:002009-06-21T23:41:24.444-04:00Correcting Time Already - Wasn't I Just Here?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://churchdirect.net/p7lsm_img_2/fullsize/Exhaustion_fs.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 219px; height: 207px;" src="http://churchdirect.net/p7lsm_img_2/fullsize/Exhaustion_fs.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>It is that time of the semester again. You can come in and pick them up or contact me for your grade. Please be advised that I may be in either a computer lab or the English Resource Center if I am not "all up in the one-one-seven".<br /><br />I will begin grading finals as soon as I am done with course work. Keep checking back for updates as to my progress!:<br /><p align="center"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><strong>As of 6/16/09 @ 9:15 P.M. -EVERYTHING IS DONE!<br /></strong></span></p><br /><p style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><strong>American Experience - 3ACE:<br /></strong></p><ul style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><li style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><u><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">American History X</span></span></u><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">Write-Ups</span></span></li><li style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">Final Course Reflections</span></span></span></li><li style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">American Experience Final Exam</span></span></li><li style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Final Course Grade</span></span></li></ul><p style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">American Experience - 4ACE:</span><br /></strong></p> <ul style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><li style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><u><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">American History X</span></u> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Write-Ups</span></span></li><li style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Final Course Reflections</span></span></li><li style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">American Experience Final Exam</span></span></li><li style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Final Course Grade</span></span></li></ul><strong>American Experience - 2BDF:<br /></strong> <ul style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><li style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><u><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">American History X</span></u> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Write-Ups</span></span></li><li style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Final Course Reflections</span></span></li><li style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">American Experience Final Exam</span></span></li><li style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Final Course Grade</span></span></li></ul> <p><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 0);"><strong>Readers' Workshop:<br /></strong></span></p><ul><li style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><strong>All Course Work for Quarter Four is Done</strong></span></li><li style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><strong><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">Final Exam Part 1</span></span></span></strong></li><li style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><strong><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Final Exam Part 2</span></span></strong></li><li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">Final Course Grade</span><br /></span></span></li></ul><p><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Forms of Literature:</span><br /></strong></p><ul><li style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><strong>All Course Work for Quarter Four is Done</strong></span></li><li style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><strong><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Final Exam<br /></span></span></strong></li><li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">Final Course Grade</span><br /> </span></span></li></ul><strong></strong><div class="blogger-post-footer">SaratogaRugby.com - Join the Stampede!</div>Pete Modyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863239141321752660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34611434.post-39698007419911247382009-01-23T02:08:00.011-05:002009-02-01T10:15:08.859-05:00<a href="http://blogs.nolo.com/intellectualproperty/files/2008/01/exhaustion.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 250px; HEIGHT: 205px" alt="" src="http://blogs.nolo.com/intellectualproperty/files/2008/01/exhaustion.jpg" border="0" /></a> It is that time of the semester again. Please note that as items are completed, the text will change to maroon in color. Once that happens, you can come in and pick them up or contact me for your grade. Please be advised that I may be in either a computer lab or the English Resource Center if I am not "all up in the one-one-seven". I will begin finals/midterms as soon as I am done with course work. Keep checking back for updates as to my progress!:<br /><p align="center"><span style="COLOR: rgb(255,0,0);font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><strong>As of 1/30/09 @ 11:45 A.M. - Everything is Graded - Stop in to Pick Up.</strong></span></p><br /><p><strong>University Level Mythology</strong></p><ul><li><span style="color:#660000;"><strong><span style="COLOR: rgb(102,0,0)">All Course Work for Quarter </span><span style="COLOR: rgb(102,0,0)">Two is Done</span></strong></span></li><li><span style="color:#660000;"><strong>Final Paper </strong></span></li><li><span style="color:#660000;"><strong>Final Course Grades</strong></span></li></ul><p><span style="COLOR: rgb(255,204,0)"><strong><span style="COLOR: rgb(255,0,0)"><span style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)">The</span> American</span> <span style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,153)">Experience</span></strong></span></p><ul><li style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(153,0,0)"><span style="color:#660000;">American History X Write-Ups</span></li><li style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(153,0,0)"><span style="color:#660000;">Final Course Reflections</span></li><li><span style="color:#660000;"><strong>American Experience Final Exam</strong></span></li><li><span style="color:#660000;"><strong>Final Course Grade<br /></strong></span></li></ul><p><span style="COLOR: rgb(255,204,0)"><strong>American Literature</strong></span></p><ul><li style="COLOR: rgb(153,0,0)"><span style="COLOR: rgb(102,0,0)"><strong>All Course Work for Quarter Two is Done</strong></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"></span></li><li style="COLOR: rgb(153,0,0)"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"></span><strong><span style="COLOR: rgb(102,0,0)">American Lit Final Exam</span></strong></li><li style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(255,0,0)">English Regents Exam - Canceled (Retake in June 2009)<br /></li></ul><p><strong>Writers' Workshop - <span style="COLOR: rgb(0,102,0)">Green</span> & <span style="COLOR: rgb(255,0,0)">Red</span></strong></p><ul><li><span style="COLOR: rgb(102,0,0)"><span style="color:#660000;"><strong><span style="COLOR: rgb(153,0,0);" >All Course Work for Quarter Two is Done</span><br />Final Course Grade</strong></span></span></li><li><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="color:#660000;">Final Portfolio For Writers' Green</span> </span></li><li><span style="color:#660000;"><strong>Final Portfolio For Writers' Red</strong></span></li></ul><div class="blogger-post-footer">SaratogaRugby.com - Join the Stampede!</div>Pete Modyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863239141321752660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34611434.post-67127877332776477092009-01-04T20:19:00.002-05:002009-01-04T20:21:30.277-05:00Modyland by MidnightOkay ladies and gents,<br /> I think I have a temporary fix. By midnight tonight, and perhaps by 9:00 even, your beloved <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Modyland</span>.com address should kick you to the normal <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">destination</span>.<br /><br />Everything <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">curriculum</span> related should be up to date as far as I have updated it. Some lesser used sections might be a little rough (not working pictures, etc), but I think everything is in order.<br /><br />If you find any section is not how it should be, please let me know.<div class="blogger-post-footer">SaratogaRugby.com - Join the Stampede!</div>Pete Modyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863239141321752660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34611434.post-18831375498231355512009-01-04T12:04:00.004-05:002009-01-04T20:01:56.815-05:00Temporary Asylum for Modyland.com<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://macleans.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/outrage.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 138px; height: 182px;" src="http://macleans.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/outrage.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>It appears that the world wide web is conspiring against me. In early December, NERIC, the server on which Burnt Hills hosts its public domain, crashed, leaving anything I hosted at the high school marooned from students.<br /><br />On December 13th, Road Runner migrated all web pages to a new server and subsequently crashed as well. Now, only old files remain that I cannot change and new uploads (like the main page at Modyland.com) that I tried to update show up as blank.<br /><br />After many e-mails and two rather consternating tech support people at Time Warner later, I am left without a web page I can host reliably at either place. Time Warner's clearest response is "I don't know when we can fix it."Until that point in time, I will try to host certain necessary files here. Unfortunately, the ones that are currently hosted on Time Warner's server were updated on 11/02/08 and if I try to update them, they turn blank.<br /><br />So here are some links in deplorably plain fashion, but it is the best solution I currently have on the short term. I will try to move everything to the NERIC system as soon as I can as it seems to be up and running for the time being. Please e-mail me directly if you need something specific from my site.<br /><br />Links like The Coffee House and the Parents' Lounge will have to take a back seat until I get more pressing issues resolved.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">University in the High School Mythology</span><br /><ul><li><a href="http://admin.bhbl.neric.org/%7Epmody/FOV2-001050E6/FOV2-001050E8/UHSM.htm?FCItemID=S0141133C">Up to Date Class Page from Modyland</a></li><li><a href="http://uhsmythology.21classes.com/">Mythology Class Blog</a></li></ul><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">American</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Experience</span><br /><ul><li><a href="http://admin.bhbl.neric.org/%7Epmody/FOV2-001050E6/FOV2-001050E9/AmEx.htm?FCItemID=S01411351">Up to Date Class Page from Modyland</a></li><li><a href="http://amex.21classes.com/">AmEx Class Blog</a></li></ul><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 0);">American Literature</span><br /><ul><li><a href="http://admin.bhbl.neric.org/%7Epmody/FOV2-001050E6/FOV2-001050EA/CAL.htm?FCItemID=S01411357">Up to Date Page from Modyland</a></li><li><a href="http://admin.bhbl.neric.org/%7Epmody/FOV2-00023BA9/S00E6B12D">How to Access Your Server From Home<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></a></li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">Writers'</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Workshop</span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span></span><ul><li><a href="http://admin.bhbl.neric.org/%7Epmody/FOV2-001050E6/FOV2-001050EB/WW.htm?FCItemID=S0141139A">Up to Date Class Page from Modyland</a></li><li><a href="http://amex.21classes.com/">Writers' Workshop Class Blog</a></li></ul><div class="blogger-post-footer">SaratogaRugby.com - Join the Stampede!</div>Pete Modyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863239141321752660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34611434.post-54406223435294686482008-08-07T18:10:00.006-04:002008-08-07T18:17:40.168-04:00Oh The Power! A Blog You Can Even Find on Google<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://cr4.globalspec.com/BlogImages/106_L_WhiteBoard_Jungle_79FE49AB-FAB3-637B-73842242277F9761.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 409px; height: 50px;" src="http://cr4.globalspec.com/BlogImages/106_L_WhiteBoard_Jungle_79FE49AB-FAB3-637B-73842242277F9761.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />After a good showing for my first few blog entries for their education forum, GlobalSpec has decided to give me my own blog on their CR4 site (which deals with all sorts of technology, science, math, and engineering topics - automotive to zoology).<br /><br />The name of the blog is <a href="http://cr4.globalspec.com/blog/106/The-Whiteboard-Jungle">The Whiteboard Jungle</a> if anyone wants to check it out. Please feel free to leave comments. People from all over the world have been commenting and engaging in discussion. It would be nice to have some parents and students weigh in. Particularly the students, as it focuses on you often and your voice is not often heard!<br /><br />And there are some controversial topics coming up in the next few weeks. I am expecting a raging discussion in particular during the week of 8/24.<div class="blogger-post-footer">SaratogaRugby.com - Join the Stampede!</div>Pete Modyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863239141321752660noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34611434.post-37263066156595733192008-07-17T14:14:00.002-04:002008-07-17T14:21:06.415-04:00Paid to Blog?Crazy enough, ladies and gents, I have landed a professional blogging gig (kinda).<br /><br />The engineering firm that I am working for this summer (something like Google for engineers) is asking me to write a technology for education blog. I am one of a few contributors, but it looks like I will be the most regular one (in a lot of ways) for the next few months.<br /><br />Randomly enough, I am working with a former student from my BSpa days, Nik Gatzendorfer. He is writing for the company's online newsletter, making his former English 9, English 10, and Global History 9 teacher proud.<br /><br />Anyway, the address for the blog if you would like to check it out and/or comment on some of the topics and what you think of them (<span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">like which is more popular with teens, e-mail or text messaging</span>) is: <a href="http://cr4.globalspec.com/blog/68/Engineering-Beyond-the-Classroom">http://cr4.globalspec.com/blog/68/Engineering-Beyond-the-Classroom</a><br /><br />The whole site has some cool stuff from Iran using photoshop to make it look like their missile program is more successful than it is to how to change the oil in your car to which GPS to buy or how the new service of having your mutt's DNA tested to see what breeds it is works.<br /><br />The site is called <a href="http://cr4.globalspec.com">CR4</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer">SaratogaRugby.com - Join the Stampede!</div>Pete Modyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863239141321752660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34611434.post-71759862567409681032008-06-12T20:00:00.007-04:002008-06-18T16:39:26.679-04:00Correcting Time: Spring 2008!Okay ladies and gents. Once something is done (the title changes to the color maroon), please feel free to come in and pick it up. I will hang on to materials until the end of the school year (June 26th) and then it is recycle time! You can also e-mail me for grades at pmody@bhbl.org.<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(255,0,0)">Update as of 6/17 @ 12:35 A.M.</span> - EVERYTHING IS DONE!<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(255,204,51)">English 9: <span style="COLOR: rgb(153,0,0)">ALL DONE!</span></span><br /><ul><li style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(153,0,0)">Shakespeare ReWritten</li><li style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(153,0,0)">Final Exams</li><li><strong><span style="COLOR: rgb(153,0,0)">Thank You Letters</span></strong><br /></li></ul><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(0,153,0)">Forms of Lit Green (2BDF):</span> <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(255,204,51)"><span style="COLOR: rgb(153,0,0)">ALL DONE!</span></span> <ul><li><strong><span style="COLOR: rgb(153,0,0)">Poetry Projects</span></strong></li><li style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(153,0,0)">Final Exams</li><li><strong><span style="COLOR: rgb(153,0,0)">Thank You Letters</span></strong></li></ul><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Forms of Lit Black (3BDF)</span>:<br /><ul><li><strong><span style="COLOR: rgb(153,0,0)">Poetry Projects</span></strong></li><li><strong><span style="color:#990000;">Final Exams</span></strong></li><li><span style="COLOR: rgb(153,0,0)"><strong>Thank You Letters</strong></span></li></ul><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(0,0,153)">American Experience Blue (3ACE)</span>:<br /><ul><li style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(153,0,0)"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">American History X </span>Film Write-Ups</li><li><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(153,0,0)">Course Reflections</span> </li><li><span style="color:#990000;"><strong>Final Exams</strong></span></li><li style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(153,0,0)">Thank You Letters</li></ul><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(255,0,0)">American Experience Red (4BDF):</span><br /><ul><li><strong><span style="COLOR: rgb(153,0,0)"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">American History X Film Write-Ups</span></span></strong></li><li><strong><span style="COLOR: rgb(153,0,0)"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Course Reflections </span></span></strong></li><li><strong><span style="COLOR: rgb(153,0,0)"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Final Exams</span></span></strong></li><li><strong><span style="COLOR: rgb(153,0,0)"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Thank You Letters</span></span></strong></li></ul><div class="blogger-post-footer">SaratogaRugby.com - Join the Stampede!</div>Pete Modyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863239141321752660noreply@blogger.com0