Becoming Kristin

Mid-winter blahs (or pause?)

2011-02-02T17:54:00.000-08:00

So I try to keep this blog as a positive space. I know that I haven't always done that, but for the most part I think it's important to recognize and share positive moments. Lately I feel like I've been stuck in nuetral, like I'm just floating along. Nothing good, nothing bad. I was trying to figure out how I can reinterpret this situation to make it more positive. Here's what I've come up with so far:

Life has definitely slowed down a little. I think it's good for me to learn how to deal with a slower pace, especially considering how frantic life has been at other times in the past.

I think that this slower pace has given me the chance to really consider and rededicate myself to what matters most in life. It's a little bit humbling to recognize that my priorities aren't always where they should be.

As always, the answer always seems to be have patience. I think I'm learning, slowly :)

New Years

2011-01-01T10:39:00.001-08:00

I had a dream last night that I was talking on the phone to one of my blog friends. She told me I should blog more. I guess my subconcious is trying to hint at a potential New Year's resolution....

By the way, I love New Years. It's right after Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July on my list of favorite holidays. I know it's kind of cheesy and there are a lot of cynics out there, but I appreciate every opportunity I get to turn over a new leaf.

One of my biggest goals this year is to continue to befriend the handsome fellow (meet Steve) next to me in this photo. It's hard to see, but I promise you that we are there.

I have a feeling that 2011 is going to be a good year: graduating from college, finding a first "real" job, and spending time with friends and family are all on my radar. Right now it's nice to bask in the glow of optimism, because it sure seems like there's not a lot of that left in this world.

Cheers! Happy New Year Everyone! Here's hoping you have a great 2011.

Miracles

2010-10-17T19:38:00.000-07:00

1-33 people were trapped for 69 days 2000 ft below the ground. All lived.

2-A woman changed her life and was able to get all criminal charges against her dismissed.

3-A girl was so excited about a math concept I taught that she told her sister about it as I was leaving.

4-I've talked to lots of friends and had a lot of mini miracles as I've applied for a competive program.

5-The Lord cares about little things, like keeping track of things that I lose.

6-Two individuals cut their salaries in half, even though they had families to support, to keep the vision of their non-profit organization alive.

God is a god of miracles. I am grateful for the miracles I've seen. What miracles have you seen lately?

On thursdays when I'm tired I sometimes whine.

2010-09-23T21:55:00.000-07:00

Dear Friend,

I'll be honest, I'm tired of waiting for you. I've never been a paitient person to begin with. People say that you'll pop into my life when I least expect it. Does that mean I have to stop anticipating you? How can I when it feels like everyone, myself included, keeps wondering when you'll arrive? I'm tired of missing someone I don't even know yet. I'm tired of feeling jealous, then feeling guilty for feeling jealous. I feel like the little girl who didn't get invited to the secret club. Everyone else knows the password. The worst thing is that this whiny post isn't going to help me find you. If anything, it will make things worse.

Hope you are well.

Kristin

Good things

2010-09-05T15:37:00.000-07:00

A friend sent me a text message with the simple question: "what's good?" At first I didn't know how to reply. A definition? Good is the opposite of bad. A scripture? An example?

I ended up making a list of good things: blueberry muffins, a hard workout, the Book of Mormon, and the occasional opera or poetry reading. My friend added sleep to the list. After this weekend I added NPR, wakeboarding on a beatiful day, siblings, and visiting an old friend.

What would you add to the good things list?

Rodeo

2010-06-21T21:04:00.000-07:00

Yep, I've officially been to Wyoming now.

The bull riding was the main event, but the side show included counting Wranglers vs. Levis.

FYI: Wranglers were winning.

Bunch of city slickers who didn't wear either brand.

Life on the Ranch

2010-06-14T17:01:00.000-07:00

So, I'm living/working on a cattle ranch in Colorado now. There is no cell service for twenty miles, which I actually don't mind. It's nice to get away from "it all". It's nice to think on the open high mountain meadows, and breathe air that smells like a camp fire after it rains. I'm going to try to update the blog more regularly (no promises).

Grateful to be me

2009-11-22T15:18:00.001-08:00

I've been reading through my blog list and looking at posts and pictures of people I love. It's hard sometimes, because sometimes it can be a bittersweet experience. I feel happy for people who experience joy, but there's also that pang of longing for a family of my own.

Today I've also been thinking about gratitude, an appropriate topic for the Sunday before Thanksgiving.

I'm not saying that I am always 100% grateful for my single-not dating status, but today at least I am going to try to forget the painful things and remeber the miracles Heavenly Father has worked in my life. I'm grateful to be a daughter of God. I am grateful for little sisters, brothers, dads, and mothers. I am grateful that Heavenly Father hears and answers my prayers. I'm grateful that the Lord moves in mysterious ways and that by small and simple means are great things brought to pass.

Thats all.

Brandon's Story

2009-10-30T12:52:00.000-07:00

I’m grateful for chance I had to volunteer for Disability Mentoring Day. It was a great opportunity to learn about employment resources for students with disabilities. Plus, I got credit for two classes; how’s that for killing two birds with one stone :)

Anyways, as I’ve reflected on the experience, I feel like I should share one part of that experience with you, my devoted online readers. It was a short, simple conversation I had with one student, but it made a significant impact on the way I view students and my future profession. I wanted to share with you Brandon’s Story.

Brandon is a tall boy, slender, with light brown hair and piercing blue eyes. He’s quiet. Maybe that’s why I noticed him in the first place. I have this theory that teachers teach to the student they see in themselves, so naturally I gravitate to the quiet, bookish teens. There was another reason why Brandon seemed different to me. He wanted to be a paleontologist when he grew up. When the presenter had asked earlier, most students had said that they wanted to work with animals or kids. Brandon had one very specific interest: the science of dinosaurs.

Brandon sat behind me on the bus. As we drove to and from each destination I decided to make the most of my rare college field trip. You see, my minor is chemistry, so I’m somewhat of a science nerd myself. I asked Brandon one simple question, “So what’s your favorite dinosaur?” He replied with a question of his own, “Well… that depends on what kind of dinosaur you are talking about.” With a sly grin he went on to explain the four or five different categories of dinosaurs, telling me the characteristics of each group, and giving me specific examples. He knew both the scientific and common names of each species. As I listened, I could almost see the hours he spent pouring over dinosaur books; his descriptions made illustrated pages come alive before my eyes.

Later, the conversation drifted towards books and movies. We found a shared passion for the mythical creatures and language of Tolkien’s Middle Earth. I smiled as I remembered the bus rides of my own adolescence. The trips to and from school were spent lost in the pages of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Like Brandon, I was glad that that Peter Jackson’s award-winning cinematography had accurately captured the magical details of Tolkien’s fantasy world.

I wondered why Brandon was in Special Ed when he obviously was able to learn and read so much. There’s a lot that I don’t know about Brandon’s education and history. I’m not his teacher, but I will be his teacher someday. I’ll be teaching hundreds of students just like him: passionate, curious teenagers who have high expectations for their futures. I’m grateful that Brandon taught me one of the most valuable lessons I have learned so far: that moments of grace can occur in ordinary places and casual conversations. Maybe one day me and my students will compare dinosaur families with groups in the periodic table, or explore grammar by using the Elf languages from Lord of the Rings. When we look beyond the term “disability” to see the individual’s talent, passion, and experience, that’s when real learning can occur.

Spreadsheet

2009-10-29T13:25:00.000-07:00

Here is a link to the spreadsheet I created in class. It took awhile to figure out, and the numbers aren't so pretty, but it's there! Enjoy.

http://itlslabs.usu.edu/~klillywhite/classgrades1.htm

No More Websites!

2009-10-20T13:04:00.001-07:00

I created a page on myuen.org. The URL for my page is http://my.uen.org/myuen/224360.

Some modifications I made to the default page:

-changed the background color

-changed the icon

-filled out school affiliation information

-filled out curriculum/teaching areas

-filled out job title

I can't access the "UEN" applications/widgets because their is an email verification error.

I'm kind of frustrated with this technology class because I'm setting up a million accounts and we don't really talk about the benefits of these sites. I feel like we are spending a lot of class time on trivial things that don't really matter. I want to learn about using computers to create spreadsheets and grading. I feel like I won't be able to actually use the things we are learning for a very long time. We need more meaningful homework assignments, reading, etc. This class is way to easy. I want something more challenging. I don't want to learn tricks and gimmicks. Give me a project. Give me a challenge.

IA Project Page

2009-10-13T12:41:00.000-07:00

I created a project in Instructional Architect called "Self-Reliance". The page contains a link to the full-text essay by Ralph Waldo Emerson entitled, "Self-Reliance".

The URL for my page is http://ia.usu.edu/viewproject.php?project=ia:11145.

Inspiration Page

2009-09-15T13:18:00.000-07:00

Again, public at large, if anyone else actually reads this blog, ignore this post.

http://itlslabs.usu.edu/~klillywhite/paper1.htm

Digital Natives Reflection

2009-09-14T20:32:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't teach INST 3500, ignore this post because this is a homework assignment.

Then again, who wouldn't want to read all about Marc Prensky's article "Digital Natives Digital Immigrants"?

For the most part, Prensky's article was interesting. I was especially fascinated by the idea that "different kinds of experiences lead to different brain structures."

In some cases, I felt that the author made a lot of generalizations without supporting his argument with research. For example, Prensky states that students "have little patience for lectures, step-by-step logic, and "tell-test" instruction." There are many reasons why the objective model of education described doesn't work, besides the fact that students are more familiar with digital technology.

I like how Prensky addresses the fact that students are becoming disengaged with the curriculum. I worry sometimes that I won't be able to keep high school students interested in the material. The use of "edutainment" is an interesting concept. Computer games and social networking sites may keep students interested, but will academic rigor be compromised if technology is used too much? How can you design computer games that will be both challenging and entertaining? Prensky offers some good, broad suggestions, but I don't know how I could apply his theories in a high school English or Chemistry class. I'll be interested to see what kind of options are available for designing computer games towards the end of the semester.

I'm still interesting in learning more about technology, but I'm not entirely convinced that traditional teaching methods are as ineffective as Prensky claims. The author fails to consider individual preference in his argument. I consider myself to be a digital native, but I still prefer real books, people, and discussions to virtual reality. I believe that a hybrid course that integrates technology into regular instruction is more effective than computer games. I hope that we have some good discussion about this article and other issues next time in class.

i remember.

2009-09-11T06:23:00.000-07:00

Eight years ago, I was at home, sick.

I turned on our TV.

So did the rest of the world.

We watched, not really believing that the images we saw could actually be happening.

But we couldn't turn it off.

For two weeks.

Our Junior High raised $14,000 for the Red Cross fund to support the families of fire fighters and police officers.

The award assembly was the first time I remember ever seeing a teacher cry.

I cried.

Not because I was sad,

it was a sad time,

but because I was so proud to belong to nation where people still cared about each other.

that's what makes America great.

God bless America, it's heroes, and the surviving victims of the 9/11/01 attacks.

I generally avoid the subject of politics,

but let's put away our differences for one day to honor those who died

and to celebrate our shared heritage of freedom.

Let's remember the good before the bad, always.

Labor Day

2009-09-08T12:50:00.000-07:00

Labor Day started off bright and early with an enormous pot-luck breakfast sponsored by the Yellow House boys (thanks guys!). Everything was delicious. There were more people than we anticipated so we ended up eating our grub outside in the backyard.

Funny story: someone's alarm was going off in the LLC (that red brick building in the background) and since the owner was apparently out of town for the weekend, it kept going and going and going....

Anyways, afterwards some of us worked off all that yummy food by going on a hike. We went to the Crimson trail. I've been on this trail before, but I'm always amazed by the beauty of the valley. The Crimson trail has a steep set of switchbacks at the beginning, followed by a 1.5-2.o plateau around the ridge. It's great! I was really tired afterwards, but it was definitely worth it.

Happy Labor Day everyone; hope you all had a good one.

Yeah for long weekends!

the proof.

2009-09-08T12:46:00.000-07:00

Cancun Black Bean Salad with Crispy Tortilla Strips

cooking

2009-09-03T12:23:00.000-07:00

Every semester it seems like I come up with all of these goals, and every semester my wonderful intentions take a back seat to "real life" (aka homework, research, NAMI, roommate craziness, playtime etc.)

Not so this semester.

Granted, with only two weeks under my belt it is a little early to be patting myself on the back, but let me explain:

Earlier this summer I saw a great film, Julie and Julia, for a girls night out with Debi, Mom, and Kendra. The plot is based on a real-life experiment in which an overworked, under appreciated woman named Julie attempts to cook every recipe in Julia Child's cookbook in one year. She records her adventure on her blog entitled the Julie/Julia project. So with this blogging, cooking woman's story in mind, I have been inspired lately to create some culinary masterpieces of my own.

Okay, so maybe I'm not gourmet yet, but I have made some yummy meals from this website: eatbetteramerica.org

Meals to date: Pesto Flatbread Pizza, Chicken Quesedillas, Vegetarian Chili with Spicy Tortilla Strips.

Future meals: Cancun Black-Bean Salad, Couscous Chicken Salad, Greek/Mediterranean Salads

Like I said, so far so good for my cooking goal this semester. Wish me luck on keeping up with all of this. Maybe having a blog will motivate me to update regularly and share the good recipes I find.

love this

2009-09-02T06:28:00.000-07:00

I don't know if any of you noticed the quote on my profile, but it's an excerpt from one of my all time favorite poems called "Packed and Ready". I love this poem so much that I wanted to post the rest of it on the blog. It reminds me of every good woman I know.

Enjoy.

For decades one of the "lovely wives" obsurred by position,
identity melded into his, only he and she knowing
her invisible name tag wrought by what hears birds on the morning
or lifts prayers into dreams into unselfcoscious becoming:

the handling of children's awakenings like hot bread
form the oven of knowing how for fevers or bruises,
the keen apprehension of too much or too little,
the quieting of fears with affectionate laughter,

the pouring in of humor to lighten a pot of message,
the girl still dancing in too-long-stood-on legs,
behind the bright eyes the bright head the bright soul
a metaphor for levening hearts like yeast in dough.

Irresistible the tuning, the measure of health
like green finding its way on a grey day in early spring
or a bag packed for untimed leaving
on command of love needing a hand and

closeness closer than staying behind in body or spirit,
the gracious accompaniment among strangers
reaching and being reached, those lucky or unlucky before
made to know "special" in a moment of resurrection:

breif as a talk at a pulpit
lasting not as a leap, but a succession
of brief, amazing risings,
each one making possible the next

for whoever is present in the radiant presence
of this woman, this lovely wife, this forever young woman
replete in knowing exactly how,
abundant in aging, personification of radiant faith.

She is a vivid body of good, graced by
a loving God's expectation and surely fulfillment
packed shining and ready for whatever
and when.

I finally did it.

2009-09-01T12:55:00.000-07:00

I am now just beginning to realize how weak my technological backbone is. I caved into facebook and now.... yes, it's true, I am blogging.

My excuse: it was assignment for my class.

So for all those pressuring peers and/or family members, welcome to the world's most boring blog. I'm a single, young adult student with nothing to share but her adolescent fears, hopes, and everyday happenings.

Enjoy the rambling.