EEND 713 Genius Hour - Module 4

"What I have learned from Jiu-Jitsu, is that in order to be successful, you must deal with the hardships of failure. Only then, can you learn how to win." - JT Torres

Yesterday, I gave my first attempt on the mats, no gi (I have to wait for the gi to come in the mail)....

HOLY HUMBLING WORKOUT.  As I stated before, I have been boxing for ten years now.  I began in South Korea in 2008. 

I have run marathons, competed in triathlons, done Spartan races, trained with elite athletes, and have been pushed SO MANY times to the point of tears of frustration.  I have climbed ropes and learned out to lift heavy weights and run while dragging a grown man behind me on a sled...  With all that being said, I never thought the experience I had in Jiu-Jitsu would be THIS exhausting!!

I went last night, and today, I have muscles SCREAMING at me that I did not even know existed. 

I walked into UFC Gym, a gym I have belonged to for years.  I looked at Alex and instantly my heart started racing and my palms became sweaty.  I told him, "Alex, I don't think I am ready, I think I am just going to go box."  He calmly and simply stated "no".

At this time I gave myself an eternal "pep-talk" and reminded myself that I am committing my Genius Hour and this is the moment I need to just throw myself in.

The majority of the class, is warm up drills, and then practice with partners, and only at the very end do we "live roll" on the mats.  Live rolls only last about 15 minutes, which you would think is nothing, but when you are putting your entire body and energy into defending yourself and/or attempting to tap someone out, you would be AMAZED by the amount of strength and energy it takes.

I could bore my readers with a step-by-step play and rattle on, but I will spare you the details (thank you for even making it this far).  I tried, and it was incredibly hard.  I haven't felt insecure about a sport in a long time, and this DEFINITELY humbled me. 

Some of the basic moves I learned were:
* Shrimping
* Gripping
* Escaping Side Mount
* Scissor Sweep
* Straight Armbar

All-in-all, I was able to defend myself, but certainly had more "taps" than successes... We shall see what the next roll on the mat brings me. FINGERS CROSSED (seriously).

Click here to see how to get into the arm bar

EEND 713 Genius Hour - Module 3

"If you want to be a lion, you must train with lions"

Meet my new Jiu Jitsu Coach: Alex Seaver (pictured in the white gi)

Alex and his wife have been doing Jujitsu for ten years, and have been competing in professional tournaments for years.  Both coaches are extremely disciplined trainers that have been trained by official Jujitsu Academies.  They both currently train people at UFC Gym in Oak Lawn.  

As mentioned before, I have been boxing since 2008 in South Korea.  However, I have been entirely too intimidated to try my luck on the mats grappling. Jujitsu is a martial art that takes decades to perfect. 

What is Jiu Jitsu?

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is a grappling-based martial that focuses on controlling a resisting opponent in ways that force him or her to submit ("tap-out").  Control is easier on the ground than in a standing position, so a lot of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu centers on ground skills.  The objective is to take your opponent down to the group and wrestle for dominant control positions where you can render your opponent harmless.

There are two forms that BJJ can be practiced on the mat.  One with a gi and one without a gi.  Gi is grappling with a use of a traditional Gi (similar clothing to what people wear in karate).  No Gi is grappling without the traditional uniform, instead you wear shorts and a rash gard.  In NO Gi you CANNOT grab your opponent's clothing. To be a completely rounded and disciplined BJJ competitor, you should train in both.

My plan is to attend the BJJ class at 7:45pm this upcoming Tuesday for the beginners class of BJJ No Gi.  I will keep everyone posted with my progress!

EEND 713 Genius Hour - Module 2

"Discipline and consistency.  I owe these two factors all have attained in my life.  Things have never happened overnight.  Results have appeared as a consequence of decades long toil.  It is necessary to persist."  - Master Carlos Gracie Jr.

Initially I was going to look into Local Politics for my Genius Hour Project, however, after reading other people's posts. It inspired me to chance m mind on what I wanted to dedicate my time to learning.

I have been boxing since 2008 when I lived in South Korea.  I remember wanting to die for months because the workouts were so intense. Not to mention, I felt like I was chasing the men around in the ring because I could never land a hit.  I was one of two females at this particular boxing gym.  My coach was a Golden Glove Champion for South Korea.  I remember how intimidated I felt when I first started boxing, but now ten years later, if I don't get an opportunity during the week... it depresses me.

ANYHOW, currently I box at UFC gym in Oaklawn.  I catch myself peeking over to the men and women grappling on the mat and always want to try but I am so nervous to try.  I am also slightly embarrassed because I know I'll get my butt beat.  Jiu Jitsu is not an art for the faint of heart.  However, I know my best accomplishes and biggest growth always comes from dancing outside my comfort zone.  So starting next week, I am going to see how well I do or don't do at Jiu Jitsu.  I know this will only help me with self defense skills!  I have mixed emotions of excitement and pure terror.

What is JiuJitsu? --Click here and watch

EEND 713 Genius Hour - Module 1

For this particular assignment, we are supposed to explore a Genius Hour Project of own own interests.  This process is intended for us to understand why students would enjoy a project they are interested in and how to organize their Interest Projects.

For this particular Genius Hour, I would like to learn more about local politics.  It has always been something that I am interested in but have not had the initiative to explore other avenues, or necessarily the time to commit to understanding my own local politics deeper.  I think it is my civic duty to be knowledgeable in politics, nationally and globally.  However, it is also important to understand how the villages and towns we live in operate as well.  I believe often time because so many adults have hectic and busy lives, there is not enough of time to dedicate to personal interest or passions.

I plan is to first find out who my local elected officials are and when village meetings are conducted.  What topics does my village have interest in? What are my neighbors concerned about? What are my neighbors angry about? Why are they angry? Are they pleased with our current officials?

The village I live in is a relatively small community, with plenty of opportunity to vent on social media platforms. I just have not seen a very politically active side in my town, and would like to know why and/or understand more.

I brainstormed some ideas and what I needed to do to begin my research.  I have attached a few notes wrote that helped me organize my thoughts and get my research started.

EEND 713 Introduction

Hi!
My name is Sheila Daly, I teach 5th Grade ESL at Roosevelt Elementary.  I taught three years in South Korea for the South Korean Government. I volunteered as a teacher in India for about three weeks, and I have traveled about twenty countries in my lifetime (I intend my list to keep growing). South Korea was an incredible experience and if I did not have family in Illinois, I would have returned to SK a long time ago. I am currently finishing my fifth year in Cicero, IL, and have overall been very pleased with my experience working in this very unique subculture. This past June, I began an additional cohort with Aurora University obtaining my Masters in Educational Leadership (principal endorsement). I can say with confidence that these classes have really helped me transfer valuable knowledge and experience into my new cohort...especially the Technology and Leadership class I took over the summer :-)

My current “comfort level” with technology has definitely gotten better throughout the St. Francis courses. I have been equipped with new knowledge, platforms, and policies. It has really helped me provide quicker feedback to my students that helps them apply new skills taught and learned. These courses have also helped me become more aware of policy and law that I was unaware of previously.

I have been taking these course outside my “comfort zone” since March 2017, and finally towards the end of the road, entering a new class does not provide me crippling anxiety.
This will be a bittersweet end to this journey with my cohort. I have had the pleasure of working with INCREDIBLE professionals who really have a genuine passion for teaching. Additionally, I believe we have all been blessed with quality instructors provided to us by St. Francis. The University definitely did not disappoint.

💙💚💛

EEND 681: Implications of CIPA, FERPA, and Parent Coffee Presentation (Reflection)

What I appreciated about this particular course was the review of laws like FERPA and CIPA. While I have heard of these acronyms in the past, my knowledge was very limited.  Through research and analysis I discovered that our district is CIPA compliant, which explains why there are particular limitations on what students are allowed to do. If the district does not follow CIPA regulations, we risk losing the e-rated funding that helps students have access to 1:1 devices.

Another valuable entity I have taken from this course is having more knowledge of what is expected on the state exam.  Being provided a blueprint and study guide, helps ease anxiety of the unknown.  It will prove to be beneficial for the entire cohort.

Additionally, I think highly of the fact that the assignments were able to be modified to relevancy to our current position and school building. Being able to make an assignment applicable to what you are currently doing in the classroom or building really brings authenticity to what we are learning and WHY we are learning it.  It helps transfer our knowledge to real learning, and in turn we grow because of it.  Just as we expect our students to do.  The group assignment was great because in most schools, I believe the expectation is to collaborate.  Instead of us muddling through a project independently, we put all our collective input and effort together and created a presentation that will be beneficial for our parents.  Our students' parents have such a deep impact on how our students progress throughout the year, and equipping parents with knowledge is a huge foundational block to ensuring that the school community is working in unison.