Welcome+to+My+World

= Welcome to my World... =

My name is Jonene Cook. I am working on a Master's Degree in the Educational Technology/Library Media Specialist program at Oklahoma State University. I met my husband, Jeremy, in the OSU Marching Band. He proposed on Lewis Field during a Blue's Brothers half-time show. We were married in The Castle in Muskogee in medieval dress and style -- complete with a sword fight, whole roast boar, and cutting of the cake with a four-foot broad sword.

After, or integrated with our kids (Jarrett 12, Jadrian, 8, Jereson 5), I enjoy baking and am especially fond of decorating cakes and cookies. I am attempting to convince myself that I enjoy exercise. Since we purchased our house I have learned to put up drywall and lay tile. We have been able to travel quite a bit in the last few years and have loved, loved, loved, loved it! As a family we have been to London three times, Bath, Salisbury, Hastings, Battle (where the actual Battle of Hastings took place), England; Inverness, Scotland; Koln, Germany; Paris, France; Belize City, Belize; Roatan Island, Honduras; Cancun and Cozumel, Mexico; Rome and Vatican City, Italy; Lisbon, Portugal; Barcelona, Spain; Dublin, Ireland; and through Brussels, Belguim. And to Dallas and San Antonio, Texas -- because Texas is like a whole other country.

I like many different types of music. I love the "Smooth Jazz" music channel. Is that weird? The "Arena Rock" channel is good, too. I am a child of the 80's. My husband and I have seen The Police (in London -- WOW -- and twice in Dallas); Cheap Trick (repeatedly), Journey, Heart (at the Zoo); Alice in Chains, Stone Temple Pilots (repeatedly), Velvet Revolver, Reel Big Fish, U2, Black Eyed Peas... And my husband's college band, Psycho Blue.

People often ask what someone's "favorite" tv show is. Since it's "Favorite" rather than "Most Watched" I won't mention kids' shows. I love Psych and enjoy Castle. I like the History Channel programming, Food Network cake challenges, and think Robot Chicken is usually a riot. I like the Sam Brown travel shows, too. She seems so fun. My husband likes her programs too, but I think it's for different reasons. We also enjoy Discover Oklahoma, largely because of Jenifer Reynolds!

I like kids' movies. The Emperor's New Groove cracks me up. Cars, The Incredibles, and the Star Wars movies are frequently viewed at our house. I guess 50 First Dates and 27 Dresses would be "Chick Flicks" I enjoy. And I can't not watch Down Periscope, The Count of Monte Cristo, or Princess Bride when they come on.

I read anything by Terry Pratchett or Douglas Adams. I enjoy children's authors Suzanne Collins, Jenny Nimmo, and admittedly, J.K. Rowling, despite all the hype. I also enjoyed Wicked -- but it is NOT a child-friendly text. Nor are the Charlaine Harris //Sookie Stackhouse// series. Over the break I checked out a dozen or so YA books for my son to read and wound up reading them myself --//Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos// (which the kids and I actually read together), //Theodosia and Staff of Osiris//, //The Companions Quartet// series, //The Wilderking Trilogy//, //The Invention of Hugo Cabret//, //Septimus Heap - Magyk//, the first three books of the //Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel// -- all of which were very good. On a serious note, I also read //Educating the Net Generation// and //Google: A View from Europe.//



Leading me into education, were some great teachers and learning experiences in early elementary school. In third grade our teacher used thematic units. Former classmates and I still talk about the unit on Mexico. By using a thematic unit, all the information connected, creating a broader understanding and a deeper memory for the information. I can still picture the photos of the dancers in their traditional dress and the smell of the "gut grenades" (similar to burox) we made to celebrate the end of the unit.

I strive to re-create those meaningful learning opportunities in my own teaching. Recently, I was reading a student's final. The essay question the students were given was to discuss the changes they have seen or what they most benefited from throughout the semester. I do put a lot of thought into the lessons I use in my classrooms and search out resources and activities to reinforce concepts from the book, but to see through a student's eyes the impact of going beyond the textbook to help them understand the information made the late nights worth it.

I currently teach Basic Comp and Comp I at Northern Oklahoma College, Stillwater Campus. It is a great place and I work with, and for, fantastic people. I hope my future will be filled with continued travel, learning, and exploration.