Bringing Blogging to the Classroom #3

Today, students are typing their first posts!  All is quiet as they anxiously type, edit, and insert away!!! Here is the initial worksheet I used to aid in their set-up. 

 

Getting Started with Your Blog! ☺

Go to www.edublogs.org .  Click the box labeled “Sign up here”

Create a Blog Domain – this will be the url address that everyone will visit. This should be short and memorable. It should also be something that you won’t mind using for the rest of your years in high school.

DO NOT USE YOUR FULL NAME AT ALL!! YOU CAN USE YOUR FIRST NAME AND FIRST INITIAL OF YOUR LAST NAME!!

Create a Blog Title. This is the title that appears at the top of the home page each time someone logs on. This title should be a reflection of your personality or interests.

Privacy – You must click on NO, so that your blog cannot be searched within search engines.

You must click on NOT INTERESTED for additional information.

 Your username should be something that is short and memorable for you.  Additionally, your password should be something you will always remember.  Do not use a password that you use for other applications!!!
_____________________________________________________________________
Posts are the individual writings you add to your blog.

To add a new post:
 On your page, click on “Site Admin.”  It is on the bottom right column of your page.
 Now you will be in your “Dashboard.”  This is the back of your blog, where you can change the look of your blog, add new items and delete old items.  

Click “Posts.”
Click “Add New.”

You can now start typing or cutting/pasting a document into the post.

You will be able to upload photos, but I will need to approve them first.
   

 

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The Top Phrases in the English Language!

Screen Shot of Words from GG – go to Wordle.net, type your web site URL and watch the magic!

This is something I started just for fun.  Can you think of others???

The Single Best Word:     Yes!

The Two Best Two-Word Phrases:              I’m sorry.               Snow Day!

The Three Best Three-Word Phrases:        I love you.   You were right.  This is delicious!

The Four Best Four-Word Phrases:

Want to come in?
It’s on the house!
You look so young.
Let’s do that again!

The Five Best Five-Word Phrases:

Come to dinner with me.
Have a great Summer Break.
There’s no charge for this.
You are going to Hollywood! (as exclaimed by the Idol judges)
You make me so happy!

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Brilliant Brainstorming!

Clashing personalities or overblown egos often stand in the way of a productive meeting (or as my district identifies it – Professional Learning Communities).  Whether you are meeting with a larger or smaller group, the better ideas often seem to occur after the meeting is held.  How can we improve upon this?!

 

I read about this discussion-generating method in the current issue of Psychology Today (one of the 17 magazines I subscribe to!) and thought I’d bring it back to my PLC at the next session.  It worked!!!  It proved a more honest, productive way to generate thoughts.

Here it is (courtesy of Psychology Today) ~

I.   Write ~ Everyone sits down with a different colored pen and a piece of paper.  Each person writes an idea on the paper and passes his/her paper to the right.  EVERYONE IS MORE ACCOUNTABLE IF THEY HAVE THEIR OWN COLOR – BRILLIANT!! 

II.  React ~ Read the idea (silently) on the paper you just received, then add your own idea.  If you can’t think of something, just pass it along to keep the creative juices flowing.

III. Review ~ When a paper has about five ideas, retire it to the center of the group.  Everyone now analyzes them.  Because everyone’s ideas are all out there, there’s a need for a more systematic consideration of each idea.

IV.  Select ~ Everyone makes a list of their favorite ideas.  In my groups case, we are a small enough group that we just orally identified the favorites.  For a larger group, writing down the favorites may be more productive and honest.

“When the group is committed, they are usually surprised with what they achieve.”  (Heslin)

Bonus to Educators:  This can work as a classroom strategy as well, as a means to generate discussions or initiate background knowledge!!

Try it at your next meeting!!! 

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Christmas Quotations

My family just held our first Christmas celebration of the year as out-of-town members came to town.  I’m completely in the spirit!  To jump start your holiday spirit, here are some thoughts about the season.

“Do give books – religious or otherwise – for Christmas. They’re never fattening, seldom sinful, and permanently personal.” ~ Lenore Hershey, author I LOVE to give (and receive!) books as gifts!

“This is the message of Christmas: We are never alone.” ~ Taylor Caldwell (1900-1985), English novelist. Even when it seems like we are, we are not.

“My first copies of Treasure Island and Huckleberry Finn still have some blue-spruce needles scattered in the pages. They smell of Christmas still.” ~ Charlton Heston, American film actor. I remember my glee from receiving a beautiful anthology of Shakespeare’s work.  Of course, I still have it.

“Christmas gift suggestions: To your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect.” ~ Oren Arnold, author This is the ultimate Christmas list!  Let’s give everything on this list this year!

“Once again we find ourselves enmeshed in the Holiday Season, that very special time of year when we join with our loved ones in sharing centuries-old traditions such as trying to find a parking space at the mall.  We traditionally do this in my family by driving around the parking lot until we see a shopper emerge from the mall, then we follow her, in very much the same spirit as the Three Wise Men, who 2,000 years ago followed a star, week after week, until it led them to a parking space.“ ~Dave Barry, humor columnist I had to include this one – too funny!

“Instead of being a time of unusual behavior, Christmas is perhaps the only time in the year when people can obey their natural impulses and express their true sentiments without feeling self-conscious and, perhaps, foolish.  Christmas, in short, is about the only chance a man has to be himself.” ~Francis C. Farley Life may be simpler and sweeter if we could do that all year.

“Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall.” Larry Wilde, motivational speaker Small children intuitively know what is important; we should follow their lead.

“Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.” Norman Vincent Peale, preacher This is so true.  Everything appears more inviting and peaceful.

“One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don’t clean it up too quickly.” Andy Rooney, radio personality Agreed!  That’s one mess I don’t mind leaving around for a while.

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I’m Thankful For . . .

I’m Thankful For . . .

~ my intelligent, dedicated, beautiful daughter . . . she amazes me every single day.

~ my selfless mother . . . she continues to be my role model.

~ my resourceful brother . . . I’ve been so proud of him since day one.

~ my savvy sister-in-law . . . the perfect match for my bro, a treasured friend for me, and an inspiration for my daughter.

~ my loyal friends – some of whom I’ve known for 2, 18, and 23 years . . . I love them more than they know.

~ my soon to be 93-year old grandmother . . . I know I don’t see her NEARLY as much as I should, but I am very proud of her indomitable energy and will.

~ the memories of the almost 15 years I shared with my father . . . his charisma, fierce love, and endearing humor lives on in my heart forever.

~ blue skies, clear aqua oceans, hot sand, bright orange leaves, and all other beautiful nature God blesses us with.  I try to stop all thinking for a moment when I encounter something beautiful outside . . . whether I’m running or driving or whatever . . . it puts everything into perspective.

~ God’s sense of humor when he created zebras’ stripes, giraffes’ long necks,  donkeys’ cross-tattooed backs, and pink flamingos’ color.

~ my rewarding teaching career . . . it’s never the same day twice, and I have the best clients in the world!

~ my students . . . they always give me something to smile about no matter what.

~ my colleagues . . . I learn and laugh with them every day.

~ laughing spells!!!

~ my good health and my family’s good health, and the ability to workout freely.

~ the ability to fill my refrigerator with good food every week.

~ juicy fruits and crunchy vegetables.

~ my new discovery of yoga and Pilates.  I’m a new lifelong practitioner of each.

~ books and more books . . . no matter how many books I have piled on my nightstand waiting to be read, I get just as excited to buy more to add to the pile.

~ music . . . this world would be a very sad place without it.  I get goosebumps very easily when I hear music I love.

~ the ability to get goosebumps!

~ the skill to express myself through writing.

~ mini-marshmallows, maraschino cherries, and blueberries . . . fat free treats that slide so easily down my throat – YUM!

~ great, gushy movies (i.e. Serendipity) and roll-off-the couch funny T.V. (i.e. The Office and Modern Family)

~ game night with games like Scrabble or Cranium. My parents always bought me new games growing up . . . I literally had one closet full of games.

~ bold patterned or colored tights . . . I can center a whole outfit around them.

~ Grading Girl! . . . GG is 8-months old and I’m having a blast!!!

~ the help I’ve been blessed with:  Brian Gardner for getting this uber user-friendly Wordpress site off the ground and Darryl Markette (without whom GG may not exist!) for giving his exciting ideas, creative design and endearing encouragement!

Most of all ›

~ the gift to be able to sit here to write this blog about this blessed life God gives . . .

I could go on and on . . . I’m thankful for that in itself!!!

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Have You Ever Been Cubed??

Shhhhh . . . Keep this a secret . . . Don’t tell a soul about this post . . . Read on only if you are ready to be enlightened, tickled and shocked.  

Begin if you dare! 

WARNING:  For maximum validity, enlightenment, and fun, do NOT read down to the bottom until you have completed the exercise in its entirety!!!

 

 

 

This is the tone you will encounter when you open the book The Cube . . . Keep the Secret.  It is a self-awareness game I play with my students on the day before a holiday.  I’ve been using this book for many years now, and I’ve yet to encounter a class in which the students are not in awe of its accuracy.  When we’re done with the game, I ask the students to write either a one-page analysis of their findings from the game or a descriptive piece illustrating their landscape.  Never is there a complaint for this assignment.  I also have fun with this at family gatherings!!

• Readers are asked to picture a desert landscape.  In the desert landscape are five specific elements:  a cube, a ladder, a horse, a storm and flowers.  The idea is to write down and describe the very first image of each that arrives in your head to achieve the most accurate results.  Each element represents something about the reader – therein lies the secret.  I’ve always been good at keeping secrets so I’m going to make you wait until you have the book itself in your hot little hands to find out what each represents.

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Reasons the Newspaper Won’t Die

 Many newspapers faced their demise this year but I’m hopeful that we can still count on tucking the folded black and white newsprint under our arm as we scurry off, on catching a glimpse of the cover stories as we wait in the dentist’s office, and on spreading out the paper on a leisure Sunday morning.  It would be a great loss if we lost this important form of media. 

Top 10 Reasons for Reading a Newspaper*

1. My newspaper has never crashed, gone down, or flashed animated ads at me.

2. Anywhere I travel, my newspaper goes with me. I don’t need a laptop or a wireless connection or a PDA.

3. I can read my newspaper while standing, while eating, while riding a train, but not while driving my car . . . which is just as well since I should be paying attention to the road.

4. If I read a story I like, I can tear it out and save it, and not have to pay to read it 30 days later.

5. I don’t have to sign in or customize or register or remember passwords to read my newspaper. And I often enjoy articles in my newspaper on topics I wouldn’t normally think I’d be interested in.

6. My newspaper has high-resolution pictures and type on large pages that load almost instantly, making it easy to browse and enjoy.

7. My newspaper is cheap, recycable and easy to replace. If it’s lost or stolen, it’s no big deal.

8. My newspaper is not made of unrecyclable toxic materials.

9. If my newspaper makes a mistake, the correction is posted with an explanation. It’s not sneakily applied to the original story after I’ve read it.

10. I can read my newspaper sitting outside on a nice day in the sun, even if a breeze is blowing, because I know how to fold a newspaper.

11.  My newspaper is never late.  I can always count on it in the early morning hours.

12.  My newspaper has something for everyone:  cover stories, editorials, sports, entertainment, health, etc. 

*Adapted from Kelly Gallagher’s Reading Reasons

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What Have You Learned?

There’s a song that’s out right now by Michael Franti and Spearhead, Say Hey (I Love You), that makes me move in my seat whenever I hear it.  I enjoy happy songs that make you want to give a shout out to all those you love.  There is a line in the song that is inspiring me to write this list:  “Seems like everywhere I go, the more I see the less I know.”

We’re learning every day whether it’s a lesson in the classroom or a hard-to-swallow life lesson.  There are so many uncertain things in life and circumstances surrounding us constantly change that I thought I’d take inventory of those things of which I’m certain:

What I’ve Learned in Life So Far

~ Timing is everything.  Think about it – this applies to all aspects of life.  It all comes down to this.

~ You can never have too many friends.  Moreover, having friends of different interests, age groups, and circles keeps you well-rounded.

~ You can never love your family too much.  I also happen to believe you can never say I love you too much but I think this has may have caused me trouble in the past.

~ It’s only spoiling your children when you give something you don’t want to give them but do anyway.

~ A key to satisfaction is to find a career that doesn’t feel like work.  It is then that you can be certain you are in the right field.  I am!  Teaching has NEVER felt like work to me.  I can confidentally say this because I worked in the business sector prior to teaching – it absolutely felt like work then.

~ This sounds cliche but action truly does speak louder than words (written or spoken).  This brings to mind a quotation I read today, If a friend is in trouble, don’t annoy him asking if there is anything you can do. Think up something appropriate and do it.  This inspired me to think of a great idea for a friend!!

~ Age is a relative number.

~ Exercise is as good for the soul as it is for the body.

~ This world would be a bleak, sad place without music.

~ You should try at least one new recipe every week.  If you don’t cook, you should eat at least one new dish every week. Variety is a spice in the kitchen.

~ Sometimes you need to make cookie dough just to eat the dough.

~ It’s okay to change your mind.

~ You can never read too many books or see too many movies.  This keeps you cultured, educated and empathetic.

~ Smile, even when you don’t feel like it.  The act itself will make you happier.

~ Writing things down is a magical trick.  Things are much more likely to happen when we write them down.  Goals, daily to-do lists, messages, lists like this . . . write ‘em down, write ‘em down.

~ Dancing or running in the rain is very liberating.

~ Never speak ill about someone and you’ll never have to whisper. 

~ Cleaning out/paring down closets transfers to ’cleaning out’ your life.  The important things you lost are found and the unimportant things are discarded. 

I’ll come back to this list from time to time as I think of and learn more certainties!

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Get Into the Spirit!

This week is Homecoming Spirit Week at my school.  This is one of my favorite weeks of the year!

 

MONDAY:   Roll Out Of Bed Day

 

 

 

TUESDAY:  Tie-Dye Tuesday

 

Yes, I bought these jeans like this!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WEDNESDAY:  Wacky Wednesday

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THURSDAY:  Go Green Day

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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GG’s First Giveaway – For a Very Good Cause!

Grading Girl’s First Giveaway!!

October 13th update:  The winner of this giveaway is Stefanie Dell’Aringa.  She will receive a set of the Yum Yum Time Bowls!  Check out her beautiful poem:

Unwrap Me
by Stefanie Dell’Aringa

Scout’s honor, this is my life:
I feel like an Egyptian mummy
being wrapped in slow motion from the feet up
My insides are like pottery breaking
As the python cloth squeezes
Unwrap me, please, and let me be a boy again
Because my ankles are tired
And I don’t like the word “prosthetic”
If Star Wars was real, I’d light saber myself
Out of this mess
Hurry, and find me a cure
Until then, I’ll go outside
I’ll blow hot, angry air into my trumpet
I’ll eat cake. Sweet!
I’ll decide I can wait
And then I’ll go to bed and dream
Of a ladder made of Legos
That reaches straight to heaven
and it doesn’t hurt to climb it

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A few years ago, I stumbled upon the most adorable bowls that offer portion control with a smile. These unique little conversation pieces are perfectly portioned for snacks – nuts, fruit, candy . . . you name it.  I have two sets and bought another one for my brother and another for my mom.  These are the subjects, in fact, of one of Grading Girl’s first reviews.  Check it out for details:  Yum Yum Time

Well, since purchasing these bowls and writing my review, I’ve sadly learned that Tracy Adler’s 9-year old son, Elliot, has been diagnosed with CMT2 (Charcot Marie Tooth) in October of 2007 when he was 7 years old.  In a nutshell, his nerves are dying – starting at his toes.  Right now, Elliot must wear braces on his legs while he fights very hard to not let this stop him from doing all the things he wants to do – a very heavy task for a young, brave boy!  There is not much awareness out there of this degenerative disease much less the funds for research.  Perusing the Hereditary Neuropathy Foundation website, I shockingly discovered that so little is known about this that many people undergo years of testing before being diagnosed because most doctors cannot even recognize the symptoms!!!  As the disease progresses, many people have to wear braces constantly and/or use a wheelchair.  In the worst cases, CMT can impair breathing or even death.   As Tracy writes on Elliot’s blog, whatever nerve and subsequent muscle loss he experiences between now and a cure will most likely be gone forever. So a cure is not only important – but time is of the essence.

To help raise much needed awareness of this horrible disease, Grading Girl is hosting a contest:

CMT – GG’s Challenge for Awareness

Tracy Adler has graciously offered to giveaway a set of her YumYum dishes (set of four/one of each color) to the lucky person who writes:

• a short poem illustrating the perseverance of this brave boy OR
• a statement that pinpoints what CMT is

• no minimum or maximum length
• if you’re penning a poem, it does not have to rhyme

• the statement or poem that touches the heart of this boy’s bravery will win the set.  I’m not looking for Shakespeare, only true genuine words!

Here’s all you need to do:

1.  Go to Elliot’s blog titled Elliot’s Corner and read a couple of his (short) blogs to find out about his condition.

2.  Come back to this blog on Grading Girl.  Submit your poem via replying with a comment.

3.  Please submit by Monday, October 12th.  The winner will be notified within a few days of the deadline and will receive his/her Yum Yum dishes!!

Elliot’s blog is at http://elliotadlerscorner.blogspot.com/

Tracy Adler’s Snackware site is www.yumyumdish.

Find out more about CMT at Hereditary Neuropathy Foundation

Elliot has his own Twitter account and updates regularly.  Following him is a joy @ElliotsCorner.  Tracy also updates on Elliot’s condition @TracyAdler.  Follow them both!

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