I Spy a New Word!
November 8, 2009 by GradingGirl
Filed under Other noteworthies, Pencils Down
A colleague just shared this fun yet surprisingly useful site with me moments ago. I LOVE to make up my own words myself (I had a major case of truckitis last night) so I was inspired instantly. Fortunately for you, GG guests, I am going to practice some friendsourcing today. There will be no peanut-buttering allowed and if you stick around long enough, you might find yourself in a peep culture. Confused? Go to this site to decipher my new words!!
GG challenge: Use at least 3 new words that you find on this site today in conversation!!
And before you go, be sure to stop by Words of Whimsy to see some of GG’s own creations.
Now if you’ll excuse me I have some chairobics to take part in while watching football players posterize each other.
Have You Ever Been Cubed??
November 4, 2009 by GradingGirl
Filed under Books, Other noteworthies, Pencils Down, Reviews
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!!!
The Cube - compiled by Annie Gottlieb and Slobodan D. Pesie
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!!
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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.
Reasons the Newspaper Won’t Die
October 23, 2009 by GradingGirl
Filed under Listing through Life
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
