Calling all scientists out there! Well, calling everyone who wants learn about some really really cool things. There’s a little scientist in all of us. I stumbled upon a really great blog by a Mr. Barlow. He seems to be a science teacher in high school.
His blog is called “A Bunch of Interesting Stuff.” It’s great, and you’ll learn SO much! Just try and pry yourself away from the computer screen.
If you read my previous post about the history of space exploration, you listened to me talking about making your class presentations more dynamic and impressive.
I hear about this great new way to present things called Prezi. Check it out as an alternative to the usual powerpoint presentations. Try is next time you have to give a presentation.
I found this really neat multimedia time line that traces the history of space exploration. Multimedia means the use of more than one form of expression. Some people use photos or pictures to communicate. Some use audio. When more than one is used at the same time, it is considered multimedia.
Technology is just opening the doors to a whole new way to express your imaginations. Animations, video, and slide shows can take presentations in class to a whole new level.
Next time you have to present something in class, why don’t you try a multimedia presentation.
A Wampanoag Riddle :
I am the shape of all things given by The Creator.
I have no end and no beginning.
I am the shape of Life itself.
What Am I?
Find out by reading further.
What REALLY happened at the very first Thanksgiving? Since Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Take the time to check out what it was really like to be at the very first Thanksgiving. Find out what it was like to be a young person on both sides of the tradition we still celebrate today!
Find out the TRUE story AND the answer to the above riddle by visiting this awesome site created by the Plymouth Foundation.
What REALLY Happened at the First Thanksgiving?
Great job every one. So far, I am really enjoying this blogging project. I’m addicted to reading your blogs. Many of them, I can’t wait till you blog again. You now have fans. Writing can be fun everyone. You just have to let yourself go. After reading more of your blogs, here are a few more notable blogs.
Fidel writes about music. If you know him, he always seems to be listening and moving to a great beat; even when he doesn’t have headphones in. He does a great job explaining how music moves him.
Eric shows us the appropriate way to use a poll as a blog. He wrote about the game Rock Band, and then his poll relates very well to his blog.
Jackie gives us a great link for some blogging inspiration. Check this out when you need ideas.
Mandy bring back some old memories with a blog about pumpkin pie ice cream
Cassy writes the first New Moon blog post.
and Melissa begins a great story about a girl named Addon and her dog Hunter.
I was surfing through the blogs. I though I would create a running series as I read them to highlight some blogs for their creativity, originality, insight, or just humor.
Check out Andres’s blog. I think he’s going to be a director someday. He wrote about his Dunny video passion.
Shirley’s blog about Black Friday was interesting to be because I live in Camarillo where the Outlets are. It reminded me of how crazy it gets here.
Jackie’s blog was touching because she thanks all of the members of her volleyball team.
Jacqueline’s blog about “Going Green” was great!
Adriana’s blog about the fear of elevators was pretty interesting.
Keep up the great work everyone!
Hey classes,
Check this cool web app out. It’s called “Wordle.” It creates what they “word clouds.” You basically type in your text into a box and then it generates a nifty cloud of words. Words can be art. Try taking one of your blogs and copying and pasting it into Wordle and see what comes up!
Can you believe it? Students are excited to write! Writing can be fun! When something gets written in class, your classmates sometimes get to hear what’s on your mind. Through this exciting project, called the Spider’s Web, students are writing constantly about whatever is on their minds. The key here is that the students are constantly writing. Posting them onto blogs allows them and us to see their progress as they become accomplished writers.
Keep tabs on all your favorite writers and let them know what you think. Please be positive as you offer your feedback. Enjoy!
Check out this site where you can make your own posters. Sometimes you have a space on your wall that is just begging to be filled, and not just any poster will do, so make your own!
Take pictures of your poster on it’s wall and share with the class by blogging about it.
Poster of yourself? YES!
Learn about phototropism and create sculptures that react like plants to light. Phototropism
The eighth grade class is in the middle of making a quilt to donate to the school. Here is a great website by the International Quilt Study Center & Museum to inspire the quilter in you. You can search around, view quilts from all around the globe, and make your own virtual quilt.
Engage your readers by asking them what they think by adding a poll to your blog. After your weigh in, comment below.
Hey guys! Here’s great widget you all can put on your blogs. It’s an ECO-SAFE Merit Badge. Check it out on my Widget bar on the right. It basically lets people know that we’re conscious of the effort to be “ECOfriendly.” One of the ways we are doing this is by saving paper by creating these blogs. Everything you blog would have been done on a piece of paper. Check it out. There are instructions on the site.
http://www.eco-safe.com/eco.php/green/merit_badge
Our first blogging assignment has been launched. As we continue to learn how to control and navigate through our edublog dashboards, please enjoy our blogs.
The first assignment was to post our autobiographies. I hope you all enjoy.
Compost comes from the word “decomposition” or “decompose.” Basically, compost is what you have after the decomposition process. This brings us to “vermicomposting.” Vermicomposting is when you use worms and other organisms to help turn organic waste into compost.
Vermicomposting is easy, requires very few supplies, and can be done by anyone. A simple box or container makes a fine worm bin and keeps worms and decomposing food scraps in one area.
The worm bin is kept indoors or out, depending on your needs and preferences and may be fed most of your non-meat food scraps. They require very little attention, do not get sick, and don’t mind if you go on vacation.
In addition, redworms are voracious eaters that are extremely happy to spend the day eating organic waste, excreting worm castings and making more worms, providing you with high quality compost!
Thus, in a few months, redworms will have turned your food scraps into vermi compost.
For more information, please visit www.allthingsorganic.com
Hey everyone! Here are the three web applications I showed you in class. There are many educational web apps. out there. These are pretty clever and fun to play with.
Here is the “Spell with Flickr” app. This one takes images from the website Flickr to spell the words that you type. Click Here
This one is similar, but it uses satellite images of buildings from Google Earth to make letters. It’s called geoGreeting. Click Here
Finally, here is the link for the application that turns your words into music. It’s called Let Them Sing It. Click Here
Our SOL, Summer Of Learning, program is two weeks in, and we’ve been working on autobiographies. An autobiography is the story of your life written by you. The students have been on their own journeys through the, sometimes frustrating but always rewarding, writing process. Please visit their blogs, and learn more about the SOLsters.
It seems as though we might have another thing to add to the endangered species list. Random acts of kindness are becoming less and less visible in this world. Starting now, we need to do our part to bring them back!
You mean just do something Mr. Parent? Well, yes!
Stress is on the rise. Everyone knows school is tough, and I’m not necessarily just talking about the work you have to do. People, and in our case students, are all around stressed out, and you can help make someone’s day the best day ever!
This week, I want you to perform a random act of kindness. It doesn’t matter what, but it must be for someone. And it must be out of the blue. Try something you might not usually do for someone you usually wouldn’t speak to.
Afterward, write a blog about it and take a picture of an object that symbolizes your random act. There can be no people or photos of places in the picture. Look at my blog to view my example of this blog. Remember when blogging to look at the rubric at the top right hand corner. And above all, have fun with it. Don’t just do it to get it over with.
Finally, remember what St. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 13. If it doesn’t come from the heart it doesn’t matter. “Love never fails.” Honestly and truly do something random that it kind.
There are many class blogs out there. One of them was created by a teacher named Mrs. Bosch. She is an amazing teacher, with an amazing class, and both have created such an amazing blog. This was actually my inspiration to start ours.
While I was reading their class blog, I came across this. While comments are fun to receive and to give, I want us to use them to push our writers to dig deeper. Ask questions. Hopefully our comments will sprout a deeper level of thinking and blogging!
“Comments on Comments
Everybody loves to get comments on their blog, their webpage and their book discussion answers; but why do we need to comment? A group of kids came up with these three reasons:
1. to encourage other people to write
2. to let them know they have an audience for their writing
3. to push them to think more deeply about an issue.
Most of the comments EL students leave are types 1 and 2 from that list. Below find another list that gives you ideas of ways to leave more powerful comments. Think about the kinds of comments you like to receive. Be a powerful commenter when to write to others.
* This made me think about…
* I wonder why…
* Your writing made me form an opinion about…
* This post is relevant because…
* Your writing made me think that we should…
* I wish I understood why…
* This is important because…
* Another thing to consider is…
* I can relate to this…
* This makes me think of…
* I discovered…
* I don’t understand…
* I was reminded that…”
Hey class,
This past week has been very historic for sure. I have heard many points of view all over the news. Now, I want to hear about what you think. I want you to blog about your feeling about the future of America with our new leader. You blog must include a concise analysis and feelings about future change in America.
Inaugural Speech ( Part 1)
Inaugural speech ( Part 2)
