irony

so many times we find irony in places when we aren't even looking for it.  What does irony even mean?  Do some people confuse ironic situations for coincidence?

Science Monday 7th Grade

(Learning Goal: Students will be able to explain the how tectonic plate movement alters the geography of earth and affected the distribution of species on earth.)

Today you will be watching this video with Mrs Parnell. As you watch this video you will be gathering information for making a GoAnimate video. (Possible ideas include being a space traveler and going back to Earth after a million years and explaining why the continents have shifted and how this has affected life on Earth.)

Cool sites and apps

www.TypoEffects.com
this site lets you create words as background to any photo you like.  Try it out and I'll post your pics on here

tagxedo
this would be a really neat project to express symbolism.

i-TunesU

This innovative app offers access to a deep well of free educational content from top schools and prominent libraries around the world. Just tap to study history at Yale, physics at MIT, sociology at Berkeley and much more. iTunes, free

TED

Redirect your developing intellects away from mindless TV and toward some of the most fascinating thinkers of our times. Brilliant doctors, artists, game designers, writers and scientists are changing the world with ideas. Install the TED (motto: Ideas Worth Spreading) app and watch. New videos are added weekly. iTunes and Google Play, free

argumentative essay

Our newest topic up for debate is communication.  What is the best way to talk to people?  Many ideas that were brain stormed were, phones, Facebook, Skype, Instagram, Kik, email, and writing letters.  The learners have to convince me (a lover of the old fashioned paper and pencil style letter writing), that times have changed, and I need to get on board with the technology era.

So let's see how well they did at convincing me to take a change and try something new :)




Currently we are working on another new topic for discussion.

1. Is graffiti art or vandalism?
2. Are video games harmful to your health?


                    Question number one. What do you think?
                                 Is Graffiti art or vandalism?

Check out this persons use of color and depth using only cans of spray paint!  So is it art or vandalism?

When graffiti is done on someone else's property, is it still considered art?  What else could this money, which was used for the clean up, been used for in the community?  Would you have donated your time for this cause?

Question number 2.  

Are video games harmful or helpful to your health?

This clip seems to show positive uses for video games.

This video seems to show...well, you tell me :)

I guess it depends on the evidence you have to back up your opinion...words are a powerful tool.  Aren't you glad you have them?  What will your words tell me?

quotes that have meanings or just make us laugh

 One of our daily writing prompts took place prior to Thanksgiving break.  The prompt was:  What do you think the person in front of you or behind you is thinking?  Here is what one of my learners wrote.
"I think the person in front of me is thinking about smashed potatoes and Gary"

"If you're lucky enough to have something that makes you different from everyone else, don't ever change." Taylor Swift

“You know, kid, in times like this my buddy Timon here says, ‘You got to put your behind in your past...’”
“No. No. No. Amateur. Lie down before you hurt yourself. It's ‘You got to put your past behind you.’”

Pumbaa and Timon
"On the bright side," Percy said, "Both Jason and I outrank  you,Octavian. So we can both tell you to shut up."                                The Mark of Athena, by Rick Riordan 
“If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.”
― Haruki Murakami, Norwegian Wood

"Do you think the people in California, see the same moon that we do in Texas?"(my sister)

“I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best.” 
― Marilyn Monroe

“If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.” 
― Mark Twain

    Me: It's important to visit your dentist twice a year.
Sarah: I though you only needed to see a dentist once every six months.

Writing assignments

What comes to your mind when you hear “writing”?  Are you imagining being back in school where your teacher writes a prompt on the board and you answer in a daily journal?  Maybe a series of worksheets your teacher created to help you learn punctuation, nouns, synonyms, and capitalization? Or perhaps it's a set of grade specific questions that have already been pre-planned out for the entire school year. 

Writing is supposed to be FUN…yes, that’s right, fun.  Yes, there has to be some instruction and ground laying procedures to help guide learners though this process, but writing is a way to let your thoughts or opinions come to life.  You can invent any character you want on paper, and the plot of your story is only limited to your imagination.  Writing can let the word know where you stand on certain issues.  Writing can be as simple as a Thank-You card, letting someone know you appreciated a gift, or to express your daily events on the social media (Twitter, Facebook, Wibbly)

There is no prescribed curriculum when it comes to teaching writing.  Everybody learns differently and at a different rate.

In our writing class there isn’t a designated series of yearly prompts to follow.  Learners have a choice in choosing the area that is interesting to them.  Although, at times, I might see a fun assignment (shhh…yes fun) and the class all agrees that everybody should write on the topic-especially when there is some type of art involved J

What it looks like:

You probably won’t find learners completing a piece of writing in a single sitting.  You will find students taking some of their writing all the way through the writing process over days or even weeks, depending on the topic or the rigidity of the issue.

You won’t find children limited to writing only the words they can spell.  Jotting down their thoughts and having a flow is what I’m asking of them.  Can you imagine if I stopped each student after a misspelled word and immediately had him or her look it up in the dictionary for accuracy? My kids would be more concerned about spelling the words correctly for me, and their original ideas would be stifled.  The moment would be gone.  I want the ideas and thoughts out on paper…we can go back and correct the spelling.  (Believe me, I am a BIG fan of spellcheck! Just ask the 6th grade teachers I used to work with.) Remember this is a writing assignment, not a spelling exam.

In my class I pick what to teach based on my students current needs. My lessons are not all mapped out before the year begins…although that would be nice; it’s just not feasible

The Writing Process:

We focus on the process, and then there is a bigger impact on the journey.  The end result is important, but the true learning takes place during the process.  In my opinion, valuable instruction in essay writing takes place over days or even weeks.  

Pre-writing: Writers decide on a topic and brainstorm ideas. I give them a choice if they want to work in groups for brainstorming or by themselves. However each student is responsible for turning in an essay.

Drafting: Writers write sentences and paragraphs, reread what they’ve written, and get suggestions from others.

Revising: Writers rearrange words or sentences, add or delete, replace words, and make sure their writing is fluent.

Editing: Writers correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation.  (This is where we adjust the spelling…not during the pre-writing process).

Publishing/Sharing: Writers create a final copy of their work and share it.

Sharing our knowledge

YOLO

YOLO!

With that being said, what does YOLO even mean?  Its on bracelets, clothing, hash tags and even quoted in the media. If you are going to say an aphorism, then shouldn’t you know what it means?

Drake, (That would be hip-hop artist and actor-if you can call him that-Aubrey Drake Graham) made it famous in his song “The Motto” featuring Lil Wayne. The lyrics include the phrase “you only live once” and the term YOLO along with the repeated chorus stanzas “We ‘bout it every day, every day, every day.”

But the term was used even prior than hip-hop artist Drake by Frank (That would be real actor and songster, Frank Sinatra)

In 1965 Frank Sinatra turned fifty years old, and when he was asked about the milestone he replied with:

“I expect to swing for 50 more. You only live once and the way I live, once is enough. I stole that from Joe E. Lewis.”

Just like the evolution of dance, YOLO is the evolution of the phrase ‘carpe diem’ (seize the day).  

It’s used to inspire courage and bravery, or to justify doing something embarrassing.  It is not something you should say while getting sent to the principal’s office with a referral!  

My daughter found this picture for me. It's not one of my students, although the year's not over yet :)

In 2013 it became so famous even Saturday Night Live did a spoof on it.

Hey, why not?...You only live once!

Welcome to Room 11's first Blog site! 

Just a few random thoughts about school, kids, and days off...enjoy!

(Technology is a big part of our daily lives)

(Parents and kids DO view back going back to school a little differently)