SOLSC 3.27.13

Oh, man....spring break is only a few hours away for you, and I know you can hardly wait! I'm pretty sure that class will be freakishly rowdy due to those ants in your pants to get out of here for a week. Do you ever wonder what a year-round school schedule would be like? I mean, you'd go to school for like six weeks, get a three week break, then repeat that for 180 days. I've always thought I'd like to try it, but if I don't like it, I want to be able to go back to the regular August through June schedule. But, oh...to know you could take a vacation during the school year and not be penalized for it...doesn't that sound scrumptious?? 

Since I'm thinking about schooling and education so much lately, I thought you might be interested in the evolution of modern academic institutions. Who started trying to educate kids? Why? Do boys and girls have equal access to education? Are some countries better at providing education than others? And, most importantly, if a young man or woman is not at school, how does that person spend his/her day?

I found a couple of sites that might help this conversation, if you decide to investigate with me. First is from the Psychology Today website called: A Brief History of Education. The second is a timeline of education's history called: Education Timeline. This site lets you click on whatever year and see the education innovations. It's pretty cool --and, as usual, we get everything from the Greeks!!

Happy blogging today.

“Exercise the writing muscle every day, even if it is only a letter, notes, a title list, a character sketch, a journal entry. Writers are like dancers, like athletes. Without that exercise, the muscles seize up.”
  

Jane Yolen

SOLSC 3.7.2013

Hey Munchkins...

Progress reports go out today -- grades always stress me out. Even as a student, I'd get fearful and anxious when report card time came around. I was a good student, but not strong in math, so the thought of failing math classes gave me stomach ulcers. I had these feelings even when I knew I was doing all right!

When you get your progress report, I wonder if you'll be surprised? I wonder if you'll know already how you're doing? I think it's simple in my class: do you read every day? do you write in your daybooks every day? are you blogging right now? are you trying to do things better each time you write?

But then again, my anxiety about grades and grading float to the top: have I even shown you how to notice your own progress so you don't wonder about your status in the class? That's probably what I need to work on!!

Happy blogging today. Remember to write your blog post...copy the post's URL in the COMMENTS section here....comment on your writing group's posts...try to comment on 3 national posts.


If people cannot write well,  they cannot think well,  and if they cannot think well,  others will do their thinking for them. 
-- George Orwell 

SOLSC #5 March 5

Ya know the worst part of having to spend half the day giving a standardized test? The boredom. Yep, there, I said it. Reading those directions, walking up and down the aisles over and over and over, trying not to fall asleep. These things all make a girl pretty bored. If I could only read, I might be able to handle these types of trifles more. However, the folks at the College Board don't trust students very much, so the teachers have to police them so they don't cheat.

But, as bored as I'm going to be, it will be worse for you. I'm leaving some good assignments, I think, but still -- you won't see me (unless you're in 4th). THAT is the worst for you, right??

I wonder how it would be if the people who make rules about testing you even care that your day is ruined -- that you probably aren't learning anything for the class periods you're being babysat? Maybe we should write some letters to our legislators.

Anyway, here are some ideas for your blog today from Geeky Momma (I don't think you read this post the other day...)

1. Are you interested in snakes or something else in nature? Why not make your blog about different types of snakes, birds, insects? Take a look at Santiago's post on The Black Necked Spitting Cobra. Don't forget to pose a question to the readers to encourage comments.
2. What's your favorite TV show? Create a "TV Review" blog. Each week, review your show. Post a summary of the show and your thoughts. Don't forget to ask your reader what they think too.
3. What book are you reading? Don't wait until you are finished to post about it. Write about it as you are reading it. Better yet, invite others to read it with you and maybe you can get a "book discussion" going on your blog.
4. Why not choose a theme for your blog and update it every few days with what's happening? For example, your blog theme might be about your soccer team or theater group. You can update every time your team practices and/or has a game. You can pretend you are a sportscaster and report on the events of the game. Don't forget to pose a question to your readers to encourage comments.
5. Another theme example could be an upcoming event, like a party or religious event. Every few days, report on how the event is evolving. Once the event passes, it's ok to change your theme. Remember, it's YOUR blog. (Don't post pictures of your friends and if you post pictures of yourself, be sure you have your parent's permission.

Happy Blogging!!


“After nourishment, shelter and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world.”
― Philip Pullman

“Fiction is the truth inside the lie.”
― Stephen King

**NOTE: Remember to paste your unique URL in the COMMENTS section here.
**NOTE 2: Try to comment on at least 3 other blogs.

Bloglems

Okay, my little kiddoes....I grabbed the logo for our blogging experience. The chicks over at the Two Writing Teachers blog always create cool pics for this event. I like this one because of the butterfly at the bottom. Didn't notice it? Well, look closer!

I have to say that I'm terrified that no one will blog. I'm afraid that you'll forget me, and you'll go "Oh, blogging's just stupid", and you'll go around telling all your friends that I'm such an easy teacher because I don't grade.

Hopefully my fears will be laid to rest, and one day you'll come in with questions and excitement about your topic. And ask me if I've read your blog yet. Maybe even be upset if I haven't seen it. But then you'll speed to the computer, pull up your blog and make me read it "Right, now, Mrs. McCabe!!"

I can't wait for that day!!

And, We're Off...

We are setting up our blogs this week, but all I'm getting is they are "doing this for a decent grade" -- what if I don't grade it? Can you be trusted to blog if no one is looking over your shoulders?

Well, I don't know. But guess what? That's what is going to happen. I'm not grading the blogs. I'll read them; I"ll comment on them; but you won't get a "blog" grade at the end of March. Why? Because I want you to LEARN!! I want your writing to get better. I want you to see your blog as YOUR IDEAS, not your grade. Grading is inaccurate and does not tell anyone what you learned. So what if you got an A in your English class last year? Did you read something amazing? Did your writing bring tears or laughter to someone else? If not, you didn't learn anything.

Yes, I'm turning your schooling on its head, and I don't care -- not even a little bit. Your job in high school is to learn -- not get a grade.The goal for this blogging experience is for you to connect with yourself -- your ideas, your thoughts, your fears. The reward for this blogging experience will be the comments you elicit from  other students (my comments won't mean as much as your peers).

Think about how you can use your blog space to show your learning about a topic you're interested in. Can you video yourself learning to shoot the basketball in different parts of the floor and critique your form? How about publishing your own poetry and getting feedback from a person you don't know? Or imagining what it would be like to travel around the world -- what would you see?

Watch this video about skateboarding...then tell me in the comments what you're thinking.