Language Arts Blurbs

Thing 11

2012-01-30T11:41:00.000-08:00

I think that the (2nd) article makes some really great points about commenting on others' posts (or just making comments in general). People need to learn what types of "comments" should be posted as "public" and what should be sent in a private e-mail. Also I think that it's important that what you post is actually contributing. For example, when I was trying to research a new snowboarding coat, I had a hard time finding reviews that were actually useful. People, if they reviewed at all, would say things like, "I got lots of cool stares from the dudes on the lifts." Yeah, okay, great. That tells me nothing about the coat, its warmth, waterproofing, breathability, etc. Although reviews are slightly different, the same idea applies. Make comments meaningful!

Thing 10

2012-01-30T11:21:00.000-08:00

Thing 10 This is a really useful "thing" and is something I've wondered about doing for quite some time. It is nice that we can load up videos that we see as useful. That way kids are seeing the resource we want them to see and they're not just out wandering in cyber space...or getting distracted by football videos while on YouTube.

2012-01-30T10:59:00.000-08:00

Thing 9: Obviously, most of us have used YouTube by this point. It can be a wonderful tool to use in the classroom. (That is as long as you first preview what you plan to show and provided that you're not blocked!) I've used it a lot and plan to use it more in the future.

2012-01-30T10:52:00.001-08:00

Thing 8: I really like the motivational poster creation site. It was very easy to use and I'd actully love to print some (in large size) to use in the classroom. Also, it is a good way to have students interpret quotes and give them that visual image "boost" to help inspire their writing.

2012-01-30T10:51:00.002-08:00

Thing 7: At this point I'm having some mixed emotions about this step. I personally do not believe in posting pictures of myself or my children online. I suppose I could come up with some generic "scenery," but that will have to wait until I am at home and have the chance to scan in my printed photos and go from there.

2012-01-30T10:51:00.000-08:00

Thing 6: In this post, I posted a picture of a sailboat and asked those responding to answer the question, "where would this ship take you?". Bloggers were also to consider, and describe, the possible dangers they might face, their role on the ship, and their hopes and fears as they began the voyage. Photos are a great way to spark creative writing and help sutdents write more descriptively.

2012-01-30T10:50:00.001-08:00

Thing 4 & 5: It's nice to have access to updates without having to wade through "old stuff." I did have some trouble finding the RSS feed for some of the sites. However, once I found them, things were pretty easy.

2012-01-30T10:48:00.001-08:00

Thing 3: I think that as long as sutdents keep things appropriate and blogging doesn't become a monitoring nightmare, it can be a neat tool for kids to use. They will (likely) feel as if their voice is being heard and may give shy kids a chance to speak up.

2012-01-30T10:46:00.000-08:00

Thing 1: Hopefully when people/students realize that anyone can read what they've written (on the internet), it will make them more aware of what they're saying and how they're saying it.

2012-01-30T10:35:00.000-08:00

Sometimes we all have to do things we don't want to do. Sometimes we just sit and wait for time to pass. However even during these times we need to be aware of the efforts we make. Afterall, time may pass, but will you?

2012-01-30T10:15:00.000-08:00

Imagine you are about to board this ship. Where would it take you? Who are you on the ship (deckhand, captain, passenger, etc)? Think of the possible dangers and include descriptions of what you might face while onboard.