Sooo...
Today is Camel Day, November 9, 2011. Yesterday after all of you lovely students left most of your teachers had meetings to attend over at the Randall Campus. I joined the Literacy Leadership Team for my meeting, but happened to agitate the Community Leadership Team which I was once a part of. Mr. Tomsett proceded to call me a TURNCOAT.
Now, the name that I was called stopped me in my tracks. It made me start to wonder. What is a turncoat? Where would a weird word like that come from? What is it's entymology? Does the word have a historical context? Did the word originate during a certain era in history: the Revolution perhaps? So my next step was to find the definition. I did and sent it via text message to this blog THINK SPOT. The definition is below for your enjoyment.
Turncoat:1.
a person who changes to the opposite party or faction, reverses principles, etc.; renegade.
There are additional resources I added to Blackboard 9 that will help you download video and/or audio. Ask me to show you!
Yours Truly,
C
P.S. I hear and I forget.
I see and I remember.
I do and I understand.
Do your best and forget the rest!!
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Let the Digital Memoirs Commence...
Totally Tubular Tuesday Teenie-boppers,
Today is Tuesday, November 8, 2011. Remember that procedural writing is a genre that guides, teaches, and instructs a reader through a task or experience. Read the mini syllabus below to become familar with how we will use our time the rest of the week as we create our digital memoirs...
Survey, read, and review this syllabus to understand and complete your digital memoir.
Memoirs are deep thoughts that touch the essence of an experience. Memoir is your memory and your study of an experience in life. Memoir is your thinking really deeply: the meaning below the meaning… The meaning below the meaning you thought you found. Memoirs are not biographies or autobiographies. They are something similar, yet not exactly the same. The subtle differences make memoirs more like a narrative: a story about a particular experience in someone's life. Memoirs are a part of a life: not the whole life of a person.
Your task is to choose a "persona" from the era in history known as the Holocaust. A persona is the perspective or lens through which you will tell your memoir of the holocaust. We will be using the program Windows Moviemaker to incorporate TEXT and MULTIMEDIA to demonstrate what we have learned as we explored this dark time in human history.
Today is Tuesday, November 8, 2011. Remember that procedural writing is a genre that guides, teaches, and instructs a reader through a task or experience. Read the mini syllabus below to become familar with how we will use our time the rest of the week as we create our digital memoirs...
Survey, read, and review this syllabus to understand and complete your digital memoir.
Memoirs are deep thoughts that touch the essence of an experience. Memoir is your memory and your study of an experience in life. Memoir is your thinking really deeply: the meaning below the meaning… The meaning below the meaning you thought you found. Memoirs are not biographies or autobiographies. They are something similar, yet not exactly the same. The subtle differences make memoirs more like a narrative: a story about a particular experience in someone's life. Memoirs are a part of a life: not the whole life of a person.
Your task is to choose a "persona" from the era in history known as the Holocaust. A persona is the perspective or lens through which you will tell your memoir of the holocaust. We will be using the program Windows Moviemaker to incorporate TEXT and MULTIMEDIA to demonstrate what we have learned as we explored this dark time in human history.
From the cluttered mind of C, Teacher
School District of Waukesha
Waukesha STEM Academy
Monday, November 7, 2011
Digital Memoirs: mood and tone...
Monday Funday is here!
Today is Monday, November 7, 2011. Quick reminders: Friday is the STEM challenge. Next Monday your digital memoirs are due. Next Monday your historical fiction texts are due as well. You will have the majority of the week to work on your digital memoirs and also next weekend.
Now, down to brass tacks. Click on the link below to start our class today...
http://www.brainpop.com/english/writing/moodandtone/
Username: waukesha
Password: media
Ask and ye shall receive! You all have expressed an interest in seeing some of that digital memoir again so let's roll up our sleeves, get out the rubric, and do some grading. Woohoo! As we watch portions of the digital memoir use the rubric to critique what you are reading and watching. pay careful attention to the MOOD and TONE of the piece. What do you think the creator/writer is trying to get the audience to think and feel? Enjoy, and be gentle.
Yours truly,
C
Today is Monday, November 7, 2011. Quick reminders: Friday is the STEM challenge. Next Monday your digital memoirs are due. Next Monday your historical fiction texts are due as well. You will have the majority of the week to work on your digital memoirs and also next weekend.
Now, down to brass tacks. Click on the link below to start our class today...
http://www.brainpop.com/english/writing/moodandtone/
Username: waukesha
Password: media
Ask and ye shall receive! You all have expressed an interest in seeing some of that digital memoir again so let's roll up our sleeves, get out the rubric, and do some grading. Woohoo! As we watch portions of the digital memoir use the rubric to critique what you are reading and watching. pay careful attention to the MOOD and TONE of the piece. What do you think the creator/writer is trying to get the audience to think and feel? Enjoy, and be gentle.
Yours truly,
C
From the cluttered mind of C, Teacher
School District of Waukesha
Waukesha STEM Academy
Friday, November 4, 2011
Literary Devices...
Good day to you all,
Today is November 4, 2011. Procedural writing is a specific genre that serves a specific goal. Procedural writing teaches. Procedural writing guides. Procedural writing is concise. It starts with a purpose, and arranges a method as a series of steps that provide exact instructions.
Below you will find a piece of procedural writing I have tried to complete for you. Your task, should you choose to accept it, is to go back over the other 2 mini syllabi presented in the learning modules and evaluate me. Grade me. You will be provided with a checklist. On the checklist, make comments and provide feedback on how I'm doing as a procedural writer. What are your thoughts?
- Does my writing have a purpose?
- Does my writing list a series of steps?
- Could a reader complete the task by following the instructions?
LITERARY DEVICES
Description/Purpose
Survey, read, and follow this mini syllabus to identify Literary Devices and to use a wiki.
For this Learning Experience you are presented with LITERARY DEVICES. Literary Devices, for this lesson, are broken down in to two categories: Literary Techniques and Figurative Language. (NOTE: Depending on who you speak with and/or what you read, Literary Techniques are often times substituted for "Literary Devices". This can cause some confusion. For this learning experience please think of Literary Techniques and Figurative Language as two parts the make up Literary Devices.)
1.) Literary Techniques are tools and strategies that enhance a story in order to make is meaningful. Techniques deal with the way a story is STRUCTURED. These are the items in a story we love and remember. From flashbacks to forshadowing, along with sub plots and plot twists, LITERARY TECHNIQUES are what make literature rich and engaging.
2.) Figurative Language is a literary device that talented writers, film makers, and story tellers use to add depth and voice to their work.
-The wiki page is our way to demonstrate learning and share our new schema with each other.
A wiki (
i/ˈwɪki/ wik-ee) is a website that allows the creation and editing of any number of interlinked web pages via a web browser using a simplified markup language or a WYSIWYG text editor.[1][2][3] Wikis are typically powered by wiki software and are often used collaboratively by multiple users. Examples include community websites, corporate intranets, knowledge management systems, and note services. The software can also be used for personal notetaking.Wikis may serve many different purposes. Some permit control over different functions (levels of access). For example, editing rights may permit changing, adding or removing material. Others may permit access without enforcing access control. Other rules may also be imposed for organizing content.
Ward Cunningham, the developer of the first wiki software, WikiWikiWeb, originally described it as "the simplest online database that could possibly work."[4] "Wiki" (pronounced [ˈwiti] or [ˈviti]) is a Hawaiian word meaning "fast" or "quick".[5]
Learning Objectives/Targets
I can produce clear and coherent writing appropriate to task, purpose and audience.
Method/Procedure & Materials
1. Read through the mini syllabus to understand the task layout and learning target.
2. Click and "SURVEY" (scan/skim) the wiki page to see what is there.
3. View the videos laid out for you in the order they are presented.
4. As you watch, pay attention to your thinking and post new learning, thoughts, schema, or questions on the wiki.
Note: please post at least one comment for "Literary Techniques" and one comment for "Figurative Language"
5. Read through other peoples contributions and see if you can make any connections.
From the cluttered mind of C, Teacher
School District of Waukesha
Waukesha STEM Academy
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
6 Word Memoirs...
Dear Teenie-Boppers,
Today is Wednesday, November 2, 2011. We will end our journey into the Holocaust with a memoir. Below are some thoughts I've found about memoirs: what they are and what they are not. Below you will also see a model of the writing process. This is something we will visit many times over the rest of the academic year. At the very bottom of the post you will see the memoir writing process. There are three phases to writing a good memoir. Those three phases fall into the writing process, but are just a little more specifically geared for memoirs.
This brainpop is a great place to continue our memoir journey since we have already watched a digital memoir together: http://www.brainpop.com/english/writing/biography/
Memoirs are deep thoughts that touch the essence of an experience.
Memoir is your memory and your study of an experience in life.
Memoir is your thinking really deeply: the meaning below the meaning… The meaning below the meaning you thought you found.
Memoirs are not biographies or autobiographies. They are something similar, yet not exactly the same. The subtle differences make memoirs more like a narrative: a story about a particular experience in someone's life.
Memoirs are a part of a life: not the whole life of a person.
Writing Process:
Step | Description | Strategies |
Prewriting | An activity that causes the writer to think about the subject. The writer organizes his thoughts before he begins to write. | Drawing Talking Brainstorming Graphic organizers Research Listing Field Trips |
Drafting | The process of putting ideas down on paper. The focus is on content not mechanics | Taking notes, Organizing thoughts into paragraphs, Writing a first draft |
Revising | The process of refining the piece of writing. The writer adds to a writing piece. The writer reorganizes a piece of writing. The writer shares his story and gets input from peers or teacher. | Peer editing Conferencing Share Chair or Author’s Chair |
Editing | Mechanical, grammatical and spelling errors are fixed in the writing piece. | Checklists Rubrics Editing Checklists Proofreading |
Publishing | The writing piece is prepared in final form, including illustrations. The writer shares his writing with others. | Reading aloud Reading to a group Displaying in the room Printing the books Web publishing |
Memoir writing process.
Act 1 Downloading Phase
Act 2 Sorting Phase
Act 3 Framing Phase
I hope you take these lessons and concepts with you as you create your own memoirs this week and the next. Enjoy!
Yours Truly,
C
From the cluttered mind of C, Teacher
School District of Waukesha
Waukesha STEM Academy
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Hola mis alumnos!
Today is Camel Day, October 12, 2011. You have heard me say before that good readers INTERACT WITH TEXT. Good readers interact with text just like having a conversation with the author. As we interact with text, we need to leave tracks of thinking. This makes our thinking visible. It brings it to real life OUR INNER VOICE that is so hard to hear sometimes.
Think about the tracks animals leave in the snow or the mud. You can't see the animal. You can't even touch the animal, but you know it has been there from the tracks it's left. Readers need to leave tracks so that other readers and teachers can see the thinking. Thoughts are invisible unless you leave tracks that they have been there.
Here is how we are going to start to leave tracks...
L
Q or ?
??
!
R
That's it. Have fun!
Wait, I haven't told you what those tracks mean. Silly Mr. C!
L new learning(At times this will be the answer to our questions.)
Q or ? questions we have(These are the things that go on our Q and A forms.)
?? you are confused/gaps in knowledge
! exciting or surprising information(These are very similar to the L, but they could be just random facts that surprised us.)
R for a connection (reminds me of...)
Tracks like these hold our thinking so we can come back later to see it. If you are reading an article that is yours you can write these TEXT CODES right on it. If you are reading a book that isn't yours feel free to use a post-it. Have fun interacting with text and leaving tracks.
Sincerely,
C
P.S. I hear and I forget.
I see and I remember.
I do and I understand.
Do your best and forget the rest!
Today is Camel Day, October 12, 2011. You have heard me say before that good readers INTERACT WITH TEXT. Good readers interact with text just like having a conversation with the author. As we interact with text, we need to leave tracks of thinking. This makes our thinking visible. It brings it to real life OUR INNER VOICE that is so hard to hear sometimes.
Here is how we are going to start to leave tracks...
L
Q or ?
??
!
R
That's it. Have fun!
Wait, I haven't told you what those tracks mean. Silly Mr. C!
L new learning(At times this will be the answer to our questions.)
Q or ? questions we have(These are the things that go on our Q and A forms.)
?? you are confused/gaps in knowledge
! exciting or surprising information(These are very similar to the L, but they could be just random facts that surprised us.)
R for a connection (reminds me of...)
Tracks like these hold our thinking so we can come back later to see it. If you are reading an article that is yours you can write these TEXT CODES right on it. If you are reading a book that isn't yours feel free to use a post-it. Have fun interacting with text and leaving tracks.
Sincerely,
C
P.S. I hear and I forget.
I see and I remember.
I do and I understand.
Do your best and forget the rest!
From the cluttered mind of C, Teacher
School District of Waukesha
Waukesha STEM Academy
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Happy Camel Day Everyone!
Today is Wednesday, September 28, 2011. By the end of class today we should be finishing up our Life Maps, and thinking about what we want to share tomorrow. As we finish, there are a few things we need to do...
1. Check our work by using the rubric.
2. Think about talking points/nuggets that we want others to know about your history.
3. Check out the link below if you finish early.
I do realize the link is a bit childish, however, it is packed full of additional readings, activities, and a short quiz that tests your background knowledge. Play around and click on some of the things you see. Remember, we will be launching into our HOLOCAUST exploration on Friday. Enjoy.
Yours Truly,
C
From the cluttered mind of C, Teacher
School District of Waukesha
Waukesha STEM Academy
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Welcome to the Blogosphere my friends...
Howdy Ya'll,
Today is Tuesday, September 20, 2011. If you are reading this you are interacting with a blog I started for all my special students. So, consider yourself special in my eyes. Anyways, down to the nitty gritty. You all have embarked on a project that explores the Second Industrial Revolution. Once you have conducted a few days of research with the online U.S. History textbook and other resources online, you will be required to create a blog of your own.
Take a few minutes to watch the link below on your own. As you watch, think about the blog you will be creating. Your blog will be yours to show your learning by expressing your voice and ideas with others. Your teachers hope you enjoy this project not only for the product you will be creating, but also for the content we are focussing on.
Here is your link to a video on blogs:
http://www.brainpop.com/technology/computersandinternet/blogs/
Here are some links that may help you connect with the U.S. History content:
http://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/ushistory/industrialrevolution/
http://www.brainpop.com/technology/scienceandindustry/assemblyline/
Have fun with this project and make it yours!
Yours truly,
C
P.S. I hear and I forget.
I see and remember.
I do and I understand.
Do your best and forget the rest!
Today is Tuesday, September 20, 2011. If you are reading this you are interacting with a blog I started for all my special students. So, consider yourself special in my eyes. Anyways, down to the nitty gritty. You all have embarked on a project that explores the Second Industrial Revolution. Once you have conducted a few days of research with the online U.S. History textbook and other resources online, you will be required to create a blog of your own.
Take a few minutes to watch the link below on your own. As you watch, think about the blog you will be creating. Your blog will be yours to show your learning by expressing your voice and ideas with others. Your teachers hope you enjoy this project not only for the product you will be creating, but also for the content we are focussing on.
Here is your link to a video on blogs:
http://www.brainpop.com/technology/computersandinternet/blogs/
Here are some links that may help you connect with the U.S. History content:
http://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/ushistory/industrialrevolution/
http://www.brainpop.com/technology/scienceandindustry/assemblyline/
Have fun with this project and make it yours!
Yours truly,
C
P.S. I hear and I forget.
I see and remember.
I do and I understand.
Do your best and forget the rest!
From the cluttered mind of C, Teacher
School District of Waukesha
Waukesha STEM Academy
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Online Learning Guide: Video, Document, & Photo Reflection...
Take a look at these self-assessment and reflection questions:
From the cluttered mind of C,
Self-Assessment |
Check Your Understanding § What questions did the photographs, videos, and readings raise in your mind? § Where could you find the answers to these questions? § What can we learn about this time period in history from what we have seen and read? § I used to think, but now I know… |
After you have read through the questions scroll down and find some of the links pertaining to slavery. As you view and analyze these sites think about the feeling and reactions they stir in you. Write down those thoughts and feelings. If you feel so inclined, feel free to post a comment as well. PLEASE ANSWER ALL 4 OF THE ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS.
Slavery and Civil Rights:
CIVIL WAR:
YOU TUBE
Underground Railroad Interactive Map
Underground Railroad Map and Information
Slavery in America maps
Scholastic Interactive Underground Railroad Website
National Geographic Underground Railroad
From the cluttered mind of C,
Teacher School District of Waukesha
Waukesha STEM Academy
8th Grade Historical Literacy
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Horsemanship: the journey continues...
Hey cowpokes!!
 |
| This is my Lady. |
The horse is rich in lore and mythology. The
Norse god Odin rode upon an eight-legged steed named Sleipnir. Horses have been revered as symbols of freedom- oftentimes without the proper restraints. It is associated with both burial rites and birth-with individuals riding into and out of this world.
Norse god Odin rode upon an eight-legged steed named Sleipnir. Horses have been revered as symbols of freedom- oftentimes without the proper restraints. It is associated with both burial rites and birth-with individuals riding into and out of this world.
Horse people in Chinese astrology are friendly and adventurous, and they can be very emotional. In Greek Mythology, the chariot of Apollo, the sun god, is pulled by stallions, as is the chariot of Surya in the Hindu tradition.
 |
| Lady girl and I have spent a few years together. |
No one single animal has contributed more to the spread of civilization than the horse. Before the horse’s domestication the distance between people and societies was great, and there was little interaction. The horse served humanity in travel, in war, in agriculture, and in most other major areas of life. ITS ENERGY IS EXPANSIVE.
The symbolism of the horse is complex. It can represent MOVEMENT & TRAVEL. More than one historical legend speaks of the CLAIRVOYENCE of horses and their ability to recognize those involved in magic. They are symbols that can express the magical side of humans.
 |
| That there horse looks perty in a saddle! |
HORSE BRINGS WITH IT NEW JOURNEYS. IT WILL TEACH YOU HOW TO RIDE INTO NEW DIRECTIONS TO AWAKEN AND DISCOVER YOUR OWN FREEDOM AND POWER.
Horse fact #2: Horses are "PREY" animals. This means that they are the food of predators.
This, taken from Animal Speak by Ted Andrews
This day, June 21, 2011 in Kiel, WI
Home of my first horse experiences.
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