You're a mean one, Mr. C...

You're a foul one Mr. C,

      STINK.
      STANK.
      STUNK.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzXKWKaxt3c

Celebration day is today, but since I'm such a Grinch we need to at least start our Chapter 4 proficiency exam. 

With termites in my smile,
C

From the cluttered mind of C, Teacher
School District of Waukesha
Waukesha STEM Academy

Viva la Revolucion!

Damas y Caballeros,

      Today is Tuesday, December 20, 2011.  Simply survey this blog post, then start to finish the Socratic Seminar Debrief with your group.  In the next couple of days you will prepare a paper pencil test OR complete the chapter 4 basic proficiency exam that will assess your understanding of the historical content. 

History

I can identify the significant people and events that tell the story of the United States.

Reading

I can conduct research to find answers to specific questions.

Writing

I can read and comprehend different genres, literary and informational, at an eighth grade proficiency

Here is our adjusted schedule below

Adjusted Schedule for Tues. & Wed., December 20 & 21

Core 1 - 7:25-8:15 (50)

Core 2 - 8:17 - 9:07 (50)

Core 3 - 9:09 - 9:59 (50)

STEaM/Future City:

10:00 to 11:10 and 1:17 to 2:31.

Yours truly,
C

From the cluttered mind of C, Teacher
School District of Waukesha
Waukesha STEM Academy

Live Chat Hunt...

Happy Monday,

      Today is Monday Funday, December 19, 2011.  We have a great week ahead of us young'ins!  To start things off today CORES 1 & 2 will be reflecting on our live chat sessions, and CORE 3 conduct their Socratic Seminar.  CORE 3... Good Luck!  CORES 1 & 2...  Read below and commit to memory before circle. 

      A live chat hunt is one way we are going to debrief our Socratic Seminars.  We have the luxury of going back over the live chat conversation and finding nuggets (or rotten apples) and using those nuggets to REFINE OUR PRACTICE.  I am also trying to save you some extra work, and here is what I mean.  As you complete your live chat hunt you will also be completing your reflections.  Each group's scribe will submit one Debrief Report in a discussion board.  Each person does not have to hand in a report or reflection.  However, each group must submit a Debrief Report.  More directions will follow during circle. 

1. What primary and secondary sources are being used for the Soc Sem.?
(Note: The Author of the book our articles came from is William Dudley.)
2. What are the guiding questions for the Soc. Sem.?
3. What were the most important ideas expressed during the conversation?
4. a. Cite 3 positive procedural contributions you observe in the Live Chat.
    b. Cite 2 potentially negative procedural issues.
5.  At what point did dialogue dive to a deeper level?  Was there a question that created the change?
6. Give two warms and two cools of the seminar discussion. 


Sincerely,
C

From the cluttered mind of C, Teacher
School District of Waukesha
Waukesha STEM Academy

Must Do's & Can Do's...

High Five Friday Cool Cats,

      Today is Friday, December 16, 2011.  Please watch the ShowMe Video I made that explains what today will look like.  The information below is connected to the ShowMe Video.  I will be checking the hybrid chat conversation and checking in with the guest teacher to see how your Socratic Seminar went.  Good Luck!

CLICK HERE FOR ShowMe

Must Do’s:

-Finish Socratic Seminar SQ3R & Primary/Secondary Sources FINISH

-Module 4 if you have not done so

Can Do’s:

-Mosaic of Thought

-FASTFORWARD

            -Free reading with Self Selected text. 

Note on your Mosaic of Thought: (it doesn’t matter when you do it just as long as it is done and completed authentically. You need to know when you are ready and have collected enough information to do it well: not for me... For you.  IT IS NOT A MUST DO TODAY, BUT IT WILL BE A MUST DO NEXT WEEK!!)

Sincerely yours,
C
P.S. In case you haven't figured it out by now, YOU WILL NEED THE BLOG POST FROM YESTERDAY. 
P.S.S. I apologize if I insulted your intelligence. 

From the cluttered mind of C, Teacher
School District of Waukesha
Waukesha STEM Academy

Socratic Seminar #3

Hola Gente,

      Today is Thursday, December 15, 2011.  Today is our Socratic Seminar pertaining to Colonial American history, and more specifically, the institutions of Indentured Servitude and Slavery.  Below you will see information that will get you set up for the seminar.  Please read the information AT LEAST 3 TIMES in order to really understand what we are doing.  There will be three topics of discussion: Indentured Servitude & Slavery, Primary & Secondary Sources, and finally the SQ3R Strategy.  Here are your questions below. 

Indentured Servitude & Slavery:Why do these institutions say something about colonial society? In other words what were the values and attitudes in those times?
Using pieces from our readings, support your opinions on indentured servitude and slavery? Were these institutions necessary? Did they help or hinder the human condition, and do you think either one was morally justified?
What are some lingering questions you have after reading and discussing these topics?


Primary & Secondary Sources:
Apply what you know about... Primary and secondary sources. Why were these pieces of text good/bad for moving your understanding of colonial America forward?


SQ3R
Evaluate yourself on your understanding of the SQ3R reading strategy... How has this strategy changed the way you look at nonfiction text? Expository or textbook literature? Fictional or narrative text?
Sent from my iPhone

Here are the 6 sections of chatrooms.  1&2 are for Core1.  3&4 are for CORE2.  5& 6 are for Core3. 
histlit1
histlit2
histlit3
histlit4
histlit5
histlit6

Last, but not least, here are your learning targets for the day...
Reading:  I can compare and contrast information on the same topic from different sources.
History:  I can recognize how people’s behaviors were influenced by the values and attitudes of their times.

Make an atempt to have fun today... Please!

Yours Truly,
C
From the cluttered mind of C, Teacher
School District of Waukesha
Waukesha STEM Academy

Why is SQ3R so darn important Mr. C!!?

Hey Everyone,

      Today is Camel Day, December 14, 2011.  You guys and gals are all sick of me pushing SQ3R.   Well...  Good!  That means it may have begun to sink in as to what SQ3R is.  However, now that you know what it is you can dig deeper to really see the PURPOSE of SQ3R.  There is a method to my madness, and I truly do have your future academic experiences at heart.  You are no longer reading to simply enjoy a narrative text.  You must learn how to read and ENGAGE PARTS OF YOUR BRAIN!!

SQ3R

University of Phoenix Dude

Here are our learning targets. (Wait a minute, they look familiar!):
Reading:  I can compare and contrast information on the same topic from different sources.
History:  I can recognize how people’s behaviors were influenced by the values and attitudes of their times.


From the cluttered mind of C, Teacher
School District of Waukesha
Waukesha STEM Academy

Choices, choices, choices...

Hey there!

      Today is Monday Funday, December 12, 2011.  Today is the last day for finishing up the four modules we have been working on so far.  You will have some choices today as we move forward:

      1.  Feel free to finish up the last module or modules you need to.
      2.  Feel free to open up and begin the Primary Source Activity found in INVESTIGATE.
      3.  Feel free to meet with me in a strategy group to start picking apart the Socratic Seminar document. 

Any one of these three choices would put you in a position to rock out the Socratic Seminar this Thursday the 15th.  Take some time to view one of these short clips before joining the community circle.  Our focus will soon shift as we focus on a couple societal norms that were accepted during the early colonial years of the United States.    

Indentured Servants from Ireland

History of Slavery Brought to you by Tim & Moby

If you do join the strategy group, here will be the learning targets we will hit today. 
Reading:  I can compare and contrast information on the same topic from different sources.
History:  Recognize how people’s behaviors were influenced by the values and attitudes of their times.

Sincerely,
C
From the cluttered mind of C, Teacher
School District of Waukesha
Waukesha STEM Academy

Thirteen Colonies...

High Five Friday,

      Today is High Five Friday, December 9, 2011.  I am hoping most of you are finishing your modules by now.  If you have not gotten to module 4 try to get there today and work through it.  Here is a link that might help you:

   http://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/ushistory/thirteencolonies/

If you finish your modules today your guest teacher from yesterday should have shown you where the primary source documents are in bb9.  They are under INVESTIGATE.  Read, practice sq3r, and enjoy.

Sincerely,

C

From the cluttered mind of C, Teacher
School District of Waukesha

Waukesha STEM Academy

Primary Sources vs. Secondary Sources

Welcome to Think Spot Thursday Teenie Boppers,

      Today is Thursday, December 8, 2011.  If you are reading this by now you realize there is a guest teacher in my stead.  I am at a grammar workshop with the other middle school literacy teachers within the district.  Below is a link to a video of some of the things we are discussing.  (Between you and me kiddies, I think I would rather be in my tooth extraction surgery instead of a workshop about grammar... Ugh!)

http://youtu.be/TwFCZSd7Fvo
"You're rhyming 'BADLY'" Hahaha

Mc Grammar take it away!!

      Today you will complete your learning modules.  We took a break yesterday to COLLABORATE and create our bumper sticker messages.  They turned our great and show how much you all know about this point in history.  Well done.  Remember, your learning modules can be found in EXPLORATION, COLONIZATION, AND THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION - IMMERSE - (Chapter 3 or Chapter 2)  Here is the plan for the day in Historical Literacy...

1.  Attendance
2.  Students are working on 4 different Learning modules.  (LEARNING MODULES ARE LISTED ON THE WHITE BOARD)
3. Students are within the process of one of these 4 modules: The Arrival of the Spanish, Chapter 2 reading test, Chapter 3 reading test, and finally Our Founding Colonies.
4. Students on task will be typing up blog posts, taking online tests, viewing videos, reading in the textbooks, and may be having conversations together.
5. Students have been going to other learning spaces with in the school, but  I DO NOT want them to leave the room today.  If they really want to, the hallway is a reasonable alternative. 
6. If students finish the modules early there is a Primary Source Lesson under the investigate tab of Exploration, Colonization, and the American Revolution. 
7. Please have the students wrap up their work, save, submit, and clean up at around 8:35 so that they may move on to CORE 2. 
8. As students are working, walk around the room and see if any need help with historical contexts or reading the text. 

      A primary source is a document or physical object which was written or created during the time under study. These sources were present during an experience or time period and offer an inside view of a particular event. Some types of primary sources include:

• ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS (excerpts or translations acceptable): Diaries, speeches, manuscripts, letters, interviews, news film footage, autobiographies, official records 
• CREATIVE WORKS: Poetry, drama, novels, music, art 
• RELICS OR ARTIFACTS: Pottery, furniture, clothing, buildings

Examples of primary sources include:

• Diary of Anne Frank - Experiences of a Jewish family during WWII 
• The Constitution of Canada - Canadian History 
• A journal article reporting NEW research or findings 
• Weavings and pottery - Native American history 
• Plato's Republic - Women in Ancient Greece 

What is a secondary source?
A secondary source interprets and analyzes primary sources. These sources are one or more steps removed from the event. Secondary sources may have pictures, quotes or graphics of primary sources in them. Some types of seconday sources include:

• PUBLICATIONS: Textbooks, magazine articles, histories, criticisms, commentaries, encyclopedias 

Examples of secondary sources include:

• A journal/magazine article which interprets or reviews previous findings 
• A history textbook 
• A book about the effects of WWI 

Search by keyword for Primary Sources in the Main Catalog
You can search the Main Catalog to find direct references to primary source material. Perform a keyword search for your topic and add one of the words below:
(these are several examples of words that would identify a source as primary)

• charters
• correspondence
• diaries
• early works
• interviews
• manuscripts
• oratory
• pamphlets
• personal narratives
• sources
• speeches
• letters
• documents

Yours Truly,

C
P.S. I hear and I forget.
I see and I remember.
I so and I understand.
Do your best and forget the rest!

From the cluttered mind of C, Teacher

School District of Waukesha

Waukesha STEM Academy

Camel Day: BUMPER STICKERS!

Good Day to you all,

      Today is Camel Day, December 7, 2011.  You all have been doing a remarkable job with the past few learning modules, the Colonization/Exploration blogging, and ALL THE FRUSTRATIONS WITH THE TEXT BOOK TESTS.  Well, today all your hard work, headaches, and conferences with me should all pay off.  Let me explain...

      Remember the "C" in WICR?  Yeah, that "C" doesn't just stand for "Cool Christianson"; it also stands for "Collaboration".  What better way to collaborate than a tribes activity?  The tribes activity is called Bumper Stickers.  To launch this activity you are going to need an "ADMISSION TICKET".  If you have ever played poker, an admission ticket is kind of like an ante.  It's what you pay to get into the game.  Your admission ticket for Bumper Stickers will be one or two nuggets from the work you have done on your modules thus far.  A nugget for this admission ticket could be one of the following:

  -a fact you remember

  -new schema you know now that you didn't know before

  -a lingering question you have after reading and studying

  -a question you remember from an online test that threw you for a loop

  -a concept we talked about in class

  -an idea you recorded in your Cornell Notes

  -a connection to something else you have read

  -a blog post you or someone else posted

Write your nugget on a post-it note WITH YOUR NAME and park it in the parking lot that we know so well.  This will take us to the next stage in out tribes day activity.  Grab your chairs and let's head out to the office commons just like old times. 

      When we get back from the office commons we should be ready to start creating our bumper stickers.  In groups of 4 we are going to compile our nuggets into a bumper sticker we would all put on our cars, but instead of putting them on a car we are going to redecorate our walls and windows in our learning space.  Based on some of the things we have read and talked about in our energizer, create a "BUMPER STICKER MESSAGE" that the group can mutually agree upon.  Please try to include everyone's nuggets if possible.  We need to throw all our collective knowledge up on the walls.  I hope you all enjoy!  

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!   

From the cluttered mind of C, Teacher

School District of Waukesha

Waukesha STEM Academy

Monday Funday...

Happy Monday,

      Today is Monday, December 5, 2011.  Another short and sweet blog post today teeny boppers.  Go to Bb9-Exp, Col, and The American Rev-IMMERSE.  When it is on your screen, you are ready to join me in the circle. 

Good Luck,
C

From the cluttered mind of C, Teacher

School District of Waukesha

Waukesha STEM Academy

High Five Friday!

Hey gang,

      Today is High Five Friday, December 2, 2011.  I'm going to make this short and sweet.  Go to Bb9-Exp/Col-Immerse-Exploration:The Spanish and the Americas.  If you are there you have reached your learning module for the day and you may now join the community circle.  Congratulations!!

Sincerely,
C

From the cluttered mind of C, Teacher

School District of Waukesha

Waukesha STEM Academy

Repurposing the Textbook II

Hey Teeny Boppers,

      Today is Wednesday, November 30, 2011.  After reading Howard Zinn we know his feelings about "watered down historical perspectives".  However, the more you know, the stronger your voice becomes. Howard Zinn would call our textbooks a necessary evil. Even though they give you a "watered down" version of history they are chalk full of dates, places, events, people, ideas, maps, questions, and USEFUL FACTS. If a person can remember facts in a textbook it doesn't mean they are an expert in history. It means that person has a basic understanding of history and can then CREATE MEANING THEMSELVES. Memorizing facts is the beginning not everything. Our job as historians is to make our own meaning from the information and facts we remember. TEXTBOOKS ARE THE BEST TOOL FOR THAT JOB.

      When I was in middle school we always had to read a chapter: take a test.  Read a chapter: take a test.  Read a chapter...  I think you guys can see a pattern forming here.  Anyways, you are going to read a test and take a chapter.  Your task today is to READ WITH QUESTIONS IN MIND.  Here is what I mean.  We are going to look at the test first so that the questions drive our reading.  Our research will become our PURPOSE FOR READING.  The links below will take us to the textbook and the google test.  Click on them now before joining the community circle. 

Test link:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?hl=en_US&formkey=dGVYWkFsa1lOdkZwMURvQ0JPUVlkSkE6MQ#gid=0

Textbook link:
http://my.hrw.com/tabnav/controller.jsp?isbn=9780547523262

Now that you know where we will be focussing our attention in class today, lets look at page 64 of our textbooks and read a bit together.  Plus, I want to show you a cool feature and how to use it. 

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.
(Hear one.  See one.  Do one.  Teach one.)

Sent from my iPhone

Welcome Back...

Hey Guys and Gals,

      Today is Monday, November 28, 2011.  I hope all of you had an enjoyable break.  I had a chance to start grading your digital memoirs and was blown away!!  You all are so very talented.  In the spirit of our Thanksgiving break, I wondered if we all remember why we celebrate the national holiday of Thanksgiving.  Take a few minutes to watch the video below before we get started on our reading today.  IT'S A DOOSY!!

http://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/culture/thanksgiving/

Let's do some reading,
C

From the cluttered mind of C, Teacher

School District of Waukesha

Waukesha STEM Academy

Drawing Diagrams and Prototype Sketches...

 Hey Steamers,

      Below you will find some professional diagrams drawn by two inventors.  Inventors have to take on the role as product designers at times.  A diagram is not the same thig as a sketch.  A sketch would be considered a DRAFT within the diagramming process.  Diagrams are not only visual pictures but also labels.  Diagrams also require product designers to show multiple perspectives of a product.  Imagine a microscope and how "Close-up" a microscope allows a viewer to see.  Then picture a globe.  A globe shows a person everything the earth has on its surface from landmasses to bodies of water.  Product designers use both perspectives to educate their customers.  Take a look at the examples below.  I took these photos while at the National Archives in Washington D.C. 

Sincerely,
C


This is Eleazer Kempshall's patent sketch. 
He submitted them on December 18, 1901. 

 

Thomas Alva Edison's digram of the electirc light bulb. 

Holocaust is history...

Happy Monday Gang,

      Today is Monday, November 21, 2011.  I want to remind all of you that tomorrow is a completion day for everyone.  We have finished our Holocaust Unit of Inquiry.  Today in class you will be looking back at the WICR and iquiry process in order to reflect on your mosaic of thought.  A checklist will help guide your reflection.  Your learning targets for the day can be found in the following paragragh.  

I CAN...

a.       plan strategies to guide inquiry

b.       process data and report results

Get ready to meet and discuss in a community circle.

Sincerely,

C

From the cluttered mind of C, Teacher

School District of Waukesha

Waukesha STEM Academy

I made this for you!

Hey 8th graders... Check out the first 2 Twitter Updates on the right side of the blog. One is a clip of a 12 year old app creator. The other is a video clip that totally shows what a great VLOG could look like. (I'm texting this from my iPhone.)
Luv, peace, and taco grease,
C
P.S. I made this for you!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwTsZHGQ6FE&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Sent from my iPhone

Digital Memoirs, Video Logs, and Reciprocal Teaching...

Good day to you all,

      Today is High Five Friday, November 18, 2011.  As you may well know by now you have a guest teacher again today.  You all know your digital memoirs are due.  You all know that today is our day to sit back, relax, and enjoy each other's work experiences.  Watch as many memoirs as you can.  Make comments.  Make comments on THINK SPOT.  Make comments on Youtube.  Make comments on the Bb9 Wiki.  Ask questions of each other.  BUT REMEMBER OUR 3RD AGREEMENT... NO PUT DOWNS!  Do what you can to show as much appreciation as you can.  All your work was good work. 

      Procedure:
1. Get a rubric from your guest teacher.
2. Find a digital memoir that you would like to view and evaluate.  (Evaluate means grade.)
3. Fill out the rubric on that person's memoir.
4. View your own memoir with the lenses of a teacher and Evaluate your own as well. (Evaluate means grade for those of you who weren't even reading step 2.)
5. Turn your rubric into your guest teacher so she/he may pass them on to me. 
6. TAKE THIS SERIOUS AND ENJOY!!  GET IDEAS!!  SHARE IDEAS!  SHARE FEEDBACK!  RELAX!!

Love, peace, and taco grease,
C
P.S. Here is a video that may help your VLOGS in STEaM time.  Got Avatar? http://www.tribute.ca/trailers/avatar-clip-%22video-log%22/12780/

From the cluttered mind of C, Teacher

School District of Waukesha

Waukesha STEM Academy

The Writing Process: Publishing

Hey Gang,

      Today is Thursday, November 17, 2011.  The blog post yesterday laid out the three ways in which we can submit out digital memoirs.  They are listed below:
Submitting directly to YouTube...
Username: lchristi@waukesha.k12.wi.us
Password:  histlit45

Submitting to sharebuilding...
Share building - 8th Grade - Hist Lit - Digital Memoirs of Holocaust

Submitting to the Bb9 Wiki...
Bb9 - Holocaust - Go Public - Digital Memoirs of the Holocaust - Wiki (Down at the bottom of the page)
      Do not forget also that we are in the last stages of he writing process: EDITTING and PUBLISHING.  We are also in the FRAMING phase of the memoir writing process.  Below you will see both.  Think about your work, the work of others, and what we have done in class so far.  Please post a comment once you have a thought about the process, your confusion, conversations we'ce had in class, or anything you know or wonder about our digital memoirs. 

Memoir writing process. 

Act 1 Downloading Phase

Act 2 Sorting Phase

Act 3 Framing Phase

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

We will be looking at all our hard work soon.  Enjoy!

Yours truly,
C

From the cluttered mind of C, Teacher

School District of Waukesha

Waukesha STEM Academy

There are three ways for you to submit your work. See Below...

Submitting directly to YouTube...
Username: lchristi@waukesha.k12.wi.us
Password:  histlit45

Submitting to sharebuilding...
Share building - 8th Grade - Hist Lit - Digital Memoirs of Holocaust

Submitting to the Bb9 Wiki...
Bb9 - Holocaust - Go Public - Digital Memoirs of the Holocaust - Wiki (Down at the bottom of the page)

Good day to you all,

      Today is Camel Day, November 16, 2011.  Digital Memoirs are due tomorrow.  As we work today to finish and submit, let's play with the YOUTUBE option in Windows Movie Maker Live.  You will find a "share" box in the top right corner.  Inside the share box is a youtube option.  When you are finished, try submitting it directly to youtube.  If we need an account we can use mine.  I am intentionally keeping this Blog post limited so you may take the remainder of class to work.  Remember, when we finish we can get started right away in our next Unit of Inquiry: Exploration and Colonization.  Please request a conference with me or another adult facilitator during your memoir writing process.  Whether you are close to finishing, submitting, or completely done, there are things to discuss together. Have fun, think, do, and ENJOY!

Love, peace, and taco grease,
C
P.S. A little laugh from me to you...
http://youtu.be/LcRX0R7_KLg

From the cluttered mind of C, Teacher

School District of Waukesha

Waukesha STEM Academy

Repurposing the Textbook...

Wuzzup Teensters,

      Today is Tuesday, November 15th, 2011.  Some teensters have finished their memoirs.  Some teensters have finished their memoirs, but would like to put the "cherry on top" by adding detail or just a little extra.  Some teensters are still only half way to being complete with their memoir.  We are all over the board and you know what...?  That's OK: as long as you are engaged.  By engaged I mean thinking and doing. 
      Today,  some of you will be moving on to explore our next Unit of Inquiry: Exploration and Colonization.  Before we dive in and muck around together we have to make sure we've done a couple things:
1. Completed our memoirs
2. Submitted our memoirs
3. Thought about our next steps
      If you are on path 3 come see me to continue your adventure.  I read some text last night that really impacted how we as a learning community could move forward since we are leaving the Holocaust behind.  I thought about our online textbook as I read these words: Textbooks keep students in the dark about the nature of history.  History is furious debate informed by evidence and reason.  Textbooks encourage students to believe that history is facts to be learned. (Loewen, 2007, 5, 8)  After reading a line like that I had a few questions.  How could we use our textbooks differently?  They still do serve a purpose, so what could that purpose be?  Textbooks are a great learning tool, but they are not the end-all-be-all, so how do we know what to keep and what to toss?  What is HISTORICAL THINKING?
    Your learning target for the day is as follows: I can interact and collaborate with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media.  Please make sure you know where you are in the process, and are learning accordingly. 

Sincerely,
C

From the cluttered mind of C, Teacher

School District of Waukesha

Waukesha STEM Academy

Back from D.C...

Good morning y'all,

The gorgeous capital building.

      Today is Monday, November 14, 2011.  Over the weekend I received feedback requesting more time to improve upon and complete the Digital Memoirs of the Holocaust project.  We will be extending the due date to Thursday of this week.  This Friday we will be taking the whole class period to sit back, relax, and watch each others' digital memoirs in order to give each other feedback on what we all did well and what we could have improved upon.  As you use the additional time today and this week, think about your work and the process.  How have you used your resources?  Help each other please. 

You have a guest teacher today.  This will be the 8th grade teachers' last day of meetings.  If you finish your project early take time to help others with their projects.  You will have until Thursday, but that is not an excuse to misuse or waste time.  I hope that Friday will be enjoyable and a great learning experience for us all. 

      As you finish your digital memoirs, we will be posting them to the WIKI page under Bb9 - Holocaust - Go Public.  Down at the bottom you will see the Wiki page.  Good luck. Have fun, and enjoy. 

C and T.J.

       

Sincerely,
C
P.S. Please treat our guest teacher BETTER than your treat me.  They are a guest and may need our help here in the building. 

From the cluttered mind of C, Teacher

School District of Waukesha

Waukesha STEM Academy

11 11 11...

Hey gang,

      Today is High Five Friday, November 11, 2011.  We have our Great STEM Challenge today!  Your guest teacher will lead you through the day.  Please your time to your advantage.  Your Digital Memoirs of the Holocaust are due on Monday.  You will also have Monday in class to do any finishing touches you may need.  So far your work is looking great! 

      Yesterday, you all heard, saw, and discussed a literary technique called PERSONA.  In the youtube video that I attached is Johnny Depp talking about the persona he took on for Captain Jack Sparrow.  As you watch, think about how his persona as Captain Jack is a similar technique to what you are all doing as you create your memoirs.  Enjoy!
http://youtu.be/T5p2EVcKeCE

Sincerely,
C

From the cluttered mind of C, Teacher

School District of Waukesha

Waukesha STEM Academy

Persona in our memoirs...

Good day to you Teenie-Boppers,

      Today is Thursday, November 10, 2011.  I need not remind you that tomorrow is 11-11-11, the day of the Great STEM Challenge.  You will be having a guest teacher tomorrow and Monday as the 8th grade teachers have their alignment day.  What that means is that we have meetings.  Personally, between us, I would want to be in class with you guys and gals, but sadly it's not my call.  So please do your best to help out the guest teacher. 

      Anyways, down to brass tacks!  PERSONA.  Persona is a literary technique writers use to tell a story.  PERSONA refers to the voice through which an author tells the story.  Persona can be the identity of a character or narrator.  Writers develop a persona in order to help an audience see events from a particular perspective; in our case, a historical perspective.  By seing a digital memoir through the eyes of a bystander, perpetrator, victim, or helper our audience will naturally sympathize with that character.  The mood and tone you set in the memoir through soundtrack and text will also help your audience sympathisize with a PERSONA.

      PERSONA is connected to to point of view.  Since you are creating a memoir, your persona should come in the first person point of view.  This brainpop will help you grasp the concept.
  http://www.brainpop.com/english/writing/pointofview/ 
      Username: waukesha
      Password: media
Use your imaginations along with your schema.  Tie your right brain to your left brain and have fun while creating your memoirs.  If you would like to leave a comment for me feel free.  Enjoy!

Sincerely,
C

From the cluttered mind of C, Teacher

School District of Waukesha

Waukesha STEM Academy

Word Wednesday...

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!!

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. 

From the cluttered mind of C, Teacher

School District of Waukesha

Waukesha STEM Academy

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

From the cluttered mind of C, Teacher

School District of Waukesha

Waukesha STEM Academy

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