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