Community of Learners

Finishing Up

2011-05-30T23:59:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

Here is a list of things you should be doing as we wrap up our Unit of Inquiry projects:

Upload Application post
Link to G-Doc
Write your Analysis question (Basically answering your original guiding question)
Choose one of these questions for your oral interview
Start writing your final paragraph answering your Analysis question

Be sure to use topic sentences and details for your paragraph as well as new vocabulary. See the Criterion on your Google Doc for detail. Please leave comments if you have questions. When you are done with your paragraph:

Create a post called: Final Post
Write a brief summary of of your experience.
Add a link to your Knowledge post
Add a link to your Comprehension post
Add a link to your Application post
Add your Analysis paragraph
Label it UOI and Final Assessment

Things are Rolling

2011-04-26T18:04:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

I am starting to get really excited about our projects for the Unit of Inquiry! All of you have come up with some great ideas and a few of you are off to a great start. To take a look at all the project please follow this link. Add what you think you might need, and if you have any experience with a topic someone else is doing add your name to the list to help them out.Let's work together to learn.

If you are looking for some good examples for step one- Knowledge, take a look at the following posts.

Veny is learning about ballet and has written a great post with pictures to finish her first task:

List basics move of ballet?
Describe how to do it?
Find the meaning of three words that have to do with ballet. Also add this to your post!
Write a blog post.

Ivonne is making art supplies:

List top three or five easy home made art supplies.
Describe each one in two or three sentences.
Write a short paragraph about which one you chose and why?

Lydia is making cupcakes:

List 3-5 of my favorite cupcakes
Describe the cupcakes that I choose
Name my community
List my communities favorite cupcakes
Write a paragraph about why these cupcakes relate to my community?

Finally Sharene is designing a watch!

Find some programs that I can use to design my watch.
Describe which of these sites is the easiest to use.
Write a paragraph about the site I will use and why.

Do not forget to add your blog post to your Google Doc and include the Criterion you have covered.

Great job so far. But remember these are just examples NOT models. Your fist post could look very differently. You could have surveys or charts. Videos or sound.

Looking forward to where this all goes!

Setting Up The Matrix

2011-04-06T21:26:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

Sorry to be out of town so early in this project, but fear not I have left great lessons with your sub. Before you get started I need you to set up what I am calling The Matrix. This is the space where we will stay in touch in regards to your project. This is not complicated and grades 6 and 8 have already done it. Follow the instructions and you should be fine.

Here is a video to show you what to do:

If you have any questions ask your friends, peers, or your teacher. Now you will work with your substitute to re-write the Criterion.

Unit of Inquiry

2011-04-04T17:56:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I am very excited to be starting this new unit with you, because for the first time this year, you will be allowed to choose what you will be learning. You will no longer be allowed to say that you are bored or not interested in school, because you are choosing the topic and the assessment. I look forward to helping you learn about whatever it is you want to learn about! Let's get started with the unit over view:

UOI

Next please take this quick survey:

&lt;p&gt;Loading...&lt;/p&gt;

Finally let's head over to where most of this unit will take place. Please cut and paste everything in this document into a new document. Call it Grade-firstnameUOI (7jabizUOI)and share it with me at: mrraisdana@gmail.com

Click here to get started.

Peace Park Poetry Remix Part II

2011-03-24T20:12:00.000-07:00

Hello again grade sevens. You have been doing a wonderful job of writing our group poem about Peace Park. You have also done a great job of recording your part and uploading it to Soundcloud. Here are the next few steps:

Go to our Peace Park Poem google doc and download all the Soundcloud clips from your classmates.
Arrange them however you want and in any order in Garageband.
Add sound effects, music, and or anything else you think will bring it to life. Think about the mood, the feelings and the emotion of the words and how the person read it. (Remember to edit and cut long pauses.)
Share to iTunes and upload to SoundCloud.
Embed the Soundcloud on your blog and write a short introduction
Add the link of your new complete Peace Park Song (remix) post to the Google Doc.

Extra credit- If you are having too much fun and don't want to stop, you can add your new song to a slideshow or video using pictures from Peace Park.

Have fun!

Peace Park Poetry Remix

2011-03-21T21:16:00.000-07:00

This is only for grade seven Language B students.

Please go to our shared Google Doc called Sensory Language/Peace Park Poem. There you will find a section with your name on it.
Please read the section and record it on Garageband. Remember to be clear, read slowly and with emotion. You are being assessed on Criterion A and B which is for oral delivery.
Upload your new sound clip to Soundcloud and paste the link to the shared Google Doc.
Leave any questions you have in the comments below.

This is due at the beginning of class on Friday.

Grammar Test

2011-03-06T19:49:00.000-08:00

As you can see I am not here today, but I have left you this great test to take until I get back. Don't worry too much about passing or failing, just do your best. I want to make sure that we can move ahead. You have been doing some great work and I want to see what you have learned. Good luck.

If you finish before the class is over, please do the following:

6th grade- Make sure all your videos are posted properly. Work quietly on other work.
7th Grade- Work on your Poetry book.
8th Grade- Make sure all your videos are posted properly. Work quietly on other work.

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Loading...&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Grade 7 English- Poetry Anthology

2011-02-24T17:48:00.000-08:00

Hey guys,

As we begin to get ready to organize out poetry books. Here is a great resource about some of styles of poems you will write:

Poetry Anthology

Below you will find the checklist. Please download this file to your computer and begin to check off the poems you have completed.You can ask me question at any time, by leaving comments for this post.

Your Anthology Checklist

Peace Park Poems

2011-02-17T07:48:00.000-08:00

Hey Language B! How are you guys? Still here in Hong Kong, but have a new assignment for you guys until I get back.

You all did a great job with your rhythm poems, and I was very impressed with your "It All Depends Upon," poems as well, so I want you to try to take the skills you learned:

Using words to create rhythm
Using descriptive words like adjectives to make your poems have feeling and details

and see if you can write a poem from scratch. Please go back to the Google Doc we created the day we went outside and find a section, an image, a feeling, a sentence, even a few words that you connect with and see if you can turn them into a poem. Try to show us details of what the image feels like, smells like, looks like and sounds like. See if you can write what the image is. If you are having trouble take a look at these images I have posted for some help:

Don't worry too much about getting it "right." Just play with what you see and try to attach the feelings, details, and images to words. Don't think too much, just write down anything that comes to mind. If you finish one early, then try a few more. Please post the final products on your blogs, tag them as Poetry, Peace Park.

If you finished writing at least three poems, continue to work on your custom header. This assignment is only for grade 7 Language B. Everyone else continue with your work from yesterday.

If you have questions ask them in the comments and I will try and get to them when you are on class.

While I Am Away

2011-02-13T23:26:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone,

Like I told you on Monday I am in Hong Kong for a conference, but I am sure you are good hands. I have tried to give each of you clear instructions on what to do for the few days I am gone. Please do not rush through the assignments. Take your time and do good work. I know last time it took us a few days to crate the Adjective videos, but now that you know what you are doing it should be easier.

I hope you all came to class today with your six photos or a camera. Please create a short movie using the photos to tell the story of what you everyday. Be sure to edit your photos, use clear text, and make an original soundtrack. Here is an example Mrs. Raisdana has made for her class. You can read her blog for step-by-step instructions but I think you can all handle it. Should you have any questions, there is at least one person in each class who can help you: Shareen, Wi Sung, Yun Soo, Ivonne

I am not sure how long it will take each of you to complete this task, but here is a list of things that need to be done when you are finished:

Post your video to your blog with a short description of what you did and a reflection. Be sure to include what you learned about taking photos: What makes a photograph interesting?
Continue work on your custom header and post it on your blog (If you have questions ask your peers)
Make sure your profile including a picture and about me is complete
Read some of your classmates blogs in any grade and add some comments. You can read this great post for ideas on how to leave better comments.
Write a blog post about anything you want. Be sure to include a link and a photo. Need some help with ideas? Write about procrastination- a fancy word for wasting time. How do you procrastinate or do other things when you should be working? Watch this video and share your thoughts on your blog:

Procrastination from Johnny Kelly on Vimeo.

That should keep you busy for the few days I am gone... Finally I will be in touch through this blog and Facebook so stay tuned for random assignments. I may even Skype into class. Stay tuned.

Grammar Review #1 (Parts of Speech and Nouns)

2011-01-23T06:51:00.001-08:00

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Loading...&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Flickr CC

2010-12-13T21:28:00.000-08:00

Just came across this great Flickr Search Engine. Go to Flickr CC and find lots of high quality Creative Commons images you can use!

All the information you need about the image is on the right-hand side so don't forget to cite your sources. Happy image hunting.

Excited about Curiousity?

2010-12-12T18:19:00.000-08:00

I have asked all of my students to write about a time when they were curious about something, a time they were caring, or a time they took a risk, and because I believe that what I am asking them to do is important, I have decided to write a paragraph or two as well.

I am a very curious person. I am always asking myself questions in my head and I love getting to the bottom of something. I think the world is such a fascinating and mysterious place, that I can't believe it is so difficult to get you to be curious. So I am curious about how to make middle school students curious and excited about the world, life and learning.

I know that younger students are very animated and excited to try new things, ask questions, and explore different ideas, but middle school students tend to be much more quiet and bored by school. How can we change this? I have been curious about this idea for some time now, but recently I have really been thinking about. Every night before I fall asleep, I try and think about it for a few minutes.

I think back to when I was in school and remember how boring school was and how I wasn't interested in almost anything, but I was always curious. I always had questions and did a lot of reading and listening to music. I spoke to my dad a lot about the world and politics. I have always been interested in how people interact.

So I guess, my main questions is- How can we get you to look at yourself, find what you are interested in and help you to start learning about it too? Any ideas? Can you help me?

Grammar and The Learner Profile

2010-12-09T16:42:00.000-08:00

One of the assessments for our new Grammar Unit will be a major edit to a piece of writing based on the IB Learner Profile. I have listed the descriptions of all ten profiles here. You can find them at anytime, by clicking on the tab IB Learner Profile at the top of this blog.

Don't worry too much, right now, about understanding exactly what all the descriptors mean. Truly understanding the profiles is a task we will be working on for the whole year. For now, I want you to take a look at just three: Inquirer, Risk Taker, and Caring.

Yesterday in class, we began to look at some basic ideas about the profiles:

1.) Being an inquirer means that you are curious about life and try to learn about it. It means that when you see or hear about something that is interesting to you, you do things to help you know more about it: do internet research, ask someone, read a book or magazine article about it, watch a video, etc.

2.) Being a caring person means that you show respect and compassion to others. It also means that you try to make a positive difference for other people, animals, or places.

3.) Being a risk taker means that you try new things and explore new situations. Risk takers are brave and don’t worry about embarrassing themselves or doing things the wrong way, they just want to have new experiences.

Please choose one of the following questions and leave a short answer here in the comments. After you have done that, you can begin writing your longer piece on your blog.
1. Describe the last time that you were curious about something. What did you do about it?

2. Describe a time when you were a caring person. What was the situation, and what did you do to try and make the situation better?

3. Describe a time when you were a risk taker. What new thing did you try? How did it turn out in the end?

If you are a teacher or a student sent here by your teacher, please add your answers to the comments, so we can have a nice list of experiences to learn from.

Grammar- The Basics Unit Overview

2010-12-08T22:43:00.000-08:00

Below you will find the Assessment/Unit Overview for our next unit called Grammar- The Basics. We have begun to discuss what this unit will look like in class, but here is a copy of the details for your reference. Please download a copy to your desktop and think of any questions you might have. We will be exploring this document in the next few weeks, so do not worry if it is too confusing or difficult to understand right now.

Grammar OverView

Please leave any questions or comments you may have in the comment section below.

Reading Comprehension Quiz

2010-12-03T05:36:00.000-08:00

Loading...

This article was found in Time For Kids online magazine.

Coming Soon....Movies Out Now!

2010-11-25T20:41:00.000-08:00

The grade eights have been working hard on learning about how to use language to persuade people to act in a certain way. They have made great posters and written emotional blurbs for their documentary films. You can read more about each film on the student blogs. You can find a link to each blog in the sidebar to the right. Find grade 8 and leave them a comment about their process.

But for now tell us! Which film would you want to watch and why? Which poster and blurb really grabbed your attention?

The Phoenix Film Festival

2010-11-23T16:23:00.000-08:00

Attention film makers! Now that you have all finished your documentaries on the environment, why not try and find the largest audience possible. I know a few teacher at the Korea International School and they asked me to share their student film festival with you. You can find details here on how to submit. If you have any questions please come see me.

Wear Sunscreen

2010-11-19T05:17:00.000-08:00

Please watch the video below, and as you are watching try to write down the lines that affect you the most. Scribble them down, type them up, whatever you need to do to document them. Then share them with us all in the comment section below. Why did you pick those lines? Why do you think they are important?

No Rain, Yeah Right!

2010-11-18T17:16:00.000-08:00

Everyday around two o'clock our campus at SWA is assaulted by a deluge of water from the sky. Last week, it was more intense than usual. This is a short clip about my journey from one side of the campus to the other. I love rain like this. Reminds me the planet is alive and powerful.

What do you think about the rain? How does it make you feel?

Search Beyond Google

2010-11-10T17:29:00.000-08:00

Hey guys,

I know you are all asked to do a lot of research for your classes, and I also know that many of you start with Google and unfortunatly end with Google as well. While Google is the most popular and maybe most powerful Search Engine, it is not always the best choice for younger students and English Language Learners.

I have created a list of more suitable engines. I have added the links in the sidebar of this blog, and I suggest you Book mark them, in your browser. But first, you can feed your curiosity right here! Right now! Just click on the caption below each image and happy searching!

Emotive Language

2010-10-26T18:59:00.000-07:00

In class we have been talking about Emotive Language, words that help people feel emotions. As a group we created a slideshow of images that match a series of emotive words we selected using a thesaurus. All images were found from a Creative Commons search on Flickr.

What are some of your favorite words to get people feeling emotions?

No More He Said, She Said

2010-10-22T03:27:00.000-07:00

As we continue to work on your stories, I am noticing that many of you are only using the world SAID when you write dialogue. This can get really boring quickly for both you and your readers. I wanted to share with you some resources to help you find new words to use instead.

There are many sites on the Internet with lists of alternatives to using the word SAID. You can start here or here, or just google the phrase "Alternatives to Said" and see what you find.

I have taken many of these words and put them on the wall in the classroom as well, but if you want a shortcut you can always print this list out for your room.

Looking forward to reading your exciting new dialogue!

Grade 8 HW

2010-09-27T02:26:00.000-07:00

Create at least 3 slides for your emotive words using Flickr Creative Commons images edited with Picnik. When you are finished please add them to our shared Google Doc.

Grade 6 and 7 HW

2010-09-27T02:23:00.000-07:00

Create an account on Storybird and start a story with 15 slides. You do not need to add words yet, but you can if you like. Tomorrow when you arrive in class you must show me your visual story; we will start to think about adding words.

Grade 8 Assessment Overview- Power of Words

2010-09-23T23:15:00.000-07:00

In order to save trees and become as paperless as we can, I will be posting your Assessment Overviews here on the blog. You can read it below, print it if you need it, or download it to your computer.

Grade 8 ESL Cover Sheet- Power of Words Copy

They will all be stored under the Category Assessment Overview 6, 7, or 8 depending on which grade you are in.

Grade 6 and 7 Unit Overview- Spoken Words

2010-09-23T23:08:00.000-07:00

Persuasion

2010-09-16T18:39:00.000-07:00

Hello Grade 8s!

Now that you have completed the tasks I asked you to complete, let’s think about words, advertising, and persuasion.

I know you have been talking about these ideas in Language A, so feel free to use what you have learned in your English class to further explore persuasion.

In class you were asked to think about some Ads that you feel “work.” Ads that you connect with and understand. Ads that make you want to buy what they are selling. You shared why you chose those ads. You also made a list of words these ads used that helped make them more persuasive.
You created a word bank of language. You grouped the words into themes and categories: Happy, Sad, etc…Now find an image that matches a group of words. Create a slide that matches the words with the image.

Why Do We Tell Stories?

2010-09-16T18:38:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I am still in Shanghai, but I want for you to start thinking about our upcoming unit. This post is for grades six and seven. Today in class you discussed what makes stories great. You heard a few exciting stories and some others that were a bit dull. You thought about what made the stories fun and what made them boring.

Now watch this video about story telling:

I want you to think about why we tell stories.
Write a thoughtful paragraph about everything you have been thinking about in class. Use the questions below to guide your writing:

You shared some of your favorite fairy tales, stories from your culture, or movies. Think about:

Why do you like them?
Which ones does everybody know?
What is it about these stories that make them so fun to listen to?

Please cut and paste your paragraph and leave it as a comment on this post. If you are having trouble adding a comment, please email me or ask a friend.

Hello and Welcome

2010-09-14T02:42:00.000-07:00

Hello and welcome to you, my new students in Jakarta. It has taken a long time to get these classes finalized and sorted, and now that we have done that, I have up and flown to Shanghai. I am sorry for that. Please watch the video below to hear my explanation:

Fear not, I have several tasks I would like you to complete before I return, so let's take a group breath and get to work.

1. The first thing I would like you to do is set up a Gmail account. You can get started by clicking here or just goggle Gmail. I hope you can figure it out on your own. If you are having problems you can watch this video.

2. Once you have done that, please email me your new address to Mrraisdana@gmail.com I will create a group for you and send you a quick response.

3. After you have done that, see if you can leave a comment on this blog. Simply click to the bottom of this post and click on comment. Leave a line or two that says hello. Use your first name only and which class you are in! Tell us about what you like to do in your free time.

4. I am sure many of you use Facebook! I would love to be able to send you information about our class, but to do so you have to "like" my page. Don't worry I won't see your profile and you won't see mine. You will just receive class updates and other cool things in your feed. Click here.

5. Please follow this link to take a survey on technology.

That should keep you busy for a few sessions. If you have any problems please, ask the teacher in the room, your classmates or email me at mrraisdana@gmail.com and I will help you sort things out. There will be new tasks soon, so please stay tuned here at Community of Learners.

Oh Me! Oh Life!

2010-06-30T13:10:00.000-07:00

Dear Compass Students,

I am at home alone with soft music playing as I think of the year we just completed. This time of year is always an uncomfortable mixture of excitement and sadness. It doesn’t help that I may never see many of you again. Separation and moving on is the nature of this game I suppose. We dance in and out of each other’s lives and hopefully we will leave behind something memorable.

Looking back on our year there is no doubt in mind that you have been a special group. The whole idea of a tiny pioneer school was very exciting and important to me. You have made it memorable. I want to say thank you for working so hard and being so motivated. There were many times when you could have complained, but instead you carried on.

I know I tend to dwell on the doom and gloom. It may appear that I only see the worst in people. Our class discussions tended to focus on the morbid and the problems of the world. I must not have painted a pretty picture of your world or your future. I am sorry for this. I focused on the global issues you face because we need your help to start turning things around. Business as usual is leading us down a very dark path, and I for one am ready to turn around. This sense of disaster, however, is not the taste I have wanted to leave in your mouth. I wanted to show you the ugly, so you could appreciate the beautiful. The world is an astounding place. It is filled such wonder that you have not even begun to experience yet. You may not be able to contemplate this wonder at your age yet, but someday you will be have a moment of utter joy, I hope you will be able to look back at this time in your life and remember the things I taught you. All those long afternoons discussing community, identity, and love. The role of the individual, the common good, teh power of a garden. The power of art. The power of you!

I know it feels like we may have abandoned this blog, but there is no reason why we can’t stay in touch in this space. I would love to read your writing and have you read mine. I will continue to use this blog with my students next year, and I hope we can use it as a way to communicate with each other. Drop by now and then to see what we are doing. If you continue to write I will do the same. I promise.

If you haven’t done so already you can also join the Facebook fan page for updates. Try to make that a two way line of communication. Send me notes, links, photos. I am not done teaching you yet. I hope you are not done learning. With the Internet and the tools I have taught you to use, there is no reason why we cannot continue to learn from each other for years into the future.

Thank you for a great year and remember that words and ideas can change the world.

O ME! O life!... of the questions of these recurring; Of the endless trains of the faithless—of cities fill’d with the foolish;

The Question: O me! so sad, recurring—What good amid these, O me, O life?

Answer:
That you are here—that life exists, and identity; That the powerful play goes on, and you will contribute a verse.

What will your verse be...

Disucssion Worksheet

2010-05-13T03:28:00.000-07:00

Here is the discussion pointers we have been using in class. You can either see them below:
Class Discussion Guidelines

or follow this link to download the sheet for yourself.

Enter Your Work To Space

2010-05-12T06:18:00.000-07:00

I recently came across this online magazine asking for student work. I know the teacher behind the project and he has asked me to share the "space" with you, my students.

It is simple: We will accept any work that can be published online: personal narratives, photos, poems, multimedia–just let us know what you’ve been working on. Follow this link for further instructions. If you do share your work, please leave a comment here so I know you have as well. This could be a great way to get some readers and traffic to your blog! You can share your articles we recently wrote, poetry you have been working on, videos and/or photography. Looking forward to seeing your work on Space!

Year 8 English Homework

2010-05-10T06:34:00.000-07:00

Read chapter 9 and write a blog post:

Write about your own future. What plans/expectations do you have for your future? What are your dreams? How are these ideas influenced? What other expectations do you feel are put on you by your parents, culture, or school?

Year 8 English Homework

2010-04-28T05:46:00.000-07:00

Please copy and paste from your blog post, one thing you like about Jonas' community and one thing you do not like onto this wall. You can use pictures too if you like to help shape our class ideas.

Year 9 English Homework

2010-04-26T06:19:00.000-07:00

Finish reading chapters 1 &2, and write a blog post about a time you felt like an outsider. Also please

Find Examples of:

· Five bands from the sixties

· Five slang words with definition

· Four political events

· Five major sporting events

· Three racially motivated incidents

· Three popular cars

· Five popular foods

· Five television shows or series

· Two world leaders

List these examples on a word document with pictures and/or links to youtube clips. Print it off and bring to next class.

Year 8 English- Homework

2010-04-26T06:16:00.000-07:00

Finish reading chapters 2 and 3. Write a blog post which answers the following questions:

What do you see as the positive aspects of the Community Jonas lives in?

What do you see as the negative aspects of the Community Jonas lives in?

Due Wednesday.

Year Eight-English Homework

2010-04-19T02:37:00.000-07:00

We are back to reading a novel and so back to blogging. I expect that you will regularly touch base here at Community of Learners for HW assignments, extra materials, and general updates. Your first assignment which is due by Wednesday before you come to class is to complete a pre-reading survey to get you thinking. Please follow this link and follow the directions:

Please answer these question to get you thinking about the novel we are about to read. State whether you agree or disagree with each statement then briefly explain your answer in complete sentences. Short 3-5 line answers are fine. When you are done, pick one statement and your reaction to it that you wish to expand on your blog. Write a longer blog post sharing your thoughts.

Back on Track

2010-02-24T05:06:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! It has been a while since I have written a decent post on our blog; I have only been posting homework assignments, and for that I apologize. Originally I wanted this blog to be a space where I could share interesting articles, ideas, and other sites, links, music, movies etc with you. So to help get back on track I wanted to share this cool site that came across my desk the other day called, "What Middle School Students Wish You Knew." Take a look at see what you can relate top and what you agree with.

Please leave a comment, in the comment section of this post, so I can see who is still reading this blog, and also, so I can get a sense of whether or not you agree with the types of comments those kids have made. Cut and paste the items you agree with most. Give specific examples. Don't just say, "yeah, I agree with it." Are there any other things that you feel your teachers should know? How can we help make school more engaging for you? How can we help you learn better?

Year 7, 8, 9 English Homework

2010-02-24T01:24:00.000-08:00

1. Edit your draft looking for Word Choice: Clear, precise words that enhance meaning. Use a thesaurus to change at least ten words in your draft and highlight what you have changed.

2. Write a blog post about Voice and Word Choice. What did you learn about these two traits?

Year 9 History Homework

2010-02-24T00:11:00.000-08:00

In class, we have been talking a lot about the "Nature" of warfare. We have come up with 10 characteristic features of 20th century warfare:

Ariel Combat

Navel Combat

Ground Combat

Hand to Hand Combat

Urban Combat

Bombs

Ceremonies

Trench Warfare

Leaders

Statistics/Deaths

I asked you to free write about what it would feel like to be in one of the pictures you have that illustrates one of these features. In class, we began a Google Doc, in which you are typing up your narrative using sensory language to depict the nature of warfare. Please continue to work on this and finish it for homework.

I would also like you to find a relevant Youtube clip that will give your readers a sense of your topic. Please embed it on your blog and write a few lines about why you chose the clip and how it relates to your category. How does this clip illustrate the nature of warfare? You can use some of the facts you found, mixed with your newly written narratives. If you forgot how to embed a video, please watch this tutorial below:

Adding Your Voice

2010-02-08T00:34:00.000-08:00

In class, we have been talking a lot about Voice. I showed you a list of things you can do to help you find your voice. Here they are below. If you have any comments, advice, or questions about the items on this list leave them in the comments below.

have something important to say

find new ways of expressing familiar ideas

capture a range of emotions, from gleeful to poignant to afraid

offer sincere thoughts

you are confident that what you say matters

you are willing to take a risk and

try something that no classmate has tried before

apply original thinking

Year 8 Geography

2010-01-24T01:18:00.000-08:00

In Geography we have been discussing Erosion and its effect on the landscape. According to this site, Erosion is the process that breaks things down. We began watching this video in class today, but you can see the rest of it, in the comfort of your own home.

It is a good visual on how Erosion works.

Year 7,8,9 English Homework

2010-01-17T02:34:00.000-08:00

1. Type up the descriptive paragraph we worked on in class on a google doc and invite me to collaborate with you on it. My address is jabizraisdana@gmail.com

2. Write a blog post about what you learned from the first writing trait: IDEAS. Describe the process and what you would tell others about this part of the process. Give examples! Be sure to focus on these ideas:

Clear, focused main idea

Intriguing, important details

3. Title it as Six Traits: Ideas and categorize it as Six Traits and writing

Year 8 History Homework- French Revolution

2010-01-12T07:46:00.000-08:00

Please research key aspects of the 'ancien régime' to understand the privileges of the nobles, the church and the royal family before the revolution. You have been assigned which group to research, please try and find as much information, as many pictures and/or video to paint a picture of what life was like for these three different groups in France. DO NOT cut and paste and move information, re-word what you find and understand and add it to the wiki. Share work here. Add your name after your section please.
Due on Thursday.

Whatever it takes to make a difference!

2009-11-17T03:41:00.000-08:00

A note from Mrs. C:

As mentioned in our assembly last week, I am organising a regular visit to a local school for kids with special needs. The idea is to give up our time and skills to help out for 30 minutes at a time.

Here is the link to the school if you want to see what they achieve already.

The other project we have is to help out another similar school in Jaipur, Rajasthan in India. The kids are very creative, artistic and competitive. The local school sends students in to help them but it would be great to send in some experiments you particularly enjoyed and can explain clearly. Please bear in mind that the teachers live in a poor area but have the means to adapt materials/resources, if necessary. Throughout this exercise, you will get a better understanding of your topics and will help out a lesson to be more fun. Here is the first school interested with a link with you. I have emailed and asked for specific topics in English and Science but feel free to send in your favourite tasks! Please ask your teacher to have a look at it first and then contact me.

Have a look at the kids you would help.

Another school we visit regularly is interested in a similar link. I will get more details from them and will get back to you.

Merci,

Mrs C

Please leave any questions you have in the comment section below for Mrs. C

Year 8 History Homework

2009-11-17T01:34:00.000-08:00

Please go to this site and do some basic research on the person who were assigned in class. Write a paragraph in which you answer the following questions

1.   Get a basic understanding of persons life, and share what you find.
2.   Why were they important to history?
3.   How were they portrayed as powerful?

Post your work on your blog (categorize it as history and homework) and print it out for next class.

Year 7 History Homework

2009-11-15T06:44:00.000-08:00

Do some very basic research on the Domesday Book and share what you find in the comments below. Try not repeat what someone else has already said. If you find any useful websites, please cut and paste the URL into your response.

Share your ideas of what you think peasant life was like during this period.

Blogger of the Week

2009-11-12T05:04:00.000-08:00

As our blogging initiative really starts to gain speed, I am noticing that a few of you are really starting to get the hang of what it means to be a good blogger. We have decided in order to encourage and support your work, each week we will have a Blogger of the Week. This person will receive a star or mark, which will identify them as the most effective blogger of that week. There will be three, one from each year group, assigned. The people with the most marks will receive a prize at the end of term.

Here are some features of what good bloggers do:

Write a nice catchy title and categorize all of their posts

Write to the point using clear and effective language

Beware of grammatical mistakes. No lower case i and incomprehensible sentences

Be regular and write posts that are not just Homework assignments. They share their world with their readers

Using Creative Commons pictures wherever possible and site their sources. Or better yet take their own photos to use

Take risks and figure out how to do things on their own

Share links and other information through their blogs.

This first month has been a learning experience for us all and yet there have still been several blogs that have stood out in each year group. It was hard to narrow it down to just three. Please take the time to look at the following exemplar blogs; take a look

at some of their post, leave them comments and ask yourself, what are they doing that makes their blogs so effective.

Year 7
Iona
Nadia
Riccado
Jeppe

Year 8
Isabel
James M.
James A.
Larrisa
Rohan
Jamie
Rachel

Year 9
Candida
Marrissa

And the winner is....Drum Roll please....

Year 7
Iona (This post in particular was excellent!)

Year 8
Rachel (Take a look at all the extra pages Rachel has added to make her Blog more personal)

Year 9
Marrissa (While Marrissa doesn't speak much in class, she is using her Blog to open up and share her ideas!)

Great job everyone. The winners for next week will be posted next Thursday!

A Little Book Help

2009-11-12T02:22:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! Riccardo, a year seven student wants some help finding good books to read. Can you help him out? Please click here, to go to his blog and leave him a nice list of books to read in the comment section.

Year 7 -The Egypt Game: Rituals and Strange Happenings

2009-11-11T23:50:00.000-08:00

In English we have been reading The Egypt Game and looking at rituals. While the children in the story have been playing a game, and we have had some fun with drama and rituals, we want to take a closer look at the role rituals play in our daily lives. This is a short clip of some skits we worked on in class.

Now we want you think about some rituals or ceremonies from your life and your culture. What do you? Why are they important to you? Please share them here in the comments, or if you need more room feel free to write a blog post about it. You can also share this clip with your friends and family and let them comment as well.

If you would like to embed this video onto your blog, follow these instructions:

1. Find the Embed code on the lower right hand corner of the Youtube player.Copy or Cut it.

2. Go to your Blog editor and type any text you want to write answering the questions for your homework..

3. Find the words Visual and HTML in the upper right hand corner of the editor.

4. Click on HTML, then paste the Embed code from Youtube. The one you had cut earlier.

5. Click back to Visual and you will see a big pink box, once you publish this will be a Youtube player!

There you go. Feel free to embed the clip to help talk about your experience and answer the questions for homework. Feel free to leave any comments about the video below or directly on Youtube!

Do You Know How Lucky We Are?

2009-11-10T09:43:00.000-08:00

Hey Year Eights! You guys did a great job today. I have been working tirelessly to get this video posted to help you as you do your homework tonight! So take a look and try to gather your thoughts, so you can answer these questions:

How did you feel about this kind of work before you started? How have your feelings changed?

What did you learn about yourself while doing this kind of work? Was it easy? Was it difficult?

How did you feel while doing this work? Did you enjoy it? Were you proud? Were you embarrassed? Why?

You can read the passage here or in the book.

If you would like to embed this video onto your blog, follow these instructions:

1. Find the Embed code on the lower right hand corner of the Youtube player.Copy or Cut it.

2. Go to your Blog editor and type any text you want to write answering the questions for your homework..

3. Find the words Visual and HTML in the upper right hand corner of the editor.

4. Click on HTML, then paste the Embed code from Youtube. The one you had cut earlier.

5. Click back to Visual and you will see a big pink box, once you publish this will be a Youtube player!

There you go. Feel free to embed the clip to help talk about your experience and answer the questions for homework. Feel free to leave any comments about the video below or directly on Youtube!

Year 8 English Homwork

2009-11-10T04:42:00.000-08:00

1. Complete your drawing of page 94

2. Read Las Cebollas page 100-120

3. Think about what we did in class today and pay close attention to the two passages we discussed:

Image by malias

Esperanza went to the washtub and hesitated, staring in to the water. Bits of onionskins floated on the surface of the soapy water. She held a corner of the diaper, lightly dipping it in and out of the water, her hand never getting wet. After a few seconds, she gingerly lifted the diaper from the water. “Now what?” She said. “Esperanza! You must scrub them! Like this.” Isabel walked over, took the diapers, and plunged them into the water up to her elbows. The water quickly became murky. She rubbed the diapers with soap, vigorously scrubbed them back and forth on the washboard, and wrung them out. Then she transferred them to the next tub, rinsing and wringing again. Isabel shook out the clean diapers and hung them on the line stretched between the chinaberry and mulberry trees.

Image by kaiton

In her entire life, Esperanza had never held a broom in her hand. But she had seen Hortensia sweep and she tried to visualize the memory. It couldn’t possibly be that hard. She put both hands near the middle of the broomstick and moved it back and forth. It swung wildly. The motion seemed awkward and the fine dirt on the wooden planks lifted into a cloud. Onion jackets flew in to the air instead of gathering together in a neat pile like Hortensia’s. Esperanza’s elbows did not know what to do. Neither did her arms. She felt streams of perspiration sliding down her neck. She stopped for a moment and stared at the broom, as if willing it to behave. Determined, she tried again. She hadn’t noticed that several trucks were already unloading workers nearby. Then she heard it. First tittering then louder. She turned around. A group of women were laughing at her.

Now in a well thought out, emotional, personal blog post please answer the following questions:

How did you feel about this kind of work before you started? How have your feelings changed?

What did you learn about yourself while doing this kind of work? Was it easy? Was it difficult?

How did you feel while doing this work? Did you enjoy it? Were you proud? Were you embarrassed? Why?

Interactive Esperanza

2009-11-09T12:02:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Mrs. Todd for finding this great interactive site for Esperanza Rising. Click here or on the picture to take a look around. Share what you find and leave a comment here about things you find interesting.

Year 7 English Homework

2009-11-08T03:34:00.000-08:00

1. After reading The Prisoners of Fear, please write a paragraph or two on your blog answering this question:

Imagine you were a character from the book and you weren't allowed to play outside anymore, how does it feel to be stuck inside? Discuss you feelings of being stuck inside. What are somethings you would do? Please do not just write a few sentences saying you would be bored. Really think about it and give us details.

Year 8 English Homework

2009-11-08T03:29:00.000-08:00

1. Finish reading Los Melones (cantaloupes)

2. On page 90 Isabel and Esperanza are talking about school. We discussed a bit in class whether you feel that school is a right or a privilege. So please write a paragraph or two- Is school a right or a privilege? Write a bit about your experiences and memories of school. Do you feel like Isabel and find school exciting or are you like Esperanza and take it for granted.

On page 92 Esperanza talks about finding the place where her life is anchored, think about your life and the things that matter to you. You have already discussed material objects that are meaningful to you, but now I want you to think about the parts of your life that are important you. Where is your life anchored? Write a paragraph or two and post it on your blog. Don't forget to categorize your post as English, Homework, Esperanza Rising. Number one and two are Due tomorrow.

3. There are several similes and metaphors on page 94 as Esperanza is approaching California. Please draw a picture of this scene. Pay attention to detail. Actually draw the similes, so we can see the images as described by the author. Use at least three similes. Be prepared to write the simile and paste it on your picture. Number Three is Due on Wednesday November 11th.

Year 9 English Homework

2009-11-08T03:19:00.000-08:00

1. Read Beast From The Air

2. Write a paragraph or two about your thoughts thus far on the book. This is purposely a very unstructured prompt. I want to get a a general sense of where you are in your head! Think about:

Major ideas and themes

Any questions you may have about plot, characters, etc...

Do you like it? What do you like about it?

Do you dislike it? Why?

Which characters can you relate to? Why?

Year 7 Homework

2009-11-04T05:08:00.000-08:00

1. Complete a character profile/description of Elizabeth Chung. Draw a picture and annotate it with passages from the book.

2. Complete a paragraph or two about your special toy, the one we began in class and post it to your blog.

3. Read chapter 6 Prisoner of Fear, take notes and be prepared to discuss it on Sunday.

Due November 8th.

Year 8 Homework

2009-11-04T04:13:00.000-08:00

In class today we discussed the following four questions:

What are some signs of wealth?

What does it mean to be successful?

Why do so many people pursue wealth?

How can someone be poor, but rich at the same time?

1. Think about what we discussed in class and go to this Google Doc and insert a few ideas.

2. After you have done that and read what others have said, choose one of the following quotes to write about:

"I am poor, but I am rich. I have my children, I have a garden with roses, and I have my faith and the memorires of those who have gone before me. What more is there?" Page 76

"The rich take care of the rich and the poor take care of those who have less than they have." Page 79

What do these quotes mean to you? In a paragraph or two, please explain how you understand the message. There is no right or wrong answer, just what you think and how you feel.

3. Please post the response on your blog. You do not need to read this weekend. Good luck. If you have any questions, please leave them here as comments.

Year 8 English Homework

2009-10-28T09:17:00.000-07:00

1. Write a paragraph or two answering this question:

If you had to pack up all your things and leave in an instant what would you take?

Please do not just make a list of objects. Explain the significance of each object. Post your answer on your blog.

Where did you get it?

How long have you had it?

Who gave it to you?

Why is it special?

What makes it irreplaceable?

2. Read page 58-72, take notes and fill in the wiki.

3. Add your questions for Suzanna on the wiki.

Year 7 Homework- English

2009-10-28T09:10:00.000-07:00

Make sure you have read up to page 34.

Complete vocabulary lists for chapter 1 &2

Work on character descriptions/profiles for The Professor, April, and Melanie. Include pictures and notes!

Add some of your notes onto the wiki here.

Due Sunday the 1st

Year 8 English Homework

2009-10-26T10:20:00.000-07:00

Read chapter 3 Los Higos 39-57

Take notes using posts its.

Choose one or two comments, questions, or favorite lines and post them to the wiki.

Year 9 English Homework

2009-10-26T10:11:00.000-07:00

Read Chapter 2- Fire on the Mountain in Lord of the Flies

Add information and notes to the wiki page. Complete as much of the chart as possible.

Review your Meyer's Briggs results on this page. and answer the following questions:

What do you learn about your self that you didn't know before?

What did the test teach you about your self that you already knew?

Was it accurate?

Please post your answers on your blog. Please find a Creative Commons image that you feel matches your personality type.

Year9- English Homework

2009-10-21T07:05:00.000-07:00

Looks like you have all caught up on the homework that was assigned last class. Here is what you need to do for next Sunday!

1. Read your classmates' blog posts and leave at least two different comments. You can either comment on the Lord of the Flies post or the community post.

2. Read or re-read chapter one from Lord of the Flies. Please write down any notes you have taken while reading. You can type out your questions, notes, or any vocabulary you are having trouble onto the wiki. Click here to find the page. Basically, anything you are writing in a notebook or a Post-It can be typed here.

I have created some headlines, so try and fit your work into those! Any questions leave them as comments or email me. Don't forget to post some work for your history Africa project on the wiki here.

Year 8- English Homework

2009-10-21T05:25:00.000-07:00

1. Please define the following words and write an original sentence using each word:

incline -2

scythe -4

arbor -5

cluster -5

court-7

vicious -8

premonition -9

serenade-9

congregate -9

camisole-10

adobe-10

horizon-10

sprawl-11

scold-11

You can either print the definitions or try and add them to the wiki by clicking here. Once you are on the page, simply click Edit on the upper right hand corner.

2. In at least a paragraph explain why Esperanza and Miguel can never marry. Post this answer on your blog and categorize the post as English, Homework, and Esperanza Rising.

3. Add any notes you may have written from your reading from pages 1-22 on the wiki by clicking here.

Year 9- English Homework

2009-10-19T13:25:00.000-07:00

Before you get started, please take a look at the opening scene from the movie. We will probably watch the whole movie after we read the book, although it is not nearly as good, (There are some major difference, DO NOT let it influence your view of the book too much),

but for now I want you to get a sense of the island and the isolation these boys must have felt. So sit back and really put yourself in their shoes. I have already sent you an invite to a Google Doc, so you can collectively answer the following questions:

What would you most enjoy about being on the island?

What would you miss most from home?

What rules will you establish, if any?

What would you do about people who broke the rules?

How would you enforce these rules?

Now, I would like you take some time to write individually. We won't spend too much more time on the "election" of the leader. If you have any thoughts leave them as comments below, but I do want you to think about these questions:

When and why do children tease each other?

Have you ever been teased? If so how did you feel?

How can someone who’s teased stop the teasing?

Have you ever teased someone? Why did you do it? How did it feel?

Please write your answers and post them on your blog.

Nick Toczek

2009-10-19T04:09:00.000-07:00

As you may have heard, we are lucky to have author Nick Toczek visit our school this week. Nick will be performing for the entire school on Wednesday night from 6-7, but he will also present solely for the secondary during school on Wednesday. We will have a great opportunity to chat with him after and ask him some questions.

Here are the basics:

Best-selling author, Nick Toczek, is a full-time professional writer and performer who currently works variously as a poet, magician, storyteller, puppeteer, novelist, stand-up comic, radio DJ, creative writing tutor, journalist, librettist, advertising copy-writer and political researcher. He's published over thirty books and has made more than 30,000 public appearances. His poetry books alone have sold over quarter of a million copies.

We would like you to do some research on the man and prepare some well-thought out questions to ask him during his talk. I have decided to help you out a bit. Here are some places to learn more about him:

MySpace page

Some of his poems

Some of his books

Some of his videos

This is a great opportunity to speak with a professional writer, so let's come up with some insightful questions

Year 7- History Homework

2009-10-19T03:02:00.000-07:00

We felt that you all had a pretty good time participating in the the William the Conqueror simulation, and that you learned a lot, but now we want to know why.

How did you feel about exploring history through drama?
What was your favorite part?
What do you remember most?

Please do not simply write a three sentence response. Write at least a paragraph about what stuck out in your mind and post it on your blog. If you are having a hard time posting you can read directions here, leave your paragraph as a comment below, bring in your work on a USB drive and post it at school, or email it to one of your teachers. Please categorize your post as: history, homework.

Year 8- English Homework

2009-10-19T02:48:00.000-07:00

Great discussion today in class today about Mexico, your impressions of the book, class, and other things. I hope we built some excitement for this book! Tonight your homework is to simply read and get your feet wet in this book. Please read pages 1-22. DO NOT read ahead, no matter how much you want to. Remember we are "dissecting" this book and we want to move through the process together. We do not want everyone in different places of the book.

In class we began to discuss some strategies to help you become a more active and confident reader. We will talk more about these strategies all year, but you can get a quick look by clicking here, or going to the top of the page and clicking on the tab labeled Reading Strategies. As you read please take notes using one or more of the strategies. You can also take notes on the following:

Sentences that stand out and make you think.

Images you find beautiful, well written, or striking.

Words you don't understand.

Questions you may have for your teachers, classmates, or even the characters.

Connections you realize while reading.

Good luck, feel free to leave any comments or questions in the comment section of this post. Final note, if you haven't already done so please fill in the Reading Survey.

Must Do:

Read page 1-22 and take notes.

Take Reading Survey

Reading Survey

2009-10-17T13:34:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

This week we will start reading novels in Year 7, 8, and 9, but before we do, I want to get a sense of what kind of readers you all are. We will talk a lot about what makes a person a good active reader in class, but I still want each of you to fill in this survey. Please take your time and write complete sentences for each questions. Please really take the time to think about your answers and write a clear response.

You can take the survey right by clicking in the image below or click here.

Parent Night Powerpoint

2009-10-16T13:26:00.000-07:00

Hey guys,

This next post is actually for you and your parents, so run to the other room and bring them over. Yes, I am serious! I want you to sit down next to your mom or dad and read this post together. Hi mom or dad!

As we progress this year in our efforts to create a constructive learning community within and without our classroom, we hope to use a variety of online tools to help us all stay connected and communicating. We hope that this blog can be the central place where we all meet and discuss what is happening in our class.

Unfortunately, I was not able to attend the parent night last week, but I heard it was a great success. I have included the fantastic powerpoint that Ms. Gould presented to parents, as a way to keep us all informed. Please take a few minutes to flip through it.

Powerpoint For Parents

View more presentations from Intrepidteacher.

If you have any comments or questions, please leave them in the comment section below. You can either ask you child how to do this or read this post for instructions. It would be nice if you could drop a line even if you don’t have any questions, so we can see who is here.

We would love to have as many parents participate as possible. By regularly reading this blog you will be able to keep up with what your child is dong in class, you can comment on his or her work, and you can stay in touch with Ms. Gould and myself.

In closing, I want to thank you in advance for being active members in our community of learners.

Skyelar Rain

2009-10-11T13:45:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! Hope you are well and having a good week. I just wanted to share a photo and some news with you. My second daughter Skyelar Rain was born last week on Thursday. I will be at home till Wednesday taking care of her and my wife. Be good till I get back, I am looking forward to picking up where we left off.

Setting Up Your Blogs!

2009-10-05T02:21:00.000-07:00

This post and these instructions are only for people who have turned in their permission slips to me and started setting up their blogs in class. If you have not started in class DO NOT create your blog yet. For everyone else here are step-by-step instructions. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comment section below.

Start here and follow the instructions to set up your blog. Remember not to use your last name for a domain name.

Once you have created your blog, go in and change your password to something you will remember. Click here for instructions.

Change how your blog looks, by choosing a new theme. Click here to see how.

If you have gotten this far and feel comfortable go ahead and write your first post. See here for instructions. Simply cut and paste the piece about community that we have been working on in class. Be sure to categories it as: Homework, English, Community.

Final step email me your new blog address.

Don't panic if something goes wrong. Simply leave your questions below or ask me tomorrow in school. Good luck.

Where Do Words Come From?

2009-10-01T11:37:00.000-07:00

Etymology is the study of word derivation (where words come from). Did you know that the English Language has many words but it has also ‘stolen’ many words from other languages? After all, why make up a new word for something when someone else has already done it. Here is a short story which highlights where those words originally came from.

Balaclava- wearing vampires

The vampire ( Serbian) in a balaclava ( Ukrainian) sat in a coach ( Hungarian), using a biro( Hungarian) to tot up his bridge ( Russian) score while the sleazy( Latvian) Cossack (Ukrainian) waved his sabre ( Hungarian) at the cravat (Croatian) – wearing cosmonaut ( Russian); the robot( Czech) shot a horde(Polish) of mammoths (Russian) with a pistol(Czech). They all retired to a bistro (Russian) to talk (Lithuanian) and eat some pastrami (Romanian).

Can you find some words from your own language that have been incorporated into the English Language? If you are a mother tongue speaker you could choose a different country. List the words in the comment section below. We would like to make a collection of these for the classrooms and see how many we can find by the end of the year.

Happy hunting!

Women Are Heroes

2009-10-01T01:13:00.000-07:00

An artist cannot fail; it is a success to be one.

Charles Horton Cooley

An artist is a dreamer consenting to dream of the actual world.
George Santayana

Just watched this amazing video and wanted to share it with you. I am always amazed by the awe inspiring power of art to help us see the world in different ways.

JR - EXTRAIT "WOMEN ARE HEROES", Kibera, Kenya
by JR

What do you think about the video or the quotes above? Are you an artist? What is the vision of the world you want to share? How did this video change the way you think about the world? Who are some powerful women in your life and why are they powerful? Share your thoughts!

Understanding Blogs

2009-09-30T07:10:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone. Let me say that I am very impressed by how many of you have completed the tasks I have asked to complete up to this point. I hope that we will all be in school next week, so we can make sure everyone is caught up, and so you can begin creating your own blogs! Before we do that, however, let's take a look at what blogs are first.

Welcome to our classroom blog. You guys have done a great job of checking in here this week, and I am sure you will become even more accustomed to spending time here soon. This blog will be one of many tools we will use to create our own online community. I have chosen to call this blog a Community of Learners, because I feel that the concept of community is very important to learning. We have been discussing the idea of community at length so far this year, and I hope that we can use this space to further that conversation. I also hope that we can interact with each other as a class, as well as connect and learn from other classrooms and teachers around the world.

I know this is all very new to some of you, so we will take it slow. Unfortunately our Internet connection at school is unreliable at this time, but I do not want this unreliability to affect our work. The fact that we have not seen each other for a week and still got so much done is a good sign. Even when we are back together, I will expect you to do many technological tasks at home. Each day I will show you how to do something in class and will expect for you to figure out to compete the task at home.

Part of learning is the ability to take risk and make mistakes. I hope that you will soon feel comfortable trying things out, learning how to ask proper questions, and finding the answers on your own.

I want you to watch the video below about blogs, so that you will be ready to create your own blogs next week and use them to share your ideas, reflect on you learning, express yourselves, and connect with students and teachers around the world. Your blogs will serve many purposes and I will explain them to you in time- sometimes you will use them strictly for school, but I would like you to take ownership of your space and share posts that reflect your interests in addition to the school assignments I give to you.

Please watch this video and in the comment section of this post answer the questions below the video:

Please answer all four of these questions using complete sentence:

What kinds of topics will you like to share?

What is your "news?"

Who do you hope will read your blog?

What questions do you have about blogs?

Just the Right Speed

2009-09-29T08:15:00.000-07:00

It is difficult to know if we are moving too quickly or not quickly enough. Some of you are on board, eager to work, and you have completed the first few tasks. And we still have several students I haven't even heard from, who may not have seen this blog yet! If you are all caught up and ready to go to the next step, I ask that you remain patient. I do not want to go so fast that people who have not even started fall too far behind to catch up. Here is a quick recap of what you should have done up to this point:

Create a Gmail account. Click here if you need instructions.

If you are on Facebook become a Fan of our page. If you do not have a Facebook account do not worry about creating one, simply use the tool bar on the right of this page to stay tuned with announcements. This tool bar is also how you can find our page and become a fan.

Read the post with the quote and leave a comment. Click here if you need instructions.

One more time for those of you that like simple instructions:

Create a Gmail account- Email me the address j.raisdana@cisdoha.org

Become a Fan on Facebook

Leave a comment on the Quote Post

If you have done these three things then please click here and take this survey.

Final note, you no longer need to comment on the Welcome post letting me know you are here. Simply complete the tasks, and if you have any questions leave them on the appropriate post.

If you have...

Created a Gmail account- Emailed me the address j.raisdana@cisdoha.org

Become a Fan on Facebook

Left a comment on the Quote Post

Taken the survey

...then you are done. Sit tight and relax. If not, then get to work!

Let's Get Thinking

2009-09-29T04:12:00.000-07:00

Good morning to you all. Quotes have been written over the ages about life, love, friendship, war, freedom, dreams, happiness and of course, education. Let's get your brains working a bit. In the comment section below this post write out some thoughts about what this quote makes you think about. Try to write a few sentences or a paragraph instead of just a few words or phrases. After a few comments have been written feel free to bounce ideas off of what others have written. We have added an image as well to help direct your thoughts. Remember to focus on the quote and how it is connected to the image.

Education is the best provision for old age.

Quote by Aristotle, Greek critic, philosopher, physicist, & zoologist (384 BC - 322 BC).

Image by Laura May

After you have commented on the quote can you find any other good quotes by historically important people that speak to you? Can you explain why you chose that particular quote? Feel free to post the quotes in the comment section as well.

Task One: Setting Up Gmail

2009-09-28T04:03:00.000-07:00

Okay every one, good to see some of you here. Please email, call, or SMS your friends and get everyone on board as soon as possible. Watch the video below and follow the instructions. Basically you have two tasks right now:

Create a Gmail account.

Become a fan of the Community of Learning on Facebook (If you do not have a Facebook account, don’t worry, this is only for people who have accounts right now.)

How to create a gmail account:

If you are online right now, join me in this chat room at about 11:15 to ask any questions! Follow this link. Once you are in, you will see a spot that says join chat at the bottom right hand side of the page click that and you are in.

Welcome

2009-09-27T04:08:00.000-07:00

Hey guys!

As I am sure you have heard, due to Swine Flu, we will not be at school for at least a week. Since we know that you are dying to stay connected and continue with your school work, we have set up this blog as a way for all of us to continue our work of building communities, in “real” life, and now online.

This works out perfectly because we had planned to begin creating these online spaces for learning before these recent events, now we will work from necessity.

For the next few days, we will be posting lessons and ideas that we wish to share with you here on this blog Our hope is that you will check in at least once a day and leave comments so we know you have been here. This will be our way of taking the register.

Sometimes we will ask you to watch a video, look at images or read text and comment in the section below. Leaving a comment is simple. Follow the directions below. Find the link that says No Comments or 7 Comments and click it.

Write your first name only

Enter your email in the second box

Leave the website box empty

Copy the spam checker as you see it. Sometimes you might get it wrong and it will ask you to do it again. Do it till you get it right.

Click submit comment.

So there you have it! Please leave a comment below so we know you are here. If you have any questions feel free to leave them as well. If you still can't figure it out, please email me: j.raisdana@cisdoha.org c.gould@cisdoha.org