Article posted October 1, 2009 at 05:51 PM GMT0 • Reads 372

Here is this first entry for this year on this site for me. I really hope that students and parents gain some insight into and experience with online conversations. This site will be used for a number of educational conversations throughout the school year. Hopefully, all of the students will use this tool to demonstrate their knowledge and share their experiences in the classroom.

Article posted October 7, 2009 at 05:16 PM GMT0 • Reads 34

Here we are! The site is ready to go and we will be learning how to use this site. One of the easiest things for you to do will be to post comments to my questions since there is no login needed. Please try it sometime soon!

What is the most interesting thing you have learned about cells or the United States government? Choose one and support your response with reasons. I can't wait to read your comments!

Article posted October 9, 2009 at 01:37 AM GMT0 • Reads 40

If you do not see you name, then you may need to click on the "2009-2010" link to the right of this article.

Article posted October 13, 2009 at 04:10 AM GMT0 • Reads 36

I am amazed that you students are using the blog site over your long weekend. That's great! I love the fact that whenever I have checked here I am rewarded by new article and comments. Just as afriendly reminder, if you have not seen one of your articles, that you have requested publishing for, actually get published, then you will need to go back into it and make the fixes that I have left for you in the teacher's comments section.

Today's question is about the new idea that schools should do away with summer vacation. There would be more vacations throughout the year, but there would just no be a 10 week long vacation for students and school staff in the summer.

What do you think about this idea? Be open-minded and really think about this before you react. There are probably good arguments for both sides of the issue. Try to demonstrate that you have thought about them before you write.

I can not wait to read the responses.

Article posted October 22, 2009 at 05:19 PM GMT0 • Reads 37

So, this week we have begun reading Poppy by Avi. Poppy's friend Raqgweed, a mouse,  is an interesting character who dies when he is eaten by the owl ruler of Dimwood Forest, Mr. Ocax. I want to learn what the students in my class think about Ragweed.

What character traits did he have?

Did his character traits cause him to die?

Lastly, why do you think Ragweed had so many questions about the rules that Mr. Ocax imposed on the mice?

Article posted November 4, 2009 at 07:06 PM GMT0 • Reads 39

One of the things that was done by the people trying to catch Lucette, the parrot, in the story was to call the fire department. It was believed that their ladders would help Bolivia get her bird back. This story reminds me of the age-old story of the fire department being called to get a cat out of a tree.

Do you think that this is an appropriate use of the fire department? Why or why not?

Article posted November 6, 2009 at 02:20 PM GMT0 • Reads 35

In class, we have just finished reading Poppy by Avi. I am wondering what lesson all of you have learned from the story of the mouse that was able to discover the truth and defeat Mr. Ocax.

I look forward to reading about the lessons you took away from the story.

Article posted December 4, 2009 at 05:20 PM GMT0 • Reads 36

Since we have just finished the story Dear Mrs. Parks, I would like each of my students to come up with 1 word that they would use to describe Rosa Parks. Think about all she accomplished and respond with your one-word answer. Then justify your choice of that 1 word.

Article posted December 11, 2009 at 04:10 AM GMT0 • Reads 36

As I traveled the information super highway this evening, I encountered an interesting question. "If you could have any person from history as a dinner guest for an evening, who would you choose?"

Now I have two questions for my class.

1. Who would you choose and why?

2. Who do you think I would choose? Why?

Take some time to think about your choice. Choose whomever you want, but try to stretch your thinking and perhaps do a little research about who you choose.

Article posted January 5, 2010 at 09:00 PM GMT0 • Reads 45

This week we have been working on summarizing strategies. Please use one of the "One-Sentence Summary" strategies that we learned in class to summarize your favorite movie. Remember that the summary frames can be used to describe, compare/contrast, sequence, tell the problem and solution or cause/effect. You can use any one of the frames that you choose. You may also want to try using different frames to create different one-sentence summaries of the same movie. I look forward to reading your work!

Article posted January 26, 2010 at 05:26 PM GMT0 • Reads 39

This week's issue of Time For Kids posed an interesting questions that I would like to have you answer.

"Do the Olympic Games contribute to world unity, or do they create too much competition between countries?"

Answer in a response.

Article posted February 24, 2010 at 05:55 PM GMT0 • Reads 45

At the end of the book, Josh tells Hadley Simon's newest joke. It goes: "Why did Netta cross the Road? To get to the other side."

Josh did not think it made any sense, but Hadley said that it made "perfect sense." Why do you think Hadley believed that? Support you answers with details from the story of Netta's life.

Article posted March 31, 2010 at 05:14 PM GMT0 • Reads 952

We have read many selections in our reading book so far this year. What is your favorite selection? What is your least favorite one? Be sure to support your responses with reasons. I will not publish responses that lack support.