Week #3 Thing #7 Curriculum connection

I just made a comment on week #1 to LMTMAL. I am very knowledgeable about the necessity of PLAY. I do it all the time. It is a revitalizer from which we all can benefit. As I read more blogs, I will include more comments. I had been thinking that the leadership team would be adding most, if no all, of the comments.

I have just added a comment to Manchat-Open Up to Reading This Summer. I gave him some summer reading recommendations.

Week #3 and Thing #7

I have been very impressed with the potential of using a blog to archive and store information in a searchable platform. I enjoy being able to add images from scans and digital cameras. It has also opened up a wide spectrum of photos when people have published public photos such as those in Flickr. I am hoping for a simpler and quicker posting interface in the future. There are quite a few steps needed to add some of the images. There are some that are documented as JPG but will not load after being saved in my documents. Others I had to play with in order to use the photos I wanted. I need to be careful not to shift some of the learning to technology if there is no real knowledge retention. I need to be aware of the tools that do the work for the student without a retention of knowledge. As a Spanish teacher, I know what my students can do on their own and am very aware when technology has added to the end product.

Week #3 Thing #6 plus curriculum connections

This has been quite time consuming as I fought the lack of communication between my pictures and photo programs. I did discover a great site that allows editing of pictures that you have saved on Flickr. It is http://www.piknik.com/ . It is a free site that allows you to do almost anything you want as you edit your pictures. You can also use photobucket. I wish the trading card and magazine cover toys would allow you to edit without erasing anything you had put into the design. But beggars can't be choosers. With practice these tools will become quite useful. I created a trading card set for working in my Spanish classes about family and people. I also created a magazine cover to introduce possible projects along the same lines as the articles indicated on the cover. Inside each student could expand on each theme as it related to him or her. It depends on the amount of depth a teacher can take to approach a given unit. I will have to practice image placement with this program.

Trading card set:

Week #3 Thing #5 Trading card

I have been exploring Flickr in a lot of depth. Some is useful, some is not very practical. Here is my trading card:

Week #3 thing #5-Libraries aren't quiet any more

I have discovered a lot as I have explored Flickr. This impressed me immensely. The Charlotte Observer ran a story about the dramatic shift and popularity of libraries in the area. Here is a link to a great slide show. http://www.charlotteobserver.com/images/living/061007libraries/ It is a great example of what libraries may be, but remember there are other patrons that need their space and some quiet. Now to conquer the dilemma. I have been trying to add some pictures but they are not coming up in the right format, so I will close out and try again. It popped up after I thought there was no hope. This is only the first in the slide show. the presentation rally emphasizes the versatility of the modern library. It is alive, for all ages and interests. It can and should become the hub of a school or a community.



Randy de Jong
I only know enough to know I don't know enough.

Searching the blog answers

I tried a few searches without knowing if this platform was capable of the use of key words, phrases, etc. It picked words and phrases out of titles and the bodies of the blogs. now to see if I can pull up more than one blog at a time by being sure to use a key word or phrase I know to be in more than one entry. If anyone has other descriptors they would like me to test for searching a blog, please let me know.

For My Information: Searching the blog archives

Does anyone know if there is a way to search on Blogger by key word, phrases or some other method rather than date? If not, is there a platform that will support these types of searches for entries on the blog? I have heard of WordPress, but have not looked into it yet.

Book discussion blog:Heat

I am in the process of becoming an LMT. I realize there is a great deal I don't know. This has motivated me to begin reading books young children and young adults. I heard a recommendation for a young adult novel, Heat by Mike Lupica. I was impressed. I was captured by the style and flow of his writing. (Beware, I am not a sophisticated reviewer and use basic, everyday words when I write.) He set up the exposition to the story through action and the development of his characters. I would never have expected a story that evolved and revolved around the sport of baseball to begin with a purse-snatching. Baseball became the canvass of the painting. The characters were believable allowing you to share their feelings, thoughts, and lives. I am feeling that there was a bit of predictability, yet kids would eat up the story. I could see this as a great family film if turned into a movie. What are your thoughts?

6/16/2007
I am not sure where to add to this blog, here or on another individual entry. I am not sure how much is needed to continue this topic for the duration of the class. If anyone has thoughts and comments I am looking forward to them. As I have thought about Heat more, I realize that there is predictability in the outcome, but that the author guides the reader through a very interesting maze of events. He adds in elements of interest that reach a wide and diverse audience. I may have figured out the ending, but the journey was the greatest part of the experience. I was so impressed by his work that I read another book by him, Miracle on 49th Street. I agree with some of the reviewers' comments. I would read it again; I would recommend it to others; and I would actually create a display to highlight the work of Mike Lupica. Now I just need to get a library to do this. If I don't get a library, I may have to find the Spanish versions to tie them into my classes.

Issue Blog: Unification of 3 school districts

It is an interesting conversation as three districts must deal with the study of district unification. In our area, Kern River Valley, there are two independent elementary districts and two schools from the Kern High School District. Everything seems to appear simple and a slam duck for a decision: combine the three and cut costs across the board. There is much more to it than such a simple resolution. The students, staff and communities would all feel a great deal of impact that they don't fully realize. Will the students benefit or experience a reduction of services? What will happen as the contractual agreements for the staff of the three districts work out a compromise that is agreeable to all? Will the tax base shift? Will there be a positive or negative impact? Has anyone else had her/his district merge with another?

Week #2 Thing #4 Information

Is anyone else in Cyberland working on the CE credits? If so, where do we post the additional blogs we are to create? Do we intersperse them with this blog or do we create 2 new and separate blogs? Thanks. Please comment.

Randy

Week #2 Thing #3 and Thing #4

Here is the Avatar that was missing. I may get energetic and add to it. I had hoped to use another background since the world is my school. LOL I have already added a few posts. I also sent my blog address in to one of the leaders. I will see If I need to do anything else to register.