Essays, Poems, and Other Fun Stuff

What I did

2011-09-08T16:42:00.008-05:00

...after I left school yesterday.
I helped my neighbor save our kayaks,
tried to get DoT to come out and help with a culvert back - up...with no luck, being told that water draining off the hillside from a backed-up culvert isn't their problem. This morning it became their problem since the hillside is now on their road.

With school closed, I took off at 8:15 on my bike, going to breakfast at the Ithaca Bakery, before traveling the city from one end to the other looking at...

water, brown and swift-moving water.

Ithaca Falls Stewart Park bridge, looking toward the golf course

Stewart Park, looking toward the lake

At the Golf Course, looking to the lake

At the train trestle across from the high school

At the Haunt, looking to route 13

On the bridge, looking to the inlet.

Finding boys enjoying a day off fishing at the Farmers Market

An overflowing something at the Farmers Market, with a front view for Mr. Devoe: their garden under water (here's hoping Groton's garden wasn't!)

Cascadilla Creek at the old P and C
Ending at Six Mile Creek

Note same picture: it has less than 12 inches before it breaks the wall, and that was around noon today!
I got lots of curiosity satisfied and good exercise in, while even attaining new knowledge (I learned how to take pictures off my phone.).

A good day!

The

2011-08-14T08:49:00.005-05:00

...end.

Like so many things in life, we can be like KGB.

We can grab life with both hands, going for all there is, holding on, and enjoying all that life is.

That's what it's been like for me these past four years with the blog. I started this hoping to interest students outside the classroom by having their work and photos for all to enjoy, while using technology that was of their generation and not mine.

I've used vidoes, links and google documents. It went from a fun blog to a blog where, last year, students had to go on for a grade, using the blog for a lesson in reflecting. So much in 4 years is in this blog. I grabbed what I could of the tool and held on with both hands.

Hopefully, the blog was as good for all of you,my students, as it was for me. I used it in the classroom to teach and as a tool to clarify what needed to be taught and how to teach it. By the end it was not only an instrument for reflection for you, the students, but for me also. For your parents, it was a 'window into the classroom', as one parent put it.

It's been a good four years, and I want to thank you all for being here with me.

But, sometimes, it's just time to 'eat it', as KGB does here.

Sometimes, it's better to just go with it, to eat it, and in doing so, let it go.

The changes and challenges have been tremendous these past few years. Two years ago, it was 6th grade Reading, a class I took to and loved. Last year, it was again the 6th grade Reading and a Learning Lab, a challenging class until I found how to work with the students to better prepare them in reading, editing, writing and math, while throwing in some science and history.

Each year I took what was given and worked to the best of my ability, while keeping on with working with you, my 8th graders, and moving us ahead while making changes as the need warranted. (Have you noticed yet that technology has made our lives so much faster? The needs of my students, you, have changed just as quickly!) The blog was a big part of it all. Then, this spring another round of teacher (not administration) hits happened.

From the lows of that round of teacher cuts (losing Mr. Lott, Mr. Devoe, and Mrs. Dovi to the high school, while seeing Mr. Giroux cut totally), Mrs. Filzen found a way to challenge us who were left in the middle school and move us forward. I was so excited by the thought of taking on both levels and turning it into a 2 year course. I believe that the students were excited by this idea of one core set of teachers teaching them for two years. Think of the extra learning that would have been available to us all! Even with the sadness of losing such fine teachers from the middle school, we had found a way to continue to grab life with both hands, and I was ready to do it all, including the blog.

On August 4, though, less than a month before school was to begin, I was informed in a letter that, no, due to "challenges with the [high school] master schedule", I would only be teaching two 7th grade classes. In short, instead of dynamic, visionary thinking, focusing on the student, the administration did what was easiest. I was, once again, just a teacher being given, once again, whatever classes fit: an 8th grade teacher who just happens to have been given 2 other classes.

Through much of life it's best to grab with both hands, hold on and enjoy it for all its worth. Sometimes, though, life gets the better of us, and we realize eating what's been given is best.

I look forward to a new year of great students, surprising changes and challenges to keep us all trying our best. I will enjoy, just as a I have every year, the students in my classroom. I am ready and so looking forward to those students! But, for now, the blog has come to an end.

There comes a point where 'grabbing for it' becomes, without support and understanding from others, a time when it's best to just 'eat it'.

Yours in wonderful years of blogging,

Ms.B
8th grade English teacher
(who just happens to teach two other classes)

Forever

2011-06-23T12:46:00.006-05:00

...8th graders.

You will go on to high school, great things, your life. Go, enjoy. Struggle a bit, laugh a lot, love so much. The world is yours.

But, for me, you will be 'forever young', forever 8th graders. Here's to you now!

End of the year

2011-06-23T12:38:00.006-05:00

...poetry project.

I am so proud of your efforts!

Thank you for my 30th year of teaching being one of my best!

End of the year

2011-06-14T08:23:00.005-05:00

...beginning.

I know I haven't been on in a while, but the year's end must be commemorated on the blog.

Mrs. Filzen is retiring. She has been at Groton forever, at least that's how I see it because she was here when I came in '84. At the end of my first year, Mrs. Filzen, then a middle school history teacher, took the time to come tell me that she thought my efforts toward writing were helping the students become better writers. That story is exactly what Mrs. Filzen is. She is an educator who always looked for the best and brought out the best. I will miss her. We all will miss her.

Teacher of the Year this year is Mr. Toyama. He, too, is leaving, not by retiring but by bringing his work and personal life more in conjunction with eachother. It has been a treat working with so many young, talented teachers, with Mr. Toyama being the epitome of all that is wonderful in teaching. His dedication, work ethic, and personality made him a popular and effective teacher, turning so many students on to singing, and then, keeping them tuned in. We will miss him, but wish him all that he found good here at Groton and more!

I also managed to get a few pictures worth keeping. This one is of the students who, in three years, managed to get no discipline referrals. Wow!

Mrs. Filzen was surprised and emotional at the awards assembly when the 8th grade NJHS students presented her with the book that the faculty and students had put together. As your teacher, I am so proud of the work that you did toward it. To interview, take notes, and then write a meaningful poem was a hard task that you took to and did a wonderful job. Thank you.

Finally this post ends with the three Students of the Year. Downtown there is a memorial to the Graves soldier, a man of your town, who gave his life for his country and fellow soldiers. Each year his division comes here to honor him through selecting three students to honor.
What a great threesome this year!

As usual, the year ends on a bittersweet note for me. I am ready for it to end, but I am sad knowing that it is over. This year's classes, both my 8th grade classes and my 6th grade reading class, were some of the best I have taught, and for that I thank you.

Keep up the good work: push yourself, your friends, and your classmates. Settle for nothing but the best that you can get. You are tomorrow's future and we're counting on you to make a difference.

Standing in the

2011-05-24T15:11:00.005-05:00

...wind.

KGB has got her face to the wind, taking on whatever comes her way. I hope you too had your "face to the wind" today, taking on the challenge of learning how to take notecards for research papers.

For me? It's May and so many of us teachers are struggling with the behavior and lack of effort in learning that we're seeing. But, then, I have the last two days, seeing so many of you working hard to find the quote, stat or fact that should be footnoted, and I think, "Wow! They're doing great!"

So, like KGB, metaphorically, of course, smile, puff your chest out and go for it!

Carrying a thread through

2011-05-23T13:56:00.005-05:00

...The Diary of Anne Frank. Last week when we had to grade the state tests, one gentleman from Ithaca talked about how introductions, something the state doesn't specifically require, do give a 'voice' to the paper. That made me think. I don't call it a voice as much as I see an intro starting a thread that will go through the whole paper. You have an idea you want to develop and a way you want to develop that idea. It starts in the intro and then the thread weaves itself through your whole paper, at least that's what seems to happen in the best papers, the A+ papers (A for answer, remember?). Read some of these. Do you get a feeling that the writer had something to say and that they developed that thought in an organized way? Do the writers use detail to develop that thread, and do they tie those details to the thread through explanations?
I think a lot of them do.

That's the type of writing I want you to take to high school. Have something to say; organize it; use detail and tie it in with good explanations.

Our final

2011-05-05T13:19:00.007-05:00

...poem.

Courtney took me up on the Windy Walk and wrote a poem from the pictures. A huge thank you goes out to her. She did a great job, didn't she?

This year I had almost been wondering if it was really worth it to do a poem a week; by the end of last year I just hadn't felt that that many students had really tried. Thank goodness I didn't quit. You have been a wonderful, wonderful class of poetry writers. I have so many good poems, not just here on the blog, but I have so many great poems up in my head, thanks to you.
I know that poetry writing won't be on the state test or on a regents, but poetry writing is good for the soul. Please keep it up. When you're feeling blue, when you're feeling happy, when you're wondering and learning, put it down as a poem.

Thank you for a great year of poetry; it's sooooooooooooooo appreciated!

Can you

2011-04-29T13:52:00.003-05:00

...you can!

Ahhhhhhhh, what can you do?

You can do the best you can on the state test next week. That's all we want you to do. Like the Little Engine that Could, you can go into the test saying to yourself, "I think I can; I think I can; I think I can."
Do your best, and if your best was given all year, you'll be fine. If not, do your best from now on.

I think you can; I think you can; I think you can!

Depression era

2011-04-29T13:47:00.005-05:00

...book reports. Look at what some of you can do with the Important Idea format.These books, with their detail, were supposed to help you to 'see' the Depression so that when Mr. Filzen taught it, you would have something to pin that knowledge to. Clearly, for many of you that worked. Thank you!

The Challenge:

2011-04-27T14:34:00.003-05:00

...to write a poem, entitled, "A Windy Walk".
My sister, KGB's grandmother, sent me these spring pictures today under the subject heading, A Windy Walk. My first thought was, "What a great title for a poem!"
Can you do it? Can you write a poem from that title and these pictures?

Go for it!

The Journey

2011-04-14T11:29:00.008-05:00

...to maturity, of comprehending, of writing. Wow.

The answer to the question was in the multiple choice questions, and I'm betting most of you got that one right. It said that the theme was of a boy showing he was mature enough to handle himself in tough situations. Right? That means Clyde didn't need to cancel the trip. Once you had your answer, then you'd ask yourself what detail from the story proves that. You'd then go about using that detail and explanations with that detail to show.
Tough to do, but some of you were able to do that. And, I gave credit to the other side, too, IF you were able to fully develop the answer, like Curtis did. But, in high school that probably won't. or shouldn't, fly.
Use the detail, and anything else given to you, to write the best answer. Think. Ms. Bassette's Believe It or Not rings true here: The world doesn't want to know what you're thinking until the world knows you can think.
School, parents, teachers, we're all about helping you to learn to think clearly. Many of you are doing a great job of becoming those good thinkers we want.

It's time for a break. Enjoy; you deserve it.

Poems

2011-04-14T11:16:00.005-05:00

...of the last format. Instead of a line of poetry to start your lines, you're using a word, BUT you are still working on wrapping and really painting a picture or telling a story. We are not backtracking, but we are ending the year with the ability to write poems.

I am so very proud of the growth and effort I have seen this year in writing. The ability to put thoughts down on paper in an innovative and comprehensible way is truly a skill for life.

Wow!

Essay 11

2011-04-07T09:56:00.008-05:00

...what a week of good writing!

Personal essays on doing what someone thought you couldn't; persuasives on influential teachers; and essays on quotes. I am so pleased.

First, the personal essays:

Now, the quotes:

And, finally, teachers who have been influential in your lives. Two retired teachers, Ms. Rae and Mr. Giroux.
Then, the elementary teachers: Mrs. Snyder,
Mr. D.,
Mrs. King,
Mr. Brecht,
and Mrs. Grieger, while moving us into the middle school teachers with Mr. Filzen,

Mrs. Morey,

and Mrs. Christopher.
Thank you for taking the time to do a good job, in all these essays, but certainly in taking the time to remember and appreciate a teacher. Whatever the topic is, though, it is the organization, detail and writing that comes through. Wonderful.

Some days we as teachers must combat seeing only the negative. We want all students to benefit from a sound education, and it hurts us when we feel there are students who aren't learning. It is writing weeks like this that remind me just how much growth you have had, in writing, in thinking and in growing as young adults.

High school is coming and for so many of you, you are ready for the challenge.

Short answer

2011-04-07T09:22:00.003-05:00

...developed and pushed out. Wow!

Poems of

2011-04-01T14:12:00.005-05:00

...of the 4th format, third time 'round. What a week it's been for poems! There were so many that I put numerous ones together so I wasn't taking so many shots of them. And, there were so many really good ones, that used a line of poetry and developed an idea typical of what you'd usually do, that I put many of them down near the main office so visitors can see what you're capable of.

The next format is still an acrostic, but PLEASE, do not revert to elementary school: have wrapping of lines, inside punctuation, a story or theme to develop. As the directions state: use the letters to make you think about the words you use.

It's been a week full of some good in-class work and some great out-of -class work on your poetry. Can't wait to get next week's essays! Here's hoping many of you actually do them!

Calendar

2011-03-31T14:18:00.002-05:00

...for April.
Here's to April and spring (hurry, hurry)!

Beyond

2011-03-31T14:09:00.004-05:00

...face value.

This week's story was about beauty and personality, and making sure we believe more in caring than beauty.

Dillon, though, along with a few others, not only did that in terms of the story, "Appointment with Love", but he and the others took it out of the story. That's what is needed to get an A+. Note what I circled on each answer. That was what moved the answer up to an A+.

I've also written on some papers what is needed. Those two comments are below. Now, read the rest of the paragraphs, and ask yourself if they do what my two circled comments said. If you're not here this week, and so many did a great job with organization and detail, a great job, it's because you've got to step out of the story and bring it to the reader, what we all should be getting from this story.

You do that, along with your organization and detail, and you'll be so ready for high school.

Once again, I want to say, good job and in only 15 minutes!

Spring

2011-03-29T11:50:00.004-05:00

...must be in the air because, for some of you, English sure isn't!

Granted, some people didn't have to write because they got a 90 or above on last week's, but then there's some of you who haven't written an essay for me in a while, a good long while. That's sad. (Thankfully, you've been writing in class with the literature unit, so at least I know you've been putting pen to paper.)

If you read these, those, you'll see that there is still some good thinking and writing of essays going on, even as we wait for spring. Thank you to those who are still hanging in there with doing what is asked of you!

15 minutes

2011-03-24T10:45:00.007-05:00

...for writing a short answer on "The Necklace" that is deeper than face value. The idea is to go beyond the basic answer: how did she change as a person or what did she learn? So many to read; peruse and see what your classmates wrote.

7th period probably did the best this week. I love to see students step up and do well!

9th came through too, although there were a number who took the 'change' too literally and told about how her emotions changed. Look at these, though, and see that beyond emotions some saw that Mathilde changed as a person. That's the deeper than face value I was looking at.

Kathryn's was a bit lacking on detail, but look at how she so succinctly shows she understood it all--wow!

Poetry

2011-03-23T11:31:00.006-05:00

...growing.

This is our second week of the line poetry, taking a line of a poet's and using it. Enjoy the efforts here. Some are wonderful and on their own topics (remember, the words are to be their's but the topic your own.), and some still need a bit of editing.
Yes, there are still so many students who do not take up the opportunity to do, but for the ones who try and do what they are supposed to, thank you.

And, to end, here's one Dillon wrote in his spare time after his paragraph.
This is the reason why we do poetry: to realize our potential!

Guest readers

2011-03-23T11:25:00.002-05:00

...Mrs. Smith's girls. Reading day tomorrow. No PJs, please, but come to enjoy your day of reading about the Depression era.

Give yourself images of the Depression so that when Mr. Filzen teaches the times, you have something to pin the facts to.

Essay 10

2011-03-22T14:37:00.003-05:00

...dedicated to effort, time and help we give each other day in and day out.

For a number of reasons, the end of March can be deadly, but it can also be a time where some kids kick into learning. They've listened, tried, maybe struggled all year, but 'suddenly' they start to get it. It's a treat to see.

Take KGB. She was learning to stand just a few short months ago. Now, she's walking and trying to run to learn all that there is out there in the world.
So many of you are doing the same, except your world isn't the physical world you're out growing in, but the world of writing, thinking and communicating.
KGB has so many helping hands, just as you have, both home and at school. With each growth comes the confidence in the eyes and the set of the mouth.

We learn to have faith in ourselves, knowing that with help we can do anything.
And, as we grow and gain confidence, we find so much of life to learn from. With each new step and wonder, we want to learn more.

The essays, the short stories, the short answers and vocab work: they all give you a chance to push yourselves, to learn. It's not important where we started or how long it took us to get where we are. The important step is each step we take to be better.

So, we start with grabbing and holding to stand, like KGB did, to walking step by step, until each day is a walk of wonder. If we're lucky, we have hands to hold us and keep us moving forward.

Parents, friends, family and teachers: so many people help to make us who we are.

I'd like to thank all the students who haven't quit this year, who have grown, who have tried and not quit. This blog post is dedicated to them.

Because in the end, when all is said and done and the lights are out and the world is quiet, it's how we grow and treat each other that really matters.
Thanks for learning, caring and growing this year and this week.

The world according to

2011-03-18T10:52:00.005-05:00

...KGB.

It's been a while since KGB has made an appearance on the blog, but late March seems perfect for her to speak for all of us.

"Let me out!"

"I know we can make a get-away. I know it."

"Okay. Here's the plan: When she goes to let the dogs out, RUN!!"

Have a good weekend. See you back on Monday for more learning.

"The Last Leaf"

2011-03-18T09:59:00.006-05:00

...hero or fool? An A+ answer would have tied in the idea of Behrman's masterpiece, the leaf, so that another artist, Joanna, could go on and have the chance to paint her masterpiece. It would have set the scene, had the characters and let us in on what was happening. There would have been an intro with the title, answer, detail to develop and a conclusion back on the answer.
An A answer would have had an opinion on hero or foolish.

An A- answer would have been a summary, or it wouldn't have answered the question.

A for answer and ODE for organization (too many not remembering to have a conclusion), detail and errors.
The growth in your ability to answer literature questions in an organized, detailed, on-the-mark way, with few errors is improving. Yes!!

Just Havin'

2011-03-17T13:32:00.004-05:00

...fun on twin day!

Life is learning but life is fun too, yes? Yes!

Poems of the

2011-03-17T12:54:00.006-05:00

...new organization. Using a line of poetry and going down the page with it, one word at a time, you were working on having different lines, maybe even having what I call 'wrapping' of lines, where the idea wraps down to the next line. Terms, capitals and editing still were needed to be thought about, and then you also need to think about adding in more inside punctuation since thoughts mights end in the middle of a line.

Alan just needs to replace some of the caps, but look at what he did.Taylor wrote about not everything being what it seems, while Ryan wrote on choices.
Tristen wrote about friends--something she has written about before, which is exactly what you're supposed to be doing. The words aren't supposed to be making your content; they're just for new ways of thinking on your own topic. Kenny's was sports, another typical topic.
We have dogs and sleeping in school,
yearning for the journey (In a poster, thank you, Courtney!),
love and waves,
messages for life, of which a number did--just be careful that that is what you would normally write on,
skateboarding from Branden and Matt,
mothers and teachers,
moments and sleep-- and look at the inside punctuation of these--
and finally, travels and Mexico.
We write poetry because life isn't just about doing for others, how others want us to do. We write poetry to express our thoughts in ways that might be better for us. Today's work certainly shows that!

WWI

2011-03-15T11:22:00.003-05:00

... book report assignment. It was only a paragraph, and one book, Lord of the Nutcracker Men, you only had to read the letters in the front of every chapter. How much effort did you put in? Did you do the reading? Did you follow the directions? Did you, like these three, do more than you had to?
My thanks go to them and the others who did the job they were to do: with a day of classtime and a month to read the book they chose, they were to either follow the Important Idea organization or the Review organization, neither new, and write their paragraph highlighting details of the trenches, the image I want you to have before you go into history class to learn the facts. As you can see, it can be done. Part of life is trying the tough assignments, doing what is asked of you and giving it your best.

Sometimes we use the directions, try our best and it works, and sometimes it doesn't. I appreciate all who tried. For many of you, I can tell if you read the book, used the directions and put some effort in. If you did, thank you.

Darren messed up on length, but can I tell he tried? You bet! You always have tomorrow and other assignments and teachers to help you along. The key is doing your best after you've done what you should have.

Paragraphs

2011-03-10T14:38:00.006-05:00

...on two passages: synthesizing. Taking information from two places and making a new idea. In this case, it was on the similarities of the two, even though the runners had two different outcomes.

I graded with the new system (even though these grades are only for you; they're not going in the book). A is for answer, with plus being a full answer, and a minus meaning a wrong answer. The ODE stands for Organization, Detail and Errors.

Look at how far so many of you, not just these people, but how far so many of you have come!

Essay

2011-03-09T13:04:00.003-05:00

,,,number 8...or 7!

Kenny did a good job on his favorite possession. I know that with the basic organization and practice, he will become a fine, detailed writer in high school. Chloee and Sarah had lots of detail and both did a fine job....just on number 7's topic, but I can see how students who get to skip essays can get confused. Really, it's about writing and learning, isn't it?

Matt did his essay on the Boston Tea Party. I'm impressed with his detail.

To end, Courtney did her essay on the quote. I like that all three choices ended up being used. Thank you!

A question

2011-03-09T10:32:00.001-05:00

...a rock. The same thing? Go beyond. Think beyond face value.

An option

2011-03-08T09:13:00.004-05:00

...for your book report on the WWI books focusing on the trenches.

The trenches would be the important idea. Of course, since you only read one book, you would only pull from that one book.

That's one choice; the other is in your textbook, doing a review, with the question introducing the idea of the trenches.

Due next Monday. It's not a breathing grade. You don't hand it in on by Tuesday, it's a zero.

Poems

2011-03-03T14:59:00.005-05:00

...of the last listing format. Sometimes I get tired of the students who won't do a ten minute assignment or who won't take the time to write a proper heading or do it in pen or get it in the right folder, and I definitely get tired of the students who won't work off of my comments, making me wonder why I write them. But, then, I get poems like these from students who take the time to read the directions, try to do the format and who read my comments, growing from them.

No, these aren't perfect, but they're pretty darned good.

Thank you.

The Important Idea

2011-03-01T12:32:00.006-05:00

...of short stories, done in a paragraph with at least two sources of detail.

Camille's is a wonderful example because, while it is short, you can see it can be done, and done with all the criteria. Do you see how I put each part of what she did? Camille's, Anneleise's Alexis's and Sarah's all took as their important idea, not lessons from the stories, but an important idea concerning reading. That was really what I was looking for, but lessons from the stories worked too, as long as you used two stories in your development.
Look through some of these, looking for the organization, detail and few errors.
I am impressed with what many of you did for a first time. Yes, you had done the important idea format before, but never had you done it with more than one source or having a length constraint.

I think the one comment that needs to be made the most is that once you have the organization and detail, you have to make sure that you are tying that detail to your important idea. The best ones did.
Another comment? If you finish early, go back and reread your writing, looking for errors. I think at the 8th grade level, you should be able to write a good piece of writing in a class period without too many errors.
Organize your thoughts, have two stories that somehow connect and develop your important idea, be sure to connect those details to your main idea and then, proofread. That's the formula for good writing, especially under time.

It can be done; these writers clearly are proof of that!

Fun on

2011-03-01T09:45:00.004-05:00

...vacation.

In St. John they have a free magazine that tells about the island. Really, that's what it is for, but it also has a few articles.

One section is a writing series. In this section they give a word and people write a poem or essay using that word as the topic.

This month's word was break. The word break has so many definitions. Can you think of some of them?

If you click on the images, you can read the poem that I most enjoyed and the fun essay written by a sophomore in college.While walking or sunning on the beach, I thought about how easily some of you could do this assignment and that this could be another format for the poetry unit.

So many words have so many meanings to them. I enjoyed the fun with words that this series has.

If anyone wants to write a poem or essay off these words, I'd be happy to read them. I've already started mine on slip!

March Calendar

2011-03-01T07:33:00.004-05:00

...for your perusal.

Last chance for learning to use detail

2011-02-17T13:12:00.005-05:00

...in your writing. Detail: character's names, setting names, specific actions, names of things and ideas used in the literature. You can't just retell a story because you're developing a topic, one you've introduced in your topic sentence. But, the detail will support and show your topic so that they reader can see. Write like the reader hasn't read the literature like you have. Finally, remember to come out of the detail and come back to your topic, summarizing it.

I realize this is the first time you're trying this for a grade, but try it. I'm betting we'll do it again and you'll have a chance to improve.

Do note: I tell you on the sheet exactly how I'm going to be grading the paragraph. Pay attention to it.

Poems

2011-02-17T12:50:00.004-05:00

...of the third set, second time 'round.

First, look at what Darren handed in to me: the full steps to doing one of these poems, a listiing poem. He would have only gotten this by using my directions. Wow!The poem he came up with is terrific.
Once he's got it with one close to mine, about his pet, he can try to get more creative. This is exactly what I want to see!
Remember, poems of lists are not necessarily one word lines, but a list instead of ideas that were then turned into a poem. We didn't start with a sentence, but a list.
That step, taking the list and turning it into a poem with caps where needed, terms and proofreading, is a must.

For the final set, work on more than one word lines, finding errors and painting a picture with your words.

Thanks for the efforts I see here!

comics

2011-02-16T10:53:00.006-05:00

...from Friday. Favorite comic? The Facebook one. But, the one beside it is great too!
But, Terrible Tone, Setting Man and Mona Lisa were good too.

Point of View and Action Woman are worth a mention also.

And, finally, some of you did a fine job with putting vocab words in.

You can find this site online and do lots with it, even move the character around. Enjoy being creative!

Essay 7

2011-02-15T13:04:00.005-05:00

... and the good writing it produced. (Some aren't on here because they're headed to the BOCES contest.)On here are some examples of good writing. Some have been working hard and writing well all year. Some are becoming better and better as the year goes on. I so appreciate both.
What I don't appreciate are the number of students who aren't putting much (or any!) effort into my class. It can be disheartening. But, the key for me is to concentrate on the ones who are working.
People who try normally benefit from their trying. Good. It's how life should be....and is!

Poetry

2011-02-10T12:13:00.005-05:00

of lists.
We started a new format this week. We've left dividing and editing sentences into poetry and moved onto lists. Brainstorming. Coming up with lots of ideas. Then, culling, organizing, adding to the ideas, adding in terms, figuring out capitals, stanzas and punctuation, and finally, adding in a title.
It's a new way to write your poems. But, look at what some of you did!! I am sooooooooooo amazed, impressed and in awe. It makes me think, "Could I have ever done this for a teacher?!?!?" It makes me say, "Thank you!" to all of you who try. And, for those of you who don't do, shame on you. It's your education you're wasting.

Another one due next Wednesday. That's the cool thing about life: there's always tomorrow to try again, to do again, to do.

So, do it!

Details

2011-02-10T12:02:00.005-05:00

...it's all about the details when writing.

Stuffy Pete, the Old Gentleman, the park.

Thanksgiving, tradition.

A mansion, a feast, two old ladies and their ...tradition.

9 years, a dinner and a tradition.

What should he have done?

Give your answer.

Set the scene. Develop it.

Develop it with details from the story. Build your case.

Details from the story. Back up your opinion with details, details, details. Good thinking is a great place to start, but then good thinkers who are good writers find the detail to show.

Next week's is for a grade.

BOCES

2011-02-07T09:33:00.003-05:00

...contest. For rules to the contest click here.

Everyone is writing this week. Your choices are essay #7, a redo of something you've already written (with the idea that you will be submitting it to the contest), or something new that you want to submit.

I repeat, all are writing this week. The students who were supposed to be out for essay #7 will get out of 8. If anyone gets a 90 or above on their new work this week, they, too, will get an out of #8, or if they're already out for that, for #9. Please trust me...and then doublecheck me!

Enjoy the process. Due on Monday, as usual. Yes, we're back to weekly outside essay writing, and yes, we're still doing weekly poetry writing.

"The Lion Roared"

2011-02-04T11:32:00.005-05:00

...fluency, comprehension and ability to write about what you've read, to use your reading and writing to think. Here are some of your classmate's good work from today. Learn from them. Be on here next week.

How did you do? Could you read the story in 10 minutes? Fluency, being able to use reading as a tool to gain knowledge, will be key, even in the 21st century. I am worried about the speed with which some of you read here in 8th grade. Hence, our work with it.

Did you take notes? Use them to add detail to your writing?

And, the questions you had to come up with. Did you actually know what you were doing? We spent two weeks on them back in September; you do a reading comprehension with them each time you do a CARS; are you assimilating in what you are doing, or are you going through the motions? Knowing now will make it second-nature later.

Finally, how did you do on the multiple choice questions and the paragraph? Are you able to pull the right information out of your reading? Can you develop an organized, detailed answer from your notes and what you read?

It really will be key in the coming years. Students who can read, think and write will become the leaders and money makers of tomorrow. Get the skills now; find a vocation that you love and go on to become a successful person of tomorrow.

Book Report, reviews

2011-02-01T14:37:00.004-05:00

...and posters.

There were two parts to the last book report: you were doing a new kind of writing, a review of a book, trying to get the reader to want to read the book, and another effort at creating posters.

One was new and one was old.

Overall, you did pretty well with both.

The posters were by far the best.

You're understanding that a border turns a paper into a poster, and that the whilte space means as much as the used space.

The title and author need to be large and the picture needs to bring the reader into the poster.

Color ties is all together.

Nothing in a poster is there alone; it all works together to make a pleasing picture for the eye, the eye of the reader. (And, yes, I remembered that we were working under a time constraint.)

As for the review, I had three parts I wanted: the question, the title and author with detail of most of the book, and the end where you tell the reader to read the book, giving the title again.

I didn't even count much on the errors.

I will next time. This time I tried to get you to lead the reader into enough detail to make the book interesting.

I graded mostly on format.

The best of the two, the poster part and the format part-the ones here on the blog, will be down outside the office.

The rest will be up in the hall.

Check out how your classmates did. See if there's a book that looks interesting.

Does a poster look good? Why? Learn from what you did; learn from what your classmates do.

We will do another review paragraph next month.

The posters are done till the final.

With this visual world we live in today, I want you to be able to draw people in so then your writing can keep them there.

A visit

2011-01-28T13:50:00.008-05:00

...from KGB, if only in pictures. But, if she were here, here's what I think she'd be saying to you:

"So, you've been having a hard time of it with Ms. Bassette lately? She seems cranky, unhappy, just basically a lady of complaints?

Well, you know, it is winter, cold, and she is teaching middle schoolers--you. We can't do much about the weather, but how about you? Are you doing what you should?

May I come in? Talk a bit more?

Is this what my great aunt's been looking like? Talk, talk, talk while pointing the finger at you?

Yeah, I've heard teachers can do that. Parents too (not mine, of course, but some do, I guess).

Should we look from Ms. B's point of view for a minute? What does she see?

Ahhhhhhhh, that? She sees you supposedly reading or doing, but really focusing on your friend or what's happening at the next desk? I suppose that might get tiring after a while, since, what? You've got 5 more months of school left?

How about this, try this, if only for me: shake it off. Decide to focus, concentrate, do what the lady asks.

Think you could try that?

Try it. Get serious. Listen to what my aunt's trying to teach.

Focus on the topic at hand, not your friend or what you want to say about the topic, but focus on learning.

I mean, come on, look at all the books I've got to get to, and I'm not even one yet!

There is sooooooo much to learn. See if my aunt can help you.

Anyway, thanks for listening. I gotta go; I've got my own lady, my gramma, to drive crazy.

Is she back there?

I sure hope so; I'm not supposed to travel the house without her!

Bye!"

February's calendar

2011-01-28T12:29:00.003-05:00

...it'll go by quickly.

Read--maybe even push yourself to read all three of the books on WWI. Go for it!

Poetry, the last of the

2011-01-27T12:18:00.005-05:00

...poems of the second format.

Snow days and repetitionPersonification and for reaching for all you can

Basketball action and stanzas

Snow and wonderful vocabulary

Running and such detail

Fog and repetition and personification

Our blessings and simile
Sports and an action title

Personification and nature's ways

Volleyball stanzas and repetition

Babysitting and effort to type
Waiting and organization

Calendars and metaphor

School and repetition with detail

What are you using when you put effort into your poem? Or, should I first ask, "Are you putting effort in?"

New set next week. Please get involved with your learning. I can only lead; it's up to you.

"Charles"

2011-01-26T15:19:00.003-05:00

...our first of four short stories. Today it was important to key in on point of view. If you were taken in by the mother and how she believed her son and what he said about kindergarten, you were probably surprised at the ending.

For the reflective piece today, look at what some of your classmates thought about today's lesson.
Each day you're in a classroom, you could be asking yourself, "What was the important idea for me today?" If you're doing that, you are working at being a student, not just a kid who is meandering through the halls wondering what's for lunch.

Next week we'll do another. Entertainment through reading, reading comprehension, understanding what the author was doing, those are our three goals, with good notetaking thrown in for good measure.

To those of you who were students today--best of class goes to Shannon, quiet Shannon!--thank you. To the others, spring is a ways off; decide to be students or have seats assigned. It's up to you.

Studying literature

2011-01-25T08:33:00.002-05:00

...and the reasons why we do it.

We study literature for 3 reasons:
One, to enjoy the written word. Reading a story or a novel can be entertaining.
Two, to continue our understanding of reading. Except this time, you make the questions for your classmates.
Three, to see how a writer works their craft. There is so much more to literature than at face level.

We will also be continuing our work with notetaking, a skill that is so necessary moving into high school. I have been so pleased with the number of students who use their bookmarks to have detail about their books. Now, we move into two new ways of taking detail. There is the clock method, much like the summary chart we've done. That can be done at the end of the story. Or, you can take notes as you read it, using the literature terms. Whichever you do, you must take notes.

We're doing short stories now and then a novel after that. Read, think, and enjoy.

Poems

2011-01-20T10:32:00.002-05:00

...of the second group.

Courtney's is best of show this week.

It's wonderful!

Curtis does a different type of poem and it's terrific too. How true that goals can be so 'far away'.

I might have capitalized the second far and in the second stanza the and because those are new thoughts, which is how I'd like you to see the use the caps in poems. I so like his up attitude about trying and improving. Both Courtney and Curtis didn't have to do poems this week, but they did. Thanks go to them!

Shaine's poem uses repetition to make his point. I like it.

It's a good poem to show the use, or overuse, of repetition. Use it but try not to overuse repetition because then it becomes repetitious and not a good thing. Certainly, in upstate New York, we can all agree that weather is all sorts of things!

Sam writes his poetry with some good humor.

What a picture in my head! And what a surprise! My one suggestion here would be to edit out those needless commas--are they really needed in the second stanza? You make the call.

Alexis' has the air of possibility, the possibility of magic.

I like it. With the last question, she invites the reader into her poem. My suggestions, though, here? Should the last thought be all one line? And, is the first question mark needed?

Many students either didn't have to write one this week since they got a 100 last week, or some just aren't doing. That's too bad since poetry writing is one more way to practice thinking, writing and conveying one's thoughts.

Last one due next week off the two sentence format.

Reading comprehension

2011-01-18T10:49:00.004-05:00

...and how you did.

Inquiring minds, like KGB, want to know. How did you do in this long unit of focusing on reading and pulling out the right info?

Where are you on these charts?

So many of you improved. Some improved from missing 4 to missing 2 or less. Others started way down the way, with 18 or so, and then continued to work to get down to 5.

If you improved and you truly started to miss less, that's great. It takes effort to not only improve, but to stay down, and so many of you did. I'm proud of you all. 41 of you improved. Wow!

If you had a great day and did the best in the class, then you're on Best in Class, a fun place to be.
It's fun to be the best and to be recognized for it. 21 different people were best in class.

But, really, the best place to be is on the Consistent chart. To be consistent, you had to have 3 or less wrong 2 times in a row. 27 people made it onto this chart. Wow!

To be consistent means you can read and pull out info all the time. That's what we want.

Like the smart girl she is, when KGB needs a break, she quits where she is.

Here's hoping you took your well deserved rest over the weekend and have come back ready to do more learning. We're moving into our short story unit and will be continuing with reading comprehension skills with you developing the questions now.

Cool Survey

2011-01-14T11:16:00.001-05:00

...from Mr. Devoe.

Go here, survey, (as in click on it and it will take you there) and be counted and heard here at Groton Central School.

Poems

2011-01-13T13:17:00.005-05:00

...of the next set, working off of 2 sentences for added detail.

Helena's on memories

Dillon's and others on the sports that we love

Our hectic days

and our childhood lives

Horses free and making a mood

Girls growing

and hamsters going 'round

Memories made

and compliments coming in

A love of reading

It's all here in our poems of this week.

Welcome back to weekly poetry writing.

Reading a question, outlines,

2011-01-12T15:24:00.004-05:00

...and writing essays from two articles.

Here's what your classmates learned.

What did you get from this unit of four questions, outlines and essays?

For me, I believe most can read a question, knowing what they are to do. The outlines are getting there, especially the intro part. From there, many are having the topic sentence and a lot are starting to use transitions to show change. Many still need to continue to work at getting the right/best detail to make their case. Surprisingly, a good share of you are using your concluding sentence to bring home the point being made. That is really a must. Everyone really needs to learn to state clearly what they were trying to show.

As for the essays, it's all the same as the outlines. Errors in writing hurt too, but I didn't take off for them much. We concentrated on thinking, and detail in this unit. Errors matter, though. Continue to work on proofreading for few errors.

To end: 7 students in 2nd got a 100 on their essays for this unit; 5 in 7th did and 3 in 9th did. Those are some good numbers, not great, but good. It was a last and best averaged.

Tomorrow I will do the same for the reading comprehension MC portion of the unit.

Outlines,

2011-01-11T12:30:00.003-05:00

...reading a question, and thinking, truly thinking and not going on autopilot of what is 'supposed to be'.

If you came on tonight, then you are one smart cookie. I told no one anything would be on. But, good students, students who were thinking, might have thought I'd put a post on, and I did.

This is it. Number 4, the end. Can you decipher a question and get the right detail? Here's one last chance to learn.

So, did you do as these did?

Reading comps

2011-01-10T12:49:00.005-05:00

... vocab and poetry terms.

One of the questions it seems some missed today had to do with vocabulary.

Poignant was the word, and I will say, that looking at just the sentence that had it in it, maybe you couldn't get it from just that.

Now, if you had knowledge of the Olympics and what it's like to listen to a national anthem from a struggling country, you might know what it means just from the images you have seen. It's very emotional.

But, if you don't have that 'prior knowledge' in your head, then try the text around that sentence. "Mean so much" was from the next sentence that explains why it's poignant, meaning emotional.

The more experiences and information we bring to reading, the easier it is to get new information out of your reading. I just can't stress that enough. When we have some knowledge, then learning more knowledge becomes easier.

It's a wonderful circle looked at it that way; but, if you have little knowledge then it's a vicious circle because if we don't understand, then we don't want to read, which gives us less information, which, in turn leads to reading less. See that?

Question 19 came out of the poem. When reading a poem, read it a number of times before you even start to deal with the questions. We've studied poetry already. You know to read it a number of times, to look for poetry terms, to think about the poem.

In this comparison question, they gave you one part, sources of light, and asked what they were being compared to.

Comparison is simile or metaphor. But, you didn't even have to know that. You just had to go into the poem and ask yourself what the poet was using to make the image.

The light is being compared to punctuation marks, with a form of the word being used in the last stanza: punctuates. The sources of light were the moon, the streetlights and finally, a neon sign, and they're all being compared to punctuation.

Working with the poem before you work with the questions will certainly make this question easier.

Reading comprehension is a combination of what you know and what you get to know. Asking yourself, "What do I already know about this topic and what did I just get?" will make it easier to be a good reader.

Reading

2011-01-07T19:04:00.007-05:00

...what an amazing skill, and we practiced today. Thanks to all who really worked hard on a Friday. Hats off, especially, to my 2nd and 7th period classes and to the students who were wonderful and working hard in 9th. My sister sent me something below. But, first, think about the skill of reading:

When we first learn to read, we sound out and very carefully read every letter in every word and every word in every sentence. We need to do that.

Then, as we practice, we become more comfortable. Our minds start to know the pattern of our words and our sentences, and we begin -- without really knowing it -- to skim over our reading.

We read, but we also know what words should go where, and we begin to know so many of our words that we know which word it would be with only a letter or so to guide us. Good readers do that.

Are you a good reader yet? To find out, read what's below.

If you can raed this, you have a sgtrane mnid too

Can you raed this? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can.

I cdnuolt blveiee that I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd what I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in what oerdr the ltteres in a word are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is that the frsit and last ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can still raed it whotuit a pboerlm. This is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the word as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? Yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

As predicted

2011-01-06T12:42:00.002-05:00

...Mackenzie's essay.

Note two things:

Answer given immediately in the intro. "Unlike Ada" in the essay.

So many of you are getting there--being able to read the question, finding the two tasks, pulling detail. Now, the last step: staying focused to truly pull and then state the connection of the two articles.

In this case, Unlike Ada, John had a more hands-on, 'homemade' education. Ada had a traditional teacher-taught education. Both worked to make them successful in what they did--and then remember to state what they did do to have successful careers.

That's it.

More essays posted in the hall. I just wanted to appreciate the two who go on and read my blog for its content.

Life connects

2011-01-05T19:51:00.003-05:00

...in the funniest ways!

So, this morning Mr. Devoe showed the staff various neat computer sites that we could maybe use with our students.

Tonight I'm telling my family about the two I liked, Xtranormal, a place where you can make your own animated movies, and Tagxedo, a site where you turn words into art.

If you just clicked on tagxedo, you know the picture is of Ada Lovelace!! Isn't that amazing !?!? We just read about her and there she is on the site I'm looking at to use in April.

So cooooooooooooooool.

Now, if anyone knows how to use either of these, come and teach your old teacher. Did I hear that Sam did one of these with Mr. Devoe? In April we will be revisiting Reading Comprehension, and for those who don't need much of a refresher course, you will be writing doing some of these fun things.

Essay 3

2011-01-05T12:20:00.008-05:00

...and a bit of a howler, a Harry Potter way of saying, a talking to.

In each class yesterday I specifically told you to go on the blog to prepare for today. You were to have checked for Essay 2 and then to have looked at the essay 3 question explanation I put on.

In my first class, one student, ONE STUDENT, raised their hand for going on, one. And, it's the person who did this essay here. Alexis did it all and she did it so concisely and so on the mark.

Alexis gave the answer to the difference in training in the introduction, something I have written on here about.
Her paragraph on Ada and her training and success is concise and to the point, all of six sentences, but the right six sentences.

Then in the second body paragraph, Alexis used the transition however, not one I mentioned in class today, but I have stressed on the blog about using transitions to show the reader what's important. She then, again, only using 6 sentences to answer the assignment, proving more isn't necessarily better. (Yes, more detail is fine, but less works too when it's the right detail.)

To finish off Alexis used her conclusion to summarize and to 'push it forward' with her comment about motivation. All in all, a dog-gone good essay.

Others did well too, but somehow today, I want to highlight that maybe a little pre or post work can go along way toward making for a fine student in class.

Mackenzie was the only other student who went on the blog ... and actually read the posts. (I had a couple who went on, but didn't read it!!) Mackenzie's could very well be highlighted here tomorrow. I do want to appreciate the students who are doing their part toward learning.

Learning isn't all that difficult if you concentrate or focus on the teacher, take in what's being said (I won't even go on about the two who wrote poems today--talk about lack of focus or concentration!!), and put a little effort in. The best bang for your time? Reading and using the blog.

End of howler.

Essay 3

2011-01-04T14:38:00.003-05:00

...knowing the assignment. Let's look at it sentence by sentence. Key words from 1st one:

From 2nd sentence:

From bullets:

So, putting it together: training/professional preparation and how it differed between Ada and John and the second task, how they both had successful careers in science.

But, to make it even clearer, ask yourselves, what is training and professional training?

It's the education they got and how they got it.

When you get to that, the task becomes simple: what education they each had, making sure you show how John's is different from Ada's (Transitions to use? Unlike / On the other hand), yet how they were both successful.

Below are fours examples of what is needed and how they can be tweaked. My apologies to 9th, but I haven't graded yours yet.

Tristen used 'unlike Ada'

Anneleise's was more implied 'didn't offer science'

Alan and Ryan just need to use the transition to bring it all into focus.

Understanding the question and staying focused on the job at hand: that's the key.

Reading comprehension

2011-01-03T13:01:00.003-05:00

...number five. I applaud your efforts today. Each class settled in and began reading, going into their own worlds and trying the best each could. Thank you. I saw most people come back right where they left off, and that's a good thing, because, usually, people fall back before going ahead.

Number 6 was a problem for some. Fitfully was the word needing defining. I didn't even read the whole text, just the sentence given. As usual, I will say, know what the question is asking. Use the question to get to the answer.

So, we have 'roaring river'. To me I could get rid of A, easily, and B, heavily, because a roaring river wouldn't be easy or heavy to me. But, noisily or restlessly? Possibly. Noisily works until I add in fitfully.

In a fit, a phrase you might know, doesn't conjure up roaring; it conjures up restless, moving, which is what a roaring river does. See how I get there? Use the question and what's given to get rid of answers and to get to the right answer.

Achieving a goal. That's what question number 9 of the next passage was asking about.

With this question, I'd have to go into the passage because at first glance all four could work in a situation, although, as a teacher of students who I want to learn to achieve goals? A and C don't seem to be the best way, so off the top of my hat, I'm guessing those two aren't right. And, as soon as I began to read the passage, I knew they could be 'slashed'. So, was it about perfecting his skills or exercising persistence?

Can you see the sentences I circled? Those sentences are about persistence, not giving up, not quitting. There's the answer.

Read the question and use it; use the answers or better, slash the trash. Get to two answers and then work your thoughts around them.

Reading is important, but so is your thought process. Think the questions through. That's a good share of it. Think. Read first and think always.

Calendar

2011-01-03T09:13:00.003-05:00

...for January.

The only thing not really shown on this is the blog comments. The week of the 3rd will be for 7th period; 12th will be for 9th, and then the 17th begins the process all over again with 2nd.

You must go on during your week. Going on in the other weeks gives you bonus points. Ideally? I'd like you going on a couple times a week.

Grades for the reading comps, outlines and essays will finally go in the book after the 17th. Note also that your book report book, a choice one, will be due to be written on Friday the 21st.

Welcome back!

Merry Holidays

2010-12-25T15:49:00.008-05:00

...from KGB and her Great Aunt.

Here's hoping the Grinch has been enjoying his dinner in Whoville while all of you and yours have been doing the same.

Eat, laugh and enjoy, knowing we'll be reaching toward more learning in another week or so.

At our Bassette get together on Wednesday, the day before our vacation, KGB was the center of attention, standing at attention in the middle of the room and reaching for all she could.

May 2011 bring lots of reaching, getting and growing for all of us.

From KGB, Merry, Merry!

And, from her Great Aunt? Have a wonderful vacation, reading if you want, relaxing for sure, and enjoying whatever you do!

Using refrain

2010-12-23T14:36:00.005-05:00

...for important idea.

Start with your important idea and end with it. It works in poetry. A refrain brings home the important idea from the book. Take Allyson's "be confident".

It works like bookends to keep your summary of the book focused on what you're really doing, which is developing the important idea.

And, like Sam's, which was, "Don't be afraid of doing what you love," you can give what you're developing first in essays too. Put your answer in the introduction.

Then the reader knows what to get out of your detail. It helps the reader to see what the detail is there for.

When we come back, we do two more essays of the two-article variety. Giving the answer first in the introduction (which is just another way of saying, the important idea), lets the reader connect your detail to why it's in the essay, to build your point you gave them in the intro.

Try it. You'll like it.

December's book report

2010-12-23T14:18:00.011-05:00

...poems.

Done in 40 minutes

from start to finish.

We read

to connect.

We connect

and then we learn.

We learn

and we carry it on.

We carry it

on and pass it on.

And,

if we pass it on right, we connect to another.

Did these people connect?

Did they have an important idea?

A title?

Lines like a poem?

Some terms?

Content from the book?

Few errors?

And, if they did,

they did it in 40 minutes.

Wow!

Not bad three days before vacation. Not bad at all.

Reading comp

2010-12-21T09:22:00.004-05:00

...number 4. This one was probably a bit more difficult, and yes, we did it on a Monday and five days before vacation, BUT, in life, there will be so many "more difficult", Mondays, and vacations. At some point, your job is to learn to focus and do well even with all the distractions of life. Many students dropped a bit, but I have confidence that after vacation you will come back strong on the 4 remaining reading comps. Actually, a break can be very good for letting your brain gel.

It seemed many students struggled with the passage on the ASPCA. But, the questions are another good example of being able to read questions.

Take #9, on the 'spirit' of the law.

If you stopped and thought about spirit, you'd have it. The sentence is about the law, but C is out because letter of the law means following the rules. Anger and power? Do they really have to do with spirit--in any way that you know spirit? No, so it's A.

Spirit of the law is what it's supposed to be about, without any loopholes--something, by the way, that kids use against their parents all the time, as in, "You didn't SAY that!" and then the parents say, "You know what I wanted, meant....". That's spirit of the law.

Number 10 has the key words, 'mostly likely means', which means it's implied, not given.

F and J are the 'slash the trash' ones--everything is founded by individuals and it was stated that it's old. So, now we have G and H. Humane, what does that mean? Well, the word human is in the word--what does being human mean? H. Kindhearted--isn't that a goal of humans, to care for what's around us?

Number 11. What would most amaze the man? C and D are too specific. He founded the mission so that wouldn't be it, but the growth?

Yup, I think it's B.

If you can learn to read the questions, you can do anything.

It all begins with understanding what you're supposed to do.
That's true of most of life!

Reading Comp

2010-12-20T07:58:00.003-05:00

...#3. Soooooooooooooooooo many people are improving! I love it! And, there are lots who are in the 3 or less, which is where I'd like people. Wonderful!

From Friday's I've picked only one question to look at. Again, it's an example of truly using the question to get your answer. The question is about values. Even if you haven't read the passage, if you look at the answers, which one deals with a value--something we value?

A? No, traveling and the desert aren't values. B, cranky camels? If they were valued, they wouldn't be cranky. C, patient with the little one? Hmm, sounds like a value. D, it seems more like an action. So, from just the question, value, and the answers, which is it? C. And, if you'd read the story, you'd even have the background to know that's the answer.

Can't stress enough: taking the time to know the question, allows for a much easier and better chance of getting the answers correct.

Poetry

2010-12-17T12:25:00.005-05:00

...1C, the last ones of the first format.

Poetry isn't a state-tested concept; it isn't a skill that will get you in college or into a job; it isn't structured, mandated or required by the school.

It's just something we do.

We do it for the beauty of it and for the ability to think differently and to see differently, to get to the essence of an idea in a unique way so we can, perhaps, connect to others and make someone else see what we see.

Think of it as an exercise for thinking, as communication, or as an art.

In life, writing in full sentences is the goal, but sometimes, knowing how to drop the sentence part allows us to understand sentences better.

We do poetry so that people who think in visions or images can have the enjoyment of doing that without worrying about the structure of essays.

We do poetry to connect to our ideas and emotions in a way that transcends the norm.

We do poetry because we can.

And, in doing what we can, we expand what we are capable of.

All that in one little assignment a week. I like it!

Part 2, Essays

2010-12-16T09:56:00.005-05:00

...from yesterday, the rest of 7th and then 9th.

Will and Ryan's are good examples for people who don't want to write a whole lot. As long as you do the job with the correct and good detail, it doesn't have to be long. Focus and detail are the keys.
Not everyone comes to eighth grade with all the skills they need in writing, but Will is a wonderful example of a student getting those skills. I am so proud of him!

Ryan also writes with few words, but every word counts.

He just needs to continue to drill home the focus, paraphrasing his wording, of course, so he doesn't repeat.

Helena's is another wonderful example of using the conclusion to restate the answer, making sure the reader understands she's done the assignment, and then she, too, wows us with her push forward sentence.

Wow!

As many of you know, Mrs. Farrell used so many of your papers to show to others what they need to do. I'm sorry I can't put them all on, but, trust me, many of your writings will help your classmates today (if they're paying attention!).

Allyson's intro and conclusions are on here, showing the use of focus. Her second sentence tells the reader exactly what the similarity is, so then all she has to do is develop it in the bodies.

Her conclusion restates it--using different words, but the meaning is still the same,

and then she wows us with her last sentence, pushing it out to all of us.

Sam and Mackenzie finish out this set of essays. They start with telling us and then they develop their focus with detail. They've got it all.

I am so pleased with the work that this whole class has been doing. We will come back after vacation and have two more sets of outlines and essays to do. Let the last two weeks' efforts set in your brain and come back ready to learn and grow even more.

As usual, can't wait!

Essay

2010-12-15T11:21:00.005-05:00

...number 2, on similarities of the artists. Camille used her intro to introduce the articles, the men and the topic, similar attitudes, and she gave the similarity right there. Wonderful!

The reader knew immediately what she was going to be developing throughout her essay. Wow!

Courtney brought it home in the last body paragraph and in the conclusion. 'They both' and 'both' are words she uses over and over to connect the two artists.

There was no difference to be developed in this essay. Learn to read the question and focus only on the topic at hand (not last week's topic).

With Tristen's and Darren's I was able to go step by step through the process and see what they were developing. Her first sentence in the second body transitioned us from the first man to the second and yet connected them. Another connecting transition, also, was used.

Darren wows us at the end. Look at his last sentence, which brings it all home.

With that, Darren makes sure the reader understands that they were alike, which was the job of the assignment, but he does so in such a cool way.

Reading comprehension

2010-12-14T12:29:00.006-05:00

...and essay writing, number 2.

Look at the highlighted work. Chloee's paper introduces each paragraph--good attitude and purpose the same--keeping the focus on similarities.

Courtney's paper has detail focused on the similarities in their work--they both carve for the animal.

Sam's conclusion sentences bring it on home, reiterating that they are similar--both see what is inside and have creative minds.

Anneliese organized with a paragraph for each man, making sure that she had a sentence in the second where she very specifically stated how they were similar--using his imagination to let see the animal or see the animal.

To end, stay focused on key words: attitudes similar. Use detail to develop. (If you don't have a focus, it's apt to turn into a summary, a major no no.) These papers used each part, intro, body, and con. of each paragraph, to stay focused on topic at hand.

With 7th, I've focused on the idea of paraphrasing.

Since the job was to show that the two artists were similar, you want to keep stressing that, but not in the same words. Paraphrase. Say it to begin, to transition, to end, to conclude, but say it differently.
With Helena's I just remind her to 'push it forward'.

Writing the essay tomorrow.

Reading Comprehension

2010-12-14T09:47:00.004-05:00

...group 2.

But before I discuss a few of the questions, let me start by saying, this could turn into one of my all time favorite classes. I so appreciate that you try, do what I ask, and are so willing to learn. That is your strongest attribute: you are willing to learn.

Take the blog. In just one set of weeks, so many of you are stepping up and using the blog to reflect and learn. Otis left a comment yesterday about the two boys from last week's assignment. I like that.

Then, this morning, Sam and Courtney left two, almost opposite, comments that were both right on the mark. Wow! Sam has come to appreciate the idea of using the questions to guide her in her reading--exactly what they should do.

But, Courtney? She feels the questions "distract" her from her reading, and they can....when you become so ingrained in your reading habits that you want to experience the reading without someone else's thoughts, that would be true. It is the last step of being a reader--wanting to get what you get out of it, not because you won't get the real content, but because you want to savor what you get. (I hope that makes sense!)

And so, thank you to all who are coming on. You are learning to reflect on what has been offered.

On to today's 3 questions that many of you missed yesterday.

The first was from the story of the man who was to be a mandarin and needed a new coat. His friend sent him to an old, wise man.

The answer to the question was F. The tailor was an old, wise man teaching the man of higher rank a thing or two about life. The story the tailor told takes out J, and there really wasn't anything about kindness, so H is out. G? Certainly, the better man was the tailor, whose status was lower than the mandarin, so it's out. Or, look at the first word of each answer. Which one is valued? F and H are in the running now, but again, no kindness really in this story, but rank yes, so again, it's F.

Number 7 was on the article about bee keepers. Below is the last paragraph. What's the last sentence of the article? (First and last sentences are usually important--think about how I'm trying to get you to have a 'push forward' sentence to end your essays!)

If you focused on that last sentence, you'd have A for your answer.

Let's look at the others, though. The article had bees "stronger and healthier", so not B. Then, there was nothing in that paragraph about curiosity, so get rid of C, which leaves us with D, but the article just talked about 'crops to pollinate' and 'gourmet' meals, nothing about variety. One answer has proof in the article, which is where the question began.

Question 14 was about strangler figs and where they sprout and why.

If you read that one paragraph, the answer is there. Truly it is.

Yup, it's F. I'm not sure why people missed that. It's a straight fact from the article. I guess I just have to say to be sure you double check facts like that so you be sure to get the fact that fits the question.

Whether you're a person like Sam who likes the guidance or like Courtney who doesn't, work to become a good reader. It'll take you where you want to go.

Reading

2010-12-13T09:29:00.003-05:00

...your book?

KGB has two of my favorites. And, she's doing exactly what she should be with them, gnawing away at them. I guess you could say we, literally, eat up books before we, figuratively, do.

Just last week Ask Amy, an advice column in the Ithaca Journal, commented on how we should read to our children, let them chew on their board books and then have books available for our kids throughout their lives.

I'm sure there are moments when you think my book reports are just one more way of making you work (and they are!), but I'm also trying to turn you onto reading. I really believe that if there were only one skill you could give a student, it would be the ability to read. From reading you can learn anything, truly anything.

If we start with Are You My Mother ("Are you my mother?" asked the baby bird. "I am not your mother," said the cow. "I am a cow."), we can move on to magazines, books and newspapers later.

I'm thinking to KGB that pile of magazines looks like a pile to spill on the floor for now, but her interest someday will be in reading them--at least that's what we're hoping for, just like that's what I'm hoping for with you and your book report books.

Let the world come to you through reading, and you can go anywhere you want whenever you want. Let your book report reading be your ticket to the world. Seems like a small price to pay, doesn't it?

Looking back on reading comp.

2010-12-10T12:01:00.005-05:00

...to do better in the future. Today we started our intensive, in-class reading comprehension unit. The questions are multiple choice questions off of various reading passages.

If you use the questions to focus on what's important in the reading, you will be learning how to 'see' important detail. We'll be doing 8 of them, and, I can almost promise each and every one of you, you will improve.

Remember to use the 12 strategies we outlined in the beginning of the year. Any of the questions you have in the next month come from those 12 strategies so using them could come in handy.

To help, I'll try to post a couple of questions that many seem to miss. With reflection, you can understand better.

Question 21 of the poem, "Some Rivers" asks about feelings. If you look at the answers, which one connects us to a feeling? D does, with pain.

Number 25 was on purpose, the purpose of the chart. B and D answers can be trashed.

That leaves A and C--but no personal info is given in the passage, so now I say it's to support the theme--which was given in the title of the passage, "An American Inventor".

Steps to good comprehension:

Look at the title and visuals, let them help you to get started.
Read the questions BEFORE you read the passage, just like we did this week on the essay. Let the questions help to direct your reading to the important info.
Read carefully and deliberately.
Slash the trash.
Decide between the remaining answers, remembering the 12 strategies.
Go back into the passage with any quesitons you might have.

And, from Mrs. Farrell? Know what the question is asking: think the 12 strategies and letting the question guide you to important info. (Remember question 21/ feelings would bring us to pain, the only answer with feelings in it.)

I'm from a generation who learned to read and comprehend from MC questions. I loved them. As a student I could go into my own little world, reading and learning, knowing there was a correct answer -- I just had to find it.

I loved the challenge. Here's hoping you do also!

Practicing

2010-12-09T14:22:00.004-05:00

...what we learn.

This week was a hectic week of grading poster/poem book reports, introducing the two article outline assignment and then the writing of that essay. We also had a second poem come in.

What do they all have in common? Practice.

You will do another poster in January. You will do another poem book report in a week and a half. You have three more outlines and three more essays to practice perfecting your skills. And, the poem this week? It was a continuation from last week with another yet to come next week.

Life isn't about being perfect the first time out. We seldom get it right the first time. But, with reflection on what went wrong and how it could be done better, and then with practice, you can, if not do it perfectly, you can do it a whole lot better.

Take KGB. Just a few short weeks ago, she was holding on with fingers white so she could stand and see out.

Now, she's hanging on and moving on. With practice, she's growing.

Be like KGB. Stay focused, try, and keep practicing. KGB does it with diligence.

You? You need to reflect, think and then try. It's just another kind of diligence.

Use the blog, your papers, the papers out in the hall. Reflect, think and try.

Second set of poems

2010-12-09T13:09:00.003-05:00

...of the first format.

My question to you: Do you have a title, terms used, line breaks, a theme? Is so, great!

Examples of

2010-12-09T11:13:00.004-05:00

...the essays from 7th and 9th to go with Alexis's below in yesterday's post.

Introduce the people and maybe even mention the articles (only one student did that, Alexa).
Introduce your topic and the tasks.

Do a person in each body paragraph with tasks for each
OR
Do the tasks in separate paragraphs with the people in both

Use the key words and bluntly and directly give the answer, and then develop with detail.

Examples of 'bluntly and directly' are circled in Mackenzie's paper.

In the conclusion, bring it home by reiterating what you did. Make sure the reader understands what you tried to write on--in this case how the boys were motivated differently but both were successful.

For more 'got its' check the hall. I've put them up. Learn from your classmates. There's three more to go and I know so many of you will improve. Go for it!

Today's

2010-12-08T15:05:00.003-05:00

...walk-out-the-door post to read:

Alexis has done a wonderful job of getting right to the answer of how they were motivated differently, and she used motivated and successful--the key words-- in her body paragraphs. There is good detail too.

On the back page that I didn't copy, Alexis starts by saying Michael's motivation was different.

Wowowowowowow!

Three more outlines and essays to go, so we can all improve at this very difficult thinking, reading and writing task.

Book report

2010-12-08T12:16:00.008-05:00

...poem posters. I certainly could have put more on here, because so many put some good effort into their project, but these were the ones who made it on.

Some are on for the poetry and some are on for the posters. Some are even on for both.

The poems? I wanted you to have an important idea about the book you read. In today's world, summarizing what you read isn't enough. You have to take something from it and develop that.

I also wanted the characters, setting if necessary, and the action. Having a refrain helped to keep the poem focused so it didn't turn into a summary. I also wanted a title for your poem: the important line and then the essence of that line.

The poem should have been edited for line breaks, capitals (not always using them), and punctuation (very few commas at the end of lines). Edits should have taken out the needless words and terms should have been added in.

The poster? I wanted the title of the book, with the author's name under it and smaller. I wanted the title of the poem over the poem, with your name in cursive at the bottom of the poem. I wanted the poem to fit on the page and not just be in the top, left corner.

I wanted a border so the page was turned into a poster. The title and border could have been the same color to tie it all together. I wanted the border and font to fit the tone of the poem.

I wanted a visual of your own, not the cover of the book, and I wanted it to connect to the poem. Shaded in or behind text usually works well. The color of the pic should tie in to the title of the book and border. The visual should have had the same tone as your book and poem.

I wanted you to think white space as much as used space. Was the poster pleasing to the eye? That's what a poster does: it invites us to read the poster.

If a title is the door ajar for stepping in, or reading, the poem, the poster is the door ajar for stepping in, or reading, the poster. You have to catch the reader's interest.

I wanted all that, and I gave you a week of in-class time to do it. So many of you came through.

Thank you.

We will be doing another poem book report in two weeks with the books for December. I will be expecting a clear important idea and content from beginning to end. There should be a title to invite us to read the poem, and the poem should be divided to lines, edited for needless words, have capitals and punctuation only where needed and there should be at least two terms used in the poem. I highly suggest you use a refrain to stay focused on your important idea so you don't do a summary of the story.

In January we will leave the poem format but still do a poster. Then, I will be looking for the title and author of the book, a border, color to tie, a visual, all coming together to make a poster where the white space is as deliberate as the used space.

Can't wait!

As little as

2010-12-07T15:07:00.004-05:00

... it takes. I haven't looked at 9th yet, but Kenny's looks to be the best so far. An outline doesn't have to have lots on it. It just has to be your reminder of where you want to go in your essay.

Kenny clearly understands how Adam and Michael were motivated differently and how they were successful. In his essay he will want to put more detail in to 'paint' how they were motivated and to show what they did to become successes. But, this is a good outline to show what he is planning on doing.

Tomorrow you write.

Part 2: past

2010-12-06T15:04:00.003-05:00

...and present. 7th and 9th have some interesting notes about what they've learned lately.

And, to end today, I've put on the thinking charts we did 9th. Note that by the end, the last assignment we don't know if we're talking different, like two were, or similar, like one was. So, as you read, you'll have to ask yourself, what are they saying here, alike or different?