Blog, blog blog blog, blog some more

We are creating Utopian Societies that differ from the Dystopian Society from Harrison Bergeron.

According to Wikipedia, Utopian fiction is the creation of an ideal world, or utopia, as the setting for a novel. Dystopian fiction is the opposite: creation of a nightmare world, or dystopia.

1st – they had to create a T-graph comparing their Utopia with the Dystopian Society in Harrison Bergeron.

2nd – they created a foldable book that contained

3rd – they created a Common Craft type video explaining their Utopians.

Here is my sample:

MY SAMPLE UTOPIA

Burtonopia from Burton’s Scholars on Vimeo.

STEPHANIE’S UTOPIA

DIAMOND’S UTOPIA

Diamond’s Utopia from Burton’s Scholars on Vimeo.

Here are some more of our Utopian Society Recruitment Videos

My class is finishing up our work with Romeo and Juliet and one of the last assignments is to create a Faux Facebook page for a chosen character.  The update stream must have at least 7 updates that guide us toward another ending.  No double suicides.

Create a Faux Facebook page that shows snippets of the character’s life, friends and events.

Facebook sample page – JFK.ppt

Here are some basic facts from R and J

Save your PowerPoint presentations to the Class Ning using the password/email address

Student Facebook pages:

We have been presented with an award!!!

Last week our class blog was selected as a blog of merit to be recommended to others.  Ms. Nichols and her class deemed our blog as praiseworthy and she has named our blog as one of ten that she is “passing on” for others to follow.

The “Blog Chain – Pass it on” Award

is an acknowledgement that someone saw something in your blog that others should see and read.  WOW, how humbling.

The rules of the award are as follows:

1- Copy and display the picture of the award given to you;

2- Link back to the blog that nominated you;

3- Nominate 10 different blogs yourself;

4- Inform the people you nominated, so they can in turn, continue the chain and spread the word about other great blogs out there.

This is my first year attempting to blog for myself and for my class, so it is indeed an honor to be recommended.  Our blog is a collection of bits and pieces of content that I deemed worthy of being shared.  I have compiled: videos, work samples, journal topics, current event updates, puzzles, etc.   We are pleased to have our work noticed.

It is difficult to suggest blogs to follow because my bookmark tag for “blogs2follow” has 200 links to check out and narrowing 200 to 10 seemed a daunting task.  Here is my list, not in order of preference of 10 of the many blogs that I follow:

1. http://huzzah.edublogs.org/ a grade 5 – 6 class of 10 & 11 year old learners (and one much, much older learner) who have a lot to celebrate and share. Our classroom is in the beautiful Comox Valley on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.
2. http://rippleeffect.edublogs.org/ We are a Grade 6/7 class located in the scenic Comox Valley on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. With our blog, we hope to share and celebrate our experiences as we learn together.
3. http://www.bhsartenglish.blogspot.com/ The purpose of their blog is to creatively integrate English and Art
4. http://ericmacknight.com/myp9a/ They post most of their writing for English in Grade 9 onto their blog.
5. http://yollisclassblog.blogspot.com/ The blog has tons of interesting things from Ms. Yollis’ students.
6. http://theedublogger.com/ Is a great resource for everything blogging and beyond
7. http://www.huffenglish.com/ provides resources for Ms. Huff’s English classes .  The site is dedicated to sharing Issues, ideas, and discussion in English Education and Technology.
8. http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/ has a plethora of resources: links and student work samples
9. http://mrcsclassblog.blogspot.com/ The Official Blog of Mr. C’s Class at Noel Elementary School! Modeling the use of technology to teachers and students
10. http://budtheteacher.com/blog/ will provide you will insightful articles, writing prompts and student work samples that are worth admiring.

Here is a map from our wiki page.

It shows the traffic that has come through since I first installed it in July.

We have had 2,036 hits in that time period.

Current Country Totals
From 17 Jul 2009 to 6 Dec 2009

Current Country Totals
From 2 Dec 2009 to 26 Dec 2009

Here is a chart from our class blogpage.

Our work is being looked at from all over the world.  We must be sure to put our best foot forward and do our best.  You never know who just might be looking.

It is one of my desires that by the end of this class, you will have an opportunity to create a lasting marks on the world.  One of these marks will be an EPortfolio that we will create using Live Binders.  Here is a link to a template that you will use to create yours.  You will copy it and change the information within it to personalize it for yourself.

http://www.livebinders.com/play/play/4546

Confidential 9/11 Pager Messages Disclosed: http://bit.ly/5me1Fa

What is your opinion?

Should they be kept private or made public?

Don’t forget to use the blogging to agree or disagree tips

Give your response a title.

Explain what you think the cartoon, picture, video, quote is saying/showing.

• What point is the is the creator making?
• What is the issue, theme or big idea?
• Can you connect this to a film, book or experience?
• What is your opinion?

Your response should be a thoughtful relection about the prompt.

Read “A Lady in a  Machine-Shop.”

Then write an essay explaining what skills and qualities Margaret Knight possessed that led to her success as an inventor.

• Be sure to include specific information from the article to support your ideas.
• Do not merely summarize the article.
• Remember that your response will be evaluated in two ways–on your understanding of the article and on the quality of your writing.

To honor all of my hardworking bloggers, I have developed a Superstar Blogging Badge.  I will be attaching this to the blogs that show a significant commitment to time and creativity. 

You have done excellent work.  We commend your efforts.

Sometimes personal essays are actually inspired by a belief statement or quotation from someone famous that the writer respects. Do any quotations below from the famous UCLA basketball coach ring true with what you yourself believe?  Each night you have a different prompt to respond to.  Make sure that your response is between 75-100 words.  We will use these responses to build a portfolio of writings to be considered for the Gallery.  Put answers in your journal.

MONDAY ~ A man may make mistakes, but he isn’t a failure until he starts blaming someone else.

TUESDAY ~ Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.

WEDNESDAY ~ The main ingredient of stardom is the rest of the team.

• Talent is God given; be humble.
• Fame is man given; be thankful.
• Conceit is self-given; be careful.