Blogical Minds

What fun!

It looks like many students from Mr. Powell's class are having fun with pictures with us. Mr. Powell is an English teacher at St. Georges Technical High School in Middletown, Delaware. His class is having conversations about writing and literature. Check out these comments. Don't you love it when other classes join in? Blogging is interactive and engaging in so many ways. I can't wait for you to read their thoughts. Then you will share yours! Think of all the ways we have learned with pictures this year. Visuals really help our learning. I will post what the picture actually is later this morning (after we have fun guessing and sharing our thoughts, of course). What fun!

Questions for Mr. Fisher's Class

Wow! You did a great job brainstorming questions for Mr. Fisher's class. Here is the compiled class list:

 

Blogging Questions from the Blogicians

1. What strategies do you use in blogging?
2. How does blogging help you as a writer? As a reader? As a publisher?
3. What are some tips on how to proofread on a blog?
4. When you post how do you get the ideas to post about your topic?
5. What is your favorite blog, your favorite post, and your favorite comment and please give your reasons for your choices?
6. Has anyone given you tips about blogging? What would be the 3 most important tips you would give?
7. What is your favorite or the most interesting thing you like about blogging?
8. What makes you want to comment to a blog?
9. What is the worst problem you have in blogging?
10. How does blogging help you in school or anywhere?
11. How has blogging gotten better since you started?
12. What is your perspective on blogging? What does blogging mean to you?
13. How have other people’s comments helped you in blogging?
14. What are some verbs you would use to describe blogging? Some adjectives?
15. What inspired you to do blogging? Do you think you will blog later?
16. How do you feel when you get comments?
17. What have you learned in blogging?
18. How does blogging help you make friends?
19. How have other people’s comments helped you in blogging?
20. How did you feel when you first started blogging? Were you nervous, scared, happy? How do you feel now?
21. Does blogging help you learn more in writing and language?
22. What do you think of your blog?
23. How has your blogging gotten better since you started?
24. Is blogging a part of your life?
25. How do you respond to other blogs (what sequence)?

These would be good questions to answer ourselves a little later. I'm proud of you!

Announcing.....

Anni

Blogging is a very good, exciting and creative experience.

Johnny 

In blogging I am in the driver seat.

Victoria 

Blogging is being able to learn but in a fun way.

T.K.

Blogging is awesome so I think other people that haven’t done blogging yet will enjoy it.

Eddie

You can hear words rumbling in your ears.

Mary 

It has inspired me to write all I can write with as much enthusiasm as needed.

Emmy 

Is an open gate from boredom

Dulce Maria

I never in my life had done this and it’s really special because not everybody has their own website.

M.V.

I think every class should have a chance to blog because blogging is an opportunity and there are some people in the world that have never blogged or just don’t know what it is. Whenever I get a chance to blog I get eager to see my comments and to comment back to my bloggers. I also think blogging is a brainstormer because I always have something to talk about or should I say type because we let our keyboards talk out loud.

Michael

Blogging is a type of writing online.

Lindsey 

I get to read peoples' blogs and it is like reading their minds.

Tina

You can express who you are on the inside.

Mia

Comments are special instruments.

Each of these blogicians have created Inspiration documents to list all that "Blogging is...." to them. Click on their blog sites on the side and take a look at their 'inspirations!" Good work, blogicians!!!!!!!!

Here is a linear file Download BloggingIsFeb272007.doc of all of your responses. We are going to talk about them next class! 

Have a great weekend!

Class Created Cat Purrs about Blogging

Comment to Dustin from Eddie

           I was unable to comment to Dustin's blog so I'm commenting on our class blog. Mrs.C is going to contact your teacher Mr.Fisher.

           Your writing made me think about the mourning people in Africa with aids. Famous celebrities are starting this program called project red. many people are dying even children. The project red program is trying to get anti retro viral medicine to help them to fight off aids. I think it was nice for Dustin to write about the poor people in Africa that are sick. One of the main sources of sickness and infection in Africa is the contaminated water that they are drinking.

           Try to find a way to help the people in Africa and when you do contact me at http://itc.blogs.com/mind2/.

Comment from Emmy to Katie

I'm on the class blog because my comment wouldn't go through so I have to go to do it on the class blog.

  This post made me think about what sleep loss can do to you and I made a post about what sleep loss can do to you. If you want to see my post just go to http://itc.blogs.com/mind8/ and it should be on the top unless I make another post. I would love for you to go to it and make a comment. I will finish my post and I hope you will read both of the posts as if they were together. Your story “Tired” inspired my post and that is a really really good thing. if my comment looks a little strange I was just testing what B I W X meant. I learned a new thing by taking a risk. I was just wondering why you made a post on you being tired? Please answer this by going to my blog and go to the comments for what sleep loss can do to you.

Comment To Kate From Victoria

  I was unable to comment on your blog so I commented here on our class blog. My teacher (Mrs C.) told your teacher (Mr. Fisher) that you can find my comment hear.

  I read your post about Polar Bears and that their environment is melting. Your writing made me think that we should really try to do something about the Polar Bears and their invironment! You are a excellent writer because you made me want to do something; and you made me feel sad about what happening to them and Antarctica. In-case you are wondering what I wrote about you and your writing go to Victoria's Dreams of Wonder

How do you think we could help save the polar bears from drowning? When you find the answer contact me on my website please. I hope you comment to me soon,

                                                                         Victoria

Comment to Darren from Johnny

I'm using the class blog to comment to Darren my comment is

Darren I discovered that a lot of people are trying to fight aids in Africa. I hope in the future that they will succeed because Bill Gates gave 2,000 dollars to fight aids in Africa so I am really excited  that they can do so much for people in Africa. Darren I really enjoyed reading your post. I hope in the future you get a lot of comments. by the way this is only a fifth grader boy. The post was about aids in Africa but why did you put phone as a picture how do they tie togother? Visit  my blog once you get a chance.

Questions for legislators

I love the questions you came up with for the legislators for Tuesday night. Two bloggers from this class will be representing our group. 

Here are the questions:

1. How do you use technology in your job as a legislator?
2. What is your favorite part of your job? Your least favorite?
3. Do you have a blog? We see it as a good way to communicate with people and learn. We share ideas and help each other with the comments.
4. Do you think a blog would be helpful in your job? Do you think it would help you communicate with the public and media?
5. Is recess in schools good or bad? Why don’t we have it anymore? Do you support funding for recess equipment? We have very little equipment.
6. What is the best way you have found to let people know what you are doing?
7. What are two issues that are of special interest to you concerning our      schools? How can we help?
8. What are your most important responsibilities as a legislator?
9. Would you blog in your free time?
10. What is your view on poverty and equal educational opportunities for disadvantaged students? Do you support special programs for less fortunate students?
11. Would you support incorporating blogs into schools?
12. How do you feel about keeping music, art, and PE in schools? What should students do to make sure music, art, and PE are kept in schools?
13. Do you support funds for improving technology equipment and staff in schools?
14. Will you comment to our blogs?
15. Do you support redistricting schools so that our student body is diverse?
16. Should fun activities be kept in schools (examples, Halloween parades, assemblies, parties, etc)
17. How can we keep the internet safe at school?
18. We have to drink milk with our school lunch, but we would like to have the option to drink water instead without an additional charge. Would you support this change in menu?
19. Free summer reading programs could be very beneficial to students. How should we fund and implement programs?
20. Students often times aren’t listened to by teachers and administrators. Do you value our opinions and concerns? How should we express ourselves in a meaningful manner that will be listened to by others?

Now I know we won't be able to get all these questions answered Tuesday night as it is just an hour event. Put your thinking caps on. How can we get answers?  We'll talk next week.

The session today was great. I have never seen such "intense blogging". You were really excited to communicate with Mr. Fisher's eighth grade bloggers. They are good models for you. I can't wait to see what you blog next week!  More later.....

Mrs. C

 

Two Answers to Two Questions

As a class we read "Two Questions" on Mr. Fisher's blog "Excellence and Imagination." His blog is from Canada. Mr. Fisher teaches eighth grade.

The two questions were about the difference between writing on paper and blogging.  Both questions were about the students' interests about what they were learning.  Mr. Fisher wrote like he was having a conversation with the students.  He was trying to capture the students' interests so that maybe the students wouldn't goof off with their learning.  He is keeping them engaged as they have fun with learning.

Question 1:  Is blogging different from “regular” writing that happens on paper? If you think it is different, describe how. If it is not different, why not? How is it the same as writing on paper?

Lindsey is going to share what she thought about April's answer:  April said that when you write on paper many people do not have a chance to read your writing.  But everyone can read your writing when you blog. When you have your own blog you are able to type your opinions and express your feelings to everyone else.

Question 2:   What is the advantage of having a personal learning network (PLN) filled with blogs that are mostly selected by you? How can it make learning different? Is it OK that we are all reading different things and learning different things? Are classrooms supposed to be about everyone learning the same thing?

We have read Mr. Fisher's blog and some of April's answers to Mr. Fisher's questions. There were 16 comments and Emmy thinks they will get a lot more. Jhonny thinks that they deserve a lot more comments because they gave such good, intriguing answers. Anni thought April's answer was really good and she is glad April took the time to put it all on her blog.

We're all off to read other students' blogs and then we will blog about their blog. Above all the interest that was coming from the students' blogging caught our interest.