Brianna's Buzz Corner

Elementary Students Reflections on Weblogs

1. What's your favorite thing about weblogs?

Weblogs give me a place to voice my opinion on the news. It also allows me to free my thoughts and be able to tell other people what I think.

2. What have you learned?

I've learned how to write a top-notch story and include lots of informative details.

3. How have you changed?

I've learned to appreciate people criticizing my work and not to take it so personally.

4. What will you do with what you have learned?

I will try to take all that I have learned and use it to become a better journalist.

5. What has been most challenging or frustrating for you and how have you met this challenge or overcome the frustration?

Probably trying to overcome the fear of people criticizing my work. It took a lot of building my confidence to overcome this big fear that was blocking my road to becoming a better journalist.

6.  Can you see using weblogs in other classes? Explain.

Yes. But it would take a lot of time and commitment to do this. 

7. Do you feel more confident about any of your skills?

Of course, the place I have improved the most is writing.

8. Do you ever find yourself helping others learn something?

Yes, all the time. Just the other day I was in the lab helping a group of people with their assignment. This role I have taken on is not new to me.

9. If an outsider visited your site, what would you hope he or she would think about it?

I would hope that they thought my site was informative, full of details, and makes them feel like this is the news site for them!

10. What skills that you have now that you didn't have are most valuable to you and why?

Well, I didn't have the skills to tell my opinion to people. Now I can tell my opinion to people,  even though I don't know them.

11. In what ways have you become a better writer?

Well, my stories are informative, full of details, and much longer.

12. How does having a weblog affect how you learn? How does it affect how you write?

 It has really affected my skills in writing. Well, my stories aren't as short, they have more details, the reader actually knows what I'm talking about, and I don't leave the reader hanging at the end of the story.

13. Looking back, what do you wish you would have learned about that you didn't? Or, what would you do differently if you could go back, knowing what you know now?

I would probably wouldn't be as nervous about criticism. I wish that I would have learned what a nutgraph was.

14. If you could start a weblog of your own, what would you write about?

I would give advice to young adults on how to deal with peer pressure in their lives.

15. What did you think of the Georgia-NJ Connection?

I thought that experience was wonderful. The thought of having high school students check your work and tell what they thought of it is a little nerve racking, but I soon learned to appreciate it.

16. Did you tell anyone about your weblog? Did others read your weblog? What feedback did you get from people outside the class, if any?

I told tons of people about my weblog. Many of them said that they thought it was great that a ten year old could have a weblog.

17. Do you have any words of wisdom for future webloggers?

Yes, always keep a bright face and never give up. Because no matter how hard it is, in the long-run you will hopefully learn to appreciate it.

18. Discuss your feelings about weblogs now.

Weblogs are fun, expressive, and enjoyable, but take a lot of effort.

19. Which response that you got from someone who made a comment about what you wrote did you like the best?

I liked the one Tim gave to me. Because it made me feel much better about what I wrote.

 

Brianna :)

Interview With Mrs. Mateling

Unfortunately, I was unable to be at the discussion last week, but my friends told me all about the meeting. It seems that we are doing something special for our teachers.  Jessica and I will be simulating this interview with Mrs.Mateling. We will also be including a disclaimer. Disclaimer The contents of this interview published by Ben and Abby are solely the responsibility of the weblog authors for the posting on simulated interviews with our teachers. Statements made and opinions expressed in these interviews are based on what we believe would be the responses of our teachers. This activity was developed to help us develop good questions for interviews and then write the interview in a form that would be clear, concise, and interesting for our teacher and others to read. We, of course, are trusting that our teacher will enjoy this activity as much as we have. We really hope our teacher will agree that our answers could be her answers and will be amazed at how well we have come to know her! We would like to dedicate this post to Mrs. Mateling and say thank you for a wonderful year. Brianna and Jessica'sinterview with Mrs.Mateling

Brianna and Jessica:How long have you been teaching?

Mrs. Mateling: I've been teaching for about 32 years.

Brianna and Jessica: What made you become a teacher?

Mrs. Mateling: The urge to help students to do something with their life.

Brianna and Jessica: Did you always want to be a teacher? If not what did you want to be?

Mrs.Mateling: No, I wanted to become a Social Worker. But soon realized, teaching was my real goal.

Brianna and Jessica: Do you ever think about retiring from your profession? Why?

Mrs. Mateling: Yes, because I feel that teachers get very little pay and respect.

Brianna and Jessica: Did you enjoy teaching at the middle school? Why or why not?

Mrs.Mateling: It was a very weird and dangerous experience.

Brianna and Jessica: What do you like about J.H. House?

Mrs.Mateling: The students are well behaved and our principal is very sincere and caring.

Brianna and Jessica: How do you control your anger towards kids?

Mrs. Mateling: I just take a deep breath and ask the LORD to help me, or I just make a joke.

Brianna and Jessica: Do you have any extra activities?

Mrs.Mateling: Yes, my whole life doesn't revolve around teaching.

Brianna and Jessica: What are your activities?

Mrs.Mateling: Being a mom and going to GOLDEN CORRAL. "local eating place"

Brianna and Jessica: How do you keep a positive attitude?

Mrs.Mateling: By always believing that there is a good side to everybody!

Brianna and Jessica: Any last words?

Mrs.Mateling: Don't become a teacher. We hardly get any money and children don't respect us. " I'm just kidding!'

Haikus In The News

Hi,

    I am going to do a Haikus on the First Amendment! There is a certain way to do a haiku. Read my notes and you will understand them.

Line 1 - Five Syllables

Line 2 - Seven Syllables

Line 3 - Five Syllables

Here's my Haiku:

                      The First Amendment

                Gives the right to speak freely

                       Has Consequences!

               

                                    Brianna

Farewell Brianna

Hi Brianna,

     These past few weeks have been fun and it is sad to see them ending. I hope we've been able to help you on your way to becoming a professional journalist. I hope you have fun and keep getting those A's!

 

                          Sincerely,

                             Eric

Tobacco Campany Sues

            

^{Tobacco Company Sues}           

           ^{Two U.S. cigarette makers sued the state of California for speaking ill of their company in their state-sponsored advertisements. Reynolds Tobacco Co. and Lorillard Tobacco Co. acknowledged that they filed the suit to immobilize some of the California's Proposition 99 advertising. The companies argue that many of the state's advertisements misuse taxpayer funds violate the companies­ Constitutional rights and have a prejudicial affect on the lawsuits related to smoking.}

 

                                                                                                                        ^By,

                                                                                                                        ^Brianna

Good-bye Brianna

Brianna-

It has been so much fun working with you these past couple of weeks. I have a great time, and learned a lot, and I hope you have too. I still can't believe that you are as young as you are. You act, write and look older than your age. I think that you are a great writer and I hope that someday I will see some of your articles when they are published in a famous newspaper. I think that you just keep up your effort and just have fun with your writing, you will get better and better as the years go on.

I just want to tell you that you have so much to look forward to, as you get older, as do all of us. High school is so much fun, and some say that it is the best years of your life, I hope that is not true for my sake. My only words of advice for you, as your work will get harder as you get older and there will be times when you feel that you have too much work to do and you just feel like quitting, don't. Whenever you feel like your drowning in homework, just take one step at a time. Do one thing at a time, and forget about your other work. As long as you focus on what you are doing, and just got from one thing to another, you will get through everything. Oh, and my other piece of advice that I swear makes everything so much easier, is to do your homework as soon as possible. As soon as you get home, even on Fridays, if you get all your work done you will be so much happier for the rest of the day. I promise if you always do this, you will have much less stress in your life.

I think that you are a great kid and I am sad to leave our little "Internet" relationship. Keep up your writing and have a great time.

Sincerely,

Emily

Thankyou New Jersey

Dear Eric and Emily,

      THANK YOU so much for everything that you have done for me. There are hardly any words to describe how much I appreciate you, but I will try my hardest to present a good picture in your mind. This interaction as been extraordinary for me. It seems like we have only just begun this experience, and I never want it to end. At first all of this seemed to be a fairy tale, but I know it is real. It is not everyday that a bunch of 4th and 5th grade students get the chance to interact with high school students from New Jersey. In my heart I believe that you are great role models fro me, and you have inspired me to become a journalist. Every word that I have said in this news post came from the heart.

:( :( :( :(

Brianna

Ephedra

Attention, attention!  Did you know that there was a drug that causes strokes,heart attacks,seizures,nervousness,heart muscle damge,irregular heartbeat,moodswings, and paranoia? This drug is mahuang also known as ephedra.

                                                              Brianna

Are Dress-Codes Necessary At School?

 

        The average girl worries about what wears to school, unless she wears a uniform.

        Megan Stansfield, 16, from Fairview, Oregon quoted, "We have to wear uniforms. Dress-codes and uniforms take our attention from fashion and put it on school."

        Teen People, a magazine for the teenage soul, decided to take a poll on school dress-codes. Here are the results: 55% have school dress-codes, 66 % with dress-codes don't like it, 62% think dress-codes stifle their individuality, and 94% believe they should have a say in their school's clothing policy.

        From low low-rise jeans to stylish mini-skirts and from polo shirts to tie-dye tube tops, students including boys have taken their outfits to the extreme. But some schools have gone over the top too, with their policies.

        David Lopez, 17, from Fort Campbell, Kentucky said,
"We have to keep our hair in colors that occur in nature."

        Dress-codes may be just what schools need to stop students­ outrageous clothing.

                        Most of my information came from Teen People Magazine, page 164.

 

                                                          By,                                                         Brianna

My News Report

     Monday, March 13 2003 President Bush said, "Saddam Hussein and his sons must leave Iraq within 48 hours.  Their refusal to do so will result in military conflict commenced at a time of our choosing."

     President Bush of the United States, declared war in 2003 on Iraq, because Saddam Hussein won't disarm his weapons of mass destruction.

     Although the U.N. does not support Bush's decision for the war, the U.S. plans to proceed without entire U.N. support.