NewsQuest

No Good-byes!

How do you say good-bye to such a fine group of students?  Well, I just don't think I will because I know our paths will cross in the future.  I have a feeling that all of you will go on and do some great things with your lives.  I know I will be reading about many of you in future newspapers, and maybe even edublogs!  It has been a joy to teach each and everyone of you and I wish you all the best in your future endeavors. It has been a successful journey for us as we have explored possibilities for edublogs in education.  We have learned much together!  You have worked hard all year and I think you all have soared.  Remember to read, read, read.... Then reflect, think, contemplate, and ponder..... And write, write, write!!! I would like to say a special thanks to every parent.  Your children have been an absolute pleasure to teach.

Mrs. Davis

Keep in touch...... [email protected]

Fifth Graders Reflections on Weblogging

Mrs. Mateling came to class and thoroughly enjoyed having her students share their simulated interviews. These fifth graders really know their teacher!  She was amazed at their anwers. Last week Mrs. Barandiaran marveled over how well her fourth graders knew her. Fifth graders wrote their reflections on our weblog learning.  What a great way to end the year - good writing, good fellowship, and good reflections!  What more could we want? You'll want to read each and everyone of these end-of-the year reflections.....lots of good thinking going on here!

Ben's Reflections

Brianna's Reflections

Dane's Reflections

Jacqueline's Reflections

Kayla's Reflections

Lindsay's Reflections

Lucy's Reflections

Melanie's Reflections

Melanie's Reflections

1. What is your favorite thing about weblogs?

My favorite thing about weblogs are that we are posting what we think and what we write about the news being put out in the public.

2. What have you learned?

I have learned how to use different things on the weblogs, what a lead is, and how to appreciate what people write to me even when criticizing me because it might even help me in the future.

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

I will take the knowledge that I have and someday build my own weblog.

4. Can you see using weblogs in other classes?

Yes. We could use them to share good grades that some students have and some experiment ideas with other classes all over the world.

5. Do you ever find yourself helping others to learn something? How does that feel? Is this a normal role for you or new to you?

Yes, I always find myself helping others to learn what they might not understand. This feeling is definitely one of the good ones; it makes you feel important and proud. This is a normal feeling for me.

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

I would hope that they would think highly of my news stories. I would want them to notice how my stories have improved from the beginning to now.

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

I have improved my vocabulary by using more educated words. Instead of the usual bad, scary, happy, and fun, I looked the words up in the thesaurus to hopefully get my new word.

8. How does having a weblog effect how you learn?

You get to learn in a completely different way. It's exciting to learn by the way of the web. It lets me voice my opinion out into the public instead of just to my teacher.

9. 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 wish that I would have known that there was a such thing as weblogs so that I could have started typing to the public earlier.

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

I would write about different sports tips for people.

Lucy's Reflections

1.What's your favorite thing about weblogs?

My favorite thing about weblogs is getting to communicate with people on the internet, get mail, and have my very own website.

2.What have you learned?

I have learned how to bump up my vocabulary, how to read my mail, and respond.

3.How have you changed?

I have changed by using bumped up vocabulary, speaking mostly in complete sentences, and how to be patient.

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

I will teach kids and people with what I have learned, and I will use it myself.

5.What has been the most challenging or fustrating for you and how have you met the challenge or over come the fustration?

The most fustrating thing for me would have to be...... once while our our group was meeting no one could login because it said you are already signed in as Lucy U.-(me) so that made me fustrated. The way I overcomed the fustration is by having patience.

6.Can you see yourself using weblogs in other classes? Explain. Be specific with a way that you think they could be used.

Yes, I can see myself using weblogs in other classes, because I have had so much experience in my other class(group). I think that it could help people in everyday life.

7.Do you feel more confident about any of your skills: Computer? Writing? Reading? Critical thinking? Explain.

Yes, I do feel more confident in my skills like computer-how to have patcience with a computer, writing, and how to get to the point and be specific.

8.Do you ever find yourself helping others to learn something? How does that feel? Is this a normal role for you?

Yes, I do find myself helping others alot more than usual. It (helping others) feels really good like I just made a huge difference!:), this is a normal role for me.

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

If an outsider visited my website I hope that they would really like it and maybe even join and become a member!:)

10.How have you integrated your learning of weblogswith any other areaof your life?

I have integrated my learning of weblogs in my everyday life so when I use a computer I know more.

Lindsay's Reflections

1.What's your favorite thing about weblogs?

My favorite thing about weblogs is the fact that we are having fun while learning and how we can tell how we feel about anything.

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

In the future I plan to become a journalist and I would funnel all of my knowledge into that.

3.What has been the most challenging or frustrating thing in weblogs? How have you met the challenge or overcome the frustration?

The most frustrating thing has been forgetting to copy your writing because as we all know sometimes the internet is out to get you.

4.Do you feel more confident about any of your skills: Computer? Writing?Reading Critical thinking? Explain.

Definitintely Computer. I have learned soooooo much about the internet and weblogs one thing is how to ad links and also how to put in pictures.

5.Do you ever find yourself helping others? How does that feel .Is this a new role for you or not?

Yes. I help people all the time and it makes you feel older and builds your responsibility.

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

I now can write great and powerful stories.

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

I can now write clear and flowing stories and now I can write descent lead-ins.

8.What did you think of the GA-NJ connection?

It was an interesting and informring program.

9.Did you tell anyone about your weblog? Did others read your weblog?How does it affect how you write?

Yes, I told others and they responded and it makes you write better because you know there is an audience reading everything you type.

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

Well one day I got a response from Kelly and Alexa (Ga- NJ connection) saying my writing was excellent. This made me very happy because I was afraid that they would criticize my writing and they actually liked it. I was so proud of it and I've never forgot it.

Kayla's Reflections

1.What's your favorite thing about weblogs?

I like the fact that I can state my opinion the way I want to.

2.What have you learned?

I have learned to be more patient with things because if I do my work will come in handy.

3.How have you changed?

The weblogs have changed my work effort.

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

I will take it further down that road of life ,and hopefully use it in my career.

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

I would say that waiting on posting and sometimes losing it is the most frustrating, I have overcome the frustration by doing something else for a second. So that way I can get it off my mind and calm down.

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

I really can't decide. I think every subject has their advantages and disadvantages.

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

Powerpoint presentations,because I love viewing and showing them. Now I can do that in a exciting and professional way.

8.Do you ever find yourself helping others to learn something? How does that feel? Is this a normal role for you or new to you?/

I always help my little sister with typing, powerpoint, internet, etc. It makes me feel me feel like I am very important. It is totally normal for me.

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

I hope that they would feel comfortable expressing their feelings ,so that way they can respond to me.

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

I'd say typing, I used to type so slowly ,but now I type so fast.

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

I have used more professinal vocabulary.

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

It has helped me in class by being prepared,and it affects me in writing because I know a lot of people are going to see it.

13.Looking back, what would you do differently if you could go back.

I would've made my leads more snappy.

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

I would have a book club/advice column.

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

I thought it was a gift to have them help us, and to make the mini-lessons for us.

Jacqueline's Reflections

1. What is your favorite thing about weblogs?

My favorite thing about weblogs is that it gives you a place.

2. What have you learned?

In weblogs I have learned what a good lead should be and what a nutgraph is.

3. How have you changed?

I have changed the way I make paragraphs and leads.

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

I hope to pass what I have learned on to other people.

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

The hardest thing for me was nutgraphing, and the way figured it out was to just breathe and start all over again.

6. Can you see using weblogs in other classes? Explain. Be specific with a way you think?

I think weblogs should be in other classes because it is a fun way of learning something very important.

7. Do you feel more confident about any more of your skills: Computer? Writing? Reading? Critical Thinking? Explain.

I think that if I had to I could write a much better story than when I first started weblogs, because now I know how to build a sensible report.

8. Do you ever find yourself helping other to learn something? How dose that feel? Is this a normal role for you or new for you?

Sometimes I tell something that I learned that day and it feels good, but that is not my normal role.

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

I hope that if an outsider visited my site he or she would want to know how to make their own and things like that.

10.How have you integrated your learning of weblogs with any other area of your life?

I have used weblogs in fiction and non-fiction stories.

Dane's Reflections

1. What's your favorite thing about weblogs?

My favorite thing about weblogs is being able to demonstrate my writing and being able to express my personal opinion.

2. What have you learned?

I've learned to use techniques to help improve my writing skills.

3. Do you feel more comfortable about any of your skills?

Yes. I now understand how to use my skills in journalism, exclaimers, coming up thought provoking questions, and in organizing factual writings.

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

I would hope they would think of children as being capable of more than they had first anticipated.

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

I've become a better writer in several ways. My vocabulary has increased, I've learned to organize my thoughts and place them in sequential order, and most of all I learned ways to grab other people's attention.

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

When I post my newly created writing, I then have something to look at and see how I can improve on the next post. I like to look back on my papers and a weblogs allows you to do so. This isn't as easy as when you have written your stories on paper.

7. What did you think of the Georgia-NJ connection?

I loved it! I learned so much from my pinpals. They gave me tips and intellegent answers to all my question/s.

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

Yes, never quit when you feel you would like to give up.

9. Discuss your feelings about weblogs about weblogs now.

I believe it is an educational privilage that will surely boost one's writing skills and allow them to think outside the box.

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

The best response I have gotten from someone would have to be Amanda. She gave me an example and helped me overcome my fear of displaying my writing in public by giving me personal background.

Brianna's Reflections

1. What's your favorite thing about weblogs?

Weblogs gives 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 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 tellmy opinion to people, even though I don't know them.

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

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

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. 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.

18. 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.

19. Discuss your feelings about weblogs now.

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

20. Which response that you got from someone what 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./

Ben's Reflections

1. What is your favorite thing about weblogs?

My favorite thing to do in weblogs is to speak out loud on the Internet. Creating a website made me feel that I was grown up.

2. What have you learned?

I have learned how to use extended vocabulary and have grown to be more mature.

3. How have you changed?

I have changed in many ways, one of them would be more mature, another is smarter, and more involved with the news.

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

Put it into my everyday life. And hopefully become a great writer.

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

The most challenging or frustrating thing is to keep coming up with better and better stories each time. And yes, I have overcome that frustration.

6. Can you see using weblogs in other classes? Explain. Be specific with a way to think they could be used?

Yes, in middle, high and college news classes I could use all of the technology I have learned in this class.

7. Do you more confident about any of your skills: Computer? Writing? Reading? Critical thinking? Explain.

Yes, I feel more confident about all of those. I have used all of them in many ways in this class. One example is in all of my news stories.

8. Do you ever catch yourself helping others to learn something? How does that feel? Is this a normal role to you or a new to you?

Yes, sometimes it feels that I can actually teach somebody and it feels good. Yes, this a new thing for me.

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

I would hope they would really love it and spread the word to everybody they knew.

10. How have you integrated your learning of weblogs with any other area of your life?

It has helped me live up to my career which I hope will be a computer person.

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

My vocabulary skills, because I can talk to people with out feeling immature with the words I use.

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

By getting more involved with the news, using better vocabulary, being more mature, and doing a-lot more critical thinking.