Ben's Backyard

Elementary Students Reflections on Weblogs.

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.

 

     

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.

Ben & Abby's Interview with Mrs. Mateling

Last week we made up a list of ten questions to use to interview our teachers .  This week we have brought a guest to participate in this activity with us.  This activity will be very exciting!  I am Ben and this is Abby.  Abby and I will be working on the questions and answers together.  This interview is a simulation.  Already we have been through just about everybody's weblog. In a few minutes we will be doing an interview as well a Disclaimer.

 

Disclaimer

Ben and Abby's interview with Mrs. Mateling.

 

Ben and Abby - students
Mrs. Mateling - our teacher    

1.Ben and Abby: What is your favorite song to sing? Why is it your favorite song? 

Mrs. Mateling: Rolling, Rolling, Rolling, because it helps kids understand liquids.

2. Ben and Abby: Do you think your singing teaches your students?  Can you elaborate on this? 

Mrs. Mateling: My teaching teaches my students because I sing about real life.

3. Ben and Abby: What are some of your unique ways of teaching?

Mrs. Mateling:  Giving students treats for rewards and I do special projects to let them get a better understanding on the topic.

4. Ben and Abby: What are some everyday quotes you use in your class room?  If you could choose one favorite, what would it be?

 Mrs. Mateling: Teachers get very little pay and very little respect.

5. Ben and Abby: What is your opinion on the War in Iraq?

Mrs. Mateling: I am a hawk, so I really supported the war.

6. Ben and Abby: Do you plan on working anywhere else in the future?

Mrs, Mateling: Absolutely not!

7. Ben and  Abby: If so where do you plan on teaching?

Mrs. Mateling: Nowhere but here!

8. Ben and Abby: Do you have retirement plans?

Mrs. Mateling:  No . I plan to be teaching for awhile.

9. Ben and Abby: Many of your students think you are unique, what do you think is unique about you?

Mrs. Mateling: I do many special projects such as Hooverville where I allow my students to feel how it was to live in a hooverville in the depression. My students get to experience it!

10. Ben and Abby: What do you think has been the most depressing thing in your teaching career?

Mrs. Mateling: I would have to say that was when the school was vandalized.

Questions

Questions to

Teachers.

1.  What is your favorite song to sing?, why is this your favorite song?

2.  Do you think your singing teaches your students?, how can you elaborate with them?

3.  What are some unique ways of teaching?

4.  What are some everyday quotes you use in your class room?, if so, what would they be?

5.  What is your opinion on the War in Iraq?

6.  Do you plan on working anywhere else in the future?

7.  If so, where do you plan on teaching?

8.  Do you have any retirement plans?

9.  Many of your students think you are unique,  what do you think is unique about you?

10.  What do you think has been the most depressing thing in your teaching career?

Baskball

Basketball!

     Over Spring Break I created my own basketball team.  Well I already had created a basketball team earlier in the year, but we played our first game over Spring Break. Mostly the whole week I played basketball. There was not a day that I missed without playing basketball all week. Well we won by 6 , but the other team played a good game.  In that game we won $20.  You see we only play for money. Every game we play each team bets on however much money they want to bet on.  After the game you go home rich or poor!  Our team practices every other day during the week only, and on the weekend we play a game.  Well that is pretty much all I did during Spring Break.    Sincerely, Ben.

Robots

Robots.

I read an article from Time For Kids. The name of the article was: The New Robots Are a Lot Like Us.

The new robot's are seeming to become more and more creative as time goes on. Some robots can only tell the persons feelings by the voice.

One I read about can do 10,000 moves and 20,000 words. They say robots can be the next generation.

Haiku poetry follows these rules:

Line one:5 syllables

Line two:7 syllables

Line three:5 syllables

 

 

My poem about robots.

ROBOTS!

 

Started in Japan,

Over 20,000 words,

Next generation.

 

Haiku Poem.

Television

TELEVISION

       "Children 12-17 average 23 hours per-week watching T.V.  " By the time most American's are 18 yr. old, they have spent more time in-front of the T.V. set than they have spent in school, and far more than they have spenttalking with their teachers, their friends, or their parents. 

        Television, an essential part of every childs life, and keeps students connected with the outside world events.  It is television that shows us which music videos are the most popular, brings stories to life, and gives the feeling that the air-planes are actually crashing into buildings in New York are in the room with us.  The images of the president declaring war on terrorism are brought to students in stantly on T.V. screens.  So many people depend on T.V. not only for news events but also for entertainment as a  break from the pressure of school, wether students spend 3 hours a day watching  T.V. or ten minutes, television remains a large part of life for everyone.

Thank you New Jersey

   Thank you Christina K. a-lot for all of your help.  I appreciate you storing that information in my brain.  You have really showed everybody a new me.  I am not ashamed of my work like I used to be.  It has been A great experience to everybody that studies news.  You have a-lot of talent studying news and comprehending it so well.

      I really really hope we can talk about news in the future.  I hope that the next people who help me are as good as you.   Unfortunitely I think this is good bye!!!!!!                                           Sincerely,

                                                                                         Ben.

War In Iraq

WAR IN IRAQ

The War In Iraq continues for a week reunion.  Two soldiers from Georgia were captured and one was ambushed yesterday.  Georgia and many other states are now in "Code Red." The highest code there is!

        As you probrably know twelve American soldiers were captured last week and ten were killed others were taken prisoner.  Almost one-hundred soldiers have been killed as of now.  When the United States tries to take over BaghDad, Iraq it will be a blood battle.

     Keep checking for new events on the War In Iraq. New  updates will be held next Thursday.

                                                                   Sincerely,

Ben.

Response to post about Iraq

WAR IN IRAQ

        Here in class with Mrs. Davis I am thinking of a news story because I was in a hurrendous hurry this morning that I left my bookbag in my room when I was doing my homework for Mrs. Davis!  I have a very short time to post because we had testing this morning. Here is all I can give you until I come back from Disney World next Thursday with a brand new exclusive story with the War in Iraq. Last night my mom let me stay up a little later then I normally do.  Now, last night I watched the U.N. shoot BagDad a city in Iraq.  Too bad the satelight was out most of the time.  The U.N. as you probably know is giving Sadam Hussein 48 hours to leave Iraq, and they thing he is still there (no proof yet.)  If he is still there in 48 hours then we will assassinate him.  Iraq has not yet bombed us. Their bombs can only reach to about 80 miles so they probrably won't reach us from where they are. The only thing I am worried about is the Iraqi people who have already lived here for years. They could leave bombs everywhere around us.

                                                  bye, ben.          

Hi Ben,

It's Christina H. First off I would like to let you know who I am. I am the girl in the picture with the purple shirt on with the glittery buttery on it.

Now I would like to adress you post about Iraq. We are also discussing the situation in depth in our journalism class. We are watching the news a lot as well, so that we can see good examples of journalism. I am glad that you are watching the news because we are too and it is important to stay informed so that we know what is going on.

Some things that good journalism has is accurate information. It is important to have all the facts straight. You demonstrated this is your post, as you were very knowlegable about the subject and knew what was going on. Good job!

Keep watching the news and look for good journalism.

From,

Christina H.