An archived stack of papers: August 2008
Notes From Day One
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Aug
- 26
- 2008
I’ll answer my “How-Was-It” questions from last year later. This time ’round, I want that to be a review of the entire first week instead of just the first day. At first glance, I’m doing pretty well. I’d love to hear how... read more
Day One
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Aug
- 23
- 2008
Syllabus? On Day One!? Are you nuts??
Seriously, consider ditching that dry bit of talk. Push it off as much as you possibly can. The students only need to know certain things right now and chances are that info isn’t on your syllabus. It can wait until later. For now, you have a stage to set and what you do today will impact the rest of the school year. Not irreversibly, but this is... read more
Preparing For The Role
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Aug
- 22
- 2008
I filled the last few days with trips to the dumpster and at least eight hours per in my classroom. From cleaning out a colleague’s room (nice guy and pack rat par excellence) to sifting through my own cupboards (a fine hoarder in my own right), our trash compactor is working overtime.
I’m getting over my concern about throwing away books. Your dusty class set of anthologies from two... read more
Another Way – Delicious
In a stack of papers called Connections.
- Aug
- 17
- 2008
And that’s when it occurred to me: “oh yeah! I still have a del.icio.us account! I even used it to create a sort of online textbook at one point. Let’s get back to that, eh?” So I did. This helps me stay interested in things other than my job, areas other than writing and reading and... read more
One Way – Google
In a stack of papers called Connections.
- Aug
- 16
- 2008
I’ve been planning these next two entries for a while now and Dan pretty much summed up my ideas inside of three minutes. If you present the world as if it revolves around your content area, you appear one dimensional and completely boring to students; no one cares as much about your content area as you do. You need to be interested in more things.... read more
Process Of Video
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Aug
- 12
- 2008
My original intent in being at the workshop yesterday and today was simply to help a friend, lend a hand when I could, be there for any support needed. Instead, a video grew. Working through the process in a short amount of time clarified a few things. It helped me see the importance of process from a different angle, (video, as opposed to writing). The same rules apply, the exact same rules. Those are... read more
Could Your Kid Paint That?
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Aug
- 11
- 2008
After I wrote about King of Kong, I went on to watch another documentary that shows equal promise for the classroom. My Kid Could Paint That presents the question of Marla Olmstead as child prodigy. Like all documentaries you ever bring into a classroom should, this shows both sides of the argument, leaving... read more
Periodic Videos
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Aug
- 09
- 2008
Can’t afford to keep your lab stocked with all the elements? Want to create stories about the elements that your students will remember? The Periodic Table of Videos will surely come in handy. YouTube blocked? No worries, they have a non-YouTube version of the site.
... read more
First-Draft In Video
In a stack of papers called Writing.
- Aug
- 08
- 2008
I’m sure this gentleman is a nice fellow, that he’s got lots of things to tell the world, that he’s incredibly smart, and that he could teach me a thing or nine about how to better use my computer. However, this is the video equivalent of a first-draft essay being turned in as a final draft. As it ends up, that’s great because this does a nice job in making the point about the... read more
Horrible Music Day
In a stack of papers called Writing.
- Aug
- 07
- 2008
Bad music lingers like bad food: you feel the effects hours after initial contact; gradual nausea sets in; you finally throw up and feel much better about things immediately after; but, when the memory returns to your head a short while later, it’s just as bad as in the beginning. While eating lunch, we heard the following songs:
“How Will I Know” – Whitney... read more