Incredible English Teacher Site

This guy's an animal!

Wii and the Impact of Technology

A Wii system is like a new family member that everyone has to adjust to. I know: I bought one this week. It arrived with fanfare, a little like a newborn. My kids had lightehartedly wowed at their cousin's system--much like kids expecting new brother sister spend a little extra time around a friend's baby brother--but had never owned their own game system, unless you count the hand-me-down Nintendo 64 we had when my oldest son was three.

No one could predict the effects buying our own system could have. After the initial joy of the set up (visiting the new baby and bringing it home from the hospital), we goit to playing. My oldest son took an immediate liking and got good at several sporst in a hurry. My middle child enjoyed it somewhat but mostly got frustrated. It's hard to ski jump in perfect balance when you're four. My youngest didn't really get it, except that he knew unplugging it pissed my other kids off.

Everything was fine until Lego Star Wars arrived. The first time I opened it I played for five hours...

Definitions and parameters of public domain lit.

definition and parameters of public domain

Using Project Playlist

I gave every student who gave a speech a theme song using Project Playlist, which is a file-sharing site linked to myspace. I did most of it off the top of my head--so it took no extra time--and they loved it. Really cuts down on the dragging, lots-of-down-time speech day. You can find anything, and it's all free.

As an ice breaker, you could also have your students create a playlist and share it, explaining an overriding theme or rationale for songs they choose.

Ten websites for students

Article about educational websites students can use

Encouraging kids to blog their studying

When kids post their thoughts while studying, they become more conscious of what they're doing. Even though nobody reads these things, there is nevertheless an assumed audience, which spurs kids to be more thoughtful. Kids will also go back over material more b/c they like seeing it on the internet. There is empowerment in watching yourself be published, no matter how easy it is. The other benefit is that a student may share information with others and create online study networks if she wants. Kids can make their blog sites their own, with art and pictures, links to facebook and myspace, their favorite youtube video, etc., which creates a comfortable environment for studying.

Another thought: kids love using hypertext. By using fonts, colors, and sizes, they can begin to categorize and think about the material. All around, it's better than rewriting notes or mindlessly making flashcards.

link to someone's good ideas about rapport

Cynthia Mee seems to get rapport. Her book is called 2,000 Voices. Not about technology, but she gets kids on a general level.

tech/rapport 6.7.08

idea for tech/rapport:

The message board: need to research the easiest ways on the internet for free message boards. Let students post comments about the class or your web site. Invite them to help you with the technological aspects of it, because they know more than you and it's an easy way to make them feel some mastery over something, which of course builds rapport. You could even sit them down in a lab and make them post something to your board. No note cards to got through. No kids feeling like you know what their handwriting is like. Myteacherpages has an option to post anonymously on a message board. I recommend doing it that way.

jokes I made up driving around

1. What do you call it when a meth addict has had too much? --Speed Limit

2. What does Denver Mattress put inside its beds? --Colorado Springs

3. What did the Front-end loader pimp say? --Backhoe!