Hello Wrinkles group!

Guess what! We have heard from Pat Street! She is the author who wrote the wonderful book, THERE'S A FROG IN MY THROAT.  Remember how much fun we had the day we read and discussed the book. Here's her message:

Hi Mrs. Davis, and all the kids who made the ABC Blook on Blogging!

I think your work is the cat's pajamas! I love the way you used sayings and words starting with each letter of the alphabet. You used so many great idioms-- I collect idioms myself, so it was fun to see all of yours. I was glad to see that you even used some of the animal sayings that are in my book.

I was especially impressed with your artwork. Every picture is wonderful! It was hard to choose my favorites, but I especially liked the pictures for A, Q, S, and W.

I don't know very much about blogs, but now I'm going to try to learn about them. Maybe I'll try making one of my own!

My next book is going to be about "human body parts" sayings, like "green thumb" and "nosy" and "it's right on the tip of my tongue" and "I have butterflies in my stomach." If you think of any more like that, let me know.

It looks like you are having a terrific time writing. It makes me wish I were in your class!

Have fun, and keep being creative!

Pat Street

Isn't that a wonderful message! It was so nice of her to take the time to respond to us. What a nice feeling it is to have someone enjoy what you have written. I wish we were back in class so we could have a ball brainstorming a list of idioms for her new book. Be on the lookout for it to appear!

I hope you are enjoying your summer. I miss you bunches!  Drop me an email if you get a minute to give me an update on what you are doing!

# Posted by Anne Davis on 7/7/04; 4:35:22 PM - Discuss

Last year as the NewsQuest group came to a close, saying good-bye to such a terrific group was not easy, so I opted not to say good-bye.  Same goes this year.....there will be no good-byes to this fine group.  

Our combination group of ESL students and native English speaking students has been a good learning experience, for the teacher as well as the students! I am so proud of all of you.

I would also like to extend a special thanks to your parents. Your children have been an absolute pleasure to teach.

I wish you all the best next year in middle school. I expect to see your names in the news and maybe even in weblogs, or the next "newest media". My hope for you is that you read, read, read this summer and then think about all that your are learning.  Then, remember the power of the written word. Take your thoughts, reflect a bit, think some, muse a little, and then start making connections. Keep on writing! Build those brain wrinkles! As Lucy said last year, "Mrs. Davis, I just love my weblog.  My brain is getting lots of thinking wrinkles!  This is so much fun."  It has been great fun."

I just spent some time browsing through your weblogs. What a joy! I'd like to close with the power of your written words from your weblogs.

Jacqueline.......

Weblogs are very important to me because they have changed my writing life.

Derrick.......

We think we have gained an understanding of what it takes to be a good writer. There are more ups than downs and we are united in our thinking that weblogs rock!

Luz.......
I have being thinking about my and others weblogs. I have being thinking that what the others are writing is wonderful because they have good thoughts. I like the way they express their feelings because they put all their heart on it. I love the things that they write about. On the first time I was in here I felt so happy because I had a lot of friends here. I am going to miss my weblog but I am going to write.

Jerry.......

This is the last blog ever in elementary school. But I hope next year we will be able to blog in middle school. When we were filming yesterday me and two other boys made up a rap about blogging and it goes like this. "To the computer, to the keyboard, to the keyboard www.weblogs, I'm always bloggin on my weblog, blog, blog, blog, blog, blog, blog, blog all blog, blog, I got, I got, I got comments. Weblogs are off the chart, YEAH!!!"

rap

Cristian.......

Blog - This is a new verb for me. It means written words in the computer. I like to blog about basketball. I like to blog about my passions. I like to blog about things that happen in my family. I was excited when I start to blog in my first weblog in the United States.

Emily.......
I Love Blogging! Blogging has allowed me to express my feelings, hear what other people have to say about my work (which I dearly love) and finding out how good of a writer I was. I'm telling you, I cannot go through a Thursday (The days I work with Mrs. Davis) without blogging. Taking away writing in my life, I would be nothing. Never think you're no good at writing. Some day you might be the next Dr. Seuss. But you always have to try. Blogging allows you to have people point out mistakes, or give praise to your work. So, if you have a webblog, keep working on it. Who knows, only time can tell.

Yoceline.......

We also got a friend. Her name is SuperThinker. I am down in the dumps when she does not write to me. I want every Tom, Dick, and Harry to write to us. Wrinkles is the best of the four corners of the earth.

Jennifer.......

I hope that our future bloggers can help us make a better world. I think I will be a future blogger in the years to come.

Noe.......

I think weblogs are neat because you can communicate with a friend or a relative. It is a better way to communicate with another people. I like this web log because. I can communicate with another student.

Amber.......

I like to blog because I like to talk about current events. Earlier this year my writings were not so good. But now being in this group, my writings have improved big time. It also helped me expand my vocabulary. I will be sad when I have to leave, but I will be webbloging in the future.

Angelica.......

I love to blog because it is something I am good at. I like to write about the news because it keeps me informed about what is happening around the world. Right now we are trying to make a book. It is so much fun because I like to draw and I like to blog. I hope we get to finish the book before we go to middle school. We also are going to make a presentation. I wish this year would never end, but we only have one day left.

# Posted by Anne Davis on 6/3/04; 1:11:43 PM - Discuss

I promised to put a picture up of the finalist plaque that the school received. We had fun with this - first serious, then silly. I promised the kids that I would post the silly picture too, so here goes!  Mrs. Hooper is on the right, I'm on the left and the wonderful Wrinkles group is in between!

We are very proud of being recognized for technology innovation! The finalist plaque has a special place in the front office and everyone entering gets to see it!

# Posted by Anne Davis on 5/21/04; 8:32:09 AM - Discuss

This is Jenny, Derrick and Emily. We took the spotlight from Mrs.Davis and we are going to tell you about the wonderful story that we all wrote. Throughout the year,  Jenny Derrick and I(Emily) have written this by ourselves, with no help from Mrs. Davis. It has taken us a LONG time to write this, but it was worth it! Well, here it goes!!! Mrs. Davis was very proud to let us post this on the website.

          Where Art Thou Music and Art?

     Who would be De Vinci without art? Beethoven without Music? We only now ponder these questions that the school system might take away art and music in our curriculum. Without art and music, there could be a billion De Vincis and Beethovens walking around, not knowing their true talent.

     Music can give you your dreams. It will teach you hard work. It will break your heart and make you so happy, you can't stand it..."I don't think I'd have been president if it hadn't been for for music." Those words came from former President Bill Clinton in 2001. Those are truly inspirational words for us.

     If music and art were your favorite subjects, would you learn to have another? My favorite  subjects are art and music. If I were not taking art and music, I wouldn't like anything else besides P.E. One reason I think art and music is essential, is because it helps you read better. Plus, you get to do plays and other neat things. I think art should stay because you get to do projects with other people.

  If you take away art & music, you would be wasting costly materials. It would be like burning money.

Taking away music & art is like burning the past and making a new future.          

Please think of the children!

# Posted by Anne Davis on 5/20/04; 11:14:22 AM - Discuss

We did make it to the final 5 but did not win the Spirit of Endeavor award Tuesday night. There were around 10 schools in the competition and I believe we were the only elementary school! We were proud as peacocks to be in the final five. When I find Mrs. Hooper, I will show you the beautiful finalist award J.H. House took home! Jim Flowers wrote on his blog about you being in the final 5. He said Wheeler High School took the top prize but went on to say that the efforts of the students (yes, you!) speak for themselves. That is quite a complement. And you know I agree with him - you guys are what it's all about. You are the best!

Today you really put your shoulder to the wheel, and got the job done! I can't wait to assemble the blook! Yes, our ABC book on blogs which Derrick has named the blook! Thank you one an all for all your hard work and extra effort! You always come through!

I look forward to next week but have mixed feelings. It's sad for this year to come to a close. I don't think I could find a better group to work with than students from J. H. House.

You have great ideas for our little presentation we are going to work on next week. "Doot duh doot duh doot doot"...... Get those creative juices flowing and put together the words for your little skits. Our last day is going to be a blast!

I saw some of your writing scores from the test and I was tickled pink. Jacqueline wrote a nice comment about her writing scores which I shared with all of you. I hope we have enough time next week so that each of you can blog on my blog! I heard some of you talking about wishing you could do that too so let's have it! Blog, blog, blog! Looking forward to next week.....

# Posted by Anne Davis on 5/13/04; 9:42:43 PM - Discuss

What a great picture!  I just had to show off this good looking group. We spent all day Thursday working on our ABC Weblog book. Derrick came up with a great new word. The word is blook. He said we were making an abc book on blogs so the name should be blook!  Makes sense to me. Derrick is so creative! We have so many creative minds in our group- yep, no doubt about it, we have a smart group and you all work so well together. Great team!

So we worked hard all day on our blook! We didn't get to blog but we will blook and blog next week!  See you then!

# Posted by Anne Davis on 5/7/04; 8:27:29 PM - Discuss

Last week was another one of those crazy days! I'm so glad you got to hear the speaker from World War II. That was a great experience for you. The bad news is that our time was cut short but the good news is that I am going to be able to spend the whole day at the school the next few Thursdays! I am really looking forward to that. Testing is over......hooray!  Special activities abound..... hooray! There are lots of ups and downs when closing our school year, right? I get really sad when I think that you won't be at J.H. House anymore, but you will be in middle school next year! We'll figure a way to keep in touch!

I have gotten wind of an important ceremony for Ms. Leonard, our fantastic former principal. She is going to be honored for all her contributions to the school. There is a special place in her heart for each and every one of you. I know that because I get to see her from time to time. You know what....she talks about all of you and how smart you are and what caring students your are and how much she misses you! After her portrait is unveiled and then placed in a very special place in the entry way, we will meet. We need to post about her and all the good memories you have of her time at J. H. House.

I have other special news for you. J. H. House is a finalist in the category of Technology Innovation by an Educational Institution for the AeA's (American Electronics Association) Southeast Spirit of Endeavor Awards. I have a good friend in the weblogging world. His name is Jim Flowers. He called me a few weeks ago and said that I really should answer the 4 questions they were asking schools to submit in order to be considered for this honor. Jim Flowers thinks the weblogging work you students do is really good. He thought of us right away for this. I sent in the answers to Jim,who then nominated us for this award. Here's a peek at the award....cool! The awards will be presented next week at a banquet in the Egyptian Ballroom of the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia. Wish us luck! We consider it an honor just to be nominated. Mrs. Hooper and I will be attending this special event. Isn't that great? I talked about weblogs, Biz Pals, Mrs. Anthos' art/technology creativity, Mrs. Goode's Yamaha program, and many other things. House is # 1 in technology in my book! J. H. House students are A#1 in my book!  See ya in the morning.  Let's blog!!!!!!!!!!

# Posted by Anne Davis on 5/5/04; 8:23:28 PM - Discuss (1 response)

Here's a preview!  This is going to be so good!

Amber says that we are "all ears when it comes to the Wrinkles group!"  Don't you love her picture? Ears galore!  Wonderful illustration!

I can't wait to see all of you in the morning.  I know you are glad to be finished with your tests and I'm sure everyone did well. Isn't it going to be good to get back to blogging? OK, are you "all ears" for our agenda tomorrow?

We'll meet in the instructional lab for some great dialogue.  We need to finish our pictures and our sentences for our books.  That's top priority!

We'll answer any comments we have on our blogs. We'll also post - will discuss the topics tomorrow.

I would like for us to write to Yoceline on her blog just in case she gets to read it. For those of you who didn't realize it, Yoceline moved and we miss her so much!  We're happy that she moved to a nice place but we miss blogging with her!  Let's hope she checks her blog.

Also, we have heard from Lindsay!!!!!!!!!! Emily, Derrick and Jennifer will remember her from last year!  We will write her. Plus, Dane has made some comments on a few blogs.  Wow! Isn't it grand to hear from our webloggers from last year? I know they miss weblogging and boy, do we miss them!  Keep on writing, Lindsay and Dane.  Tell the others we would love comments from them, too.  The more the merrier!

We'll try to get to our idioms blog for some closing comments. Then we have the evaluation questions to think about.  Whew! As usual, we won't get to finish everything but we sure will give it a good try, right? I  am always amazed at the effort you guys put forth.  It is paying off for you! I don't like thinking about the end of the year coming up soon! 

I leave you with some quotes to think about......

All words are pegs to hang ideas on.
Henry Ward Beecher

The difference between the almost right word & the right word is really a large matter---it's the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.
Mark Twain

# Posted by Anne Davis on 4/28/04; 3:56:58 PM - Discuss (1 response)

Emily was a guest blogger on Super Thinker's weblog today!  Be sure to check it out.  She did a fabulous job! I even turned my blog over to Emily today. Again, she did a terrific job.

All of you worked very hard today.  Our blogging book is going to be special!  It will take a little while for us to finish but what a product we will have!

Today was one of the few times when you could just take the time to blog about whatever you wanted - yeah, I know, we only had a few minutes left at the end of the session but I noticed you got a lot posted!  Proud of you!

Derrick is going to draw Murphy. I can't wait to see that as he is loose in our lab lots of times! Derrick describes Murphy as a blue virus with red and orange hair who has the power to  destroy computers! I love that description and yes, I have seen him zip through our labs from time to time.

I know testing begins next week so I will sure miss seeing you! I'll be back the following week! Your illustrations today were very good.  Work on some more  before next class.

Rember write, write, write! Think, think, think! It was a great day!

# Posted by Anne Davis on 4/15/04; 9:16:58 PM - Discuss (1 response)

We're in the lab now and everyone is blogging away!  I didn't get a chance to write on this weblog last week as our server was down.  Weblog nightmare!  Even if I couldn't blog, I was thinking about all of you!

Today everyone brought their second drafts of the stories about what you are passionate about - much better. Everyone is busy typing.

Next, you will spend time commenting on each other's weblogs.  Remember to bump those comments up!  No more, just simply, that's good writing, that's great, etc. Now I know, you love to hear that! You can still complement.  Of course, you can, but do it on something in the story. Do it in a way that lets your friends know they are improving.  Make it more specific on what exactly could be better. What a help that will be to your friends. Remember, that's what it's all about - a little help from our friends.

You were really warming up to our discussion about our special project.  Great job- our room was just buzzing with lively discussion.  Then we zoomed down to the lab to become busy bees writing our hearts out!

# Posted by Anne Davis on 3/25/04; 9:51:21 AM - Discuss

Super job today, all you busy mouse potatoes! :-) I even posted about you on my weblog to share with other education bloggers!  I know they will be impressed!  You had good observations and thoughts during our group discussion today. I am proud of all of you!

Your homework is to write about something that you are passionate about. Really bump up that writing! Remember all we discussed about this in class.  Make someone form pictures in their head or really realy understand how you feel about your topic and why and how you developed this passion. Of course, go through all the blogging steps for good writing that we have previously discussed. No small task, I know, but you always accept the challenge!

Excellent comments from Jennifer and Emily on Yoceline's idiom story on our idiom weblog! I got a kick out of Jerry's comments on Emily's idiom story.  There was another good comment there but no name to complement.  Remember to fill in that part and use only your first name.

Of course time ran out before we could do some serious editing on our own sites and some humerous, interesting, reflective, thoughtful comments on each other's sites.  There's always more to look forward to each week!

The weather continues to be marvelous.  Be sure to find time to enjoy being outside!  Who knows - you just may spot something else to be passionate about!! 

A few of my favorite quotes about writing......

Writing is nothing more than a guided dream.
Jorge Luis Borges

Writing is like baseball or piano playing. You have to practice if you want to be successful.
Betsy Byars

For the writer, there is nothing quite like having someone say that he or she understands, that you have reached them and affected them with what you have written.
Virginia Hamilton

The wastebasket is a writer's best friend.
Isaac Bashevis Singer

It is wise to write on many subjects, to try many topics so that you might find the right and inspiring one.
Henry David Thoreau

# Posted by Anne Davis on 3/11/04; 3:04:38 PM - Discuss (1 response)

Well, after missing last Thursday's session due to our "one and only" snow day, it was sure good to see you yesterday!

First, I have to say that I saw a lot of improvement in your second drafts for your idiom stories.  Why Jennifer even decided to start over and I was impressed with her new story.  She also brought in a wonderful book entitled "There's a Frog in my Throat!" It was written by Loreen Leedy & Pat Street. It's a collection of 440 of our favorite animal sayings in English.  It includes similes, metaphors, idioms, and proverbs.  This appears to be a book published by Scholastic that is only available  for distribution through the school market so I rushed down to the book fair to purchase a copy. We are certainly going to have fun with this book!  The illustrations are marvelous!  OK, here goes......

I want you all to look like the cat that swallowed the canary. (after each blog posting)

You all will become mouse potatoes!  (as you continue to write on your blogs)

The Wrinkles group arrives bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for each session. (you are always ready to get to work on your blogs)

We don't have the herd instinct, but we are birds of a feather that flock together.  (we don't follow the crowd, but we are similar people who stick together, especially in the desire to be better writers!)

Oh yes, we are always having fun with our wonderful language!!  I am happy as a lark because I get to work with all of you!

I thought we had an excellent discussion about what Mr. Richardson's students had posted on their weblogs. We talked about each one and the ideas and understandings you shared helped us all think harder.  I know my homework assignment is tough but you are up to the task!  You always are!  Write a paper that summarizes and extends our class conversation.  Come up with some new thoughts and explain what you learned.  We will go from there next week.

I think most of you were able to post your second drafts so as a group we will comment on that next week.

We missed Luz and Derrick- sorry you were sick.  Get lots of rest and get well!  We wern't a complete group! See you next time!

Have a super weekend - the weather couldn't be better so get outside and enjoy the day!

# Posted by Anne Davis on 3/6/04; 8:00:31 PM - Discuss (1 response)

You're going to love this lesson!  Emily, Jennifer, and Derrick, who were in last year's NewsQuest group, are really going to be especially excited because today's lesson comes from a new group of Mr. Richardson's students. Now these students are not teaching you directly, just indirectly.  They don't even know that their good voices are going to be recognized in this way but credit is due and you are the lucky ones because you get to learn from them! Isn't that the wonder of weblogs?

The past couple of weeks we have been focusing on comments and you are doing great.  For this lesson, I just have to share some very astute comments from his group of journalism students.  We're going to discuss them and learn from them. Pay close attention to the wording of their suggestions, too.  It will help you on your own commenting.  This is going to be fun! 

Mallory comments on Dana's site:

Also, one thing that I'm particularly impressed with is the fact that Dana truly picked a topic that I think she's passionate about, right down to the last stitch (haha...ok maybe not but I thought it was funny...) I absolutely think that this comes through in all of her posts.

What we'll talk about....... being passionate about a topic, the play on words, what makes this come through on all her posts

Claire's comments on Mallory' site:

I really like some of the posts that Mallory has done. This one, for example, is good because she has a direct quote in it, which takes her to a link that explains more or less what the quote is about. She seems to have gathered a lot of good info. and she keeps it well organized here.

What we'll talk about....... a direct quote, importance of a link, gathering good info, being well organized

Devin's comments on Jess' site:

Write a headline: "Depression in Teens: The Upcoming Trend?"

This is from Jess's site. I think all of us feel the same way about writing headlines. But I think this headline is actually very good. If this was my article that is the one I would use. I definitley like the approach that Jess is pointing towards and I think it will make her article really interesting. I think if we write down lots and lots of headlines we will find the right one.

What we'll talk about....... how writing down lots and lots of headlines may help

Kristen's comments on Amelia's site:

Amelia's interview request is very well-written and I think there's a great chance she'll get a response from it (if she hasn't already). She starts off by saying where she found the person's, compliments her work, then asks her questions. The questions are precise and to the point, and I think she'll get some good responses out of it and some usable quotes.

What we'll talk about....... questions that are precise and to the point  (Isn't this one appropriate for the 3 of you who are getting ready to prepare some interview questions? Good timing!)

Devin's comments on Matt's site:

Entice the Reader: Twelve year old Jeremy Sahan has been sitting at his computer for the last five hours without a break. A thin line of sweat forming on his forehead, the boy is almost finished. His squeaky high pitched voice screamed "Dude, I ROCK!" as his newest weapon upgrade for the popular online video game Diablo began to take bids on EBAY.

I really liked these two openings to Matt's story. I think both of them are interesting and both intice the reader's attention. I again feel that the approach of writing many will ultimatley help us right the best opening for our article. I liked his tactics but I also liked how he wrote what he wrote. Great job!

What we'll talk about....... hooking your reader, good leads, how you write what you write

Dana's comments on Meredith's site:

"I guess for me (someone who does care about the news) it's kind of upsetting to see that my peers have so little interest in it all. Some of the smartest people that I know have no idea what goes on in the world, and to me that's just SUCH a waste of intellect. To be honest, I guess I'm kind of looking for my article to guilt trip some people into picking up a newspaper. I want to see my generation be well-informed, and I would do a lot to see that happen. I guess this article is just my first step in doing so." --From Meredith. I think Meredith's got a strong focus on what she wants to do with her article. At least she's articulating it well. Good luck, Meredith!

What we'll talk about....... "knowing what's going on in the world" is something you guys know so I just had to put this in here to suggest that this would be a great subject for you to write about to encourage others and tell how it has helped you, why they should be well-informed.....anyone up for the challenge?

# Posted by Anne Davis on 2/20/04; 1:30:17 PM - Discuss (1 response)

I was really proud of all of you at Thursday's session.  You have really "bumped up" the quality of your comments and are truly helping each other.  Editing is hard work but you just rolled up your sleeves and went right to work.  Having to really think about another person's writing other than your own is  helpful for your own writing. It gets you thinking about lots of ways you can improve.  That's what we are striving to accomplish. So, congrats on the quality of your comments - much more important than quanity. Yeah, I know you like quanity, too.  I hear you! We'll work on getting a good mix of both.

Mrs. Smith has created a weblog to celebrate student writing from third graders at J.H. House.  Next week we will visit the site and use the comment feature to encourage these emerging writers.  If you want to take a sneak peek, go to Writers Rock!  Hats off to Mrs. Smith!  More webloggers are entering the arena.  Isn't that neat?

Keep up the good work!  Six more days till Thursday!

# Posted by Anne Davis on 2/20/04; 12:20:08 PM - Discuss (1 response)

Once opon a time, there was a great super hero, busy as a beaver helping the World Wide Web blog. It's SUPERTHINKER!!!! Using only hi-tech equipment, she never buys a pig in a poke.

One sleepy day, Superthinker heard a yell for help, so soaring through the air she heard the cry for help once again. She was all ears, "Aha" she said spotting the distressed blogger. "Help!!!!!!!!!!" She heard again but landed next to the blogger in distress. "HOW IN THE WORLD DO YOU CHANGE THE BLOGS BACKGROUND SUPERTHINKER!!!" The Blogger screamed, attracting attention. Right then, Superthinker knew the blogger was chewing up the scenery and making a mountain out of a molehill. Then Superthinker told the blogger what to do in a nutshell. "Don¢â¡Át worry, it's a piece of cake." She then was interrupted. "But I heard through the grapevine about all of this complicated nonsense!"  See you press this button and do this." Thank you so much Superthinker! I didn't mean to make waves!!!" the blogger said while taking his hat off. "Also don't think you have to shape up or ship out to be a blogger, Rome was not built in a day you know!" Superthinker added, as she zoomed off. The blogger was on cloud nine and was tickled pink.

by Emily

# Posted by Anne Davis on 2/12/04; 2:38:48 PM - Discuss

Today you learned that editing is hard work!  However, we know it is going to pay off!  You tackled a difficult task when you tried your hand at writing an idiom story - easier said than done, right?  It is a perfect opportunity for us to take a piece of writing and work through several drafts so you can see how peer editing, revising, discussing, and thinking will truly improve your writing.  Time sure flies in our class.  I appreciate your hard work.  I know not everyone got to the idiom sites but we will continue that next week.  All of your stories had good thoughts and we are going to work together to make them better.  You are such diligent workers and so helpful to each other.  I know Ms. P's fifth grade class will enjoy hearing from you.  We all celebrated Emily's excellent story and in celebration the next post will be dedicated to her!  Way to go, Emily!

# Posted by Anne Davis on 2/12/04; 2:37:16 PM - Discuss

Well, we talked about crediting sources but then did not allow enough time in the lab to finish that. That's OK, there's always next week and you all were on a roll writing about weblogs!  I can't wait to share that with other educational webloggers!

I'm glad you liked my idiom story and are going to try your hand at it for homework this week.  Aren't we going to have fun reading those stories next week?  I think the best time for our group is right at the beginning when we share our writings, help each other with suggestions and praises, and then discuss ways to make our writing better. Next week is going to be so much fun.  Yep, we may even have to kick up our heels after sharing our stories!

Also, I am so excited about the project that Emily, Jennifer & Derrick are going to undertake.  They have picked such a worthwhile topic - why we should keep art, music, and physical education in the school curriculum.  They have plans to interview teachers, search the net for information, and maybe even come up with something that we could send our legislators.  Wow!  After much brainstorming and tossing ideas out, Jennifer suggested this topic and everyone knew that it was exactly the one that they wanted to research. What's really impressive about this is that these 3 students will be doing this on their own time - they are motivated to try to make a difference in something they care about.  I am so proud of them!  I can't wait to tell their art, music, and PE teacher about their chosen topic.  These particular teachers really do a terrific job of integrating the curriculum across their subject areas PLUS every lesson is alive and full of the most interesting activities.  Then the use of technology in each class is outstanding. Yamaha is used in the music classes.  The PE teacher is implementing the TriFIT 620 system. It provide teachers with the ability to quickly and accurately evaluate student fitness levels while teaching health and wellness concepts. The goal is to sustain lifetime fitness. Then the art teacher uses digital cameras, flex cameras, and other technology daily.  Check out the great art work from J. H. House displayed on Artsonia.

We welcome Amber and Angelica to our group!  They were both hoping to get an available spot that had come up and there was no way to choose between these two hard workers so both will be coming.  They have been working hard and are excited about joining the group.  We are delighted to have them!

Thursday is fast becoming my favorite day of the week!  See you then!

# Posted by Anne Davis on 2/9/04; 10:58:01 AM - Discuss

We had another good discussion on what we have to do in preparation for good writing for our weblogs.  You sure did some good thinking on that as well as how to make our comments more meaningful. Keep on reflecting on what we are doing as your input is MOST important.  I am proud of how you are speaking up! 

We did not get to crediting our sources so that will be on the agenda next Thursday. 

Guess what! Our site has been noticed by others. In addition, another fifth grade class has discovered our Idioms Are Fun site and they want to participate.  Isn't that exciting?  Wow! 

Also, even though "Murphy" was loose for a while in the lab, you just went right on and switched to another program to write your posts.  Then we could copy and paste when the Internet was back up.  No time was lost and you got the job done! You helped each other. I am really impressed with your flexibility and teamwork. You're becoming a real community of learners! 

# Posted by Anne Davis on 1/31/04; 1:42:06 PM - Discuss (1 response)

We enjoyed having Angelica & Amber visit our group this week.  Thanks to everyone for helping them understand all we have been doing on our weblogs.

# Posted by Anne Davis on 1/31/04; 1:27:08 PM - Discuss (1 response)

Last week we went over the draft I had prepared for you for your homework reading of news articles. This is what we do in preparation for class blogging. The discussion about the steps was excellent! You are good thinkers! Here is our final edited list:

1. Read your article.
2. Take a hi-liter or pen/pencil and mark the important parts of the article.
3. Think about the article.
4. Tell someone what the article was all about.  This will help you further understand what you have read.
5. Think about descriptive words and how to make your writing more interesting.
6. Be sure relevant details are included - who, what, where, when, why, how.
7. Be sure the lead for your article will hook the readers.
8. Write your article.
9. Be sure to think of a short, specific, catchy title.
10. Read your article out loud to yourself.
11. Proof the article  yourself.
12. Ask someone else to proof it.
13. Make corrections and any changes that you think would make your writing better.
14. Reread it one more time!

As we said, good writing and good blogging requires hard work!

# Posted by Anne Davis on 1/25/04; 3:23:36 PM - Discuss

Well, Jennifer has a feather in her cap.  Did you all enjoy seeing her artwork displayed on the weblog?  She is on top of the world and we are all tickled pink that she will be representing us at the capitol.  Now, are you all ears?  Of course we all know that nothing ventured, nothing gained so we are out to prove that the pen is mightier than the sword.  The way we will do that is to hitch our wagon to the stars and hang in there until we are great writers.  We will pull out all the stops, put our best foot forward, and make no bones about our desire to become better writers. I sure get a kick out of watching you write.  Are you ready to throw your hat in the ring?  OK, super writers, penny for your thoughts?

How did you like my little idiom story?  I had fun writing it and I am so proud that some of you took the challenge I made today!  I know you are thinking about topics this week.  We'll discuss it some more next week.

Good blogging today!  Also, excellent thinking on the homework writing process list.  I will post that a little later.

I'm proud of each and every one of you!  More later!

# Posted by Anne Davis on 1/22/04; 4:55:54 PM - Discuss (1 response)

Boys and girls, you are something else!  I like our brief discussion time before we head to the lab.  It gives us a chance to talk and make connections to our learning.  You are improving so much on your communication skills. REMEMBER, it is OK to be LOUD!  You will not hear that from too many teachers so take advantage! Speak clearly, speak distinctly and SPEAK with conviction!  It's OK if your opinion is different.  Dare to be different!  That's what keeps us engaged and learning.  Toss those ideas out and we will have great discussions.  All this will help us when we write on our weblogs.

It was nice to have the needed time for you to reply to comments you had received.  You did a good job of adding your additional navigation links, too!  It was fun to observe you as you browsed the many news articles as you were trying to make choices on what articles you would read.  We didn't have time to actually blog but you have two articles to work on for homework. Next week we'll get to that!

Suggestions for you for your homework:

1. Read your article.
2. Take a hi-liter and mark the important parts of the article.
3. Think about the article.
4. Tell someone what the article was all about.  This will help you further understand what you have read.
5. Think about descriptive words and how to make your writing more interesting.
6. Be sure relevant details are included - who, what, where, when, why, how.
7. Be sure the lead for your article will hook the readers.
8. Write your article.
9. Be sure to think of a short, catchy title.
10. Proof the article  yourself.
11. Ask someone else to proof it.
12. Make corrections and any changes that you think would make your writing better.
13. Reread it one more time!

Yes, writing is hard work but it is worth it.  I know many of you will not have a chance to read this before class next week but we will go over it as a group and probably even re-write it based on your input.

Have a great weekend!

# Posted by Anne Davis on 1/16/04; 10:59:57 AM - Discuss (1 response)

Don't you love it?  Two J. H. House Elementary School students have had their artwork selected for the Capitol Art Exhibit and our Jennifer is one of them!  Way to go, Jenny!!!!  The Capitol Art Exhibit is co-sponsored by the Georgia Art Education Association and the office of the sevcreteary of state and is the premier event of Youth Art Month.  Mayra was the other student and here is her artwork:

Both students will be attending a Feb. 11 reception at the Capitol with their parents and art teacher to view the work and meet with legislators. 

Wow!  We are so very proud of them.  Way to go, girls!  Educate those legislators about the importance of art in our curriculum!!!

# Posted by Anne Davis on 1/16/04; 10:11:49 AM - Discuss

It was wonderful to get back together.  The two hour sessions just zip by!  How I would love to have more time!  The dicussion time is so important and helps the students so much.  We always spend the first half hour reviewing what we have done and talking about what we will be doing.  Today the students were beginning the process of actually  blogging!  They followed these steps:

1. read news stories
2. wrote about what they read
3. published their news item to the home page and are hoping for responses
4. will read more next week

The process will work but I have to work on the time element.  Students could go to one of the following news sites:

Time for Kids

CNN Student News

studentnewsnet

Scholastic News

They enjoyed this step.  In fact, they liked it so much that they kept wanting to read more and then decide which one was of most interest to them.  I hate having to rush them at this step but I need to think on a way to expedite the reading here due to our short class time. 

I had told them to give credit to the source with a link and that I would help them here but I didn't get to them as I was spending time with them on the writing and helping Cristian with his English.  Soooooo, I need to show that first thing next week.  I did show them how to have the article open along with their weblog so they could toggle back and forth.  That's a needed skill!

They proofed themselves, had a peer proof, and then published.  This took time - again, an important step!

And, we squeezed in time to work on the Idioms Are Fun weblog - created some good sentences!!

See what I mean about time..... but we will work it out!  I have to remind myself that I told them "Patience is a virtue". They had not heard that expression before so I explained the meaning.  Now, I need to remember that explanation and apply it myself in class!

We did not get to reply to the wonderful comments that the kids had received from SuperThinker and others last week.  Some of the kids did manage to answer them but I want them to be able to enjoy that part more and for it to be less hurried!!  I have lots to think about but we'll all put our heads together and figure it out!  I have a week to think about it!  I can't miss with such a great group of students!

# Posted by Anne Davis on 1/10/04; 3:34:51 PM - Discuss

Welcome back!  I hope all of you had a grand holiday, got lots of rest, and are super charged and ready to write! 

A new idiom has been posted - this time by Luz.  You'll like her choice.  You will be surprised and pleased with some of the new comments we got on our Idioms Are Fun weblog.

I've really missed all of you and we're going to blog away tomorrow!  Get ready to exercise those brains - new wrinkless are coming!  I've got a great day planned for you and even some special surprises, but you will just have to wait to discover them. Patience is a virtue. (Hope someone can tell me what that means - how about you?)  See you early in the morning.....

# Posted by Anne Davis on 1/7/04; 7:15:28 PM - Discuss (1 response)

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# Posted by Anne Davis on 12/24/03; 2:39:39 PM - Discuss

The room was just buzzing this morning and the excitement was in the air!  Questions galore!  Of course, all of them centered on Super Thinker!  Many thought that I was the Super Thinker!  Can you imagine?  They also seem convinced that she must be a teacher and boy, did they zero in on each and every clue Super Thinker left!  Wonder why they are so sure Super Thinker is a teacher. They know I know but I told them that when you give your word, you are honor bound to keep it.  And keep it, I will!  They have asked Super Thinker lots and lots of questions so we'll see how good they are at wading through the clues!  I hope they get lots more clues! 

Smiles were everywhere today and everyone was giving it their best!  They want so to be good writers - we don't want any egg on any faces around here, at least not because of our writing, right?

Jerry, we missed you today and we are so sorry you are sick.  Hope you get well soon!  Juana will be attending other classes for a while so we hope she can perhaps come back to the group a little later in the year.  We also gained a new member today - Noe! Welcome Noe! He is good friends with Cristian and they make a dynamite team.  Cristian is helping Noe with his Spanish and Noe is helping Cristian with his English.

I am proud of each and every one of you.  I wish you a wonderful holiday season.  I'm going to miss you but it is going to be so much fun getting back together next year!!

If you have some spare moments - write, write, write!!!  Also, think, think, think!!

Till next year......

# Posted by Anne Davis on 12/18/03; 4:26:42 PM - Discuss

Good morning, boys & girls!  WHOOSH!!!  Did you hear that sound last week?  I heard it not once, not twice, but several times.  I was on the Internet and what to my wondering eyes should appear but Super Thinker- superhero to bloggers everywhere!  Why, I believe Super Thinker even made the ten posts of Christmas! One or sometimes even more for each one of our amazing Wrinkles group!  My goodness, what to our wondering eyes should appear but this powerful writer who uses superpowers to inspire emerging webloggers everywhere!  Who is Super Thinker?  Where did Super Thinker come from?  How did Super Thinker find us?  What do you think?  Quick!  Go read those comments and post your thoughts - oh, tis the season to be thinking about the power of the written word!!!

# Posted by Anne Davis on 12/17/03; 2:07:05 PM - Discuss (1 response)

Student weblogs are up now!  We have been working on them for the past couple of weeks.  Today was a productive one and you could hear the clicking of keys throughout the room.  Students made their introductions with poems.  They liked this activity - said it was hard at first, then with more writing, it got easier.  They gathered up their different writing pieces and began to publish.  Everyone had been thinking about names and tag lines for their weblogs.  Most of those are done, but some are still thinking. Yes, Jackie, I know you are pondering and will have a clever name next week!

I have created an "Idioms Are Fun" weblog where idioms chosen by the students will be defined and then used in a sentence to show understanding.  The first idiom we spotlighted was "apple of my eye" by Yoceline.  This is going to be a weekly activity.  The students loved it and are getting ready to create some good illustrations that we will post later. 

Our writing community is off to a great start! I am proud of all of them!  Take a look at this good-looking crew......

And then treat yourself to a look at their weblogs listed to the right!  I'm sure they'd love a comment or two on their writing!  Give a little Christmas gift to a great group of kids!  Give comments for Christmas!!!!

# Posted by Anne Davis on 12/12/03; 8:49:30 AM - Discuss (1 response)

It has been an extremely busy week at Georgia State.  I have been unable to post but I have been thinking about all of you all week.  First, I want to say that your poem ideas were really good. Hey, they were more than good, they were terrific.  I had read the students the poem "Where I'm From" by George Ella Lyon.  Click here if you would like to read it.  I had learned about a group of elementary and middle school students who had been inspired by this poem and written some of their own. I read several of them to my students. I thought what a great way to make introductions on our Wrinkles weblog.  We had lots of discussions and everyone brought in their list of ideas.  The students are in the process of posting them but I wanted to share a little of what you did as our poems are still a work in progress.

Yoceline - I can learn new cultures everytime I meet someone new.  I am from a school where I can always say, "I can do it!"

Jackie - I'm from a Mom who is a best friend to a good cook.

Keith - I am from the swamps in Louisiana.

Jenny - I am from looking at horses to almost having my own.

Luz - I am from a holy day to eating tasty food.

Juana - I am from Mexico and playing with my friends.

Derrick - I am from a grandmother far away and a mother who is always cooking.

Jerry - I am from a town with lots of traffic and business and a state that is known for its peaches.

Emily completed hers.  Emily was in my NewsQuest group last year and she is really soaring with her writing skills.  She really pitches in to help everyone else learn and write well, also.  This is a team effort.  For a real treat, click here to read Emily's poem entitled I'm From. Click here to see Emily's weblog. We hope to have all others up and going this week!

Tomorrow we will work some more on the poems and maybe even get them published on our weblogs!

Last week I was amazed at the students' responses to my post the previous week.  I had talked about how weblogging made me think and write and learn!  I had shared Mr. Richardson's view of what blogging was to him.  They love the idea of forming a writing community.  They can express themselves well but the writing is much harder.  They all began forming their thoughts on a post last week but as usual the time ran out before we wanted it to!  It was a good thinking day.  We are going to keep on working on our writing skills. We will probably have a mixture of types of posting from writing about subjects they choose, to current events, to teacher prompts, to wherever our discussions lead. 

# Posted by Anne Davis on 12/10/03; 10:12:50 PM - Discuss

Good morning students!

It's early Thursday morning and I want you to know that I have been thinking about you all week!  I am delighted that we have your weblogs created!  Now the fun part begins.  Of course, in order to have fun, we have to think long and hard about the content of our weblogs, what we have to say, and what direction we need to head in our weekly sessions.

I have been reading some very interesting posts from some of my weblogging friends this week.  They make me think.  In turn, I will then write on my weblog and others begin to think about what I wrote in response to a friend's post.  Sometimes I write about something I have read that makes me want to explore and find out even more about what I think and others think.  It's a great way to learn - it's real, it's a way to share and grow with others, and it is an exciting way to learn.  Now I have to be motivated, I have to work hard, and I have to really think and write about things of interest to me. What's great about it is that I am part of a community that really cares about education. You won't believe what our main focus is in our edublogging community - you guys and all the students from many different states and countries.  We view weblogs as a place to give you a voice and we want to oversee that process in ways that will make you good thinkers and continue to develop as good citizens of our world. Writing what you think and writing it well can be one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself.  What's even better is that we can have a lot of fun on the journey.

One of my many good edublogging friends is Will Richardson.  Now three of you remember him from our NewsQuest group last year and all of you heard what he wrote about our Wrinkles group a little earlier this year.  I want to share something he wrote a few days ago about what blogging is.....

Blogging (from Mr. Richardson's post)

1. Find and read material that is relevant to your life.
2. Capture the essence of this relevant reading, give credit to its source, and synthesize those ideas into a piece of writing that advances a personal, perhaps greater understanding of that topic.
3. Publish that writing for response and for perhaps pushing someone else's thinking on the subject.
4. Read some more.

This is what I wrote on my weblog in response to Mr. Richardson's post:

So students, for today......

We're going to talk about all this and work on our new weblogs.  Can't wait!  We may try to "tweak" Mr. Richardson's writing a bit and have a model for elementary kids!  Maybe we can create our own dynamic little community and who knows what all could evolve from such a good learning journey. Many say that it may not be possible and elementary students can't do this. What do you think? 

I know I believe in possibilities and mostly I believe in you! Today we are going to think possibilities!! 

Wow! Enough said! I better finish getting ready for school!  See you in an hour or so!

Mrs. Davis

# Posted by Anne Davis on 12/4/03; 6:59:21 AM - Discuss

To say that the students were thrilled with the GSU students' comments would be an under statement.  It took a while, but each student read every single comment and they could not wait to write their reactions. Check out the JHH Reactions (stories) to the GSU Reactions (comments)! 

Derrick's Reactions

Keith's Reactions

Cristian's Reactions

Juana's Reactions

Jennifer's Reactions

Emily's Reactions

Jacqueline's Reactions

Yoceline's Reactions

Jerry's Reactions

This is such a bright little group.  They are thoughtful thinkers and our group discussions are getting better.  Now is the time though for us to put our "shoulder's to the wheel" and work on some major editing and producing stronger writing.  If all goes well, technology-wise, we will be creating student blogs this week.  I'm thinking that I will teach them how to copy from this group blog to their blog, and then we will begin the process of proofing work, peer-editing, and giving more thought to the writing.  Their homework was to bring in a short piece on something that had happened in the news.  I'm looking forward to seeing them tomorrow!

# Posted by Anne Davis on 11/19/03; 12:31:35 PM - Discuss

Mrs. Jordan sent the nicest letter to Mrs. Hooper about the Georgia State student's visit to J. H. House. Mrs. Jordan gave me permission to post this for you to see.  You should feel proud because all of you students are what make J.H. House so special!

# Posted by Anne Davis on 11/12/03; 2:42:13 PM - Discuss (1 response)

This past Monday, November 3rd, was a very special day at J. H. House Elementary School!  The Georgia State University preservice teachers (who are participating in the Literature Circles EduBlog group) made a field trip to this dynamic elementary school.  They had a day full of  learning.  They visited classrooms and some of the special teacher classrooms like art, music, and technology.  The goal was to let these students see the importance of these classes to the regular curriculum.  They also learned about the "At-Risk Committee that oversees every child.  You see every child at J. H. House is considered at-risk in that the staff doesn't want any child overlooked from those with specific learning needs, to the average child, to the gifted child. The needs of the growing ESL population are also addressed through this committee. The committee is composed of administration and classroom teachers and believe me, no child falls between the cracks at this school!

The highlight of the visit for my Wrinkles group was that they came to the cafeteria near the close of the day to meet and interview the GSU students.  They had lots of questions to ask.  Not every student could answer every question but they sure gave it a valiant effort.  During class today my Wrinkles students wrote stories and published the compiled results of the interview.  The title of the story will be the question asked.  You will enjoy reading these stories.  This was a golden opportunity for the younger weblogging students (JHH) to interview the older webloggging students (GSU) and I had a great time taking lots of pictures!

The interview questions follow.  I have to complement Derrick and Jerry as they finished our first assignment first today and they compiled not just one, but three interview questions each!  Hats off to them and the entire group.  All of you webloggers out there know how much fun it is to meet other webloggers face-to-face!  The GSU students are going to comment on the stories this coming Monday.  Now that's something my kids are looking forward to.  Of course, as always, we welcome your comments, too!

What did you learn in your music class?

What did you learn in your technology class?

What did you learn in your art class?

What did you learn about the At-Risk Committee and the ESL population?

What was the most awesome thing you saw today?

What was your favorite part of the day?

What were the three most important things you learned today?

What do you think about the children in this school?

If you had to write one paragraph about this school, what would it be?

What impressed you the most at this school?

Do you have any suggestions for this school?

What are your reactions to this type of field trip?

If you could ask the educators in this school some questions now, what would they be?

Do you think you would like to teach at this school?

Is there anything that you would like to say about this school?

What did you think about the Wrinkles weblog that these children are doing?

# Posted by Anne Davis on 11/8/03; 9:59:14 PM - Discuss (1 response)

In this group we have three students who were in last year's group who have a good grasp of what weblogs are all about., The others are just beginning to learn about weblogs.  Also, we have varied ability in stages of writing.  All are good thinkers!  The ESL students are at varied levels of being able to write their thoughts.  Remember that we are posting "as is" and for now, we are concerned with content.  I am so thrilled with the thinking that is going on!

Derrick missed the clip and gets an update from Emily......

Wow, whole lot of thinking going on!

# Posted by Anne Davis on 10/31/03; 10:33:36 AM - Discuss (1 response)

# Posted by Anne Davis on 10/30/03; 9:50:11 AM - Discuss (1 response)

Whatever It Takes is the motto of Marcia Mateling, the teacher of several of the students I work with in the 'Wrinkles' group.  Yesterday was a red-letter day for all of us at J. H. House Elementary as we watched with surging joy as a group of administators, reporters, photographers, teachers and others entered Marcia's room to recognize her as Rockdale County's teacher of the year!  I can't think of anyone more deserving.  In Marcia's words, "Part of learning is understanding how to understand.  Whatever it takes, is my motto, and truly my responsibility.  Every teacher must accept the responsibility to do everything in their power to teach, to help, to do whatever it takes to get the job done with every child!  When is our joy done?  When the light comes on, the joy is seen, and the excitment is obvious."

Marcia had to submit an essay as part of the county's evaluation process.  The essay details her influences, experiences and expectations.  It is my honor to publish her paper here.  You will certainly enjoy reading it.  See the local paper's article about her.  In the above picture, Marcia is on the left.  Joyce Hooper is on the right.  Joyce is the outstanding principal of this terrific school.  Hats off to Marcia and the entire team at J. H. House Elementary School.  It's a privilege to be working with you!

# Posted by Anne Davis on 10/24/03; 12:26:47 PM - Discuss (1 response)

Students turned in their final interviews today.  They took home their Inspiration diagrams last week and used those to help organize their thoughts and ideas prior to writing about their interviews with their classmates.

As I look at the papers, I see improvement in their thinking from the first round of interviews. The visual aspect of Inspiration really helps. I also see a lot of punctuation and spelling errors.  Since we only have two hours per week, for now, I will be concentrating on content with them.  I think the stories lend themselves to editing, which we will get back to later.  We can put revised, corrected stories right below the original.  I'm still working through the parameters of this.  I wonder about the ESL students and when is the best time to work on the grammatical parts.  As a whole they are a reticent group. I am encouraging conversation and working at making them feel very comfortable and getting them to realize that they are a most important part of our group. They have much to contribute.  We want everyone free to share ideas.  I think this is happening. 

My native English students are careless about proofing their work.  We'll edit their papers in the same way as with the ESL students.  Aaaah, it is always a hard call between the mechanics and the content.  I want our "flow" and "thinking" to continue but still need to pay attention to the details.

A most interesting conversation occurred shortly after class began.  I was talking about the frantic pace of life today and how we all have so much to do that you really have to work at  it "to stop and smell the roses".  (Lots of lively discussion around the meaning of that idiom!)  Kids feel the same pressure!  Isn't that depressing?  They feel it at home and at school.  I asked them what was the one thing they missed the most that they never seemed to be able to get to at school and it was reading for pleasure.  Emily has a book that she is just dying to get to the end of and she is having difficulty carving that small time out of her busy schedule.  We brainstormed ways we could maybe solve this problem.  Talking about things like this with adults is a new thing for some of the students.  My hope is to get them thinking about various items we could discuss, research, think about and then write about.  They thought about titles they could give to this topic.  Here are a few:

The Boundaries of Life

Stop! In the Name of Business

Rambling Rambler

The Frustrations of Life

How Do You Feel about Life?

Their homework assignment is to write about this topic.  I'm not sure they are entirely clear about just what to write but we'll see.  The goal is to get them to see how much untapped potential they really do have!!  Get them to really start thinking and taking risks with their writng.....

Our class was interrupted (for a very good reason) to celebrate Marcia Mateling being announced as the Rockdale County Teacher of the Year.  That story follows this post.

Then we headed to the technology lab, opened up Inspiration and began to list topics of interest that we might write about this year.  I asked them to put their thoughts in the form of a question that we could answer when writing.  Some of their questions follow:

• Why do people kill animals?
• How do you feel about school?
• Why do kids watch so much TV?
• Why do kids eat too much candy?
• What would you do if you could have some free time at school?
• Do you like science?
• Who is your favorite leader?
• How would you change Iraq if you were the President of Iraq?
• How would you feel if the power of the President was too much?
• How do you keep yourself stress free?
• Do you think that war is a terrible or a good thing?
• How can a teacher help me understand problems?
• What cool planets are out there?
• Why do people get mad?
• What things are in space that we don't know about?
• Are wars necessary?
• What medicines are in the world?
• What embarrassing things have happened to you?
• What is something great that has happened?
• How do people stop world hunger?
• Why do many children like to eat junk food?
• What is happening in the world?
• Should I go to college or not?
• Could we have more privacy, please?
• Should MP3's be illegal?
• Are cellphones good on the road?
• How many hours are too many on the TV?
• Who would you like to win the presidential election in 2004?
• What makes a good friend?
• Are games fun to you?

Wow!  These students are amazing.  Can't you see the good thinking that is emerging?  Good work, students.  I am proud of you, and as always, I can't wait until next week!

# Posted by Anne Davis on 10/24/03; 12:25:30 PM - Discuss

Students review this week's session.  By the way, they were delighted to know that Mr. Richardson had written about their site. See here. And I took the liberty to do a little editing on these papers as the students had a short time frame to write their reviews.  Gosh, these sessions are packed full!  Students interviewed a new partner but used Inspiration to take notes.  Then we discussed what I had written on this site and at the end, I told them that Will (Mr. Richardson to them, please!) had written about their site.  I always marvel at their first reaction when they find out that someone cares about what they are writing.  One of those good moments....... 

Yoceline comments, "We got a very important news.  Mr. Richardson read about what we have done.  He wrote a letter back about us. It was very neat and interesting.  I hope many more people write back to us.  OK I have no more words!"

Luz say, "Jennifer is my parner for the day.  She is a smart girl . I like to work with her.  She does many things that are fun.  We do many things today.  We put things and put pictures about the things we put in the computer. That was fun." 

Keith gets right to the point, "Today we went on the computer and made an Inspiration web." 

Jerry  responds, "Today we had new partners, and the FUN thing was we got to interview them (again).  Except today we had new partners."

Emily gives a good synopsis. "We started out reading the "Wrinkles"site.  That was fun seeing what Mrs. Davis put up on the site.  After that, we started another interview with one of our peers.  I chose Yoceline to be my partner.  When I started writing I felt like a dictator jotting down all those notes!  Mrs.  Davis told us our home work, I started to get up. I heard her exclaim "Oh! I'm sorry I didnt tell you this.  Mr. Richardson wrote about us. My body stood to a halt.  Mr. Richardson helped last years group (which I was in).  My face lit up with joy & surprise.  I eagerly listened to the letter.  I thought it was really cool hearing from him.  After the letter was read, Mrs. Davis said her farewells & we all left."

Jennifer sums up the session.

# Posted by Anne Davis on 10/17/03; 4:23:40 PM - Discuss

After interviewing each other, everyone brought in stories about their friends.  Check them out!

Jennifer by Yoceline

Emily by Derrick

Juana by Jerry

Jackie by Keith

Emily by Luz

Luz by Emily

Yoceline by Jennifer

Keith by Jacqueline

# Posted by Anne Davis on 10/17/03; 9:16:23 AM - Discuss

Sharing homework assignments plus talking and writing about testing were the focus of session 2.  Students' posts can be viewed in the two previous posts.  The wireless laptops worked great today!  A big thanks to Marie at the county office for making an extra trip to the school to do this.  During this session we discussed speaking and writing.  We are building a supportive group environment where all students can participate at a comfortable level.  We celebrate the writing and learning of all students!

For the last part of this session, students worked in pairs and interviewed each other.  Several suggested questions to use in the interviews were given by the teacher.  Students from last year's NewsQuest group chimed in with more suggestions.  We spent a little time discussing descriptive adjectives and how we might use them in our writing.  We talked about making writing more interesting by using exciting words and how to uniquely describe their new friends in this group.  The homework assignment was to write about the friend they interviewed.

Tomorrow I travel back to the school for session 3.  I can't wait!

# Posted by Anne Davis on 10/14/03; 12:20:48 PM - Discuss

For homework from the first session, students wrote about one of their favorite things or a topic of interest.  Students read their paper out loud and lots of discussion followed.  Enjoy reading their first homework assignments!

Using My Mind to Write by Jennifer

September 11, 2001 by Jacqueline

Babysitting My Sisters by Yoceline

Why I Like to Go to the Mall by Jerry

School by Luz

My Trip to Fernbank by Emily

Skateboarding by Derrick

Hide and Seek by Juana

Bicycles by Keith

# Posted by Anne Davis on 10/14/03; 12:12:27 PM - Discuss

Students are in the midst of testing so naturally they had lots to say about testing. I'd like to note again that students' postings will be posted "as is." They will be unedited in order to view progress over the year.  If time allows, sometimes we may go back to a post and share our edited, corrected copy.  We only had a short time to post thoughts about testing.  Here goes!

Hi!Once again I am here. I wanted to asked you about the test. I was very scare at first but then I saw is it was easy well the first part then it started to get hard.   I feel like Is had [butterflies] in my stomach. The bad part was that the test parts  were timed.

Some of them were 8 min.some were 10 min. Only one was 12 min. Can you belive it only one was 12 min !           

      SEE YOU LATER!!!!

Now that you've met the "Wrinkles"  group, let me tell you a little more about this project.  The premise is that weblogs can be used as an effective tool for language learning for ESL (English as a Second Language) students as well as native English students.  Providing opportunities for increased social, academic, and technological participation will facilitate the process by which ESL students can more quickly and efficiently develop their language skills.  The native English-speaking students will also learn and develop their language skills and have the additional opportunity to practice helping others with skills they have already internalized.  Cooperative learning can improve achievement and relationships.  Students of different ethnic backgrounds have much to learn from each other.  My belief is that when working together, they can gain a greater respect and learning from each other and reach higher academic goals.

The best way to learn a language is by having dialogue with native English speakers.  Many times, due to scheduling and academic constraints, ESL students miss out on additional opportunities or projects provided in schools.  The feeling is that ESL students must learn all the basics before they can be released from what is viewed as loss of valuable instructional time on the basics.

I have come to believe in the research that says the way to remediate is to accelerate.  Research supports that learning increases in complex, challenging, well-orchestrated environments (Caine, Caine, 1994).  Higher level thinking contributes to better reasoning and understanding (Costa, 1987).  It's up to us as teachers to design learning environments to promote maximum intellectual growth. Then oversee it carefully to learn as we go and make adjustments as needed. 

ESL students and native English-speaking students each have unique knowledge and skills.  Forming a mixed group will benefit all students.

The "Wrinkles" group will be immersed in a language-rich environment in which students will be constantly engaged in language activities.  There will be lots of interaction among the students so that learning through communication can occur. Weblogs can facilitate this type of learning environment.  The students will work in pairs, small groups, and as one large group.  They will select topics of their choice and have topics selected by the teacher, as needed.  Students will be motivated to discuss topics which are relevant to them.  The idea is to build a learning community where students mutually support each other in learning.

Weblogs are unlike traditional websites.  They provide instant, "type-n-click" publishing. After these students have engaged in language-rich activities they will write about the experience.

Weblogs offer the possibility of further discussion and interaction from a much wider audience. This audience can respond to what the students have written by giving suggestions or simply commenting on their writing and the content. This acknowledges the students' efforts plus provides a motivating force.

The group meets once a week for two hours. In addition to writing about topics of interest, students will have guided sessions to reflect and write about how they feel about writing, weblogs, and the learning process.  We will be meeting in a small instructional lab setup for wireless laptops.  It has a large oval conference table that provides a warm, cozy type environment.  We can all talk and share easily and have a closeness that encourages conversation.

Weblogs provide a way to share the learning experience. This type of dialogue gives students and teachers a voice that leads to learning discoveries. Students' writing is fostered, collaboration is encouraged, and communication in new ways will be explored. Meanwhile, the teacher will be sharing the project through weblog postings to other education webloggers.  The other educators take the thoughts expressed, add their own, and the collaboration expands to an even larger group.

One final note is that all writings are original and will be unedited in order to observe progress made by the students. If you're reading this please join our weblog and share your thoughts.  Comments, thoughts, and suggestions about our writing are welcomed and treasured!

# Posted by Anne Davis on 10/14/03; 10:09:08 AM - Discuss

Jennifer.....

My name is Jennifer, and I am excited I got picked to be in this group. This group was created to help others with their writing skills and to learn more about weblogs. This morning we introduced ourselves. Mrs. Davis put us with a partner and we wrote about things we liked. My partner's name is Jacqueline. She can speak Spanish and likes to play basketball. Last year a group called NewsQuest wrote on the internet and discussed current events on my website. We may change partners next week.  I am looking forward to this year's group!

Yoceline.....

Hi!  My name is Yoceline! I am very happy about being in this group. Today, we got to know each other.  I hope I can be a better writer.  I think I am going to like this class.  We are going to learn how to use the internet. I love being in this group!!!!

Keith.....

Hi!  My name is Keith. I am excited to be in this class. We are learning to go on the computer.  The class last year did this same thing. I am doing it now! Mrs. Davis told us that we would do fun stuff.  She told us that we will learn more about the internet. We will learn how to communicate with other people.

Derrick.....

My name is Derrick. I am very happy to be in this group (again).  I am glad that Mrs. Davis picked me to do this NewsQuest again.  Everybody got to know each other and talk to each other while we worked on the computers writing about ourselves.  I like to play hockey, baseball, football, and basketball.  My partner Jerry likes to play basketball and football.  He went to Six Flags and he is a good friend to have.

Cristian.....

My name is Cristian. I like computers. I was in Mexico this summer. This is my first year at J.H. House. I like everything about this school.

My name is Jerry. I feel great about being in this group because I get to meet new people and learn more about computers. Today we got to meet each other and share things we do, like sports.

Juana.....

My name is Juana. I feel very happy about Mrs. Davis' class. I like to write on the computer. I like to go to art and P.E.  I like to go outside to play on the slide and swing on the swing. I am glad to be coming in this school because I want to learn more English.

Jacqueline.....

My name is Jacqueline, and I am excited to be in this group because I always wanted to be in this group. This group is to help others with their writing and to learn more about weblogs. Today we introduced ourselves to Mrs. Davis and to each other. My partner's name is Jennifer. She likes to play soccer. Mrs. Davis is going to teach us how to communicate with others on the internet. I am looking forward to meeting with this group.

Emily.....

My name is Emily, and I'm overjoyed to be in Mrs. Davis' class again. I am 10 years old and l love to collect things. I really enjoy working on the computer and I hope you enjoy me! Earlier all of the group introduced ourselves. Two other people and myself were in the group last year.  YAY!!! I know that I will enjoy this group just as much as I did last year. My partner for the week is Juana. She is a shy but happy girl who has a bright smile and loves butterflies. I'm trying to get her to talk with me more, and it's not really working. I'm letting another Hispanic boy help her & talk to her. Oh well, I'm out of words right now, so BYE!!!

Luz.....

My name is Luz.  One of my favorite things to do is to go to school because we have PE, art, and music.  We study so we can work when we are older and have a good job.  I also like social studies, science, and reading. I also like social studies, science, and reading.  I love my school because it has great teachers.

# Posted by Anne Davis on 9/26/03; 1:03:45 PM - Discuss (1 response)

It was great meeting with all of you yesterday.  Welcome Crisitan, Juana, Yoceline, Jacqueline, Keith, and Jerry.  Welcome back to Emily, Derrick, and Jennifer!  (these 3 students participated in last year's weblog project).  Luz was absent yesterday but we look forward to meeting her next week!

I can tell we're going to have a great group.  We started the day with technology glitches - not Manila though, just wireless problems.  We hope to have that all cleared up for next week.  We did find a lab that we could use for part of the time and each student had the opportunity to type their thoughts.  We did have time to share last year's project with everyone.  Then we split into pairs and browsed the students' weblogs from last year.  Everyone was excited and looking forward to this year's journey!  I asked them to tell a little about themselves and share their initial thoughts. They were eager to do this and got right to work on the computers. I could tell there was a comfort level with all of them working at the computers.  For some, I got a little help from my Spanish speaking friends and I in turn wrote the English for them to type- a sort of language-experience type activity.

My goal is to provide lots of practice in writing and providing time for feedback for these up-and-coming writers.  This group covers a broad range of learners in that we have some students who are just beginning to acquire English skills and learning to communicate, some whose speaking proficiency is advanced but written expression is weak.  Others have fairly good speaking and writing proficiency, but hope to do even better.  Of course, we all know we can improve and that's what we want to do.  We want to take a learning journey where we help each other, share our difficulties and successes, and just have fun as we learn.  I know I will learn a lot from this sharp little group.  It was so interesting to meet and talk with each of them.  I can tell that they are all good thinkers and ready for a challenge. 

With that, I'll let you get to know the participants..... 

# Posted by Anne Davis on 9/26/03; 12:25:19 PM - Discuss

I am going back to school again!  I am once again traveling to my former school to initiate another weblog project.  NewsQuest was last year's project.  A group of fourth and fifth graders used weblogs as the vehicle to write about current events, make connections to their classroom curriculum, and even collaborated with a group of high-school journalism students. See the Georgia/NJ Connection here. The students loved the project and their writing, thinking, and confidence showed great improvement.  See the fifth graders' reflections here and the fourth graders reflections here. 

J. H. House is a school with a rising Hispanic population. Children are motivated to learn through opportunity, challenge, encouragement, and modeling.  Learning is shared and celebrated at all levels.  The opportunity for learning in many different ways has been one of the major goals of J. H. House.  This school has been at the forefront in developing good educational teaching and learning models for the ESL students. As I worked with my group last year I began to think about a project that would include ESL and native-English speaking children. 

So, I proposed a project to the principal and she was delighted!  I met last week with:

Joyce Hooper, the principal

Carolyn Poole, the Instructional Lead Teacher

Nancy Barajas, the At Risk Programs Coordinator (former ESL teacher)

Marcia Mateling, fifth grade classroom teacher

Jeanie Smith,  Paraprofessional 

It was a great meeting.  We discussed the children that might be involved in the project and talked about possibilities.

"Thinking & Writing Wrinkles" was named in honor of Lucy, one of my students from NewsQuest last year.  See my About this Site, if you're wondering why.  I also give a description of the project there.

I can't wait to meet with the children next Thursday! 

# Posted by Anne Davis on 9/15/03; 1:36:06 PM - Discuss