Lit. Review: Final Draft

Abstract

This review of the literature examines whether blogging might have been a useful instructional tool in a language arts classroom, in which one at-risk and suicidal student was a significant behavior problem. The difficult student’s behavior improved after the death of one of her classmates because she had written a poem relating to her classmate’s death. I gave the poem to the parents of the deceased student who then had the poem read at their son’s funeral. The class was exceedingly distraught at their classmate’s death, but gained new admiration for the student who had written the poem. Because teenagers are such avid users of blogging, I investigated whether blogging in an educational setting would have benefited the class and my at-risk student in that it would have allowed them to share their feelings with each other in a medium that they are comfortable using. The research does show that when students blog, they tend to open up and share their feelings more than in a traditional classroom setting. The research also confirms that teenagers much prefer to write in blogs than with paper and pencil.


Blogging and the Secondary Classroom: A Match?
Dianna Trang


In this review of the literature, I examine the current research on how blogging can be used in the secondary language arts classroom on two levels. The first question I want to address is how can blogs be used academically? Second, can blogging be used to nurture a caring, supportive environment in the secondary classroom? How do these questions tie into my critical incident? Here is a brief summary: an at-risk, suicidal girl, who behaved atrociously in class, became a model student after the tragic, accidental death of the young man, who sat next to her. She had written a poem about his death which I gave to his parents, and which was then read at this young man’s funeral. The first day back after the funeral was tough; the students were stoic and said little, but I have a hunch they simply did not want to express themselves in front of the class. Looking back, giving the class the opportunity to blog, they might have been able to sort out their feelings more effectively, grieve together, and support each other. So how does the research validate my hunch?
First of all, how popular is blogging? A quick look to Livejournal.com confirms that there are 13,482,545 online journals and communities. MySpace alone has over 34 million bloggers (Kornblum, 2005). The largest distribution of blog authors fall under the age of twenty (Huffaker, 2004). Typically, 145,775 people will post in one day. Why is there such an explosion of blogs? Blogs “ . . . provide a unique mixture of visibility and anonymity’ (Blogging teens, 2007). Interestingly, teens are happy to have of the most of the world’s population read their blogs, but they do fear that a parent might discover the blog and be privy to their thoughts (Kornblum, 2005). Furthermore, teens have found that having a blog is one place where they can actually express themselves openly and receive positive comments from friends and others (Blogging teens, 2007). However, Kornblum (2005) cites a young woman from Brandeis University, Jenny Rypkema, who claims the teenagers will share their most intimate feelings on their blogs, sometimes to the point of being “exhibitionist.” So while many teens use blogs for personal expression, blogs also help teens establish friendships and thus feel less isolated and alone. Safe to say that outside of the classroom, many teens are avid bloggers and use them often. But many teachers are not taking advantage of educational blogging because the medium is new to them.
Since teens are drawn to the technology of blogging, it would make sense to use that enthusiasm and channel it into academics and the classroom. Tyron (2006). argues that blogging in a composition class has a useful in that it exposes students to a much wider audience than they would normally ever have. Not only did Tyron use blogging as an instructional tool for the writing process, but also to teach rhetorical analysis, asking his students to analyze political blogs. His students were disillusioned with political bloggers who allow no commentary on their blogs—in other words, some politicians want to be heard, but they don’t want to listen. Poling (2005) maintains that students can learn effectively by blogging if the learning environment is safe and supportive. She noticed in her classroom that students would write much longer if allowed to blog, compared to writing with pen and paper. Dickey (2003) observed that students use blogs not only to respond to their assignments, but “ . . . also evident in postings were elements of socialization, reports of activities and events, signs of support, and reports of feelings and emotions” (p.283). She also found that students would use their blogs to socialize, share their feelings, and support each other when help was needed. They would also share information related to their health and personal life.
However, Kajder and Ball (2004) found that not all parents are enthusiastic about their children becoming bloggers. When blogs were introduced in their classroom, it took some time to obtain parental permission, but once parents understood that blogs are not necessarily public to everyone in cyberspace, most relented and allowed their children to blog within their classroom community. But they also found that students wrote much longer pieces while blogging and enjoyed the interactions with other students and their teacher. Students who would normally not share ideas and comments orally in class would be quite willing to do so via a blog (Kajder and Ball, 2004; Richardon 2003; Huffaker, 2004; Poling 2005). Richardson (2003) also found that responses posted to a blog were more meaningful than the usual comments offered in class. Interestingly, he noted that parents of students enjoyed the classroom blogging experience because they would read the same book as was assigned to their child and get in on the online discussion.
Wang and Fang (2006) also report positive results with blogs. In their study of college writing classes, they noted that blogging increased the students’ confidence in writing and in their ability to work as a team. However, the students in their semester long study also appreciated face time with other students and the instructor—in other words, the human factor might still be important, despite the desirability of remaining anonymous and invisible.
Huffaker (2004) makes the urgent point that a new type of literacy is emerging: digital fluency. He describes this as the ways that people become comfortable with computer technology, much as they would with another language. He further maintains that in the future, such digital fluency will be necessary for one’s education, employment, and even social life. Huffaker (2004) is a strong supporter of blogging in the classroom because bloggers have a personal as well as communal space in which they can communicate. This not only advances personal expression but also a supportive community in which to share ideas, teach each other, and develop friendships.
Thus, the research shows that blogging could have been beneficial in my classroom when my student died. The students would have had an outlet in which to share their emotions and support each other in their time of grief. Perhaps my at-risk student would have shared her unhappiness with us, so that we, the class, would have understood her cries for help better. Her classmates might have seen her in a positive light much sooner. The research also supports the educational uses of blogs. Students write much more and more willingly if allowed to blog. Of course, teachers must monitor their students blogging carefully, so a supportive and trusting atmosphere might need to be a prerequisite to successful blogging in the classroom. Anyone who has viewed teenage blogs knows that they often publicize information they should not, so vigilance is necessary. But used judiciously, blogs can be a tremendously useful asset to a classroom, not just for educational purposes, but also to support a cohesive social environment. While a certain amount of technological expertise is necessary to use blogging successfully in the classroom, a teacher should not do it simply to integrate technology but should use it to support activities they would have done in a traditional setting anyway (Weiler, 2003). So, in the final analysis, while blogging may present a few stumbling blocks to teachers who are unfamiliar with it, the research shows that for teachers to teach the students in the most effective way possible, teachers must do their best to keep up with technology. Educators can no longer pretend they can teach they way they were taught. To all of those naysayers, I say “Welcome to the blogosphere!”


References
Blogging teens. Website design help. 24 July 2007.
http://onlyforwebmaster,com/blogging/Blogging_Teens.html

Dickey, M.D. (2004). The impact of web-logs (blogs) on student
perceptions of isolation and alienation in a web-based distance-learning
environment. Open Learning 19.3, 279-91. Retrieved from Academic First
Search database 31 July 2007.

Huffaker, D. (2004). The educated blogger: Using weblogs to promote
literacy in the classroom. First Monday 9.6. Retrieved 27 July 2007 from
http://firstmonday.org/issues/issue9_6/huffaker/index.html

Kajder, S. and Bull G. (2004). A space for “writing without writing:”
Blogs in the language arts classroom. Learning and Leading with Technology
31.6, 32-35. Retrieved from ERIC database 23 July 2007.

Kornblum, J. Teens wear their hearts on their blogs. (30 Oct. 2005).
USA Today. Retrieved from http://usatoday.printthis.clickability.com on 24 July
2007.

Poling, C. (2005). Blog on: building communication and collaboration among staff and
students Learning and Leading with Technology 32.6, 12-15. Retrieved 23 July
2007 from ERIC database.

Ray, J. (2006). Welcome to the blogosphere:The educational use
of blogs. Kappa Delta Pi 42.4, 175-77. Retrieved from ERIC database on
23 July 2007.

Richardson, W.(2003). Weblogs in the English classroom: More than just
chat. The English Journal 91.3, 39-45. Retrieved from JSTOR database 25 July
2007.

Tyron, C. (2006). Writing and citizenship: Use blogs to teach first year
composition. Pedagogy 6.1, 128-32. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier
database 26 July 2007.

Wang, J. and Fang, Y. (2006). Benefits of cooperative learning in
weblog networks. Washington D.C. Office of Educational Research
and Improvement. ERIC Document Reproduction Service # ED 490813.

Weiler, G. (2003). Using Weblogs in the classroom. The English Journal 92. 5,
73-75. Retrieved from JSTOR database 28 July 2007.

Lit. Review Article 11

Literature Review

Article 11

APA Citation: Dickey, M.D. (2004). The impact of web-logs (blogs) on student
perceptions of isolation and alienation in a web-based distance-learning
environment. Open Learning 19.3, 279-91. Retrieved from Academic First
Search database 31 July 2007.

I. Title: The impact of web-logs (blogs) on student perceptions of isolation and alienation in a web-based distance-learning environment

II. Author: Michele D. Dickey

III. Author’s Purpose for Writing: To report the results of the study on how blogs impact student perceptions of isolation and alienation in a web-based distance-learning environment

IV. What are the points made in the review of the literature? Do they support the need for the study? The learner’s perceptions of community and alimentation do impact learning. Understanding learners’ perceptions should enhance the effectiveness of web-based coursework.

V. Author’s Inquiry Question: Do blogs reduce students’ feelings of isolation and alienation in a web-based distance-learning environment


VI.
A. Author’s methodology: They collected data during a summer semester

B. Who is being studied? 111 College students

C. Over what length of time? Fall semester 2003

D. What data is being collected? Observations of post bloggings, informal interviews, email interactions, and course evaluations.

VII. How the author collected information: From students who volunteered to be part of the study

VIII. What the author discovered:
q Students use blogs to respond to their assignments, but also evident in postings were elements of socialization, reports of activities and events, signs of support, and reports of feelings and emotions (p.283).
q There was evidence of the students using blogs to initiate “ and support casual socialization. (284)
q The blogs also included “recounting of personal, technical, and health related event . . .” (284)
q The passed along advice and asked for technical help. (285)
q As due dates of final assignments drew near, students supported each other through their despair and shared their elations when projects were completed.

David Cassidy-My First Love
1. The first time I saw David Cassidy I knew what it was to love.

I was sleeping and right in the middle of a good dream
Like all at once I wake up from something that keeps knocking at my brain
Before I go insane I hold my pillow to my
head
And spring up in my bed screaming out the words I dread
I think I love you

3. He had light brown hair, cut in a shag, down to his shoulders, with bangs to his hazel eyes.

This morning I woke up with this feeling
I didn't know how to deal with and so I just decided to myself
I'd hide it to myself and never talk about it
And did not go and shout it when you walked into the room
I think I love you

5. His eyes, piercing through the TV directly at me, electrified my 10 year old soul.
I don't know what I'm up against
I don't know what it's all about
I got so much to think about

7. He stood on the stage, singing the lyrics to me.

I think I love you so what am I so afraid of
I'm afraid that I'm not sure of a love there is no cure for
I think I love you isn't that what life is made of
Though it worries me to say that I never felt this way

9. I wrote him letters, fervently begging him to wait for me.

Believe me you really don't have to worry
I only wanna make you happy and if you say "hey go away" I will
But I think better still I'd better stay around and love you
Do you think I have a case let me ask you to your face
Do you think you love me?

Bluebonnet Reflections

My Life Sketch

My Name

My Name

My name is Dianna, which means, “divine.” I know that she was the Roman goddess of the moon, the hunt, pregnant women, and the witches. I always thought that was an odd combination. But I have read a Jungian analysis of the goddess Diana and her Greek counterpart Artemis, and interestingly, both of these goddesses remained single and were also were the patron goddesses of unmarried women. Witches tend to be unmarried, so I think it single woman somehow evolved into witch. The moon association must be tied to how women change each month, according to their hormones.

Dianna is the number 49,114,149 divided by 6 which is 8, 185, 691.5.
Dianna is green, the color of the forest where the goddess resides.

My name was chosen for me by my Aunt Ursula who is my mother’s sister. She loved the song “Dianna” by Paul Anka. My aunt led a repressed life with a verbally abusive husband. Maybe “Dianna” was her theme song, because the lyrics go something like, “Stay by me, Dianna.” She stayed married to her husband although she was extraordinarily unhappy. My mother married 3 times, so she was quite unlike my aunt.
There are two pronunciations to my name, the American way—Dianna and the German way, which sound more like Deonna. I used to always go by the German pronunciation, but I stopped because people never understood it the first time, and then I would have to explain it’s German, and then people invariably ask me to say something in German, or they say something like, “Sprechen Sie Deutsch?” in a Hogan’s Hero accent.
Since I have been going by the American pronunciation, I am often called Dianne, which dislike, but I never say anything, because in the big scheme of the universe, it’s not worth fussing about.
If I could change my name, I would change it to Amy. I have always loved that name and gave it to my daughter. It means “Beloved” and she certainly is.

Response to What do you do with a tail like that?

What is your gift and how do you use it?

I believe my gift is to be empathetic. I am extraordinarily sensitive to the needs of other people and I sometimes wish I weren’t. If someone I know is hurting, I will move heaven and earth to lessen their pain. Sometimes that is easily done with a banana cream pie. Who can be very sad while eating luscious mouthfuls of custard and bananas? Other times I will do converse with them in a humorous and animated tone until they have at least temporarily forgotten their pain or sadness. Other times it is simply a matter of taking time for that person. In the rush of our daily lives, we often leave many lonely people in our wake. I have found that giving someone my precious time is the greatest gift of all.

Chapter 11 in Inside Out

Chapter 11 Response

The major points of Chapter 11 is that we ought to write our own poetry our students and teach poetry. They stress not to worry about formal poetry until later. They believe that playing with words and language is beneficial to writing, which arguably it is. They present many fun ways to get kids writing poetry—and I mean fun, so fun, in fact, that I wonder if I can do it in my AP classes. But since poetry does appear on the Lit. test, I guess I better teach some poetry. The authors really stress that the teacher write poetry along with the kids and share it with the students. They also maintain that form is not as important as honest writing. In fact, they say “Good writing is honest writing,” and often when kids are writing poetry, it comes from the heart, so teachers must be sensitive to that also and not cut the student down, but always look for what is good.


Personal Connection: I have not studied poetry in depth, with exception of Shakespeare, Walt Whitman, and Emily Dickinson, so I always face the teaching of poetry with some trepidation. I used to write some poetry years ago and was kind of embarrassed about it—I think I have really only written one good poem in my life, so when the authors suggest writing our own poetry and sharing it with the students—aargh! I really can’t even imagine it.
In the regular classes I taught last year, each class had about 2/3 boys and 1/3 girls, so when the topic of poetry came up, the boys rolled their eyes, and were generally disinterested which I blame on my ineptitude of teaching poetry and not on the boys. So this chapter provided some inspiration for me to teach this with some excellent hands on activities.

Questions: What are your feelings on teaching poetry. Do you have any good books you recommend? Or any poems that juniors particularly enjoy? How could I use this in an AP class?

Stellaluna

Writing Response to Stella Luna

How will I be different this year as a result of attending the Bluebonnet Writing Project?

I feel energized and confident to use more technology. I definitely intend to set up blogs in which I want the students to respond to assigned readings, and then I will ask them to respond to at least one of the responses. Whether I can get every student to sign up for their own blog, I don’t know yet because I am sure there are some privacy rules to consider. I will definitely keep a blog for each class in which I share and update information.

I also liked many of the strategies we used in class, particularly the ones we worked on for our critical incident. Those are excellent strategies to carry over to TAKS writing—for example, exploding a sentence. That is very powerful.

I will ask the district coordinator whether we could set up district wide language arts blogs per grade level. It would be so nice to share stuff with each other, and build upon each other’s ideas.

I also feel more confident using powerpoint although, in general, I think a teacher can powerpoint a class to death. I will probably use my life map on opening day.

Lit. Review : Article 10

Literature Review

Article 10

APA Citation: Huffaker, D. (2004). The educated blogger: Using weblogs to promote
literacy in the classroom. First Monday 9.6. Retrieved 27 July 2007 from
http://firstmonday.org/issues/issue9_6/huffaker/index.html


I. Title:. The educated blogger: Using weblogs to promote literacy in the classroom

II. Author: David Huffaker

III. Author’s Purpose for Writing: Can blogs enhance learning environments? Can they be used in classroom settings?

IV. What are the points made in the review of the literature? Do they support the need for the study?
q The Internet continues to generate new applications that not only foster individual expression, but also cohesive community development.
q A visit to the statistics page of Livejournal.com, one of the most popular blog–hosted Web sites, discloses the largest distribution of blog authors also falls below age 20
q Technology has also added a new type of literacy to consider. Sometimes referred to as digital fluency, this type of literacy refers to the ways people become comfortable using technology as they would any other natural language (Huffaker, 2004). Some scholars suggest digital fluency will be another prerequisite for sociability, lifelong learning and employment opportunities (Resnick, 2002).
q Blogs are both individualistic and collaborative. Blogs promote self–expression, a place where the author can develop highly personalized content. Yet blogs connect with an online community — bloggers can comment and give feedback to other bloggers, and they can link to fellow bloggers, creating an interwoven, dynamic organization. In the classroom, students can have a personal space to read and write alongside a communal one, where ideas are shared, questions are asked and answered, and social cohesion is developed.
VI.
A. Author’s methodology: This is nolt a study for say, but an academic paper analyzing the uses of blogs to promote literacy and community building in the classroom.

B. Who is being studied? Elementary and secondary students

C. Over what length of time? Not specified


VIII. What the author discovered: Future research should include studies to reveal language acquisition or learning comprehension and retention when using weblogs. Likewise, understanding similarities and differences among gender, ethnicity and age groups would help develop more personalized approaches to classroom implementation and enhance the applicability of weblogs in educational settings

Lit. review : Article 9

Literature Review

Article 9

APA Citation: Tyron, C. Writing and citizen ship: Use blogs to teach first year
composition. Pedagogy 6.1, 128-32. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier
database 26 July 2007.

I. Title:. Writing and citizen ship: Use blogs to teach first year
composition

II. Author: Charles Tyron

III. Author’s Purpose for Writing:

The article focuses on using blogs to teach first-year composition. The major uses of blogging in teaching are presented. Risks of blogging in the composition classroom are given. The result of using blogging as a teaching tool is discussed.

IV. What are the points made in the review of the literature? Do they support the need for the study? That blogging provides a useful purpose in writing classes in that students’ writing is exposed to a much wider audience.

V. Author’s Inquiry Question:
What is the most effective way to use blogs in a writing class?
VI.
A. Author’s methodology: He is a writing instructor and he is writing a narrative of how he used blogs to teach writing and rhetorical analysis.

B. Who is being studied? The authors students

C. Over what length of time? Since 2003

D. What data is being collected? His classroom experiences with his students using and responding to blogs

VII. How the author collected information: Using information gathered from his students blogs

VIII. What the author discovered: He has had much success with blogging as a tool for
making the basic concepts of rhetoric more tangible and for helping students
discover that writing for a larger audience is a valuable activity, one connected
to issues of citizenship and democracy.

This author had his students analyze blogs, only to find out that the actual bloggers were subverting his assignment by responding rather than the students.
He had his students analyze political blogs and was surprised to find Tom Daschle did not allow comments on his blog, which the students found disillusioning—a politician who wants to be heard, but does not want to listen.
The author firmly believed the greatest benefit was that students’ writing reaches a larger audience.

Lit. Review articles 7 and 8

Literature Review

Article

APA Citation: Blogging teens. Website design help. 24 July 2007.
http://onlyforwebmaster,com/blogging/Blogging_Teens.html


I. Title:. Blogging teens

II. Author: None.

III. Author’s Purpose for Writing: To explain why teens are drawn to blogging.

IV. What are the points made in the review of the literature? Do they support the need for the study?
q “One of the reasons why blogs have undergone a kind of explosion in the ten community . . .is the fact that they provide a unique mixture of visibility and anonymity.”
q “Many a blogging teen lives in fear that a parent or guardian will discover his or her blog, but by publishing under an alias a teenager can spill his or her secrets without fear of being traced.”
q “Outside the world of blogging, teen have little opportunity to be published.”
q “Many a blogging teen has discovered that having a weblog on the internet is great way to explore self-expression and often to win positive feedback from friends.”

V. Author’s Inquiry Question: Why do teens like to blog?

VI.
A. Author’s methodology: None

B. Who is being studied? Teens

Literature Review

Article 8

APA Citation: Kornblum, J. Teens wear their hearts on their blogs. (30 Oct. 2005).
USA Today. Retrieved from http://usatoday.printthis.clickability.com on 24 July
2007.

I. Title:. Teens wear their hearts on their blogs.

II. Author: Janet Kornblum

III. Author’s Purpose for Writing: To highlight how teens use blogs as a personal diary

IV. What are the points made in the review of the literature? Do they support the need for the study?
This article quotes numerous teens who use blogs diaries to express their innermost feelings. These same teens feel that their privacy is violated if their parents read their blogs, but they are willing to allow strangers to view their blogs.
At the time of the article, 8 million teens had blogs, but if one takes MySpace into consideration, then the number jumps to 34 million.
Teen, who tend to be exhibitionist use blogs to “pour out their emotions.” (Jenny Rypkeema, sophomore at Brandeis University.

V. Author’s Inquiry Question: What draws teens to blogging?

VI.
A. Author’s methodology: Uses direct quotes from college and high school students who are avid bloggers.

B. Who is being studied? High school and college students

VIII. What the author discovered: Teens like to use blogs for personal expression, want to share their private thoughts with the world, but not with their parents. They establish friendships via blogs and feel less isolated because of blogs.

Chapters 9 and 10 in Inside Out

I have to say I really like this book. It is one of the more useful books on writing that I have read. Chapter 9 discusses what good writing actually is. The authors make an excellent point that we as teachers ought to look for what is good in the writing and have the students work on developing that further, rather than focusing on what is bad in the kid's writing. Of course I always pointed out what the kids did well in writing, but I always had them work on what sucked in their writing. So I am going to change that this year, I hope. Since I am teaching AP for the first time, I may still have topoint out where they really need to improve . . . I am a little unsure of that. I will have to think about that some more.

Chapter 10 was also very good. It discussed the revision process and how very difficult that is. I like the idea of student conferences. i only did that last year when we were working on the TAKS essay and the research paper, but I will try to incoprporate it more as well as using groups to help with that process. I think the list of suggestions for revisions on pages 144-46 are very helpful, and I will definitely work them into my writing program somehow. Anyway, I am still enjoying the book and getting a lot out of it. :)

Inquiry Question

1. Inquiry Question: How can blogging be used in a language arts classroom setting to not only support the curriculum but to create a more positive learning environment and promote a supportive atmosphere among the student writers?

2. Key words: blogging, communication, learning environment, student support, curriculum, technology, edublogs, weblogs,
at-risk students, emotional support

3. I am actually doing okay finding articles.

Literature Review Article 5

Literature Review

Article 5

APA Citation:

I. Title:.Using Weblogs in the Classroom

II. Author: Greg Weiler

III. Author’s Purpose for Writing: To highlight the benefits of blogging in the classroom but to also point out possible pitfalls

IV. What are the points made in the review of the literature? Do they support the need for the study? This is not a study per se, but rather an explanation of how to use blogs effectively. Weiler also suggests good sites to help someone get started with blogging in the classroom.

V. Author’s Inquiry Question: What are the advantages of using blogging in the classroom?

VI.
A. Author’s methodology: The author suggests that opening up students’ writing to a variety of readers who can easily respond to the writer is highly beneficial to the writer.

B. Who is being studied? High School students

C. Over what length of time? Not specified

D. What data is being collected? Advantages and disadvantages of blogging

VII. How the author collected information: from his own classroom experience

VIII. What the author discovered: A certain amount of technological expertise is necessary to use blogging successfully in the classroom and a teacher should not do it simply to integrate technology but should use it to support activities they would have done in a traditional setting anyway.

Responses to Chapter 7 and 8 in Inside Out

Chapter 7: This chapter is about teaching students to repsond to different types of audiences and offers good suggestions onhow to do so.I especialy liked the one on how to anticipate an audience's response.

Chapter 8: This chapter addresses the question of how teachers should respond to students' papers. Iliked the suggestions on teaching students how to repsond to papers via responding to the teacher's writing. I also liked the suggestions on what types of comments teachers should make. I am afraid that I have been guilty of using rather ho-hum comments in the past, but I will try to do better now.

Article 4: Lit Review

Literature Review

Article 4

APA Citation: Wang, J. and Fang, Y. (2006). Benefits of cooperative learning in
weblog networks. Washington D.C. Office of Educational Research
and Improvement. ERIC Document Reproduction Service # ED 490813.

I. Title: Benefits of cooperative learning in weblog networks.

II. Author: Jenny Wang Ph, D. and Yuehchiu Fang, Ph.D.

III. Author’s Purpose for Writing: to explore the benefits of cooperative learning in weblog networks

IV. What are the points made in the review of the literature? Do they support the need for the study? Yes, they try to address how weblogging and technology should meet the needs of the students.

V. Author’s Inquiry Question: What are the advantages of using in cooperative learning structure on teaching and learning?

VI.
A. Author’s methodology: The number and content of text contributions made by group members in the blogs including the online responses or asynchronous communication were analyzed.

B. Who is being studied? College students in writing classes.

C. Over what length of time? During a one semester writing course

D. What data is being collected? Survey questions rated the students’ self-confidence, empowerment, positive interdependence, individual accountability, group processing, social skills, time management, and face-to-face interactions

VII. How the author collected information: Student surveys

VIII. What the author discovered: The results were positive. Blogs increased the students’ confidence in learning writing, their ability to learn from others. It also helped them develop their social skills and ability to work as a team. All were glad to learn to use blogs, but believed face-to face interactions also helped them towards accomplish their goals,

Article 3

Article 3

APA citation; Ray, J. (2006). Welcome to the blogosphere:The educational use
of blogs. Kappa delta pi 42.4, 175-77. Retrieved from ERIC database on
23 July 2007.

I. Title: Welcome to the blogosphere:The educational use of blogs.

II. Author: Jan Ray

III. Author’s Purpose for Writing:

IV. What are the points made in the review of the literature? Do they support the need for the study? This is basically an overview of how to use edublogs. Yes, because the medium is so new that many teachers may not be taking advantage of it.

V. Author’s Inquiry Question: How to effectively use blogs in the classroom

VI.
A. Author’s methodology: None. This is basically an overview of the possibilities available to teacher in edublogging.

B. Who is being studied? Teachers and their uses of blogging for educational purposes

C. Over what length of time? Not specified

Article 2for Lit. Review

Article 2

APA Citation: Kajder, S. and Bull G. (2004). A space for “writing without writing:”
Blogs in the language arts classroom. Learning and leading with technology
31.6, 32-35. Retrieved from ERIC database 23 July 2007.


I. Title: A space for “writing without writing:” Blogs in the language arts classroom.

II. Author: Sara Kajder and Glen Bull

III. Author’s Purpose for Writing: To explore how teachers are using blogging in innovative ways

IV. What are the points made in the review of the literature? Do they support the need for the study? Because the phenomenon of blogging is so recent, it cannot yet be reliably assessed since it is still evolving.

V. Author’s Inquiry Question: How is blogging being used in a language arts classroom?

VI.
A. Author’s methodology: They tracked a 7th grade language arts teacher who was using blogs with student writing and wanted to use blogging for journaling.

B. Who is being studied? A 7th grade language arts teacher and her students

C. Over what length of time? One year

D. What data is being collected? The frequency and the length of the student blogging efforts

VII. How the author collected information: They had the teacher narrate her successes and difficulties of instituting a blogging program.

VIII. What the author discovered: They found that not all parents are wiling to allow their children to be bloggers. Also, it was too time-consuming for the teacher to set up all the blogs, and the students were taught to do so. Students wrote more in their blogs because of the ease of typing, and they enjoyed communicating with their teacher via the blog. Students suffered less from writer’s block using blogs. Finally, the authors realized that students were eager to communicate with each other and share ideas with each other via a blog, which they would be less inclined to do person to person.

First Article for Lit. Review

Literature Review

Article 1

Poling, C. (2005) Blog on: building communication and collaboration among staff and
students Learning and leading with technology 32.6, 12-15. Retrieved 23 July
2007 from ERIC database.

I. Title: Blog On: Building Communication and Collaboration among Staff and Students

II. Author: Catherine Poling

III. Author’s Purpose for Writing: She explains three different types of logs that are useful in a school setting: classroom, collaborative, and staff development logs.

IV. What are the points made in the review of the literature? Do they support the need for the study?

Students learn effectively by blogging if it is used wisely in the classroom. Students can respond to each other in a safe environment and often learn from each other in the process.
She also studied how teachers can benefit from blogging by sharing lesson plans and ideas. She found teachers shared more by blogging than they did face to face.

V. Author’s Inquiry Question: How does blogging affect affect collaborative learning among teachers and students?

VI.
A. Author’s methodology: She tracked which blogs were most effective for the school environment through her own experience as a teacher, principal, and facilitator of different online communities.
B. Students and teachers
C. Over what length of time? A year
D. What data is being collected? Students improvements and frequency in writing; teacher’s frequency in collaborating online through blogging

VII. How the author collected information: She collected data from the school she worked at as an assistant principal.

VIII. What the author discovered: Which blog are appropriate for classroom use and which are not

Summary: Poling found that classroom and collaborative blogging are the most effective use of the medium for public school students. She found students write longer and more frequently if allowed to blog rather than the traditional paper/pencil method. She also found teachers more willing to share teaching strategies via a blog rather than face to face.

Chicken Sunday

IS THE COMMUNITY IN “CHICKEN SUNDAY” A COMMUNITY YOU WOULD WANT TO LIVE IN?

I think I would like to live there with people of different ethnicities and religions coexisting in such a neighborly and friendly way. I like how the shops are in walking distance of the neighborhoods, and how the children can roam about the area without supervision. I also like how Mr. Kadinski and Miss Eulah ensure the children know right from wrong. The village raises the children.

While Mr. Kadinski cannot give the children a job, he empowers them by allowing them to sell their Easter eggs in his shop. That also shows a certain tolerance towards other religions, since he is Jewish and Easter is a Christian tradition

I would like Miss Eulah to be my neighbor because I love fried chicken and chicken gravy. It is one of the best meals in the world. I would bring applestudel to her house on Sundays and we would have a fine time.

Special Places

My Special Place

I long to be in the small German city of Germersheim, the birthplace of my mother. It is situated on the western bank of the Rhine River, on the French side. The local German dialect has traces of French. A three hundred year old building still proudly bears the sign that Napoleon once spent the night there.

Germersheim used to be a military fortress, and so the old town was completely surrounded by a wall, 12 feet tall and about 3 feet thick, although today much of it has been destroyed from 300 years worth of constant battering. My grandparents moved there during the 1930’s when my grandfather was an officer in the German Wehrmacht (army). My grandfather, one of the few lucky soldiers to survive WWII, returned there after the war, surrendered to the Americans, and was imprisoned for two years. My grandmother remained in Germersheim to be near her husband, to visit him twice weekly, and to bring him food because prison rations were meager.

As a child, I roamed the streets of Germersheim. I know the city like I know the faces of my children. For years, my grandfather would take me on walks, telling me which buildings my grandmother has to flee from because a bomb had dropped in the vicinity, and stories of his escape from the army. I know of all his hiding places. I know of the hospital where, risking his life, he went to look on the face of his daughter who was nearly dying of fever. I know every one of the 5 buildings my grandmother lived in during the war, and I can tell you what happened at each of them.

The one I am always drawn to is in the city center, across from what is today the post office. On the ground floor is a tobacco and magazine shop, but the upper levels were apartments. My grandmother, great-grandmother, and the children lived there when Germany had finally surrendered. There were no steps in the building. They had been chopped up for firewood during the winter. To get from one floor to the other they had to use ladders.

Perhaps not known to many, the French army had units of Moroccan soldiers—and unlucky for the women of Germersheim, they were the occupying force of this part of Germany. The French gave the Moroccan enlisted men free roam of the city for 24 hours. Mass rape occurred—to my great grandmother and grandmother, and to any woman or girl with pubic hair. Months later, mass abortions.

The youth of their adulthood was shattered into bits. Yet somehow they glued their lives back together with strength, humor, and grace. I doubt could come through such adversity without bitterness, but these places remind me of what the human spirit is capable of enduring.

Response to Chapters 5 and 6

CHapter 5 was all about journaling. The chapter offered some good ideas and addressed the common problems associated with journaling, namely grading. I use the plus, check, and minus system as they do. I agree with them that journal writing increases fluency. Although I personally don't journal anymore, I did so religiously for 15 years, and I think it helped my writing as well.

Chapter 6 was all about developing voice in writers, a difficult thing for young writers who have not found their voices yet, and are not even aware that thye might have one. Again, useful, concrete suggestions on how to develop voice that any teacher could take and use in the classroom immediately.

Response to Chapter 4: Getting It Down

Very good, useful ideas to use in the classroom. Tons of stuff I think kids would actually enjoys responding to in writing. I wish I had read it before I had done my lesson plan because it would have been fun to do "The Name Piece" activity in which we would have written about our names.

Lesson Plan

Bluebonnet Writing Project
Teaching Demonstration

Title of the Article: “No Ordinary Joe”
Author: Rick Reilly
Illustrator: N/A
Publishing Information: Reilly, Rick. “No Ordinary Joe.” Sports Illustrated. 7 July 2003. 21 July 2007. www.sportsillustrated.cnn.com
Green, Chuck. “Vick Doesn’t Deserve to BE a Sport Hero.” The Pueblo Chieftain Online. 22 July 2007. 22 July 2007 http://www.chieftain.com/editorial/1185084389/6
Suggested Grade Level: 11

Goal: After reading texts, students will know how to write Level I and Level II dialectical journal entries. They understand to differntiate from reading for fact and detail to finding inferences.

Objectives: Students will be able to read text closely, identify details and main idea, make inferences about the text, and write a paragraph responding to the reading, using textual evidence.

TEKS: 4) Writing/inquiry/research. The student uses writing as a tool for learning.. The student is expected to:
(A) use writing to formulate questions, refine topics, and clarify ideas;
(B) use writing to discover, organize, and support what is known and what needs to be learned about a topic;
(E) use writing as a study tool to clarify and remember information;
(F) compile written ideas and representations into reports, summaries, or other formats and draw conclusions; and
(G) analyze strategies that writers in different fields use to compose

(7) Reading/comprehension. The student comprehends selections using a variety of strategies. The student is expected to:
(A) establish and adjust purpose for reading such as to find out, to understand, to interpret, to enjoy, and to solve problems;
(B) draw upon his/her own background to provide connection to texts;
(C) monitor his/her own reading strategies and make modifications when understanding breaks down such as by rereading, using resources, and questioning;
(F) produce summaries of texts by identifying main ideas and their supporting details;
(G) draw inferences such as conclusions, generalizations, and predictions and support them with text evidence and experience;
(H) use study strategies such as note taking, outlining, and using study-guide questions to better understand texts; and
(I) read silently with comprehension for a sustained period of time.

(10) Reading/literary response. The student expresses and supports responses to various types of texts. The student is expected to:
(A) respond to informational and aesthetic elements in texts such as discussions, journal entries, oral interpretations, enactments, and graphic displays;
(B) use elements of text to defend, clarify, and negotiate responses and interpretations; and


Research Supporting this Lesson:
Edwards, Phyllis, R. “Using Dialectical Journals to Teach Thinking Skills.”
Journal of Reading 35.4, Dec-Jan. 1991-92. 312-16.


Introduction to lesson: We will begin by analyzing a painting, describing the details and making inferences about it.


Previewing the Text: I will ask if anybody is aware of any current events in the NFL world. We will read Rick Reilly's article first, using it to set up a dialectical journal. Then we will turn to an article on Michael Vick, who had made headline news and do the same with this article.

Procedures: Set up a few dialectical journal pages. Fold page vertically. For a type I dialectical entry, on the left write Text (They say) and on the right Questions/Comments (I say). After reading 4-5 paragraphs of the article at a time, students are to write down the facts and details (fragments okay) in the left column. On the right, they write any questions they might have at this point in the text and any questions. Do this first ten paragraphs as a class to model the procedure; for the remainder of the text, have students work on their own for several minutes, and them compare their list with their neighbors/group. Then go over each section as a class. Read each passage out loud together.
A type II entry is different in that the student copies the sentences or paragraph into the left hand column, and they make inferences in the right hand column. In other words, they have to explain what the text means or what underlying message the text has.
We will follow up, if time is available, with an editorial with Michael Vick, doing both Type I and II journal entry. If time remains, we will write TAKD type paragraphs using evidence from the articles.


Reading/Writing/ Connection: This activity connect reading and writing very closely. The student is very involved with the text and retains more detail because he/she is copying portions of the text or listing the details and main ideas. The writing aspect of this activity requires the student to focus closely on the text. It is good practice for the TAKS paragraphs on the exit level test.


Discussion Protocol: In a ninety minute block, ideally the teacher would call on each student at least twice during the discussion phases of the exercise.


Extension/Service Projects: Ideally, after having practiced this in class, students would be able to do this on their own. The teacher could require one dialectical entry per assigned page of reading or something like that.

Literature Review Practice

Title: Developing a Culture of Inquiry for Equity: One School’s Story

II. Author: Tanya Fruedman

III. Author's Purpose for Writing: To share their experience of learning to create, nurture, and sustain this culture—conditions and strategies that help teach for equity.

IV. What are the points made in the review of the literature?
3 elements are important to develop and sustain a culture that supports inquiry for equity:
1. Create structure and support for teachers to reflect on how issues of race, class, and culture play out in their own lives, in school, and classroom.
2. Offer a variety of structures and entry points for equity driven education
3. Dedicate time, space, and support for both formal and informal inquiry

V. Author's Inquiry Question/s: What do teachers do in their own practice to work for more equitable outcomes for students?

VI. Author's Methodology

A. Who is being studied? Teachers

B. Over what length of time? Several years

C. What data is being collected: Teacher’s reflections; student outcomes;

D. How is it being analyzed: informally—shared dinner discussions; formal conversations

E. Any other interesting or pertinent data

VII. How the author collected information: By being a participant in the study

VIII. What the Author Discovered or Conclusions/Implications
When she feels willing to transform her instruction, to give up familiar structures and practices, to look at something or someone in a new light, to take risks, to learn something uncomfortable about myself, the she believes the culture is

Haiku Log for July 18th

Haiku Log for July 18, 2007
Lourdes finds herself
Inside a secret forest
Mingling with nature


Asserting itself
A shimmering dragonfly
Self-discovery


An urban grown-up
Heather, a child in the woods
Sees life with new eyes


Vines strewn in the woods
Bobcat tracks in the fresh mud
Handwriting of God


Removed from nature
Nature Deficit Disorder
An urban malaise


Mel, an awesome guide
Phyllis, so knowledgeable
Susie, a teacher


Newly found friendships
More natural bonding
Fun like in 3rd grade


Glistening with dew
Spider webs in the sunlight
No manicured lawns


River Legacy
Might help us raise our TAKS scores
Nature helps again

River Legacy Response

Nature Writing

A spider, its body glistening black and gold, eight legs arched and poised, waits patiently on its gossamer web. Sunlight pours through the silken strands, illuminating the morning dew, the remnant of the dawn. The web, with a diameter of approximately twelve to fourteen inches, stretches between two slender tree trunks, at least eighteen inches apart. Directly below it, somewhat to the right, a second spider web, slighter smaller, extends from the left tree trunk to a yet smaller tree. Below that one, another. Checkpoint Alpha, Checkpoint Bravo, Checkpoint Charlie: the spiders are Soviets just waiting to snag someone who longs for nothing more than freedom. A blue-shimmering horsefly, not able to pass through the checkpoints, is stopped by the arachnid sentry, bound, and hauled away, not sentenced to a gulag, but rather to death.

Elsewhere n the mid-morning air, orange butterflies flutter through the foliage, little girls in party dresses. Green dragonflies dart from a tree branch to a stem of grass in a straight line—no time to dilly-dally about like the butterflies. A friendly, brown moth rests on Rachel’s back, wanting to be petted. Cicadas are the invisible orchestra of the woods—their concert drowning out the din of the jetliner above. The bees are humming harmony in the background.

Vines with thorns drape from the tree while some with poison carpet the ground. Persistent mosquitoes hover around each of us until they discover the small patches of flesh not protected by bug repellent; then they feast. Snakes remain unseen, but still feared. The sun burns our exposed skin. The shade of the forest canopy is a welcome respite from the glaring sun. Wet faces, damp shirts, hot feet—nature scoffs at air-conditioning.

In the warm, wet hug of Mother Nature, we embrace each other as we do not in the sterile, air-conditioned building. Yet a nagging tug of sadness pulls at our inner core. Why? Nature pulls us to her our entire lives—she longs for us to come home to her. Just as a mother longs to see her child. Yet, we fear the return. Mother Nature forces us to see what is true: we are young, we grow old, we die. In dying, we return to nature, our dust mingling with hers.

And so modern society fights nature at every turn. Got bugs in the yard? Insecticide. Weeds? Herbicide. Freckles? Make-up. Wrinkles? Botox. Gray hair? Dye. Fat? Liposuction. Pests? Extermination. Heat? Air-conditioning. Boredom? X-box. Hunger? MacDonald’s. Thirst? Pepsi. Loneliness? Internet. AHAD? A pill. Depression? Another pill. Anxiety? Yet another pill.

Thus while spider weaving its web in the woods is beautiful to behold, a spider spinning the same in your living room is not. Nature may calm us from the frantic pace of our lives, yet few of us would choose to return to her full time. The eternal human paradox is wanting to be in nature, yet not become part of it. And so the melancholic longing with which nature draws us to her is as transitory as nature itself. As nature is constantly changing and adapting, so must we.

Response to CHapters 2-3 of Inside Out

I like this book because it is practical and useful. So many academic textbooks are full of educational blather. But this one actually offers hands-on ideas that you can IMMEDIATELY use. How refreshing. Chapter Two discussed the writing process, which has been written on by every Engl professor and their dog. But these guys actually offer a new twist AI the writing process, which I found refreshing and user friendly. I also enjoyed Chapter Three, which offered concrete tips on how to structure the classroom environment to facilitate writing. I also liked the questionaires the authors created, and I am thinking of using them in my classes this fall. I really appreciated the many ideas to get peer dialogue going and creating an atmosphere of commnuity in the classroom. So far, so good. The book is pleasant reading, and even better, I find myself actually gettting a lot out of it.

Response to Joyce Armstrong Carroll

I agree with Carroll's thesis that writing should go public. In any case, there ought to be a real audience for what students write. Very little writing is meant for oneself: shopping lists, diaries, lists of things to do. Most other types of writing need to be written with an audience in mind. The suggestions for making the writing public were useful. Besides, students enjoy reading each other's writing far more than they like reading most literature. Plus, with blogging, getting writing published and read by others is easier than ever.

Response to Inside Out: Thoughts on Becoming an Effective Teacher of Writing

The authors point out the difficulties in being a teacher of writing and how one never achieves perfection in that pursuit. I liked the belief system which they developed, and I appreciate how they address real life difficulties teachers experience. For example, small group revison practice can become an exercise in herding cats in a class of regular level English students. I liked Dan's list of ideal practices, and I take some solace in that he took 37 years to arrive at these practices.

Cumulus Chicks

Weather report

Response to Action,Hope , Politics Article

This article points out the necessity of including ELL kids in writing improvment. Whetherr bilingual education should be outlawed or not is beyond my scope of understanding. Having gone through that experience myself as as a child transplanted to Germany, I know first hand how difficult it is to acquire and perfect a second language. And learning the writing conventions of a language is the most dificult of all. For example, the comma rule of restricted and non-restricted clauses doesn't exist in German. So this rule is incredibly difficult for me, even though I have a master's in English. So I think unless you have been through the experience of what it is like to acquire another langauge, being able to speak it, read in it, and write in it, I don't think one can quite grasp the challenge and the intellect required to do so successfully. AIn any case, what the teacher in the article accomplished withhis ELL students is impressive.

Response to Tolerating Intolerance

The article highlighted an interesting dilemma: what to do with students whose views are subversive or prejudiced? The author handled the problem well, letting students take control of the situation and not letting the white supremacist pull any unwarranted claims. Kudos to the instructor and the class. I doubt that I would have handled the situation as gracefully as the author did, but I will remember this article, in case I should ever be confronted with such a problem. It was a great problem to be made aware of.

My Life Map

https://mavspace.uta.edu/dlt1384/Lifesketch.ppt

Response to Sheridan Blau

Wow. Long article. But it gave an excellent overview of the National Writing Project and put the activities we are doing in our class in perspective. Furthermore, it helps to understand the philosophy behind the NWP. It is refreshing that NWP trusts teachers. They believe the answer to the most academic pressing problems can be solvedby teachers. Doesn't that rock!
Additionally, the program treats teachers as the professionals they are, expecting them to engage in continuing professional development and inquiry. I also liked the reference to seasoned teachers who are always looking for new ways "to get it right." That is definitely me. I am always looking for a way to teach a concept, and the NWP{ has been great in offering great ideas.

Song Lyrics: Sisyphus and David Cassidy

The Myth of Sisyphus sung according to the song I think I love you by The Partridge Family

I'm waiting
and right in the middle of the highway
are some ritzy travelers
whom I will rob and kill tonight
No doubt they will feel a fright
But I'll shoot my arrows at them
They'' never know what hit them.
Hurting others is so cool! (Hurting others is so cool!)


That evening I just got that feeling
That chaining up Thanatos
to keep the dead from reaching
the Underworld would just be wicked funny
But Hades came around with a boulder
and said I have to roll her
Up the hill for eternity

Hurting others just ain't cool!

Hurting others just aint cool.
But I really am afraid of now
I'm afraid that this boulder
Might roll over me.
Does he want to kill me?
What might release me?
I'd really like to say
I'd like to toss this boulder away.

Response to One Teacher's Journey

Interesting article. I remember both of my kids were taught using the process method in the early nineties. I wondered about it at the time because whatever the kids wrote was full of spelling errors. But somehow, somewhere the kids learn the rules because they write correctly now, so the method must work, if we may use my small population sample as evidence. I liked the author's honesty in how she described her journey in teaching writing and how she arrived at a certain epiphany when she taught process writing. I also appricaite herr doubts, in that she was worried she was not teaching enough "facts." Here's a quote from Oscar Wilde to lay her mind at rest: "Nothing worth knowing can be taught in school." I don't know if that is really true . . . but, on the other hand, we can teach kids things worth doing. And writing is one of those things.

Response to Authentic Prompts

Slagle raises a good point: it is difficult to come up with authentic prompts and she offers some good suggestions. I have included a similar one in my syllabus this year when I teach Huck Finn. I am going to ask the students to write a paper on whether that novel should remain in the curriculum or not. I recently read how a group of African American symbolically buried the N-word. Knowing that, I wonder if the novel should still be taught in high school. I know African American kids often feel pretty uncomfortable when we read it, so I am thinking of no longer teaching as of next year. Anyway--good article with good ideas.

Response to Skeletons

Great article! I am definitely going to steal the his idea and use it when I teach Harry Noden's Image Grammar. The author is absolutley write that students don't revise effectively, but he doesn't really address why that is so. I believe most students don't trust their ability to judge what good writing is. This is because few students today are prolific readers. You might find well-read students in AP classes, but it is rare to find a serious reader in a regular English class. But I think the strategy to teach revision the author offers is excellent and will work for all levels of students.

Response to Mozart and Beethoven

I thought that was a great article. I went to graduate school in '95 and that was the new approach to teach writing--at the college level anyway. I don't think it ever really caught on in high school. I know that TAAS writing was formulaic, but in all honesty, I tell my regular kids who need to pass the TAKS a step-by-step method for writing narrative. Formulaic writing has its place, I think, especially for those novice, insecure writers. It often them get started anyway. Once someone becomes adept at writing, a formula is not longer necessary, and writing becomes intuitive. But that either requires talent or experience. I liked the Beethoven/Mozart analogy. I am definitely a Beethovian writer. A paper develops as I write it, and I usually have to return to the introduction and completely rewrite it and the thesis because the main idea of the paper has changed as I have spent more time thinking about the topic. I also agree that we get flashes of inspiration. I hate writing on command. I prefer to mull over a topic--go for a walk with my dog and think about it and then sit in Starbucks in a state of caffeine overload and ponder the topic some more. That's when my best writing takes place: when inspiration hits and I am wired to write. Then it's actually almost fun. :)

Cracked Sentences

Uncracked/Cracked Sentence

I came to dislike her intensely and soon called her mother about her behavior because I wanted to write her up.

Because of Miranda, I dreaded teaching second period. Every class became a struggle to keep Miranda in her seat, to keep her from turning around in her seat to talk to the boy behind her, to avoid her caustic disrespect, to prevent her from insulting others. I knew from her mother that Miranda was self-destructive, and I ought to have felt kindly and sympathetic towards her, guiding her towards a path of healing, but I didn’t. Her constant negativity grated on my nerves. I began to wish she would self-implode. But she never did, despite my earnest wishing for it, so against the will of her parents and psychologist, I decided I was ready to write a referral on her.

Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head

The Cumulus Chicks: Sugey and Dianna

Yesterday the morning was gray, overcast, with scattered storm cloud with a 40% chance of precipitation. As Rhinanna says you may need to use an umbrella.
We largely felt that way because we felt somewhat overwhelmed.
By midmorning the clouds dissipated. By afternoon, clear skies and 95 degrees. Approaching thunderstorms in the evening. High ozone. High mold. Low pollen. Medium visibility.
Everything looked brighter in the afternoon thanks to the positive interactions with our group members. You guys rock!!!

Today July 12 the we have a low pressure system caught between 2 high pressure systems in the am with an 80% chance of precipitation and storms. Technology is not our close friend yet but thanks to Scott, we will be bosom buddies soon.

By early afternoon, storms will dissipate and clear skies expected.
Light winds of 10 mph. Low ozone. High mold count. Medium visibility.

While there may be obstacles and frustrations, clouds and storms, we will come through them together. Go team!!

Weather revised

The Cumulus Chicks: Sugey and Dianna

Yesterday:
The am was gray, overcast, with scattered storm clouds. 40% chance of precipitation. Umbrella recommended.
We largely felt that way because we felt somewhat overwhelmed.
By midmorning the clouds dissipated. By afternoon, clear skies and 95 degrees. Approaching thunderstorms in the evening. High ozone. High mold. Low pollen. Medium visibility.
Everything looked brighter in the afternoon thanks to the positive interactions with our group members. You guys rock!!!

Today:
Low pressure system caught between 2 high pressure systems in the am. 80% chance of precipitation and storms. Technology is not our close friend yet.

By early afternoon, storms dissipate and clear skies expected.
Light winds of 10 mph. Low ozone. High mold count. Medium visibility.

While there may be obstacles and frustrations, we will overcome them together.

The Weather

The Cumulus Chicks:

Yesterday:
The am was gray, overcast, with scattered storm clouds. 40% chance of precipitation. Umbrella recommended.
By midmorning the clouds dissipated. By afternoon, clear skies and 95 degrees. Approaching thunderstorms in the evening. High ozone. High mold. Low pollen. Medium visibility.

Today:
Low pressure system caught between 2 high pressure systems in the am. 80% chance of precipitation and storms. By early afternoon, storms dissipate and clear skies expected.
Light winds of 10 mph. Low ozone. High mold count. Medium visibility.

Response to Technology Article

"People will stop confusing real paper with virtual paper. " I think we are at this point. So much is professional correspondance is done elctronically now, it is almost a hassle to use snail mail. I wouldn't be surprised if the postal service became the next dinosaur.

"Grading will become more dependent on the kinds of data available from style checkers. " I disagree about this. We used something like this at our school called MY Access that would grade papers electronically. It did a pretty bad job, giving much higher grades than the papers deserved. I think human eyes are still a necessity to grade writing roperly.

More education will take place in the home through instructional databases and telecommunications networks.

"Writing labs will become like studio art courses, in which instructors can monitor and give immediate feedback on students’ developing texts—and have their advice almost as quickly incorporated into the emerging documents. " Maybe. If enough teachers have the skills to use these labs. It would not be a bad thing, in any case.

"Software that generates its own text will change the nature of writer-text-reader relationships. " Maybe. Not necessarliy a bad thing either. Some writing tasks are rather mundane and could proabaly be handled effectively by software.

"Spelling and style checkers will make it even harder to convince students to learn many of the basic skills. " Definitely here. But as long as there are tests, kids will learn the rules. And those that don't learn the rules, probably wouldn't have learned them anyway.

"Handwriting will degenerate for more students. In general, it will develop as one of the fine or applied arts. " People's handwriting in the past was often very nice because kids were punished severely for not writing neatly. Not convinced this is a problem.

Response to Diane Borg

Just as Borg wrote, it is all about trust. The students must feel that they are in a safe environment to be able to write freely and to learn to improve their writing through the comments of others. I feel somewhat vulnerable when I read my writing to others, and if my awesome rockin' group were not as supportive as it is, it would not be nearly as much fun nor as good a learning experience. I feel myself improving daily and that is becasue of the nurturing environment.

Response to Gillesepie

He is right. I had forgotten how difficult it really is to write well and how much time it takes. Yes, we as teachers all ought to be able to write effectively, but we teachers of writing ought to be very good at it. Tis makes me think of Frank McCourt, English teacher for 30 years before he wrote his first novel Angela's Ashes. And he did it because his students challenged him to: "Well if you think it is so easy, you do it." And he did. So I wonder if there is a novel in me just dying to break out of me!

Response to "Teachers as Researchers"

I have been meaning to keep a journal of my experiences in the classroom for years, but I have never made myself do it. This article may inspire me to finally do it because the author offers some compelling reasons to do so. First, I liked her anecdote about the misspelled word. How ironic that that was the only word the kids did not mispell on the quiz. Further, I liked how she had her kids write about their writing and revision processes. What a great metacognitive process! Finally, documenting our classroom experiences is valuable not only for ourselves, but even to offer as a learning tool for others who might benefit from our experiences. Also, a writing teacher ought to write--something I have neglected--hm, I am glad I read this article because it and NWP are going to make a writer out of me again and for that I am grateful.

Responses to Because Writing Matters

One passage that inspired me is on page 59, beginning with " Schools need to be places where teachers lead scholarly lives." and ending with "'Would you go to a doctor who doesn't keep up with the latest findings and techniques?'"

Wow. So true. I guess I am in this program for this very reason. I want to be at the top of my game and be able to offer my students the best and latest and greatest in instruction. I never really know quite what to make of my peers who are afraid of tackling technology or who want to teach the same way they did 20 years ago. As a parent, I would want my child to take classes from a teacher who constantly engages in professional development.

There is that horrible adage "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach." I hate hearing that. I wonder how teachers got that reputation. What does that say about our professionalism?

Another section I really liked was on pages 62-63. This is a list of professional development activities that teachers can do at their own school. Many of the suggestions are terrific and, frankly, I would rather work closely on developing lessons or teaching techniques with my colleagues than sitting in a one-fits-all professional development that often occurs at the beginning of the school year. But I have also seen where teachers do not take this opportunity seriously when they are given the chance to work together. In some schools, everybody wants to do their own thing rather thna share, and I think that is detrimental to the atmostphere of learning and professionalsim.

The thrid passage I found intriguing was on page 69. The passage " Indeed, this practice of giving teachers firsthand experience with technology mirrors the writing projects practice of asking teachers to become writers themselves in order to become effective teachers of writing."

Such a simple and humble concept, yet ever so effective. Why didn't I think of it? I really often did not take the time to write what I was asking my students to write to see what difficulties or rewards lay in their path. I like that the NWP is asking me to write to become a better writing teacher. I thought I was a pretty good academic writer--able to put a research paper together pretty quickly and effectlvely. But today I discovered I can't write decent narrative--and I asked my kids to write tons of narratives last year. Did I write a single narrative? No, but I will from now on. Thanks for the epiphany.

Response to James Gray

Twenty minutes is not much time to produce a terrific piece of writing. Only the truly insightful and talented writers will be able to produce writing that is awe-inspiring under the pressure of twenty minutes. So Gray states that what he read was "from not too bad to pretty grim." Well, welcome to the real world. And let's see you write something worthy of an 8 or a 9 on a AP writing test in twenty minutes, Mr. Gray. The fact that anyone can do it is pretty impressive in itself. A first draft is what it is . . . a first draft. Like Art said, good writing takes time. I am sure being able to write something mind-bogglingly good in twenty minutes is a terrific feat, but let's face it. Most of us need time to inspire awe in other with our writing. Let's give the kids more time!!! Do kids in college really write under those conditions these days? I was a sophomore in college in 1979 and I never wrote an essay in 20 minutes.

Response to Art Peterson

I really liked what Art wrote. He said that writing takes time-- I wonder whether I gave my students enough time to do their best work. Often my students would rather nail their thumbs to their desk rather than write, and now I wonder if that is because I never gave them anything that really interested them to write about. Furthermore, how can I best use technology to advance their writing skills? I also agree with Art that writing is really the best way to evaluate whether a student has actually learned the content matter. I wonder if the U.S. has lost its cutting edge in education because we don't make our students write during their assessments--their tests are primarliy multiple choice. You won't find a mulitiple choice test in European schools. Plus, I appreciated how Art said that writing teachers must write. In all honesty, I haven't been, but I will now!

Response to the Foreword

The foreword left me very excited for me. This is exactly where I want to be: to learn more about how to use electronic writing and reading in the classroom. I want my instruction to be on the cutting edge; in other words, I know the students use electronic writing for their personal use; I want to bring it into their academic use as well. How can we both benefit from this media?

Response

The green stone is my attitude toward life. If I am negative, I can't see in color. All is see is a gray stone. To live vibrantly and in color requires a positive outlook in all aspects of life. So whether I have the green stone or not, basically comes down to my own attitude.