MAT Students and Blogging

Gratified, pleased, impressed....Reading the MAT blogs more than supported my decision to include blogging as an assignment. Yes, there were a few negative remarks--time, interest, lack of technology support--but, overall, reflections were positive. Most of them were challenged to stretch beyond their comfort zone. Some even implemented inovative practices in their classrooms. From my perspective, one of the most valuable outcomes was to hear so many of them say, "I felt connected." Reading that others were going through similar stressful situations in their intial semester of teaching, helped some to know they were not alone. Seeing pictures of classrooms and students gave a "realness" to the online environment. Overall, I can say that I think this was a good assignment, one that I will continue. Hopefully, many will continue blogging throughout next semester. Some have realized the value of looking back at earlier postings and realizing how they have already changed as a teacher. I can only imagine the growth they will see as they continue to document their first year experience.

The Farm

Fall at "the farm" (my house) has been breath-taking this year. With the rain today, the leaves are almost gone, but it has truly been beautiful. We had our first fire in the fireplace three weeks ago--don't ussually get to have one until Thanksgiving week. I hope this isn't indicative of a long, cold winter.
I see that many of you are posting to your blog. I love reading what you write and can't wait until I have time to look at them. I am so proud of all of you! This MAT class is the best EVER!

Thanksgiving at the Farm

A Redneck Christmas Card

The Haynes Family

Thanksgiving, 2008

The Farm

(Just to give you an idea of what my Thanksgiving was like....)

FYI: This lovely family is my daughter and her family!

From the look of your blogs, I can tell you are all doing much better with your blogs than I am with mine. Right now, I am sitting in a Web 2.0 workshop getting lots of ideas about how to use all of these neat ideas with students! Lindy is sitting close by and she's still not sure about all this but she really likes all the free Powerpoints available on the Web. Hopefully, she will add some of these great links to her blog! Very, very soon I will have time to not only look at but actually read your blogs! Hang in there! This semester is almost gone (that is a Scary thought!)

Just one more....

"Middle School is Worse than Meatloaf: A Year told Through Stuff", by Jennifer Holm, tells the story of Ginny's 7th Grade year. It reminds me somewhat of the "Ordeal by Cheque" in our textbook. To follow the story you must look at and read all the artifacts --like a scrapbook. Check your school library to see if it's there. You can read it in about 30 minutes and, I think, you just might find a "window" into a 7th grade girl's adolescent mind!

Copper Sun, by Sharon Draper

Copper Sun, by Sharon Draper is one of those books that may not be easy to read, but should be read. The main character is Amari, stolen from her home in Africa after watching her parents and brother be murdered. She is taken to America in a slave ship. The conditions on the slave ship bring about the death of many of the other captives. When she arrives in America, she is bought by a plantation owner as a present for his sixteen year old son. Amari, who is fifteen at the time, learns how cruel life can be but manages to survive and become a strong person. After escaping with a white girl her age, who is an indentured slave, and the young son of one of the slaves on the plantation, the three manage to reach Fort Mose, a Spanish settlement in Florida that welcomes slaves and gives them freedom. The book is recommended for 9th grade and up because it has graphic details of how slaves were treated. The theme of the book is one of hope and being able to survive life's hardships. Of course, man's inhumanity to man is evident in the book. The setting of the book is pre-civil war when America was still a colony of England.

Twilight

After talking to librarians and other people who know what middle/high school students are reading, I found that Stephanie Myer's Twilight Series is all the rage right now. Well, being the curious person I am, I decided I might try this series. I can understand the appeal to adolescent girls--love, at a distance, and the most wonderful male ever. You have to get past the vampire stuff, but the story is kind of like a romance novel without the sex. At one point, the kids go to a beach party where they talk and take walks on the beach--no drinking, drugs, or other X-rated activities. Don't get me wrong, there is plenty of wishful thinking, but most of it is imagination. Haven't decided if I want to read the other 3 books in the series (and a 4th in January). Because I'm not an adolescent girl anymore, I prefer stories with a little more depth. The story did grab me from the first page and keep my attention until the last page. I just had to find out if Edward would continue to love Bella from a safe distance or give in and suck her blood. If you want to know, you will just have to read the book--or ask any middle/high school girl.