C4T #3

Lee Kolbert: A Geeky Mommas Blog

Lee Kolbert explains her thoughts on bullying in the work place in her blog entitled "Bullying: Not Just For Children Anymore".  Her blog is extremely interesting. Within it, there is a video or a prank where a man is being killed in an elevator, others walk up on the scene. The prank is to study human behavior, basically, they producers want to see what bystanders will do. Will they help? Walk away? Call someone? Her blog informs me and holds links to many other articles explains the statistics or these results. For some unknown reason, people are less likely to do something heroic (aka help) when others are around. The more people around, the less likely someone in that crowd is to act given a certain situation. I don't know what I would do , but there is no way I could watch, take a picture or run away from walking up on someone being killed. I can't be sure exactly what I would do, but I'm certain my instincts would not lead me to run away and allow the murder or careless act to take place.

Less's blog contains many quotes about workplace bullying, all very enlightening. She defines workplace bullying and gives advice and an outreach service to those who may be being bullied at their job. I'm glad to see these issues are being discussed and thought about. Her blog was beyond eye opening!


#2

Lee Kolbert had not posted anything since I last commented on her bullying blog so I scrolled down to see what else she had been writing about. Her other blog entitled "Why I'm Celebrating National Grammar Day and Why You Should, Too caught my eye. I am so glad to see she tackled the your/you're issue. In her blog, she exclaimed the need for good grammar. She had a list of all the does and don'ts which also included the words some people have an issue with. I am a grammar freak and it really bothers me when people do not know the difference between there, their, and they're. Grammar should NOT be an issue. With all the social networking and blogging out there today, people NEED to know the correct use of grammar. One misused word can teach the wrong child. If a child is looking at their teacher's blog and that blog has a your where there is supposed to be a you're that child is doomed. That child will forever think they should use your when you're is needed. National Grammar Day should be pushed as a holiday within the classrooms. It is the only way the make the grammar world right again!

Blog Post #11

Skype Interview with Ms. Cassidy

Ms. Cassidy's approach with technology with first graders is a great surprise. These young children are diving into the world of technology at such a young age. When I was young, I only had a book and some crayons in my classroom. These children are really getting a head start. The use of a signed permission slip is a great rule to keep. It is also a great way to give the parents a heads up. Some parents have no idea what their children do in the classroom and this way they can see what their children do every single day.

Blogging, to me, is useless. However, in a classroom blogging can be useful. Watching Ms. Cassidy's video opened my eyes to what blogging can do for a child in school. It's great for a child to get some confidence and for their parents to be able to see what they are doing every day. Everyone around the world can help that child learn by leaving comments on their blog on how to improve their writing skills. Knowing these things now, I would use the blogging for my children in class. Personally, I wouldn't type a blog about what I do in my classroom and what I've learned throughout my years of teaching just because I don't feel the need to write everyday down. BUT, for my children, blogging may be a great way to help them learn.

Some teachers are not going to accept the use of technology and that it is necessary in the new world. The truth is technology is the new way of teaching. If we all ban together we can teach our children faster, better, and open their minds. Every one's mind is different and if we put all of our minds together to help one child it can open their mind to new things they would have never known other wise. One teacher can make a difference in a child's life right? So what about a million teachers coming together? That is bound to make more than just a difference.

Ms. Cassidy is right. Finding something that works for you and your classroom is the only way to be successful in the use of technology. We must use technology one way or another in the new world and in the classrooms, but if we can't make it our own as teachers then how are we going to show our children and our students to make it their own?

I love Twitter as a personal social network. However, I don't care what anyone says. Twitter is useless in the classroom. There is a 150 character limit for God's sake. Blogging, Facebook, or other social networks that allow conversations to develop can be useful, yes. But Twitter is useless for me other than to write a quick idea or a Thank You.

C4K comments for March

#6

My student,  William, is a middle schooler in Atlanta, GA in Dr. Kelley Theodocian's classroom. William has a meeting in the gym where they did an adult exercise. In this activity, they showed William what it would be like to be an adult. They gave him money, a child, and a job. He had to decide what to do with his money. They also showed him that each of his paychecks would be tax deducted.

I told William what a great job he was doing, while exclaiming that he try to stay as young as he can for as long as he can. I also reminded him to break his sentences up so that he did not have run-on sentences.


#7

My student, Logan , in Ms. King's class in room 15 at Pt. England School wrote a short story about a boy Sam and his dog, Nike. Nike was an amazing dog that learned how to surf. After surfing, Nike became famous on T.V and everyone loved him. Logan did a really good job, he is in grade 8 and coming along very nicely with his education. I told him what a great story he developed and gave him a congrats. Logan's favorite subject is art, I'm assuming he drew this dog surfing himself. I was impressed, I could never draw anything that well. I made sure to tell him to keep it up.

#8

My student, Zoey F, in Mr. Boylen's 8th grade Language Arts class in Iowa wrote a very short summary on this book "Old Magic". She did not state who the author was so I know very little about the book; only what she states in her summary. Her summary wasn't too bad, she just needed a little more detail and to proofread. I told her exactly that in my comment. The story was about a boy and a girl. Jarrod and Kate. Jarrod is new in school and Kate likes him. The story seemed like a spin off of "Twilight" by her summary.