Memorial Day Overseas

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As I see the Memorial Day resources displayed on blog feeds and Twitter posts, I begin thinking about my own sense of patriotism. I’m grateful for opportunities to celebrate my American heritage. I’m appreciative that I can reflect on patriotism as it pertains to the world at large. And, I honor my grandfather.

American Patriotism Overseas

Hong Kong residents can immediately tell when a ship arrives in town. Give-aways: Buzz cuts, tattoos, cowboy hats.

When I arrived in Hong Kong, I was a bit surprised that US ships were still allowed to dock in post-UK Hong Kong waters. Yet, soldiers released from a military ship (more or less a floating city) inevitably drop large amounts of money into the local economy. Rumor has it that the Chinese army is sequestered on the south part of Hong Kong Island until the ship leaves.

Small shuttle boats transport soldiers from the ship, usually docked a few miles offshore, into Victoria Harbour and to the shores of Wan Chai – a social hotspot. When I see veterans in the states and tell them I live in Hong Kong, their eyes twinkle. They smile and say I remember Hong Kong.

At least two of my students’ families work for the US Consulate General. One parent invited me to a reception on the USS Blue Ridge, a command ship that mostly houses officers who direct battle ships throughout Asia.

Admittedly, the invitation elicited thoughts of a line from Pride and Prejudice where Mary Bennett swoons and says, “A whole campful of soldiers.” For me and my girlfriend, it was a whole shipful of men in uniform – both Navy and Marines.

For the record, I invited my husband.

While at the reception, my friend and I spoke to a Navy officer of Asian descent. As a young child, his mother smuggled him out of the Cambodian killing fields. She handed him over to a stranger who took the boy to America. The boy was adopted by a wonderful family, but grew up not knowing his real birthday.

Schooled in Annapolis, he is now stationed in Japan with his wife and children. He has since been reunited with his biological mother and a brother. HIs Cambodian father is buried somewhere in the killing fields.

Many military personnel tire of party life in port cities. US citizens and other Hong Kong residents can invite sailors for a home-cooked meal as part of the Meals in the Home program.

The US Consulate website describes Meals in the Home as ”a program designed to connect hosts living in Hong Kong with U.S. Navy Sailors while in port. Hosts not only plan a dinner/lunch but often design invites around hiking, local tours, and other Hong Kong highlights. Hosts sign up to share their time and meals as a ‘thank you’ as well as giving the Sailors an opportunity to experience a bit of home away from home.”

One friend and her husband have hosted sailors from many ships that have docked over the past ten years. Some of their visitors have been officers, others enlisted. The meal is a great way to give back to those who fight for freedom in the United States and around the world.

Patriotism in Other Countries

When visiting other countries, especially countries that have been allies in war, I’m struck by the loss of life worldwide. My first Hong Kong apartment was close to the Stanley Military Cemetery. How many such Gettysburg-like cemeteries exist worldwide?

Being married to an Aussie, I’ve participated in Anzac Day memorial ceremonies honoring World War I veterans killed in Gallipoli, Turkey. Each April, the Australian Consulate holds a ceremony at Statue Square in Hong Kong – always at dawn. Bugles play. A solemn crowd listens to Memorial speeches. Wreaths are are placed at the foot of the statue pedestal. All pray. The Australian and New Zealand armies lost over 9,000 soldiers in Gallipoli – two years before America even entered the war.

What About Patriotism in Communist Countries?

One of the greatest challenges to my thinking: How do you react to patriotic displays in countries where citizens have limited freedom?

Story from China
I spent the summer of 2002 teaching English to English teachers in a rural part of China. Since we were teaching adult students, many of them treated us to dinners and cultural experiences in their area. As I was walking in a park with one of my students, he looked at me and said, “I’m so glad we’re free.”

I fumbled for words. Part of my group’s agreement with the local government was that we would not discuss “The Three T’s” (Taiwan, Tibet, Tienamen). All I said was, “Tell me about that.”

He said, “If Chiang Kai-shek had won the revolution, we would be under his control like Taiwan is under his control.” I consciously stopped myself from counting the historical inaccuracies within that statement. For me, the big learning was that this person, like more than two billion others, was proud of his country.

Story from Vietnam
In April 2004, I took a motorcycle trip around Vietnam. I was honored to be traveling with a number of American men old enough to remember the American Conflict in Vietnam – and one of whom was a Vietnam veteran.

We spent a day in Dien Bien Phu, a city most famous as being “The Alamo” of Vietnam’s war with the French – at the expense of the French.

As we walked through the museum (much of which was anti-American), my fellow bikers recounted memories. At some exhibits they said, “Yeah, this is probably right.” At other exhibits, they scratched their heads and said, “Ummm…it might also be said that…”

Many of the old bunkers were still intact. Vietnamese veteran soldiers were there, taking pictures with tourists. As I stood beside the men in uniform, I realized that they were proud veterans – and their families were equally proud of their service to country. Looking at the picture to the left, I can’t help but think of the many families who feel as proud of their soldiers as I feel about my grandfather.

My grandfather, Hyatt Worthy, was shot down in France during WWII. He pretended to be dead for three days before being rescued by Allied troops. Mom says Grandpa Worthy never spoke about the war except with his fellow war veterans.

While mom was in college, Grandpa Worthy died of a heart attack caused by blood clots from gunshot wounds that pepper his body.

After watching Saving Private Ryan, Mom said, “I finally get why Dad never talked about the war.”

In the end, I suppose the song Christmas in the Trenches helps explain some of my feelings on Memorial Day. I will always be proud of the men who fought for (and those who currently fight) for the freedom Americans treasure. I also say a prayer for families worldwide who feel for their family members as I feel for my grandfather – no matter the reasons their governments sent them to war.

Who and what do you remember this Memorial Day?

If you like this post or site, please vote for http://expateducator.com as Teacher blog of the Year. Also, please consider subscribing to the blog feed.

Some Images are my own. Some are from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Military_Cemetery and http://www.mazh.com/z1/C&P/VN-Dien%20Bien%20Phu%20Cem.htm

Natural Consequences for Online Behavior?

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I saw an article today that has me thinking… so I’d like to know your opinion.

A CNN article reported on a parent’s method for punishing her daughter’s inappropriate online behavior.

In short, the underage girl posted an Instagram picture of herself holding a bottle of vodka. The caption indicated she wished she was allowed to drink it.

The mother then had her daughter pose for an Instagram picture, this time holding a sign that said, “Since I want to post photos of me holding liquor, I am obviously not ready for social media and will be taking a hiatus until I learn what I should and should not post. Bye-bye.” The girl’s face is only partially shown.

On the one hand, I suspect the consequence will be highly effective in making the child think twice before posting items online. At the same time, the consequence has an element of humiliation – like a permanent, viral “dunce cap.”

So what do you think? Am I being oversensitive? What is the most appropriate way to correct irresponsible online behavior?

If you like this post or site, please vote for http://expateducator.com as Teacher blog of the Year. Also, please consider subscribing to the blog feed.

Image from from http://thecahokian.blogspot.com/2010_08_01_archive.html

Monday Mentions

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Over the past couple of weeks, the posts below have given me reason to pause and ponder – savored with some combination of coffee, wine, and chocolate…

Are We Wringing the Creativity Out of Our Kids?

Teaching is a balancing act. On the one hand, we want students to be creative. Ideally, students independently explore topics of interest and demonstrate learning in a format of their choice.

On the other hand, we must measure and report learning as it relates to educational standards.

To what extent can the two expectations coexist?

Just Trying to be Better Than Yesterday

I love it when a fellow writer is able to articulate the seemingly indescribable. Author Kenny Pieper reminds us that we all experience foibles – lessons we plan perfectly that don’t run as expected. His article conjured up memories of my mother’s tongue-in-cheek comment: My lessons would run perfectly were it not for the students.

Kenny’s smooth writing style makes me want to open a bottle of wine and be swallowed up by a recliner. A good read. Really.

Don’t Underestimate the Quiet Ones

As a self-proclaimed social media introvert, I appreciate it when authors speak for folks like me who choose their words carefully. These are a few things about me that are often misunderstood:

  • I’m not arguing with you…but that doesn’t mean I agree with you.
  • I’d rather ask questions than give my opinion – especially at first. After hearing everyone’s point of view and digging through the research, I’ll come back with a few suggestions on how to move forward.
  • I prefer to say difficult things directly to people – in a quiet place where no one loses face. I’ve probably said tough things to plenty of colleagues – you just haven’t been around to hear them.

Grade the Work, Not the Behavior

Ah, one of my soap box topics. When I coach teachers, I often ask teachers to do the following:

  1. Articulate what you are seeing.
  2. Decide if what you see is an academic issue or a behavioral issue (sometimes it is a technical issue).
  3. Address the correct problem. Grades should reflect what student know and are able to do. Behavioral issues require a one-on-one conversation with the student. Try to “get into their heads” to identify the obstacles to being on time, submitting work, etc.
  4. If unsure, address the academic issue first. Many students hide academic challenges with behaviors that help them save face in front of peers. When the student feels successful, discuss ways you can help the student in the future – so that the disruption need not precede the academic assistance.
  5. If the issue is behavioral and a one-on-one conversation ineffective, round up a team of parents, counselors, and principals for intervention and support.

7 More Ways to Go from On-Task to Engaged

Bryan Harris has some great quotes:

Increasing time on task is pointless if the tasks themselves are not productive (quoting John Hattie).

While praise may encourage effort, specific feedback is necessary in order to truly learn and grow.

Some of the most valuable and long-lasting learning comes from the personal insights and “ah-hahs” we discover when learning about ourselves.

Haikus on Google Maps

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The Haikus on Google Maps project was inspired by a post Ann S. Michaelsen shared, featuring a Google Maps presentation created by Richard Byrne.

Click on the tabs to see students’ haikus and field trip pictures. Students took the pictures while on a city-wide field trip we call the Walkabout.


View Larger Map

Planning the Trip

The project begins with the field trip. In short, students research about the city, learn the geography of the city, plan their travel using public transportation, create detailed itineraries, and make a budget. Specifics of the research process is posted on 1:1 schools.

While on the trip, students stop to write for at least 20 minutes in three locations. My colleagues and I ask that students draft a haiku in at least one of the locations. They also take pictures in each of the locations.

Teaching Haiku

Many of us learned haiku as a nature poem with a set number of syllables on each of three lines (5 – 7 – 5). In fact, haikus need not be that rigid. Below are some slides that can be used for haiku mini-lessons.

Credit for slides goes to my teaching partner, Jesse Meyer.

Attaching Haikus to Google Maps

See slides #13-20 on Richard Byrne’s Google Presentation:

Attaching Photos to Google Maps

As stated in the slides, images must be linked as URLs. At first, we had students put photographs on their Google sites and then link to their Google site photo page.

When I tested the photos, they didn’t work. I realized that photos were posted on pages that were behind the Great School Firewall. To work around this problem, students added photos to a Picasaweb site that was open to the public.

The next problem was linking the correct URL. Below is a video that shows the URL you do not want as well as the one you do want to use.

Other Ideas

A Google Map collaboration project can be set up so that students can share their summer vacation destinations.

Collaboration could also be done with other schools, coinciding with a Flat Classroom project.

For what other projects could Google Maps be used?

If you like what you are reading, please consider subscribing to this blog. 

This post is backlinked to The Organized Classroom Blog.

5-Star Blogger

Monday Mentions

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I look forward to the many daily email posts delivered to my inbox. I save many of the posts to savor with coffee, wine, and/or chocolate. Below are blog posts received this past week that have given me reason to pause and ponder…

Parenting Magazine’s Mom Congress 2012 and Finnish Education

The author, gwinridenhour, correctly says that we need to consider cultural differences in any discussions that compare education systems. One of the best ways to compare is to look at the work of Geert Hofstede who surveyed IBM employees in 170+ different countries. You can see his cultural considerations as well as Finland’s rating at http://geert-hofstede.com/finland.html.

If you compare the Finnish “scores” on Hofstede’s scale to the scores of the US, two things stick out. First, the US is far more individualistic. We believe an unspoken “truth” (Hofstede calls it “software of the mind” – or the way we are programmed) to believe that the individual can “pull him/herself up by the bootstraps.” Finland, in contrast, is more collective. They would be less likely to say that any problems in education rest in the student…or the teacher…or the parent. Raising children is a collective effort.

The other comparison that sticks out is the “masculinity/femininity” scale. This scale is NOT about gender, but in the tendency to be driven by (or not driven by) competition, achievement and success. America is a highly competitive society and we look for comparative measures such as standardized tests. Finland’s scale scores indicate that free time and flexibility are greater incentives than “success”.

The Finnish school system reflects its society values. So does the American system. The Finnish system, in its full form, would make many Americans uncomfortable. Isn’t it interesting that Americans (myself included) call the system “good” based on measures that we value far more highly than they do?

Expatriate Everywhere

James R. Mitchener‘s Third Culture Kid (TCK) blog was new to me this week – introduced through an article from Janneke of Drie Culturen (congrats on the award, BTW!).

I’d like to use James’s writing as an example to my students. How can they describe their ever-changing surroundings to readers who have never visited such places? How can they describe what seems so “normal” to them but is beyond comprehension to those who grew up in a single country?

I’ve pinned one of James’s articles, The TCK Barrier Between Parent and Child, to share with parents of my students.

Daily Infographic

eClassroom News included an article on teaching with Infographics. The article included a link to Over 100 Infographic Resource Links. Having 25% battery left as I sipped Chardonnay at a local cafe, I pinned sites that would help students create infographics, and pinned infographics that related to units of study. I ended up signing up for the Daily Infographic – they are just cool.

Actually, It Is About the Technology

John T. Spencer got me re-thinking my strong “it’s not about the tech” assertion.

I continue to think it is more valuable for teachers to focus on core subject objectives than focus on the tools used to communication, collaboration, and create. However, John Spencer rightly says that we often don’t take full adventure of platforms.

So now I’m wondering if, perhaps, the best way to help students (and me) make the best use of tech is to give them intentional time to “show off.” Open source works because programmers take pride in their work – and enjoy showing off their skills. I want people to show me more cool stuff. I suspect my students want to see more cool stuff too.

Platforms really can do amazing things.

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Senioritis, Cruise Control, or Something Else?

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From http://bit.ly/IQoIHq

The countdown to the end of the school year has begun. I’ve been reading blog posts about helping students work through senioritis. Other posts encouraging teachers to resist the urge to head into cruise control and end the year strong. The urge to slow down and stop is real.

But I wonder how often we judge student and teacher behaviors as being on “cruise control” when, in fact, the behaviors result from a completely different feeling – the feeling a marathon runner gets when he or she hits the proverbial wall.

When hitting the wall, marathon runners wonder whether or not they can make it to the end. They will themselves to put one foot in front of the other, attempting to ignore the current pain and the enormous distance they have to travel in the coming few hours.

With only five weeks to go, each of the projects on our “to do” lists seem larger and more daunting. Like the marathon runner, we need to put one foot in front of the other. We need to cut each other – and ourselves – a bit of slack for feeling sluggish and temporarily slowing down.

When we can acknowledge our own struggles, we can better empathize with our students who are struggling to finish the year while they are, perhaps, dealing with the anxiety of a move to a new place or a new school division.

Putting One Foot in Front of the Other

  1. Remind your family and friends that this is a rough time of year. If you’re moody, it’s not about them.
  2. Clean off your desk. It makes you think better. Really.
  3. Focus on one goal (besides the regular teaching stuff) each day. Maybe your goal is to finish two student report cards or grade ten pieces of student writing. Break the tasks into manageable chunks. The daily chunk is the only pile allowed on your desk.
  4. Consider “grading parties” with colleagues. Order pizza. Crank the music.
  5. Reward yourself for finishing daily tasks. I’m a big fan of bubble baths, foot massages, dates with the hubby, and walks with friends. Rewards should make you either laugh, relax, or become more energized.
  6. Admit your struggles and model your process with students. Ask them what works for them and how they can keep themselves going through this tough time of year.

What are your strategies for pushing through the end-of-year struggles?

Stories Told to Expats

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From: http://bit.ly/KeqXe8

A good portion of expats, myself included, live in a bubble. We work with expats, we socialize with expats – not because we want to avoid the local populations, but because life is just…life. We come home from work, read the news, whinge a bit, and make plans for the weekend.

That said, I’m honored by the many people of Chinese heritage who have been willing to share their family stories with me. I’d like to pass on two stories (names are changed) and dedicate this post to those who have shared. Part of the richness of the expat educator experience is the opportunity to allow stories to change your worldview.

“I’m Planning a Reunion”

Mr. Li and I sat at a local pub. He had been kind enough to deliver me some curriculum documents for analysis. I figured I’d buy him a beer for traveling to a distant part of town. He insisted on Coke.

“It’s no trouble,” he said. After meeting with me, he was heading to an area of town where he grew up. “We’re having a neighborhood reunion,” he said.

“A reunion?” I asked. I knew the area comprised a large housing estate – dozens of buildings, each towering at least 40 stories high.

“I was very close to my neighbors,” he said. “We all came from families that were poor.”

I wasn’t sure how to respond to that. “But you’re very successful,” I said. “Your mom must be proud.”

Mr. Li looked down at the table, shook his head, and held up his palm to say, “No, no.”

I was quiet for a moment. “Tell me about your friends,” I said.

“We all came from families who escaped China. The government took all of our money. My aunts and uncles stayed in China. My father went to a camp. Mom took us over the border to Hong Kong.” He paused. “I was too young to remember.”

Silence.

“My friends and I worked very hard,” he continued. “We became close. I am meeting with my friends to see the old neighborhood. To have a reunion.”

“Where are your friends now?” I asked.

“They work in Hong Kong. We take care of our parents. They took care of us.”

“Your mom must have some incredible stories to tell,” I said. “Did she share how she escaped?”

“She does not talk about China. She will never visit mainland China,” he stated.

As I walk the crowded streets of Hong Kong, I often find myself wondering How many of the people passing me are children or grandchildren of people who escaped the Cultural Revolution?

“I Can Speak to Your Class”

In a parent newsletter, I asked for a speaker I thought I’d never find. My students had finished studying the Civil War. One of our essential questions was this: If a state does not agree with the laws of a country, does the state have a right to form its own country? 

That question is applicable in an Asian context. I wondered if any parents could speak to the question of Taiwan and Mainland China from an unbiased perspective.

I received an email. A mother, Cherry, said, “I was born and raised in China. I moved to America. I have an American passport, and my best friends are Taiwanese. I’d love to talk to the class.”

She developed a Power Point, defining terms and telling the story from both sides.

“Can I take you to coffee to thank you?” I asked. Over coffee, my questions began, “Tell me what it was like growing up in China” and continued with “Why move to America?”

“I was in Tianamen Square the day of the massacre,” she said.

Stunned silence.

“I was there in the afternoon. I went back to my dorm that evening because I was tired. I woke up the next day. People started arriving. Some of my friends had pictures of what had happened. Students wanted to tell the story. They made a floor of ice in one of the buildings to preserve the bodies. They took pictures of bodies. Their cameras were taken. We couldn’t tell the story.”

Cherry went on to say that she will always love China. It is the country of her heritage – and her family. As she was in America, she met Mandarin-speakers from Taiwan who told her the story of Taiwan from their perspective.

It’s All About Perspective

This blog was inspired by a fellow blogger, who wrote about a lunchroom conversation revolving around the causes of poverty. I come from a cultural background that believes people can “pull themselves up by their bootstraps” and succeed if they choose. Those ideals are personified in the two stories I have recounted.

But I wonder about the families who didn’t escape. Perhaps some of Mr. Li’s and Cherry’s family members have applied for moves and waited the decades required to move to Special Economic Zones. Maybe they live in rural villages, impoverished.

I’ve worked with NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) in China. While doing so, I have always followed the rules. The rules include not ever discussing religion, politics, or “the three T’s” (Taiwan, Tianamen, or Tibet). Because I abide by those rules, I am allowed to come into China to help with social work projects. I meet more people whose stories I’ll never know.

I teach kids to write because I want them to tell those stories. The last day Cherry’s son was in my class, I looked him in the eyes and said, “Promise me that, someday, you’ll write your mom’s story.”

I wonder…How many millions of stories go untold. And how many of us are honored enough to hear but a few?

Struggle With Concepts. Scaffold Projects.

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In a recent Edublogger post, author Ronnie Burt shared a debate he was having with fellow author Sue Waters.

The question: Should teachers allow students to struggle with concepts, or should teachers scaffold information by walking students through a step-by-step process?

My answer: Yes.

Struggle with Concepts

In the context of math instruction, students need should be struggling with concepts before they are led through paper-pencil activities. I can immediately pick out students who learned step-by-step math processes before understanding concepts. Here are a few telltale signs:

  • When given a problem such as 100 – 2, they will stack the numbers and regroup or borrow.
  • When asked what 1/3 looks like, they look at you with a blank stare.
  • When asked What is area? they respond “Area is base times height”.
  • When asked What is pi? they respond “3.14″.

Arguably the most famous of the math bloggers, Dan Meyer, poses thee-act plays and mathematical dilemmas. After viewing the first of three acts or a picture like the one below, students are asked to pose questions, decide what they need to know, and answer their own questions.

The picture below incited fascinating student conversation and solid application of math concepts in a way that was far from linear.

From http://bit.ly/HS1OW5

In the context of language arts, students should be struggling with the “big Idea” of a book through discussions. While I could lead students to a “big idea” using scaffolded comprehension questions, organic conversations are far more meaningful.

Rob Ferrin, teacher of a Humanities in Action course, has students struggle with World View Questions such as Is the group more important than the individual or is the individual more important than the group? or Is violence an inborn part of who we are (nature) or is violence something we learn from society (nurture)? During the semester, students research, reflect, and analyze both local and world issues. Students’ thinking is then brought back to the World View Questions in a way that causes students to defend, change or refine their worldview.

When students struggle with concepts, they construct meaning.

Scaffold Projects

Learning can be messy. Final projects must be clear because, in general, projects communicate learning.

A previous posts explains in great detail the process of scaffolding student projects: Keeping Students Engaged in a 1:1 Project-Based Classroom.

In short, students need to decide on the message they want to communicate and the medium that will best communicate that message. Then, students list the project steps, backward plan, and follow through with the process.

The Humanities in Action course requires students to create a final project. The Hong Kong Worldview project guidelines are scaffolded. Both steps and expectations are clear.

Conclusion

The Edublogger post rightly stated that research is available to defend instructional practices where students struggle with concepts and instructional practices that involve scaffolding. The guideline “struggle with concepts, scaffold projects” is, admittedly, an oversimplification. Students who have a low tolerance for uncertainty will learn most concepts better with scaffolding. Other students will get bogged down in linear processes.

In the end, the answer lies in the extent to which “Teachers Know the Subjects They Teach and How to Teach Those Subjects to Students” (NBPTS Proposition 2) and “Teachers are Responsible for Managing and Monitoring Student Learning” (NBPTS Proposition 3). If teachers know their subject matter and teachers understand the needs of their students, they will be able to let students struggle when necessary and scaffold learning when necessary.

Classroom and Student Blogs: Advice from the Masters

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I’m a big fan of learning from the masters. We look to the masters when learning art, music, literature, sports – even prayer and meditation.

This post is dedicated to the blog masters – those who post advice for teachers with classroom and student blogs. Wisdom of the masters + personal experience has led me to embrace the following pieces of wisdom:

Bookmark Great Examples of Kid Blogs

Before diving into blogging, you should check out some examples of classroom blogs and kid blogs. Bookmark your favorites – you can use the great ones as examples for your students.

Many know Adora Svitak from TED talks. She keeps a blog.
A Second Grader’s blog: Nick’s Picks
A Third Grader’s blog: Jarrod’s Awesome Blog
My Fifth Graders: 5a3dragonslair.edublogs.org
Blogs by High School students in Norway are linked to Ann S. Michaelson’s site

Need more? Check out the Edublog Award Winners.

Start with a Classroom Blog

By “classroom blog”, I mean the one that you control.

No need to fear first steps. Online real estate is free. If you want to start slowly and deliberately, consider signing up for the Edublog Teacher Challenge. The challenge takes you through blog setup in a step-by-step fashion.

You can play around with a couple different formats. I’ve tried Blogger. Blogger is easy because it links to your Gmail account. The cautions with Blogger are twofold: Google may “suggest” to students that they check out blogs that are inappropriate. Google, by nature, will also have advertising.

Consider going through Edublogs. When students write on Edublogs, they are only exposed to other education blogs – blogs with safe content. My only complaint with Edublogger is that you cannot keep track of the users who sign up for your blog. I hope they will add that feature – I want to know the email addresses that receive direct email feeds.

Other teachers have successfully used Kidblog.

Generally, professional bloggers use WordPress. You can start with a WordPress.com site. Like blogspot, WordPress is open to everyone in the world (not just kids). But, my experience is that wordpress.com users are more committed to good content.

Video tutorials are available to help you get started on Blogger and WordPress.

Unsure about what to put on your class blog? Here are 65 ideas.

The two most Twitter-mentioned classroom blogs are Mrs. Yollis’ Classroom and Leopold Primary School (Australia). Use their posts as examples.

Begin the year by teaching Good Commenting

I don’t recommend giving students personal blogs too early in the year. Students should demonstrate responsibility first. I like the steps that teacher Kathleen Morris takes with her students.

Prior to writing full blog posts, students need to learn how to write quality comments.

Video tutorials exist to help students make comments on WordPress and Edublog sites.

Video tutorials also exist to help students make comments on Blogger sites.

A colleague of mine started student comments with a discussion about responsible use.

One of the biggest reasons to have a classroom blog is for students to practice commenting in a controlled environment. I don’t find that students post inappropriate things, but I DO find they type their last names. I both delete the last names and conference with children who sign with full names.

Helping Student Get Started

One of the easiest ways to help students get started is to have them sign up for the Edublogs Student Blog Challenge. Students receive emails with links to instructions on how to make their blog look great. And, students link up with other student bloggers.

Getting Parents Involved

Next year, I want to make a more concerted effort to get parents involved. A few of my students’ parents have made nice comments on student posts. Kathleen Morris has been far more intentional and has experienced the subsequent success.

Let parents know that students LOVE to receive comments. Comments are one of the biggest motivators for students to continue writing.

If you Want to Assess

I don’t formally assess student blogging. I want blogging to become something students want to do. Instead of formally assessing students, I point out to them ways in which I see their writing improve.

That said, sample rubrics are available.

Safety Stuff

The biggest lesson is to keep identities anonymous. When commenting, students should not use full names. When students create blogs of their own, they should be careful with the “About Me” page. I encourage students to put a Wordle on their “About” page – using words they would use to describe themselves.

I highly discourage names attached to pictures.

I don’t tend to advertise the location of my school. Viewers could deduce the location from the school uniforms, but the name of the school shouldn’t show up in Google searches.

Mrs. Ripp has a great post guiding students to think about how the Internet is like the mall. She also includes a letter to parents regarding safety.

Who do you believe are the master blog teachers? What have you learned from them? What links would you recommend?

Math Stories, Part 1: Fractionland

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Illustration done using kerpoof.com

I love teaching math. I get excited about turning 11-year-old mathphobics into students who “Feel the math love” – one of our classroom mantras.

The self-contained classroom allows me to mix math and storytelling. You see, there’s a magical land that only a few teachers know about. And, I must politely ask that this story not be told to teachers in other grades because they may think Mrs. Abercrombie has run a few fries short of a Happy Meal.

But the land does exist. It’s called [lean in for the whisper] Fractionland.

Fractionland has its share of cultural anomalies. For instance, residents of Fractionland believe that the prettiest and most handsome fractions are the ones with the smallest digits in their numerators and denominators. Every year they have a beauty contest. 1/2 always wins.

Although other fractions cannot be as beautiful as 1/2, Fractionland mothers always insist that their fraction family members leave the house looking their best. You see, when fractions sleep fitfully, they toss and they turn and they flip and they snore. And when they wake up, they look nothing like themselves.

Just the other day, 1/3 woke up from a fitful night’s sleep and walked into the kitchen only to hear her mother gasp. 

“What’s wrong?” asked 1/3.

The family was too horrified to explain. Instead, mom reached into her purse, pulled out a mirror, and held it up to her daughter. The beautiful 1/3 now looked like 9/27 – a hairy, awful beast she had only heard of by reading Fractionland’s secret stash of banned books.

1/3′s face turned green. “Whatever shall we do?” she asked.

“Well, you can’t leave the house looking like that,” her mom said, stating the obvious.

As any good Fractionland mother would do, she plopped 9/27 down in a chair and took out the scissors.

Dad put down his newspaper. “Looks like she needs about three snips off the top and three off the bottom,” he said.

“Hmmm…,” mother contemplated. “That would work,” she said as she backed away from her daughter to get a better look. “But I reckon the problem is more serious. I’m thinking about taking nine off the top and nine off the bottom.” As mom cut, 1/3 contemplated the unfairness of life – the older she got, the worse she looked in the morning.

Mother finished her clipping, grinned with satisfaction, and held the mirror up to her daughter. 1/3 smiled. She twirled. She sang, “I feel pre-tty… oh so pre-tty.”

Mother escorted her daughter to the door and kissed her on the cheek. As they exchanged fraction family smooches, 1/3′s younger brother came barreling down the stairs.

“NOT so fast,” mother said, grabbing her son’s arm. You are not leaving the house looking like 15/20.”

Mother marched her son to the kitchen and made him sit until he looked like his true self.

What did 15/20 need to look like before he left the house? What is the moral of this story?