Books for Kids

Hi Parents,

Some of you have asked what books to read to your children. While I am gathering a classroom list that will be more specific for students in our classroom you might want to take a look at these two pages from the American Library Association. First is the Newbery medal Winning books,

http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/newberymedal/newberyhonors/newberymedal.cfm

and second are the Caldecott medal winning books http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/caldecottmedal/caldecottmedal.cfm

Both of these lists are award winning books, and I think you will find great reading for your children.

Oh we can't market just yet!!!

Marketing my blog first of all I need to redesign my blog. I need to make it useful for me in an educational setting. I am a slow processor so it has taken me some time to come up with ideas that will help me make my blog useful in my own personal world in the realm of education. You must understand that as beginning reading teacher, thus I teach the very young, Soooo, I think my site has to change to contain material for the very young. I now want to put in some “kid stuff” and some “parent stuff” by that I mean things things parents can enjoy interacting with their children. For parents I want to include information that will help them help their kids in the learning process.

Exactly what will that look like you may ask. I’m not just sure. But I am thinking that links to games and sites that encourage children in the reading process. I would like to add a book of the week, and perhaps a teacher directed book list to encourage parents to read to their children everyday. I know parents are really busy but if they just take 15 minutes each day they will make an impact that is amazing to watch.

Okay enough on the soap box, back to the blog. I’m thinking it may look a bit more like this.

Hello from Mrs. H’s Reading Room: this week we are learning all about the alphabet. We are orking hard to learn all the sounds and their letter names.

Super Readers Spot: Hello wonderful readers, Click on the link and play some fun learning games. http://www.internet4classrooms.com/skill_builders/alphabetize_language_arts_first_1st_grade.htm

ABC ya! For more games

http://www.abcya.com/first_grade_computers.htm

Parents Spot: Hello parents and guardians. Book of the week for your first or second grade reader is The Lion & the Mouse A great picture book that your child can help you read.

For those of you that are wondering how to help my students to become better readers here is a tip sheet. http://www.rif.org/parents/tips/default.mspx

And this is an interesting little video I just wanted to share with you.

http://www.youtube.com/user/GetGrasshopper&rclk=cth

House keeping: Students don’t forget to turn in your monthly reading slips. Parents you will need to sign that your child’s has read a minimum of 15 minutes 5 days a week for a month. For this amazing feat your child will receive a new book of his/her very own choosing.

How to Manage your blog

Here we go again. I still am not sure what to write. I have never been articulate and that is quite a disadvantage when what you say is going out for the world to see. However, to manage my blog I have a couple of ideas. After looking at the web for solid ideas and reading all of your ideas I feel confident that the real idea here is to continue to work to a satisfying end, so to that end I say.
Prioritize
· Blog rhythmically
· Use individuality in each blog (have a reason to write)
· Keep it short
· Practice (set a schedule and stick to it)
What to post
· News
· Pertaining jokes or facts
Tools
· Read other blogs
· Tabs (different idea different Tab)
· Build your own tool kit (one that will help you understand & manage your blog)

Okay, so as you can see I am working to get this blog thing down and though it is slow going for me I am trying. I am excited that the post from youtube stuck finally. I must say though I tried in vain many time it is really quite easy once you know the formula. I'll always call it the address grab, paste, & post method. It worked and I am thankful.

These Kids are real and they do need all the help we can give them.

Haiti adoption

Make a difference in a childs life (or three in this family's life) http://www.youtube.com/user/fireballbrady#p/a/u/0/rwXHB0rU4dM

My Blog Inventory

Why Blog? There appears to be a number of reasons to Blog, including some very important ones

*Commercial use
*Community notification
*Corporate information
*Educational development
*Entertainment
*Personal enthusiasm
*Political observation
*Travel expansion

The list, as you can see could go on and on, the point is, there are a great deal of reasons to blog. There are also a great number of people blogging. So just how are these masses achieving such success and how? Many are using the free tools of the internet. People all over the world are using this inexpensive tool to present their point of view, provide information, give advice, to help to educate, and just have fun.

But I Wonder: My real questions about blogging seems to be “What are we missing, or are we missing anything?” In this digital age where we do so much communication online are we leaving the coffee shop and the kitchen table behind? Do we no longer have the need to see people face to face? And if we don’t see people face to face how much are we missing. If language is 80% visual and 20% oral what do we miss when we no longer have the opportunity to see our communicating partners while we exchange ideas? Just something I wonder about.

Some thoughts about Blogging

I have experienced Facebook, only I don’t really have a handle on it. I don’t know how to download pictures so my page remains dull. I do enjoy reading about my friends and family, but I’m reluctant to post much about what is happening in my own life. I think I am a bit shy and worry about others reactions to my postings. I don’t really think it has changed my life particularly, other than the fact that I feel a bit more connected. It is nice so view the pictures of friends and family.

Thought the web is becoming more and more important source for information are bloggs that dynamic? Does the public really view them that often? Well according to the articles that I read today and yesterday it seems they do. And that bloggs are becoming a very important piece of the American culture. not only bloggs helping Americans to clear the air and tell their side of the story it is helping commerce as well.

The statement made by Joel Bloom in his sage journal “the Internet is emerging as a vehicle for enhanced civic involvement with the potential to counteract the negative effects of television on the political process” seems far fetched to me because still there are too many Americans that don’t follow bloggs and don’t track the web for news. Yet, according to many of the articles I read many of Americans do find a good deal of their new on the web and blogs are indeed a great source for opinions.

Problems of blogging: there is so little room for subject objectivity. Only after someone has spilt his gutts can you give him your opinion and that may be too late for true indebt conversation to happen. Remember conversation is communication between two and not opinion stated by one and then opinion stated by another. It is the interaction that helps to build a good communication, and build relationships in the process. And so you see I am conflicted, do I believe or not. We will see. Throughout this class I hope I can come to a clear idea of what I believe.

In the article Collective Wisdom Based Blog Clustering the authors says that “A new kind of collective wisdom is generated” I think this could be true. Every time we read we take something with us. Whether it is a belief or disbelief it affects the way we think in the future. If enough of us read the same article and have similar thoughts it stands to reason collectively we would generate a new and collective wisdom. Perhaps that is what will give blogging power in the future. We will see.

Reference

Agarwal, N., Galan, M., Liu, H., & Subramanya, S. (2010). WisColl:. Information Sciences, 180(1), 39-61. doi:10.1016/j.ins.2009.07.010.

A small introduction

Hello to all my classmates and to my Instructor.

My name is Nancy; I am a graduate student at Western, I’m working on my MSED with reading and ESOL endorsements. If all goes well I should finish in the spring. Career wise I am a substitute teacher, although I am looking forward to working in my own classroom next fall (I hope).

I have two daughters and two granddaughters; I also have a very large extended family including six sisters and a brother, both parents, and various nieces and nephews (26) and great nieces and nephews (27) and all are doing well.

As for Blogging I am not an expert and that is why I am taking the class. I have had a tiny bit of experience, but do not feel at all ready for this class. I am fearful that my Blog will be of the simplest kind. Who knows maybe I will find this experience fun and exciting and my learning will take me to new heights. Really I would love that.

Thanks for reading and see you in your bloggs (I think).