Room 613 Student Blogs 0607

Would you like to translate your entire blog into another language? Well, Brianna H. has done just that!

Mr. H.

Many of you have noticed some of your posts showing an unwanted “Comments Closed” notice.  I still don’t know why some posts randomly show “Comments Closed,” but Rachel C. has figured out a way to fix the problem. If you want to open your old posts to comments again, visit Rachel C’s “Comments” for easy to understand directions.  Thanks Rachel, great job!

Mr. H.

Emilee is sailing the Caribbean and writing a day by day account of her travels. Share in her latest adventures at Emilee’s Blog, and while you’re there, be sure to say hello in the comments section.

Mr. H.

Yesterday we started 613 class scribes. Each student with a blog will be responsible for a minimum 3 scribe posts per marking period. Additional scribe posts will count as extra credit. There is a scribe sign-up chart at the front of my classroom where you can sign-up for a particular day and class. We will be scribing Social Studies, Science, Math, LA, and Relate Arts classes. Remember, you only scribe 1 class when you sign-up, NOT all of the classes!

If you are the class scribe:

• Take complete notes of what you did and learned in the class. Then later, from your notes, your memory, and discussions with other students write a short but complete summary of the class.
• Your description of the class should be complete, accurate and easy to read.
• You are basically teaching your reader what you learned in class today. Someone who was absent from class should be able to catch-up based on the details in your post.
• Your may add photos or other graphics/media to your post.
• The title of your scribe post should include the subject, the day of the week and the date. For example - Math - Tuesday January 23.
• The scribe post is due to be published the same night that you scribe. This will insure that the information is still fresh in your head and that the post will be available for others to read the day after the class.
• Try to impress your readers, remember that you have a global audience of fellow students, parents, teachers and classes from around the world.

All of your scribe posts will be published on your individual blogs and through your RSS feed at the symbol link in the sidebar of this page.

EXAMPLES AND MODELS:

SmithEWL

PreCalc305 - 11th Grade Math

Sargent Park Middle School - 8th Grade Math

Here’s a new game site that’s educational and a world of fun.
Here’s what you can do once you get there:

• Notice the funny looking GeoNet Beaver
• Click on the map of the world (There is also a map of the U.S.)
• Choose a continent - Africa or Asia will best fit into our class.
• Choose one of 6 different categories of questions
  • The World in Spacial Terms
  • Places and Regions
  • Physical Systems
  • Human Systems
  • Environment and Society
  • Uses of Geography
• Choose a level - 1 easy or 2 hard
• Enjoy playing the game. Don’t worry: If you get a question wrong, you can keep choosing answers until you find the right one. Then be sure to read the fun facts as the GeoBeaver elaborates. You are awarded points for your correct answers, and you can become a GeoAdvisor if you reach 900 points on the GeoTrekker.

There are several controversies brewing on the Room 613 blogs.

 

Micaela comments on her post “Is Repairing Hubble The Right Choice?”

“Last week NASA announced that they would be sending a space shuttle on a repair mission to the Hubble. If this mission is successful the Hubble should take pictures until 2013. But is spending $900 million dollars to repair the Hubble Space Telescope a wise decision when there are so many hungry and poor people in the world?”

Jared says..I think repairing Hubble is a great idea because Hubble gives us so many great pictures of stars, galaxies, constellations and more so we can learn more about space! EmilyK agreed; “I also think that it is a good idea to repair the hubble.”
But Rikki says:

“In some ways, I disagree with the NASA decision to go fix Hubble. If the government is spending so much of our money on space travel, why can’t we spend that much money on people who need it. On the other hand, space travel is very interesting and it has taught us a lot about the solar system.”

What do you think? You can visit any of the above blogs and leave a comment, or make your own post on the subject and hyperlink to the address of the post or comment that you’re discussing. (I’ll teach you how to use trackbacks later.) Whatever side you take, remember to research and include facts to support your statements.

On a lighter subject, Cheryl would like to know which character you prefer: Elmo or Tigger? For now I’ll withhold my opinion on the Hubble question, but this topic has an obvious answer. Tigger, of course!

Tigger is vastly superior to Elmo. To start with, he is a legend due to his longevity. Tigger made his appearance in the book “The House at Pooh Corner” in 1928. He first appeared in a Disney movie way back in 1968. He has some very important friends, including Piglet, Eeyore, Kanga, Rooh, Rabbit, Owl, Christopher Robin and of course Winnie the Pooh . He even has his own theme song. Of course, as you know, besides being bouncy and fun, fun, fun, the most wonderful thing about Tigger is he’s the only one!

Of course, thats my opinion. What do you think? Do you agree or disagree and WHY? Remember to elaborate and clearly state your view. Your own blog or the comments section here or at Cheryl’s blog would be appropriate forums. Keep writing!

Mr. H.

Miss Santoro, a third grade teacher is visiting Japan and updating her blog with daily stories about her trip. Last week I left a comment on her blog and she gave the following reply.

_{Mr. Hetherington,}

_{Thank you for the comments on my blog. This is a trip I’m taking through the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund Scholarship program. You should consider applying if you are interested. Your trip to China must have been wonderful. And I’d love to keep in touch with your students. If they write to my blog and want to ask questions you can have them write their first name and put Hetherington as their last name. Just so I have some idea of who they are. Enjoy the blog.}

_{Linda Santoro}

We study Japan later this year, but this is a great opportunity to communicate with a teacher who is traveling through Japan right now! You can follow her adventures in Japan at http://lindasantoro.edublogs.org/

If you would like to wish her well, or ask a question, you can do so with a comment to her blog. Just write your first name and put - Hetherington as your last name so she can identify your class. Have fun and remember to talk about what you learned in your own blogs.

1. Choose one story of interest from the November 10th issue of “Time for Kids” magazine.
2. Make a post about that article on your blog.

• Summarize the story in your own words
• Reflect on the story - give your opinion on the topic and/or do some additional research on the internet and add to the story.
• Link at least one word in your post to another webpage of interest
• Read and comment on at least two of your classmates posts

This is an assignment for 6H, but if the 6L students would like to comment (or do your own post) feel free to do so!

Due by Tuesday, November 21

For your first blog post, answer the question: If you could travel anywhere in the world for free, where would you choose to visit? Expain why you choose to go to that place.

6H only - due by Friday, 11/10

6L only - due by Monday,  11/20