I also went in and added new personal info. to my profile!
I checked and made sure that my "comments" section is on and open for follower and visiter comments! It is indeed still on! I think all one has to do is click on "Comment" after the specific blog, and it will allow you to comment on my work!
Be Nice and
Peace to you!
Michael H.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Thing 31 - More Twitter!
After reviewing the original Twitter work I had done on Thing 27, I went to Thing 31 and spent over an hour getting to know more about Twitter, and becoming more proficient at it.
Now that I know much better how it works, I think it indeed could be used as a good educational tool, as well as a handy tool for everyday life!
I found out that Twitter's birthday was on March 20. It is already three years old and in that short time, has aquired 6,000,000 users! This site is a free site and can be used by anyone who knows how to use a computer. For educational purposes, one can use it for anything from blogging to broadcasting news, school events and school services! One could also use it at school to post school alerts or to share or find important academic links!
Students can even use it much like facebook, as a social site to keep up with friends, teachers and fellow classmates, but also to constructively post opinions and ideas pertaining to school business! Anyone can go on anytime to update their status and keep people posted with what's going on!
So, yes I do feel that Twitter could be used as a positive and usefool tool for educational purposes! However, I would caution teachers that, like any of the new technology out there, it can also be abused and should be monitored whenever possible.
I like it!
Now that I know much better how it works, I think it indeed could be used as a good educational tool, as well as a handy tool for everyday life!
I found out that Twitter's birthday was on March 20. It is already three years old and in that short time, has aquired 6,000,000 users! This site is a free site and can be used by anyone who knows how to use a computer. For educational purposes, one can use it for anything from blogging to broadcasting news, school events and school services! One could also use it at school to post school alerts or to share or find important academic links!
Students can even use it much like facebook, as a social site to keep up with friends, teachers and fellow classmates, but also to constructively post opinions and ideas pertaining to school business! Anyone can go on anytime to update their status and keep people posted with what's going on!
So, yes I do feel that Twitter could be used as a positive and usefool tool for educational purposes! However, I would caution teachers that, like any of the new technology out there, it can also be abused and should be monitored whenever possible.
I like it!
LAED 445 Blogspot Update!
This has been a busy week! I just finished judging Minnesota/ National History Day Finalists for Middle School (Jr. Division)! I was judging a category new this year-Student Websites! It has been really cool. I do it every year, judging also Hist. Exhibits and Hist. Research Papers.
I have now officially VISITED ALL MY FELLOW STUDENT'S SITES, AND BECAME A FOLLOWER ON ALL THOSE THAT WOULD ALLOW ME TO (a total of five sites). 2 other sites don't seem to be set up for followers yet. I also checked out Professor Thompson's site (Cool Avatar!).
Will blog more soon!
Michael H.
I have now officially VISITED ALL MY FELLOW STUDENT'S SITES, AND BECAME A FOLLOWER ON ALL THOSE THAT WOULD ALLOW ME TO (a total of five sites). 2 other sites don't seem to be set up for followers yet. I also checked out Professor Thompson's site (Cool Avatar!).
Will blog more soon!
Michael H.
A Mode of Writing I Want to Teach!
After reading Blasingame and Bushman (Ch 4&5), I easily decided the Mode of Writing I would like to teach: POETRY!
I know at first glance,poetry doesn't seem to be the most important mode of writing one could teach. But I feel it is indeed at least important for students to learn to utilize this mode of writing for several reasons.
First, by practicing writing poetry, students may find their own voice through the written word! There's really no right or wrong way for students to create their poetry, so they can feel free to express themselves openly without being preoccupied with being wrong!
Creating poetry is like making a puzzle. It is an exercize that is good for developing the mind, exercizing patience, piecing together the individual parts in their correct places until the picture comes into view! It's a means of saying something figuratively and subtley, without coming right out and saying it, which is something many teenagers find difficult to do!
It is also a more casual and artistic mode of writing, which allows the students to express themselves without the responsibility of formality, as in a narrative or essay.
I feel that learning about this mode of writing will help my students later in the real world as, it will have helped them find their own voice and will give them another means of expressing it!
I know at first glance,poetry doesn't seem to be the most important mode of writing one could teach. But I feel it is indeed at least important for students to learn to utilize this mode of writing for several reasons.
First, by practicing writing poetry, students may find their own voice through the written word! There's really no right or wrong way for students to create their poetry, so they can feel free to express themselves openly without being preoccupied with being wrong!
Creating poetry is like making a puzzle. It is an exercize that is good for developing the mind, exercizing patience, piecing together the individual parts in their correct places until the picture comes into view! It's a means of saying something figuratively and subtley, without coming right out and saying it, which is something many teenagers find difficult to do!
It is also a more casual and artistic mode of writing, which allows the students to express themselves without the responsibility of formality, as in a narrative or essay.
I feel that learning about this mode of writing will help my students later in the real world as, it will have helped them find their own voice and will give them another means of expressing it!
Friday, March 20, 2009
Writing/ Classroom Strucrtures...
I have already discussed some of this information in the following blog regarding preferred writing methods, so I will try to not reiterate. One of the classroom/ writing structures I remember I learned the most from and really enjoyed was Roger Mahn's journalism classroom! He had a laid back classroom, things were kept casual, but in order to suceed, students had to work hard and earn the ability to publish news stories, sports and editorial columns etc. He was tough but fair, and nice with a good sense of humor. All the kids liked him and the class and this is where I learned very much about writing methods.
There have been many other classroom scenarios I have witnessed over my secondary, undergrad. years! Some have worked better than others. Unfortunately, I have witnessed over the yrs some teachers who seem to want to work against the students, and be very hyper-critical of their students, rather than looking for the positive aspects of their performance and building on that. I will not make the mistake of carrying on this means. I will however, continue to develop my own way to build classroom structures and how to teach writing to my students!
There have been many other classroom scenarios I have witnessed over my secondary, undergrad. years! Some have worked better than others. Unfortunately, I have witnessed over the yrs some teachers who seem to want to work against the students, and be very hyper-critical of their students, rather than looking for the positive aspects of their performance and building on that. I will not make the mistake of carrying on this means. I will however, continue to develop my own way to build classroom structures and how to teach writing to my students!
The Writing Composition Method/s I Prefer to Use...
The methods I prefer to utilize when writing a composition vary greatly, depending on the type of writing I am preparing. When writing an academic work such as a research paper, I have been taught and developed methods that are quite effective in this endeavor.
First, I write an outline consisting of a topic sentence, a thesis statement and three subtopics w/i the thesis. Then, I write out an outline of the bodies of the following paragraphs. Last, I write the outline for the Conclusive paragraphs, restating thesis etc.
Next, I begin to perform my research and find my sources. Once this is accomplished I can begin the actual Pre-Writing of my paper. I don't necessarily follow any strict pattern here; sometimes I start at the beginning and go step by step, other times I might write my conclusion or supporting paragraphs first, then fill in other parts as I go.
Once I have a finished draft, the most important method comes to play-REVISION! I go through and revise my work by doing everything from editing grammar to moving or even deleting sentences and paragraphs, to tightening up thesis and subtopic statements. After doing all of this, I look to a completed piece ready to hand in!
These are the usual methods that I use to do my best to produce a completed writing composition!
First, I write an outline consisting of a topic sentence, a thesis statement and three subtopics w/i the thesis. Then, I write out an outline of the bodies of the following paragraphs. Last, I write the outline for the Conclusive paragraphs, restating thesis etc.
Next, I begin to perform my research and find my sources. Once this is accomplished I can begin the actual Pre-Writing of my paper. I don't necessarily follow any strict pattern here; sometimes I start at the beginning and go step by step, other times I might write my conclusion or supporting paragraphs first, then fill in other parts as I go.
Once I have a finished draft, the most important method comes to play-REVISION! I go through and revise my work by doing everything from editing grammar to moving or even deleting sentences and paragraphs, to tightening up thesis and subtopic statements. After doing all of this, I look to a completed piece ready to hand in!
These are the usual methods that I use to do my best to produce a completed writing composition!
My Autobiography as a Writer...
How have I learned to write? Well, I literally began to learn how to write back in early primary school, while I was also learning to read and do mathmatics. This was a difficult time for me, and my early learning experiences were a struggle. Around the same time when I was around 7 yrs old, I was diagnosed w/ learning disabilities and ADHD. I began taking Ritalin and it was during this time that I indeed learned reading, WRITING and math.
By the time I started junior high, I no longer had to take medication, and this is actually when I remember really beginning to blossom as a writer, especially in Creative Writing. I was a drummer for the school band, and was a guitarist, singer and writer for my own rock band with my buddies! Being inspired by lyricists like John Lennon, Glimour/ Waters from Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan and others, I began to write my own poems and lyrics for my band's burgeoning original songs!
By high school I had progressed into a very profiencient writer. This is when I took my first Journalism class and meet one of my biggest writing mentors, Roger Mahn! He was my Journalism teacher, and overseer of the Trojan Tribune, our school newspaper. After writing several news articles I was given my own op/ed (editorial) column! This really boosted my confidence in not only my writing, but in myself self-esteem! After all, here I was once a kid w/ learning disabilities and little hope for the future, and now I had my own editorial column!
I would write about any and every subject that I felt touched teenagers specifically ie selective service, social cliques, the importance of friends etc. I had the column all 3 yrs in high school! Many other students, some of whom I didn't even know, would regularly approach me and express their connection to my writing, even thanking me sometimes! This experience inspired me to go to college to try and write professionally.
I applied and was accepted to the U of Minn, College of Liberal Arts, School of English. Over the years at the U I wrote copious amounts of academic writings incl. research papers, essays, reflections, journals and more! I also continued to play with various bands that developed around the U of M, and continued to write lyrics for many new songs. Over these yrs I progressed very much in almost all forms of writing, and have continued since then to write creatively.
Since I have started back to school at Metro State to get my english teaching license, I have once again written copious amounts of writing ie research papers, essays, reflections, unit plans, lesson plans, pedogogical philosophies, classroom management strategies, papers on hisroical foundations of education and more! I believe over these last 2 yrs, my level of writing has increased even more. I look forward to writing my unit and lesson plans for Teaching Writing, and I look forward to teaching writing in the future!
By the time I started junior high, I no longer had to take medication, and this is actually when I remember really beginning to blossom as a writer, especially in Creative Writing. I was a drummer for the school band, and was a guitarist, singer and writer for my own rock band with my buddies! Being inspired by lyricists like John Lennon, Glimour/ Waters from Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan and others, I began to write my own poems and lyrics for my band's burgeoning original songs!
By high school I had progressed into a very profiencient writer. This is when I took my first Journalism class and meet one of my biggest writing mentors, Roger Mahn! He was my Journalism teacher, and overseer of the Trojan Tribune, our school newspaper. After writing several news articles I was given my own op/ed (editorial) column! This really boosted my confidence in not only my writing, but in myself self-esteem! After all, here I was once a kid w/ learning disabilities and little hope for the future, and now I had my own editorial column!
I would write about any and every subject that I felt touched teenagers specifically ie selective service, social cliques, the importance of friends etc. I had the column all 3 yrs in high school! Many other students, some of whom I didn't even know, would regularly approach me and express their connection to my writing, even thanking me sometimes! This experience inspired me to go to college to try and write professionally.
I applied and was accepted to the U of Minn, College of Liberal Arts, School of English. Over the years at the U I wrote copious amounts of academic writings incl. research papers, essays, reflections, journals and more! I also continued to play with various bands that developed around the U of M, and continued to write lyrics for many new songs. Over these yrs I progressed very much in almost all forms of writing, and have continued since then to write creatively.
Since I have started back to school at Metro State to get my english teaching license, I have once again written copious amounts of writing ie research papers, essays, reflections, unit plans, lesson plans, pedogogical philosophies, classroom management strategies, papers on hisroical foundations of education and more! I believe over these last 2 yrs, my level of writing has increased even more. I look forward to writing my unit and lesson plans for Teaching Writing, and I look forward to teaching writing in the future!
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