Journal Prompts for 2008-2009

September            What makes you laugh? Give a specific example of an event that happened that made you laugh, or discuss a movie or book that made you laugh.

 

October            What is your most indispensable possession?  Why? 

 

 

November            What things are better than going to school? Why? Discuss the three things in detail and make me feel like I was with you, enjoying them, too.

 

December             If you could only take three people with you on a trip around the world, who would you take and why?  Make a connection to a book you have read or a movie you have seen.

 

January            What is the best gift you have ever given to another person?   Think of a gift someone has given in a book you have read or movie you have seen.  Describe how your gift and the gift from the book or movie are similar and different.

 

February            Who is your best friend?  What makes your best friend your best friend?  Think of a book you have read or a movie you have seen that includes best friends.   What is similar about your friendships?  What is different?

 

March            What talents do you have? Do you like having these talents?   Can you think of a book you have read or a movie you have seen where someone has a similar talent?  How about someone who does not like his or her talent, but finds it helpful in the end?   Describe in detail.

 

April            What three words describe you right now? Be very detailed in your answers and try to think of three distinct words.   Use a dictionary or thesaurus to enhance your writing.

 

May             If you could do eighth grade all over again, what would you do differently?

 

 

June            What would you like me to remember about you when you graduate?

Help with Studying?

For many of the quizzes and tests you will have in language arts this year, there are helpful activities available to use as study guides.   Look at the links in the left column of my web page for study help.

Persuasion Rules and More in Room 36

We've been studying the ways to win arguments for the past several weeks in language arts.   Talking about persuasive techniques like bandwagon, anecdotes, statistics, rhetorical questions and more has (hopefully) increased our ability to argue persuasively. 

We've also been talking about extending the answers to  open-ended questions in an attempt to write more detailed answers.

Right now, we are looking at Introductions and how to make them great by using good leads and riveting issue statements.

One class is reading The Pigman by Paul Zindel.   Others will begin To Kill a Mockingbird after the December holiday.

It's Alphabiography time again....

Eighth graders are working on their alpha autobiographies now.  This a great writing assignment that allows me to get to know my students even better.   Basically, students are creating a ten page packet of one-page essays about themselves.   They began by brainstorming events of their lives and things that make them who they are.  When they are done brainstorming, they will select ten events, and assign a letter of the alphabet.  (For example:  S=soccer)  Students will work on this project during class time and can use Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, Imovie or some other (approved) media.

For students who are uncomfortable sharing information about themselves, there is also the choice to complete an alphabiography about a hero, or other person.   

Please email me at jlindsay@ashfordct.org with questions.

Gradefix.com

If you have any concerns about organizing yourself this year, consider gradefix.   I don't know much about it, but it seems like it might be a good source for some.   

www.gradefix.com

Nice to meet you!

Last night was open house, and I really enjoyed meeting so many families.  It is always fun to get to talk with people and share what we will do over the course of the next few months.   My eighth graders enjoyed having their families guess the entries on the "Who am I?" board, and I was delighted to see lots of Ashford grads return to say "hello!"

Please keep in touch over the year, and let me know if I can answer any questions for you!

Nice to meet you!

Welcome back!

A new year has begun here at Ashford and I am very excited!   I have a great group of students this year-- full of energy and excitement.  (Some even laugh at my silly jokes!)  We have been using technology in our classroom through a grammar webquest.   My Master's classes are not starting for a few weeks, which has given me a nice, and much needed, break.  

One change that I have made this year involves the journal prompts.  Students will now be submitting them via email-- a great way to save paper and incorporate technology.   I'd like to do more with email and discussion boards-- we'll see I can put that into place.

I'm looking forward to lots of learning and fun times in room 36!

www.dumpr.net

This is just about the sassiest site ever!   There are some very cool "toys" that you can modify with photographs.   Check it out!

A first? Hot Weather causes early dismissal!

We had an early dismissal today due to weather.   HOT weather.   There is a bit of a heatwave here in CT right now, and many schools in the state let kids out early.   It is currently 10:48 pm and about 80 degrees...  tomorrow is supposed to be even hotter!

New Master's Class- Try this out!

Hi,

I am testing out Survey Monkey in my latest class.   Paste the following into your browser to see if it works:

www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=I19217ksGCZ86JLqtT5zmQ_3d_3d

Join us at WRITE NIGHT!

Please join us for WRITE NIGHT on May 7 from 6:30-8:30 to listen to our seventh and eighth graders share their poetry, short stories and songs (?).   We hope to have refreshments and fun in a  coffee-house like setting.

Come for a great night of the works of young authors!

Update on my Tech Classes

I have learned so much in just a few weeks! Although I had some comfort with technology, the chance to use it to create projects for my class has given me a greater appreciation for ways to incorporate technology at Ashford. Our professor started us off kind of easy by asking us to draw a two-dimensional truss bridge. This led to a map of our classroom, and a "blueprint" of our dream home. (For those of you who know me, you'll appreciate that I included a tap dancing studio!) We continued on to a project using Microsoft Paint in which we graffitied a photograph of our beloved professor. After turning him into a grotesque monster, we wrote short stories--this one will surely end up in my lesson plans! The last assignment we completed was called "Can O' Your Town." It was a fun activity in which we reproduced a soup can label and sold our respective towns. I can see this one being a huge success in any content area, and look forward to using it in my own classes.

It's Nearly CMT Time!

CMTs are almost upon us-- please help your child do better on his or her state tests by ensuring they get a good night's sleep and eat a healthy breakfast. Please also encourage your child to come to school every day during Mastery Testing--make-ups can be difficult to schedule and take your child out of regular academic time.
Let me know if you have any questions!

Integrating Technology in the Classroom

Well, tomorrow I begin a new adventure that I know will benefit my students! Through Lesley University, I am starting a program to receive a Master's Degree in Educational Technology. This appears to be a challenging, yet managable, and extremely beneficial to my students course of study. My classes are on line, which is new to me. I have "classmates" who live all over the country and beyond: the Carolinas, Minnesota, Massachusetts and even Korea! My professor is from Las Vegas! (I'm not sure I'll make his office hours, but with email, all hours are office hours!)
I'll try to post from time to time all the cool things we're doing in class!

Yearbook!

The order forms for the school yearbook have gone out!  I would like to take a few moments to answer some questions.  The cost for the book this year is $17.  Yes, this is a significant increase, but the book is very different this year.  We have opted to go with Herff Jones and have our book professional printed in full color!  Students have seen the samples of these gorgeous books and are excited by the prospect of such a professionally bound annual.   

In the past, we have been able to offer families a 1/4 or 1/2 page ad space, but we will not be offering this in the 2008 book.   In order to keep the cost as low as possible, we needed to reduce page numbers.  By offering these advertising spaces, our book cost skyrocketed.   

For those who are interested in writing a note to their child, or this class, we are offering the opportunity to sponsor a page.   For $3.00 you can write a 75-character message to your graduate and it will appear at the bottom of a particular page.    Seventy Five Characters is a sentence about this long:

Congratulations, Elly! We are so proud of you.  Love, Mom, Dad, Tim and William.

Thank you for your understanding in this matter.  We can explore the idea of returning to the 1/4 page and 1/2 page ads for future editions of the yearbook.   What other ideas do you have?  Let us know!

Free Rice!

A few weeks before our December break, a former student alerted me to Free Rice, one of the coolest websites I've ever seen! Free Rice provides the opportunity to increase your vocabulary skills and feed the hungry. Check out www.freerice.com to play. If you select FAQs, you can learn more about this neat program, but in a nutshell, when you get a vocabulary word correct, twenty grains of rice are donated to the United Nations to combat world hunger. NPR did a story on Free Rice, and references to it seem to be cropping up all over. Why don't you give it a try?

Eighth Graders enjoying To Kill a Mockingbird

The eighth graders are deep into 1930's Alabama right now as they work toward finishing our unit on To Kill a Mockingbird. We will end the unit by viewing the film starring Gregory Peck.
Some comments:
"I like it. I didn't really read it at first, but I like it."
"Chapter 28 is my favorite chapter!"
"I got so mad after the trial!"
Ask your eighth grader their thoughts--or better yet read it with them!
Happy New Year!