Creative Climate

(Team) Building Projections

2010-06-26T21:19:00.003-06:00

Most educators can agree that LCD projectors have revolutionized our classroom "chalkboards" in many ways, so when I stumbled across this video on YouTube, I wondered what students would choose to display if/when given the opportunity?

Would the content change depending on the audience (students vs. faculty vs. parents vs. public)? What message would they unite behind?

Would the message change depending on the venue (classroom vs. library vs. playground vs. cafeteria vs. art room vs. the front of the school)?

I think this would be an interesting and creative project. Have ideas? Want to try it out? Let's go for it! Let me know what you plan to do or have done here.

Boys of Summer

2010-06-13T13:58:00.005-06:00

I've had many requests for guy stuff that people can do over the summer to keep their boys occupied, so here is our list (as of today):

-Webelos activities
-Read Ultra-Gross! blog (from Bart King; author of The Big Book of Boy Stuff)
-View constellations on either projector or Google Sky
-Read stories about two constellations per week (accompanied by streaming Pandora's Nakai music channel)
-Read one (pre-censored) Guys Write For Guys Read story
-Take one trip to GameStop for a pre-used video game (two player sports or flight game)
-Arrange overnight with two buddies
-Calculate mileage for full day bike trip
-Take bike to Skate Park (with buddy), then ride through fountain on the way back.
-Root for the Celtics with a mug of ice cold A&W Root Beer
-Coordinate pick-up baseball game at school field (Aug.)
-Launch AlkaSeltzer Rocket
-Examine sunburn peelings/scabs/splinters with tv-connected microscope
-Eat charred hotdogs with too much ketchup outside
-Water balloons
-Race each other outside each time the visiting Super Fortress or other warbird, flies overhead
-Watch lumberjacking on TV
-Make special-recipe pancakes (using leftover sprinkles and other cookie decorations)
-Catch an insect (either grasshopper, butterfly or moth) and present it to mother/grandma/nana

Magna and Anime

2010-06-12T15:20:00.004-06:00

Earlier this year some dedicated, artistic intermediate students introduced me to the wonders of Magna and Anime.

Both Magna and Anime are forms of graphic art which took root in Japan beginning in the 1960s.

Dedicated literacy teachers already know how important graphic novels can be to help readers understand complex story lines and add nuance to character traits. Now there is a daily newspaper in Japan, Manga No Shimbun, that features current event articles drawn in this popular visual form (note: as with most newspapers, some content may not be appropriate for all ages/grade levels).

Need examples? Look no further than your public library or local bookstore. Or the doodles left behind at the end of the school day.

Earth Hour

2010-03-26T17:49:00.003-06:00

Turn your lights out tomorrow night from 8:30-9:30 PM local time to support Earth Hour!

Here's some additional ways to affect climate change in your neck of the woods:

"Tips to living green

Purchase energy efficient appliances. They cut carbon pollution and save you money!
Make sure your dishwasher and washing machine are always full before you run them as this will save energy and money
Weather-proofing your home is a great way to save energy. Caulk your doors and windows, add insulation or add shades to use in the summer!
Leaving your computer for awhile? Put it on stand-by & it will take less energy than shutting down and restarting.
Fix leaking faucets. The constant drip wastes water, energy and money, so repair them as soon as possible.
Eat more veggies! On average, it takes nearly 10 times as much fossil fuel to produce animal protein compared to plant protein
Unplug appliances and phone charges when they aren’t in use. If they’re plugged in, they’re drawing energy and costing you money."

Copied on 3/26/10 from http://www.myearthhour.org/

Poll Everwhere

2010-02-10T07:25:00.003-07:00

Based on it's relevance to our curriculum and student interest, Poll Everywhere is a smashing success.

Most of the readers to this page already know how much interactivity and peer audiences matter to students. Many of us remember slogging through hand-made graphs when we were younger and the frustrations that our teachers expressed at incorrectly-reported rough data. By the time that students figured out that they were drawing their hash marks in the wrong region of their T Chart, it was too late to fix it becuase the period had already expired.

If your secure goal is teaching students how to interpret a graph, this free service can harness student interest and tie it to math and science. See how we used Poll Everywhere above along with a sample of our practice for an upcoming school-wide Sock Hop.

Holiday Fun

2009-12-24T16:55:00.000-07:00

I just updated my Delicious (social bookmarking account) account with some fun holiday electronic content that you might be interested in. I know that my students will be surprised when some of the following content appears on the wiki!

Create your own old-school portrait without the long lines and K-Mart blue light announcements. Pho-ho-hoto Booth let's you upload an image, choose a body, then a background. Adjust the contrast to match the surroundings. Keep it for yourself or share it publicly. Free.

Want flames without the heat or smoke? Check out this computer-based fireplace. High-quality streaming holiday music included! Free.

In order to help parents with bed time on Dec. 24th, NORAD continues it's annual tradition of monitoring Santa as he makes his way around the world. Google has joined forces with the military of the United States and Canada and now we can track Santa's circuit around the world in 3D using GoogleEarth. The link is found here both for GoogleEarth and the special file (available Dec. 24). Free.

Have a great winter vacation!

2009-12-05T06:36:00.003-07:00

Does anyone have ideas for songs to play in the classroom?

We tried using the song "Fireflies" by Owl Moon (with lyrics, without lyrics) as an auditory timer while we were cutting out our word sorts and it worked like a charm. There seemed to be less chatter, more quiet focus. The task was also completed faster compared to when we just put our online timer up on the screen during the previous week.

One final benefit: There is something eerily peaceful about listening to people whispering along with a song like this.

I'd love your suggestions if anyone has any...

Basic Rules For Basketball

2009-11-29T13:27:00.002-07:00

Jedi II is sitting here next to me watching a video that is explaining the basic rules of basketball online (the one embedded above) to prepare for the Nuggets game that we'll attend tonight.

Why is this important? He's learning from an actual basketball coach and a couple of his players that are showing violations much better than I can. Even if we were to go outside today, it would only be the two of us and neither of us has the expertise/background to show the violations that are being demonstrated online.

He also watched the video three times in order to get all of the information that he needed; the last time he was "shouting" out answers to me/new vocabulary/nodding confirmations to me of facts he was just learning.

Sample of new vocabulary: Pivot foot, advance, three-point line, violation

Now he is on the floor flipping through a three-ring binder that has belt loop and pin requirements, trying to find the page(s) that I can sign off for him (which is also antiquated since we now enter his achievements online).

When he does find the page, there are links under each requirement that help us find what he needs to do online.

Wow has life changed! I wonder what it will be like to learn how to use a pocketknife from a master carver instead of a soap carver like me.

Three Leads

2009-11-20T13:53:00.002-07:00

Draft of a Setting Lead:
The snow carpeted the barren hill and muffled the sound of cars crawling along the icy road. Kids stared longingly through frosted windows at the slope, pleading with their parents to take them to the Sledding Hill.

Draft of a Dialogue Lead:
"You're not taking him on the Sledding Hill, are you?" my wife asked, hands on her hips and leaning over the porch.
"Yeah! He can handle it!"
Jedi II wrestled the three-person inflatable sled into the back of the pickup truck, and jumped into the booster seat.

Draft of an Action Lead:
We both jumped onto the sled together at the same time. The sled took off down the hill like a moon rocket. A puff of powdered snow billowed up into my face, blinding me long enough to almost run over a teenager trudging up the hill with his plastic toboggan.

"SNOW!"

2009-11-17T07:11:00.001-07:00

"SNOW!"

Being awoken this way is not atypical in our house, however it is better than a large meaty thump followed by a snowballing cry. Those are the rough mornings.

Yesterday we were scheduled to go to my parent's house to help them with their kitchen remodeling project (I don't need a ladder to reach the ceiling which decreases the construction time exponentially), but plans changed the minute that my crew woke up and looked outside. I then spent most of the morning negotiating who would ride what sled when and dodging cranium-crushing snowballs delicately tossed off the deck by my wife.

After Princess Ballerina was lured back inside with hot cocoa ("ckocklate" she says), and a warning from Mommy that lunch would be in an hour, Jedi II and I strapped down our three-person tube sled in the bed of the truck and drove to The Sledding Hill, now currently known as Sledding Hill Park (directions).

Since this was Jedi II's inaugural trip to the Sledding Hill, I briefed him along the way on what to expect (minus the gory stories of splintering sleds and firetrucks roaring up the hill to care for injured sledders). The most important thing: Always look uphill.

We parked and picked our launch spot. I scanned the dirt-smeared slope for sled-busting rocks while Jedi II scanned for prairie dog mounds that would make great jumps and tall weeds to sled through (just like I did when I was his age). With a shove and a warning ("Always look uphill"), he was off.

About ten feet down the slope he fell off and was almost hit by a kindergartner on a red plastic toboggan, which then almost led to him being side-swiped by a high-schooler standing up on a kneeboard.

He made it back to the top, then continued sledding for two or three more runs safely.

By the time we got back to our house we missed lunch and had to explain to Princess Ballerina where we had been before she would lay her head down for her afternoon nap.

Needless to say that bedtime was not a struggle yesterday.

Circle Map Ideas

2009-11-09T13:52:00.002-07:00

List of Family Stories

-Great-grandmother sitting on a apple pie
-Causing my brother to choke on a plastic bead (he barfed up potatoes!)
-Sledding down the hill on a trash can lid
-Throwing mud balls against the wall to make dirt cookies
-Joey the goose biting my brother between his knees and his belly button
-The time my brother fell and broke his arm
-The time I pushed my brother and he broke his toe against the refrigerator
-The time that my dog Cody died after eating too much chocolate
-The time that my sister lied and said that my brothers and I took Oreos from the cookie jar
-My great-grandfather's peach tree
-The time my son poked his handlebars into his stomach
-The time that I almost flipped the truck on the way to school

Science Isn't Always Easy

2009-10-03T17:42:00.003-06:00

This video is about a man who uses science and estimation every day.

I posted this here because sometimes we forget how science and math support each other like teammates on a football team.

I wish him the best of luck! Please post your feedback in our wikispace.

Noticing Details

2009-09-09T13:09:00.001-06:00

-The woman rubbing the back of the sick child
-The yellow crust between his toes
-The Popsicles that throat-culture recipients earned

1:1 Initiative

2009-09-05T22:16:00.003-06:00

If you like to try tailoring your teaching to individual students, then you might want to try Google Forms. By creating an online quiz centered around district/state standards for your students, you can receive instant feedback based on their answers. It is a great free application for everyone who has a Google Mail account. Check out this video link for more information.

Literacy Goals: Response to "Goals"

2009-08-04T16:38:00.003-06:00

Original post that inspired my response located here.

I use reading to transport myself/my children/my students into other character's lives and their worlds.

I like to imagine what it would be like if I had the Chocolate Touch or discovered a golden ticket to Wonka's candy factory!

I can relate to some characters like Tom Sawyer/Huck Finn, young Abe Lincoln, and Calvin/Hobbes kind of in the same way that I can relate to my real-life friends. They make me snicker out loud and shake my head with their shenanigans.

I use writing to communicate my thoughts and opinions to others. Some of my friends/people that I look up to as role models like to read poetry, maybe wiki/blog comments, others e-mail, so I think about what the best way is to communicate my ideas with my audience.

Goals for Reading:
-Ask friends/role models for their suggestions
-Pass along my suggestions for good books to anyone who is interested
-Use reading as a tool to become an effective teacher, supportive/nurturing parent and keep my curiosity going

Goals for Writing:
-Share my ideas/interests/strengths with others to make a positive change in the world
-Demonstrate to my children and classroom students that I am a writer who struggles with what to write but also feels good when my message/voice is out there for other people to read

Including Links For Additional Meaning Example (Summer Fun)

2009-07-30T11:58:00.003-06:00

(Posted while listening to Pandora streaming John Mayer radio station)

Top Ten Family Activities: Summer 09

-Moonight Classic Bike Tour (Rapids Player and Referee team costume contest entry)
-Pirate's Cove: 360 off low dive
-Rockies Game: Garrett Atkins mit autograph/catch of pregame warm-up ball
-Rapids Game: Rapids def. NY Red Bulls; watching fireworks from our backs on the FIELD!
-Princess Ballerina balancing on two-wheeled scooter by herself at Copper Mountain (TIE Conference)
-Racing Boondocks Go Carts
-Fishing for the first time after we camped/rode our bikes/slept under the trees and stars at Cherry Creek Reservoir
-Donning purple "milker" for free food at Chick-Fil-A
-Reading constellation stories to kids with an illuminated planetarium toy at bedtime
-Examining road kill/"stink bugs"/ants/"rolley pollies"/worms on the way to the "Dirt Hill" and the "Tunnel"

Theo Jansen - Animaris Rhinoceros

2009-07-21T21:51:00.001-06:00

Utterly amazing.

Twitter4Teachers

2009-07-20T21:42:00.002-06:00

This is a great site for educators who are searching for international collaborators online. Please add your name to the list that corresponds with your educational area of expertise. Hopefully I'll be able to follow you on Twitter soon!

Math Podcasts

2009-07-10T23:22:00.004-06:00

Based on an inquiry from a colleague of mine, here's how I have structured my daily math podcasts that I post to my wikispace:

1. One student per day chooses a word from the math section of their vocabulary notebook (student self-selected words are less anxiety-provoking). Most students choose a word that has been defined via a Frayer Model during earlier class discussions.

2. The student creates a script that they will read out loud for their selected word. Script guidelines include a salutation, accurate spelling of word, student definition of word, non-examples of how word/concept is used, and how the word/cpncept is used in "real life." A short closing wraps up the script.

3. Student practices reading their script to themselves and revises for clarity/meaning.

4. Student then performs their script live for a "trained" peer who listens for accuracy in meaning, then offers just-in-time feedback for their oral performance (pacing, enunciation, etc.) .

5. Trained peer then assists student with the recording process. Both students review the recording for accuracy and can be completely redone if anything needs to be changed.

6. Recording is then reviewed by the class (peer audience = motivation) at the end of the math period for accuracy. Feedback can be either private via stickynote or by wikimail.

7. Successful podcasters then earn a leveled certificate from me that recognizes their effort for each time they are recorded.

Online Naming Conventions

2009-07-06T11:53:00.003-06:00

What online naming conventions should a teacher use with their students?

Should the child's age/school level be taken into consideration?

Digial Footprint

2009-07-06T11:40:00.002-06:00

While at taking part in the Google for Educators NECC Remote session See earlier post), an interesting question came up in my mind: How concerned are instructors with their "Digital Footprint" (a digital footprint consists of the accumulating body of work that a user leaves behind while online, such as Facebook entries/comments, Twitter posts, blogs, wikis, YouTube/TeacherTube, etc.)?

I advanced-searched for images on Google that were tagged with variations of my name, then my family, then some of the presenters at TIE, and NECC. Some personalities had images attached to their full name online, which was disconcerting to me since identity theft continues to grow exponentially each year. Aren't these people positioning themselves to be targeted with so much identifiable information online?

Next thought: If students begin using online tools in elementary school, it would seem to me that teachers need to be even more aware of what content/quality of content is going out to the world so that their future is not accidentally affected. Tech-savy businesses are already scrutinizing an individual's online presence as part of their hiring procedures, so something not published as carefully as it could've been during class could make a difference in the long run.

Summer Prep Update

2009-07-06T10:59:00.006-06:00

Tech To Do List (so far)

-Literacy Institute: Check
-Powering Up Class: Check
-TIE Conference Session One: Check
-TIE Conference Session Two: Check
-Twitter Account (wiki focus): Check
-NECC Remote Broadcast: Check
-Create Flip Cam movie
-Upload Flip movie to TeacherTube

Plinky Prompts

2009-04-23T05:25:00.003-06:00

Social networks like Facebook, and MySpace demand ever-changing, entertaining content and earlier this year I stumbled across a website that can help beginning Bloggers like myself stay motivated to post content online.

Plinky is a free site that you can join to have thought-provoking, idea-inspiring writing prompts sent directly to your e-mail address. These ideas can then be either answered via Plinky for other users to read, or posted on your particular website for your readers to enjoy.

Themes to respond to range from ecological issues to what-if situations and are displayed in a list format. The list can then be sorted by either newest posted prompt or oldest.

I suppose that Plinky could also be used as a polling question engine (with some tweaking) for those of us who use Poll Everywhere on our wiki/blog locations or use the polling tool offered with Cover It Live during live blog sessions.

I personally would rather read a response to "There's never enough time, is there? What would you do with an extra three hours today?," compared to a one-lined "we're out of cereal again; headed to the store. AARRRGGG" update.

First Web Page

2009-03-11T05:12:00.005-06:00

I was going through some old e-mails recently and came across some design elements from my first attempt at a web page for my classroom.

I remember spending hours reviewing free image sites on a 55o PowerMac, diligently saving the images to a 3.5 floppy disk (because I was/am always running out of disk space), then pasting the file names into HTML code that I "view source"d and copied.

At that time I was starving for page elements that moved (fluttering flags, galloping horses, etc.) and sound effects to grab the reader's attention and to stoke the curiosity of the casual viewer.

I guess that some intentions do not change.

Things Technology Will Never Substitute List

2009-03-09T17:49:00.003-06:00

There are just some things that technology will never substitute for the real thing:

(in random order)

-clapping the chalk out of erasers at the end of the school day
-a high five for a job well-done
-walking on the floors of Independence Hall
-almost popping a balloon
-the grasp of my daughter's hand
-determination
-the arrival anticipation of a friend's new child
-the moment between graduation and reality

Learning 2.0 Reflection

2009-02-24T06:11:00.003-07:00

It was so rejuvenating to be around other mind-mates on Saturday!

For those of you who were able to either physical or virtually attend, you know from personal experience what it is like to be surrounded by people who are plugged-in to the latest trends in collaboration tools and methodology.

Hats off to my fellow presenters who had the willingness to share their passions and projects with other tech-savvy attendees. It was daunting for me to look out over a room full of people knowing that many members of the audience were either presenters at past conferences, collaborators within my school district, or district administrators.

What buoyed me was the level of interest that was demonstrated in my presentation topic. Using the wiki statistics function of Wikispaces, I was able to gauge early-on if the room was going to packed with physical attendees or if I would need to stand in the hallway pulling people in. Just knowing that I had something valuable to add to the conversation was a relief for me as a first-time presenter.

The conference didn't end over the weekend, however. The channels of communication for the conference are still open and live, so I have dedicated myself to continue the conversation beyond our physical meeting site. One avenue that I will use to try to bolster the discussion will be this page, so please feel free to post comments if you'd like.

I hope to participate again next year in this well-organized, district-supported conference.

Learning 2.0 Conference Update

2009-02-12T06:04:00.007-07:00

The registration for one of my favorite conferences Learning 2.0: A Colorado Conversation has closed (temporarily) because physical attendance has reached maximum capacity, but the organizers are adding Elluminate sessions to make it even easier for online attendees to participate. It sounds like they have added a waiting list, so if you're interested in attending this FREE conference (virtually or physically), sign up here.

I am facilitating a session from 9:30-10:45 MST entitled Classroom 2.0 on web 2.0 tools organized around the McREL book Classroom Instruction That Works. I would love to have you join the collaboration either physically or online.

I attended last year's conference (which was also free) that featured sessions/discussions facilitated by Bud Hunt, Karl Fisch, Ben Wilkoff, and other forward-thinking educators. It was thrilling to be around like-minded folks and definitely recharged my creative juices.

Hopefully you can make it!

Shared Spreadsheets

2009-02-01T09:06:00.003-07:00

Typically the students that enter my classroom each year need help with interpreting graphs, so our class is investigating how we can use technology to bridge that knowledge/skills gap.

First of all our media specialist asked if we had any classroom data that she could use to create a spreadsheet. Since we are investigating Unit Five/Six of Everyday Math (our district-approved math curriculum), we used "old-school" data and graphs (data that was collected using paper and pencil work, organized into pre-organized tables, then transformed into bar/pie graphs in student workbooks with colored pencils) to make a Microsoft Spreadsheet, then used the Chart Wizard to make a specified graph. This progression seemed to be successful because the students had already used the probability/graphing skills in class for math and could now compare what they had created "old school" with "new school" techniques.

Going one step further was adding the collaborative/interactive nature of collecting data. During math the class investigated the "fairness" of a game, and collected data on who won each day. That data was then entered "old school" into a table, but then the same data was entered online on Google Docs by each student partnership. The students loved watching their data appear in real time and many conversations erupted as the student stance on the game being fair or unfair was proven by the results of other members of the class. We continued collecting and entering data for five days until we were able to create a graph online and all view it together. We are now posting responses to the graphs on the wiki.

Some things to remember:
-Define the coordinates for each partnership beforehand to ensure that someone does not accidentally overwrite another groups data. I gave a stickynote to each partnership with their coordinates to their field written down so that the partners would remember where their row was located each day.
-Remember to give some extra time for initial experimentation so students can see their responses appear in real time.
-Remind students that this spreadsheet is accessible to the world, so no first or last names should be used.

Technology Integration Update

2009-01-28T05:11:00.004-07:00

It was exciting to observe my students using technology tools efficiently and effectively yesterday.

In order for me to participate in PLC's this year, another teacher comes in and takes over the instruction of my class for about 45 minutes every other week. Yesterday I returned to my classroom to find that a student was using the LCD projector and laptop computer to display problem-solving strategies as other classmates suggested them during their traditional teacher-led discussion. After the discussion, the student posted the text on the front page of our wiki, which many students were excited to review on their own later that day.

That same student also worked together with a partner exploring paths of electricity for the Science Fair. The partnership decided to create an animated PowerPoint slide show that demonstrated how electricity travels through an open and a closed circuit. Since they were worried that some students might accidentally change the presentation, the two students requested to use an extra flat-panel computer monitor to display the animation instead of having a laptop sitting out. Their planning paid off and their traditional presentation board display of what they learned during their investigation was complimented by the animation.

Another student approached me and asked if they could use a EEE Machine to record audio and video of their experiment while it was happening. The video was then stored on the hard drive and played for the Science Fair participants that gathered for their presentation.

These stories demonstrate to me that my goal of integrating technology into the regular classroom effectively is working. The students are using technology consistently enough to apply it on their own in varying situations/locations around the school building.

Telephone Podcasts

2009-01-17T07:10:00.005-07:00

Our classroom is now experimenting with podcasting over the telephone.

Each day I select a new child to choose a math term that they "own" (in other words they can spell the term correctly, can draw an image/provide an accurate example of the word, define it in grade level appropriate language and also provide non-examples of the word) from their Vocabulary Notebook. The student then explores/reviews their entries for just the right word to use.

The student then plans out what they will say. Most students create a script of what they are going to repeat into the telephone, but some simply describe the three column notes or Frayer Model that they created in their Vocabulary Notebook.

Practicing the podcast comes next. I expect the student to say what they will present to our audience out-loud to themselves, then to a specially-trained peer (called a Trainer) that can give feedback. The students will actually stretch their thumb and pinky-finger out to make a pretend cell phone to speak into when they are practicing.

The Trainer (who has already podcasted their own term and has been recommended/nominated secretly by another peer) then helps the student through the simple process of making the phone call and recording what they have practiced. I'm lucky becuase the two Trainers that I have right now also naturally encourage the new podcaster with smiles and a polite "Good job!" at the end of the recording.

The podcast is usually ready in about two minutes, and I have posted a widget on our wiki so that the podcast automatically plays when anyone travels to our home page. We then connect to the wiki at the end of our 90 minute math period to listen to the podcast together as a class and applaud the podcaster! The podcaster then recieves a certificate for their work to take home.

Podcasting seems to be working in multiple ways:

Parents can listen/subscribe any time they would like
Not time-consuming or labor-intensive
Each child gets to be aknowledged for being sophisticated/taking a risk
Natural audience is created
No cost for materials
Students have control over what is being said

In the future I plan on asking the students to podcast their daily learning goal and explain what they did to attain the goal. My teammate also asked if he could have a podcast account to use during our Literacy time to give the students another opportunity to share book recommendations and visualizations from mentor texts.

Holiday Fun

2008-12-23T03:01:00.007-07:00

I just updated my Delicious (social bookmarking account) account with some fun holiday electronic content that you might be interested in. I know that my students will be surprised when some of the following content appears on the wiki!

Ever sung along to Elvis on the radio? Well, here is your chance to get even closer to singing a duet with the King of Rock and Roll. Enter Sing With The King. Listen to Elvis sing the first stanza of "Blue Christmas," then record your voice singing the lyrics over the telephone, and finally sing along with Elvis for the refrain. Send the new version to your buddies via e-mail. Free.

Create your own old-school portrait without the long lines and K-Mart blue light announcements. Pho-ho-hoto Booth let's you upload an image, choose a body, then a background. Adjust the contrast to match the surroundings. Keep it for yourself or share it publicly. Free.

Want flames without the heat or smoke? Check out this computer-based fireplace. High-quality streaming holiday music included! Free.

In order to help parents with bed time on Dec. 24th, NORAD continues it's annual tradition of monitoring Santa as he makes his way around the world. Google has joined forces with the military of the United States and Canada and now we can track Santa's circuit around the world in 3D using GoogleEarth. The link is found here both for GoogleEarth and the special file (available Dec. 24). Free.

Have a great winter vacation!

RATS!

2008-12-20T14:52:00.002-07:00

You know what? I hate blogging sometimes.

I have started, then stopped, then started, then stopped this post over twelve times. I write a line, second-guess it, then erase it.

"Your writing has no voice...What are you trying to say?"

I'm trying to say that second-guessing my writerly self will be this post's downfall today...

Venice Under Water

2008-12-15T16:14:00.005-07:00

Mrs. T. passed this link along to me since we are tracking our water consumption in class.

Apparently Venice, Italy suffered through some substantial flooding at the beginning of December. You can find images of the flooding here, and where exactly some of the images were taken further down the page.

We wondered what some of the long-term effects that this flooding will have on Italy's economy, tourism and the environment. Many buildings have already lost their first floor entrances due to flooding/methane gas drilling, so how can this city keep up with the advancing tide brought on by global warming?

I hope that Venetians (and other people who reside on the coasts of the world) continue to be as resilient and resourceful as they have been in the past in order to continue living in these endangered areas.

Curriculum Delivery Shift in Elementary School?

2008-12-13T07:20:00.006-07:00

"I am not a streaming video or iPod!"

I regularly have distance conversations with a teacher who states that they are not an entertainment device.

The person regularly observes that "most of the class is overly talkative, prefers to share their own connections to the topic being studied at random times without raising their hand (referred to as "blurting out"), and demand that their curriculum is more hands-on."

Is this educator (finally) experiencing their first wave of digital natives?

Most of the students of today have been raised with on-demand electronic entertainment since day one; good or bad. Why not use that fact to bridge communication/academic/social gaps that the class has?

I wonder if an effective learning inventory (both for the students and the teacher) would help the teacher adjust their instructional delivery to meet more of the needs of the class in a timely way.

Does anyone out there have any other ideas/comments? Please include your age and if you are male/female in your post.

Good Morning!

2008-12-02T07:41:00.005-07:00

Hello! I am a computerized human voice reading what Mr. R. has typed in his blog.

Some people might think that my voice is too difficult to understand, but for people who are visually impaired (in other words their eyesight is poor or their computer screen is too small), this tool is another way to receive information. Now there will be less squinting at blurry letters or Mr. R. worrying about what font is the easiest to read. The message or stories that Mr. R. would like to share with the world will stay pretty much the same, whether you read the text or listen to me read it to you.

You, dear listener, have the choice to use me. Mr. R. would love to have your feedback on this new type of text-to-speech technology. If you have a free Blogger account, please leave your comments below.

On a more personal note: I would also love to have a name. Can you send your ideas to Mr. R. either through your wiki or posted comments? Thank you.

Overseas Collaboration?

2008-11-21T05:52:00.003-07:00

A former student from our school contacted me about two weeks ago asking if there was a way that I could help him out with a project that he was doing with the students in his class.

The difference was that I had never actually met this person face-to-face: He sent me an e-mail from Japan!

I am really excited about the possibilities that this connection offers. Not only could I learn about another country from the perspective of someone who has attended our school, but our students could do the same! No burden of time, distance, or cost.

Thank you Mr. S. for reaching out to us online. The possibilities are limitless!

Student-Moderated Live Blog

2008-11-05T05:47:00.003-07:00

Yesterday after school a student invited me to a live blog that he moderates during the evening via wikimail. He uses CoverItLive, then posts the gadget text to his wiki site so that other students that he invites may participate.

When I jumped into the streaming discussion at about 7:15 last night, the conversation seemed to be centered around the results of the election. Most of the students were cheering on their preferred candidate (since the entire school participated in a mock election), talking about what it was like to be an election official, and tracking down other potential participants.

I am interested to read about last night's experience in their wiki posts later today, but I can say that the participating students' enthusiasm for the conversation pulled me in, too. I posted questions (Should 10 year-olds be able to vote?), shared links (Boulder Daily Camera Letters to the Editor submitted by fifth graders), and adding my feedback to the polls that were posted by the moderator.

This student (and the others that were participating) were constructing meaning of their world in a way that was fresh, engaging, and just-in-time; encapsulating all that I believe in as an educator.

Although the evening abruptly ended at about 8 o'clock with a private message to me saying that he "...needed to get off (of the computer due to parent-required rest)", I felt like the conversation would've continued into the night unabated.

Isn't that what happened here, here, and here?

Blogging Power

2008-11-01T07:07:00.005-06:00

A few weeks ago we started live blogging!

Last year's class also blogged, but it seemed to be mostly as an extension of literacy (what does line two, stanza two mean to you, what is the theme of this poem and why, etc.). The login went quickly since all the students had to do was go to this blog and begin. The only problem was that I was always mindful (maybe overly mindful) as the moderator for student safety since we were using a site that was more publicly accessible. As a result, many responses were not posted due to an overly cautious teacher, not to irrelevant/repetitive replies.

This year we have started earlier since there have been a few student who were trying to use the wiki as a blogging tool (my apologies to the space members who received wikimail messages that said (I'm on everyone. Is anyone there?"). We set our expectations (be respectful, be safe, be as accurate as possible with conventions, and be patient while Mr. R. reads all of the messages). We talked about what a moderator is and also how to respond to polling questions that I would post.

Result: Complete student engagement and some student frustration at not always having each response posted immediately.

I will share this tool with Science Council and anyone else who will listen!

What Technology Did Mr. R. Use When He Was Growing Up?

2008-10-25T00:47:00.005-06:00

I loved using technology because I always seemed to be good at it.

A Speak 'n Spell was probably my first "computer." Made by a company called Texas Instruments, you could spell words using the battery-operated keypad. It would also spell words back to you using an electronic voice.

When my parents were part of the PTA (Parent Teacher Organization) at my new elementary school, they helped raise funds to purchase 16 Apple IIE computers for a computer lab. They helped teach computer classes to both parents and students at the school once a week in the evenings because many of the homes in our school community were not wealthy enough to own a computer. We played educational games like Logo (where you could learn simple computer programming and practice geometry at the same time) and helped each other learn the parts and functions of a computer. It was fun being a fifth grader that taught adults how to load a disk into a computer. It still is!

At home we had an Apple computer also. We owned Choplifter (a spelling game), Facemaker (where you could change the features of a computerized face), Oregon Trail (where you could hunt deer with a gun) Number Munchers (math), Odell Lake (fish-based food chain) Karataka (look at the tower image of the game) and Spymaster (driving a special car that you could crash into other cars along the way). I will never forget the sound of the old Dot-Matrix printer printing out book reports on accordion-folded paper.

I think that we used an IBM computer at home once the Apple IIE was worn out, but we still used a newer Dot-Matrix printer.

Whe I was in high school we got a "Nintendo" (Nintendo NES) for about $200 that had two controllers and one game (Mario Brothers?). Each of my brothers would save up our money (they were still expensive for us: $30-$50 depending on the store) or ask for games for holidays. We played Duck Hunt, Excitebike, Tetris, Super Mario Bros., Contra (ask me about a related story about this game), and Mike Tyson's Punch Out (when our buddy brought it over from his house. We weren't allowed to have that game because my mom said it was "too violent.") I later sold the Nintendo to my brothers for $50 ($25 each) with the games and contollers when I left for college. My youngest brother brought it to college with him when he moved out!

When I was in college we used mostly portable electronic typewriters (with LCD screen, disk drive, and spellcheck) and later Macintosh computers . I mainly used them to write essays, responses to text, poetry and letters to my girlfriend (who later became Mrs. R.) Sometimes other students that lived on my floor in my dormitory (dorm) would ask to borrow my typewriter overnight, so I would trade it for a few homemade cookies or a Mountain Dew. During my last year of college, every student was given an e-mail address because we now also had internet access for the first time!

When I began teaching at Ames, Mr. Smith supplied me with four Power Mac LC 570's to use in class with the fifth graders. They each had slow internet access and a bunch of CD ROM games to use. Our first class newspaper was published on one of these computers.

As you can see, the use of technology has grown as much as I have!

Wiki

2008-10-24T23:40:00.004-06:00

I am a huge fan of the adaptability of our wiki.

When I first arrived in the district, I confiscated hundreds of notebook paper notes being passed under desks to friends during discussions or transitions between subjects. Eventually the class preference for this type of interaction went to yellow sticky-notes (because of the color, ease of concealment, and availability). In all cases, there was really no way for me to monitor what was being said without catching the person in the act and discussing the content of the note with them during the next lunch recess.

Here is what we've done together on the wiki during the past few weeks:

-Each student has added scientific data in a table on their own page
-Students have responded to images of student-created math challenges online via the discussion tab and discussed other posted answers with their peers
-Posted responses for a writing contest online for feedback ("I'm tired today because I stayed up all night making sure it was no more than 250 words. I typed it on Word, then copied and pasted it into the wiki discussion for feedback.")
-Created a new live blog page instead of posting it exclusively on this publicly-viewed blog. This adds another layer of protection from public view.
-Student-posted notes/quotes actually taken live during an author's visit for others to discuss
-Posted and played a PowerPoint-based tic tac toe game with a partner that reviewed learning goals and vocabulary from our plant structures investigations
-Posting names of favorite authors on the reading page to refer other students toward their favorite books
-Tracking election results in real-time

The students seem to find the academic focus of the wiki fine, but what clearly motivates them is the idea that they can collaborate together in a new forum by using wikimail or the discussion tabs.

I can't remember the last time that I had to intercept a note during class.

This I Believe (Option Two)

2008-09-25T06:02:00.002-06:00

"The need for simple human-to-human relationships is becoming increasingly urgent . . . Today the world is smaller and more interdependent. One nation's problems can no longer be solved by itself completely. Thus, without a sense of universal responsibility, our very survival becomes threatened.."
-Tenzin Gyatso

I believe in the power of freedom.

I will not compromise my freedom by ignoring or overlooking basic human/democratic rights. Rights of assembly, speech, petition, and the elimination of discrimination of any type are ideals that should be modeled by every adult daily, not depending on location, audience, or immediate company.

I will not segregate myself from, nor persecute others based on learning style, teaching style, or communication style, but maintain the idea that we are equals in our common struggle to demonstrate fairness and equality to each other every day.

I am dedicated to educating myself on how I can make a three-dimensional difference in children's lives that is not based on a one-time score or observation.

I think that bullying, personal attacks, intimidation, demotion, false accusations/insinuations and other forms of oppression/persecution are behaviors that should not be tolerated internationally, nationally, online, or locally.

This I believe.

This I Believe (Option One)

2008-09-06T06:25:00.001-06:00

Last year I dropped off my child at his elementary school, which was special for both of us since our schedules don't match up very often.

My son ran up the hill to his school and lined up against the brick wall like everyone else did; adult-sized camo packpack thumping up against his legs with every step. He talked with his buddies, exchanged a Star Wars joke with a little boy next to him and complained about another student throwing their backpack into line. After a short consensus, the rule-breaker's backpack was then moved to the back of the line.

Yellow busses pulled up and the older, faster students charged up to their lines, the smaller children being left behind and made their way slowly across the grass.

Chaz, who was in my son's first grade class, was dragging his backpack along behind him. His Velcro-strapped Power Ranger shoes were dusty from the playground and his jeans with holes in the knees stopped above his ankles. Jacket unzipped and hanging loosely, he shuffledhimself into line.

"Hey Chaz! Nice shoes!" teased a fifth grade boy as he walked by, hat pulled down low over his forehead.

"Thanks." Chaz muttered.

"Did your momma buy you those shoes?"

"Yeah."

He answered the older boy in a way that told me he was resigned to daily conversations like this with the older boy.

I pictured him sitting on the towering, brown-vinyl bench of the bus, his crisply-folded brown lunch bag bravely deflecting comments thrown across the isle at him. He stared out of the smeary window while the bigger boy leaned over the top of the seat with his friends laughing and pointing.

The school bell rang.

The fifth grader ran away.

Chaz turned and followed his line into school.

Wiki Excitement!

2008-09-04T13:20:00.003-06:00

The new class of wiki contributors officially started today!

After a brief discussion about how to post content and how to remain safer online, I discovered that most of the crew who came in during their recess time really wanted to learn more about how to use wikimail. Tomorrow we'll cover the basics of wikimail: how to be respectful to your audience and still remain safe.

I look forward to reading what you decide to post this afternoon/tonight and how you do it!

My Summer in ME

2008-07-08T21:53:00.003-06:00

I'm sure that you are wondering how I spent a week of my summer in ME.

Maine (abbreviation: ME) is where Jedi II and Princess Balerina's Great-Grandparents live. They own a house that was built on the coast which has no electricity or running water. Thankfully the property is protected by a small island which is close enough to row a skiff (a small rowboat) to.

Jedi II spent his time scaling the granite outcroppings and searching for lobster buoys that had washed up on the beach. Princess Ballerina loved dipping her toes in the ice cold Atlantic and discovering walking sticks.

We got to ride on a boat, see seals, lobsters, crabs, seagulls, deer, eagles, and even a porpoise! I'll tell you more once school begins...

Fourth of July

2008-07-06T21:00:00.002-06:00

Our family traveled to CT to attend a barbecue, swim in a pool and watch fireworks. We had a "blast!"
The weather was cloudy (typical for this region of America), so many people started their fireworks early and the sound of popping/booming would echo through the heavy forests like crazy. I don't know how the patriots dealt with the noise of battle during the Revolutionary War!
I gobbled up four hamburgers throughout the day and many spoonfuls of fruit salad. Probably my favorite item that I sampled was a meatless Ziti that one of cousin-in-laws made.

Thank you for asking what I did over the Fourth of July Leopardbunnyangel! I will try to post a slideshow when I can...

Rocky Mountain Airport Show

2008-06-07T23:51:00.008-06:00

The jet ripped thunder over our heads as Jedi II and Princess Ballerina clutched their water bottles and peered into the sky.

Our first airshow was a rousing success today. Jedi II discovered that he enjoyed warbird aircraft more than jet fighters (mainly due to the noise level during flight) and loved watching the pressurized air traveling over the jetwings during flight. Princess Ballerina got to touch the Air Force falcon, Destiny, and cried that she didn't get to jump on the air castle. Both got to sit in the cockpits of a helicopter and a few private planes, while their mother waited in an hour-long line for $5.00 hot dogs. Unfortunately, the last two dogs were sold to the people standing in front of her!

It was amazing to inspect such huge aircraft up close, shake the hand of the pilot, then watch them complete jaw-dropping aerial maneuvers the same day.

I'll post pictures that I snapped tomorrow night.

Next time we'll bring ear protection!

Wiki Most Popular Technology

2008-06-03T21:49:00.003-06:00

According to our most recent poll, readers found the wiki the most helpful piece of technology that we used this year.

I assumed that we would have more people excited about the live blogging (Fishbowl Method) because of the immediate feedback opportunities, but I was proved wrong. Maybe elementary students want to know that they are being read by more of an international audience, not just their peers in the lab.

As for the wiki, the (former) class is using it in a variety of ways. Some use it as a poetry publishing tool for an unlimited audience. Others use it as a way to communicate with other peers/classmates by using the wiki-mail feature during the summer. A group of Trailblazers have formed their own wiki for 2008 Alumni and are currently adding more visual content instead of language.

Please feel free to post comments about the wiki either as a comment on this page, or go to the wiki to start your own discussion. I look forward to hearing from you soon!

First Official Swimming Pool Trip

2008-06-03T21:32:00.002-06:00

Jedi II officially cannon-balled his way into summer this morning during our first trip to our outdoor community pool.

Although we had to chip a hole into the ice to climb in, everyone enjoyed themselves. Ballerina Princess brought her inflatable turtle and met a new splashing buddy and Jedi II was able to successfully swim across the pool on his own for the first time.

Tomorrow is the first dentist trip that I will be present for for both kids. Jedi II has a canine tooth that is bothering him, so the tooth fairy might be coming to our house tomorrow evening. I will try to post tomorrow about the experience.

Ceremony

2008-06-01T23:23:00.004-06:00

Jedi II and the rest of the family attended our last meeting of the Cub Scouting year yesterday when we traveled to Chatfield Reservoir for a night of celebration and camping. Since we brought our bikes, we rode to the model airplane airstrip and watched some models take flight. On the way we picked up some broken tail pieces, which were exciting finds. We also discovered a fuselage, but there was a spider shacked-up inside, so we left it behind. Swimming in the Wading Area was a treat, but the water was cold enough to freeze a polar bear blue.

This was Jedi II's first overnight with other Cub Scouts and our first camping trip with the Ballerina Princess. As a result, much of our time was spent keeping paper cups out of the campfire, calming fears of evening lightning strikes, and listening to complaints of how hot it was (until we started bike-riding).

Jedi II is now officially a Wolf!

6/6: Please read the article published by the Columbine Community Courier for more coverage of the event!

Garage Sale

2008-05-18T05:46:00.003-06:00

Jedi II made $5.50 yesterday at our community garage sale.

Every year in the spring our neighborhood has one day that everyone carts out their old, dusty items and sets them up on the lawn outside of their house. Bikes with rusty chains and rock-hard brakes, an old mattress, mismatched dishes, plastic cups from fast food spots, sequined dresses, golf clubs and old vacuums get their annual taste of sunshine before being hauled back to the basement or finding their place at the back of the closet again. We toothfully smile at the trucks, vans and Cadillac's drifting by our house while the drivers scan our wares for bargains.

While I am still lugging outgrown toys into position, Jedi II has unfolded the legs of his table and carefully placed an old, sheathed circus sword, Captain Jack with Sword-Fighting Action figure, a Power Rangers "cell phone," a palm-sized vinyl basketball and other trinkets on top. He then moves it right next to the sidewalk and begins skateboarding around the block.

Jedi II has a knack for knowing what his audience wants. When he sold hand-decorated cookies, it was less about the size, shape, flavor, or color of the cookie, and more about how many candies he could press into the frosting.

Yesterday was the same. Once the sound of the skateboarding echoed around the neighborhood, kids his age and their friends started showing up with their bag of change.

With a silent hand raised in greeting, the buyer would usually ask "How much is this?" and point to whatever object they were interested in.

"$.50"

"Oh," they would say and keep looking. Jedi II would resume skateboarding and the unsatisfied customer would either wander over to the next sale or try to show off another recent purchase to Jedi II.

Sometimes the customer would simply say "OK," the money would change hands, (Jedi II's voice calling down the block "Mom, can I have 50 cents? I need change."), and the customer would again wander away with their eyes fixed on the new object in their hands.

Meanwhile my wife is locked into fierce negotiations with a new neighbor who lives across the street. A women's bike with a ripped seat, but inflated tires sits waiting.

"She's crazy if she thinks people are going to pay forty bucks for a scratched, rusty-chained, seat-snagged bike." Then she adds disapprovingly "She doesn't know how garage sales work. I'll let her sweat for awhile."

We pack up our unsold items (which is most of what we laid out three hours earlier) and get ready for Jedi II's soccer game at noon.

"Let me know if you'll take $20," my wife calls over to her as she slips into the van.

"You can have it for $25," the neighbor returns, to which my wife just chuckles.

After the game, we roll slowly back into our neighborhood, then our block. She casually scans the neighbor's lawn for the bike,

which is now gone.

PostBeatnik Cafe Discussion

2008-05-17T03:41:00.002-06:00

Thank you for the honest discussions, polling questions, and feedback on the Beatnik Cafe on the Live Blog yesterday.

The Beatnik Cafe improves each year due in large part to feedback from students from the year prior. Here is some history of the Beatnik Cafe:

-Integrating songs from CD's during actual performances didn't occur up until a few years ago. By the way, this was the first year that multiple, complete songs/rap performances were presented (great job Elmariachi, Super40 and Georgia)!

-Integrating slides from PowerPoint really started happening when the SMART Board first arrived (because of the availability of the LCD projector and the fact that the board can be moved/fits the projected image, versus an overhead screen that is not wide enough). Skatestar101, Hockeyqueen, Football star and Cheese4 did a wonderful job of selecting images that added additional meaning to each of their poems this year.

-Three years ago I had a student record a video of their performance on a mini-disk (a small CD) because they were not going to be present at the Cafe. This is the only time that anyone has presented a poem that speaks to their heart virtually. This is also the family that coordinated the donation of most of the laptops that we use in school.

-Five years ago was the only time that I had four musicians write lyrics, music and perform on instruments live at the Cafe. With Riliegh on flute, Mark on drums, and Hannah and Dawnielle on the mic, that quartet sizzled. I was invited to a Middle School talent show last year that had performances from three of those four students. It was awesome!

I really enjoy giving fifth graders the spotlight to have their voices heard, and the Beatnik Cafe continues to be a highlight of our classroom conversations/creativity each year.

End of Year Goals, AKA: My Bucket List

2008-05-13T17:16:00.003-06:00

Test which type of Mentos works best for a soda geyser
Enjoy/perform at the Beatnik Cafe
Dunk a ball on the last day of school
Ride my bike with Jedi II and the Princess after school

Beatnik Cafe

2008-05-13T16:58:00.002-06:00

I will post the PowerPoint presentation for the Beatnik Cafe tomorrow on the wiki, but for now, here is a link to an image of a recreated male beatnik.

Thank you for working so hard over the past couple of weeks in class (Realistic Fiction, Math Assessments, etc.). Your effort shows!

First Online Discussion

2008-03-21T16:41:00.002-06:00

Based on the success and the excitement that the class experienced in February blogging with students at Arapahoe High School regarding author Daniel Pink's book A Whole New Mind, we decided to try the technology out for ourselves. We had our first live online discussion take place today in the computer lab, facilitated by Mr. B.!

For the past two weeks we have discussed how our government is organized into three separate, but equal branches: Judicial, Legislative, and Executive. In order to deepen our understanding of this concept, we decided to investigate how a bill becomes a law.

Mrs. S. revealed that she follows bills that are introduced at the state Capitol and she had a bill that we might be interested in learning more about: HB 08-1357.

Prior to our conversation today, we viewed an archived video (thank you Mrs. S.) of a debate that occurred in August concerning possible changes to the CSAP (Colorado Student Assessment Program) test. Based on written responses that the class generated (worksheet can be found on the wiki) while they watched the video of the debate, we decided that they were ready to try out live blogging on the bill.

What appears above is a transcript of our class-wide conversation. The end of the transcript reveals some strengths, questions, and frustrations that the class had with our first trailblazing online discussion.

Overall, I believe that the thirty minutes was a well-spent intensive learning experience for everyone who was involved. All students posted comments or questions at some point and said that they would like to continue to use this online, live tool instead of solely relying on the wiki discussion tab. Watch this space for additional content in the future!

Favorite Place To Read: Revision

2008-03-20T07:16:00.002-06:00

Summer Spot

Bar-b-qued hamburger smoke twisting into the sky,

Cicada soundwaves float through the screened window,

An Ivyland train whistle echoes over New Hope

Closed door, open mind

Just me and my Popular Science magazine...

DIY

Sound file for cicadas (Click on Magicicada cassini)

Favorite Place To Read: Poem Format

2008-03-18T16:24:00.003-06:00

Summer Spot

Bar-b-que hamburgers, cicada soundwaves

floating through the screened window, a train whistle echoes

Closed door, open mind

Just me and my Popular Science magazine

Do It Yourself

Techno Growth

2008-03-14T04:42:00.002-06:00

I discovered an interesting item on the seat of my chair yesterday after class ended.

Carefully placed on the fabric sand dune of my chair was a wrinkled, hand-cut, old school advertisement for a new blog two elementary students have created.

Not only was it exciting for me to be "invited" to join in on their conversation about politics and rock 'n roll, but it also demonstrated to me how important it is to continue to discuss with students when/how technology is used appropriately and inappropriately.

I find that more and more students arrive each year with varying access to the latest "cool" gadget: cell phones with picture, movie, and texting capability, digital music players, digital camcorders and cameras, e-mail addresses and instant messaging accounts. We now have a wiki that all students have access to and I use this blog to share my thoughts with them and the world-at-large.

This wave of access to technology has prompted our building (state?) to hang "Turn off all Cell Phones" signs outside of classrooms during standardized testing sessions in order to avoid potential ringtone distractions. Who would've foreseen the need to hang these signs in elementary school hallways five-ten years ago?

As someone who has had to confiscate these devices over the years and the recipient of many good-intentioned e-mail chain letters warning about the latest computer virus, I've found that students have many unanswered questions about how to use their technology appropriately:

"What if I get a text message that's from someone I don't know?"
"Can I just "Google it?"
"I saved my response to the homework you posted online, but it's not there anymore!"
"I'll just have the computer remember my password."

I feel like some of the short discussions that we have in class centered around these topics of student interest just scratch the surface of what they need to know for the future, but for now, they will just have to do.

Nonsense Song

2008-02-09T21:04:00.000-07:00

"I know...what you are thinking,
There is no fire over there..."

One of the great joys that I have on the weekends is to take walks with Jedi II and Princess A (PA). Today, while Jedi II was scootering up the bike path to feed some horses an apple, PA decided that it was time to unleash the song in her heart while she pedaled her bike up to her brother.

Now usually PA's performance would not be a problem because we are usually the only ones on the path, but today was warm enough to actually have other families within earshot.

Were they laughing because they thought it was cute to listen to PA's nonsense song, or for another reason?

Pack Up (Thy) Sea Chest!

2008-01-25T18:03:00.000-07:00

"Practice thy own religion
and ye will be free.
T'was King James
Rule to attend thee royal
Church of England but ye shant.
(Thy must) board thee ship Columbus."

Thirteen brave souls have sold all of their earthly belongings, packed up their most precious valuables and have agreed to travel to the New World.

Lured by pleas of help, persuaded by visions of new beginnings and religious freedom from the tyranny of the King, many students have gone above and beyond and declared their intention to establish a new colony in the intermediate hallway.

Currently debating the Mayflower Compact during class, our rugged risk-takers are learning how difficult it is to find enough common ground to rule themselves.

Will the new colonists succeed in their voyage to the New World, or suffer the same fate as the Speedwell?

Only time will tell.

Elvis Is The King!

2008-01-13T21:03:00.000-07:00

I am excited to see how many of you were able to stand up for yourselves and experience what it might have been like to live as a modern-day separatist.

We started off with a PowerPoint slide announcing that Elvis would be recognized every five minutes during Social Studies. When the timer went off, everyone in class had to stand, sing the lyrics to "Hound Dog," sway their hips to the music, and curl their lips. After the song was finished, we got back to studying why separatists left England for the New World, and I recorded the names of the individuals who were not respectful of Elvis (smiling, not moving to the music, not singing loud enough, etc.). Five minutes later, the timer went off and we again sang. We sang/danced about three times on day one.

On day two, the class was asked to wear white to class "out of respect for Elvis" since we would be again talking about Social Studies. Individuals not wearing white had their names recorded on the whiteboard, and Hound Dog was again played every five minutes. During the second spinning of Hound Dog, a core group of about four people flatly refused to sing or dance, and spent their time making notebook-paper posters demanding freedom, asserting their right to free speech, or declaring "Give me liberty, or give me death." One student spent his time typing revolutionary messages on his AlphaSmart and uploading it as a Word document to be displayed on the LCD projector.

After about fifteen minutes, the alternative ideas of the separatist lesson were revealed to everyone in the class, Loyalists were introduced, and "Hound Dog" has not been played since.

Castle Quandry

2008-01-01T14:33:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had sand blow into your mouth and you crunched down onto it? That is the sound of my hand pawing through Jedi II's plastic drawer full of Legos.

We decided to rebuild a castle set he received as a gift from my artist/adventurer brother a few years ago. It seemed like a good idea since we had some of the pieces that were never taken apart and a few of the pieces are also burgundy-colored, which are easy to spot.

What I forgot was that there were three adults working on the set in shifts around the clock and the pieces were sacked in small plastic baggies (which helps you find the smaller-sized pieces).

Well, we've spent two days now looking through his ENTIRE three-drawered, two gallon-sized tubs collection of Legos for specific pieces (since we still have the original booklet of directions).

Needless to say we have eight pages of directions finished.

He is also waiting for a Lego X-Wing Fighter to arrive any day now...

Teaching My Father How To Long-Hug

2007-12-31T20:35:00.001-07:00

My dad and I seem to pull closer and closer together as I get older.

He taught me how to build a pinewood derby car, tell time on an analogue clock, and how to drive a stick-shift on a deserted street in The Loaf. He helped Jedi II with his first space derby plane and is our senior consultant for The Dangerous Book For Boys.

I finally got to teach him something the other day: how to long-hug.

Now, don't get me wrong: he knew how to quick-hug right from the start and has honed his skills on the rest of my family for years ("Good game quick-hug!," Thanks for the gift quick-hug!, Congratulations quick-hug!, etc.)

But it never felt right.

Over the holiday I went over to his house and we sat down to look at a scrapbook my mom created for him of black and white photos from his childhood: sitting next to his panting dog, riding on his two-seater tricycle, standing next to his sister on vacation, the cowboy boots and six-shooter taking aim at the Brownie camera.

During our discussion we got to talking about how special it was for him to rub Jackson's head in the hospital nursery right after he was born because his mind was finally at ease (and he had a lot of practice with us growing up). He could relax and savor the moment of his first grandchild being born.

I got right up and taught him how to long-hug: the right hand over the shoulder, the left arm under his armpit, a soft double-pat of my open hand, then a squeeze.

I'm looking forward to our next long-hug moment.

Plant Update

2007-12-31T20:24:00.000-07:00

I found out at the last minute that our crop of Morning Glories would have to travel with me instead of remaining in our classroom, so we hit the icy, snow-packed roads together at 3:15 on 12/22.

While the snow fell and the truck fishtailed to the right (like usual in the winter), thirty seeds co-piloted us safely home.

Mrs. R was surprised to see me grunt through the door with a grid-marked desk tray full of dirt instead of an armload of holiday cheer from the students in our room.

"What's that?"

"A desk-tray full of dirt."

I kicked off my boots and hurried downstairs with our experiment before she could ask where it would go.

Back Up And Running

2007-12-17T15:51:00.001-07:00

Yes!

We are back up and running online. Thank you for your patience while we waited for some technological kinks to be worked out.

The Clustr Map will not work unless you access the blog from home (remember to get parent permission first).

Today we focused on balancing internal and external observations in our Personal Narratives. Mr. Coyote realized that he was using mostly external dialogue, and started experimenting with adding internal feelings or reactions to what was happening in his story. We discovered that when he balanced an external moment with an internal moment, the quality of his writing improved. From my point of view as a reader it seems natural to read about what was going on inside of the protagonists' head before the external reaction occurs.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, we will move our Colonial Day to January. Thank you for your patience! If you go to the wiki, I will post a few links to directions for projects that you could make and sell as a colonist as well as some additional links that you might find helpful.

Mr. C.

2007-10-23T11:46:00.000-06:00

On Veteran's Day I see him sitting alone in the Teacher's Workroom. He forks a red grape and lifts it past his bristled chin into his mouth. He spots me and smiles. Without saying a word, I stick my hand out. Knarled like a walnut tree, his hand grasps mine.

Thank you for your sacrifice. I owe you so much.

Mr. C.

2007-10-23T11:45:00.000-06:00

Mr. C.

Brings in Marines posters
Shared his medals
Shake his hand

Brainstorm List of Important People in My Life

2007-10-23T11:43:00.000-06:00

Mr. C.
Mr. B.
Mr. H.
Mr. S.
Mrs. S.

Jedi I Throwing A Football

2007-10-23T11:34:00.000-06:00

Jedi I burst through the screen door, smacking the side of the house. He ran to the tree and stood with a big smile on his face holding an orange Nerf football in his hand. He cocked his arm back and fired the football at me. I tried to catch it, but it was spinning like a wounded duck.

Cluster Maps Up Again!

2007-09-22T07:20:00.000-06:00

It looks like our Clustr Map is working again, and we have some new viewers! If you go to the wiki, I will post a link there to help you identify what countries have computers that have accessed our blog!

TGIF

2007-09-21T14:10:00.000-06:00

What a short, busy day!

We visited http://www.enchantedlearning.com/explorers/ briefly today in class. I observed many of you jotting down some names of explorers that you are interested in learning more about. Next week in Tech Lab you will have one class period to explore the information provided and choose an explorer to present to the class. I can't wait to see what you generate!

We have also added a wiki today so that we can share information in real-time online, no matter where you are. I am working on adding a link to post sound files of your Constitution Raps next week.

Feel free to post a comment about a post on the blog (if you have permission from your parents)! Remember to not use personal information (real name, address, telephone numbers, parent names, etc.) if you post here. I will not publish any comments that accidentally give out personal information.

Don't forget to bring your slime in for Monday, Adventures in Performing Arts trip on Tuesday, Late Start on Wednesday, and the Astronomy Test and Constitution Rap on Thursday!

And the Anchorperson For Our Classroom Is...

2007-09-07T16:35:00.000-06:00

After one of the closest counts in class history, I'm pleased to announce the first-ever winner of our Channel 12 Super School News opportunity: Miss Georgia!

If you would like to know more information about Super School News, please click on the following hyperlink: http://www.rmpbs.org/content/index.cfm/fuseaction/showContent/kidspage/yes/contentID/208/navID/197.htm

Congratulations to everyone who auditioned. You each receive $20.00 Eaglebucks!

Stanza III

2007-08-31T07:51:00.000-06:00

I understand what it is like to be picked on because you are different

I say that everyone deserves to be treated fairly

I dream about streamlining through the still water

I try to take the time to get my desk organized

I hope that I can inspire positive change for the future

I am tall and patient.

Stanza II

2007-08-30T07:40:00.000-06:00

Image location:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Lochnessmonster.jpg

I pretend that I up on all of the latest dance moves

I feel the cold, hard steel of Paul Bunyan's ax

I touch the Loch Ness monster's cool, clammy neck

I worry about school safety

I cry for the victims of 9/11, Columbine High School, the Southeast Asia tsunami, and Hurricane Katrina

I am tall and patient

I Am Poem

2007-08-29T12:21:00.000-06:00

Stanza One

I am tall and patient

I wonder about traveling to Mars

I hear the stars whispering

I see BIGFOOT ripping through the forest

I want a Twinkie

I am tall and patient

Lunar Eclipse Slideshow

2007-08-28T05:43:00.000-06:00

Here is a lunar eclipse slideshow from 9News of this morning's event:

http://www.9news.com/9slideshows/lunar_eclipse/

The show also includes images from next year's planned NASA moon-mapping mission. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) will look for possible astronaut landing sites for future missions to the moon:

Mission info/site here: http://lunar.gsfc.nasa.gov/

My First Lunar Eclipse

2007-08-28T05:11:00.000-06:00

YAWN!

Good Morning!

Jedi II and I wiped the crust from our eyes this morning about 4:45 to check out the Lunar Eclipse. I wrapped him in a blanket off of my bed, slung him over my shoulders like a sack of potatoes and headed to the back of the house (so the streetlights wouldn't bother our eyes).

It was funny to me that everyone that I spoke to last night outside of our class seemed to have an incorrect idea of what was going to happen. Some people were calling this morning's event a solar eclipse, and some said that Mars was going to be brighter than the Moon and easier to see. Because so many people had incorrect information, I actually was nervous that what I taught you yesterday in class was wrong!

Thankfully, the article that Mr. C. copied for us and the demonstration that we did together in class with J., A. and C. acting out the role of Earth and the Moon turned out to be correct.

Jedi II sat outside on the deck in a damp plastic chair (since it rained last night) and compared the color of the moon to the brick-red color of Mars. I never thought of it that way, but it made sense.

I also tried to take a couple of digital pictures to post here (for those of you who are still tucked away in your beds) , but the images didn't come out. As of right now, I can't find any images yet online of this eclipse, but I'll keep looking and post some good ones that I'll find later this morning. Until then, here is a link to images of a lunar eclipse that occurred way back in 2004: http://www.xs4all.nl/~carlkop/verdmaan/leclips2004b.html
See you in a few hours!

Unique Waffle

2007-08-26T06:48:00.000-06:00

Whipped Cream: Peanut Butter/Chocolate Chips: Granola:
Check Check Check

Whew! I got lucky this year!

Cherry Pepper: One Whole tomato: Horseradish Sauce:
Check Check Check

Uh oh.

Green Cupcake: Spicy Pepper (from his garden): Two TBSP Garlic Powder:
Check Check Check

The list of unique ingredients that each student brought to class Friday seemed to go on forever!

French-Fried Onions: Potato Flakes: Milo (from New Zealand):
Check Check Check

You usually would not see these ingredients added to a waffle anyone would order in a restaurant, but here they were, piled on top of the waffle I was going to eat as part of our beginning of the year ritual in our classroom.

Salad Dressing: Lucky Charms Cereal: Tortilla:
Check Check Check

You see, our class is different. Each person in our room has a unique talent, personality and strength. Each person also has something that they struggle through every day, an activity that they worry about getting done, and what reputation they will have as the school year continues.

Ketchup: 1 Slice Granny Smith Apple: 1 Tin Sardines:
Check Check Check

1 Whole Red Apple: One Pouch Jalapeño Peppers: Smoked Oysters (juice only):
Check Check Check

This year will take special effort both on my part as their teacher, and on their part as students, to encourage excellence. Traveling backward in time, Jeopardy games, and preparing for classroom visitors all take time and research to happen.

I know the work will be worth it.

Just like the reaction that I will experience from the Class of 2014 when I take my first bite of our Unique Waffle.

Only A Few More Days Left...

2007-08-12T02:51:00.000-06:00

Firsts this summer:

-Tasted an octopus during dinner
-Visited Independence Hall
-Viewed Picasso's Sunflowers
-Had my bike stolen
-Drove a Corvette
-Watched my son tie his shoes by himself
-Shot my first movie
-Watched my daughter pedal her bike by herself
-Touched a piece of Titanic's hull

Clay Animation

2007-06-21T14:03:00.001-06:00

This is my first attempt at clay animation! I partnered up with a principal at the TIE conference and learned how to do this together earlier today!

Please get parent permission and click on the following link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_I5ThJQ3Kk

I wonder if anyone (current, past, or future fifth graders) have either suggestions for improvements or know deep down inside that they can create a better movie...

2007-06-20T10:23:00.001-06:00

Can anyone do any better than this movie? THIS IS YOUR CHALLENGE FOR THIS YEAR!

Computer Conference

2007-06-20T08:25:00.000-06:00

Hi!

Did you know that there could be hundreds of other teachers who love technology as much or more than I do? I didn't either!

I am at the TIE (Technology in Education) Conference taking classes that we can use together in our classroom this year.

This is the second day that I've been here and I've already seen some fantastic tools that I'll try to check out for our school.

One of the tools that I think that you'll like using are called "clickers." Clickers are small, hand-held "computers" that we can use to show data as a class. We'll need to also use the LCD projector and possibly the SMART Board. I hope that you're ready to learn about this technology with me!

I'll post additional info and images when I have time.

Hopefully everyone is having a safe, sweaty summer!

2007-04-05T20:27:00.000-06:00

Ripple Effect

http://lava.nationalgeographic.com/cgi-bin/pod/enlarge.cgi?day=14&month=02&year=07

Two eyes and a chocolate nose invite me

into cavities.

2007-04-05T20:21:00.000-06:00

Panama, 1977

http://lava.nationalgeographic.com/cgi-bin/pod/enlarge.cgi?day=30&month=03&year=07

Cat

Frozen in Time

Feeble Branch pawed

carefully

2007-04-05T20:18:00.000-06:00

The Stillness

At school
After dark

listening to the vacuum

the fan turns...

Like Marbles in A Glass Jar at 3 AM

2007-02-23T02:53:00.000-07:00

Am I the only one who laughs out-loud at a book that I am supposed to be reading silently?
Why do dogs and cats vomit in places where either you narrowly miss stepping in it ("Whew! That was close!") or BULLS-EYE?
Will two lemons supply enough electrical charge to light a flashlight bulb?
How can I make it easier for busy families (and fifth graders) to display their Heart writing?
Is the girl who fell at Skate City and hurt her wrist OK?
Will my mom and dad share stories for the Heart map that are embarrassing?

What is Close to Mr. Reiner's Heart:

2007-02-22T10:12:00.000-07:00

Cheetos
Ties from former students
My children and wife
My brothers and sister
Thumbs
The students in my class
Past graduates of our classroom (alumni)
Sweets (especially chocolate)
Loaned technology (Document camera, SMART Board, LCD projector)
Rock 'n Roll
Students demonstrating compassion and caring
Teaching
Social Studies
Creativity
(to be continued)

WEATHER BALLOON LANDS AT SCHOOL!

2007-01-26T17:04:00.000-07:00

The fifth grade teachers were excited to discover a deflated weather balloon snagged on the side of our building this morning when we arrived!

After we tugged it loose from the gutter, we hauled it inside to explore. I will post additional images when I have more time next week.

Our plan is to send the box back to the NOAA with a letter inside that asks a few questions about the balloon and the data that it was recording. We hope that they have time to respond!

One student was so curious about the deflated balloon this afternoon that he checked out a book from our school library to learn more.

He discovered that weather balloons can travel up to twenty miles above the surface of our planet, which means that we touched an object that went higher than some airplanes!

What a thrill!

Sea Horse Cookie

2007-01-24T14:22:00.000-07:00

"Hi Daddy! I saved the last cookie for you!"

(You probably remember the story that I told you yesterday about my experience with my daughter's digestive system two nights ago. If you don't remember that story, I bet you remember how haggard I looked yesterday during class!)

The lights blazed on in the cave until about 5:30 PM yesterday. The brown-haired giant stooped over the computer, the light from the screen etching deep lines into the wrinkles of his forehead.

Staccato bleeps of the classroom phone ripped through the silence.

"What's your plan for tonight?" Asked Princess Michelle.
"I'm leaving now," grumbled the giant.

By the time that the giant unlocked the door to his castle, everyone was already slobbering through their chicken disks, poor mashed toes, and yellow teeth.

The giant slid into his chair at the table after he kissed the heads of everyone seated.

"You know those Seahorse cookies that I made at Gramma's house?"
(SJ had carefully placed ten cinnamon redhots on half of the cookies that he baked over the weekend.)

"Well, I saved the last one for you! You can have it"

THE CELERY STALKS AT MIDNIGHT!

2007-01-19T16:44:00.000-07:00

After everyone left and I finished visiting with a former student (he played one of the soldiers in the Boston Massacre movie that we watched together), I had a chance to set up a demonstration of what we read about plants earlier this week.

We read in our science textbook that plants pull water from their roots, up the stem, and to the leaves through tiny tubes. The tubes are so small that the water is actually pulled through the tubes! This action is called capillary action, and we'll discuss capillaries in more detail later when we talk about the circulatory system.

Anyway, I followed the procedure (and learned a little more about a famous Indian scientist named Jagadis Chandra Bose) for a demonstration of capillary action that we'll see on Monday. If you are interested in trying the demonstration out at home (and being able to predict what the class will see before Monday), please follow this link:

http://www.scienceyear.com/outthere/index.html?page=/outthere/primary/bose.html

I have placed six pieces of celery (three with leaves, three without) in colored water (morado, azul, y rojo). Two leafy celery pieces have been bisected vertically (up to the leaves), and one has been cut enough that the bottom of the stalk is submerged in each color. What do you think will happen to the leafy celery? What about the other stalks that are placed in each color but have no leaves?

Sorry about the off-center images!

Thank you BOO! Writer and family for donating the celery!

FIRST SHOTS ARE FIRED!

2007-01-17T09:35:00.000-07:00

We are working on summary paragraphs across all subject areas today. Here is our American History example for today:

In chapter 11 of our social studies textbook, it describes how the Revolutionary War began. The colonists were angry about paying the Stamp Act and Townshend Act taxes, so they boycotted British goods. As a result, King George III shut down Boston Harbor. The colonists and British soldiers clashed at what later became knows as the Boston Massacre. The colonists then fired shots at the "lobsterbacks" at Lexington and Concord.

On a different note: Five students have been selected to record their homework responses using Sound Recorder. I will then post their work on our web portal under the Social Studies tab. The world will be able to listen by Friday of this week.

Hooray for MLK!

2007-01-14T01:24:00.000-07:00

I cannot pay enough respect to our nation's civil rights leaders for the personal sacrifices that they made (and still continue to make) to ensure that our individual rights are protected by the United States Constitution. Without them consistently standing up for what they believe is right, I may not have had the freedom to write about this topic today!

If you would like more information about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, please go to the following website for an imaged timeline of Dr. King's life: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/mlk/king/photogallery.html

For articles, and recorded speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., please click on the following hyperlink:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/mlk/king/speeches.html

If you would like to read featured stories of regular people (not only famous people let their voices be heard!) who have lived through history and have actually taken part in the ongoing struggle for civil rights, please go to
http://www.voicesofcivilrights.org/voices.html

A belief is a conviction about something that is always true. Do you or your family have any strong beliefs? If so, what are they? Why are they so important to you or your family that no one can change them? Please respond in one paragraph by Friday.

First Official Comment!

2007-01-12T07:19:00.000-07:00

Congratulations CA! I believe that you are the first student at our school to leave a comment on a Blog!

You have also completed my challenge correctly. Way to go!

When I first set up our Creative Climate blog, I made sure that all comments would be e-mailed to me before they are posted (which is called moderating the comments). When you leave a comment, an e-mail is sent to me about the post, what the comment is, and who left it. Then, I will give "permission" to the comment to be posted on Creative Climate (C.C.).

In order to keep each of your identities safe, I will not post any comments if it includes your name on C.C. If you get permission from your parents to leave a comment, and you sign up with your name, your name will automatically appear when your comment is sent to me.

Please speak to me directly if you have questions, or need more information.

Jeopardy!

2007-01-10T09:41:00.000-07:00

Team five does a fantastic job today playing it! I knew that it seems strange, but I bet they were taken risks.

FHP: Recopy the following sentence with the essential changes that need to be made by this Friday. All errors must be caught in order to receive FHP.

Book Report Ideas

2007-01-08T15:23:00.000-07:00

The image here was taken on our first day of school in 2007. Look how high the pile of snow is compared to the Jeep in our parking glot!

Are you stuck for literature ideas for your book report? Here are some suggestions by genre:

Science Fiction

Aliens Ate My Homework by Bruce Coville

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
The White Mountains and its sequels by John Christopher
A Wrinkle in Time and its sequels by Madeleine L'Engle
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien

Humorous

Jerry Spinelli

Hank Zipzer

Louis Sachar

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

Double Fudge by Judy Blume

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren

Fantasy

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe from the Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis

Remember: These book titles are ideas, not orders (you can thank the United States Constitution for that)!

Since these books are classics you might find them in a bookcase in your house, so be sure to check there first!

Scrabble

2007-01-03T19:01:00.000-07:00

pilates
glib
up
zip
toxic
fourscore
gain
again
clam
boom
jump

(and others I can't remember)

until 1:00 AM or work the next day

Waffle Pretzels

2006-12-31T11:17:00.000-07:00

Salted,
Crunchy brown bark,
Multiple air squares
dipped in sweet darkness,
but sometimes in deli mustard

Handfuls.

Chopper Hopper

2006-12-28T14:15:00.000-07:00

Jackson is now officially a chopper hopper. At first his lip quivered when he swung his leg over the magnetized saddle mounted to the back fender of his Papa's chopper, but after feeling the breeze in his face, he was shouting YEEHAW just like old times when he roared past us.

2006-12-20T19:55:00.000-07:00

December 20, 2006

Dear Journal,

When the snowflakes begin to fall this time of year, I usually wake up early enough to not only rouse the rooster from his sleep, but brush his beak, get him dressed, and fix him breakfast. In other words, I always try to to beat the other commuters coming in to work through the snow by leaving early.

About one-half of an inch of snow was twirling around on the sidewalks when I left Reiner Central. By the time that I passed Arapahoe High School, I was fish-tailing in my truck more than a freshly-netted rainbow trout.

No one had bothered to wake the school up when I got there. The usual group of three SUV (Sport Utility Vehicles) were missing and the school was totally empty. No hall lights, no groggy Eagle's Nesters sagging over books or games, no hum of the PE vacuum rowing columns of cleanliness.

L.A. still slumbered away under an ever-increasing blanket of snow.

It could only mean only one thing:

SNOW DAY!

Best Paragraph

2006-12-19T10:08:00.001-07:00

Today we are spending thirty minutes writing our Best Paragraph. In fifth grade, only the best paragraphs are pre-planned, have topic sentences that are indented, have one main idea, details that support the main idea, and have a conclusion. In our classroom we are practicing revising our lead to pull the reader in, changing our verbs to be more active/specific and examining our conclusion to make sure that it restates the main idea or topic of our paragraph. WILL I SEE THE EVIDENCE!? I hope so! I can't wait to read what our class of fantastic fifth graders can do!

Colonial Day

2006-12-15T07:10:00.001-07:00

AAAAAAAAWWWWWWWW man! I wish that I could be there for Colonial Day!

After all of the notes, summaries, United Streaming videos, Book Club readings, research and scrapbooking assignments, I hope that you are prepared for the time-warp that each of you will experience today.

Based on what I've learned about Colonial period in American History, you're in for a rough ride! From hauling wood to keep the schoolhouse warm, to paying taxes to King George III's Royal Representative on goods that are sold in your colonial store, the colonists faced obstacles that will test the patience and guidance of even the best leaders in our classroom.

Nathaniel Hale will take over for me until about 2:30 PM today, when you are scheduled to warp back to the 21st century. You'll need to demonstrate the same amount of caring and respect for him that you show to each other and the other adults in our building. What he says, goes! Remember that he is an educator, not a tax collector in real life!

I'll miss seeing how each of you react to what Nathaniel Hale has in store for you!