A Milestone (in Perspective) Celebrated

Hoot! We have had over 25 000 visitors to our blog! It must be true because our ClustrMap says so.

Well, maybe. I think we can agree that  just because a car passes your house and the passengers look at your front door that doesn’t mean they have visited you. A lot of “site seeing” goes on while people are looking around online. Sometimes people come back for a second look, but many just drive by. And then there are spammers who come to leave digital crumbs so we will buy their handbags or shoes. So while the milestone of 25 000 visitors sounds substantial, it is important to have perspective on it.

A Question

So I ask: do the dots on the map distract us from our real purpose of reading, writing, thinking, and connecting? Are we too mesmerized by the maps, like crazy collectors? If so, how do we switch our focus back to what matters?

We are grateful to readers. We love the visitors who arrive, look around, READ, and perhaps leave a thoughtful comment. Our goal is to connect with others and to create blog posts that are worthy of their time.

Celebrating With a  RrrAWRRRR!

One class we are (re)connecting with is the Pirates of Rm 162 and their teacher Mr. Miller. Last year they sent the Huzzahnian Dragon, a geocaching travel bug our way and we tracked it as it travelled from California to the eastern United States and on to our own back yard. He waited in our room for the right moment, and a milestone day seemed like the right moment to send him home.

On the Hunt

Seeking the Cache

The brave Huzzahnians remembered exactly where the geocache was from last year hunted high and low for the location of the geocache.  We walked into the woods trekked over arduous terrain over a light skim of snow through a raging blizzard to get to the hidden treasure. Keen eyes noticed that the cache was exposed spotted the cleverly disguised geocache. We logged our visit in the log book performed a ritual dance dressed in feathers and furs to appease the forest trolls and then headed back for Music class began the onerous journey back home. What a day!

The Deep, Mysterious Woods, temporary home to the Huzzahnian Dragon

Friends, Romans, Huzzahnians–

–Lend me your thoughts: go back to the question I asked–does the ClustrMap distract us? Motivate us? Give a false sense of audience?

And if you have something to say about geocaching–well, say that too!

 

14 comments

  1. I think a sense of audience is important, and yes, I am sure folks (like me) wander in and out of your space, sometimes leaving comments. Sometimes, not. That’s the way of the wired world, I think. But I appreciate your posts and activities.
    Kevin

    1. Hi Kevin, thanks for stopping by– I have been following your work for quite a long time. Yes, there is a lot of dipping in and out. I find the wanderer’s path leads me to many surprises–though sometimes it just wandering. I have to remind myself to stop, read deeply, reflect, and respond, otherwise I am just wasting time.
      Take care, Jan

  2. Hi mrs.Smith!

    Congratulations! I haven’t been blogging lately, but I’m going to start adding some more season related posts. I have been so lazy lately, but I’m back in the game! Feel free to come back and visit my blog sometime soon!

    -Laina

    1. How wonderful to hear from you, Laina–which blog will you be activating–I know you have more than one. Looking forward to more of your fabulous writing. Big hugs, Ms. Smith

      1. Hi! It’s been rather busy for me over the holidays, but I have been keeping up with Huzzah! I will be active in my original blog-Caution ***Sarcasm In Use***.

        Talk to you again soon!

  3. Hi, i have a blog to only im in Alberta not bc, Your guys field trip sounds funner then ours was I mean finding treasure way better then looking at a musium. One quick question did you guys find any treasure?

    1. Hi Josie, yes we did, but we left most of it there. We put in the travel bug and took out a little car. I find there is a lot of cool treasures in museums–and more and more museums let you touch things. Thanks for writing!

  4. Such an awe inspiring post. I like the ClustrMap–the kid in me gets excited to see that my blog has been accessed for whatever reason by others and especially those from other countries. I show it to my students as I introduce them to blogging and it excites them to want to put it on their blogs to see if anyone other than their classmates is looking at their blogs. If your class ever needs to comment on student blogs, please visit my site and invite them to comment on my students’ blogs. They are fourth graders. Their attempt at blogging is still a work in progress.

    1. Hi Mrs. McGhee, there is always that little surge of excitement when you receive a comment, especially if you have put a lot of effort into a post. I encourage students to reply on their blogs to any comment they receive, and if the writer has left a url to go back to that blog, read thoughtfully and leave an encouraging comment. We will endeavour to stop by your young blogs. We are all a work in progress. 🙂

  5. Dear Ms Smith,

    As a frequent visitor to Huzzah! I just wanted to say to you and your bloggers that I am really impressed. After a few visits I was convinced blogging would be a good idea for my students (grades 9-12) at secondary school in Apeldoorn, The Netherlands. But since blogging is not well known here, I actually need to convince the board of directors. I would like to show them Huzzah! as an example, if that is ok with you and your Huzzahnians. Have a great week! Kind regards,
    Victor Honig – ESL teacher – Apeldoorn, The Netherlands

    1. Thank you kindly, Victor. I wish you and your students well. The good news for you as you “plead your case” is that their are people blogging successfully with students all around the world. It is a great way to practice written communication. Thank again for visiting,
      Jan

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