Blog Action Day: Poverty


Today bloggers around the world are thinking about and writing about poverty.

The first video above by the band Radiohead is a powerful reminder that people’s lives are affected by many things they can’t control, including the circumstances they are born into.

For blog action day, choose one of these activities:

  • write your response to one of these videos: what did it make you feel and think, and what do you think we should do as a class or individuals?
  • think about the title “All I Need”. What does a person need to have a “good” life? Do some people have too much of some things, and not enough of others?
  • the video The Girl Effect focuses on one aspect of poverty.  What are the consequences of the Girl Effect for boys? For communities?
  • you may have heard the phrase “Think globally, act locally”. What local actions can we do together to make a difference when it comes to poverty?
  • think about our Water Wise public service announcements. What is the link between poverty and access to clean water?

Post your responses on your own blogs. I look forward to reading your thoughts and ideas. There are other links on Miss Wyatt’s site. I know other student bloggers will be writing about poverty. Take time to read and respond to their ideas, too.

Match-Making

We get by with a little help from our friends…

Miss Sue Wyatt teaches in Tasmania, Australia and is the heart and energy behind the Student Blogging Competition. (It’s more of a blog challenge with weekly ideas on how to read, write, and connect between student bloggers around the world, with a bit of recognition thrown in.) At last count there were over 500 students from 9 countries taking part.

Miss Wyatt has visited many of our student blogs and left comments, then wrote the post below, titled Have you visited..? She has listed just some of the things students have in common. Because she linked to your blog, many of you will notice a pingback in your blog comments.  As a blogger you too will begin to notice new connections and common interests every time you read a new blog.

I am reading 100’s of posts each week and am finding out the interests of many of our students bloggers.  Remember we also have some student blogs attached to class blogs.  So I wonder have you visited any of these students from Canadian and New Zealand classes?

Soccer fanatics – Michael, Nicholas,  Goooglyeyes

Car fanatics – Blake,  Boyd,  Dude,  Ryan,  Jack

Singing and dancing – Chelsea, Becca

Music – Devan,  Haley,  Max,  Hawaiiangirl,  Natasha,  Millie,  Tayla

Animals – Brittany,  Conner,  Babybash,  Butter, Candy, Lilmspiggy

Swimming – Sam,  Sophie

Video games – Daniel,  Kris,  Michael,  Riderboy

Skateboarding – Brayden, Freak

Food – Brianne

Outdoors – Daniel

Other Sports – Dominic,  Hayden,  Julian,  BlueJaysRule,  Caveman,  Crosby,  Fluffyman,  MrT,  Travelgirl,  Unit 666,  Alex

Space – Jacob

Sleeping – Mitchell

Shopping and friends – Babyboo, Pretty princess

Take time to visit blogs and leave comments. Respond to bloggers who take the time to leave a note on your blog. Their name or avatar will link right back to their site.

And if you find a blogger who shares an interest with a classmate, let them know!

image: Temple Frogs by tanakawho Creative Commons license

That’s so…Random!

Here’s a Division 16 mash-up (mixture) of 2 x 7 random facts. For those who know us, can you guess which fact belongs to which student? And for guests, start reading the student blogs (on the right) to find out more about us!

  • I’ve petted a beluga whale.
  • I know how to speak a little bit of Thai and French.
  • My grandfather toured with Elvis Presley for 3 years.
  • I have tasted octopus and it was good.
  • I have never been sent to a school office for misbehaving
  • I like to look at catalogs
  • I have met the governor general of Canada.
  • I never wear hats unless I’m told.
  • I like Cinnamon Dolce Lattes from Starbucks.
  • A monkey held my finger in a zoo in Germany.
  • I can skip rope for one hour and a half without water, and without stopping for breaks.
  • I am very hyper.
  • I prefer pesto on my pizza instead of tomato sauce.
  • I have been to Mexico 6 times.

Facing Forward

We finished our self-portraits!

We are a pretty fine looking crew, don’t you think? Not every student portrait is represented in this mosaic, but I will up-date this image as the last few are handed in.

These were our first self-portraits, and it’s an exercise we will repeat. Many artists, from Rembrandt to van Gogh painted their portraits again and again throughout their lives. They were able to capture the physical changes in their faces and some subtle qualities of their personalities, too.

Congratulations, Division 16 artists! You did a terrific job. Looking at your portrait, do you feel it is a good representation of you? As you think ahead to doing another portrait in a few months, what will you do differently? What will you do the same?

7 Random Facts About Ms. Smith

Leave nothing to chance!

On a couple of blogs we’ve visited (most recently Mrs. Markwart’s Grade 6-7 class and Mr. Crosby’s Grade 6 class), we’ve seen references to a post project called 7 Random Facts.

Hayden looked up the meaning of random for us: it means lacking a plan or depending on chance. But in blogging it’s not wise to rely on chance in keeping your identity safe. Take a look at my random facts below. In combination, they tell a lot about my life, but those facts don’t identify who I am, precisely where I live, when and where I do activities, or give that information about my friends or family.

So here are my 7 Random Facts:

  1. I am the eldest daughter of an eldest daughter of an eldest daughter (and my only daughter is also the eldest!)
  2. I am learning Tai Chi and how to drum on a djembe.
  3. I have sailed around the world in a tall ship.
  4. I didn’t have any pets as a child, but now we have a dog named Luke.
  5. My favourite place in the world is Fernando de Noronha, an island off Brazil.
  6. I repeated Grade One, and didn’t learn to read until Grade Three.
  7. I can say “Your baby is beautiful!” in Swahili.

Your task:

Write your own 7 Random Facts. As you write your own, think about covering a broad range of facts that your close friends and family would know about, but that don’t give away too much about you.You are writing a quality post, so as usual, proofread and get a second pair of eyes to review your work.

Finally…

After you have written and posted yours, visit and comment on the 7 Random Facts of other Division 16 bloggers (notice surprises and connections), then visit the blogs linked above–I bet you’ll find other bloggers whose random facts are similar to your own!

Image: Seven about to happen three different ways by fd  Creative Commons license

(Almost) Ready for Prime Time

We have connected.

Having started conversations via commenting with people in other countries as well as in our own, we really want to get our student blogs launched. The Student Blogging Challenge started by Tasmanian teacher Miss Wyatt has given us inspiration and ideas to get us going. We have a bit more learning to do (this is especially true of me as a teacher) before we can plug in completely.

The energy source.

Probably the biggest incentive for bloggers is their audience. When we take a look at this blog each day, the first thing we do is look at our ClustrMap. Watching the dots pop up as people visit us is a such a thrill. Then seeing the names of other communities and flags of other countries roll past on Feedjit gives us another boost. But comments–WoW! Comments really charge us up.

What’s holding us back?

There is the wonderful distraction of Tribune Bay Outdoor Education Center where we will be camping for three days next week. We have been getting prepared, which takes time, of course. But we’ll have stories to tell about our adventures when we return, and we will blog them, of course.

If you comment and we don’t respond, check back after October 1st.

So be patient with us: our student blogs are coming soon.

In the mean time Division 16…

Take a look at the participants list here, and continue READING and commenting. Remember to save your comments in a Word document.

And get some good sleep before camp!

Image by ChrisB in Sea under a Creative Commons license

What are you all ABOUT?

Readers arrive with questions:

Who is this writer? What are his interests? What is her personality like? Do we have anything in common?

Your “About” page might just be the first place a reader goes to find out.

Your blog is a reflection of your personality.

Miss Wyatt’s post gives some directions and examples of ways to write your “About” page. We have already reviewed the advice to be “internet savy” by making wise decisions about our writing and blog content.

Your “About” page shows your voice: who and what you feel strongly about, your sense of humour, your passion and compassion–what drives you.

Look at the draft of your “About” page. What one word most captures who you are?

Image: Questions by oberazzi,  Creative Commons license.