November 29, 2015

Stuffed and Ready to Roll

Welcome back from your break!  I hope you didn't eat too much pumpkin pie!!!  You've had plenty of time to come back from your "turkey coma."   Did you watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade?  It has been around for a very long time.  Check out this information about the famous parade.

This week you will finish editing your first blog post, add an image, and publish it.  Once you have completed this process, you will print a copy of it and attach it to the rubric.  I will take these and in the next couple of weeks get them back to you with a grade and feedback.  Once your blog is uploaded, you will probably want to make some changes to your blog design.  Please take the time I give you to make those adjustments.

The next part of the blog process is to complete your Blogger profile.  You have an assignment awaiting your in Google Classroom.  You will use the Blogger Profile Template and the resource, "Adding About Me to Blogger."  

  ~Mrs. White :)
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November 24, 2015

Have a Great Break!

This post and week are a short one.  We didn't get all of our blogs published, so that is where we will start next week.  One of your peers has asked we to share this survey with you.  Please take a moment and give it your best effort; survey link.

Have a super Thanksgiving Break!  Travel safely and don't stuff yourselves too much!!
  ~Mrs. White :)

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November 17, 2015

While I Am Out.....

Today you will be in the very capable hands of Mrs. Diggins.  She should have instructed you all to read my blog post before doing anything else.  Whether this is class number one or two, you will work on the second draft of your blog during the second half of class.  My "Wednesday/Friday" kiddos will work on your Mobile Learning Assessment Study Guide during the first half of class.  Mrs. Diggins will go over this with you to be sure you have the correct answers to study for your test on Friday.  My "Monday/Wednesday" kiddos (a.k.a. ILT #3) will start off class with a Kahoot review, and then turn to your iPads, go to your Google Classroom app, and get the link for your assessment which you will take on your iPads.  Please take your time and do your best.  Read the assignment and instructions carefully before beginning.
During the second half of this class you will create the second draft of your first blog post. This time it will be digital.   Mrs. Diggins will give you back your first draft with my feedback.  You will open your Google Drive, create a new doc, title it "First Blog Post," and begin keyboarding your second draft.  This should take you the rest of your class time.  Please take the time you have been given to make changes to your first draft and use the resources I shared with you last week.  They can be found in your Workstation Resource Folders.  Before starting, please take a look at the general comments and observations I have shared below.

My Reflections on Your First Drafts
Overall, these were the BEST first drafts I have ever seen!!!  I am very impressed.  I do have some observations I would like to share with you.  Many of you are using very simply structured sentences; subject-predicate.  Please try to vary your sentences to make your post more interesting to read.  Many of you are asking for comments and feedback.  You are not wording your requests properly.  You do not want or need to bring up the quality of your reader's comments.  Don't predict they will make rude or inappropriate comments.  We will address this if it happens.  Try asking for feedback in this way,  "I welcome and appreciate feedback.  Please feel free to comment below."  You are not making blogs, but writing posts. Please be sure to check your blogging guidelines.  Many of you are not using correct grammar and spelling.  Frequent offenders:  "going to" is correct, "gonna" is not.  Got it?!!   One last thought.  Many of you ended your posts abruptly.  I would like you to try to think of a "sign off" you will use at the end of each of your posts. Kind of like your "signature move."   Try to think of something fun and interesting you would say naturally.  You have plenty of time to experiment before locking in your "sign off."
Yesterday Google Drive was acting up in both Firefox and Chrome.  If you are unable to load your Drive in one browser, try another.  You also have the option of keyboarding the second draft of your post on your iPads.  Please work hard, take the time to think, and get the job done.  We have a deadline!!!
See you next class!!   ~Mrs. White :)

November 16, 2015

It's Time for an Assessment....Oh yes!!

It hardly seems possible that Thanksgiving is in less than two weeks.  YIKES!!!!  Could someone please slow down the calendar?!!!  When do you think we will see our first snowfall?  Has it ever snowed this early before?  Check out this NY Times article from a few years back.  I'm afraid to mention the word "snow" around some people.  The thought of it makes many angry. I really enjoy the white fluffy stuff.  Oh well, we will just wait and see what Mother Nature has in store for us.

This week you will be very busy.  You will get a study guide during class one to help you prepare for the assessment you will take during class two.  This assessment will cover our iPad rules and expectations.  You will also have the opportunity to review before the test with a Kahoot.  (Yes, I heard those cheers!!)  Once you have finished your test, you will work on the revisions of your blog post.  You should be able to upload and publish this post before we leave for Thanksgiving.  Keep your fingers crossed!!

What will we do in class one you ask?  I will review the process for finding, saving, and citing images.  You will have plenty of practice opportunities for this skill.  You will need to "own" this for the rest of the year.
Hope you have a great week!
  ~Mrs. White :)

November 8, 2015

Getting Started

We will not be in school on Wednesday this week.  Do you know why?  This Wednesday we will honor our nation's veterans. When did this day of remembrance begin?  Check out this website for some answers and information.  Please take a look at the way Cape Town Prepare for Veteran's Day.

This week you will start creating your blogs!!  I will take you through the steps of how to set up your blog and you will use this partial blog design rubric to help you after the initial set up.  You will not finish your design in one or two classes.  In fact, you will most likely be making changes on your blog for quite a while.  I will let you know when you need to lock it in.  During our second class this week, you will begin writing your first blog post.  You will be on the steps of the shallow end of the pool wearing "swimmies."  Your first post will be "paper."  Please check out this resource to get you started.  You can also find more resources on the Blogging Resources page of my blog. This will give me the opportunity to give you some written feedback before you share your first post with the world.  We will be pulling all of the pieces together.  I hope you are as excited as I am!!!

Happy Blogging!!!!

November 1, 2015

Blogging Guidelines

November is upon us, which means summer and its memories are fading away quickly.  There are some unusual "holidays" in this month.  Did you know November 2nd is Cookie Monster Day?  Or that November 3rd is National Sandwich Day?  Have you ever heard of Use Your Common Sense Day? Well that is on November 4th.  I am not kidding.  Of course there are some much better known holidays in this month.  What is your favorite November holiday?
I wonder if there is a National Blogging Day?  I will have to check that out and get back to you. Speaking of blogging.....Before we can get started creating our blogs and posting, it is important to know the guidelines; what you can and cannot do and what you can and cannot say.  You have been given the job of making sense out of the puzzle of the BPS Blogging Guidelines.  This assignment has been placed in Google Classroom.  You should have received an email from me about this assignment. You have everything you need to complete this assignment.  We will review your results at the end of class.
We will also take a look at some advanced search techniques you will need when you start your blogs.
Have a super week!!

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