It's Been One of Those Months
I know it doesn't seem like it these days, but I really do try to blog periodically just to set a good example (and sometimes to blow off some steam). These past few weeks, however, have been insanely busy both at school and at home, and I find that I don't have time to write my own blog after reading all of yours. But today, while my students are working on their research papers, I'll try to cobble together something that makes sense and has a point...or two.
I should tell you that it was actually your blogs that inspired me to finally get back to this. First, Border Walker wrote this blog that, while I can see why he warned the easily offended not to read on, I thought was rather gutsy. Does this mean that I agree with everything he said? No. But it does take a certain amount of courage to be critical to your friends, and I am glad that he has collected some comments to this effect at the bottom of that post. There was one line of his that I wanted to address specifically: "Life SUCKS, get over it." I understand that Border Walker is just making a point about how life can sometimes seem small and mean and unfair, but there is another side to it. (Also, it's a comma splice.) Through writing we often discover the purpose that gives our life meaning. So here's my take on it: Even though blogs around the world are famous for the sheer amount of "bad" writing they produce, they are still an avenue for practicing the craft. And that, friends and neighbors, is why I make you blog. You improve through practice, and with writing you will find that those who improve the most are the ones who are their own most critical editors. I'm glad that those of you who bother to post comments to your classmates' blogs try to be positive and supportive (even when the writing isn't great) because this encourages people to keep working at it. You can see how critical (and cruel) some comments become if you look at blogs and discussion boards outside of our virtual classroom, and that isn't the sort of thing that will help a writer improve. So thanks, BW, for saying what many of us were thinking, but Write On! All of you!
Another recent blog that I quite enjoyed was the one Guitar Chick wrote about her family. Because I have known her older brother "Bill" since he was an eighth grader, it was fun for me to hear some more about the rest of her family. But the next day I ran into her before school and asked her to change all the names and identifying information because I want to make sure that our blogs maintain our privacy. This might be a good time to see if you are being safe online. Remember that when writing your blog (or anything else that will appear on the Internet where practically anyone with a computer will be able to see it), you should take the following precautions:
I know that you may not see me out here in cyberspace, but I am checking in regularly on what you are writing about, and I genuinely enjoy seeing what you have to say. "See" you soon!
I should tell you that it was actually your blogs that inspired me to finally get back to this. First, Border Walker wrote this blog that, while I can see why he warned the easily offended not to read on, I thought was rather gutsy. Does this mean that I agree with everything he said? No. But it does take a certain amount of courage to be critical to your friends, and I am glad that he has collected some comments to this effect at the bottom of that post. There was one line of his that I wanted to address specifically: "Life SUCKS, get over it." I understand that Border Walker is just making a point about how life can sometimes seem small and mean and unfair, but there is another side to it. (Also, it's a comma splice.) Through writing we often discover the purpose that gives our life meaning. So here's my take on it: Even though blogs around the world are famous for the sheer amount of "bad" writing they produce, they are still an avenue for practicing the craft. And that, friends and neighbors, is why I make you blog. You improve through practice, and with writing you will find that those who improve the most are the ones who are their own most critical editors. I'm glad that those of you who bother to post comments to your classmates' blogs try to be positive and supportive (even when the writing isn't great) because this encourages people to keep working at it. You can see how critical (and cruel) some comments become if you look at blogs and discussion boards outside of our virtual classroom, and that isn't the sort of thing that will help a writer improve. So thanks, BW, for saying what many of us were thinking, but Write On! All of you!
Another recent blog that I quite enjoyed was the one Guitar Chick wrote about her family. Because I have known her older brother "Bill" since he was an eighth grader, it was fun for me to hear some more about the rest of her family. But the next day I ran into her before school and asked her to change all the names and identifying information because I want to make sure that our blogs maintain our privacy. This might be a good time to see if you are being safe online. Remember that when writing your blog (or anything else that will appear on the Internet where practically anyone with a computer will be able to see it), you should take the following precautions:
- Protect your privacy and the privacy of your friends and family.
- Don't post any information that could be used to identify you to random strangers that happen across your work. This means...
- ...don't use your real name.
- ...don't use the real names of friends or family...or, for that matter, of anyone in your school or neighborhood.
- ...don't say where you are from or the name of your school.
- ...don't publish your phone number, address, MySpace location, etc.
- ...don't post pictures of yourself or of anyone you know with other identifying information.
- ...don't use real names when you post comments to your friends' work.
What you post online stays online...forever! Don't write anything that may come back to haunt you. This means...
- ...don't post anything you wouldn't want your parents to see.
- ...don't write anything in the virtual world that you wouldn't say in the real world.
- ...don't post angry comments or nasty remarks in the heat of the moment.
- ...don't try to "outdo" other bloggers.
Finally, use the safety and privacy features built in to your blog and e-mail programs; interact online only with people you know and trust; guard your passwords carefully.
Happy blogging!
I know that you may not see me out here in cyberspace, but I am checking in regularly on what you are writing about, and I genuinely enjoy seeing what you have to say. "See" you soon!
posted by MRT at 9:54 AM
6 Comments:
Hey, those tips were a great reminder. I often find myself accidently using family names and having to go back and edit it later. It was good to see another blog of yours. I also often get stuck on what to blog, so I look at others to get some inspiration. Espeacially yours, seeing as your the one that started this blogging "thing".
Yes, thanks for the reminder to keep everything private, even though sometimes it does require me to conjure up strange names. LOL
I was wondering how you managed to read through everyone else's blog AND write your own, along with school work and such, but I guess you're just really busy :D
Hey, Mr. Thompson!
How is this year's Honors class going? Are they as fabulous as we were? I've missed coming to visit you this year - I haven't actually made it down to FFJH once so far. I have my little sister delivering things and saying hi to people for me (she says she's scared of you. I'm trying to convince her otherwise.), but I haven't actually had time to come down myself yet. Look for her around the school - she looks like me except an inch or two shorter, questionabler fashion sense and significantly less curvy. Her name is Christy. ^.^
Anyway, I found this fabulous thing online today that I just HAD to share. http://www.freerice.com/index.php is an online vocabulary exercise with lots of variety to its difficulty level and word choice. It's a great way to stretch yourself and expand your vocabulary...but there's a better part.
For every question you correctly answer, the website donates 10 grains of rice to hungry people in foreign countries. I'm not sure how they do this, but it involves advertising and United Nations backing.
In 20 minutes of clicking on words in between doing other things, I "earned" over 600 grains of rice.
Don't you think something like this would make a fabulous assignment for Honors (or regular) English?? 45 minutes in the computer lab during class could generate a lot of rice if everyone was doing it. :D
Anyway, check it out. It's pretty darned nifty.
Muchos love is sent in your direction!
-Patti
(I meant to send this to you as an email, but I lost your non-school email in my computer crash and the DSDmail thing won't let me email you things with links in it. Boo.)
Monsieur, you have not written a blog for quite awhile now!
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think that it's really cool that you read our blogs! You probably know your students better than any teacher in the school. I don’t know how you manage running a class, reading blogs, and teaching. I thought I was busy!
How did you come up with the idea of creating blogs? It’s really fun to write those blogs! I never really realized that I was a pretty good at writer until I started typing up all of those stories! I think it’s absolutely amazing to see all of those positive comments from other students on my blog!
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