The website Biblewalks has two great pages, one on Magdala and one on Arbela that, combined with the above pictures, give us a cool look at the actual places where our Bronze Bow takes place and especially the site of chapter 19′s excitement.
Week 6 of the student blogging challenge was to think and write about work, while week 7 took a breather for creativity.
I am lucky enough to get to have them both together.
I love being a teacher. It doesn’t feel like “work” most of the time. In my job, I’m supposed to be creative and then I get to watch my students’ creativity shine. And that’s really fun. I have incredible students- who both work hard and have incredible creative talents.
I thoroughly enjoyed checking their blogs these last couple weeks. I’ll highlight a few- although it’s hard to choose just a few!
Connor: I was blown away by his song! You’ve got to listen to it. Such a good example of all the different talents Connor has.
Olivia and Jonathon: I’ve known Olivia is quite the artist, but it was great to see her use the cool tool odosketch, and I love that she also used it for her current history project. I love that Jon did the clay statues for his history project and doubled them up for this week’s challenge. Creativity in work: excellent.
Shane: It was fun to watch him have fun drawing so well. The site he and others used was excellent and their drawings came out so well.
Natalie and Ilaria: These girls are perpetually creative and I love their blogs. I hope you’ll check them out. Scroll down and read the other entries, too.
Collin: Collin made an excellent presentation for his group’s history project. It is another good example of work and creativity together.
Alex: wrote a great storybird, thinking of it on his own- creativity about creativity 
.
Riley and Jeff : got us going on kerpoof! and it was great to see them working together and having fun with a new tool we hadn’t used together. They always make me laugh. And they always work hard. I love that. (Jeff’s blog got goofed up somehow but we are trying to fix it. And Riley just needs to get his week 7 post posted)
Matthew G. tried out the Isle of Tune and I’m so glad. He made a great song with this incredibly creative idea of a site. And Matthew got others trying it too.
Jane and Lev: Jane did a whole bunch of different things that all came out beautifully.It’s fun to watch the screenr of her Sponge Bob on artpad. Nice job, Jane. Lev also made a screenr of an artpad and I love how he used creativity to explain creativity- very creative .
If you visit the students’ blogs, you’ll notice that many of them have recent posts about ancient Greece. It has been really great to watch them, on a daily basis, using their creativity and knowledge to communicate their understanding through many different means. Their projects are strong and I’m proud of their hard work and creativity.
And finally this week, I’ll mention my own work/creativity combo which is a new page I’ve been working on that compiles different technological tools that can be used in the classroom. I’ve been helping other teachers at my school with this and so I’ve started this page as a resource. It is NOT finished, but it’s some of the work I’ve been doing to inspire creativity in the classroom. Technology.
This topic makes me sigh before we even start.
I always have such a difficult time keeping straight and then explaining to my students all the little extra steps needed to search correctly and safely, use only correctly licensed images, and then correctly include the attribution.
But it is very important and I have to say that the resources and explanations given here in the Week 5 Challenge are so helpful. We all used Larry Ferlazzo’s fantastic post on image sites, and we checked several of the different explanations Miss W. linked to in the challenge like inserting a gallery from Sue Waters. It was great to see the kids figuring out how easy and safe and inspiring it can be to do an appropriate, attributed image post. During class Liam was a big help circulating around to help classmates after he mastered the process and finished his post. And I heard many others explaining the steps to their neighbors and friends.
I decided to try the gallery route. It worked nicely for my own pictures: three that I took with my family last night at “our” beach.
I had trouble, though, getting the url to the flicker pictures added in a gallery format. The last one here is by Josh from Flicker’s Behold- but in the gallery I couldn’t get the link to stay correctly.
Inserting it straight into the post (below) however did work, with this one linking correctly to the flicker site where the picture can be found.
Sigh- and smile. Learning is good.
photo by josh
It was great to see students trying a variety of the different options given this week, all of which helped them understand and manage the important issue of attribution. It will be fun to check out the other blogs around the world.
This week’s challenge to go global was incredible: an incredible combination of connecting through technology, gathering information, and then communicating information and persuading action through writing.
Our classes did a tremendous job of all aspects. I’m very proud of all my students’ work and the character they display, but I thought I’d highlight a few- giving them accolades, but also furthering the spread of these brilliant organizations that are doing such important and life saving work around the world.
Colum did a nice job of working facts into his post, using a good balance of his own sentences that include quotes from the site, One Day’s Wages, which is linked just before. I also liked his use of a specific and real life example, followed by his personal response. He continues on to give more specific examples for the reader to think about and ends with the link again (which is excellent) and a moving video.
Malia chose to rearrange the suggested order of the post that we talked about in class, instead beginning with a series of provoking questions based on the facts she uncovered in her research. The effect is a very nice “hook” and a concise, informative, and persuasive post about a very worthy organization helping dire situations.
Collin’s blog is an excellent example of putting in extra effort and personally engaging in the message. I was inspired by the sincere and thoughtful way Collin communicated not only the dreadful situations facing millions of people around the world, but also analyzing how amazing our lives are in comparison. He wrote honestly in expressing that it is difficult for us even to try to imagine what life is like for so many others. And he challenged his readers to break out of our comfort zones and avoid excuses and get involved, giving specific examples of things people could do. Water.org
Eli wrote well and did a nice job of including images and links with his words to make a post that communicates clearly and effectively. I liked the way he used images and a video from the Charity: Water site to enhance his discussion of their work. He also used links well in including a link to the direct spot on their website for doing what he suggests (pledging your birthday to help bring clean water!)
Jonathon’s blog discussed Bible translation and the impact God’s word can have, which is something I especially enjoyed reading about. Jonathon does a nice job explaining how having the truth from the Bible in their own language can keep people going even in the face of difficulty. He also includes great quotes from a man and a Bible verse that the man found strength in.
I could go on and on explain what I like about each of our 6th grade blogs but suffice it to say that I hope readers will visit all and be as inspired to take action as I have been.
But lastly, I want to give credit to my own sweet mom who helped me come up with the tremendous list of links to organizations and people, blogs and websites, that are dedicated to serving our neighbors around the world who are in desperate need of our generosity and genuine involvement. My mom has dedicated her life to following God and sacrificially serving others. Her blog, called Grandma’s Letters From Africa, is based on her book about her experiences in Africa. 
I promised my students that I would write with them when we blog but I’ve neglected that somewhat during the challenge. So when I read the option this week to write about something we are particularly interested in, I decided I could combine my interest in photography with last week’s option of describing our place.
I love taking pictures. I take a lot. For me, taking pictures is a way of capturing the beauty of the moments, little and big, that blend together so easily to fill up days and then weeks and then months. Taking a picture helps me savor that particular moment. It helps me look with new eyes at things that might otherwise seem ordinary. It helps me be thankful. It helps me see God.
My place is particularly beautiful. So I am continually taking pictures of this area of mine. Some days I take detail pictures, while others I like expansive pictures. The pictures of course have trouble capturing completely the glimmers and the vastness, the sparkles in the rays of sun or the might and silence of the mountains. But they help and they speak in their own way. I put a few into an animoto to give you a look at my places. In their own way my pictures tell you about me and my place. Hope you’ll like them.
It’s time for our week three posts. You should have updated your profile to include your blog’s url (see my post below). Now it is time to post for the week. When you read the week 3 challenge, you’ll see that you have a couple options for your post. 
You can write about commenting, or something particular you are interested in. Collin wrote a very nice post giving some thoughtful explanations of commenting and the ideas and purposes behind it. Kerry made a nice looking prezi about commenting that she embedded in her blog. Nick, on the other hand, wrote about his interest in football, giving us a good example of this weeks’ option to write about an interest we have. He also adds the nice touch of a question at the end to encourage comments. Remember that including an image or specific examples (even screen shots!) can help engage your readers. Don’t forget to include a link to this week’s challenge on the blog and any blogs/sites you mention. And remember to always be positive, specific and complete.
I’m looking forward to reading your posts this week and hearing about the posts of student blogs you check. Have fun!
Two weeks under our belts now with our blogging challenge! This week Ilaria and Carly got mentioned AGAIN!! Way to go, girls! And Hannah made it this week too! Very exciting. I continue to be impressed by ALL of your blogs and work and am excited to see your connections and comments grow. There are some quality comments starting to come into your blogs so make sure you are checking your comments, reading them carefully and then responding. This is also right in line with our week 3 challenge.
For the week three challenge the first thing I want you to do is update your profile- which is one of the first suggestions you’ll read on this week’s post. I made a little video about this task using screenr and skitch, both of which I learned about at the technology conference last week. This video isn’t as smooth as it could be but it’s my first try and it should still be helpful for you in making sure your profile is updated with your url. You can watch it below.
I will follow this post with some more specifics on commenting which is what we will focus on next in this third challenge. Once again, I want you to know how proud I am of all of your work on your blogs. Keep up your excellence and creativity!
“…now he saw the familiar wide river beside the path differently. He saw all of the light and color and history it contained and carried in its slow-moving water; and he knew that there was an Elsewhere from which it came, and an Elsewhere to which it was going.” (page 131, chapter 17)
This is the quote Lois Lowry uses to describe her novel The Giver in her Newbery Award acceptance speech. This quote in many ways captures the essence of Jonas’ growth throughout the novel and it also falls right in line with our new blogging challenge.
Jonas learns that we all have come from somewhere, from unique people with individual circumstances and relationships that shaped them and therefore shape us as well. And we all likewise, shape and influence those around us. We are like that river flowing through the community with a vast array of influences that spill into us, and different terrain we traverse: A river that flows on being affected and affecting.
What I want you to do for your first blog challenge is think about the different factors that have fed into your life:
What are the memories and experiences of the people in your life that shaped them and therefore shape you?
What are the experiences you are making today? The colors, wisdom, emotion, music, people, etc…
And finally what are you going to take with you as your river of life flows forward. You don’t know for sure what your future holds, but what will you hold on to from now and before now as you go forward?
Below you’ll read mine- it’s too long, but I love writing along side you!
The theme of a literary work is often communicated through lessons that the protagonist learns. In The Giver, Jonas learns that life is not “just us, just now (pg. 78).” He realizes that life is a compilation of all the colors and experiences not only of his own life, but of all those that have come before him, and it flows over to those who surround and follow him. The Giver teaches that all of our lives are like a rivers, continuing from what came before and going on to influence those who will follow. My life is like a river too. I am from the shapes and colors of all who came before me and I will continue on flowing far beyond, into the lives of all who follow.
I am from MacDermids, Taymouth Castle and Kilin, families strong, devoted, honest. I am a Thomas from Wales, a great-grandpa with a yellow house near a park who wanted to curl my little girl hair. I am from the Jennings and the Dennys, pioneers, stoic, proper, hand sewn, jelly beans in a crystal bowl. I am from the prayers of my mother, from the prayers of her mother who dedicated her daughter to God before she was born. I am from Calvin Presbyterian, scarlet purple, stained glass, grandpa in the choir, potluck dinners in the fellowship hall with friends and family entertwined. I am from parents brave: venturing with little kids to the Amazon, then leaving kids behind for Kenya, walking steadily. I am from my Grandma Kay’s kisses of greeting, junk drawer of surprises, and tree swing in the back, and my Grandma Thomas’s window-lined kitchen, beautiful gardens, and walks down the hill to the beach.
I am from evergreen trees, gray skies and drizzle, and snowy peaks emerging behind clouds, from cul-de-sacs flying on a red bike, dashing with friends through the old lot. I am from mills and log loaded trucks, majestic mountains, mighty ocean and salty, hard working families. I am from flannel shirts, sheep-skin lined jeans jackets, chewing tobacco, rock and roll from live bands at pep dances. I am from getting up to change the channel, VCRs as new inventions, from Little House on the Prarie, Anne of Green Gables, and NBC’s Wild World of Sports. I am from walks and tennis and A&W rootbeer, Mozart in the gym with my dad, the security of my mom as my biggest fan, the glue, unyielding in her love and perseverance. I am from a set dinner table and people stopping by, pulling up a chair to join us- cloth napkins and napkin rings. I am from looking things up in the dictionary and reading the Bible together after dinner, from being tucked in each night, and unconditional love frequently expressed.
I am of classrooms filled with bright young eyes, hearts filled with thoughts and questions, ideas struggling to find words, and words on pages that speak and teach and move hearts with beauty and truth and tragedy. I am of a husband’s love and faith and faithfulness, and the unimaginable joy of baby boys who are mine and yet God’s and who grow and spark and change too fast, my heart running around outside my body. Stories at bedtime, a messy house, eyes brown, blue, green that look at me with love, to me for love, for help, for truth, for worth.
I am from God’s faithfulness lived out by generations, and I pass on this legacy, full of grace and truth. I am from grandparents and parents who loved and let go and kept loving and I am learning to love whole-heart-filled but slowly let go. I’m passing on high expectations buffered by grace. I will continue to look and speak gently finding there is much in every heart. I will pass on the hard work and putting others first, the love of learning and asking questions that I have been given. I am passing on sunrises together in the car and road trips through the night, good enough just to be together. I will be further gracious, further thankful, recognizing showers of beauty in the moments of the days. I will remember that I am a river flowing, growing, changing myself and all those that come by, come through, come after. I will remember with delight and cherish what has come before, what is now, and with joy flow onward in faith.
Inspired by:
http://storiesconnectloveheals.com/2012/02/18/the-ancient-warrior-the-hula-hoop-and-yeats/
http://spiritualmemoirs101.blogspot.com/2011/08/where-are-you-from.html
http://studentchallenge.edublogs.org/2012/03/04/week-1-all-about-me/
Lois Lowry’s Newbery Award Acceptance Speech
After finishing The Giver, we are combining our study of theme, character, and “precision of language” to write and deliver speeches that not only communicate but convince our audience of the importance of our thoughts. Below are a few good examples of the power of words, carefully chosen and spoken with passion, to effect behavior, to teach, to inspire. Use these as inspiration and models for writing your own.
I am mom, wife, teacher
I am beach, sandy and solid, watching the waves tumble and roll
I am gold, like the slanted rays of the early morning sun
I am joy, with peace and wonder
I am vanilla, warm and welcoming like chocolate chip cookies in the oven
I am clear eyes, plain hands and gray hair increasing
I am running shoes and simple earrings
I am hugs and arms waving, trying to speak my heart
I am lilting melodies, sad and sweet, mixed with the poetry of words
I am Steinbeck and Harper Lee and 6th graders, simple, wise and achingly true
I am noise like laughter and song and 6 voices all clamoring at once
I am a follower, trusting, walking, humble, hopeful.
I am His, I am loved, I am thankful.
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