Thursday, December 29, 2011

Class Book "shelf"

Rate what you've been reading!
Stewie's Stellar Book Group

Join our class book group! Rate books you've read, and make suggestions of what we should read. I'm looking forward to your pics!

My Favorite Books

These are my favorite books, create your own bookshelf and embed the info with a widget on your kidblog.... Try rotates me of your favorite books this year first....


Class Book Group at Amazon

http://www.shelfari.com/groups/92838/about

Class Bookshelf for Book Discussions at Amazon

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Teen Dystopian Books for the Holidays

Like Dystopia?? Well I tweeted some fellow teachers and this is a list of the books recommended for teens. I have only read the one with stars...
Hunger Games * (One of my favourites)
Life as we Knew It Trilogy *
Chaos Walking Trilogy... (Saw at Chapters, I think this one looked good...)
House of Scopians
The Black Hole Sun
The 11th Plague  (Also saw at Chapters, this one looked really good too.)
Incarceron *(Jake recommends... and it is good)
Adoration of Jenna Fox
Ender's Game * (pretty good)
Delirium
The Limit
Frozen Trilogy
Enclave
Maze Runner Triology*
Unwind,
Ship Breaker
City of Ember *
City of Sparks
Wither
Awaken
Gone Series * (can get a little dark)
The Giver * (This one is okay... seems boring after reading Hunger Games)
Divergent * (LOVE)
Matched * (Love)

If you like Twilight you will like...
City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass...

Monday, December 19, 2011

French Comic Life Evaluation Criteria


Rubric will be based on the criteria. Refer to the criteria below when completing your comic.

1. Content - French only!

a) What's happening in each panel.Be specific and fairly descriptive.

b) Speech bubbles / thought bubbles must be included for characters thoughts and interactions.

c) Use phrases that you understand (refer to the booklet, use dictionnaries, use google translator sometimes...)

d) Comic must relate to a day in the life of a character.
2. Layout
a) Use Comic Life or Word (word might be more challenging) - You can download a free trial version for home (note that there are less "bells and whistles" than at school) try it before the holidays to make sure it works for you.
b) Use a variety boxes with text boxes that explain what's happening.
c) The title slide must introduce your comic and who it's by ("par" means by)
d) Grade 6's: 8 panels minimum, Grade 7's: 12 panels minimum
e) For colour copies print at home...with PARENT PERMISSION... Please note it may use lots of ink!!!    OR Print in black and white and colour in pencil crayon (feel free to add images or accents to words)


3. Mechanics
Watch spelling, punctuation and capitalization .... Be sure to REVISE AND EDIT!
Grade 6's - use the resources I gave your to help with conjugating. (It's all preconjugated).
Grade 7's are expected to demonstrate more ability in terms of grammar conjugation.... Use the resources I gave you, as most sentences are preconjugated.
Grade 8's are expected to demonstrate time (A 7h00...)  in their comic as well as more descriptive panels. Include adjectives and more narration panels or speech bubbles.... BASICALLY JUST "MORE"...

ALL DUE FOR ALL FRENCH CLASSES... JANUARY 16TH!!!

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Extention to Learning Assignment

Grade 7/8's - Over Christmas start researching apps you would like to try (that are educationally related) on a WINDOWS TABLET. Remember they can't be super expensive... but I need to know your thoughts by beginning of January for a "Technology Surprise" coming in January (for only one month...) Hint: Remember the grant application I told you about????

Wordle on Wordle

Advent Reflections

Using www.kidblog.org/missiontomakeadifference/ you need to make sure that you are blogging to the questions for the ADVENT RESPONSE POSTS. I have posted many questions that you must write a response to, find videos, images and links that connect to the Advent Week topic, then EXPLAIN how the images, videos etc connect to the theme or why you included it... Be sure to check your mechanics, grammar and revise to ensure that what you wrote makes sense!!
*Be sure to find videos etc... that are appropriate, but really make your audience think! Entertain, but make us care!

*In class today, we reviewed how to create a wordle (wordle.net), take a screen shot of it and link it to your blog... Tricky but cool stuff... Be sure try it!!

Wordle Uploader Strategy for Kidblog

For this week and next week, I want you to try out a new on line program called, wordle, which creates "word clouds". Go to wordle.net

Create a word cloud of your KIDBLOG Joy posting, (your reactions and responses to the questions that I gave you... don't bother copy/pasting video links etc.)

You will copy paste your kidblog reactions (from your blog or even from Word) into the "Wordle text box.

Then how do you embed this awesome word cloud into your blog??? Follow these steps below... They are tricky, but stay calm, and just try your best!!!

Follow these steps to upload a wordle using flash… May work better than “crunching” the information…

1. Be sure that you have: created your wordle on wordle.net
 Open the wordle you created by going to the bottom of the screen and click on “Open in Window”, then maximize the window BEFORE YOU TAKE A SCREENSHOT.


2. Take a screen shot… Ctrl (Control button, bottom left hand side) and PrtSc (Print screen button, on the laptop it’s near the power button)


3. Paste the screen shot to Word or Powerpoint.


4. Crop your image (by double clicking on the image and using the “crop” button.


5. Save your image… My pictures, call it “Wordle…”
6. Then in kidblog… click on the “File” (Mark says this works!)
7. Go to the Browser uploader… NOT FLASH… select your picture for your Wordle
and click on “Insert into post” (This eliminates “crunching” because computers can’t do abs!)

8. Celebrate, because it will work…













So hilarious according to Mr. Csada...



At the request of my students and fellow colleagues... I agreed to post this... By the way, Mr. Mitchell doesn't blog!!! The characters look a tiny bit like us!

Monday, December 12, 2011

Old past math assignments

Practice Test p. 114-115






Level A:1-5, 7, 9, 11



Level B: 1-12



Level C: 4-15



Chapter Review p. 112-113 Due: Wednesday



Level A: 1-4, 6-8, 9, 10, 12, 14



Level B: all but omit 11, 17



Level C: all









Quiz on 3.3-3.5 Concepts on Tuesday, November 22nd



p. 109 - Applying Pyth Relationship



Level A: 1, 2, 3, 5, 7



Level B: 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11



Level C: 1, 2, 3, 8, 11-14



p. 103 3.4 Using Pyth Relationship due: Thurs. Nov. 17



Level A: 1-6, 9, 10

Level B: 1-6, 9-14

Level C: 1-6, 9-11, 13-16

Quiz - 3.3-3.5 Concepts - Tuesday, Nov. 22

Quiz - 3.1 and 3.2 concepts Monday, Nov. 7th

3.2 all due Thursday...

Level A 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12

Level B 1-8, 10, 12-17

Level C 1-8, 10, 14, 17, 18-21

Unit 3 - PYTHAGOREAN RELATIONSHIP

Page 85-86 3.1 Squares and Square Roots All due: Wednesday, Oct. 26

Level A: #1-5, 7, 9, 11, 15, 17Level B: # 1-5, 7, 9, 11, 15, 17, 18, 23, 24Level C: # 1-4, 7, 9, 15, 21, 22, 24-27"Get Ready" Handout - for new Pythagorean Relationship Unit 3.1 Squares and Square Roots -

Read p. 80-85

Assignment:

Define and give an example of the following:

-Square Number

-Perfect Square

-Prime Number

-Prime Factors

-Prime Factorization

-Square Root and symbol

Copy Chart on p. 77 "Verbal Visual Chart"

*** All due for Thursday, Oct. 13

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Activist Project Glogster

Glogster link...

http://edu.glogster.com/

You were all given codes for your user id and your password is either your middle name or one we agreed upon.

Monday, December 5, 2011

Good People Are Everywhere!

Good People Movement... GLOBAL INTENTIONAL COURTESY!!

See the ads?? Now check out the story which started in CANADA!!


http://www.globalnews.ca/16x9/video/good+news/video.html?v=2167223823&p=1&s=dd#video

http://www.globalnews.ca/pages/story.aspx?id=6442516373

On any given day, Canadians will see hundreds, if not thousands of ads trying to sell something. But two Canadian businessmen have an ad campaign that isn’t trying to sell you anything at all. Instead they are trying to inspire a movement. A movement they call “people for good”, promoting good deeds and trying to get people to commit random acts of kindness. The unique campaign advertises on billboards, in newspapers, and on the radio and TV across the country in hopes to inspire others and to restore faith in humanity. 

16x9 met up with Zak Mroueh and Mark Sherman to find out just how easy….or not… it is to get strangers to commit a random act of kindness. 

Read it on Global News: Global News | Good News 



Read more with the Globe and Mail and check out the commercials...
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/marketing/adhocracy/building-a-better-world-one-coffee-at-a-time/article2090387/


Check out the commercials...









This is a completely different ad from ebay... but I like the message...
See if you can name 10 "good things" that people did in the commercial...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wu-2zYcgFzU


Check out the website... 
http://www.peopleforgood.ca/


Someone who likes to blog with a great message...
http://peacepandemic.blogspot.com/2011/08/people-for-good.html


QUESTIONS TO PONDER...
1. Why did the creators of this movement come up with this idea? 
2. Why do you suppose that they wanted to help change the world with this concept? 
3. Everyone who helps out with the movement does it for free... Why is this so important to the message? Why would people be motivated to do so?
4. Why does it make a difference that 2 advertising executives are the ones to start and spread the word? 
5. Why do you think that the movement is catching on around the world? 
6. How is our Jerry Goebel, "Intentional Courtesy" program connected to this movement (Jerry Goebel came up with the idea YEARS ago... )? 


CLASSROOM SERVICE PROJECT... BECOMING REALLY GOOD...AND NOT JUST BECAUSE SANTA IS WATCHING!!!!
How can we spread intentional courtesy around our school (especially with the middle and senior grades)? How can we take the peopleforgood campaign ideas and use them at a school level... What can we do to help spread "goodness"?









OUR NEXT PROJECT IN RELIGION... ACTIVISTS WHO HAVE FOLLOWED IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF JESUS (EVEN IF THEY WEREN'T CATHOLIC).
Start looking up activists who have made our world a better place... they don't have to be Catholic (obviously... I'm just stating that because this will be a religion project). Who has inspired thousands? Millions? When did they live? What was their cause? What did they do to make life better for others? Who would you like to research?? Mother Teresa? Gandhi? Martin Luther King Jr. ? Craig Kielburger? Rosa Parks? Terry Fox? Who would you like to research and present a short powerpoint or PREZI presentation on?? Start thinking about it...



Check out this video which features a lecture by the Dalai Lama at the 3rd Annual Mother Teresa Lecture... This demonstrates it's not all about religion... but about good people working together to live a life of compassion.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-FSnIkIBKc




Sunday, December 4, 2011

Advent Reflection Blogging

As part of our new religion service project, MISSION TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE... We will be using blogs and wikis to spread the message that it's important to give of yourself to make not only our world, but our community a better place!

You all have accounts set up on kidblog.org... and so it's time to get blogging. Our blogging  will focus on Advent for the next few weeks, as we prepare and reflect on the meaning of Advent... in CYBERSPACE!

More information on how to do the fancy things on the blog to follow in class... Check it out!!!

The page... http://kidblog.org/missiontomakeadifference/

Some of you who have experience from blogging last year... this page is connected to, but different from last year's page...

Send me a tweet or an e-mail if you want your password...

Ms. Stewie

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Vow of Silence Day at Deshaye

I came to school and was greeted by silence ... A teacher's dream... Right?? Yes... but more importantly the reason they were silent is beyond just a teacher's dream. The students' silence was a statement about the millions of children around the world who don't have a voice... children who endure many hardships through child labour, lack of food, shelter... education... Well done Deshaye... you actually made me silent with your commitment to make a difference just by being quiet!!!
Stewie

So what's this vow of silence all about??? Make sure you are not like an occupy protestor and know the facts!!! Enjoy the day... and think about whose silence you are demonstrating!







Take the Vow of Silence and Change the World


BY JOANNE KIM - MAPLE RIDGE SECONDARY, MAPLE RIDGE BC NOV 21, 2009

On November 20th, thousands will fight for the rights of the suffering people around the world who cannot stand up for their rights. And you’ll hear nothing.

Free the Children’s Vow of Silence is coming up soon – a fact that haunts me night and day, since I’m one of the people organizing it at my school. It was quite a success last year, and as we are hoping for bigger and better, it’s going to require some hard work…

Let me describe Vow of Silence as simply as I can: you don’t talk for 24 HOURS. What’s more, you don’t go on Facebook, MSN, Twitter, NOR DO YOU TEXT. Omigod! I know! How shall we ever survive?

All kidding aside, it IS an incredibly difficult challenge, and you might not last the whole day. Last year, I had a few people come up to me and say that they would participate if it was anything else rather than talking. Yeah, it’s really quite inconvenient, but in today’s busy, chaotic society, maybe the best thing to get people’s attention is – well, silence.

Socializing with our friends, going on facebook and texting are essential parts of a teenager’s life. Yeah, it will be hard, but what if we believed in something so much that we were willing to take on a challenge? What if we cared about the world so much that we decided to go without the things that matter to us? That’s our beliefs and thoughts in action. And that’s the kind of passion that will rock the world.

So think about the Vow. Most schools will be doing something similar, so maybe you could do it with friends at school. If not, all the resources like pledge forms and info cards are available on Free the Children’s website.

There are lots of ways you can do this: get some friends together and make it into a contest. If it’ll be too hard to not talk for a whole day, commit to staying silent for at least a few hours. Change your status on facebook and twitter. If you really need to talk, then maybe don’t text. And trust me, you won’t die.

Vow of Silence is just one of the many actions that students can access. But it’s actually pretty fun, really interesting, and it’s an awesome conversation-starter (when you can talk, that is). If we care, why shouldn’t we show it? So consider doing it seriously, and afterwards, post your experiences here. I’d love to hear about them.
Free the Children, Vow of Silence campaign