YouTube...

I get emails with YouTube links... Myspace.com pages are filled with YouTube links... YouTube was in the newspaper last week being sued for over 1 billion dollars by Viacom... Who hasn't heard of YouTube????!!!! Anyone can post anything on YouTube... I've seen things from days after testicular surgery to someone claiming to be a ghost to depressed people crying to a little girl singing her heart out... Mostly teens, or people with a lot of time on their hands, are registered users on this site. It's a social-networking site where you can literally create an "audition" tape for the world... Look at me... Look what I created... or Look what I can do... or you can watch videos of television shows, videos and people doing crazy things... Several countries have banned this site. I find it rarely intriguing that people want to share their lives with the entire world... Didn't the whole lonelygirl saga come from this site??? Again, I wonder... why don't we post videos of teachers in classrooms teaching... or doctors performing life-saving surgeries...??? No, we want to post foolishness... I did enjoy last weekend email link to YouTube...it was of Jennifer Holiday singing at the Tony Awards.... Great performance!!! Why I don't care for is the girl who posted her video of how she cried allll day!!!!

I lost my frog!!!

When I first saw this assignment, I said to myself, "What kind of name is that?" I immediately thought how "cute" this handwritten note was by some child who had lost his or her "Happy Meal" toy and wanted to find it... I became even more "awwwweed" when I saw that a 16-year-old autistic boy was the author. What I find out was that this all started in Seattle around 2004 (some sites said 2003).... The online community came across this flier for a "lost" frog... and it spread like crazy. I had not heard of this until now. I don't see how it could be a meme because it's not something I've heard before... I think of memes such as "Where's the Beef?"... Something that everyone, everywhere knows... I do think it could be a meme because it has spread via the internet and there are even t-shirts in support of this "frog." It's amazing how something could be started in Seattle and find its way across the world... It makes you wonder just how powerful the internet is... We could use this as a source of information instead of just "nonsense"... If we wanted to start a revolution, it could be done... I think too often the internet is not used to its fullest potential... Just think... if "I lost my frog" could make it throughout the world... what other significant messages could also travel through????

Reading...

I've loved reading ever since I was a little girl... I had subscriptions to book clubs and looked forward to receiving my new books in the mail... I even remember my first magazine subscription, "Highlights"... Those were the best! Growing up, I continued to embrace reading. Now, with my busy life, I only have time to read under the blow dryer at the beauty parlor. It helps the time go by because I can pretend I'm somewhere else through my book... It's also the only "me" time I get anymore...
Unfortunately, I cannot "teach" reading the way I would like to or even the way I know my kids need to be taught. With our Whole School Reform Model, "America's Choice," I have to stick to the way it says teach reading. It says give students reading strategies to use while reading. Okay... that sounds great with students who can read... My students haven't mastered reading yet so how can they apply strategies... Let's go back to the basics of reading... That's how I learned... That's why I am still a reader...
I think technology is a great way to teach reading to my students... With my students growing up in this millenium, it seems only realistic that we, as teachers, embrace their love of technology. If they can teach themselves to understand and master all the complexities of video games, then they can definitely do the same with a book.

March MADness!!!

March Madness has absolutely nothing to do with basketball!! I am the mother of two children born in the same month... and since I decided to have 15 years difference between them, I have two significant birthdays in 2007... My daughter is celebrating her first birthday and my son is celebrating his 16th... Most boys don't want a 16th birthday party... My son does... He is having a party March 16th at the Robert Treat Hotel... My daughter is having her 1st birthday party at Sandy Deck Parties in Montclair on March 31st... Within two weeks time, I have two big parties... I have spent soooo much money on decorations and favors and renting out places... Anyone who knows me knows that's what I love to do...I love to make moments special... My son's colors are royal blue and silver... I even ordered blue and silver M&Ms from www.mymandms.com... Great site... My daughter has a 1st birthday girl theme from www.1stbirthdayexpress.com... Another great site... Everything must be the same... I even ordered her a matching t-shirt... Even though my head is spinning from all the planning... I can't wait to celebrate these two special days... I've been blessed with two wonderful children...

Free At Last!

For the first time in a looong time, I feel free... As a teacher, I often feel like anyone can do my job.... We are so wrapped up into the Whole School Reform Model: America's Choice that I don't get to do what I want to do with my students. More importantly, I don't get to do what I need to do with my students... Any "idiot" can follow a calendar and read words out of a guide... What did I spend years in college learning all of amazing things I learned at Jersey City State (now, New Jersey City University) for???? New Jersey and the whole NCLB Act has it all wrong... Models don't work!!! They don't work because there isn't ONE way to teach every student... This week, in last minute preparation for the NJASK, we've been allowed "freedom" to teach... It has worked WONDERS in my room... My kids are responding, "This is fun!" "Can we do more of this?" I'm actually doing activities "my" way and my kids are getting it... We can't be tied down by a "model." I can't wait to bid farewell to "America's Choice."

THE MATRIX...

"The Matrix" is one of my favorite movies of all time... I love "Neo"... He was "The One" after all... (if you saw the last movie...) He is the coolest "idea" ever... The idea of "Messiah"... One who can restore order and sacrifice his life to save us all... I saw all the "Matrix" movies at least 20 times... from the movie theatre to at home on my couch... The concept of Machines taking over the world and controlling the Earth is a scary thought... If we think of the Machines as "technology" then it's a pretty realistic thought... We are controlled by technology... We couldn't function without it... We use it every second of every minute of every day... Are we inside of the "Matrix?"... Is this life a "virtual reality?"

My Space....

Completely didn't remember to post about creating Myspace.com page but I did it as assigned... Anyway, I have to admit that I had no enthusiasm for creating this page... I felt it was quite juvenile... Those who read my post know that my son lives on Myspace.com so I definitely didn't want to do it if he does it.... It's almost like bumping into your kid at a club... *smile*.... But, I did enjoy creating my page... I added music and graphics and really got into it... It reminded me of when I was in college and created a BlackPlanet.com page... Actually, Myspace.com is way more advanced than that was years ago... Visit my page and tell me what you think... Don't let "Tom" be my only friend... *smile*
http://www.myspace.com/theclassyteacher