Merriest Christmas

The nicest thing about Christmas morning was spending it with the real heart of my family, my dad and sister. They live in northern Michigan, in Gaylord and Cheboygan, and we were all able to get together at Pat's house for a nice day of opening gifts, eating great food, nad watching some fun television together.

I am very, very lucky to have a family whom I can support and be counted on to support me in times of need. Very fortunate indeed.

Good News, Bad News

How about this story?

Yesterday our plane took off, leaving Michigan and family, headed for Colorado and friends. I was leaving behind a tech desert, no net access, no hp access. How bad is that, folks?

Ok, the plane is 20 minutes into the air and we get the announcement we must return to the airport because of mechanical difficulties. Ouch. They rebook us, but for 2 days later! Two days later! That's the bad news.

The good news is they put us in an airport hotel with hp coverage and fast internet connection. I've been able to connect with all your blog posts and leave comments.

What I've learned-
1. People are seeing Avatar and liking it...sorry Nadia P. You're in a minority.
2. People are enjoying snow and skiing.
3. People got great Christmas presents.

Now I'm going to have time to get my new camera out, get some batteries, and see how it works.

Anybody going to post any video?

Be well, and keep up the good work on the posts.

mh

Not Good Blogging Space

Well, I'm not getting started on the blog posts as well as some of the students. It has been impressive, you guys, how many of you are producing really good entries.

I’m far to the north in Michigan, staying with my sister and her husband, their big dog Ruby, in the snow and cold. I have no internet access, so I’m doing what some of you have done, using Word to construct, then hoping to get to an internet café for access. I’m sure I’ll be able to get posted, but I’m afraid I won’t be able to keep up with commenting on the posts of others.

It has been sobering to return to Michigan and see the results of an economy severely damaged by unemployment. Talking with brother-in-law Art, the whole of his small city has been greatly effected by closings of some industries and layoffs in others. Having a steady job I enjoy for the past two decades has been something I've taken for granted. Next year will be so different.

Blogging Break - Our Opportunity

Sixers, I'm very glad you've volunteered to write blog posts over our break. Blogging is supposed to be enjoyable, plus a way to practice and sharpen writing and tech skills.

Here are the people from each homeroom who've volunteered and the number of posts they said they'd put up. Please read their work and leave comments. We all know how interesting it is to receive meaningful comments on postings we've made. Read the work of others and react!

Remember, posts can be other media than writing. How creative can we be? That is my challenge to myself. Let's see... :-)

Teachers:
Mr. Hughes 14 posts
Ms. Swarzkoph 14 posts

Hughes Homeroom:
1. Nathan 14 posts
2. Alona 10 posts
3. Saige 15 posts
4. Kayleigh 11 posts
5. Zoe 5 posts
6. Jane 3 posts
7. Elise 5 posts
8. Amalia 12 posts
9. Kaisei 7 posts
10. Faqeera 10 posts
11. Yuki 10 posts
12. Rgee 5 posts
13. Yohannes 8 posts
14. Daniel 3 posts
15. Tobin 15 posts

Ms. Marrello's homeroom:
1. Maya 10 posts
2. Yong Hee 2 posts
3. Youngwoo 11 posts
4. Neil 7 posts
5. Ashley 4 posts
6. Nadia P 7 posts
7. Maria 10 posts
8. Emma 15 posts
9. Hyun Jin 10 posts
10. Heyang 8 posts
11. Gillian 12 posts
12. Si Won 10 posts
13. Nora 7 posts
14. Michelle 6 posts
15. Valentina 7 posts

Personal Essay: The Final

Write personal essay-students had 45 minutes to construct a personal essay on a topic of their choice. This activity culminates a quarter of work developing the essay style and construction techniques.
Vocabulary review-list 5 was reviewed with a look at student blogs displaying their visual definitions. It was amazing how many students had unique pics to show the meanings of their vocabulary words.
Library visit-time was spent in our middle school library, the book store where all the books are free. While students were able to check out any book of their choice, our visit did focus on two authors, Caroline Cooney and Lois Duncan, two writers who produce books for students who have already well developed reading skills.


Homework-
1. Read two times.
2. Consider the blogging of the break. Discussion and examples Monday.

What's a flood bucket? Ask your Sixer.

Vocabulary list for Hughes homeroom-
1. exhaustion
2. methodically
3. swoon
4. abruptly
5. muttered
6. inflammatory
7. fettered
8. prophet
9. mimicking
10. incredulous

Vocabulary list for Marrello homeroom-
1. pleadingly
2. embezzle
3. traumatic
4. adhesive
5. embankment
6. eclectic
7. lagging
8. malevolent
9. revelation
10. dejection

Writing The Personal Essay

Personal Essay-students chose their own personal essay topics for construction today. They were urged to pick a single issue, such as "Why School Is Beneficial." In the past we've focused on essays where they were choosing one pathway or another, such as, "Would you rather live in an apartment or a house?"
Vocabulary Quiz-we tested on list four of vocabulary words. This sets ourselves up for next week achieving our half century of quality vocab words for the first semester.
The Outsiders-guest reader Ms. S. was able to get time to visit and take Pony Boy and Johnny deeper into their flight from law and order. Can this story end positively?

Homework-
1. Read 20 minutes
2. Bring journal to class

Laptops For Posting Comments

The Outsiders-advancing the story of Pony Boy with special guest reader Ms. S.
Blog comments-students made comments on 6 blog posts centered on library books students have read. It gives a real look into the work of others.
Vocabulary review-a very quick review of spellings and definitions. Final quizlet tomorrow.
Personal essay river of stones-this week we will write a personal essay, student choice. Each student has their own river of essay topics. They should be focusing in on two topics they could write.

Homework-
1. Read 20 minutes
2. Have selected two personal essay topics to write
3. Study vocabulary spellings
4. Bring journal

One Participant, 3 Critical Onlookers

Organize labels-students worked at their laptops trying to bring some organization to all their blog posts.
"What were those labels we were supposed to use?"
"We were supposed to label the posts?"
"Huh?"
Mr. and Ms. Person's story-we continued to develop the history of Jakarta's water supply, beginning with a very small Jakarta and growing into today's teeming metropolis.
Vocabulary review-a very quick review of this week's 10 vocab words. Students are getting these down very well. Final quiz next Tuesday.
Library book exchange-we spent the last 25 minutes in the library, checking out books for the weekend and quietly reading in the pillows. A great way to end the school week.

Homework-Read 2 times, 20 minutes per session minimum

This Week's Vocabulary Lists

Hughes Vocabulary List
1. ambivalent
2. brisk
3. unequaled
4. placid
5. devotion
6. immaculately
7. adversity
8. wrath
9. feigning
10. subtle

Marrello Vocabulary List
1. fortuitous
2. innovation
3. lucrative
4. pavilion
5. pensive
6. premonition
7. fixated
8. seminary
9. jubilation
10. extortion

"Ball! Stay in that hole, Ball!"

Journal entry-free writing by students, but a guide was a topic we'd discussed in our morning assembly. We addressed social cruelty as it might exist in our school. Disrespect? Bullying? Teasing? To what extent are they present in our middle school community?
Four oral presentations-one more run at trying to finish up Bintaro Lama projects. Why is this taking so long?
Library visit-today is the day all items are due. They may be renewed for reading over break, but today is the day all items are to be returned. We went to the library to accomplish this task as best we could.

Homework-read 20 minutes

Is Amalia opening an in-school stationery?

The Outsiders-guest reader Ms. Schwarzkopf takes us through a very serious part of the book. Is he really dead?
Copying or Original?-ideas were expressed by some that it's ok to copy answers directly from a textbook. Not so. A piece of student work was read out illustrating the benefits of being an original author rather than a 'borrower' of someone else's efforts.
Reading-20 minutes was spent reading a novel of choice. Students looked for words appearing in text that have also been part of our vocabulary enrichment studies.
Writer's Notebook-notebooks were returned with comments on essays. Students read the comments and vowed never, ever to make the same mistakes again. (???)

Homework-
1) Read 20 minutes.
2) Go over recent blog posts changing copied work to original text.
3) Bring writing journal for Tuesday's usual entry.

Hey, how about these books!

SMART goal setting-students establish English goals for a short term. What will they like to accomplish by January 11 when we return to school after break. The goals should be measurable and attainable. Let's see how they do.
Personal essay-we discussed the personal essay, the purpose of an essay, how they are shaped, and how they read. Students constructed a personal essay on one or the other topic:
1. My mother (or father) is easier to get extra money from when I really need it.
2. It is better to receive a gift or an experience as a birthday or Christmas gift.
I'm anxious to read their essays. :-)
Bintaro Lama presentations-students were able to present their slide shows or videos made from our visit to the scavenger kampung in Bintaro Lama. Presentations were insightful to watch, and another hurdle crossed.

Homework-
1) Read 20 minutes
2) Complete Bintaro Lama writing
3) Complete other blog based assignments
4) Study vocabulary words for tomorrow's final quiz

Ivan, getting ready to clean water in UV rays

Social studies-fresh water, how much is there? We covered this material in the text. Students must interpret maps and a chart as well as non fiction text to answer the questions for tonight's homework.
Journal entry-Ms. Marrello's class caught up by getting in their 15 minute writing finished. An optional prompt was the difference in lifestyle we have and those of Kampung Bintaro Lama from the water resource point of view. The difference is vast, and I became aware of how much it impressed the students by reading their blog entries on our visit.
Vocabulary review-once again we went through our vocabulary words. Students are knowing them quite well, so it looks like the end of the week will be it for this list. 10 new ones on Monday.

Homework-
1) Complete Bintaro Lama media presentations
2) Six questions/answers from Geoactive pg. 227, 1-6
3) Complete 4 items on blog. Poetry movie, water treatment writing, Bintaro Lama writing, and Bintaro Lama media

Water to be cleaned by the sun's UV rays

Bintaro Lama projects-students spent day 1 of their allotted time in the M-7 or M-11 lab downloading their video capture into Pinnacle 12 or importing their still images into PowerPoint. Tomorrow all projects will be done and ready for presentation. Fingers crossed. (Marrello)
Student Led Conferences-we distributed schedules and reviewed goals of the day. Goal setting sheets were also distributed and discussion was held about what makes a SMART goal, and what might sound good, but not exactly meet the expected criteria. (Hughes)
The Outsiders-Ms. Swarzkopf moved us forward in the next chapter of a book that has stretched out too long. We've got to move more, faster in this novel. (Hughes)
Vocabulary review-this covering of words and concepts taken from the water unit is an important activity. The words represent more than just a part of speech, but each are actually are very large concepts in themselves. Understanding this vocabulary means understanding much of the material within the water unit. (Hughes)

Homework:
1) Read 20 minutes
2) Write up the Bintaro Lama post if not yet done (Hughes)
3) Bring journal to class (Hughes)

Book Fair-Always A Big Day

Book fair-Today was our allotted 30 minute stint at this year's book fair. Three local vendors plus the PTA had tables of books on display for reduced rate prices. Students explored the many options and made their purchases. We certainly had to return to class for a nice read of the new material.
Field trip discussion-we spent a good time processing what students had observed at the water treatment plant yesterday. Students made observations of the treating of water on a large scale, but also were guided to make connections to the kampung observed last week. There are many connections, with the issue of water cleanliness being dealt with on a large scale and also the household level. (Hughes only)
Teaching movie making-students worked with one of Ms. Whiteley's group, helping them perform a poem, film it, then go through the video editing process in the M11 and M12 labs. All of this is in preparation for Monday and Tuesday's editing of the videos taken at the Bintaro Lama kampung yesterday. (Marrello only)

Homework-
1) Read 20 minutes, twice
2) Create a social studies blog post about the water treatment trip. This should be 7 paragraphs long, with a graphic included. (Hughes only)

Cleaning water bottles at Bintaro Lama

Kampung Bintaro Lama-Ms Marrello's house visited a scavenger community called Bintaro Lama. There residents drill their own wells and clean their own water. They use a variety of methods, such as a basic rock, sand, and charcoal filter, displaying water so ultra violet rays of the sun kill bacteria, and also using inexpensive chemicals to remove harmful substances from their water. Ask a student from Ms. Marrello's homeroom, and get the info from the field trip participant.
Water Purification Plant-homeroom Hughes visited a water plant operating on a very large scale, producing almost 5,000 liters of drinking water per second. They as well use sand filters, alum and charcoal to purify the water of the West Tarum canal from unclean, to clean, to drinking standard. Students spent the morning observing the process and should be able to talk about what they've learned. If you know someone from the Q2 homeroom, ask they for an explanation.

Homework-
1) Read 20 minutes from a favorite book.
2) Remember money for the book fair.

Bintaro Lama Videos/Slideshows-Last Day

Journal entry-15 minutes was spent writing in students' private journals. An interesting question was posed for a possible entry, "What profession might you choose that your parents would be very proud of you for doing?" Also the opposite was explored, "What profession might you take up that would cause your parents to be disappointed?" Of course these are private journals, so the answers to the questions remain a mystery. (Marrello only)
The Outsiders-we found 20 minutes to revisit an old favorite. Ms. Swarzkopf gave us her usual fine oral rendition of this favorite, yet now old, novel. (Marrello only)
Water treatment writings-last night's homework assignment was explored, questions asked of those who had not yet completed their work, and showing fine examples of people who had. (Marrello only)
Finish editing video-students were given the full 90 minutes in the computer labs to finish editing and finalizing their project video or slideshow taken at the Kampung Bintaro. Many of these pieces will be published on student blogs. They have worked intensely for two days and it will be gratifying to see what they've accomplished. (Hughes only)

Homework-prepare a blog post with the questions from the Geoactive book, page 227. The questions are all that is necessary. We will cover the content in class, then adjourn to the lab to fill in the answers.

Creating Bintaro Lama Slide Shows, Movies

Work on the field trip movie-students (Hughes) went to the computer labs in the M module and began working with Pinnacle 12 or PowerPoint to create their version of last week's field trip to Bintaro Lama kampung. There we studied their ways of improving public health by taking care of their drinking water. Each student was able to observe three methods, and their video or slide show should depict this learning experience. We will have two complete sessions for this, so tomorrow we should finish this experience. We are all anxious to see the finished products.
Vocabulary work-20 minutes were spent reviewing the vocabulary words for this week, each taken from our social studies and science units on fresh water.
Reading-24 minutes were taken reading novels. Students were requested to read, looking for a phrase that is uniquely written, with interesting vocabulary or imagery. Some students were able to find examples, others were unable.
Slide shows, Movies-we looked at sample slide shows and videos that were poorly done. Too much text, too much reading, cameras too jittery, inconsistent or missing audio. After analyzing the poorly done samples, we looked at some done much better. With this background, students should create their products with higher standards.

Homework-
1) Bring journal to class for our Tuesday writing
2) Blog entry-Hughes on the Bintaro Lama field trip, and Marrello on the trip to the water treatment center.

Vancouver, BC, A Very Easy City

One of the great things about visiting a new city is finding my way around. Certainly buying a map is a first day project, then spending hours all week being oriented follows. It is especially enjoyable when the city has a well developed bus and metro line, and this is very true with Vancouver, British Columbia. The buses are numerous and very clean. The operators and patrons are polite and helpful. Nobody seems to be in a rush to the point of making you feel like you are holding them up. The Canada Line is the newest of the public works, only in operation for the last 6 weeks. I took this video from the front of the first car. Pretty cool, I think.

Vancouver hosts the Winter Olympics in a couple of months. I believe public transportation was a consideration when the city was selected, but the clean, easy and fast metro they've built since that decision makes the city a joy to wander around. Vancouver has a reputation of being a great place to spend time, and I completely agree. I will come back to this city again, for sure.

This will be my last posting from Vancouver. We must be to the airport around midnight to catch a 2.00 am flight to Hong Kong, then Jakarta. This has been a great holiday, but it will be ok to be back home again as well. Home is good.

Typical Tourist Purchase

So I feel it's like one of those tee shirts with the message printed on the front, "My parents went to Vegas and all I got was this lousy shirt." We have been in some of the finest stores in Vancouver, seen some very nice clothes and other toys, none really that expensive, but in the end all I bought myself was a baseball cap with a Canadian logo on the front. Still, it is fun to wear, but cost twice as much as the jacket I got at the used clothing store. :-)

Most of Thursday was quite nice, and that made it great for walking, walking, and more walking. It is so pleasurable to be in cool air, an unpolluted city and have walking space with real live sidewalks. I'll bet most take these things for granted, but we from Indonesia do not. I am not going to whine on about Jakarta, but only appreciate what I am enjoying this week in Canada.

I wish more students were using their blogs over break, but maybe that will come with more opportunities. Along with that, B and I had a great discussion about our recent movie making process. I'm thinking I only did one thing right, decide to make movies. From then on, made a considerable number of wrong or hurried decisions. This will get much, much better.

Beautiful Leaves, Film School Buzz

Nadia, Hyun Jin, Nathan, Nadia, Young Woo, Gillian and Zoe. You've all posted entries this holiday week. Be sure to visit the blogs of each other and leave interesting comments about their entries. You know how good it feels to read comments on your work. Special note: see the videos put up by Gillian and Zoe. Penguins + a rock star. :-)

Today I was walking along the curb in Vancouver and was absentmindedly working with my camera. One moment the lens came on, and down below my feet was the most beautiful view of colored leaves that have fallen from the trees. They would qualify as rubbish, I guess, but how truly beautiful they were.

This morning I sat in the student lounge of the Vancouver Film School. I was casually reading a book, waiting for Bindu to finish her business, when the students went on break. Immediately I was surrounded by young men and women abuzz with their projects. I could only catch snippits of conversation, but it was not about the words being said. It was about the excitement the students had for their projects. I want to make a special effort to view their work once they post their film festival on YouTube. If they are as good as I think they will be, I'll show them to the sixers.

I'm almost over jet lag, just in time to suffer it again in the other direction.

Change in Weather, Change in Attitude

A sunny day makes all the difference.

Center For Independent Schools?

How nice it was to meet Lulu, someone I've heard so much about, but not yet had the pleasure of an introduction. We had a very quick 1 hour conversation in the basement of Pacific Place. She is someone who we will contact again and again, I'm sure. Bindu and Lulu actually have enough in common there could be a real business connection. We'll see...

So today's big project was to check for jobs in Canada. We'd received word there was a Center For Independent Schools, so this sounded right up our alley. Ok, we walked and walked and walked, looking for the place. Finally, in the very high rent district we came across the offices-in the archdiocese office building. 'Independent Schools' is a euphuism for schools run by the Catholic Church. We had a big laugh at that one, though the information gleaned by the interview process was interesting. It really might be something to fall back upon in the future.

Shopping today? Ha! We were walking Broadway and found a used clothing store. We each found an article we just couldn't pass up. The forecast is for rain tomorrow, so I found a sporty rain style jacket for $7.00. If it rains tomorrow, and it is easy to believe it will in Vancouver, the new old jacket will be a lifesaver.

Van in the sun? I could live here.

Sunday

What a great day of walking, seeing, meeting.

We walked all over downtown Vancouver, pretending to shop, but really enjoying the cool, misty temperature, the stunning architecture, and the eclectic mix of people.

After lunch we went to a very different art exhibit. Gathered at the Vancouver Exhibition Center were the 50 aboriginal artists who have created art for display at the winter games. The artists were there to discuss their art as well as actually do work at the time. They were a very interesting mix of native peoples, very different from each other, all deserving of immense respect.

We met the creator of the Olympic medals. I didn't even know you could alter the Olympic medal pattern or shape. Ms. Corrine Hunt, Native American artist, created the 1,040 gold, silver and bronze medals from one large work of art depicting a killer whale and a raven. Each medal is unique, and each medal fits into the larger work of art in a vast mosaic. Very, very cool.

I hope everyone else is having an equally refreshing break.

Saturday

The long, long trip to North America never gets any easier, but a nice coffee in the food court in Hong Kong was a welcome break. It made us laugh to think how much money we paid for two coffees and two cookies, but, hey, it is vacation, I guess.

Coming in over Vancouver was very special. Though the sky was gray with light rain, the trees still very much had their color. Reds, yellows, oranges and browns all mixed together in a very pretty natural landscape. Though the weather never cleared, even the short walk to the guesthouse through the color was energetic. Plus the temperature, ah, the temperature. How nice it is to be in the cool again. I've appreciated the tropical climate for 20 plus years, but now I'm looking forward to the more moderate temperatures again. More sunlight than what Vancouver has to offer would be appreciated, though. :-)

It was so nice to see Vihan again. He seems to be doing quite well, studying hard and working hours at the burger restaurant. He's a really fine young man, and on the road to doing well for himself. Hmm...but what will that 'well' be? He seems to not really have a plan for when graduation comes. He has lots of talents, a great work ethic, and strong moral fiber, though, so something will come to him. Maybe it will be teaching English, but maybe something else.

Tomorrow will be a very, very cool day. There is an art exhibition featuring aboriginal Canadian artists, their contributions to the Winter Olympics, and how they all fit together into a coherent theme. I'm very anxious to see the exhibit. I wonder if photos will be allowed?

Friday Night - The Best of All?

Tonight I sit in my big chair, as physically comfortable and mentally relaxed as I can be.

It was a good day at school with more finishing videos that I'd hoped 24 hours ago.The students do such good work if you just stay out of the way and let them at it. I hope more can get them posted so their parents can see them.

Added to the academic success was the joy and volume that is Middle School Madness. I thought there was more excitement this year, more effort into developing and performing cheers, than in years past. I clearly noticed in Q2, with students more than once sent outside to rehearse their loud cheers. It is difficult to be angry with students who are 'overly excited' by school activities.

What is really nice about the first night of a holiday period is being finished with professional responsibilities and a full, empty holiday week stretching out before. How nice is that? It looks like a canvas without a drop of paint applied. Each day will be building the art that will be this holiday's memories. I look forward greatly to each day.

Characterization of Hank the Cowdog

In Hank the Cowdog by John R. Erickson, the primary protagonist is Hank, a dog who feels he is in charge of the security on a small, west Texas ranch. Mr. Erickson does a fine job in getting us to know Hank, and find him often funny in many situations.

On page 112 John shows Hank to be actually a loyal friend to his sidekick, Drover. Though Hank often speaks poorly of his little friend, when John has Hank say, "You're outnumbered, they'll kill you, run for your life!" he shows us Hank cares more for Drover than he does about himself looking good in front of the coyotes. This shows us what Hank really cares about as a character.

On page 122 author Erickson shows Hank to be still too proud to be wrong about something. Hank tells Drover, "...I figured the only way we could crack the case was for me to infiltrate the coyote tribe." This clearly shows Hank's temperment to be one of pride about himself to the extent he will stretch the truth a long ways to make him look good.

On page 127 Mr. Erickson has Hank asking, "Was it my fault that she happened to be washing clothes that day?" This shows what Hank cares about most, and that is avoiding blame for wrongdoing. He clearly was running away from the skunk's smell, and he clearly ran into the house and got the clean laundry dirty. He is in charge of his actions, but when things go wrong he cares more about not getting blamed than accepting responsibility.

Hank is a funny lovable character, brought to life by John Erickson using much detail and vivid description. We get to know him well, like he was actually in our lives. In some ways, I wish he was.

Week Four

Wow to week four. If the sixth grade picnic wasn't enough, on Wednesday we had an earthquake that seriously moved the ground at campus.

At 2.55 everything began to move. I was still in Q2 talking with a couple of teachers. Students were on their way home, at various stages of boarding buses. Some missed the show, but many reported dramatic movement. Those already seated on buses described the vehicle being rocked side to side as if students were playing a prank.

Fortunately no one on campus was injured and there was only minimal building damage. The news from central Java was not so good, though, with scores dead and much property damage. Living on the Ring of Fire can be perilous.

7.4

Yesterday, about 10 minutes after school let out, we had the largest earthquake since the 21 years since I've been living here. The floor of the Q module was clearly swaying, with everything not securly fastened in motion. Wow! What an experience.

This natural occurance gives us another opportunity to look at our social studies standards in real life. The first standard is about the interactions of aspects that make up our natural environment. Indonesia is on the ring of fire, so of course it would come as no surprise we have earthquakes or volcanic activity. Maybe the amazing part is I've actually felt so few. Immediately there was a tsunami warning for the south coast. Again, another piece of the environment. We have tsunami potential, Afghanistan does not. Landslides? Sure, earthquakes can cause them, but not in Jakarta. Our environment is flat, so even if the ground is loosened, it does not have the potential to slide down the sides of steep mountains. A most interesting occurance in the natural environment was the appearance of a snake at lunch time. There is no doubt in my mind the snake felt the tremors deep in the earth and decided to come to the surface. When he encountered 650 middle school students on lunch break, it did not take him long to decide to take his chances underground. Down he went! I regarded the snake as an isolated event. I'm convinced now it was all part of the same event.

Standard #2 concerns the interaction of people in the environment. When the land shakes, people are often injured, even killed, by falling debris. Mostly this is put above us through building projects for businesses or accomodation. I have heard of no deaths or injuries in Jakarta, but certainly there was much damage to homes and businesses. Earthquakes must certainly be a test of construction quality! I have heard stories there were people injured or killed by landslides in central Java, but I cannot confirm this through news stories yet.

We will look again and again at these standards as our environment gives us opportunity. In time, students will really get these points. I'm convinced of it.

Characterization

In chapter 8 of Hank the Cowdog, John Erickson is still developing Hank's simple, yet complex personality. John has shown us before Hank is likely to think he is a pretty big shot, whether it's with the women or in solving crimes. Early in the chapter Hank is talking about being a writer, yet he can't even spell. He tries to focus on the larger art of writing and excuse his bad spelling, but it just falls flat. Hank is a braggart, and author Erickson allows us to see that clearly.

On pages 84 and 85 John also shows us Hank is lazy. He sleeps 'till noon, then eats what Missy has brought him, then he goes back to sleep. How downright lazy is that?

The last thing John Erickson does in chapter 8 is very, very interesting. He spends the whole chapter, in a way tearing down Hank's reputation in our mind. He's a braggart, a drunk, hangs around wth the likes of Rip and Snort, then Hank totally trashes little Drover, who is slowly becoming our hero. Hank goes back to singing with his new 'friends' and leaves Drover to guard the ranch. Totally bad. But in the last sentence, John allows Hank to have a little bit of a conscience. Singing with the good old boys was not as fun as it previously was. I can imagine an emptiness in Hank. He knows he's done wrong, and his little buddy Drover has shown this to him in clear, easy to understand, language. Hank is not a worthless coyote after all. The force is still strong within him, though right now buried rather deeply.

Week Three

Week three continued with mapping exercises, going from a small scale, 5 item map, to a larger, outdoors representation of an irregularly shaped plot of land, with numerous images represented. Some had difficulty with spatial awareness, but this is not surprising. In fact, this is why we attempted the exercises. More with mapping next week.

Students discussed books with me, and I was impressed with the love and passion they approach their reading. This is the case every year, but each August I am again struck by the love of the written word, despite other forms of media that beckon for their attention.

Maybe the most far reaching news from week three remains hidden to date. Connections are being made between our grade 6 classroom and one in Malaysia, one in Canada, and one in Mexico. Slowly we will be building relationships with students in other schools with whom we will collaborate on academic projects. We've not attempted this contact on this scale before, so it will be very interesting to see what grows out of it. Stay tuned.

Week Two

A very good week of work, though we only had 4 days to accomplish tasks. Maybe the biggest item we accomplished is the organization of homework/writing blogs. Students now have a place where they can keyboard their homework, and I can have a place where their efforts are easily accessible for evaluation and coaching comments. When I think how long it took us to get to this place last year, it gives me a good feeling to see so much progress so soon.

Open house on Thursday gave a fine forum to see parents and once again sample the feeling of how and why JIS remains such a fine place to work. When students come to school to learn and parents willingly support their child's efforts, we can accomplish great things.

Ghost Map

Ghost Map
by
Steven Johnson
*****

Ghost Map is about the story of cholera, how it spread, and how quickly and grossly it killed many, many people. What was really cool about the book is how two men thought differently about the disease. Water looked good, tasted ok, but smelled very, very badly. Most people at that time then thought you caught cholera through the smell, which seems logical. Still one scientist and one clergyman thought differently and focused on the water itself. Eventually they found the cause of the disease and were then able to eliminate cholera from the city of London.

The best part of this book, though was the detective work they were able to do and actually find the one person, the one situation where cholera began in the city. It was all about the poor sewage and sanitation at the time. One mother disposed of her baby's diaper in a septic system that was overflowing. That pollution got in the drinking water, and that caused the cholera outbreak. I thought the detective work they went through to actually find the cause of the first case was very, very cool.

I have recommended this book to my friends. Kevin Hughes has already read it and enjoyed it as much as I did, and now Christian Medina has it. I know he will love it too, especially because he is into science so much himself.

Three Day Weekends

Sometimes I wonder about 3 day weekends. There is more free time for sure, but I do a lot of schoolwork as well. It's nice to work in a more relaxed atmosphere.

Week One, 14/8/09

A gratifying day today as students went to P1 and established their blog presence. I remember last year how long it took to get to this point. Fair to say, we started at a different point, with site creation, but still we are up and ready to role with electronic homework by the end of the first week of school.

Additionally, it has been great to see the progress Tobin Zolkowski has made in class, and hugely gratifying to see students approach him and begin to communicate. It will be fascinating to see how this goes, including the attendance at signing club.

We've had a very fine opening week of being together.