LEC 2014-2015

Hey Blog Visitors!

Welcome to my first post of the 2014-2015 school year. In this blog I hope to keep my students informed on things we are doing in class as well as things I wonder about. I also want to use this blog to share some of the great books I'm reading. Maybe, just maybe, someone will want to read these titles for SSR.  Thanks for reading, and let me know what you think of my ideas. Peace.

Titles I've Read (Last 2 Months):

The Nazi Officer's Wife by Edith H. Beer -- This non-fiction memoir is told from the perspective of a Jewish woman in Austria, who, in order to survive the Holocaust during WWII, gets fake identification papers claiming she is a German member of the Nazi party. She "hides out" in Germany and eventually marries a Nazi officer. She even has a baby with this man. All around her the Jewish people are being persecuted and taken to concentration camps, but this whole time she is hiding her terrible secret about being a Jew. This book gave me an entirely new perspective on the events during WWII as Edith wasn't the only Jewish person to survive is way. A great read if you like non-fiction, WWII events, and strong, well-developed characters.

A Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty -- This fiction novel begins with a woman named Cecilia, who discovers an envelope marked "To Cecilia, to be read upon my death" on the front. It is from her husband, who isn't dead yet. After a series of suspicious events, Cecilia decides to open the envelope despite her husband urging her not to. What she discovers will change her life forever. This book pulled me in right from the beginning. Not only is this plot line suspenseful, but it also tells this story from the perspective of three different women involved in struggles of their own. In the end, all three women's lives are interwoven and the reader understands how even one tiny event can lead to catastrophic changes in others. Although I loved this book, I'm not sure younger readers could relate to the issues and struggles she talks about such as marital relations, parenthood, and romance.

What I'm Reading Right Now:

Station Eleven: A Novel by Emily St. John Mandel -- If I haven't already told you, I love science fiction. I especially love post-apocalyptic novels (end of the world zombie stuff). This novel caught my eye right away. I'm only a little ways through it, but it starts with a play where the lead actor, in the middle of a Shakespeare play, drops dead on the stage. A many name Jeevan tries to resuscitate him unsuccessfully. All of the cast gather after the man is taken away. The first chapter then ends with this chilling phrase "Of all of them there at the bar that night, the bartender was the one who survived the longest. He died three weeks later on the road out of the city." Right now I'm learning that a deadly epidemic called the Georgian flu is killing people off by the thousands. It's scary. It could be real (think Ebola virus times 50), and it is very well-written. I can't wait to tell you more.

My first blog post! Are hash tags appropriate on blogs? Whatever. #cressmanrocks.

My Goals:
Alright, here we go. My goals this week were to teach my students about effective presentation and research skills. I think it went fairly well. Ms. Cressman and I planned out a "model" speech, which we presented in class. Students were asked to observe the strengths and weaknesses in three areas: Content, Organization, and Presentation Skills. We modeled both effective and ineffective strategies, and we followed it up with a "Need to Know" discussion of what students will have to know in order to complete this assignment. The students asked great questions.

The second thing we did was decide how to teach students to critically analyze their sources. Our students told us they usually go directly to Google, so we provided them with three other reliable sources: MEL, procon.org, and newsela.com. We also modeled how to assess a website on Google for credibility using the 3 W Questions: Who? What? and Where?

Lastly, we introduced Citelighter as a method of tracking research. It didn't go so well in 2nd hour, so I will follow up today with more help.

My "I Wonder" List:

• I wonder why e-cigarettes are bad. It's a topic one of my students picked, but I have no clue what the controversy is.
• I wonder how hash tags really work and if anyone actually follows them? I mean...really, why?
• I wonder if we will ever have ipads in the classroom?
• I wonder if I'm parenting my daughter well? She. Is. Crazy.
• I wonder what the Paleo Diet is really all about? Does it work? Who backs it?
• I wonder what the best way to get back into running is? Who could I talk to? What shoes do I need? Schedule?
• I wonder what I will be teaching next year?

What I Learned This Week:

I learned what "glamping" is.  It is glamorous camping. I read about it in an article from CNN News. I think the idea is hilarious. Essentially someone has been running a business that sells these elaborate campsites. They are for people who don't want traditional camping at music festivals and bike rallies. They are considered "pop-up hotels". This business is making a ton of money. Here is a picture:

http://money.cnn.com/2014/04/25/smallbusiness/glamping-tents-camping/index.html?source=cnn_bin