Blog Assignment Due February 3

Title:  Bullying in School


A recent Fort Worth Star Telegram article reports about the FW ISD's stance on partnering with the community to take a stance on bullying.  Read the article, Fort Worth ISD's Approach to End Bullying, and respond with your thoughts on the following:

• What type of behavior constitutes bullying.  
• Does BISD have a bullying problem - among students, faculty, at elementary, middle or high schools?
• Have you ever been a victim of bullying or witnessed bullying at school?  
• What should be done to deal with bullying?  How do you think it should be handled?  
• What can be done in your future classroom to create an environment that prohibits bullying.

Remember to follow your blog guidelines.  Two sources of media are required.  To get full credit you must allow the reader to reference your source.

Want more?  What do you think about this?

Blog Assignment Due January 27

Title:  Reflections of My Fall Semester Internship

The new semester has started.  What better time to think about the past and plan for the future. Reflect on your BCTAL classroom and field site experience.  What could you have done differently?  What did you do well?  What parts of the class have you enjoyed the most?  What changes could you make that are in your control to produce a better outcome?

Reminder:  This semester you are required to have two media sources (working link, video, graphic, etc.)

Blog Assignment Due January 6

Title:  The Ideal Classroom

Read the article below about a Metroplex classroom and create a post about how your ideal classroom should be structured.  Include reasons that are educationally sound.  Think about the classrooms you have learned in and the ones you have interned in.    It is due on Friday,  Jan. 6, 2012.  

Lewisville ISD trades rows of desks for sofas - Your Houston News: News: DALLAS — There’s something missing from Angela Hamm’s
third-grade classroom.

Non-Blog Assignment Due Dec. 16

Take a break from creating a blog post this week.  Instead, follow the directions below.

Use an index card to record the following information:

• Your first and last name
• Tell me if you would like to stay in your current field site classroom or if you would like to change placements.  
• If you answered you would like to stay were you are, turn your card in.  You are finished.
• If you would like to change, tell me why?  Don't play games in your explanation.  Just put it out there and tell me why you would like to change.
• Indicate where you would like to be placed.  Give specifics such as age group, subject content, and anything you can tell me.  If you have a specific school and teacher in mind, add that also.  
• Add anything else that you think would help me determine the best placement for you.

Disclaimer:  Asking for a change in field site placement does not guarantee one.  Likewise, the request to remain at your current site does not promise that you will remain there.  All field site teachers will be contacted.  Yours has the option to discontinue mentoring you.

Blog Assignment Due Dec. 9

Title:  Should Santa be Allowed to Come to School?

Recently the Fort Worth ISD issued a statement concerning holiday-related characters visiting the classroom during instructional time.  Read the following article from the Fort Worth Star Telegram.
Should Santa be Allowed to Come to School?

What does federal law say about holidays connected to religion? Find out more below.
The "December Dilemma"

• How would things change in your field site classroom if BISD adopted this stance?
• What activities or events would be cut out if holiday characters could not visit the classroom?
• Would elementary school children be able to take part in PTA parties held before or after school?
• What would be your solution to this dilemma?

Blog Assignment Due Dec. 2

Following the guidelines given to you, revisit the blog post that you created before the Thanksgiving break.  Edit your blog to fit the criteria on which you will be graded.  Below the blog prompt are examples of multimedia that you might include in your blog.


Blog Title:  Favorite Internet Teaching Resource Site(s)
Blog Prompt: Recommend your new favorite internet site that will provide resources for planning lessons. Why did you select this site over others? Name some features you will use. Include the links to this source (and others) on your blog. 


Insert a link to a related, interesting site:
Discovery Education


Insert an image that is related to your post:

Insert a video that enhances your post:

Link to a source that prompted you to blog:

Inspired by: http://www.discoveryeducation.com/

HAPPY BLOGGING!

Expectation of the Blog!

There is a difference between writing a POST and making a COMMENT on a blog.  For the purposes of the EAT class, you will create a post each week to a prompt given by me.  In the future your prompts will be found on this blog.

There will be some weeks which you will be asked to COMMENT on a blog post I have written.  A comment is exactly what the name implies.  It is short and to the point.  It gives your opinion in a short amount of words.  In many cases, it may be a sentence or less.

Here are some quick guidelines on how to make a good POST.  Expert blogger, Darren Rowse, offers ten tips that will help you become an expert blogger.

Ten Tips for Writing a Blog Post

Here is how you will be graded each week on the blog.

Criteria	Points	Score
Quality of Writing Interesting style and voice Informative and reflective Organized	10
Writing Mechanics Grammar Punctuation Capitalization Spelling	15 -1 for each error
Presentation Formatting, font, background	5
Multimedia Multimedia enhances post Adds perspective and information	10
Deadlines – Blog is posted by deadline (no late grades).  Blogs due on Friday of week assigned.	10
TOTAL	50