Stories are around us, everywhere

Everytime you hear a great story on the news, try asking yourself what makes it so good? It is the qualities of a good story, or just good storytelling? Is it a character or theme which resonates with us? I just read this story and and was profoundly moved. It's beautiful. I hope it will inspire your storywriting this weekend.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Welcome back everyone! Hope you are all rested and re-energized from three weeks away from school. I know I am. What did you read over the break? I devoured Neil Gaiman's The Ocean at the end of the Lane, a creepy supernatural book like Coraline but for a slightly older reader. The main character is 7 years old. Actually, he's a middle aged man reflecting back on something that happened when he was 7. I liked it, but that's not surprising since I like most of what Neil Gaiman writes. So, confess. Did you think of your teachers even ONCE during the break? Did you miss us? Can you imagine anything as frightening as seeing one of your teachers while on vacation somewhere remote and unlikely. Well, pity poor Sophia Lesser, one of only a handful of tourists in the picturesque Chateau Gruyere, Switzerland, on the last afternoon of 2013. In truth, Sophia was very good natured about the whole incident, and didn't seem to be disturbed in the least to see her RLA teacher in a small Swiss village named after a very smelly cheese. I know that I was very pleased to see her! Here's the photo as proof. Please note how exceptionally fabulous we look in our cold-weather clothing. :)

Did you see anyone you knew during the holidays? Did you read any great books? Please share your news with us in the comments below:

Misunderstood

Have you seen Apple's holiday ad? It's a clever way of storytelling and there are many of you who can connect to the storyline. Is this you at your last family reunion? Check it out:

Showing off the talent of former B side student

I'm so proud of our former B-side student, Alex Fortmann,SAS student, for his beautiful film, "Flight". The script is reflective and insightful (it was his 7th grade English teacher, I'm sure of it!) and makes my heart swell with pride.

Flight from Alex Fortmann on Vimeo.

I can't wait to see all the cool things YOU are going to do with your life! Make sure to let me know so I can share it with my students :)

What to Give your Teachers this Christmas?

I know you all LOVE Kid President. I love him too because he believes we are all capable of awesomeness, and of kindness. He is wise beyond his years. In this fabulous video he asks, "What if EVERYONE gave a gift that made the world a little bit better?" How about you and your family decide to buy gifts for folks who really need one this Christmas, instead of just buying more "stuff" for each other? I'm pretty sure I can speak for all your teachers when I say we'd be happy if you gave a gift to someone who needs one, to show us how much you love being in our class. It's a win-win-win! Just sayin'

What book does this remind you of?

I find this a little bit creepy but it absolutely reminds me of a book we have in class. Is anyone else reminded of a book when watching this video? If you are, write the title in the comments below!

Hey Hobbit fans, have you ever wanted to visit Middle Earth?

Just in case J.R.R. Tolkien fans didn’t have enough material to satiate their geekiness with three Lord of the Rings films, three (in progress) Hobbit films, books, gear, fan fiction, etc., they can now explore Middle-Earth through Google.(click on link)

Tolkien himself included painstakingly detailed hand-drawn maps in the print editions of his works. This new Google endeavor is an interactive version of those maps and provides a guided tour of Middle-earth and all the elves, hobbits and other creatures that inhabit it.
(courtesy of TIME.com)

Visit the site and comment below on your favorite creature from The Hobbit.
And if you haven't seen the intense trailer for the new Hobbit movie, here it is. Don't forget you can read the book too - I have it in my classroom!

To Put you in the Festive Spirit

I wish you a doggone good holiday season. I hope this video will help put you in the festive spirit.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We've been working hard on creating persuasive vlogs recently. What can we learn from Kid President on persuasive technique? Simplicity of ideas, facial expressions, jump cuts to separate ideas - what else? Happy Thanksgiving, 7B. I want you to know that, you're so awesome I named my dog after you. Go out and be kind to everyone and see how you can change someone's day/week/year with your smile. :)

Are there any things which should be added to the list? What do YOU think we should be saying more often?

The Power of Persuasion

We've been talking a lot about persuasive techniques in argument writing these days.  We have been analyzing videos and articles to find Ethos (credibility), Logos (facts, statistics, expert quotes), and Pathos (emotional appeal).

I just came across this article on "20 Reasons You Need a Dog in Your Life". My daughters and I really want to get a dog but my husband doesn't want one. Do you think we could persuade him with this article? What technique is strongest in the article, in your opinion, and why?
 Ethos (credibility), Logos (facts, statistics, expert quotes), and Pathos (emotional appeal)

If You Loved DIVERGENT...

If you read the Divergent series and loved it, here is some more inspiration for you. Has anyone read a book on this list? If you think we would like it, tell us in the comments below!

Book Review - Out of the Easy, by Ruta Sepetys

Out of the Easy podcast

Hmmmm, what's wrong with this poster?

I saw this poster in the IS hallway a couple of weeks ago. I was alarmed, to say the least. I hope this student ends up in my class so we can get a few things sorted. What do you think needs my attention most: spelling or design?

Happy Halloween B side!

17 Australian YA Authors You Need to Read

If Mrs. Becker's gorgeous Australian accent leaves you wanting more, here are some of Australia's top young adult authors you can check out!  Which one interests you most?

By the way, I have five of these titles in my room. Grab one while you can!

Would you like one of these?

I want one, of EACH!

Which one would YOU want in your dream home?

Question Tuesday: The Fault in Our Stars Movie Edition

It's no secret that I am a BIG fan of John Green and vlogbrothers. In this episode, John Green tackles the question of "Book vs. Movie" just before the 2 minute mark.  You all just posted an opinion on the topic after viewing The Outsiders last week, so you can compare his response to your own.   What do you like about John Green's style of vlogging? (video blog). Would you be interested in creating your own video blog?  What would you talk about? What are you passionate about?

Reflecting on Q1 Reading - please fill out this form!

Reflecting on Q1 Reading - please fill out this form for me, thanks!

Memoir Final

Which of our mini-lessons can you see "in action?"

My Favorite Astronaut Talks about Reading

"Reading is freedom" Col. Chris Hadfield is a big hero in Canada. He was recently the commander of the International Space Station, the first Canadian to do so. During his five months in space, he posted amazing photos on FB of our planet in all its glory. He posted videos to answer the questions he'd received from school children. Just before he returned to Earth, he won millions of fans with his uber-cool music video version of David Bowie's Space Oddity. Listen to his interview on how he was influenced by amazing books, starting with his love for Black Beauty. Then watch his astronaut music video, (filmed in space!) and consider where great books and reading could lead YOU!