Friday, November 19, 2010

11/19/10 Lab Day

Create a crossword puzzle here!
  • You will need to scroll half down the page when you get there.
Create a wordsearch puzzle here!

*Be sure that when you finish, you copy your finished puzzle into a Word document and save it to your memory stick. Then, attach the file to an e-mail and send it to wildcatswag@gmail.com.

Thursday, September 30, 2010

10/1/10 Lab Day

Visit this link for the PBS Video.

Photographers:
Visit this link and enter into the caption-writing contest. Maybe your caption be the next one featured on the Scholastic website!

Features:
Here is a fun idea for a feature article. Create a riddle in which you give a description of a person, place, or thing. The next month, we will reveal the answer to the riddle. Here is an example: Click here.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Noodle Tools Sign-Up

Today, we're going to work on our bibliographies using the information you found yesterday in the media center.

Link 1: First, watch this Jing video to learn how to sign up for NoodleTools. A new page will open. Be sure to close it when you finish watching the video.


Your personal ID will be: mckeelfirstnamelastname
Password: Last 6 numbers of your ID number.

Initials: First initial of your first and last name. For example, Gina Terry would be GT.
Phone: Last 4 digits of your home phone or cell number.

Be sure that you write your Noodle Tools login information in your agenda while you are signing up.

Link 2: Now, click here to create your login for Noodle Tools.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

9/17/19 Lab Day


Ten tips for good writing:

Preparing for interviews:

Getting ready to cover an event:

Photography links:

Fiction writing:

Features ideas:
http://www.capmembers.com/media/cms/Feature_writing_tips_90338328C01BE.pdf

Brainstorming Ideas:
Foreign exchange students
Part-time jobs
Teacher features
Unusual hobbies
Favorite movies
Favorite celebrities restaurants
Fast-food
Fashion trends
Top ten lists
Advice columns
Talk radio
Weird cravings
Crazy answering machine messages

Sports writers:

Arts and entertainment:

7th grade events:

Web development:

Technology writers:

Comics:

Friday, September 10, 2010

Great Newspaper Sites!

Visit these sites to get some ideas for your articles!

Middle School News Papers Online:
The Lowell
The Lion's Roar

Other news:
The Ledger
Fox News
ABC News

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Writing Process Quiz

Okay... let's see how you're doing with the five steps of the writing process! Take out your agenda and look up your information for your QuizStar login.


In QuizStar, you will click on the "1 Untaken Quizzes" on the first screen,
...and then choose to "take" the "Writing Process" quiz on the next screen.
Look below to my last post if you need a reminder of how to find today's quiz.
You have 15 minutes to take the quiz -- it's timed so don't dally!


Come back to my blog when you are finished and read below for today's web link...


Ready? CLICK HERE to take the quiz!


Alright, how did you do on the quiz? If you need extra review before you move on, grab a WriteSource textbook and reread pages 5-7.

Okay, so yesterday, we worked on brainstorming and outlining. Today, we're going to use those skills again. 

Click here when your finished with your quiz and begin looking through the jogtheweb.com presentation.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Media Center Madness


A library in East Asia.
How savvy are you about life in the media center at McKeel Academy? We're going to take a quiz on the website QuizStar to find out how well you listened to Mrs. Hearn's presentation yesterday!

First, click here to find out your login information for QuizStar. Be sure to write this down in your agenda.
Your password is your McKeel ID beginning with 5300.

When you go to QuizStar, you will click on "1 Untaken Quiz" (look below).



Then...


When you're finished, work on your penzu.com journal entry. Be sure to share it with me at ginamterry@gmail.com by tonight.

You may also work on Kid's College (login info on board).

If you're done with all that, check out one of the following cool sights:

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

"Teens Can Make It Happen" Journal Reflection

You will write a reflection paper of three well-written paragraphs (5-8 sentences each) on penzu.com.



**On Penzu, you will need to set up a new account if you do not already have one. You will click on the green "Free Sign Up!" button and enter your information (be sure to enter your entire first and last name!). Then you will press submit and you're ready to go! (Write down your login information in your agenda.)


What To Include In Your Journal Entry:
1. In your first paragraph, tell me about yourself (you will use your “Reality Check – Who Are You?” worksheet for this paragraph).
2. In your second paragraph, tell me about your learning style and your personality style (you will use your results for VARK and True Colors for this paragraph).
3. In your third paragraph, tell me about your goals for the future (you will use your “To Infinity… and Beyond!” worksheet for this paragraph).

Be sure you save your entry every few sentences by pressing the second gray button along the top of your piece of journal paper on Penzu. If you scroll your mouse over it, it will read "save." 

When you are finished with your journal entry, you will need to "share" it with me by pressing the fifth gray button along the top of your piece of journal paper on Penzu. If you scroll your mouse over it, it will read "share." E-mail it to me at ginamterry@gmail.com. This must be shared with me by 11:59 PM on Thursday, September 2nd.


Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Aard - VARK ?

No, no, no ... not an aardvark...

...the VARK!


"VARK" stands for Visual, Aural, Read/write, and Kinesthetic.
These are four different types of learning styles.



According to its website, "VARK is a questionnaire that provides users with a profile of their learning preferences. These preferences are about the ways that they want to take-in and give-out information."

So, basically ... how do you best like to learn? What learning strategies are best for you?
 
What are the four different learning styles of VARK?
Visual has to do with what you see with your eyes. Aural has to do with what you hear with your ears. Read/write has to do with, well, reading and writing! And lastly, Kinesthetic has to do with the movement of your body.

How long is the VARK?
The VARK assessment consists of 16 questions. (Consist means "is made up of.") For each question, you will have four possible answer choices. Try to pick only one answer choice that you think best answers the question. However, more than one answer choice might "feel" like the right answer. In that case, put a check in the box for both answers.



Okay...... STOP! Have you read this entire entry so far? If not, GO BACK! Read it all and then meet me back here.

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Okay, now you're almost ready to go on to the assessment. Be sure to answer each of the sixteen questions. After you've answered the questions, click "ok" to find out your results. The results screen will look like this example below. Be sure when you get to that screen that you record your score and your learning preference (the information in the two circles below) on your sticky note.




Be sure to keep your "VARK Questionnaire Results" screen (shown above) open so Mrs. Terry can check your work. After she has checked it, come back to this blog and read the information handout that goes with your highest score. For example, if you a 7 in Visual and that was your highest score, read the Visual Handout. Each of the information handouts are attached at the end of this blog entry.
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Okay, now you're ready! Wait for Mrs. Terry to give you the signal that it's okay to begin and then click here to take the VARK assessment.


Information Handouts:

*** If you had two categories that were your highest, read both of their information sheets below.

If your highest score was in Visual, click here.

If your highest score was in Aural, click here.

If your highest score was in Read/Write, click here.

If your highest score was in Kinesthetic, click here.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Welcome incoming 7th graders!

So I see you've found my blog. :)

From time to time, I will direct you to my blog to respond to posts or just to read about something I thought you might find interesting.

I know we're going to have a fantastic year!