Sunday, August 30, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
#38: A Whole New Mind
Draft...in progress!
This book offered a new perspective, a scary perspective. Because of this book, I fear for my children's future careers. That is...unless they want to move to India. Every mother should fear the term outsourcing.
Daniel Pink writes a thought-provoking book, one that I read with peers as a part of our 21 CLC team this summer. This study concluded with a Skyped Q & A with Daniel Pink, himself, who, by the way, writes in a very normal-looking room within his house. (Funny how we think such people might just live in houses of gold and have an abundance of staff taking care of their every little need, including sharpening their pencils...wait, that example is pre-digital world!)
Back to the topic...
This book offered a new perspective, a scary perspective. Because of this book, I fear for my children's future careers. That is...unless they want to move to India. Every mother should fear the term outsourcing.
Daniel Pink writes a thought-provoking book, one that I read with peers as a part of our 21 CLC team this summer. This study concluded with a Skyped Q & A with Daniel Pink, himself, who, by the way, writes in a very normal-looking room within his house. (Funny how we think such people might just live in houses of gold and have an abundance of staff taking care of their every little need, including sharpening their pencils...wait, that example is pre-digital world!)
Back to the topic...
Saturday, August 15, 2009
#35-37: House of Night Books 2-4
The vampire saga continues...just wish I had number 5.
This week (between working on lesson plans, attending workshops, visiting with family, working at church, and, oh, yes, recuperating), I have read the next three books in this series (thanks to their arrival from half.com!)
Teenagers, especially females, will like this series, set in a high school scene. Full of action...well, actually, non-stop action, the reader is never bored as Zoey Redbird leads her team through many adventures as they either protect themselves or others in their first few months in the House of Night.
While some content may be a bit risque and some language could have been changed or even left out, I am not so prudish as to think our young adults are not exposed to such topics; just wish it were not so (okay, that was the mother in me that wrote those previous two lines!).
For a fun read, an interesting escape from the world of normalcy, spend some time with Zoey and her friends.
This week (between working on lesson plans, attending workshops, visiting with family, working at church, and, oh, yes, recuperating), I have read the next three books in this series (thanks to their arrival from half.com!)
Teenagers, especially females, will like this series, set in a high school scene. Full of action...well, actually, non-stop action, the reader is never bored as Zoey Redbird leads her team through many adventures as they either protect themselves or others in their first few months in the House of Night.
While some content may be a bit risque and some language could have been changed or even left out, I am not so prudish as to think our young adults are not exposed to such topics; just wish it were not so (okay, that was the mother in me that wrote those previous two lines!).
For a fun read, an interesting escape from the world of normalcy, spend some time with Zoey and her friends.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
#34: The Last Lecture
Draft...in progress
Awesome! Inspiring! Role-model for us all.
Randy's Pausch's The Last Lecture contains his last thoughts on many topics through last few months of life.
Tear-Cherker Alert: I am not a cryer; I do not cry at movies nor when I read sappy parts within novels, but this one brought me to tears.
Feeling unhappy with life, with your life, with other people's lives? Read this little book for a life-changing perspective.
Awesome! Inspiring! Role-model for us all.
Randy's Pausch's The Last Lecture contains his last thoughts on many topics through last few months of life.
Tear-Cherker Alert: I am not a cryer; I do not cry at movies nor when I read sappy parts within novels, but this one brought me to tears.
Feeling unhappy with life, with your life, with other people's lives? Read this little book for a life-changing perspective.
Friday, August 7, 2009
#33: Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts...
DRAFT...work in progress!
Written by Will Richardson, a leading tech-tool user, Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms is a book full of tips and tricks, a book I would have appreciated even more had I read it a year and a half ago as I began my Web 2.0 journey.
As with any good literature, though, one can always glean even more nuggets, and that is what I did. I reviewed blogs, wikis, RSS, and Flickr and learned even more, especially about RSS and Flickr, both of which I have, neither of which I utilize to their fullest.
Podcasts...that one I learned a lot about, that one I hope to really utilize within my 1:1 laptop classroom.
Written by Will Richardson, a leading tech-tool user, Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms is a book full of tips and tricks, a book I would have appreciated even more had I read it a year and a half ago as I began my Web 2.0 journey.
As with any good literature, though, one can always glean even more nuggets, and that is what I did. I reviewed blogs, wikis, RSS, and Flickr and learned even more, especially about RSS and Flickr, both of which I have, neither of which I utilize to their fullest.
Podcasts...that one I learned a lot about, that one I hope to really utilize within my 1:1 laptop classroom.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
#32: The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane
Probably the best book I have read this summer. PLEASE read this book. All English 11 teachers should read this one. Definitely.
Katherine Howe tells the story of Connie Goodwin, a Harvard doctoral student, who spends a summer in her grandmother's primitive house (in hopes of getting it ready to sell); instead, she becomes involved in research that takes her on a journey into the lives of those accused of witchcraft during Salem witch trials.
This insight into the accused is quiet interesting and eye-opening....oh, the cruelty that lasted for months.
Howe is a grand writer...just go ahead and plan a day for reading or plan to stay up late finishing this one! Her characters are real (really...shhhhh! even the witches...or physicks as they may be called), her setting is alive, and she showed me through this novel one of the best reasons for always writing. Interested in hearing more about this? Then please visit my blog here.
Besides an awesome use of vocabulary (I really like that for our upper level readers), she illustrated through this novel her avid knowledge as a researcher and portrayed this in such a great narrative format.
I wish I could recommend another novel by this author, but this one is her first. And a very good first one, it is!
You may follow Katherine Howe on Twitter by clicking here.
Katherine Howe tells the story of Connie Goodwin, a Harvard doctoral student, who spends a summer in her grandmother's primitive house (in hopes of getting it ready to sell); instead, she becomes involved in research that takes her on a journey into the lives of those accused of witchcraft during Salem witch trials.
This insight into the accused is quiet interesting and eye-opening....oh, the cruelty that lasted for months.
Howe is a grand writer...just go ahead and plan a day for reading or plan to stay up late finishing this one! Her characters are real (really...shhhhh! even the witches...or physicks as they may be called), her setting is alive, and she showed me through this novel one of the best reasons for always writing. Interested in hearing more about this? Then please visit my blog here.
Besides an awesome use of vocabulary (I really like that for our upper level readers), she illustrated through this novel her avid knowledge as a researcher and portrayed this in such a great narrative format.
I wish I could recommend another novel by this author, but this one is her first. And a very good first one, it is!
You may follow Katherine Howe on Twitter by clicking here.
#31: The Hunger Games
An awesome novel. The first in a series. CAN NOT WAIT for the next installment!
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is a great young-adult read. Collins is also the author of the Underland Chronicles, which began with Gregor the Overlander. I received a free copy of this novel (Thanks, Scholastic!), lent it to a student who loved it, have seen various reviews of this novel listed on other readers’ book lists, and, must say, that I enjoyed this novel...very much. Well, if you are supposed to enjoy a novel about kids killing kids…
Each year two kids are chosen to fight until death in what is call the Hunger Games. Main character Katniss Everdeen steps and volunteers to take the place of her sister after her sister's name is drawn. This begins a surreal journey...one that reminds me of short story that used to be in my 10th grade literature books entitled "The Most Dangerous Game," except I like this novel even better!
A novel that could definitely be included in my anti-bullying unit, a novel that kids are going to truly enjoy...maybe even more than some other popular series? Read in someone's comments on a blog post (sorry...cannot remember whose blog) that most of the respondents there feel this series will surpass The Twilight series. I agree.
Lots of good info here at Scholastic that students would love as they read this novel. This series continues with Catching Fire, being released September 1. Need to get that one pre-ordered!
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is a great young-adult read. Collins is also the author of the Underland Chronicles, which began with Gregor the Overlander. I received a free copy of this novel (Thanks, Scholastic!), lent it to a student who loved it, have seen various reviews of this novel listed on other readers’ book lists, and, must say, that I enjoyed this novel...very much. Well, if you are supposed to enjoy a novel about kids killing kids…
Each year two kids are chosen to fight until death in what is call the Hunger Games. Main character Katniss Everdeen steps and volunteers to take the place of her sister after her sister's name is drawn. This begins a surreal journey...one that reminds me of short story that used to be in my 10th grade literature books entitled "The Most Dangerous Game," except I like this novel even better!
A novel that could definitely be included in my anti-bullying unit, a novel that kids are going to truly enjoy...maybe even more than some other popular series? Read in someone's comments on a blog post (sorry...cannot remember whose blog) that most of the respondents there feel this series will surpass The Twilight series. I agree.
Lots of good info here at Scholastic that students would love as they read this novel. This series continues with Catching Fire, being released September 1. Need to get that one pre-ordered!
Saturday, August 1, 2009
#30: Marked
I like Zoey Redbird...even better than Bella. Zoey, too, is a vampire, one who has just been marked and must now go through the change.
Authors P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast (mom and daughter duo - interesting!)begins thier House of Night series with Marked (followed by Betrayed...which is in the mail to me as I write this post).
Why will I complete this series quicker than I did The Twilight series?
NOT because of the too adult-like, yes, sometimes inappropriate content. (Why do young adult authors feel they must put in this content? While I do know such things occur, an author almost seems to promote such activities by displaying such actions in words.) But I digress...
MAYBE it's because I like these characters more? Not sure. Still a lot of fantastical events going
on. MAYBE because Zoey takes a stand for what she believes and affirms her faith by making a difference? Maybe.
DEFINITELY because I like these vampires better than the way in which Stephanie Meyer's portrays hers. Yes. Definitely.
A quick read, I fulfilled my commitment to my eighth grade girls in last semester's Lit Lab class who were devouring these books. Yes. I can see why.
Authors P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast (mom and daughter duo - interesting!)begins thier House of Night series with Marked (followed by Betrayed...which is in the mail to me as I write this post).
Why will I complete this series quicker than I did The Twilight series?
NOT because of the too adult-like, yes, sometimes inappropriate content. (Why do young adult authors feel they must put in this content? While I do know such things occur, an author almost seems to promote such activities by displaying such actions in words.) But I digress...
MAYBE it's because I like these characters more? Not sure. Still a lot of fantastical events going
on. MAYBE because Zoey takes a stand for what she believes and affirms her faith by making a difference? Maybe.
DEFINITELY because I like these vampires better than the way in which Stephanie Meyer's portrays hers. Yes. Definitely.
A quick read, I fulfilled my commitment to my eighth grade girls in last semester's Lit Lab class who were devouring these books. Yes. I can see why.
#29: Escape
A true-to-life story. Horrific. Inspiring.
Carolyn Jessop, raised in an "ultra-fundamentalist American religious sect," narrates her life journey through an arranged marriage, her escape from this marriage, and her recovery (still in progress) from this marriage...yes, one arranged by her parents.
This autobiography I purchased as a side-note. If one purchases a book at half.com, then additional books bought from the same seller saves the buyee (me) money on shipping...so as I am perusing the seller of this book's store, I came across Escape. (Might check out this site; have bought several hardback novels here for $.75...yes, cheap!)
The ultimate story of survival, bullying, true-inner spirit, courage, horror, degradation, recovery....this woman endured it all and came out with a healthy mind still in tack...and a message for all females in bondage, whether physical or mental. Cults, sects...whatever name you want to give such groups (I, for one, do not like to associate the term religion with such organized bodies)...are simply bullying units. Yes, I hope you can sense the complete distaste I still feel towards the group discussed within this book!
Storylines, such as this, interest me, for I, who live a very comfortable, secure, middle-class life, literally shudder to think that such life-styles can occur within our good ol' United States of America. They do.
Thus, I salute Carolyn Jessop for telling her story, a story which eventually resulted in some being "freed" and others brought to justice. Way to go, girlfriend!
Carolyn Jessop, raised in an "ultra-fundamentalist American religious sect," narrates her life journey through an arranged marriage, her escape from this marriage, and her recovery (still in progress) from this marriage...yes, one arranged by her parents.
This autobiography I purchased as a side-note. If one purchases a book at half.com, then additional books bought from the same seller saves the buyee (me) money on shipping...so as I am perusing the seller of this book's store, I came across Escape. (Might check out this site; have bought several hardback novels here for $.75...yes, cheap!)
The ultimate story of survival, bullying, true-inner spirit, courage, horror, degradation, recovery....this woman endured it all and came out with a healthy mind still in tack...and a message for all females in bondage, whether physical or mental. Cults, sects...whatever name you want to give such groups (I, for one, do not like to associate the term religion with such organized bodies)...are simply bullying units. Yes, I hope you can sense the complete distaste I still feel towards the group discussed within this book!
Storylines, such as this, interest me, for I, who live a very comfortable, secure, middle-class life, literally shudder to think that such life-styles can occur within our good ol' United States of America. They do.
Thus, I salute Carolyn Jessop for telling her story, a story which eventually resulted in some being "freed" and others brought to justice. Way to go, girlfriend!
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