Facebook

I decided to create a Facebook page since I already have a myspace account. I found the process to be somewhat easier then myspace. I liked how it took you step by step in creating the page. Once I created the page, I immediately had to search for friends to see who has a page. I found out that both my brothers and sister have pages. I liked how you could use your email accounts to search through your address book to see if any of your contacts have a page. Since I love taking pictures, I liked sharing some of my pictures too. The one thing I don't like about Facebook is that I can't create my own background, or use different fonts or colors. I spent a lot of time making my myspace page personal by displaying slide shows, having an Elvis background along with an Elvis video. Now I have yet another way to keep in contact with people.

I'm sick :(

What a way to start my week vacation.. I'm sick!!! :( I've been in my bed since Sunday and its not any fun! I better feel better soon so I can enjoy part of my week off!

Happy Snow Day!

I am so happy to have a snow day today! I was able to sleep in late and watch TV shows I normally can't watch. I feel bad for those who don't get "snow days." Stay warm and safe everyone!

2-10 Reading Assignment- Chps.1&2 Lankshear & Knobel

The authors Lankshear and Knobel discuss some very important topics of literacy in their book, New Literacies 2.0. The first topic is how the term literacy has changed throughout time and how the importance of it has been in the spotlight for a long time now. When I was in school, the term “literacy” was not used. We didn't have a literacy class; it was referred to as “reading” class. According to the authors, this change came about from numerous factors, one being the work of Paulo Freire. Freire worked with numerous groups of people from all over the world and in doing so, he helped people realize the components of literacy. I like his concept of literacy being, “Reading the word and the world.” (9) I think this is important since we live in such a diverse world and our classrooms are made up of different cultures. This is important to us as educators because we need to understand that each student is different because of their background. Because of this, each student has a different level of knowledge to offer and for that reason, they can not be expected to learn at the same pace, or in the same way as one another.
After reading the chapters, I realized how far we have come in the area of literacy. From the term itself, the importance of it, and how it is taught. Literacy is an on going and developing process. Today, literacy is more then just reading and writing , its using technology, the internet, and looking at the world around us.

Vote For My brother!

http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlDC/awards/rising_star_journalists_get_voting_52687.asp

My brother Michael was nominated for "The Rising Star Journalists" in Washington D.C. If you have a second, please click on the link and vote for my brother-- Mike Memoli, National Journal/ Hotline. Thanks! :)

I HATE The Cold!!!!!!

I am so ready for the cold weather to be over with... I can't stand being cold. It's a struggle every morning to get out of my bed- I am so warm and cozy under my blankets. To make matters worse, my school doesn't believe in turning on the heat! There are some classrooms that have heat and then others( like mine) that don't... I am ready for the summer - I wish I were laying on the beach somewhere.....

Reaction to this weeks articles....

All three of the articles for this week related to the fact that children today are growing up in a ever growing technological world. This can be both a negative and positive thing. According to Carmen Luke, author of What Next? Toddler Netizens, Playstation Thumb, Techno-literacies he stresses the importance of incorporating technology in the classroom because of the impact it has in our world. He also discusses his four major issues relating to the influences of media.

After reading the article Zero to Six, I was surprised by the overwhelming amount of media children are exposed to in today's world. I know there are a lot of technological things out there today like game boys, ipods and computers, but I didn't realize how much there really was. The article stated that "99% of children live in a home with with a TV set, and half have three or more TV s." Reading these numbers made me think back to when I was growing up. I can remember sitting with my family and watching certain TV programs like the Muppet Show, Family Ties and the Cosby Show. We only had one TV in our house therefore we sat and watched the programs together. It was something that we did as a family. Today that is no longer the situation since most kids have their own TV's.

Another point that I found interesting was that children who are six and under are actively using the computer. I think that fact alone shows how our world is changing because of technology. I wasn't exposed to a computer until middle school and we didn't have one in our home until years later. I think this early exposure is something that is beneficial to children today. They have the opportunity to be creative and have the exposure to numerous educational programs that are enjoyable for them.

In the article, Children Online: learning in a virtual community of practice, the author discusses the role of communities and how it plays a role in children and how they learn. I was interested in reading about the online community that was developed by a thirteen year old girl named Elianna. This community which was called "The Gathering of the Elves," was developed with the help and input of her community and friends. This is an example of the positive effects technology can have on young children.

The Outsiders

Today my 8th grade class finished reading the book The Outsiders. It is one of my all time favorite books and I always love reading it with my classes! I think the story is one that everyone can relate to in one way or another. Whether it is relating to one of the characters or themes, my students have always said that it is a story that they truly enjoy.

We will be watching the movie starting on Monday and my kids are going to compare and contrast the two. I must say that this is one movie that was successful in staying with the book. I'm looking forward to hearing what my students think of it. Does anyone have any other ideas or suggestions for additional activities? :)