http://koolteecha.edublogs.org "The learning happens in the struggle" -Ayn Grubb Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:21:01 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Greetings & Salutations, my fellow Middle Earthlings!  While your fellow classmates are slaving away in their other classes, you will be embarking on an incredible adventure - a Hobbit adventure, that is. Over the next two days, your quest will be to fulfill four Hobbit tasks.  I've even set up a special ... http://koolteecha.edublogs.org/2009/11/10/did-someone-say-adventure/ These couple of weeks around All Hallow's Eve are some of my favorites of the year!  POE IS MY HOMEBOY!  :) I hope that yesterday gave you a BRIEF insight to the GENIUS that is Edgar Allan Poe.  He was a brilliant, tortured writer who wrote about the miseries and horror that he ... http://koolteecha.edublogs.org/2009/10/20/so-poe/ I hope you all had a restful three-day-weekend!  Don't you wish EVERY weekend was a three-day weekend? I've got your first offical Edmodo online assignment details!  We'll complete one or two of these every six weeks!   Q1. What is the assignment? Your assignment is to write a narrative (a story, fiction or non-fiction) ... http://koolteecha.edublogs.org/2009/09/07/welcome-back-2/ If you're here looking for the alternate assignment, click HERE! http://koolteecha.edublogs.org/2009/09/03/greetings/ Howdy Lions!  Welcome to 8th Grade Language Arts and welcome to my website!   I always feel a delirious combination of exhilaration and exhaustion at the beginning of a school year.   I have been working hard to get things ready for you all, and yet it's only just the beginning!  So many possibilities!!   I ... http://koolteecha.edublogs.org/2009/08/20/welcome-to-8th-grade-language-arts-2/ Well, Peeps, our time together is coming to a close!  It's been a wild ride, but I hope you feel like you've come out it a stronger student and ready for your Pre-AP classes in high school.  Next fall, I'll be facing a class room of poor little baby ... http://koolteecha.edublogs.org/2009/06/02/advice-from-peeps-who-have-gone-before/ Welcome back, Lions!  Today you have two tasks to complete: 1. Finish the assignment from yesterday. 2. Fill out 4 charts on 4 colleges of your choice, using the links & information you'll find HERE. http://koolteecha.edublogs.org/2009/05/14/reality-check-your-high-school-action-plan-day-2/ Greetings, Regulators! Moving forward in our Career Research... Today we'll look specifically at the transition from high school to college.  Click the link below: Click here to view your assignment and the links that go with it! http://koolteecha.edublogs.org/2009/05/14/reality-bites-your-high-school-action-plan/ Click here! http://koolteecha.edublogs.org/2009/05/10/have-you-started-memorizing-yet/ Over the course of the next few days, you will be busy working on two different aspects of your career research: 1. Pages 14 - 32 of your Career Research Packet 2. The online activities detailed on the Reality Bites handout you received in class today. Please click on the link below to ... http://koolteecha.edublogs.org/2009/05/05/reality-bites-career-research-phase-2/ Hear Ye, All Pre-APeeps! I haveth a small online assignment for thou.  Go-eth to the link below and discovereth your Shakespearean name.  Then leaveth me a Shakespearean comment using some of the Elizabethan terms on page 56 of your study guide.  Don't forget-eth to includeth your real name along with ... http://koolteecha.edublogs.org/2009/05/04/shakespeares-language-assignment-pre-ap/ It's true!  Jack over at Brainyflix.com is actually passing the torch to me this week, and I'll be judging the weekly Brainypics contest.  I'm so excited, because as you all know, vocab is kind of my "thing".    It's totally fun, because not only will entering the contest give you a ... http://koolteecha.edublogs.org/2009/04/01/sothe-rumor-is-actually-true-this-time/ Click HERE! http://koolteecha.edublogs.org/2009/03/31/advisory-college-adventure/ Is it just me, or is SPRING BREAK in the air?  Ah - don't quit on me now.  Things are just starting to pick up pace.  The test-that-shall-not-be-named is behind us, and wonderful challenges lay before us!  Tangerine by Edward Bloor is by far one of my favorite novels to teach, ... http://koolteecha.edublogs.org/2009/03/07/greetings-my-lovelies/ Welcome to a new semester!    Everything feels all crisp and fresh - new vocabulary, new grammar skills, new literature!  Breathe it all in! My Pre-AP classes will start things off with an author study of Agatha Christie.  We'll read "The Mousetrap", which is a lot of fun!  Who's got what it ... http://koolteecha.edublogs.org/2009/01/25/murder-on-the-orient-express/ To get you started on your mad review skills, here are a couple of links to the online vocabulary review(s): Fall Semester Review - Definitions Fall Semester Review - Parts of Speech Have fun, and may the vocab be with you. Mrs. S   http://koolteecha.edublogs.org/2009/01/09/semester-finals-are-upon-us/ I hope that you all had a restful, turkey-filled holiday!  These next three weeks are certain to FLY by.  We will start reading The Hobbit TOMORROW, so if you don't have your copy with you in class, please be sure to do so tomorrow.  Our class copies are very, very ... http://koolteecha.edublogs.org/2008/12/01/welcome-back-darling-hobbits/ Greetings & Salutations, my fellow Middle Earthlings!  While your fellow classmates are slaving away in their other classes, you will be embarking on an incredible adventure - a Hobbit adventure, that is. Over the next two days, your quest will be to fulfill four Hobbit tasks.  I've even set up a special ... http://koolteecha.edublogs.org/2008/11/23/did-someone-sayadventure/ Here's the link!  Keep up with it, book mark it, add it to your favorites.  3rd Six Weeks Vocabulary Review Online   http://koolteecha.edublogs.org/2008/11/21/third-six-weeks-vocabulary-review-game-online/ Welcome to your first day of video production!  Since we're still in the early stages, we won't officially begin filming until tomorrow.  Today, your goal will be to produce an outline for me of exactly what to expect from your group's production company.    Remember that everything needs to be approved ... http://koolteecha.edublogs.org/2008/11/04/poe-video-project-day-1/ Before we know it, we'll be taking semester exams! We have an exciting week this week, as we'll be taking our big Poe test and working on our first multimedia project - a tribute to Poe.   I celebration of Poe's 200th birthday, Weekly Reader Magazine is sponsoring a Poe Video Contest.   ... http://koolteecha.edublogs.org/2008/11/02/is-it-really-november-already/ Soon, you will all be completing assignments through a discussion forum.    Click the link below to go to the new forum & sign up.   Please read the directions carefully.  Koolteechakids Discussion Forum When you click on the link above, you’ll see a message saying that you “don’t have permission to view ... http://koolteecha.edublogs.org/2008/10/29/our-new-discussion-board/ Another vocabulary quiz is upon us, and since the Ning's off limits for the time being, here's the link to the vocabulary review game you can play online: QUIZLET VOCABULARY REVIEW - CLICK HERE!!! Have fun!! Mrs. S   http://koolteecha.edublogs.org/2008/10/28/vocabulary-game-2nd-six-weeks/ Attention, 1st/5th block PreAPeeps!  I forgot to hand out a copy of "Annabel Lee" after today's activity!  You will need it to complete your homework assignment! All it takes is a quick Google search to find the poem, but I've also got a copy right here: "Annabel Lee" by Edgar Allan Poe Shoot ... http://koolteecha.edublogs.org/2008/10/24/annabel-lee-by-edgar-allan-poe/ Welcome back to Knowing Poe!  Today in the computer lab, you must finish the remainder of your Interactive Website Exploration Assignment.    When you have printed out your "Tell-Tale Heart" annotations, you can consider yourself done with Part 1.  There is also a Part 2!     The last item on your Technology To-Do List ... http://koolteecha.edublogs.org/2008/10/22/knowing-poe-day-2/ These couple of weeks around All Hallow's Eve are some of my favorites of the year!  POE IS MY HOMEBOY!  :) I hope that yesterday gave you a BRIEF insight to the GENIUS that is Edgar Allan Poe.  He was a brilliant, tortured writer who wrote about the miseries and horror that he ... http://koolteecha.edublogs.org/2008/10/20/sopoe-2/ Howdy Wester Faculty!  Please click HERE for my Staff Development Page!   http://koolteecha.edublogs.org/2008/10/12/staff-development-october-13-2008/ Today we're meeting in the computer lab to complete three separate tasks: 1. Word Maps - 20 minutes, as usual!  By the way, if you ever need a copy of our essential Word Map, please click the link on the right side bar for my "Virtual File Cabinet".  2. Daily Grammar - ... http://koolteecha.edublogs.org/2008/10/05/happy-monday/ ...and that's just what's on the schedule for MONDAY, believe it or not.  This week we're hitting technology HARD, starting with receiving a Gaggle email address.  Some of you may have some experience with Gaggle already, which is awesome!  In short, Gaggle is safe email for students.  I will use ... http://koolteecha.edublogs.org/2008/09/21/gaggle-and-ning-and-online-quizzes-oh-my/ Ah, so while I can't teach Great Expectations, I hope you enjoyed getting to cut your teeth on it just a little.  It's a WONDERFUL story!  Please try to get into the habit of annotating each story that crosses your desk.  It's a useful tool that will help you have ... http://koolteecha.edublogs.org/2008/09/14/ahgotta-love-short-stories/ Ok, so you all know I'm talking FIGURATIVELY eating cookies, right? This week we'll be PIGGING OUT on those figurative cookies.  Hopefully, Pre-APeeps, you filled your bellies with a little "Most Dangerous Game" this weekend while you worked on your analysis.   I acknowledge that this is a challenging assignement - please send ... http://koolteecha.edublogs.org/2008/09/07/eating-cookies-in-language-arts/ Welcome back, darling scholars!     I hope that you all enjoyed a long, restful weekend! This week we'll be digging deeper into "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell.  I love this story because it's chock full of lots of literary goodness.  Really - all the best figurative devices, recognizable conflict & ... http://koolteecha.edublogs.org/2008/09/01/heres-to-three-day-weekends/ And teacher...   Howdy Lions! Welcome to 8th Grade Language Arts and welcome to my webpage! If you are in my Pre-AP Language Arts class, please click the category "Pre-AP Language Arts" link in the sidebar of my webpage for any information that is for your class. I am always feel a delirious ... http://koolteecha.edublogs.org/2008/07/25/welcome-to-my-edublog/ Well, here we are, staring the end of the semester in the face, can you believe it?   You have all been AMAZING scholars this year - hands down the hardest-working group of 8th graders I've had before.   This is my favorite time of year - the pressure of the test-that-shall-not-be-named is ... http://koolteecha.edublogs.org/2008/05/06/greetings-ye-shakespeare-scholars-tangerine-readers/ The videos are available for your viewing pleasure (and download!) on the Ning.  Check it out! Visit Koolteecha's PreAPeeps http://koolteecha.edublogs.org/2008/04/04/poetry-projects-are-now-on-the-ning/