M. Donlevy's Teacher Book Blog

No fences

2006-08-12T20:11:00.000-04:00

Last year I fenced in my backyard. It wasn’t fun, but it turned out nice. I built a gate on the side. That way if anything happened, like a hurricane, it would be easier to get to the other side. Maybe I would need to help my neighbor. Maybe my neighbor would need to help me. In my experience, that’s what happens during hurricanes.
The old man next door passed away. I never really got to know him, but I have a feeling we would have helped each other in a time of crisis.
I have a new neighbor now. He decided to fence in his backyard too. In the process he felt it was best to fence over the gate I built with his own fence. He’s working on it right now. I haven’t gone over there yet. I would have helped if he asked. That’s what neighbors do. I guess things will be a little more difficult if one of those monster pines in the lot behind me fell over and crashed through his roof. I don’t know how I’d be able to help him. I guess I could crawl over the crushed portions of fence, but that might be too dangerous.

I'm the man

2006-08-12T20:09:00.000-04:00

Yes, the Ed Media exam is over.
I passed.
I'm awesome.
Thank you, J Lee for all the knowledge.
Woo Hoo

I can see the light

2006-07-27T16:11:00.000-04:00

Almost there. The summer term has been brutal. It is sad to think that I'm kind of looking forward to going back to work. At least my final two terms will be much lighter. M Donlevy

d day is upon me

2006-07-18T21:59:00.000-04:00

I just registered to take my certification exam for Educational Media PK-12.
Aug 12 it is on.
4 classes still sucks.
On the upside next year's teaching assignment looks promising.
On the downside my boy is in the soup again....

i'm back for real this time

2006-07-15T20:30:00.000-04:00

Here's the short of it-
Don't ever take 4 classes at once during a summer term.

That has pretty much been my life.
Ok, I got to go to the Pespi 400 for the first time in a few years.

That's it, really, ok I forced myself to go to the movies a couple of times.

And I listened to an Al Franken book on CD, but that was only while driving out to UCF for one of my classes.

Excuse me while I pass out from information overload.

D

i'm back

2006-05-16T19:08:00.000-04:00

i'm back after a short short rest listening to the Red Sox counting down the days to summer vaction not really a vacation but more of a lessening of the pain i'll still be just as busy even more so maybe don't know hard to tell now keep in touch

Final Reflection

2006-04-14T18:57:00.000-04:00

Final reflection

I use PowerPoint on a daily basis. I just never forced myself to learn any of the advanced features. I can start to see some classroom uses for creating PowerPoint quizzes. It would be a good way of presenting small independent study units for kids to run through if they missed a key lesson. It might be difficult for a subject like math, but I think it would really fit into history.
I could take things a step even further by enhancing it with some digital audio samples. Initially, it would be a huge amount of work. However, once it is done it is done. All I would need to do is tweak it from term to term. Adding in the photo elements would be an added bonus.
I loved Inspiration. It was slightly frustrating at first; it was not as intuitive as I thought it would be. After some practice I did figure it out. With a little more work I could incorporate endless amounts of visual organizers into the lessons. It would be nice to have a computer lab at school for the students to make their own projects and presentation.
Understanding how to use PowerPoint and Inspiration would be very helpful for media specialists. They are excellent tools for presenting information, and media specialists are always expected to be able to communicate information to the students and staff effectively. I see some value in learning the basics of Excel. However, I’m sure that much for powerful media center specific inventory organization tools are already available.

M Donlevy

Troubleshooting Reflection

2006-04-14T16:01:00.000-04:00

I really haven’t had too many tech issues with my computers lately. The only annoying problem I occasionally have is with my school-issue laptop. Sometimes it likes to go into what I call coma mode. It is like sleep mode, but it just doesn’t wake up when it should. The tech people said if I hold the power button down long enough it should respond. That didn’t happen.
My choices were to send in the computer for repairs. This could mean being without my laptop for a couple of weeks. There also was the risk of not getting it back and losing everything since my last backup. My other option was to work it out on my own. My solution- remove then replace the battery. It works like a charm.
The worst tech problem I ever had was with a scanner a couple of years ago. A friend of mine bought a scanner and asked me over to help install it. It was an HP. It can with the modern instruction sets. You know, picture heavy and very few words. We followed it step by step. Then step by step again and again. Then we spent 30 minutes on the phone with tech support. We felt so stupid. It was only a scanner. How hard could it be?
Impossible! It turns out the scanner was a dud. We took it back and exchanged it for yet another dud. Then we started second guessing ourselves. Were we missing something? It turned out that there was a bad batch of scanners made by HP. We ended up taking home a different make and model, and everything turned out ok in the end.
M Donlevy

what???????

2006-04-10T19:26:00.000-04:00

I call a cab 'cause a cab will come quicker
The doctors huddle up and call a
flea flicker
The reason that I say that 'cause they
Flick you off like
fleas
They be laughin' at ya while you're crawlin' on your knees
And to
the strength so go the length
Thinkin' you are first when you really are
tenth
You better wake up and smell the real flavor
Cause 911 is a fake
life saver
So get up, get, get get down
911 is a joke in yo town
by Public Enemy
I try to keep things here academic, but my blood is really boiling and the Flavor in me is coming out. I realize 911 saves millions of lives, but arghhhhhhh.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/04/10/911.lawsuit/index.html

M Donlevy

My Top 10 Books- Multicultural Literature

2006-04-10T18:42:00.000-04:00

I actually discovered my multicultural literature pick several weeks ago. I just decided to post everything in the order it was listed to avoid missing anything.

Several books were instant standouts. My personal favorite was i see the rhythm by Michele Wood and Toyomi Igus, but it just missed the cut because of its publication date. Find this book! It is excellent.

Slavery is a difficult topic to teach to children of any age. How can this material be presented while maintaining a sense of dignity for the people involved. Lessons can end in confusion, anger, shame, and increased misunderstandings.

The Patchwork Path: A Quilt Map to Freedom written by Bettye Stroud and illustrated by Erin Susanne Bennett (Candlewick Press 2005) is a wonderful work that celebrates the truimph of the human spirit in the face of advesity. The work is recommended for children ages 4-8. It spares them the harsh details while still managing to convey a sense of urgency for the main characters. Though the tale of quilt maps is a familiar one, the presenation of the story is fresh and highly memorable.

Links of interest

http://www.bettyestroud.com/

http://www.wabe.org/atlanta/community/bettystroud.html

M Donlevy

My Top 10 Books- Biography

2006-04-09T12:37:00.000-04:00

Last semester I had a discussion about collection development with my media specialists. They said that they rarely buy biographies about people that are still living. Those books tended to get outdated too quickly. However, sometime certain purchases were necessary due to demands of the curriculum and student interests.

My original plan was to center my nonfiction studies on the most current issues I could find within our media collection. I was unsatisfied with some of my initial results, but I did manage to find one biography that is Top 10 worthy.
Osama bin Laden by Bill Loehfelm (Lucent Books 2003) provided an interesting glimpse on an enigmatic figure that has dominated our headlines for years. The book comes from a series entitled Heroes and Villains (it is up to you to figure out where he falls).
The author clearly tells us what we know as fact and what is speculation. He also provides us with plenty of background material on the people and cultures that has surrounded bin Laden’s life. Plenty of maps, informative sidebars, and photographs help to enhance the work. Furthermore, Loehfelm backs everything up with extensive documentation and a list of recommended reading.
Considering the complexity of the topic, the work is well suited for high school researchers. Middle school readers might have a more difficult time digesting all of the history presented.

Reviews
http://mciu.org/~spjvweb/nonfiction03.html

http://www.rbookshop.com/unusual_subjects/o/Osama_bin_Laden/Osama_Bin_Laden_Heroes_and_Villains__1590182944.htm

M Donlevy

My Top 10 Books- Nonfiction

2006-04-08T13:30:00.000-04:00

I must admit, I struggled to find a Top 10 nonfiction nominee. We have plenty of nonfiction in our collection. I must have read or browsed through dozens. The Triangle Shirtwaist Company Fire of 1911 by Gina De Angelis was good, but it wasn’t quite Top 10 material. Plus, finding website to match some of these authors and titles proved to be a chore.
My luck changed when a friend at work loaned me More Book Lust by Nancy Pearl (2005 Sasquatch Books). Nancy Pearl is a noted librarian from the Seattle area. She even has her own action figure! No joke.
Book Lust and More Book Lust represents a best of list for every (and I mean every) occasion. Pearl is a self proclaimed readaholic, and her lust for books shows.
She is writing for adults, but I would (and already have) recommend her books to the avid high school readers that are always looking for something fresh. Between Pearl’s hundreds of categories and thousands of titles you are sure to find something to suit your tastes.
M Donlevy

Links of interest
http://nancypearl.com/ (the site has been a little slow to load)
action figure
http://www.mcphee.com/laf/

My Top 10 Books- Historical Fiction

2006-04-03T19:52:00.000-04:00

While growing up sci-fi/fantasy was always my go to category for reading. Being a history teacher has changed that a bit. Now I’m constantly on the hunt for new material to incorporate into the classroom. I have always been a sucker for the classics. The Jungle and Uncle Tom’s Cabin were mainstays of my student reading list for a long time. I’m starting to second guess them now. Teaching reading isn’t the same as it was 10 years ago. This is a topic I could go on and on about. I’m pretty sure I explored it in detail in my various Ed Media discussions. The bottom line is that I need a fresh approach, and I think rediscovering YA literature has some valuable lessons for me.

I was very impressed with Avi’s 2002 (and Newberry medalist) Crispin: The Cross of Lead (Hyperion). Crispin, as a work of historical fiction, explores some often neglected themes of life in the Middle Ages. Too many times authors dwell on knights and warfare while examinations of daily life are often ignored. Crispin gives us a marvelous look at life in the period. The book is recommended for readers age 9-11, but contains a ton of historical material that is relevant to the 9th grade history curriculum.

Without giving away any spoilers (I hate spoilers)- the story involves the adventures of the peasant boy Crispin. Crispin’s life is in constant peril. He has been declared a wolf’s head, an outlaw, by his village’s steward for a crime he didn’t commit. His survival will then depend on the help of an unlikely ally. It is truly a fun read.

Links of interest
http://www.avi-writer.com/

http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/articles/bookreviews/reviewcrispin.htm

M Donlevy

updates

2006-04-02T15:01:00.000-04:00

Ouch, just so everyone knows softball is dangerous. I play on a church team. I got nailed with the ball after sliding into 2nd. The 2nd baseman couln't handle the low throw. At least I was safe.

I just finished editting a electronic Thomas the Tank Engine storybook. I don't want to look at another train for a long time.

I should have some more top ten book updates soon. My realistic fiction readings have been taking up most of my time right now.

Other than that I have some great weeks ahead of me. 2 field trips are on teh way, a late start day, plus a teacher duty day.

April, May , and that is it.

M Donlevy

over

2006-03-27T16:48:00.000-05:00

Spring Break is officially over. It is back to the daily grind. Oh well. At least it wasn't totally wasted. We went to South Fla to see the tut artifacts-pretty cool, spent some time at Sea World, and the Brevard Zoo, then plenty off time on UCF stuff. Now it is only 9 more weeks until summer break. M Donlevy

yes

2006-03-19T19:30:00.000-05:00

Spring Break is here! Ok that last book I started to hate, it wasn't so bad. It wasn't that great. You might have read it- Whirligig. I understood the point, but it was just blah. My other realistic fiction book was much more riveting- Stuck in Neutral. Wow, that book will be in my head for awhile. I guess I need to get back on my digital audio and images. I'm pretty much ahead of the game in my other two classes.

books, books, books

2006-03-12T19:20:00.000-05:00

Reading has been very rewarding. So far everything has been A+ material. I finished Speak in 3 days. I already started on my paper. I’m making my wife read it now. I need someone to discuss it with, and I need it immediately.
My new book doesn’t seem as interesting. Actually, I hate it. Maybe things will turn around in the next chapter. I hope so; I almost feel guilty. A character just died off and I could care less. I’m still thinking about my compare and contrast paper of Speak and The Giver. Maybe that is throwing me off right now.
One week until Spring Break. My hopes are high.
M Donlevy

My Top 10 Books List- Modern Fantasy

2006-03-09T20:00:00.000-05:00

I was extremely excited to get into reviewing books in the Modern Fantasy genre. This is my specialty. It is what I grew up on. I really wanted to see what new material is being made available for the YA audience.

Nancy Farmer’s The House of the Scorpion (2002 Simon & Schuster) is a great testament of what YA sci-fi is all about. The novel is set in a not too distant future; it doesn’t exactly specify a particular time. But, the technology it introduces is quite plausible considering the current state of science.
One of the greatest strengths of the story is how it builds upon two of today’s top controversial issues- drug trafficking and cloning. It is an interesting combination.
The story chronicles the life of Matt, a clone created by a great drug lord. I don’t want to give away any more spoilers. This is simply a must read for any sci-fi fan.
Most reviewers recommend the book for ages 11-14. I personally would shift the age bracket up slightly. While Farmer limits the brutality one could associate with drug cartels, some of the issues might be tricky for younger readers. Plus, the book is a little longer than others recommended for this age group.
M Donlevy
Links of Interest
Author Bio
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/writers/writerdetails.asp?z=y&cid=1033958#bio

Author Interviews
http://www.bookpage.com/0410bp/nancy_farmer.html

http://www.locusmag.com/2004/Issues/01Farmer.html

Reviews
http://www.childrencomefirst.com/bkreviewHouseOfScorpion.shtml

http://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/biblio?inkey=1-0689852231-0

updates

2006-03-06T16:49:00.000-05:00

It was a dull week dominated by the FCAT. Yuck!
Our teachers’ union is stating a protest today over the whole merit pay issue.
They warned us that there won’t be any public restrooms available, but they told us to bring the whole family. Thanks, but no thanks. Also, you would think that they would get other counties involved. No, we’re alone.
I’m not against merit pay, but it would be nice of the state to actually fund these programs.
I need to work more on my writing. Maybe I’ll get published and find a new meal ticket.
Who am I kidding? I’m destined to stay in education until the bitter end. It is a sick kind of love/hate relationship.
M Donlevy

My Top 10 Books- Traditional Literature 2

2006-03-02T20:30:00.000-05:00

Children’s literature today is flooded with traditional stories that have long been passed down from generation to generation. It is essential for children to be exposed to these classic stories. Our children are next in line to pass these tales down to future readers.
While the stories themselves are indeed timeless, readers will often get tired of recycled material. To overcome this each generation of storytellers needs to take a fresh approach to the stories without changing their heart.

Robert Ingpen’s retelling of The Ugly Duckling (2005 Minedition) is a beautiful example of a revival of one of history’s most beloved stories. While Anthea Bell takes credit for this particular translation of Hans Christian Anderson’s original text, it is Ingpen’s exquisite art work the truly brings it to life. Each page is simply mesmerizing. I wish I could find the words to better describe the book; it simply must be experienced.

Links of interest-
http://www.melaleuca.com.au/ingpen/
http://www.alumni.rmit.edu.au/fame/fame_profile.asp?id=223
http://www.nla.gov.au/ms/findaids/9141.html

M Donlevy

Progress

2006-02-27T18:47:00.000-05:00

Tough choices ahead, my reading list for the semester is quite lengthy. I’ll need to make the most of my choices. I picked out some candidates for My 10 Ten Books list. I have a couple for each category. One has me really hooked, but I reveal more on that later.
I bought a copy of Speak. I read The Giver again this weekend. I’m wondering how that paper will play out. Since I have already read much of the criticism and commentary about The Giver, I’m afraid it will taint the discussion.
FCAT was a bore. At least I managed to get into the media center at the end of the day to double check our databases for my reference class.
As for the tech class I completed the readings. I need a solid uninterrupted day to work through the lessons. It will be much more efficient that way.
Finally, the household is healthy again.
Yes! The Office is on this week.
I can’t wait.
Tomorrow we have FCAT again.
Ug
M Donlevy

My Top Ten Books- Traditional Literature 1

2006-02-25T17:58:00.000-05:00

During one of my first years teaching I decided to design a small research project on the American Revolution. Each student group had to sign up for one battle and one person from my list. My media specialists were not very happy with the list I generated. It happened to be Women’s History Month, and I didn’t include one woman on my list. To this day they still give me a hard time about it. This Top 10 Books selection is dedicated to my media specialists.

It can sometimes be a challenge to find strong female role models for young girls these days. Furthermore, it is difficult to get many girls to get interested in some typically male dominated genres like mythology. The Lady of Ten Thousand Names: Goddess Stories from Many Cultures (Barefoot Books, New York 2001) is a great selection that helps fill this void.

Writer Burleigh Muten has selected eight different stories that truly span the globe. While many compilations of mythology stay with the Greco-Roman realm, Muten introduces us to tales from China, Wale, and Scandinavia. Muten’s retellings are geared towards middle school readers and up. On of the greatest strengths is how Muten keeps the darker edge of some of these stories intact while at the same time making it readable for a younger audience. Helen Cann’s excellent illustrations help to further bring each story to life.

M Donlevy

Links of interest:

http://www.barefoot-books.com/us/site/pages/artists.php?aid=93

http://www.barefoot-books.com/us/site/pages/authors.php?aid=128

http://www.bookpage.com/0109bp/children/lady_10thous_names.html

My Top Ten Books- Picture Book 2

2006-02-19T14:10:00.000-05:00

The antihero- it’s a theme that has been explored throughout the history of literature, and I think the theme is an attractive one to many young readers. I believe no other author/illustrator explores this theme as well as Janell Cannon. In previous works Cannon gave us two noteworthy protagonists in Stellaluna and Verdi. Who would have thought a bat and a snake could generate so much sympathy and love? In her 2000 book Crickwing (Harcourt Inc) Cannon takes the idea of an antihero to the extreme with choosing a cockroach as her hero.
I don’t want to give away too many spoilers, but Crickwing teaches readers a valuable lesson in how to treat all creatures big and small with the respect they deserve.

Other picture books that almost made the cut for “My Top 10 Books List”- Graeme Base’s The Water Hole and Chris Van Allsburg’s Zathura.

Links of interest
http://friend.ly.net/users/jorban/biographies/cannonjanell/

http://www.teachingk-8.com/archives/author_interview/janell_cannon_mysteries_of_the_misunderstood_by_katherine_pierpont_senior_editor.html

http://readingtokids.org/Books/BookView.php?pag=1&bookID=00000472

weekly update

2006-02-16T20:01:00.000-05:00

Finally! I’m no longer sick. It is time to get back into the swing of things.
I learned some new stuff about Excel this week. The program is actually pretty amazing once you give it a chance. I knew I could manipulate numbers, but I never explored the other types of data management it offers.
I successfully put together a PowerPoint quiz. It isn’t as perfect as I would like it to be. Apparently there are a few weird quirks Microsoft needs to work out. Planned obsolescence, you gotta love it.
I still need to add to my top ten book list. Expect the next update this weekend.
Things that really got under my skin this week- the whole merit pay thing, yes it’s another unfunded mandate. Also, that ugly project 65 things keeps appearing.
If I wasn’t an intelligent honest man I might run for office.

been sick

2006-02-09T17:54:00.000-05:00

Bad week been sick busy too busy should have taken off earlier couldn't had to stop by stupid now worse went home today left early never leave early left early slept slept solid up for awhile got to log in later can't forget chat future freshmen night tonight can't go got to log in chat sleep the office will be on nap office tomorrow I'll stay home already called in should have called in earlier this week too busy been sick bad week.

Buy Our Book!

2006-02-05T20:17:00.000-05:00

Time to make millions of dollars. Here is the title- CounterCultural Literacy: What Every Parent Should Know. It is sure to be a real cash cow considering we would have to release a new edition every three months or so. I'm sure there are millions of parents out there that are trying to figure out that Emo fad. I don't know about you but I'm emotional enough already; I don't need My Chemical Romance pushing me over the edge. As a self proclaimed music expert I think the Emo today is garbage. If they want Emo they need to check out the old school Emo- and nothing beats The Cure.

Cultural Literacy and Kids

2006-02-04T09:20:00.000-05:00

Everyone’s poetry comments were well taken.
This discussion has really got my brain churning.
I started to reexamine some of my old posts, and I remembered my reference to the book Cultural Literacy: What every American Needs to Know.
I don’t think we can ever start our kids too early on this idea. Are there any resources that outline what our kids need to know from a cultural standpoint?
Suggestions?
M Donlevy

Poetry Lesson

2006-02-04T09:16:00.000-05:00

Here’s something I do before either my slavery or civil rights unit:
On a transparency I display Maya Angelou’s “Caged Bird” and Paul Lawrence Dunbar’s “Sympathy” side by side.
I ask them a series of compare/contrast questions and then we discuss the themes.
I’ll then give them some background info on both of the authors.
For homework, they are to compose a poem that explores the same theme.

Dunbar’s Poem- http://www.web-books.com/classics/Poetry/Anthology/Dunbar_PL/Sympathy.htm

Angelou’s Poem http://www.poemhunter.com/p/m/poem.asp?poet=6834&poem=33060

M Donlevy

Top 10 Books- Picture Book 1

2006-02-02T18:44:00.000-05:00

The following memory is brought to you courtesy of Eric Rohmann’s 2002 My Friend Rabbit (Roaring Brook Press, Brookfield)- the first picture book of “My Top Ten Books”
We lived in a small subdivision of townhouses known as “The Gardens”. It was the summer between 5th and 6th grade. I was staying over at a friend’s. Since his dad was working all night we didn’t have a curfew. Actually we did have a curfew, but his dad was working all night. With no real curfew the night was ripe for adventure.
We set out for the pool area to play some midnight shuffle board. The actual game we intended to play doesn’t really resemble traditional shuffle board in any kind of way, but at least it used the same equipment.
Our path was blocked. The sprinklers were on, and they were spraying our path. It wasn’t that we minded getting wet. After all, we were playing midnight shuffle board. It was that getting wet with reclaimed water wasn’t very pleasant. It was more about the odor from the water.
Our solution- redirect the sprinklers. A simple twist would provide us a clear, dry, odor-free path. However, the twist wasn’t as simple as it seemed. Who knew that a simple little twist would unscrew the sprinkler head and create a large geyser of smelly reclaimed water?
All we needed to do was get the sprinkler head back on. Struggling to put a sprinkler head back on while getting pummeled in the face with “sewer water” was no easy task, but we managed it. We managed it so well that no water would come out of that sprinkler head again. Since the water needed to go some where it was redirected back to the surrounding sprinkler heads. Apparently, these other sprinkler heads weren’t designed to handle the added water pressure. The result was several small explosions of water and the creation of four more geysers in the area. We fled the scene.

Rarely does a book illustrate the innocent follies of youth as My Friend Rabbit does. Simple problem- not so simple solutions, that’s just how our minds worked (some of us haven’t quite grown out of it). As I read the book with my son I smile and think about all of the sprinkler heads he’ll break in the future.

Does your life story run parallel with any children’s books you know? How can we use these stories to help share life lessons? Wait a minute, FCAT doesn’t test life lessons. Can you tell I’m bitter about FCAT?
Please share.

Links of interest
Unofficial fan site- http://www.darkmaterials.com/rohm3.htm
Interview- http://www.childrenslit.com/f_rohmann.html

M Donlevy

Poetry

2006-02-01T18:22:00.000-05:00

I must admit, I wasn’t too excited about having to review a book of poetry for “My Top 10 Books” assignment. Frost, Cummings, eh, I could take them or leave them. However, once I started exploring our media center I was pleasantly surprised in what I found.
Marilyn Singer’s 2002 publication Footprints on the Roof: Poems about the Earth (Knopf, New York) was a pure gem. It wasn’t just about the poetry. It was the unique blend of simple poetic rhythms accompanied by some absolutely captivating art. Illustrator Meilo So uses a distinctly minimalist Asian style of brush work to help the reader develop their own visions of the scenes that Singer describes. Each poem is a distinct snapshot of, well life on earth. What make it work is the variety of perspectives she gives. Topics range from mud to ice to fossils to the critters that live underground. I would highly recommend this to middle school readers and up.
Links of interest
http://www.marilynsinger.net/index.htm

http://www.theartworksinc.com/face/msface.htm

One of my personal challenges is to try to incorporate a larger variety of poetry, literature, and art into my curriculum. It is tough to find a place to start. How do we start? Or, do we just leave it the art teacher? Will it help them on FCAT? If not then what’s the point?
Thoughts?

weekly update

2006-01-26T17:11:00.000-05:00

Now I'm rolling. I'm making an interactive PowerPoint quiz, planning a road trip to Disney from some little town in Idaho, and reading some poetry and "traditional literature". No problem, I'll just put the wife and kids on hold for a few weeks.

I just took a roast out of the freezer. I plan on cooking it on Sunday. I'll let you know how it turns out.

I'm listening to David J. I know, you never heard of him.

Big plans, well big plans for the blog anyway. "My top ten books"
It isn't the traditional top 10 list. It is a top 10 list that represents the best of children's and young adult literature from the past 6 years. I'll be experiencing some new things. We'll see how it goes.
M Donlevy

not much new here

2006-01-21T14:33:00.000-05:00

So far it has been a slow start. I shouldn't complain. It is difficult to get back into the swing of things after a long holiday.
3 classes. One that requires massive amounts of reading, the next has a massive amount of typing, and the third seems to have a healthy mix of both.
I am looking forward to trying new things in my tech class. Even though I'm pretty good with the computer stuff, this forces me to wander out of my comfort zone a bit.
The first assignments were pretty easy and nothing really new for me.

Quick tech survery- (part of assignment 1)
Which software package do you use most often?
How did you learn how to use it?
What do you like/ dislike about it?

I'm guessing most people will say Microsoft Office.
Trial and error.
It is nice how the various applications interconnect.

M Donlevy

New Class, Same Blog

2006-01-13T16:46:00.000-05:00

New Class, Same Blog
The Blog is back and in full effect!
New shades of truth will be revealed...
Stay tuned...

M Donlevy

kid's stuff

2005-11-20T12:07:00.000-05:00

My son is two and a half. He loves books. Hopefully, this love will continue throughout the rest of his life.

Currently, his favorite book is Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. It is so neat to be able to read this story to him. I’m sure everyone remembers this book from their childhood.

Another picture book really caught my eye- Tuesday by David Wiesner (1991). It was also a Caldecott winner. When browsing the web for a cover shot of the book I ran across many parent reviews. I was shocked by the amount of parents that rated it as a 1 star. They said it was only good for giving their kids nightmares! Honestly, aren’t we supposed to encourage the development of a child’s imagination? My son loved it, “flying frogs, that’s funny.” At 2 he knows the difference between real and fake (even though he was a little scared at some Wal-Mart Halloween displays). He knows that frogs don’t fly and he was able to see the humor in the illustrations.

More on imagination builders- Chris Van Allsburg has been getting a lot of attention lately. First there was Jumanji, next the Polar Express, and now Zathura. However, Hollywood is missing out on my personal favorite- The Mysteries of Harris Burdick. Ok maybe the picture “Just Desert” could inspire a nightmare or two, but this is some really cutting edge stuff.

Does anyone else have childhood favorites out there?

M. Donlevy

revisiting the classics

2005-11-16T17:45:00.000-05:00

Some books will forever be classics. They are stories that will be passed down from generation to generation.
Have some of our classics lost their edge? Are they still relevant?
For example, let’s look at Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451.
Book burnings? Do our kids really care about books anymore?
Now if it were about iPod burnings...then there might be some interest.
M. Donlevy

parents and education

2005-11-11T18:02:00.000-05:00

So maybe we need to step in as parents to fill the "Cultural Literacy"void in our kids ... How far does that need to go? Does that mean we filter everything that comes in and out of their minds? Maybe when they are little ones. But what about our teenagers? When do we let them go and explore on their own? How long do we shelter them? Hear about the controvery surrounding Cracking India and Deland High School? Did this parent go too far? Check out the story below...
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6286442.html

more on Time's list

2005-11-08T17:11:00.000-05:00

Going through Time’s list again…I realize that I’m not as well read as I thought I was…Who are some of these people? ...How good is this list? … Jim posted some good food for thought, check it out.

Maybe we need to meditate on the concept of “Cultural Literacy”… or does Hirsch even know what he is talking about…
M. Donlevy

time's list

2005-11-07T17:32:00.000-05:00

Thanks Jim for that link to Time’s 100 greatest books.
Browsing the list brought back some memories- some good, some bad.

It was nice to see some of the books that we teach to the kids made the cut. Since that is the topic that this journal should focus on, let’s start…

Can kids these days handle Vonnegut? I didn’t discover him until college, but man that is one serious writer that can’t be missed.

Passing it on....

2005-11-03T18:58:00.000-05:00

Most of these streams of consciousness are inspired by lunch time conversations I have with my colleagues during the day. Note- they are subject to change without notice, often because of unforeseen events.

The conversation was movies. Movies that really hit us as a kid… this journal is on books. Same idea… Books that really hit me as a kid… well maybe not as a kid kid, but before now, in my younger days…

I was like whoa, you know a real Keanu Reeves whoa. Hey, I grew up on the beach… a real dude… and when I said whoa, it was whoa…

Yeah science fiction was everything, Clarke, Asimov, and then Stranger in a Strange Land… and I was like whoa… if you grok then you probably know what I’m talking about…your thoughts?

M Donlevy