Making Geography Fun February 24, 2008

 Geography is a hard subject for most students to  grasp; it can be tedious, and boring. Here are some suggestions to bring excitement to the students in your classroom.

1. Begin with drawing a simple plan of the classroom, including cupboards, blackboard, desks, chairs etc. The children color the plan using the colors from a physical map. For exampke, green for floor level, yellow for desks and chairs, and brown for the highest objects in the room.

2. Try an interactive globe for the classroom to use in small groups! This globe quizes students and provides an SmartPen, which the students can use to point out their answers on the globe.

3. Wonder World Map offers children a hands-on way to explore their world. It becomes an interactive learning station as children fill it with the 68 beautifully detailed felt animals, landmarks, vehicles, and continent, country and geography labels.

4. GeoRiddler turns your classroom computer into a realistic game show where up to three children can play at once exploring different environments, learning, and having fun.

Comics as a Form of Communication February 24, 2008

 Visual Literacy is becoming more and more important in todays society. Children are being introduced to new cognitive skills involving reading pictures at younger ages. A common place in which people are using visual literacy is through comics! Many people, especially children, find it much easier to read a story with a visual aspect as in comics; there interest is sustained longer and it gives them the opportunity to think about what they are reading and find out how the pictures are connected instead of simply being told how they interelate as in a normal narrative.

 A new system, Micrsoft Chat, has taken comics to annother level–using them for online communication. Many apsects of comic generation such as the structure, placement, and orientation of characters and text “balloons,” and the default character gestures and expressions are already set up for the users. The users are able to create their own characters and keywords typed in are use to form the scenes that the characters are placed in.

The program was initially released on Internet Explorer v3.0 in 1996, and was developed by Microsoft Researcher David Kurlander together with the Virtual Worlds Group.

 You can download and try the program yourself on this informational site!

Comic Review February 24, 2008

After reading Mc Loud’s comic article I realized how true it really is.  I especially felt a connection to the part about everything looking like a face.  I thought that I was the only one who saw the expression of a car.  I defiantly assign identities and emotions where none exist as Mc Loud would say.  Reading this type of piece I felt was easier and more appealing then a formal essay.  I think that the pictures kept my attention and as well as the text.  I also like how Mc Loud asks the reader to participate in the text.  He says, “Now Smile, C’mon Nobody’s Looking.”  To me this really makes the text more interesting.  I like that he made me feel like I was part of the story.  This text over all was one of my favorites from the course.  

Autistic Kids In Danger! February 24, 2008

            Are group homes all they are cracked up to be?  An article entitled Autistic Kids in Danger shows concerns for the safety of children being placed in group homes.  Martha Quesada a mother of a 12-year old autistic child now looks for answers in the death of her son Dennis.  Dennis was placed in a group home named Rainbow Ranch in Florida because his violent behavior.  There he made a phone call home on May 23rd and that was the last time she ever heard his voice.  Her son had been rushed to hospital later that day and she was too late her son was already dead.  Agencies in Florida say that Dennis was restrained on the day he died.  He was placed on his stomach in a van with his arms behind his back.  The group home staff was accused but the allegations were dropped and the home has since been closed by the state.  Dennis’s death has not yet fully been explained but the facts are coming forward.  At least four other autistic children have died while being in the supervision of group home staff.  Jane Hudson of the National Disability Rights Network believes that there is not training in many homes.  Dennis Debbaudt an autism safety consultant adds that the issue of group homes is overlooked.  The pay at a group home is not enough to attract well educated people who know autism so the people who take the jobs might be the worst care. 

            Another case involves Mike and Lisa Carey and their 13-year old son Jonathon.  After trying to control their sons’ disorder they decided that he needed more.  They sent their son to the Anderson School in Staatsburg, New York.  Jonathon eventually came back home when his father visited him and found him naked, covered in bruises and lying in his own urine.  After calling a crisis hotline, Jonathon moved into another group home called O.D. Heck Center.  However in February Jonathon died after a worker allegedly pinned him down to the seat of the van.  The driver of the van pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide but the worker that held him down denies any wrong doing.  New York has now passed Jonathon’s Law which requires parents to be notified of reported abuse at facilities within 24 hours.  Mike Carey says, “These children are the most vulnerable people in society, there’s no way we’re going to stop fighting for them.”

            This article is unbelievable.  I couldn’t image sending my child to a group home, thinking that it would be benefiting their needs and in reality it is literally killing them.  In my opinion something needs to be done.  Group homes should have to employ staff members with proper training and if that means paying more then so be it.  A parent should not have to fear the loss of their child while trying to acquire the help of others.  More needs to be done for the well being of these children!   

                

This one time at camp! February 21, 2008

One time last summer, I was directly applying the written word to my fellow counselors. We had “mailboxes” aka little square boxes, where our mail was put.  I loved getting mail from my friends at home, and from the other counselors.  We would leave each other encouraging notes, which would always uplift my spirit.  I was sitting outside of my tent one night writing notes to the counselors, and one of the other counselors popped into my head.  He always said that he did not like other counselors having crushes on him, and that counselors should only be friends at camp and nothing more.  Seizing this opportunity, I proceded to write him five notes that week, starting with his name, and then proceding to “will you marry me?” all on different notecards.  Needless to say, this drove him crazy.  He suspected it was me, but I insisted it was other counselors or his brother being funny.  I was hysterical throughout the process, and only a few other counselors knew it was me.  I had the best time using the written word for such humor.  At the end of the summer, I told him about the one-word notecards, to which he laughed.  I had a few good laughs out of the situation.  Humor, when combined properly with the written word and text, can be extremely funny.  At least I think so.

The written word- from counselor to camper. February 21, 2008

This past summer I was able to share the written text, the Word of God, with many different campers throughout the week.  It was such an amazing experience.  I loved being with the campers, and spending time with them.  We ate our meals together, sat with them during service, and genuinely had a wonderful time.  Each week I was able to experience a new set of personalities, all which made me so happy to be a counselor.  Each night we would have devotions and throughout the day they would also have a devotional with the director or unit leader.  I also let them write as well.  I had a little pillow/cushion set up in a corner of my tent, so if any of my girls wanted to spend some alone time in the Word, the option was there.  I also gave them note cards in which they could write to me, and write to each other if they had any questions.  I was also available to talk to them each day and every night after devos, but I wanted each girl to have the option of writing.  Some people feel more comfortable when they write, rather than speaking.  I had a chance to bond with the girls, which of course happened over time.  I still write to them via instant messaging, email, or regular mail.
Overall, the past summer was one of the best experiences of my life.  I grew so much:  the spiritual aspect, mentally, and physically.   But most of all, I grew as a writer. I write in my journal more than I did before, and I had a chance to also express myself on paper.  I took away the lesson “it is better to write than not express at all”.  Some of those girls had trouble speaking in front of others, but then asked very insightful questions that I was able to answer to the best of my ability.

Semiotics- the WRITTEN/SPOKEN/TYPED LANGUAGE! February 21, 2008

The article, Semiotic domain: Is playing video games a waste of time, helped open my eyes to a new ideology of what video games are truly about.  Literacy- in the academic sense is the knowledge and application of the written and spoken word.  This however, in my mind, does not apply to video games.  There are marginal words involved, there are mainly actions being pursued within a video game.  There are pictures and images upon images of fast-acting actions and figures, with no written word in sight.   Sure the article talks about “Multimodal texts” which incorporate to mediums of communication- the written word and visual imagery.  But my question is this, where are the words in video games? All of the ones that I have seen or played have no literacy involved.  And the actions are relatively violent in nature.
Please do not take semiotics out of context, and try to apply it to video games.  Semiotics is the study of the written word and the English language, plain and simple.  There may be different dimensions within the broad range of semiotics in which we can place “multimodal” underneath of the umbrella term of “semiotics”.  We should not change the definition just to try and fit in another means of inter-personal communication, the video games.

‘Nonopticon? February 21, 2008

In the article, Naked in the ‘Nonopticon, it discusses how Facebook’s users had an uproar when Facebook put newsfeeds on other spaces.  I have a facebook, and I personally did not have a coronary when this occurred.
1.    The stuff you put on Facebook is your own personal information; and therefore, you can either have privacy settings for it, or allow the information to go all over the Internet/Facebook world.
2.     It is your own choice if you have a Facebook in the first place.  Be selective and cautious of the matter that you put on the Internet.  Like the boy who had to move to a different place because of the video posted about him.
3.    The Internet can either help us or harm us.  It is up to us which one it will be, and how we can use the Internet to our advantage.

I like Facebook and Myspace.  It helps me keep in contact with my friends that I do not have a chance to see very much.  But I am selective of the information I put about myself on the Internet.  I am selective in choosing to whom I accept as “friends”.  And all of this, helps me create a more efficient, and safer online community, at least for myself.

Bowling for Kids’ Sake Fundation February 21, 2008

Fundraising for a certain cause can be difficult at times. A great amount of organization is involved along with coming up with an idea to raise donations to support intended charities. We often suggest ideas of bake sales and spagetti dinner, mostly all involving delicious treats or meals. These are the most common fundraising cenarios. One idea that is usually over looked is sporting activity such as bowling. Bowling has been around for years and it is most played by older males that are looking for a social activity with their fellow peers. Bowling can be also seen as an effortless sport, but it can become eventful when it involves raising money for a good cause.

An organization known as “Bowling for Kids’ Sake” is a fundation that is a charitable group that raises money for unfortunate children of Burlington County. This group is one of the oldest fudnations of the United States starting back in 1904. The organization bring together strangers and transforms them into life long friends. Each application has the decision to become a ‘big sister or brother’ in which they acquire a ‘little sister or brother’ that is in need of one on one mentoring. The social atmosphere of a bowling alley provide perfect atmosphere for people grow as an individual as well as a family.

For more information about this organization and how to sign up to participate, please visit the following website:

http://burlingtonbfks.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=255606&lis=1&kntae255606=92CAC6E4CF1E42E2A2C2BB5D76551A06

Pre-school Standards Proposal February 21, 2008

According to Nieer.org, an opportunity for change in prechools around the country has been sent to the the House last Tuesday, February 19.  The house could not come up with a majority of votes against or for the preschool standards bill.  If the bill was passed it would give the state authority to write accreditation standards for preschool programs.

Do our preschool programs need accrediation standards? Of course! Those employeed in most daycares are not certified teachers. They have no degree and minimal training if they are lucky. Many daycares host preschools within their walls to expand their services to an older group in order to ”prepare” children for kindergarten. However, are these “teachers” who are not certified really preparing children for kindergarten? If a person does not know how to handle children, how they learn best, and what they should be learning, they cannot support and amplify the cognitive development of the preschool age children.

These standards for preschool teachers are imporving even with programs such as the Early Childhood Education program at Rowan University which certifies and trains teachers for a pre-school through third grade degree. Because more of us are being trained in this area it might happen that the standards for pre-school will be improve without passing this bill through the House. Or is it the fear that this bill will be passed that is creating programs such as that at Rowan University?

Children, even at the pre-school level, desearve highly qualified teachers in each of their classrooms. This bill should be passed through.