Hatchet Projects

Reading is more than just words. My 8th grade English students have demonstrated this by bringing the classic Gary Paulsen novel, Hatchet, to life.

The project is called a Jackdaw. Essentially, any aspect of the story can be examined and represented in a tangible form. Some choose to create a diorama of the setting, others focused on the rising actions of the story.

In fact, many went beyond the page. For example, the main character, Brian, undergoes many challenges. Although a diary was not kept by the protagonist, some students used a creative license and wrote Brain's would-be journal based on his trials and tribulations. In doing so, his character was explored.

This examination allowed for a deeper understanding of themselves and the story. I found that many students who are not normally academically motivated, excelled at this project. By allowing for ownership and creative control, the students feel empowered and driven in new, exciting ways. My role was simply to encourage and coax them along the way. Although they were at the proverbial wheel, I was able to steer them in many directions that lead to learning.

Sexting, Does Anyone Know Why?

This post was originally published on March 9, 2009

I have been noticing the term in the headlines more and more. S E X T I N G  Rarely do I see interest, or thoughtful inquiry as to the cause. More often than not, stories on the topic tend to be lawsuits and criminal charges. Without knowledge or understanding as to why teens might be toying with this new form of… expression, the powers that be are all too eager just to file child pornography charges. Heck, I would be interested to see the causes as to why that is, but let’s stick to one root cause at a time.

So, why are kids interested in sending titillating snaps of themselves via their phone. Really, this form of expression is just bounding down the evolutionary path. Texting and IM’ing are changes the landscape of language. KWIM.

Carlo Longino’s article asks some very interesting questions. Again, I see opportunity for education, a learning moment. As the article mentions, you could address the boy who was hurt and sexted just to get back at his girlfriend. We need to look at these things with educator’s eyes. Rather than over react, as is often the case with sexting, a lesson of web-responsibility could be addressed. Really, the point of the article is that in most cases, malicious, devious, intentions are not the cause. Not even immaturity, as shown by the boy in the article who did not know how to handle a break up. But the real reason kids text… It is exciting. What else do we expect. They see as much in the check out at the Safe Way from Paris, Lindsay, and Brittany. We live in a world where sex is glamorized and coupled within educational taboo. This is a dangerous mix. I say, open up the dialogue with our kids. Model positive forms of expression. Encourage thoughtful discussions. Mainly, react in an appropriate manner. Every situation can be learned from, if viewed in the right way.

Ref:

Longino, Carlo . “When Does It Stop Being ‘Sexting’ And Start Being Something More Serious?.” Tech Dirt. 9 Apr. 2009. IBM. 9 Apr. 2009 .

Quandries of social Networking

This post was originally published on March 8, 2009 on another blog of mine.


It is truly a remarkable time to be in the classroom. It seems that everyday, I learn more and more about cool, new uses of technology. The social networking phenomena is simply, unparalleled. According to a recent Mashable article from Stan Schroeder, Facebook has just reached 200 million users. Remarkably, 8 months ago, the number of users was a mere 100 million (Aug 08). With this kind of popularity, I find it interesting the resistance that many school districts still harbor towards social networks. As a student teacher, I had great success with Ning, a user friendly social network. It is an amazing tool to use, for example, we devoted our classroom’s social network to The Grapes of Wrath. The students found it easy to use quite simply because of their familiarity with Facebook. Many of the applications are similar. Really, anything that can make the Dustbowl more interesting for Tenth Graders should be held in high regard.

I understand some qualms adults have about social networking. Sexting and cyber bullying are two manifestations of the dark side of the web 2.0. I do think that many districts tend to have a knee jerk reaction to these negative aspects. Rather than treading lightly, they opt to sit out all together. As educators, as free thinkers, should we not explore the unfamiliar rather than hide from it. There are so many wonderful tools available to us, it seems a shame to let them go to waste just because people have demonized various aspects.

In truth, I think we are missing a grand opportunity to instill values in our students. By taking advantage of these wonderful technological tools, we can also teach our students the importance of being responsible on the internet; we can use this moment to model proper behavior. The world is moving so fast. With every new wonderful invention, there will always be negative attributes. However, to ignore such opportunities for education due to these few negative aspects gives them even more power. As educator’s, we should see the value in a lesson, even a cyber one.



Schroeder, Stan. “Facebook: From 100 to 200 Million Users in 8 Months.” Mashable: The Social Media Network. 8 Apr. 2009. 8 Apr. 2009 .