Facebook for Literary Characters

Having students create Facebook pages for literary characters is one of the coolest teaching ideas I have heard of. What do students love more than anything? FACEBOOK. So why not use it in the classroom? Students can individually or in groups either make an actual Facebook page online (which would be strictly monitored by the teacher and having several privacy controls), or students can fill out the poster shown to the left. What's awesome is that students have to really know their characters to correctly fill out the About Me section and the Interests section. Here a link to where you can buy the posters: http://www.teachersdiscovery-english.com/item_details.php?item=150+300+P0000822&SBJ=English

2 Grad School Classes = DONE

I'm finally done with two of the most stressful and tiring weeks of my life. Two 16-week courses shoved into 9 days. However, I have learned more than I have ever learned in any 16-week course in my undergrad. In my Classroom Management class, I learned a lot about ways to get students to behave in class. What I learned is that students do not always need rewards and incentives to do so. In fact, there are many things I can do before class even begins to prevent misbehavior. I actually watched a video this morning that sums up what I learned. One of my classmates had it posted on her Facebook. Here is what I learned:

Students need a sense of autonomy, challenge, and purpose in class:

Autonomy--Students are more engaged when they have some say in class. Whether it's choosing which books they read, what topics they write about, or what final papers they turn in, students like having a choice. Of course, their choices can be overseen by a teacher, but students don't really think of that. They have to be interested in what they do, so why not have them choose?

Challenge--If what I teach is too easy for students, students will be less likely to pay attention in class. Research shows that students really do want a challenge. However, they also need a teacher who believes that they are up for a challenge. Testing students for their prior knowledge is a great starting place to do so.

Purpose--If what I am teaching them does not relate to their lives outside of class, students will undoubtedly misbehave. It makes sense. If students do not see a benefit and find my lessons boring, why should they be engaged and behave? I think as an English teacher it can be very easy to relate my subject to their lives. Having them write about something they are interested in and teaching them how to fill out applications and how to write a resume, are all things that students will need to know how to do in the real-world.

Here is the video I was talking about. It's a little long, but I think all teachers should watch it.
http://fora.tv/2010/01/27/Daniel_Pink_The_Surprising_Truth_About_What_Motivates_Us

This Book's Gonna be a Good Book

I needed a laugh and I got one from this video. If only all students were like this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6D9jiEYxzsWatch

Glogster

Today in my Classroom Management class, a peer used www.glogster.com to create a poster for her presentation. This website is really cool. It allows you to create posters with different text, images, videos, and music. This could be a great tool in the classroom. Check it out!

Stress Week!!

I can't believe I have time to write this right now, but somehow I do. On Monday I started my two 9-day classes. That's right. Two four-hour classes each day, for only 9 days. The President of the Education Department came into our class today to explain why we are having these classes in such a short amount of time in the summer. We are doing this so we will be able to have a little break before school starts up in the fall and so we will be able to graduate in the spring with our masters and licensure. That makes me a little appreciative of the classes...a little.

Anyway, right now I am taking a Classroom Management class and a Measurement & Assessment class. It's extremely funny, awkward, and interesting at times because these classes contain future high school teachers of all subjects, including social studies, math, and English. It's so weird because we haven't had classes with education majors outside our content, and we all kind of sit in our own secluded groups according to subject. Here is what I have decided, Math people think VERY differently than English people. Most are very literal and absolute when it comes to ideas about education, while a lot of us are more figurative and open-minded. It makes sense though. 2+2=4 is very absolute and literal, whereas analyzing an article...not so much. Although we sometimes disagree, it's interesting to hear things from their perspective. To be honest, if I would have been a Middle Childhood Education major, I would have chosen English and math as my two subjects. I guess I have a little bit of a literal mind also :)

Teacher Jackpot!

My friend Heather and I definitely hit the jackpot at Target yesterday. We were rummaging through the $1 bins at Target and found all kinds of teacher stuff! After serious searching and contemplating, we each ended up buying a pink rug that says "Hi!", a perpetual calendar, stamps galore (including ones that say "Great Job!," "Late," "Follow Directions," and "Super!"), an apple timer, and magnet clips for our filling cabinet. I think the calendar is a little juvenile, but high school kids need to know the date too, right? With that said, all of these items are for classrooms that do not exist. However, it is still fun and we like to be prepared :)

Writing with Passion

Every college professor I have had in my education classes has told me that I have to have students write about things they are passionate about. Guess what, they're right! I was going through this huge binder I have of all my old papers I wrote in high school, (Yes, I have all of them. I guess I knew I was going to be an English teacher, haha) and I found a lot of papers about VOLLEYBALL, something I was definitely passionate about. One of my favorite ones is entitled, "3 Types of Volleyball Players." I wrote it in 11th-grade. It's pretty funny. Here it is:

At the Kettering volleyball camp for children twelve and under, at the Kettering Recreation Center, many different types of children appear. Most of the players still need to learn all the skills of the game. More concerned about having fun rather than developing any real talent, they try to play volleyball. Each one of them has his or her own unique personality, which makes the camp fun and interesting. At a little kids' volleyball camp, three types of players exist: the all-star, the drama queen, and the cheerleader.

Every year at the volleyball camp, that one kid who has been blessed with athletic talent and excels at everything shows up. This child, known as the all-star player, makes all the other campers look bad. More than likely she has had an older sibling who has played volleyball before or she comes from an athletic family who has been working with her since day one. Dressed in a t-shirt from a previous camp and spandex, her Adidas kneepads protect her knees. She can bump, pass, and spike better than any other child in the gym. When taught a new skill such as serving, she immediately tries it out and practices it over and over until successful. This camper tries to help everyone else by telling them what they have done wrong by demonstrating how to do it the right way. All the other players look up to her and want her on their team when asked to scrimmage. It is her parents who come a half hour early to pick her up just to watch and see her improvement. At the end of the week, the Camper of the Week award goes to her for her amazing talent and athleticism.

The drama queen meets the requirements of the most annoying camper who usually ends up driving the coach crazy. Being the shortest and skinniest girl in the whole gym while looking scared and timid all the time, she stands away from everyone else. With her tiny framed glasses and pink flowered outfit, she always looks around cautiously while she stands and bumps a volleyball to herself. While playing volleyball on the court this girl stands with her hands together waiting for the ball, but when it comes to her, she either swings and misses or steps out of the way. This usually irritates the other campers who already want her to leave. No matter where this player stands in the gym, no matter what this player does, the ball will always hit her when she least expects it. Her whole body, especially her head, attracts all the flying balls that travel throughout the gym. Of course, when this happens, she will go up to the coach gasping for breath crying about how her new titanium glasses almost broke and insists she should get to sit out for awhile. The only parent who comes in at the beginning of the camp every day to talk with the coach about her daughter and how worried she is is this camper's mother. At the end of the day, she runs into her mother's arms and tells her about her dramatic experience.

The last type of volleyball camper, who enjoys camp the most, is the cheerleader. As the social butterfly of the camp, she wants to be everyone's friend and sometimes is overly friendly. Every day she wears a different bow in her ponytail. Usually full of energy and hard to control, she runs throughout the gym wherever she goes. She loves being the center of attention and always wants to be the best friend of the high schoolers who help out. Whenever the helper enters the gym she jumps up and runs to give them a huge hug and hangs onto their arm the entire rest of the camp. While playing on the court, she shows off her gymnastic talent by doing cartwheels all over the place. She starts all the volleyball cheers that can be heard throughout the gymnasium. When the coach passes out t-shirts to all the campers at the end of the week, she makes sure that everyone signs the back of it with her cool pink Sharpie.

Each of these campers, the all-star, the drama queen, and the cheerleader, make the volleyball camp unique. It wouldn't be a normal group of children if all the campers acted and learned the same. Instead, they all have their own distinct personalities that make the week fun and interesting. They all come to camp to have fun and meet new people. Hopefully in the end, they leave with good memories and even learn a little bit about volleyball. :)

Tribute: Michael William Klenk

Here is a tribute I wrote for Michael.

Tribute to Michael William Klenk
February 27, 1988-December 16, 2008

Today we honor the incredible life of Michael Klenk, a wonderful son, a loyal friend, and an inspiring individual. From the time Michael was young, to his life as an adult, he chose to live his life doing the things he loved to do. Going to school, hanging out with friends, playing sports, fishing for squirrels, and attending Nascar and INDY 500 races, were just some of the many ways he enjoyed life. Even though his breathing was often short and his lungs were often weak, Michael did his best to never let cystic fibrosis hold him back. When deciding what extracurricular activities to participate in while growing up, Michael chose to play the rigorous, demanding sports of soccer, football, and baseball. When the decision came down as to what instrument he wanted to play in middle school, he chose the trombone, an instrument which required one to breathe. When deciding what to do during his first trip to Palm Springs, California, he chose to hike up to the top of a mountain. It was clear that CF was not going to hold him back.

Saying that Michael lost his battle to cystic fibrosis could not be farther from the truth. In fact, I believe it is the other way around; I believe that Michael is the one who defeated cystic fibrosis. After being diagnosed with a chronic illness, there isn't really a physical battle to be fought. Michael had no impact whatsoever with what his body would do or how it would react over the years. Instead, he had an impact on how he mentally handled his situation. With his positive attitude, perseverance, and determination, Michael stayed strong till the end and won a mental battle. He never stopped fighting, even when the light at the end of the tunnel was hard to see. Michael once sent me an e-mail, explaining how he got through the hard times. He plainly wrote, “I just have to look at the positives when things start to get hard and it reminds me how blessed I am to have been given what I've got. God is good. I have a great family, sweet friends, and a lot of nice people here at the hospital that take good care of me.” Michael, who was born with a horrible, life-threatening disease, who had endured many long, hard surgeries, and who was practically living in a hospital, miles away from home, called himself blessed. That remark speaks for itself and relays exactly how Michael looked at life; it was something worth treasuring.

Sometimes it's hard to understand why Michael was taken from us so soon. He was only twenty and had his whole life ahead of him. However, if we look at the time Michael did have here, it was pretty great. He was able to experience just about everything a boy his age should have experienced. He played, he loved, he laughed, but more importantly he lived.

I hope that people are inspired by Michael's story and become encouraged to never take life for granted and appreciate the things we have. With that said, I'd like to thank Michael for his inspiring lessons, his fearless courage, but more importantly his faithful friendship. He was an amazing person who will forever live on in the hearts which he so deeply touched.

Journal Entry

Here is a journal entry I wrote from Michael's perspective.

Dear Journal, May 12, 2008

All right, I'll admit it. Today sucked. Lately things have been going downhill. I just don't seem to have much of an appetite anymore which is extremely painful because I absolutely love to eat. Not being able to chomp into a thick piece of juicy steak really stinks. The docs keep trying to get rid of my nauseousness, but nothing seems to help. I figure if I've dealt with it this long though, I can endure it awhile longer. My shortness of breath is still causing me some trouble, but that's nothing new. Right now the ischemic injury in my lungs is what's causing the most trouble. Basically, certain blood capillaries were damaged during the transplant, restricting the oxygen supply to my lungs.7 If you ever try holding your nose while breathing in and out of a straw, that's pretty much what it feels like for me to breathe right now.

I was extremely nervous and felt sick to my stomach when Dr. Trulock came into my room today. Bad news was bound to be coming. He plainly stated that the only thing that would help me at this point in time would to be re-listed for another duel lung transplant. My heart dropped when I heard the news. I felt sick to my stomach. Memories of long, grueling hours in the hospital, extreme chest pain, and anxiety attacks came flooding back.

It's beyond frustrating that I will need another transplant this soon. Getting my chest ripped open once was enough for me. But, if that's what it'll take to get me back to my old lovable self, then that's what I'll do. At least I'll know what to expect this time around....

The days are going by in a blur. Time seems to go by so fast here, between all the stays in the hospital. I'm losing track of the days. My life seems to be passing me by. All I want to do is go back to my home in Kettering and wrap up in a big blanket on top of the heater in our family room. Now that would be amazing. Relaxing and keeping warm on the heater is something I miss a lot. However, it's my friends and family I miss the most. It's hard being away from my dad, Erin, and Robert, but I'm blessed to have my mom here with me. It's lucky that we both get along so well or else this situation in St. Louis would really suck. She's been beyond wonderful though, and I can't imagine what I'd do without her.

As bad as my situation may seem right now, I know that it could be a lot worse. I am still alive and will therefore continue to fight. I owe that much to my family, friends, and to the person who donated these current lungs. Saying that I'm ready to start living again is an understatement. These lungs are making me feel trapped, and are holding me back from just living my life. I feel like I'm a ball of potential energy ready to explode if I could just get that right set of lungs.

Thankfully, my mom and I are going to surprise my dad in a few days with a trip back home to Ohio. A little visit before I'm re-listed is very necessary. I'm so excited to see everyone and to simply be at my REAL home for a few days.
~Michael

Stream-of-Consciousness: Breathing Deep

I wrote this piece to tell the story of how Michael felt right after he received his new lungs. He really had to relearn how to breathe. There is no punctuation on purpose in this piece.

Breathing Deep

it didn't work the transplant didn't work I'm still gasping for air trying to thrust as much oxygen as I can into my tiresome lungs it's as if all the air in the room has been cruelly vacuumed out and I'm left with nothing to breathe in this cannot be happening I'm supposed to feel completely new I'm supposed to be a brand new man and be able to run a marathon—okay so maybe that's a tad extreme but really I should be able to breathe again not that I remember what that feels like anyways but still the whole point of this transplant was to improve my respiration not keep it the same I feel like crap no I feel like I was just run over by a semi-truck and I guess I should feel like that since I just had my chest sawed in half my lungs ripped out and new ones shoved in but why can't I breathe any deeper than before it's like these new lungs are purposely being cantankerous and refusing to accept the puffs of air I whiff in this seriously can't be happening please tell me that I did not just go through all of those long grueling days of waiting for nothing there is no way I just went under the knife in an extremely risky surgery for lungs that aren't even going to work please tell me that the incredibly giving person who donated these lungs did not do so in vain I don't know if I could go through all of that waiting and pain again so now what do we do I don't even want to think about that right now the nurses keep insisting that I'm not breathing right that I need to relearn how to breathe okay I'll admit that we all know I pretty much suck at the whole breathing thing but that's not my fault I'm not an idiot I know how to inhale and exhale it's really not that hard to figure out I know that I'm blessed to even be alive right now but since I am alive shouldn't I feel some kind of improvement I mean I know rejection can take place but this soon and if my body was rejecting these lungs wouldn't the doctor or the nurses have said something to me by now oh why can't things just be easy for once oh yeah that's right for some reason I always decide to do things the hard way just ask my family—huh—what was that—what do you want me to do breathe deeply from my abdomen well fine I'll do it just to show you how much this whole surgery and transplant didn't work...

Deep Breath In—Deep Breath Out

...whoa I can breathe I can really breathe

Poem: Sounds of My Life

Here is a poem I wrote about the sounds Michael always heard in the hospital:

Sounds of My Life

Beep—Beep—Beep
Goes one of the many meticulous, medical, machines,
Monitoring every pulse, heart rate, and oxygen level in my problematic body.
Its constant ringing in my ears and flashing of lights in my eyes seem to never stop,
Constantly accompanying me during the long, dull days in the busy, bustling hospital.

Baa—Baa—Baa
Go the herds of white coated interns (or so I like to joke),
Scurrying around from room to room like anxious sheep in a tight-knit flock.
Their sheep-like appearance and frequent gatherings in my small, cramped room,
Regularly provide comic relief for my Mother and I as we try to stifle our snickers.

Cough—Cough—Cough
Go my ever-infected, mucus infested lungs,
Projecting up whatever goo they can in order to clear my overly obstructed airways.
My continual coughing is like a natural instinct for survival, not a simple reflex,
Determinably fighting to purge my body of the clogging secretions in order to breathe.

Tap—Tap—Tap
Go the keys on my laptop computer as I chat with friends from far away,
Connecting me to my life back at home—to the world I should be in right now.
The two-way contact, keeps me up-to-date on the latest gossip back at my Ohio home,
Continually giving me something to hope for and look forward to.

Hiss—Hiss—Hiss
Goes the face-covering bi-pap machine which forcefully shoves air into my lungs,
Allowing me to rest my enervated muscles and catch up on some much-needed sleep.
The medical facemask, hardly like my high school football helmet back at home,
Thankfully protects me from the imminent ventilator, instead of ferocious linemen.

Vroom—Vroom—Vroom
Go the roaring race cars down the first long turn at the Brickyard 400,
Zooming around the track in a blur of colors as they bring the screaming fans to their feet.
Even though I am forced to watch from my hospital bed this year, I still faithfully tune in,
Energetically yelling at the 6” T.V. set as I cheer on Jeff Gordon and boo Tony Stewart.

Click—Click—Click
Goes the thin, clear feeding tube, in my thin, flat stomach,
Pumping the non-appetizing meal of liquid food into my lean, lanky body.
The nausea I constantly experience painfully curbs my appetite,
Cruelly preventing me from chomping into a savory slice of juicy steak.

Ha—Ha—Ha
Go my labored laughs which frequently turn into coughing fits,
Attempting to express my amusement in the jokes made by my ridiculously funny friends.
Their visits give me enthralling entertainment as they animate my beloved stuffed animals,
Magically transporting me away from the hospital and into a world of jokes and laughs.

Newspaper Article: Fairmont Senior Inspires Many

Here is a newspaper article I wrote for my project:

Kettering— Fairmont High School senior, Michael Klenk, was honored last night at the football end-of-the-year awards ceremony. The local athlete's inspirational story of overcoming obstacles has made a deep impression on coaches, teachers, and students in the Kettering area.

At the end of the 2005 football season, the Fairmont coaches collectively decided to honor the strong work ethic and positive attitude of one of their most inspiring and dedicated players, Michael Klenk. The Michael William Klenk Award, named after its first recipient, is said to be given to the athlete who possesses the qualities that Klenk so thoroughly displayed throughout his years playing football: selflessness, commitment, dedication, and loyalty.1

Klenk's strong work ethic and positive attitude while playing football shines through the personal challenges he continues to face every day. The seventeen-year-old suffers from the genetic disease, cystic fibrosis (CF), which affects the lungs and digestive system. Although there is no cure for this disease, Klenk continues to focus on the positive things in his life and works hard to overcome the obstacles thrown his way.

Fairmont head football coach Brian Blevins recalls the dedication Klenk displayed while both practicing and playing with the team.

“He always gave 100% out on the field,” Blevins said. He never let his disease hold him back and worked hard to support his fellow teammates.”

Lawrence A. Vitulano, a clinical psychologist and professor of psychology at Yale Child Study Center, discusses how chronically ill students usually find it hard to participate in extracurricular activities, and that “the ideal of sports success presents some inherent problems because of limitations of strength endurance, and time commitments” (590). For Klenk however, dealing with shortness of breath, going to the hospital for routine tune-ups, and taking aerosol treatments in- between plays, did not appear to hinder his success in sports whatsoever. Friend and fellow teammate, Jake Fannin remembers Klenk's intense commitment to attending all practices during their training in the summer.

“I remember several times where Michael would come to practice straight from the hospital,” Jake stated. “He was having a hard time breathing this year, but made it a priority to attend every practice anyways. Even if he couldn't run, he would always be there on the sidelines, supporting the rest of his team.”2

Klenk's dedication in both attendance and success is also carried over into the classroom. According to Dr. Vitulano, “academic achievement may be more difficult to attain for chronically ill children...because of frequent or extended absences from classes caused by compromised health” (588). However, even though Klenk has missed several school days due to health related complications, he keeps up with his schoolwork and makes good grades by working on homework and studying in the hospital.

Even though his CF has intensified this year, Klenk still plans on continuing his education after high school. He was recently accepted into the Engineering program at Miami University, in Oxford, Ohio, where he will be attending in the fall of next year.

Along with football and his studies, Klenk also participates in baseball and plays the trombone in Fairmont's symphonic band.

“He has always been active,” remarks Fannin. “He continually works through whatever CF throws his way, and enjoys life.”

The Michael William Klenk Award will forever hang in the Fairmont Field House, reminding its players of the remarkable Firebird who fought and persevered.

Multigenre Project

For Nancy Mack's Writing Workshop class, I was assigned a folklore multigenre project. I had to do interviews and research on the stories of others and write different genre pieces, such as a journal entry, a newspaper article, a poem, a short story, etc., to compose one whole project. This type of project is a wonderful alternative to the boring, dry, painful research paper. Instead of forcing students to write about boring topics they don't care about, with the multigenre project students can choose topics that are meaningful and relevant to their lives. It also makes writing the research paper more interesting and creative with the different genres included. Students are still doing what they would be doing with a regular research paper (researching, interviewing, citing, taking notes, checking for grammar, punctuation etc.), but are able to approach it in a more interesting way.

I decided to write about the stories of my dear friend Michael Klenk, who passed away in December of 2008. I worked on this project starting in January, right after he passed away. It was hard to do, but fun at the same time. Learning more about his life by interviewing his mom and dad was so inspiring. I miss Michael so much. He was an amazing friend and person. I thought I would share some of the pieces I wrote for the project in the notes section on my profile.

What do teachers make?

This is for all my teacher friends. You might have read this before, but it's worth reading again. I got this from my cooperating teacher. :)

The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life. One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education.

He argued, "What’s a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?"

He reminded the other dinner guests what they say about teachers, "Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach."

To emphasize his point he said to another guest; "You’re a teacher, Bonnie. Be honest. What do you make?" Bonnie, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness replied, "You want to know what I make?" She paused for a second, then began.

"Well, I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could. I make a C+ feel like the Congressional Medal of Honor."

"I make kids sit through 40 minutes of class time when their parents can"t make them sit for five minutes without an iPod, Game Cube or movie rental." She paused again and looked at each and every person at the table, and continued, "You want to know what I make?"

"I make kids wonder."

"I make them question."

"I make them apologize and mean it."

"I make them have respect and take responsibility for their actions."

"I teach them to write and then I make them write. Keyboarding isn’t everything."

"I make them read, read, read."

"I make them show all their work in math. They use their God-given brain, not the man-made calculator."

"I make my students from other countries learn everything they need to know in English while preserving their unique cultural identity."

"I make my classroom a place where all my students feel safe."

"I make my students stand, placing their hand over their heart to say the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag, one nation under God, because we live in the United States of America."

"I make them understand that if they use the gifts they were given, work hard, and follow their hearts, they can succeed in life."

Pausing one last time, Bonnie continued, "Then, when people try to judge me by what I make, with me knowing money isn’t everything, I can hold my head up high and pay no attention because they are ignorant. You want to know what I make?"

"I make a difference."

"What do you make, Mr. CEO?"

His jaw dropped, and he was silent.

The Hunger Games

If you haven't noticed, a lot of young adult books have been making their way to the big screen. Twilight, Harry Potter, The Lightning Thief, The Chronicles of Narnia etc. This just shows how intense and entertaining teen books can be. There is a great series right now that I believe is up there with Twilight and the Harry Potter books. Supposedly, the book is going to be made into a movie--I hope they don't screw it up. The Hunger Games trilogy is something I was introduced to in one of my ILA classes at Wright State. My professor did a booktalk on it and said that we all HAD to read it. I was a little skeptical about the plot line and did not read it till a few months later. I LOVED IT. It totally got me hooked on dystopia fiction. The author, Suzanne Collins, has not yet released the third in the series, but I know it will be great. I loved the second one as well. The series includes, The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and The Mockingjay. Here is a summary/review I gave the first book, The Hunger Games on goodreads.com:

In the future, North America has been split into 12 districts, making up the country of Panem. The Capitol, full of futuristic fashion and technology, is the home of the rulers of Panem. To prevent uprisings from the Districts, where poverty and strict regulations exist, the Capitol has devised an event called The Hunger Games. Every year, one boy and one girl from each district is chosen from a lottery of names to represent their district in the Games. The chosen boys and girls are thrown into a horrifying arena where they must try to survive and fight one another to the death. The last person alive is the winner. The Hunger Games are televised 24 hours a day as viewers watch this horrifying event. The main character Katniss has taken her sister's place in the games. Will she be able to make it out of the Games alive, or will her family have to watch as she meets her untimely death on TV?

This book was the best page-turner I have read in a long time. I loved the main character Katniss. She is such a strong heroine, and her sarcastic voice had me laughing out loud several times while reading. There's action, adventure, romance, mystery, and horror in this amazing book. Along with the characters, readers question what is right and what is wrong as Katniss enters the Games. The ending is a cliffhanger so be ready to go out and hunt down the second book as soon as you finish the first one. I recommend that young adult and adults go out and read this book immediately!