a 7 year-old can do this course

I originally posted this last year, but I like it so much I'm posting it again.  Enjoy. -DP
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Today I'm home with my daughter.  So what am I up to?

Playing Legos and making chili con carne.

I have also been posting to the course blogs and answering emails from students.  Earlier my daughter was looking over my shoulder and saw the picture of her fish.  She read the post and cracked up (I already told her the story at dinner, but she didn't know it was online: "Daddy, you TWEETED that?")

When she saw the post my daughter noticed something else on the blog.  "Daddy," she said, "Why did you type that you never learned to read?"  I explained the reading assessment idea and showed her the video of me reading Fox in Sox. We had just finished a conversation about how learning should always be fun, even in school.  "Hey," she said.  "I can do that."

I answered with a smile: "Yeah? Prove it."

So she did.  And check out the look she gives me when she pronounces Dr. Seuss' name correctly.






Do your homework. For the grading period I may just make it simple: can you do what a 7 year-old can do? And the most important thing in this video and this post is what she DOESN'T do.

She doesn't get distracted by the dishwasher. She doesn't even look up when the timer goes off. And she never, ever, EVER gives up.

august 29

I can't WAIT to get back!!! Hope you're all doing well and where you want/need to be in the course. If you need anything please email. See you soon! :) 
 _______________________________________

This should be interesting.

JOURNAL TOPIC: (today's tunes: "Three Little Birds" by Bob Marley)
This is a quick write: Describe what you're learning in this course while I'm not there.  If you need inspiration, listen to the song (it's an easy-to-find classic!) and/or consider the picture (which I took in London).

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2.Work your list (see yesterday's agenda)
3. Read  We are born learners
4. Preview of coming attractions: essay topics, portfolios, & hack to school night

august 28

The first couple weeks of this course were a mad dash.  Since I'm off campus this week it's a good time to slow down a little and cross some things off our lists.  Please take a moment to reflect on those things you started but haven't finished, and those things you haven't started yet, and make a list of what you need to accomplish this week in order to get caught up.  Feel free to comment to this post with your list.  Your exit ticket today, which I am asking you to post to your blog (*if you can't please write on paper and hand to Mrs. Anderson), is your list with a status report on each item.  In other words, once you figured out what you needed to do, how did you use the 50 minutes to do it?

JOURNAL TOPIC:
What do you need to do in order to catch up and/or get ahead?  What will you do first and why?  What's better to do in class with your colleagues, and what do you feel better about doing at home?

AGENDA:
Here are the possibilities we talked about; if you can think of something else please add it in the comments):

• Read 180
• Add design elements to your blog
• Complete/add to your journal topics
•  "Fox in Sox" video challenge
• Define & study vocab
• Select your own book to read

august 25

JOURNAL TOPIC: [today's tunes: "Don't You Remember" by Adele; "Memory" by Barbra Streisand]
When we read we make connections between the text and what we already know.  Sometimes we find ourselves surprised when a book calls to mind an old memory we haven't thought about in a long time.  What are your earliest memories?  What makes some things impossible to remember and other things impossible to forget?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Planning for next week
3. Literature Analysis
4. Fox in Sox reminder
5. "The Conscience of a Hacker"

august 24

JOURNAL TOPIC: [today's tunes: "You Talk Too Much" by Run-D.M.C.; "Communication Breakdown" by Led Zeppelin]

So many phrases say the same thing: Talk is cheap. A picture's worth a thousand words. It's not what you said, it's how you said it. Since words are so easy to create we tend to mistrust them. We use our intuition to "read between the lines" and determine what someone really means.  Describe how we listen, read, and learn without depending on words.

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Groups
3. Read 180
4. Group discussion
5. Independent reading
6. Blog

august 23

JOURNAL TOPIC:
Last period we had an earthquake drill and a fire drill on campus.  How do you think things would be different if we were experiencing a real emergency? 

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Discussion
3. Read 180: minutes, quizzes, and reading
4. Create a post for your blog (title: THE BOOK I JUST READ) in which you describe the book you are reading in this class.  What is it about?  Who are the characters?  What makes it interesting (or makes you wish it was more interesting)?

august 22

JOURNAL TOPIC:
Describe something you've read in the last 24 hours (in this class or somewhere else).  What did you like about it?  What didn't you understand?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Read 180/ status
3. Blogs
4. Ideas for discussion

august 21

Today we Read (180)

august 17

JOURNAL TOPIC:
Santa Maria High School has it all: art studios, a gym, a pool, a theater, a library, technology and free wi-fi, and lots and lots of space.  What would you do here all day if there were no teachers or classes?  What would you experience, learn, or accomplish?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Spend 20 minutes on Read 180
3. Spend 20 minutes on a book in the classroom
4. Post a note on your blog about what you did in class today (THIS IS IMPORTANT-- if you don't post, and I can't read it before tomorrow, how will I know you did anything at all?)

august 16

JOURNAL TOPIC:

Imagine: On the way home from school today you walk past a dog-- who suddenly clears his throat and starts talking to you.  In clear English!  You have a nice conversation with him and go home.  On one hand, this is an amazing experience that makes for a great story, and you can't wait to tell your family and friends.  However, you realize that they will all think you're crazy.  But it really happened!  Will you share this with anyone?  Why or why not?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Independent work:

• Read 180 (minutes & quizzes)
• Independent reading
• Blog (post welcome message & design your layout)

i love it when people stay awake in class

It makes me feel like I'm not so alone, like I feel in my other class

august 15

JOURNAL TOPIC: (today's tunes: "Learning to Fly" performed by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, and "Learning to Fly" performed by Pink Floyd)

What have you learned in this class so far?

(NOTE: this can be an idea from our reading, something about language, something about technology, something about learning, or even something about yourself...)


AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Blog updates
3. Test-drive Read 180
4. "Fox in Sox"

HW:
1. Catch up on anything you're missing
2. Help a friend do the same

I'm stoked

I don't like missing class, but I love seeing your blogs and knowing you're taking advantage of the opportunity to get stuff done -- keep up the great work!

august 14

Today I won't be in class.  You have a golden opportunity to work independently and make sure you're caught up and ready to go tomorrow.  Please email if you need help, looking forward to hearing how it goes! -DP

JOURNAL TOPIC:
Most of us don't like being told what to do, but we do like to know what is expected of us.  What do you like about working on your own, and what challenges does this present?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Independent work (you can also collaborate if it helps):

• email your blog URL to Dr. Preston if you haven't already
• post a welcome note on your blog
• read "Fox in Sox" and post a response on your blog
• post a video of you reading "Fox in Sox" on your blog
• design your blog with tools and images.

HW:
1. Catch up on anything you're missing
2. Help a friend do the same

august 11

JOURNAL TOPIC: [today's tunes: "You Can't Always Get What You Want" & (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" by the Rolling Stones]

What do you need in life to feel like you've succeeded?

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Blogs: welcome messages & features
3. A reading test like you've never done before

"i never learned to read!"

You know, as much as we talk about reading, it's easy to overlook the fact that some of us didn't grow up with books and occasionally have a hard time with the basics.

Consider poor Wayne:




So, how do you know how well you can sound out words and get through a text without mistakes?

Here's how:
1. Watch the video below;
2. Get a copy of Fox in Sox by Dr. Seuss;
3. Set up a phone or a camera (or get a friend to help);
4. Read the book as fast and as well as you can;
5. Record your time and the number of mistakes you make;
6. Compare your numbers with mine.  Don't forget to count my mistakes--I just learned that I've been mispronouncing the author's name my whole life!
7. Post your video and your stats on your blog under the heading I CAN READ!

UPDATE: In reply to questions from the email bag...

• If you're having trouble finding the book, here is the text without the pics. 
• My reading was a one-take job, but yours doesn't have to be.  You can practice all you want before posting your best effort.
• To earn course credit you must post I CAN READ! by 11:59 P.M. Wednesday, August 24. (Bonus for add'l. renditions with friends/relatives :)

august 10

Yesterday was interesting.  I learned a lot.  Thank you for helping me figure out how the rest of our course will go.

Each day, we will start by writing in our journals.  Please remember to get a composition book or spiral notebook.  This is important.  Your first journal is due tomorrow (Friday, August 11).

JOURNAL TOPIC:
Describe your most memorable moment in this class yesterday.

AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Creating your blog
3. Read 180 routines
4. Self-directed study

august 9

Hi & welcome to the course!  I'm writing this during the break between our first two periods.  It was great to meet everyone and watch the treasure hunt last hour.  Now it's time to think about how we want the course to go from here.  We will read the next post together and make some decisions.  We will also talk about the Read 180 program and the routines we'll need to succeed.

Every day, we'll start class with a journal topic (and maybe some music).  Sometimes I will give you a question to think about that is serious, or related to your reading and writing.  Other times I will give you something like this:

If you were a sandwich, what kind of sandwich would you be?  Please explain your answer.

You have ten minutes.  Please write at least three sentences to answer this question.

students are not supposed to have this much fun on the first day of school