EDRG 3344, T/R - Blog #6

Memories...

After listening to my classmates share their memories it made me think of so many of my own. For me this isn't a difficult task because I am always thinking of so many things at once that current thoughts and past memories are continually co-mingling. All it takes is for me to hear a song, or something a person says, maybe something I see, or even just a thought about one thing that triggers a memory of something else. So since I am always thinking and remembering I figured that I would share something that I often think about (also triggered by a classmate) but didn't mention in class.

There was one item shared in particular that brought back many memories for me, Randy's dog tags. This made me think of my dog tags along with all of the good and bad memories that I associate with them. There were so many times that I remember laughing, crying, and feeling that special warmth. I even remember having a few precious as gold moments mingled in amongst the chaos of my life and military career. There are far too many memories (6 years worth) that my dog tags bring to mind for me to share but it's nice to know (and share), that when I look at them I have something to symbolize not only my service but also the sacrifices me and my family endured. This tiny symbol is a constant reminder of events that helped shape the person I am today for better or worse. I am grateful to have had the experiences that I had and that I still have a small piece here to help remind me of this extremely important part of my past.

I feel a little embarrassed that so many people shared such intimate memories that they brought tears to my eyes while a share such vague and nondescript memories from my past. However, for me this blog and the entries we make are far more personal than I am used to sharing. I would like to thank everyone who was brave enough to share their memories with me. Thank you.

I love the Twilight Saga & I can't wait to see this movie.

EDRG 3344, T/R - Blog #5

RAFT

R - Blanky
A - Baby
F - Letter
T - Love



Dearest Little One,

I am so happy you have finally arrived. I have been patiently waiting to wrap myself around you, to keep you safe and warm throughout the night. You are the reason that I exist. I was made of the softest cotton to protect your delicate skin. I was created to love and comfort you for as long as you will let me. I can't wait to watch you grow up. I will be here for you when you out grow your crib and get your big kids bed. I will be here waiting to comfort and warm you after your first day of school. I will still love you even when I am put away in a box under your bed because you feel that your way too old for a blanky. Even when it seems that you no longer want or need me I will still love and be here for you. Thank you for being my precious little one and for giving me a purpose. I can only hope that I will make you as happy as you already make me. Thank you for letting me be your blanky.

Love Always,
Your Blanky

EDRG 3344, T/R - Blog #4

And the winner is...
And the winner of the Texas Lottery and one hundred million dollars is...ME? It was just another slow lazy Saturday at home when I remembered that I bought a lottery ticket a few days ago. The news was about to start so I turned on the television to see if I had wasted yet another dollar or perhaps gotten lucky and actually got enough matching numbers to win back my dollar. I gave up crossing my fingers about fifty dollars ago. I never win anything or even get more than one matching number so as I sat in front of my way too small television I barely paid attention to the numbers that I was copying down on the corner of a newspaper article. After a few seconds I was able to snap out of my daydreaming haze to check my ticket against the winning numbers that I had just jotted down. I was happy when I noticed that my first number was on the list but then I really started to get excited when my next two numbers were also a match. This was definitely a first for me but I was sure that three numbers was already way too much to have wished for. That is when I realized that all six of my numbers were a match; at that point I may have forgotten to breathe for just a second. I am certain that my brain was numb from the overwhelming screaming that was going on inside of my head because I couldn’t seen to speak or even will myself to sit down on the couch. It took me a few minutes to realize that I had not only matched all six winning lottery numbers but that I had just won more money than I had could have ever imagined.

Unlike most people I did not go straight to the store that I had purchased my ticket from, instead I waited until Monday to confirm my unexplainable good fortune. I kept thinking that I had made a mistake so I didn’t want to face reality too soon. By mid-afternoon I shuffled into the grocery store and headed straight for the customer service counter. The sales clerk behind the counter began asking how he could help me without even looking up from his cash register. I opened my mouth to ask how to redeem my lottery ticket but nothing came out. I couldn't force the words out so with my index finger I slowly slid my ticket towards the clerk. He took my ticket without a word and scanned it. I waited to hear some sort of congratulatory remark but nothing followed the humming buzz of his computer. I slowly peered up at the clerk who was now staring at me with his mouth wide open. He must have lost the ability to speak because he handed me a slip of paper with directions and a phone number for claiming lottery winnings. At that moment I felt my stomach hit the floor as I realized that I really was the winner of one hundred million dollars. I exchanged a look of overwhelming awe with the clerk, did an about face and then sprinted out of the store and back to my car. As I sat in the store parking lot I called the lottery claims office on my cell phone and made arrangements to claim my winnings that afternoon. I took a deep breath, signed on the dotted line, and became a millionaire.

I soon started receiving my lottery winnings just three short months after receiving my winning numbers on that extraordinary Saturday evening. The remarkable thing is that my life did not change very much. I had thought about telling everyone I knew of my recent windfall, and buying a private island or some other obscenely extravagant real-estate, when I realized that I was completely satisfied with my life just how it was. So I decided not to tell anyone about my continually expanding bank account or about how I paid off my mortgage and now own my two cars free and clear of all debt. However, I am now able to help my family and closest friends when money issues arise. I don’t want to make anyone suspicious of my new found generosity so when someone insists on paying me back I let them, but I always find some way of making sure that they never really get around to it. Although I am now a millionaire I have not let money change who I am or how I live my life. The only real change that winning that lottery has made is that I have now made traveling around the world with my friends and family a mandatory part of my life.

EDRG 3344, T/R - Blog #3

Explain Writing
Writing is a process. Yes, I said that writing is a process. The writing process is done in stages...five to be exact. Stage one is prewriting: here brainstorming is done with semantic maps and graphic organizers. Stage two is drafting: this is the first/rough draft, when you create your outline. Stage three is revising: during this stage you make additions/deletions, elaborate, check the sentence structure, and your adjectives. Stage four is editing (not to be confused with revising): now you check for conventional errors such as spelling, punctuation, and capitalization. Stage five is publishing: printing it out, sharing it, or just getting it out there.

In order to write effectively you should follow the stages in order. Although most people do not like to take the time to jot down their brainstorming; however, creating a rough draft is a very important step when writing. Revising is when you go back and add/delete sentences or words that you feel make your writing better. Revising and editing seem to go hand in hand but they are actually very different processes where it is alright to go back and forth between them until you feel you are ready for the last step of writing. Once you feel that you are ready to publish, you should find someone to read and give their opinion on your writing. Once you are completely satisfied you can then publish your writing to share with everyone.

EDRG 3344, T/R - Blog #2

When teaching we should integrate instruction and incorporate opportunities for our students to use the six language arts (listening, talking, reading, writing, viewing, and visual representation) on a daily basis. The six language arts can be incorporated into daily learning by using the pre-lesson, during lesson, and after lesson strategy.
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Some examples of this strategy include taking students to the school library, taking a book walk, sharing a book box (objects or pictures of items mentioned in the story), word wall additions from the story, asking questions, have students make predictions, students' retelling story with puppets or props, sequencing, and creating individual books using words from the story. Many of these teaching ideas may be used in more than one area of this strategy. Sharing a book box is an example of a technique that can be used as a pre - and after reading activity. Sharing a book box as a prereading activity would introduce new and high frequency words from the story while using that same book box as an after reading activity to teach sequencing or retelling of the story by the student.
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These strategies help because they provide multiple opportunities and entry points for student understanding and emergence into reading and writing. Not every strategy will work for every student so using many strategies throughout each lesson increases your chances of supporting all of your students as they begin learning to read and write.