Wednesday, December 22, 2010

What is Excellence?


I ran across this today on a conversation about perfection and it really hit me.  I have a feeling this will result in a more thorough blog post but I felt it timely to just be read as is:

Excellence is willing to be wrong. Perfection is being right.


Excellence is risk. Perfection is fear.


Excellence is powerful. Perfection is anger and frustration.


Excellence is spontaneous. Perfection is control.


Excellence is accepting. Perfection is judgment.


Excellence is giving. Perfection is taking.


Excellence is confidence. Perfection is doubt.


Excellence is flowing. Perfection is pressure.


Excellence is journey. Perfection is destination.

Is it better to be excellent or perfect?  I feel I am striving for perfection, when I should be focusing on excellence.


I needed this right now...

5 for Winter Break 12/22/10


Okay, first of all there are two links:  Link 1 and Link 2. The links are to a company put together a list of FREE web 2.0 tools. For those of you that were in my session on our half day you probably remember that web 2.0 tools are all tools where students (anyone) both create and share their work. Check it out, there are great resources, most of which I have used so I can answer any questions you may have.

As the winter break approaches this is a great opportunity for me to say THANK YOU to all who subscribe. It means a lot to me to know that I'm helping someone out there and even if you check out one link I provide I'll know that my efforts are worth it. If you see someone who might benefit from this e-mail/blog post forward it on I'd love to grow the distribution.

Your 5 resources:

17 free e-books for teachers and parents - I downloaded them all, great reads over break.
http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2010/12/17-free-ebooks-for-teachers-and-parents.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+freetech4teachers/cGEY+(Free+Technology+for+Teachers)

Figment is a community where you can share your writing, connect with other readers, and discover new stories and authors. Whatever you're into, from sonnets to mysteries, from sci-fi stories to cell phone novels, you can find it all here. What's great is kids can read other kids work and comment on it, very cool.
http://figment.com/

GREAT! Discussion on using technology to complete assessments, what would you do?
http://www.connectedprincipals.com/archives/1659

Harvard’s must have guide to social media. It's from Harvard, it must be good.
http://edudemic.com/2010/11/harvards-must-have-guide-to-social-media/

Guess the google – best game on the internet, the kids love it!
http://grant.robinson.name/projects/guess-the-google/game/?l=6


Winter Break BONUS LINK!!!!!!:

Top 100 tools for learning 2010 - What I love about this is it shows the list for 2010, 2009, 2008, you can really see how tools have trended over the years. I don't use all of these but a lot of them.
http://www.c4lpt.co.uk/recommended/top100-2010.html


Your Video of the week:

The next generation of Activboards from Promethean, I want one! (fingers crossed the new science building has these)

Sunday, December 19, 2010

5 for Friday 12/17/10


I use to think...

Here are your items from Lyn's blog post…I love these…
I used to think sitting down with a parent was scary. (They’re older than me! They’re parents, for crying out loud! What could I possibly know that they don’t?) 
Now I know talking with parents about their children is enlightening and meaningful. (Parents are tremendous assets to every school.) 

I used to think in-services were an opportunity for me to address my staff about important issues. (If I’m going to wear a suit to work, I may as well stand up in front of you with this PowerPoint presentation!) 
Now I know that I am not comfortable spending 6 hours of the day leading professional development sessions in which teachers have little ownership. (Let them lead the way)

If you are interested in reading the rest of her blog, check it out here: http://principalposts.edublogs.org/2010/11/18/now-i-know/


Your top 5 resources

When you fail I fail - This blog post really made me think as we were completion the final assessments in science.

Useless but fun:  website for play.  It changes the pixels on the screen into digital sand.  I'll be honest, I played it for almost 20 minutes.  I'm a dork
for more information check out their blog: http://thisissand.wordpress.com/

Free sound effects (for when the Activboard actually works and makes sounds)

10 ways to make comic strips online - What projects can you chain to make them comic strips?  I'm trying to find some now.

10 steps to breaking the ban on cell phones in schools -  Some of you know I'm huge "Bring your own technology" person and having cell phones in the classroom, when used appropriately, can be a great resource to adding tech to the classroom, after all, there's an app for that!


Your Video of the week

Assessment and grading in the differentiated classroom:  WOW, great videos, thoughts, ideas, lesson, study guides, articles.  Just WOW!  You need to register to gain access but the registration is free.

Monday, December 13, 2010

6th Graders and Reading a Website

One of the reading strategies I am asked to discuss is reading a webpage.  We did a lot with this earlier in the school year by using this AMAZING webquest.  So I was wondering what to do next?  I sought out some help through Twitter (@cmcgee200) and a few members of my PLN sent me a few links for great things to try.  Here's what I ended up doing:


The Lesson




The set-up


  • Copied Daybook lesson 45: reading a website
  • Reserved a computer lab
  • Created google presentation, shared to anyone with a link
  • Used google shortener for all the websites and the google presentation


Evidence of Student Learning






What will I do differently next time?


  • I will add the activity of having kids research the “northwest tree octopus” and the http://martinlutherking.org/ website which are both Hoax websites. (thanks @Ideaguy42)
  • Use www.twurdy.com to find readability of searched websites. Great way to help students determine reading level appropriate to their own personal level.

Friday, December 10, 2010

5 for Friday 12/10/10


12/10/10 Top items recorded from twitter and my google reader:

I use to think, now I know….. a few more from Lyn's great blog post:

I used to think my good ideas should stay in my classroom. (I worked hard developing those lessons!) 
Now I know more students will benefit from the expertise of teachers who share. (Collective genius. Sharing is caring.)

I used to think I never had enough time. (Lesson plans…grading papers…surviving…) 
Now I know it’s important to work smarter, not harder. (Make time for the things that matter most.) 

I used to think a child who scored poorly on an assessment didn’t study hard enough. (They had a study guide one week in advance! What is the deal with that kid?) 
Now I know a student who doesn’t perform well on an assessment does not have the problem. (The teacher does.) 

To read the whole blog post (and steal my thunder) or to comment on Lyn's post (she is awesome!) go to: http://principalposts.edublogs.org/2010/11/18/now-i-know/


Here are your TOP 5 resources of the week!

Teachers network:  The place to find out about grants, lesson plans, pd, etc, seems pretty cool..

12 great free video tutorial sites to brush up your tech skills

Assessment Do’s and Don’ts: I needed to be reminded of a few of these.

Instapaper – This application allows you to bookmark something to read later.  When working between computers and mobile devices this tool is a great assistant.

Inside the Bullied brain - Why we can't overlook bullying in schools.


Video of the week:
Differentiation: Charting a course - This is a great video on differentiation.

Friday, December 3, 2010

5 for Friday 12/3/10

What I found this week on Twitter and through my google reader:

I'm starting out the next couple "5 for Friday's" with a couple interesting statements from Lyn Hilt's blog, if you want to read ahead the complete list is here: http://principalposts.edublogs.org/2010/11/18/now-i-know/ I though it'd be nice to pull them out individually and focus on one or two at a time.

Lyn's thoughts: I use to think, Now I know…

I used to think students should sit in rows. (Made it harder for them to chit chat while I was imparting wisdom on them.) Now I know they should sit…stand…hang…together. (Makes it easier for them to talk and learn from one another.)

I used to think I needed to cite standards in my lesson plans. (This handy-dandy cheat sheet will help me quickly identify standard 2.1!) Now I know we should evaluate the standards, using them to guide instruction, yet allow students to pursue their passions. (What does this learning mean for you, children?)



Your 5:

In praise of the right praise: STOP saying “You’re Smart!” (This is STILL really hard for me.)
http://www.specialeducationadvisor.com/in-praise-of-praise-the-right-words-can-motivate-your-child/

Top searches of 2010 - Some of these are just sad...
http://yearinreview.yahoo.com/2010/us_top_10_searches#Top%2010%20Searches

Where do good ideas come from, and How can we create an environment to promote good/bad/innovative ideas? (yes I said promote bad ideas…You have to be able to promote the bad ones to be able to discuss the ramifications/results of poor decisions, hence learning)
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2010/11/where-do-ideas-come-from.html

3 ways to mix/mash-up and cut You tube videos
http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2010/11/three-ways-to-cut-mix-mash-youtube.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+freetech4teachers/cGEY+(Free+Technology+for+Teachers)

This is a great site that is basically a giant FAQ database on everything tech. There are topics on the Internet, Hardware, Files and Sharing, Email, Images, Chat and Classroom Management. When you choose your topic there is a list of common questions that teachers or other tech users might ask.
http://etc.usf.edu/techease/



Video of the week:
The The impotence of Proof reading - By the AMAZING Taylor Mali

Thursday, December 2, 2010

The Opportunity of a Lifetime

Tonight


Tonight I sat in a classroom for my doctoral program and thought that it was going to be just another class.  I was wrong.  With a tremendous thank you to Dr. Craig Larson I had the experience of a lifetime.  I can honestly say I am changed forever from this experience.


I had the opportunity to sit in a room of superintendents, two of I knew, three I did not, and just listen and ask questions.  It was amazing.  The questions and answers were unscripted and unfiltered which made for an experience like no other.  Let me explain something to you, I love learning, but this experience sent me to a whole new level.  It was just amazing.


In the interest of sharing I also tweeted every memorable statement made by the panelists and compiled them below.  The whole experience opened my eyes and really made me so excited about great leadership in education.  It excited me to no end that I have chosen this profession.  This experience confirmed to me that this is what I want my life to be about.


The panel included:




Dr. Craig Larson - Former Superintendent of the Rockwood School District
Dr. Stan Lawrence - Superintendent of school for the Normandy School District
Dr. Kelvin Adams - Superintendent of St. Louis Public Schools
Dr. Cheyrl Compton - Superintendent of the Ritenour School District
Dr. Marsha Chappelow - Superintendent of the Ladue School district









Memorable quotes I posted on twitter (@cmcgee200)

  • As a Supt.  you have to be who you are.  You don't hunt a Supt. job, it finds you.  -S.Compton #edchat
  • As a Supt. you have to realize it's not about you.  It's about what's best for kids. #edchat
  • Learn everything you can learn, touch everything you can touch, in order to learn to prepare you for educational leadership.-K.Adams #edchat
  • I've always believed I should always take the most difficult and challenging job. -S.Lawrence #edchat
  • As a Supt.  The job is everything I thought it would be. -S.Lawrence #edchat
  • As a Supt. I wanted to work for people who were champions for children of poverty. -S.Lawrence #edchat
  • Smooth transitions are caused from asking hard questions but dealing in reality. -S.Lawrence #edchat
  • Bringing people together behind good marketing, successful issues and community revitalization will yield success. -S.Lawrence #edchat
  • When you take into account all the circumstances poverty brings, we have new challenges to uncover. -S.Lawrence #edchat
  • What do you do when your staff population doesn't reflect your student population? #edchat
  • We're going to find the best candidate, we don't believe the best candidate is white.  We actively recruit BEST teachers -S.Compton #edchat
  • Kids need role models of people who look like them. -S.Compton #edchat
  • I feel like people have less ownership of their pub schools because so many affluent dist send kids to private schools. -M.Chappelow #edchat
  • When I have a challenge I like to look at what are my chances for success -M.Chappelow #edchat
  • If we don't get more people going into education, we are in trouble, we are losing all the valuable candidates. -M.Chappelow #edchat
  • When we look to hire we evaluate learning potential and cultural sensitivity -K.Adams #edchat
  • The most important job in a school district is HR, putting the right people in the right places. -S.Compton #edchat
  • As a Supt. surround yourself with people who are smarter than you, my uncle said that wouldn't be hard for me. -S.Lawrence #edchat
  • Have a mind to understand, try to touch everything in your dist, work in a small district when starting out to learn more. -K.Adams #edchat
  • Learn to ask the right kind of questions and rely on your experience -K.Adams #edchat
  • Ed. Leadership: Ask more questions than trying to come to your own conclusions. -K.Adams #edchat
  • As a Supt, I'm not the keeper of all the knowledge.  I get good at asking a lot of questions. S.Compton #edchat
  • If you hire thoroughbreds, you need to let them be thoroughbreds.  It takes talent to manage talent. -S.Compton #edchat
  • As a Supt.  You are making decisions that are connected.  You can't make a decision in a silo. M.Chappelow #edchat
  • As a Supt.  we need to connect with the work by helping with teacher evaluation and supporting building principals -S.Compton #edchat
  • As Supt we GET what the priority is when we are in the classroom supporting teachers -S.Compton #edchat
  • As Supt.  I think our role needs to be supporting building principals, we are in a service industry. -K.Adams #edchat
  • School site is the important place, the classroom is the most important place. -K.Adams #edchat
  • Central office should be called the "campus support center" -S. Lawrence #edchat
  • As a Supt. my value to you is to support you and help you get the job done.  -S.Lawrence #edchat
  • Some of the decisions that were made were not popular, that's leadership.  -S.Lawrence #edchat
  • Push-back and criticism are part of leadership -S.Lawrence #edchat
  • Kids deserve the very best. -S.Lawrence #edchat
  • We have an obligation as administrators to help struggling teachers.  Troops notice how the generals treat the wounded. -S.Lawrence #edchat
  • What "red lights" have you had to run in your tenure in ed leaderhsip? #edchat
    • I really don't think you can lead without running every red light. -K.Adams #edchat
    • Don't see as red lights, every decision "what needs to happen to align our work so they can be who they want to be."-S.Compton #edchat
  • They might need to be a nurse, they might need to be a brain surgeon not every one needs to be a principal or a teacher. -S.Compton #edchat
  • Sometimes good is not good enough, we need great. -S.Lawrence #edchat
  • We need OUTSTANDING leaders, teachers, and staff for the value of our children's lives -S.Lawrence #edchat
  • As a Supt. I over-invest in my school board. -S.Lawrence #edchat #cpchat
  • I have a preference to work with intelligent people. -S.Lawrence #edchat #cpchat
  • Supt.: Never take a job when it's a 4-3 vote.  You need unanimous support.  -K.Adams #edchat #cpchat
  • Supt: board meeting takes an hour, that's too long, I've been communicating about whats going on, they should know -K.Adams #edchat #cpchat
  • I was told elected boards don't work, it must be your job to communicate with your board, then it will.  -K.Adams #edchat #cpchat
  • Were reculturing what we are doing.  Good can be the enemy of great.  -M. Chappelow #edchat #cpchat
  • When you hire good people there is a mass of people asking: "why do we do it that way?"-M.Chappelow #edchat #cpchat
  • We're growing, we are getting less money through AV, there's the crunch in education -M.Chappelow #edchat #cpchat
  • When a district loses trust, you have to gain it back, it's emotional process -M.Chappelow #edchat #cpchat
  • I like to plant seeds, things don't more fast in education. -M.Chappelow #edchat #cpchat
  • Having an attitude of proactively planning for the future is my key to success. -M.Chappelow #edchat #cpchat

Reflection:

Reading back through these statements I try to grasp exactly what happened tonight. I want to say I think the 25 students that to the opportunity to meet, question, and learn form these amazing leaders have changed permanently.  We learned valuable lessons, but I think more than anything, we learned about hope.  Hope for a greater education for the next generation.  We were blessed to have this opportunity to learn from such AMAZING leaders and get a small glimpse of what being a true leader means.



Some of my favorite comments from tonight include:

Learn everything you can learn, touch everything you can touch, in order to learn to prepare you for educational leadership.-K.Adams 

As an aspiring administrator this validated my path and reminded me that there is no bad learning experience, there is always something I can learn and take away.

Sometimes good is not good enough, we need great. -S.Lawrence

I think about this everyday.  That lesson that I did last year is not good enough for my kids this year.  I need to improve what I do everyday.  One of my favorite quotes is "Never let good stand in the way of being great."

When I have a challenge I like to look at what are my chances for success -M.Chappelow

This goes back to my blog post on solving problems in schools.  Every time I'm faced with an obstacle the bottom-line to accomplishing the task at hand is in your perception of the obstacle.  Is it a problem that requires a solution, a constraint that I will have to live with moving forward, or an opportunity to improve the organization.  I will always consider an obstacle as an opportunity to learn, grow, and get better at what I do everyday.

If you hire thoroughbreds, you need to let them be thoroughbreds.  It takes talent to manage talent. -S.Compton

WOW!  Powerful statement.  If we hire great teachers, how can we as educational leaders inspire, motivate and support them to be all that they can be (do I have to pay Army for that statement?)?  I love this quote because it shows the importance of human resources and the role it plays on the development of a great school.

FInally, I leave you with a GREAT song/video, thank you to Dr. Lawrence who mentioned it tonight.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

6th graders and Typewith.me

I have been teaching "note taking" as my reading strategy this week and was seeking a way to get kids to collaboratively take notes.  After much debate and consideration I decided to use typewith.me.  We have already used googledocs so much I felt it was time to show students what else is out there....

This lesson was so much fun for the kids and me.  We had a blast, the room was completely silent with intermiten bursts of laughter.  Every kid was engaged and was BY FAR the best lesson.  I often get scared that something won't work or that kids won't like it, it all worked out, kids loved it, they had fun and they practiced a new skill.  We will finish the products on Friday.

Lesson Plan

  1. Teach note taking as a skill by completing lesson 43 in the daybook activity.
  2. Give feedback on lesson 43.
  3. Teach note taking in the content area by giving them a section of a textbook and asking them to write a two column response. (How to)
  4. Give feedback on determining supporting detail to a concept.
  5. Have students read an article and publicly organize their thoughts on what they feel is important.


Set Up

  1. Copies of Lesson 43 in daybook.
  2. Copies of content area textbook (I used two pages from my science textbook from Prentice Hall)
  3. Copies of article to read and take notes on
  4. Reserve the mobil lab
  5. limit number of students per document to increase collaboration (see image below)

Evidence of student work

Go to the following links see what they did, or watch my screencast below: (Directions and scoring guide for the activity located on the typewith.me document.)

TypeWith.me- 9Ubzoia7YE

TypeWith.me- FcRtEOCOoY

TypeWith.me- Idx0KajBdg

TypeWith.me- TNXdyLVRYr



Monday, November 29, 2010

Grades: The letter doesn't tell the story.

A colleague of mine challenged me today and asked me:

"How would you feel, Mr. Administrator, if a teacher in your building had 10 D's/F's?" (out of a team of 100 students)

After a long pause, surprised by the question, my response was: "Where did they start?  Are they ready for this content?  Are they finished learning?"

(A little background here:  I am a 6th grade teacher and I am a proponent of standards-based grading and use it daily in my classroom.  A D/F is reported based on student knowledge of specific content or objectives scoring at the beginning level of a rubric.)

Where did we start?

Considering the gain in students is so much more important to me than the final product shown on the report cards.  Although every teacher and school is evaluated by the standardized assessment and the final product on the report card, considering where a student began and charting student growth throughout the quarter is what is so important to me.  Seeing these students as "D/F students" is missing the point.

Understanding a few things about them is key: (Isn't this indicative of every student?)

1.  They each came in to my room with a very different starting point than other students.

2.  They each have VERY different needs.

3.  They each have shown tremendous growth.

4.  They each are receiving VERY different services and interventions, none of which support my content.

5.  They are all wonderful, motivated, and successful students at what they do.  It's a shame they are all measured by the same stick.

6.  Grouping them as a D/F student right now is a disservice to them.

Bottom line, have these student's shown growth...Yes!

Is it as much as I would have liked, No...But we aren't finished....

The beauty of SBG


That's the beauty of standards-based grading.  We're not finished yet so there is ample time to make that D or F (the beginning range of our rubric scale) higher.  The most important question is not, how would I feel about it as an administrator, the more important questions are.....

True differentiation


1.  What am I doing about it as a teacher to continue to care for and nurture learning in my classroom to continue to see growth through the last three weeks of the quarter?

2.  How can I connect with these 10 (and the other 90) students to propel their learning past the beginning stages?

3.  What support can I ask for outside of my classroom to make the gains necessary in these students, while of course, never losing sight of the other 90?

4.  What tools can I tap into to personalize their learning?

Let the last three weeks of 2nd quarter continue...

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Is it really a problem?

Isn't your job hard enough?  Why do you continue to make it harder on yourself by stressing out about the things that happen during your day?


Do me a favor, the next time something "bad" happens, ask yourself:


Is this a problem, a constraint, or an opportunity?


The next time someone says something can't be done, ask yourself: what's the problem, are there constraints, is there an opportunity to think differently about something?


The trick to great leadership is recognizing the difference.


In a recent post from Seth Godin (yes I read him a lot) and he talks about problems and constraints.  I'd like to also propose another option: opportunity.


Seth defines both for us:  


A problem is solvable.  There is a solution to every problem.  Even though every solution may not be the best, or is feasible, there is always a solution.  A solution has to be made in the light of what's best for that specific student.  As we know, not all solutions are the same for all students (and in my opinion all solutions should be made after a progression of collection of data through a response to intervention process).


A constraint is something to be lived with.  Gravity is a constraint.  It is inevitable, it is something that cannot be avoided.  Like the one student in your class that causes the most trouble, he/she wil never be absent.  Like a student with inconsistent parenting, the bottom line is you have to take that parenting issue out of your conversation, that is something that you cannot control and you can only do whats best for the student between the hours of 8-3 (or whatever your school day is).


I'd like to add.....the opportunity!


An opportunity is something that can (and should) be improved.  (I always struggle using the word "should" because really, who am I to say.)  Things around your school building are broken (see my blog post on things that are broken, and also enjoy the This is Broken website).  Every chance you get to make improvements in your classroom, school, facility, or environment as a leader we can capitalize on that opportunity.  I try to find one thing each day to make better.


When faced with an obstacle, Identify it.  Is it a probelm, a constraint, or an opportunity?  


One of my favorite quotes of all time is, "If someone says it cannot be done, then they should not interrupt someone who is doing it."  I know this quote is a tad bit audacious and a little arrogant but I love it.  I love it becasue it reminds me to always evaluate the situations in front of me, see them for what they are, and seek to overcome them, live with them, or improve them.


As leaders we can use this evaluation method to alleviate stress and move our organization forward.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

The Edublog Awards

Edublog nominations just came out today, directions to nominate others are found here: http://edublogawards.com/

Here are my nominations:

Best individual tweeter: @justintarte
Best new blog: Wm Chamberlain http://comments4kids.blogspot.com/
Best resource sharing blog: Richard Byrne http://www.freetech4teachers.com/
Best school administrator blog: Robert Dillon http://aprincipalspeaking.blogspot.com/
Best educational use of a social network: Connected Principals http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=119206104802961
Lifetime achievement: @kylepace, http://kylepace.com/

Friday, November 19, 2010

5 for Friday 11/19/10


Here's the best of what I found this week through twitter (@cmcgee200) and through my google reader.

Tools to become a tech savvy educator


Ten Top Technology Tools for Teachers


12 Fun hacks for getting more out of Youtube


Better teaching can help shrink achievement gap between black and white students


web 2.0 project ideas  (replace your old projects with 21st century projects)



Video of the week:

Love letter to Albuquerque schools

Thursday, November 18, 2010

6th graders commenting on student work

Continuing the work of my students to try and integrate 21st century skills into the reading classroom I wanted to have student comment on other student's work.  I did this through a reading strategy we typically cover call "Reading a Graph."

Please, comment on how students did commenting on their peers work.  Give them tips, help us grow in our 21st century skills.

Lesson Plan

  • Introduce reading a graph
  • Practice reading a graph
  • Give feedback on student performance
  • Search and find graphs online that students can relate to
  • Have students publicly document what they learned from the graph itself (reading strategy)
  • Teach students how to comment and what make a "good" comment
  • Allow time for students to comment on student work.



Setup



Evidence of student work


Student name:Gabi
Graph URL:http://www.inmycommunity.com.au/_uploads/images/myblogs/funny_statistics_04.jpg
What did I learn:When you tell your friend there breath stinks most people breath in your face more.
Comment/By whom?Good job, this is a vary funny graph and that most people breath in your face if you tell them there breath stinks. Ivan
Comment/By whom?Hey Gabi! I like your graph. It’s a fun way to know strange things like that. Here are some more graphs like that (click the link).

http://www.coolcrack.com/2010/05/funny-graphs-and-charts-35-pics_05.html

- Bridget

Student name:Ivan
Graph URL:http://www.ski-injury.com/uploads/fck/image/stats1%20page/alp%20inj.jpg
What did I learn:what part of the body someone gets hurt and how many people hurt that part of there body in skiing
Comment/By whom?                                            avery:: I like your graph. I did something simalar to yours. check mine out!http://www.theskateproject.org/media/extra/sporting-injuries-compari
Comment/By whom?I really like this ivan because of how it really show’s what injury’s happen in the type of sports like skiing cause that is a really dangerous sport. -james


Student name:Katie
Graph URL:http://www.who.int/entity/tobacco/mpower/mpower_graph_p9.gif
What did I learn:I learned what the top ways that people die are.
Comment/By whom?Katie, I like your graph. It’s interesting to see that tobacco really IS bad for us. Here’s a link to Unusual Ways People die.  

http://library.thinkquest.org/16665/ways.htm

- Bridget
Comment/By whom?Katie that is very bad that tobacco takes a chunk of 6 out of 8 leading killer diseases are in tobacco. My grandpa smoked for 42 years or 35 I can’t remember but then my grandpa quit & got on the plane to visit me but then he died of lung cancer Kennan.  http://www.sierraexpressmedia.com/archives/9101


Naomi
Graph URL:http://illuminations.nctm.org/LessonDetail.aspx?ID=L112
What did I learn:that black is the most popular hair color and red is the last popular hair color
Comment/By whom?I think blond hair and black hair would be a very popular hair color but I think that something like purple or green would have a lower percentage than red. I think it’s too bad those colors aren’t on the graph. -Alison
Comment/By whom?I agree because lots of people like to have blond hair but then i would also think that different colors of hair would be a popular color like purple or green because it’s a different way to express them selves in lots of different ways. -James


Pieter
Graph URL:rickrolling.com_uv_460.png
What did I learn:Hi Mr. Mcgee, In this graph it told me about the number of people that got rickroll’d in late 2009 and early 2010.  In december 09 only around 100 people got rickrolled and in mid april 2010, 4 thousand people got rickroll’d
Comment/By whom?
Comment/By whom?


Student name:James C.
Graph URL:http://images.dailyme.com/assets/2010101400001718.jpg
What did I learn:I learned that 75% of teachers allow there kid’s to have cell phones while in class. I also learned that 81% of teachers do not allow cell phones while in class but are aloud to bring them. lastly i learned 43% of kid’s make and revive calls in class as well as texting. I think we should really put a stop to this and teach kids not to text but pay attetion.
Comment/By whom?I leave my phone in my pocket all the time, but i rarely text during class. I do agree that kids should pay more attention. Link to how many kids have cell phones age 6-11 link right there---->http://media.bestofmicro.com/children-cell-phone-chart,M-I-236682-13.gif-Kaleb
Comment/By whom?I am very surprised that only 24% cant have a cell phone at all in school. I thought more schools would not allow them. It reminded me of the infograph we read at the begining of the quarter. I found that pretty cool and interesting. Thanks for sharing.
Gabi


Student name:Gillian
Graph URL:http://www.censusatschool.ca/02/img/02_015c-eng.jpg
What did I learn:In this graph I learned how kids get to school and what was the number one transportation.
Comment/By whom?Gillian: That is really cool. I ride the bus so it is easy for me to understand why that one has the most amount of people going to school. I don’t understand the fact that more people don’t drive to school.
Comment/By whom?It’s very interesting how more people get to school by a bus than any over way listed. I never knew that. Looks like I learned something today.
-Isaac

Student name:Carlow
Graph URL:http://www.storytime.org.nz/images/booksissued_graph.gif
What did I learn:It tells me about the amount of books issued each year.
Comment/By whom?hey Carlow it is Naomi. i like your graph.
your graph reminds me that i love books. Once i read 93 books in one summer.

here is a link to another graph like yours.
http://www.artdiamondblog.com/archives/2007/05/post_187.html
Comment/By whom?I thought that it was interesting that around 3,000 books are issued in 2006.  
-Katie
heres another book graph
http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff288/forwardmarch/JPEG2/funny-graphs-book-requests.jpg


Student name:Kaleb
Graph URL:


http://inmycommunity.com.au/_uploads/images/myblogs/funny_statistics_14.jpg

What did I learn:I’m not the only one who stares at the toaster waiting for it to pop.
Comment/By whom?I learned that really everybody just sits and waits for their toast I also found a good graph http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:-AKpB4UZKY78kM:https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjENQoku4zDZRvYinuAQn306_HRxmDv1PqxUwrjx0A4s7pMap4hR-MtrCj9lFQyp6VuIaVzSJWGNigXfJSMs1j6rj6UWoUk4TKpOsbchVX4M3ZlKdaDparFw-85HpN1r9Gfg8Cm3Bj8NBc/s400/song-chart-memes-heat-toast.jpg&t=1 -Lauryn
Comment/By whom?Kaleb: That was really cool. I thought that I was the only person that stared at the toaster.  I learned that most people just wait for thier toast to pop.
-Carlow


Student name:Alison
Graph URL:http://www.clearpointenglish.co.uk/Describing%20graphs_clip_image002.gif
What did I learn:Native Americans make 7.9% of homeless.
Comment/By whom?I really liked the graph and i learned a lot from it. Is that out of 100%? If so, I would of guessed they would have a lower percent. -Izzy http://www.ehow.com/about_4587161_american-homelessness.html
Comment/By whom?


Student name:Tyler
Graph URL:potatobar.jpg
What did I learn:I learned that most kids eat french fries instead of anything else that you can make out of patatos and the least amount of kids eat baked patatos
Comment/By whom?Tyler
That is interesting because I love baked potatoes and mashed potatoes. I think I like them better than fries but I still love fries. It is a very interesting for me to know because potatoes are my favorite food. Thanks for sharing.
Gabi B
Comment/By whom?Good job Tyler that is a vary interesting graph , and this proves that people eat way to much french fries and should cut back on them and eat more healthy things, I myself do not like french fries because they are to salty.   
Ivan


Student name:Carter
Graph URL:http://dailyhomerenotips.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/electricity-graph.jpg
What did I learn:We use the most Electricity in January, July, and August and the last amount of energy was from Dec.to Apr.
Comment/By whom?That’s interesting  i guess it’s because some people use gas to warm their houses. I wonder what the chart would be like just for my house.-Kaleb
Comment/By whom?I thought that it was interesting that electricity is mostly used in July. Maybe it is because there is no school and kids use allot of electricity.  -Katie. I thought in Jan people would use alot of electricity because they need to heat their home because it’s freazing in Jan. Kennan Kolenda.http://www.advancedenergy.org/progressenergy/chillers_op_usage.html


Student name:Kevin
Graph URL:http://www.pinellascounty.org/animalservices/bites.htm
What did I learn:
  • Approximately 70 percent of all dog bites involve children.
  • Almost 50 percent of all children are bitten by age 18.

Comment/By whom?In your graph when it said 585,000 dog bite wounds require medical care each year I was really surprised. I didn’t think that dog bites even required hospital attention let alone 585,000. Thanks Kevin for showing me this interesting information. -Izzy http://www.dogbitelaw.com/PAGES/danger.htm#Proceedings%20involving%20potentially%20dangerous%20and%20vicious%20dogs
Comment/By whom?I strongly disagree that dogs bite more than cats because i’ve been bitten by my cat like 1000 times and so yeah.


~ Jimmy

Student name:James K.
Graph URL:http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/dca-dea/7-18yrs-ans/gfx/bully1-eng.gif
What did I learn:I learned that boys bully more than girls do.
Comment/By whom?it is Naomi
its strange to think that boys bully more then girls. because i bully my brother all the time. so i really don’t think that that is true, but i like it. we are in 6th grade and it is about the same. so if i bully someone here(which i won’t) that number will change.
Comment/By whom?This is Gillian and i can not believe that boys bully more because i have seen more girls bully than boys in middle school.


Student name:Bridget
Graph URL:http://www.inmycommunity.com.au/_uploads/images/myblogs/funny_statistics_07.jpg
What did I learn:I learned that out of all the time you use to eat an orange, you use more than half of that time to prepare it so you can actually eat it.
Comment/By whom?Wow that’s crazy, except my brothers tack way longer pealing, don’t pick off the white stuff and scarf it down in about 5 seconds. ~Sabrina here is how to peel a orange video. http://www.howcast.com/videos/391418-How-To-Peel-an-Orange       ~Sabrina
Comment/By whom?I think it is funny that you take more time peeling a Orange than you do eating it. If I was you ,I would just eat Mandarin Oranges already peeled because they taste the same as Oranges and you can spend more time eating than peeling.

~ Jimmy


I learned the leading causes of death for children ages 1-14 years of age. The leading cause is unintentional injury.
Student name:Avery
Graph URL:http://www.theskateproject.org/media/extra/sporting-injuries-comparison.jpg
What did I learn:I learned what sports you get injured the most
Comment/By whom?you should include what sport it is. but thats cool any way.=) from scott.
Comment/By whom?It scares me that injuries are more likely in basketball than in any other sport considering that is my main sport. I also noticed that even though there is no contact in running/jogging that is the second most likely sport to get hurt http://www.child-psych.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/8_indiCapture.jpg I also found a graph about concussion. -Lauryn


Student name:Lauryn
Graph URL:http://whosright.com/uploads/sQE5PQ_miami_heat_graphs_05.jpg    
What did I learn:I learned that almost half the people around the world think that the Heat is more Dwayne Wade’s team than Lebron James’. Also 17% of the world think it is Chris Bosh,Lebron James, and Dwayne Wade’s team.
Comment/By whom?
Comment/By whom?


Isaac
Graph URL:://mchb.hrsa.gov/mchihttprc/chusa_05/healthstat/children/graphs/0315cmH.gif
What did I learn:
Comment/By whom?Isaac is strange that 10.6 children get a(n) unintentional injury from the year 1-4 and 6.3 from the years 5-14
Carter I.
Comment/By whom?



Student name:Scott
Graph URL:http://www.ibiblio.org/vincentweb/slides/slidesB/slide41.gif
What did I learn:most deaths are unintentional.
Comment/By whom?avery I think your graph was instesting I was surprized that 500.000 people die each year because of suicide.
Comment/By whom? That is weird how there are more unintentional than homicide deaths. And that there are more suicides than homicide, I thought that there were more homicide deaths than suicide and unintentional combined.
Carter I.


Student name:Izzy
Graph URL:http://www.csus.edu/atcs/images/childchart.gif  
What did I learn:I learned that the average weight for a 12 year old is 82 pounds.
Comment/By whom?I’m 12 and I think I’m a little over that. But not by much. ~Miranda Hi it is gillian and i can not believe that the weight of an 6 year old is 45 pounds. I think I might do some research.
Comment/By whom?My little brother is 5 and he is definitely more then 45 pounds. ~ Sabrina


Student name:Sabrina
Graph URL:http://blogs.sas.com/jmp/uploads/food.JPG
What did I learn:I learned protean is usually a subside.
Comment/By whom?My mom makes chicken sometimes, but it is a subside. Same with the veggies. ~Miranda
Comment/By whom?I thought that graph was very interesting. It showed me a lot,and now I know that Protien is mostly a subside. I think you did great and keep up the good work! Tyler Hawkins here’s some more stuff about protien.


Student name:Miranda
Graph URL:http://scienceblogs.com/cognitivedaily/2008/10/27/zimmerman1.gif
What did I learn:I learned that 0-36 months old, kids watch violent shows.
Comment/By whom?that is very supprising.from scott
Comment/By whom?That’s strange since they are only 3 years at oldest. I guess that’s where my cousin got such a bad mouth since he watches a lot of TV. -Alison

http://www.turnoffyourtv.com/healtheducation/violencechildren/violencechildren.html

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