Gracious Grace!

For this English lesson Mrs. Mcleay has asked us to answer the following questions: 

What Have You Learned Through Blogging?  

To be honest, I’m not exaclty sure what I’ve learn’t through blogging. I suppose it has helped a great deal with my typing, I’ve realised that I use a bit to much slang and I need help with my grammar (which is what we’ve been recently doing in our classes). I’ve learnt about safety issues on the internet overall, how to write a simile poem like a bird learning to fly (scroll further down for more information). I’ve researched and discovered some facts and events that have occured in world wars. This is thanks to our class novel ‘Mr. Tom’ and last I’ve learnt how to put myself in other peoples positions such as placing myself in the teachers shoes and trying to imagine how difficult it really is. So come to think of it…I’ve learnt a fair bit.

What Would You Say To Other Year 8’s About the Possibility of Blogging in Year 8 English Next Year? 

I would say don’t mess around when you’ve been given a task to write up on your blog. You must be thinking I’m a wierd little freak for telling you this but looking back over my blog, I wish that I’d put a bit more thought and detail into it. Learnerblogs has got many more new things you can explore and do differently now such as you-tube and different coloured text and new fonts. Should be exciting.      

Some people say that blogging is just a different way of learning. What do you say about the possibility of using blogs to learn?

I think that blogging is more of a reflecting experience than learning. For example when I read Mr. Tom I thought that was it, what was our next topic? But then we reflected on it, with help from our learnerblogs there was asthough a new world was waiting…the world of world war. As you can see if you scroll down there are three paragraphs written.

Overall I think it was a great idea of Mrs. McLeays to introduce blogging. It gave us something to look forward to when we were booked into a computer lab.

Recently I began reading The Dons by Archimede Fusillo. I’m really enjoying this book and all the twists, turns, shocks and struggles. Here is a recap of what I’ve read so far (up to page 167):

Paul is a highschool attendant who is in yeaR 10. He lives with his Mum and Nonno who is slowly losing his mind. Paul has alot of responcibility for his Nonno since his dad died and his mum can’t handle him all of the time. Paul also shares a room with Nonno which is frustrating for him because he feels as if he has no private life.

Paul races gokarts on the weekend with his mate Dan Declan. He is pretty good and his dream is to be a formula 1 racer when his older, and also to be married to be Tracey Reynolds. Tracey is the ’hottest’ girl at school and shes got all the cash to go with it, unlike Paul who comes across as one of the poorer people. Oneday after gokart racing Tracey invited Paul over to her house for a ’drink’ (yes thats right, an alcoholic drink). Unluky Paul got a whiff of the whisky and fainted. He woke up when Tracey’s parents were arriving so he quickly had to run back to his aunty’s only to find that his Nonno was missing…

to be continued…

This blog entry by madi refers to her ideal teacher. I completely agree with her thoughts - a teacher should be able to keep the classes attention without yelling our distress, she doesn’t have to yell due to the students wanting to listen to them. A good student is someone who cannot get distracted and listens.

Madi has more great comments and a great expectation of her teacher, check it out!

What are good teachers like? Good teachers are people who understand you. The know your way of learning arn try to promote you. They make you feel goood about yourself and make your learning fun, yet meaningful.

What qualities do they have? Good teachers have patience, kindness and sternness. I know what your thinkng “sternness?” Without sternness you will never get anything done. I dont neccessarily mean sternness, but being firm.

What’s your opinion?

 What does it mean to be a good learner? A good learner is someone who listens and understands when to speak and when not to.

What are qualities of good students? Good students are people who help other classmatess, participate in activites, in class discussions and takes responsibility for their learning.

What expectations do you have of this class? My expectations arn’t very high because I’m now used to thier/our behaviour. Our class is a bit of a trouble maker…But everyone means well.

What expectations do you have of me as your teacher? I expect my teacher to understand my leanring techniques and therefore help me to learn new things. My teacher should know what I can and can’t do, hence help me where I need it.

What does it mean to have a good learning environment? A good learning environment is where you feel safe and happy. If you don’t feel safe you will be unable to learn.

What does it mean to be a producer of information versus a consumer of information? A producer is someone you gives out information and the consumer takes it in. e.g. The producer is the teacher, the consumer is the student.

Two weeks ago was 8 alive. During our second week week we went to an ecological park. 

There we learnt how our world is in trouble, but also ways to keep it safe and livable. I learnt that if everyone in the world lived like me, we would need 4 earths! Now I recycle much more buy “reusing” and also by shortening my showers. 

 On Thursday the class went rockclimbing and I’m proud to say I made it to the top (once). I was quite amazed as I have a horrible fear of heights. My partner was great, she made sure I didn’t fall and was there supporting me all the way! Thanks Maddie.     

The rest of the events which happened on 8 alive were extreamly boring. I didn’t find them fun at all and would of prefered to go back to school!

Being evacuated was exciting but strange for the children of London as they had never seen or lived in the country before. Most mothers didn’t go with the children, and the children didn’t know where they were being sent or who they were to live with. Some children were having the time of their lives, while others were sad and miserable. Before the war began, the children living in cities had never been to the country, so it was a huge surprise to them when they arrived and saw cows and sheep! Imagine leaving home, by yourself and living with someone you have just met. Imagine the pain of not knowing what was happening in the city and wondering if your parents was still alive, it must of been a staggering feeling.

In world war two, it’s hard to imagine but people got excited over eating an orange. This was because the oranges were transported through ships from foriegn countrys. Some of the ships that transported food were sunk at sea, the places where people grew fruit and vegetables were soon taken over by the enemy. During the war everyone had a ration book, and every week you would recieve a new one. The ration book was to make sure you were just taking your fair share of food. Everytime you bought a rationed product who would get a stamp.  If your ration book had no more spaces left for the stamp, you would have to go without.

At 4:56pm on September 7, 1940 the sirens belowed as the German Air Force launched a massive raid on London. Over 350 bombers flew across the Channel from airfields in France and dropped 300 tonnes of bombs on the docks and streets of East end of London. The Blitz was a heavy and frequent bombing raids all over London. There were bombs dropping every day and night for 11 weeks. 32,000 civilians were killed and 87,000 were seriously injured.

For more information go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2children/

Our english class has just began to read the famous novel, Goodnight Mr. Tom. Although I have only read the first chapter it is very intreiging and mysterious. Mr. Tom is a strange old man who looks after Willie Beech due to the war in his home town in London. His mother would only let Willie escape if he was with someone religeous and near a church.That person was Mr. Tom. Willie and Mr.Tom have never met before so it takes some time to get used to each other. Willie 10 years old. He has tiny but skinny figure with blonde stringy hair.He is to nervous and to frightened to say anything. He keeps on telling himself to be good. “I must be good, I must be good,” due to the mischief he has created at home, on his legs are bruises and sores. Willie says that his mother hits him, but not as hard or mean as other mums. 

    To me is sounds asthough Willie is sticking up for his mother, so Mr. Tom doesn’t get to suspicious of him.    

  As the book goes on I think Willie and Tom will become strong friends. And as soon as they have figured each other out, Willie’s mother will request for him to come home. And due to Mr. Toms old age he dies. I think this book will be sad but very inspirational.

In the beginning of the movie ‘Fly Away Home’ Amy is troubled and afraid of what is going to happen to her after her mum’s sudden death. She soon discovered that she will be moving from New Zealand to Canada to live with her dad, the dad she hasn’t seen or spoken to for 12 years. As the movie goes on Amy becomes more comfortable with her dad and his girlfriend. They overtake a lot of obstacles together helping Amy to become more mature. In the end of the movie Amy, her dad and his girlfriend become close and learn to love each other for who they are. The peson who Amy has now grown into is someone responsible and independant.

Amy’s journey started when she left for Canada. That journey lead to another journey which was the journey of the eggs. Amy wouldn’t of had the amazing experience with her dad if she didn’t leave for Canada.

Amy’s journey helped the geese and her dad. If Amy didn’t help these geese they wouldn’t of survived and Amy, her dad and his girlfriend wouldn’t have become as close as they are now.

The journey I’m on is to finish school. My friends and family are all appart of my journey as they encourage me and make this path more exciting. I’m also on my friends and family’s journey because I’m appart of thier life. I try to return the favour by encouraging them and making it more exciting!

Rain like an evil enemy attacks the main street,
it creeps to my doorstep like a silent spider,
It begins to shake the windows like an angry earthquake.
I hide like a scared possum in a tree,
Not daring to go out.
Boom, boom the rain roars like a ferocious lion
And now comes the lightning, as sharp as a knife,
The rain and lightning join teams and together sound like an orchestra,
Finally the thunder arrives, like a brave warrior
 The weather rumbles like giant walking
  I snuggle inside my doona, like a little girl
Waiting anxiously for the evil enemy to pass
Slowly the deafening noise begins to fade, like at the end of a song
I peek out of a window like a nervous actor

To my surprise the enemy had fled leaving rain like puddles of blood