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| End of the Year... |
| 06.26.04 (7:35 pm) [edit] |
Hello boys and girls! It is I, SuperThinker, your superextraordinary superblogging superpal!
Well, the year has come to an end. You have all done such wonderful work, and I am so very proud of you all! Summer is here, and the time is right, for relaxing with a... well you know... a good book! And I've got a doosey of a book for you!
It's a book, no it's a blog, no... it's a BLOOK! A blook is a blog book, and Our ABC Blook on Blogging was created by some of my good friends out in Georgia. They are 5th graders who kept a blog called Thinking and Writing Wrinkles. And we I say created, I mean really created, as in invented because they coined the word "blook."
Check out the "S" page--S is for SuperThinker! What an honor, boys and girls!!!
Boys and girls, here's what I'd like you to do. Please check out the fabulous blook, and then spend your summer relaxing, having fun, and... reading, of course! Don't forget to pop in and say hello. You know you're always welcome at BlogHeads!!!
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| Sharing stories... |
| 05.14.04 (11:02 am) [edit] |
Hello boys and girls! Once again, it is I, SuperThinker, your superfabulous, superblogging, superhero pal! Lately, I've been visiting with 5th grade students who are learning to speak, read, and write in English--their second language. These boys and girls are incredible--amazing, outstanding, extraordinary--because they are learning all the 5th grade stuff--geometry, word problems, astronomy, persuasive arguments, doing research and writing reports, etc.--all in the second language they are trying to learn! Imagine going to another country and having to learn all your grade level stuff in that country's language. All I can say is that I'm really impressed!
As a matter of fact, I'm so impressed that I decided to share some narratives written by a 5th grade class of Intermediate level English learners. These students have not mastered English yet, but they are well on their way!
Boys and girls, click on the links below to read the narratives and then leave a comment about what you read.
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| Welcome -- Guest blogger from the great State of Georgia! |
| 04.14.04 (11:30 pm) [edit] |
Hello boys and girls! It is I, SuperThinker, your reading, writing, superblogging friend whooshing in for a little blog visit!
Blogging is such a great way to share ideas. It's fun and easy to write about your ideas and send them out on the internet for other people to read, think about, and respond. Because blogging is becoming more popular, there are lots of cool kids who really know their way around a keyboard! And -- I happen to know one of the coolest kids to tickle the computer keys. Let me introduce you to her... Boys and girls, meet Emily, the blogger behind Emily's Newspaper. Her blog is wonderful -- full of interesting news reports and stories about familly fun. In fact, her blog is such a good read that I invited her to be a guest blogger here at BlogHeads. So, settle in, relax, and get ready to read Emily's wonderful guest blog post! and away we go...
[u][b]Blissful Blogging[/b][/u]
[b][i]We now interrupt your program Blogging with Bob, to bring you this special report, Blissful Blogging![/i][/b]
[b]Hi! My name is Emily and I am going to tell you helpful tips & pointers on blogging, some great leads, and why I like blogging.[/b] Well, I have been blogging for two years now. I have learned some tricks of the trade. First of all, you can never have too long of a story, but you can always have too short of a story. What I call a short story (way too short) is about 5-7 sentences. If six really good sentences is all you can think of, it's ok. I'd say about 10 * 15 sentences for a short report is about average.
Now, I have a wonderful teacher, Mrs. Davis, who taught me about good lead-ins.
[b]#1: Open with a question.[/b]
Ex: "Do you know what you could do to survive if you were lost in the mountains?" or "You're the only survivor on a boat crash. What would you try to take into a lifeboat?"
[b]#2: Open with an announcement.[/b]
Ex: "A tornado is around the area of your school. Find shelter immediately." or "Heavy flood rains are pouring down and you need to find high shelter quickly."
[b]#3: Open with a challenging and bold statement.[/b]
Ex: "Contrary to what people may think, you have more free time than you think."
[b]#4: Open with a quote from someone.[/b]
Ex: "'Be ready for the time of your life', my friend said as we got onto the roller coaster."
[b]#5: Open with a riddle that the reader can grapple with.[/b]
Ex: "With one blink, I can command others to move. With another blink, others will start to wander. Some will move & some will stop. With the last blink, I can command others to stop. What am I?" or "What goes in a door, but never goes in or out?"
[b]#6: Open with a personal experience. [/b]
Ex: "My mind was racing as I opened my birthday presents." or "I'm glad I didn't cry when those bullies were picking on me, though I did in my room later."
[b]#7: Open with how you felt. [/b]
Ex: "My warm hands felt cold when the fragile glass figure broke."
[b]#8: Make the reader feel like they are part of the story.[/b]
Ex: "I was shoved out of the classroom when the bell rang."
Don't forget, there are so many different ways to write lead-ins, so if you think of one, tell me!
[b]Remember, never be afraid to try something new in your writing. If you don't like your style of writing, change it! [/b]I mean, if you write you want to enjoy it! Also, make sure your writing flows well. By that, I mean like the sentences seem to fit together almost or exactly perfectly. But remember*Check Your Spelling!!!
I can't tell you how much of a problem I had with that.
Well, I've been blogging for a while (as you know) and I've seen many people come and go (Sadly, this is the year I'm going.) but my feelings about blogging have never changed. [b]Ok, to sum it up this way, I Love Blogging! Blogging has allowed me to express my feelings, hear what other people have to say about my work (which I dearly love) and finding out how good of a writer I was. I'm telling you, I cannot go through a Thursday (The days I work with Mrs. Davis) without blogging.[/b] Taking away writing in my life, I would be nothing. [b]Never think your no good at writing. Some day you might be the next Dr. Seuss.[/b] But you always have to try. Blogging allows you to have people point out mistakes, or give praise to your work. So, if you have a webblog, keep working on it. Who knows, only time can tell*
[b][i]We now bring you back to your original program, "Blogging With Bob." Thank you for your patience and have a good day Bloggers![/i][/b]
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| Word Maps... |
| 03.22.04 (1:24 pm) [edit] |
Hello boys and girls! It is I, SuperThinker, here to share some examples of Word Maps sent to me by some fabulous students! If you'd like to get a closer look, just click on the pictures!
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| Mapping your understanding |
| 03.12.04 (9:49 pm) [edit] |
Hello boys and girls. It is I, SuperThinker, your superblogging friend. I hope you are all well!
I've been traveling around alot lately so I've thinking about maps. Maps are a great invention! If you're not sure how to get from here to there--just pull out a map and follow the path.
Word Maps work in the same way. If you're not sure what a word means, you can map out a path that will lead to your understanding. Here's an example of a Word Map:
[image]npera1_113856159.jpg[/image]
On the top of the map you write what you think a word is like and on the bottom you write what it's not like. To the right you write a definition based on what you think the word is like.
Boys and girls, can you make a Word Map? Try it out and have your teacher send me your word maps to post on this blog.
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| An Idiom Ode to Emily---Because Idioms Really Are Fun!!! |
| 02.13.04 (1:46 pm) [edit] |
Hello boys and girls. SuperThinker here, grinning from ear to ear because one of my new friends wrote a superwonderful short story about---who else---ME, the blogosphere's own superhero blogger! Visit Emily's site and read her spectacular--marvelous, stupendous, magnificent story, and read my "Idiom Ode to Emily" below!
Today, I, SuperThinker, world famous superhero blogger, really [u]got a kick out of [/u]a post by Emily. Being honored by her praises, I flew [u]quick as a wink [/u]to my computer. Her writing proves that she’s [u]no slouch[/u]! Though I am superfabulous in my own right, I was really [u]bowled over [/u]by her great writing! She’s [u]a quick study [/u]and writes about important subjects but never [u]bites off more than she can chew[/u]! [u]Rain or shine[/u] I’ll always be her fan.
She’s part of a group of great thinkers who are [u]A-okay [/u]in my book! Since they always do [u]a bang up job[/u], I [u]keep an eye [/u] out for their writing. The group’s [u]head hancho[/u], Mrs. Davis, is [u]on the cutting edge[/u], always [u]on the dot[/u], and never [u]rubs her readers the wrong way[/u]! To [u]top it all off[/u], she’s never [u]tight fisted [/u] with compliments.
Don’t [u]bang your head against a wall [/u] trying to figure out if I, SuperThinker, will ever forget Emily and the great honor she gave me.
My answer--[u]not on your life[/u]!
Have a Happy Valentine's Day everyone!
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| Idioms rock! |
| 02.11.04 (12:18 pm) [edit] |
Hello boys and girls! It's your friendly neighborhood superblogger, signing on and dropping in once again!
I am so thrilled--delighted, excited, overjoyed-- that Ms. P's 5th graders have been studying idioms, have created pictures of those idioms, and have begun their own blog in which they will post their idioms!!! Bravo to you all!
Take a look at Ms. P's 5th Grade Bloggers new blog and leave a comment. Then, on the right hand side of their blog you will find a link back to BlogHeads. Click on it and leave a comment here to let me know what you think of their new blog! I think you'll find it's really OUT OF THIS WORLD!!!
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| Let's get back on track with IDIOMS! |
| 01.23.04 (10:37 am) [edit] |
Hello boys and girls. Once again, it is I, SuperThinker, your blogging superhero friend! It's now 2004! Wow! Time sure does fly!
The expression, "Time flies," is an Idiom. An idiom is a phrase or expression that has a meaning which is different from the meaning of the individual words in the expression. Idioms help us express--verbalize, state, communicate ideas. So, although we use the idiom "time flies" we know that time doesn't really have wings. We use the idiom, "time flies" when we want to express the idea that something happened really quickly. For example, I might say, "I had so much fun at my friend's house that I can't believe the day is already over. Wow, time flies when you're having fun!"
There is a wonderful blog called Idioms Are Fun! that belongs to a 5th grade classroom in the State of Georgia. The students pick an idiom, learn about it, illustrate it, and then create sentences that use the idiom.
Boys and girls, please visit Idioms Are Fun!. Read the latest idiom, then click on the comments and post a sentence or two in which you use the idiom. The boys and girls at Idioms Are Fun! will love the visit.
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| Family, Fun, and An Act of Kindness! |
| 12.20.03 (5:50 pm) [edit] |
Hello boys and girls. It is I, your friendly neighborhood superblogger. Today, some of my neices and nephews came over to my house. We baked cookies to gives as gifts, played Mancala, Uno, and Scooby Doo Monopoly, and ate pizza. It was lots of fun--amusement, jollity, and we even found time to work on an act of kindess.
I, SuperThinker, found out that in Iraq, schools don't have even the most basic supplies. Teachers and students go without paper, pencils, crayons, and books. It is truly sad--depressing, regrettable, woeful that schools have to suffer in such conditions. But, there is a website called IraqiSchools.com that is making a difference by giving information on how to send supplies to Iraqi schools. I, SuperThinker, got school supplies together, put them in a box, and will mail them on Monday. Below is a picture of my neices and nephews at the table with the cookies we baked and the box that will go to Iraqi schools.[image]npera1_565614784.jpg[/image] I hope your holiday is filled with family, fun, and many acts of kindness. Happy Holidays everyone--from my family to yours!
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| Hellooooooooo out there...Is your internet back? |
| 12.04.03 (8:31 pm) [edit] |
Hola boys and girls in Ms. P's class. Once again, it is I, SuperThinker, your blogging superhero friend who has really missed hearing from you. I heard that the internet has been down in your classroom. I am oh so very sad--melancholy, glum, down in the mouth about the situation. With the internet we can share our ideas no matter how far away we are, but without it we cannot blog at all. :(
I hope you had a very happy Thanksgiving. I did. I spent it with my twin, my parents, and our friends. Lately, I have been thinking about what I am thankful for. I have so much to appreciate: the love and understanding of family and good friends, my beloved cat, and fun loving dogs, and my most excellent of treasures, my superthinking mind.
Knowing that I have so much to be thankful for, I feel a sense of happiness and a desire to give to others during the holiday season. Each December, before Christmas, I get together with a few of my dearest friends and we plan acts of giving to others. Though my friends are of many different faiths; Jewish, Christian, Catholic, Islamic, Buddhist, and Hindu, we come together in the spirit of giving because we all appreciate what we have and those who have given to us. We have made gifts, cooked, collected food for the needy, and visited an old folks home (and we were a big hit with the grandmas!) There are alot of ways to show kindness to people during the holiday season, and it's the perfect time.
Boys and girls, during this holiday season, is there an act of kindness that you might want to perform for someone? If so, tell me about it--what would you want to do and for whom? (And, if you can, please comment on my last blog post; write about your space topic and facts. I'm still curious about your writing!)
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| Just the facts Ma'am, just the facts |
| 11.11.03 (12:26 pm) [edit] |
Greetings my friends. SuperThinker here--signed on and ready to blog! I've been having quite a bit of fun visiting this week with my twin. It will be our birthday next week--whoo hoo!
How [b]interesting--fascinati ng, enthralling, exciting[/b] it was to read about your favorite books. It looks like some of you like getting a "big fat boo" when you read, just as I do! During Halloween, I read quite a few scary short stories and really enjoyed having my teeth chatter thinking about the heart pumping plots. Some of you like funny books, adventure books, and fantasies. Good choices my friends. Personally, I love all kinds of books!
Several of you asked if I was Ms. Peralta. Hmmm...[b]interesting--intriguin g, remarkable[/b] thought! But, impossible. Think about the facts: I have a twin, Ms. Peralta does not. It will be my birthday next week, but Ms. Peralta's birthday isn't until next year.
Facts are true information about a topic. Facts are the [b]cornerstone--focus, spotlight, center [/b] of Expository writing because facts help to explain the topic.
Here's a fact about the topic "[u]Captain Underpants[/u]": George and Harold transform Principal Krupp into Captain Underpants. By providing a fact, this sentence gives us more information about Captain Underpants. It informs us that [u]two boys changed their principal into Captain Underpants[/u].
Boys and girls, I know you are working on Expository Writing. I'm curious about your topics. I was told that some of you are writing about space exploration. [b]Write me two or three sentences that contain a fact about your topic. [/b]
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| Mental Movies... |
| 10.30.03 (12:31 pm) [edit] |
Hola boys and girls. Once again, it is I, SuperThinker, your friendly neighborhood blogging superhero. I just finished reading the Comments from Ms. P's class and am so [b]pleased--delighted, glad, happy[/b] with your most interesting and thoughtful ideas! I'm [b]thrilled--excited, elated, overjoyed [/b]that you have joined our circle of talented BlogHeads!
While reading the comments I found out that many of you like books for the same reasons I do: We get excited about what we are reading. We get pulled into the story and begin to feel emotions like surprise, fear, suspense and humor. Some of you wrote that you get so pulled into a story that you don't notice what's going on around you and you don't want to put the book down. I'm like that, too! Wow--I'm always amazed at the power of the written word and the way an author can pull readers into the lives of the characters he or she creates.
One of you wrote that reading a book is like watching a movie. So true, so true! Well written books create a movie in your head. I like that comparison--[b]reading a book is like watching a mental movie[/b]. Hmmmm...
My favorite book, or mental movie, is Charlotte's Web because the characters really come to life. Fern is brave, Wilbur is innocent and Charlotte is so wise. [b]Boys and girls, tell SuperThinker what your favorite book (mental movie) is and why. [/b]
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| Welcome newbies! |
| 10.29.03 (7:02 am) [edit] |
Hello boys and girls. It is I, SuperThinker, the world famous, one and only, superhero blogger. I'd like to extend a special welcome to Ms. P's class--[b]Welcome to the world of blogging girls and boys![/b]
Blogging is very cool because a blogger can put his or her ideas out in published form for a world wide audience of readers! Think about this: The written word has the power to create a relationship between your thoughts and the thoughts of your readers, sometimes just explaining something interesting, and sometimes creating a change in the way people think! Powerful stuff, isn't it?
Boys and girls, [b]think about why you like to read.[/b] [b]Then, post a Comment on the blog to let me, and our readers, know why you like to read.[/b]
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| Every picture tells a story... |
| 10.19.03 (6:07 pm) [edit] |
Hola my friends--and a special shout-out to Ms. Rangel's class. I hear you are going off-track this week. You have done good work and now it is time to take a break. When I take a break from my super-important blogging work I like to read and love to garden. Are you surprised to hear that I, SuperThinker, the world's greatest superhero blogger, love to garden?
Every picture tells a story...and a garden tells stories on the pages of the Earth. It tells about those who tend it and where it lives. In my garden there are dozens of hollyhocks that break ground and climb toward the sun each spring, with stalks so strong and sturdy they easily hold the weight of blue birds who snack and sunbathe there. The petals announce, "Open for lunch!" and "Come sit a spell," to the birds and butterflies that cruise the area. Meanwhile, an army of ants marches by, unaware of anything but their duty to the colony and awaiting queen. Green and tidy, generous curves of flowering plants proudly dance in their sunday best. A cozy bench with green and red pillows and a well used book whispers, making plans for later rocking a visitor who will probably bring a child yearning to sit on a knee and listen.
Now do you see why SuperThinker loves to garden?
Boys and girls, I am curious-- what will you do when you go off-track? Try this out boys and girls: Sit somewhere--in a garden, a tree, on a bus stop, anywhere--and just look. Look to see what story it tells about the people and the place it belongs to. Notice something that maybe you've never seen, even though it may have been there all along. Then, post a comment to tell me about the picture you observed and the story it told you.
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| What are you writing about? |
| 10.03.03 (1:34 pm) [edit] |
Hello boys and girls. Have you missed SuperThinker? Come on now, tell the truth--I know you have. I have missed you, too. I have been visiting some of my friends who love to write and it has been very [b]exciting--thrilling, exhilerating, electrifying[/b]! I am [b]fascinated--enthralled , captivated [/b]by the way they use words to make their ideas come to life! Some of my friends write journals about their lives, some write magazine articles about science, and some write story books to entertain others.
I'm curious, my friends... [b]What are you writing about? Tell SuperThinker all about it.[/b]
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| What a character! |
| 09.15.03 (8:58 pm) [edit] |
Bon jour! It is I, your friendly neighborhood SuperThinker, just dropping in to make contact with with my friends. What a [b]wonderful--fabulous, awesome, outstanding[/b]--weekend! I visited my friend who is an author, and her husband who is an illustrator. They worked together on a character for their new book. It is about a little boy who colors everything in different shades of blue. It was amazing to listen and watch them develop the character by painting a picture of him with well chosen words. Instead of telling the reader, "He was a curious child," they wrote, "He carefully took things apart, and once he understood their intricate workings, delicately put them back together."
This made me think (well, after all, I am SuperThinker you know). One of my favorite books, Charlotte's Web, has great characters, like the young girl Fern. She was so heroic, and because of her actions, Wilbur's life was saved.
Boys and girls, I would love to know about some of your favorite characters. [b]Tell SuperThinker about the character and the character's personality.[/b]
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| Reading & Writing...and a little bit about me, too! |
| 09.11.03 (9:30 pm) [edit] |
Hola boys and girls. It is I, SuperThinker, your blogging superhero friend. I am so [b]happy--overjoyed, ecstatic, elated[/b]--that you have replied to my blog. It seems that you all have many reasons for liking to read and write. Some of you say it is to get smarter, that reading scary stories is fun and reading takes you on adventures. I agree! You also replied that writing makes you feel better, lets you use your imagination, and it makes life easier. Oh, so true my friends, oh so true!
Some of you also asked questions about me. How wonderful that you are interested in my life because, well, it is fascinating! Alas, I cannot tell you my age because, as you well know, a lady never tells her age...hee hee hee. You will just have to guess on that one! Hmmmm..do I think all the time? Well, I'll have to think about that one..tee hee! Actually, I do think all the time because I am SuperThinker! My superthinking powers are so great that I can think deeply about many things at once. This is my secret to having so many answers in life. If one thinks deeply, one can figure things out quite well--keep that in mind my friends. Last question--someone asked if I have a brother or sister. I have a twin... ponder that one for a while...
Now you tell me something... [b]What is your favorite book and why do you like it so much? [/b]
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| Hello out there! |
| 09.08.03 (11:40 am) [edit] |
Hello boys and girls. It is I, SuperThinker, the one-the only, world famous superhero blogger. Other superheroes are cool, but ask yourselves this--does Batman blog? How about Superman or even X-Men? They are supercool, but alas, they do not blog. Only I, SuperThinker, use my super thinking powers to blog. Why? Because I love the power of the written word, my friends!
This weekend I was thinking about all the reasons I love to read and write. I began to wonder, [b]why do you like to read? Why do you like to write? Tell SuperThinker all about it...[/b]
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| SuperThinker |
| 09.03.03 (2:16 am) [edit] |
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WHOOSH! Look! Up on the Internet. Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's SuperThinker - mighty superhero to bloggers around the world! Committed to a life-long quest of encouraging people to share their ideas, she patrols the world wide web using her superpowers to inspire BlogHeads of all ages.
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