Does anyone know how to insert a PDF or MS-Word file into a Blogger post? None of the tutorials that I have found have helped.
And, bonus if you can tell me how to get links to open in a new tab or new window...the tutorial I found for that didn't work either.
And, please don't tell me to use Wordpress instead. Wordpress is not my friend. Thanks.
Anyhow, I have a five year old tutoring student that is very resistant to reading. However, he loves to keep track of things. So, I created a reading chart for him. For every book that he can read on his own, with no help, he can color in a square. Once all of the squares are filled in, I will give him a prize. He has been asking for Spiderman books (not because they are books but because, hey it's SPIDERMAN!). So, once he completes his first chart, a Spiderman book will be his!
I thought I would share this little chart with you, and wanted to embed it directly into this post for you to print, but Blogger isn't having any of that today! Harumph! Instead, please scoot on over to Scribd to find my chart and print a copy for *personal* or *classroom* use. Please do not print or alter it and use it for profit. This is my own original work and as such is subject to all copyright laws. Thanks!
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Friday, March 18, 2011
We've been busy...
Brushing the dust off the ol' blog... A new friend mentioned that she'd checked out ye old blog and liked it. I realized how long it has been since I updated it. Oops!
Truth be told, we've been extremely busy, and some things just kind of fell to the wayside, like this blog...watering the plants...cleaning out the car (just shove it under the seat!)...um, maybe I should take care of some of that...back in a sec!
...some time later... Ok, plant was beyond saving so it is now in the trash. Car is sort of cleanerish... And, here I am updating the bloggety-blog-blog.
So, what have we been up to since my last post (in January!)...a lot! School has been crazy hectic this term. My reading list for one week is equal to the reading list for the entirety of last term! So, every week is a scramble to get my readin' and writin' done! I actually feel constantly behind this term when it comes to school. Sigh... But, this is my spring break and I am trying to take advantage of the extra time.
I've also been tutoring a lot more...A LOT more! That's both good and bad. Great for the wallet, but not so good for my free time, time to spend with the kiddo, or time to spend on my own studying. Thankfully, the families I tutor for allow me to bring the kiddo with. That helps like you wouldn't believe! And, he gets along well with my students, and with their siblings. Bonus!
We also joined a homeschool support group...finally! And, a group of single parent families. We've met some of the homeschoolers a couple of times now, and they are great! Looks like most weeks we will be trekking into Manhattan at least once per week for homeschool stuff - FUN! I love Manhattan so I am thrilled! I also realized that driving in NYC isn't as scary as I thought it would be and the area where the group meets is actually less congested and less crazy than San Francisco when it comes to traffic. Given that I have Pro status at San Francisco driving, NYC/Manhattan driving will be cake! I even told someone a few weeks ago, when I had to change lanes with very little distance available, "I'm going to San Francisco this..." I won't explain beyond saying, the driver I cut in front of was probably not very happy with me. My passenger gave me props for turning "San Francisco" into a verb too.
The weather has also finally turned warm so we'll be spending much more time outside! Yay! And, I've actually bought a few pieces of furniture so we won't be reduced to eating dinner off of a cardboard box table. Funny though as the girl I bought our new (used) kitchen table and chairs from is moving from NY to California, driving cross-country in the same make/model of car as what we drove cross-country, and she is moving out of an apartment complex that we *almost* moved into. Small, small world, right?
Truth be told, we've been extremely busy, and some things just kind of fell to the wayside, like this blog...watering the plants...cleaning out the car (just shove it under the seat!)...um, maybe I should take care of some of that...back in a sec!
...some time later... Ok, plant was beyond saving so it is now in the trash. Car is sort of cleanerish... And, here I am updating the bloggety-blog-blog.
So, what have we been up to since my last post (in January!)...a lot! School has been crazy hectic this term. My reading list for one week is equal to the reading list for the entirety of last term! So, every week is a scramble to get my readin' and writin' done! I actually feel constantly behind this term when it comes to school. Sigh... But, this is my spring break and I am trying to take advantage of the extra time.
I've also been tutoring a lot more...A LOT more! That's both good and bad. Great for the wallet, but not so good for my free time, time to spend with the kiddo, or time to spend on my own studying. Thankfully, the families I tutor for allow me to bring the kiddo with. That helps like you wouldn't believe! And, he gets along well with my students, and with their siblings. Bonus!
We also joined a homeschool support group...finally! And, a group of single parent families. We've met some of the homeschoolers a couple of times now, and they are great! Looks like most weeks we will be trekking into Manhattan at least once per week for homeschool stuff - FUN! I love Manhattan so I am thrilled! I also realized that driving in NYC isn't as scary as I thought it would be and the area where the group meets is actually less congested and less crazy than San Francisco when it comes to traffic. Given that I have Pro status at San Francisco driving, NYC/Manhattan driving will be cake! I even told someone a few weeks ago, when I had to change lanes with very little distance available, "I'm going to San Francisco this..." I won't explain beyond saying, the driver I cut in front of was probably not very happy with me. My passenger gave me props for turning "San Francisco" into a verb too.
The weather has also finally turned warm so we'll be spending much more time outside! Yay! And, I've actually bought a few pieces of furniture so we won't be reduced to eating dinner off of a cardboard box table. Funny though as the girl I bought our new (used) kitchen table and chairs from is moving from NY to California, driving cross-country in the same make/model of car as what we drove cross-country, and she is moving out of an apartment complex that we *almost* moved into. Small, small world, right?
Saturday, January 22, 2011
FREE Homeschool Resources
I have been collecting FREE resources for homeschooling, and education in general, like crazy lately! Here are some of my top picks:
Khan Academy - a huge list of topics and subtopics!
Multiplication.com - learn or practice multiplication facts by playing games (as a parent, however, I find the sound effects to be quite annoying!)
IXL - multiple grade levels, online math practice; nicely organized - note that there is a limit to free use daily. You can sign up for a paid membership though.
The Head of the Class - multiple subjects but organized by grade level; kindergarten to 5th grade now, but will expand to go through 8th grade. We found The Head of the Class to be below grade level. Your child may need to work a grade ahead.
Check back often as I will be adding more freebies and resources regularly!
Khan Academy - a huge list of topics and subtopics!
Multiplication.com - learn or practice multiplication facts by playing games (as a parent, however, I find the sound effects to be quite annoying!)
IXL - multiple grade levels, online math practice; nicely organized - note that there is a limit to free use daily. You can sign up for a paid membership though.
The Head of the Class - multiple subjects but organized by grade level; kindergarten to 5th grade now, but will expand to go through 8th grade. We found The Head of the Class to be below grade level. Your child may need to work a grade ahead.
Check back often as I will be adding more freebies and resources regularly!
Sunday, January 9, 2011
What does it mean to be brave or to have courage?
Lately I have been giving a bit of thought to the idea of courage. What is it? What qualifies as courageous or brave? What size, shape, and color do brave and courageous acts come in?
For those of you that don't know me, or haven't read back through this blog, let me fill you in on a few things. When my son was about 4 years old, I packed us up and left our abuser. In the process, I managed to get my undergraduate degree despite no shortage of attempts from our abuser to halt my progress towards that goal. Then, two years ago, I applied to graduate school and was accepted. I deferred admission to work on my financial situation, and this past August, my son and I packed up again and moved from California to New York so that I could attend school.
In both of the above situations I heard over and over from friends and family, "You are so brave!" or "That is so courageous!" and "You are so strong!" But, I repeatedly wondered, "Why? What makes me so brave or courageous or strong? I'm just living my life...nothing too special about that..."
Today I read THIS article from the New York Times about courage and bravery.
I'm still not sure that my leaving an abuser and moving cross-country to pursue a positive life changing dream count as bravery or courage. But, maybe they do. After all, I am proud that I took these steps. I am proud that when some said, "You can't do that..." I said, "Yes, I can. Watch me." I am proud that I took a stand against an abuser and protected my son. I am proud that I found a way to finish my undergraduate degree despite numerous obstacles put up by my abuser. I am proud that I was accepted by a top graduate program and moved cross-country to open up my career options and follow my dreams. I am proud that I am showing my son that you CAN live the life you want and on your own terms. If that means I am brave or courageous, well, so be it...but I'm still just me...
For those of you that don't know me, or haven't read back through this blog, let me fill you in on a few things. When my son was about 4 years old, I packed us up and left our abuser. In the process, I managed to get my undergraduate degree despite no shortage of attempts from our abuser to halt my progress towards that goal. Then, two years ago, I applied to graduate school and was accepted. I deferred admission to work on my financial situation, and this past August, my son and I packed up again and moved from California to New York so that I could attend school.
In both of the above situations I heard over and over from friends and family, "You are so brave!" or "That is so courageous!" and "You are so strong!" But, I repeatedly wondered, "Why? What makes me so brave or courageous or strong? I'm just living my life...nothing too special about that..."
Today I read THIS article from the New York Times about courage and bravery.
I'm still not sure that my leaving an abuser and moving cross-country to pursue a positive life changing dream count as bravery or courage. But, maybe they do. After all, I am proud that I took these steps. I am proud that when some said, "You can't do that..." I said, "Yes, I can. Watch me." I am proud that I took a stand against an abuser and protected my son. I am proud that I found a way to finish my undergraduate degree despite numerous obstacles put up by my abuser. I am proud that I was accepted by a top graduate program and moved cross-country to open up my career options and follow my dreams. I am proud that I am showing my son that you CAN live the life you want and on your own terms. If that means I am brave or courageous, well, so be it...but I'm still just me...
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Teaching Poetry
Tomorrow, my teaching partner and I begin teaching poetry to our 9th grade creative writing class. The class is like an internship for us - teaching internships as part of our graduate school programs. My grad program is poetry, and my partner's is fiction. I am thrilled to begin our poetry unit and excited to see what our students have to share with us. I can't wait!
In celebration of the start of our poetry unit tomorrow, I wanted to share with you some fantastic resources for sharing and teaching poetry to children. My teaching mentor is Kenneth Koch (pronounced "Coke" like the soda). He passed away in 2002, but left behind some amazing books on teaching poetry, as well as a fantastic lecture (from 1979, but still relevant today). Koch was also a prolific poet in addition to being a brilliant teacher. His teaching ranged from working with children in New York City public schools, and abroad, up to teaching seniors in nursing homes. He compiled those teaching experiences and his thoughts on teaching in some wonderful volumes:
In celebration of the start of our poetry unit tomorrow, I wanted to share with you some fantastic resources for sharing and teaching poetry to children. My teaching mentor is Kenneth Koch (pronounced "Coke" like the soda). He passed away in 2002, but left behind some amazing books on teaching poetry, as well as a fantastic lecture (from 1979, but still relevant today). Koch was also a prolific poet in addition to being a brilliant teacher. His teaching ranged from working with children in New York City public schools, and abroad, up to teaching seniors in nursing homes. He compiled those teaching experiences and his thoughts on teaching in some wonderful volumes:
Wishes, Lies, and Dreams by Kenneth Koch
Rose, Where Did You Get That Red by Kenneth Koch
I Never Told Anybody: Teaching Poetry Writing to Old People by Kenneth Koch
And, HERE is a fantastic lecture Koch gave at the Naropa institute.
And, just for fun, HERE is a great article by Lemony Snicket, I mean, Daniel Handler, about reading poetry. Caution: If you read this out loud or have your children read it, the "F"-word is used once in the article.
To find Kenneth Koch's books, please click on the boxes below:
And, just for fun, HERE is a great article by Lemony Snicket, I mean, Daniel Handler, about reading poetry. Caution: If you read this out loud or have your children read it, the "F"-word is used once in the article.
To find Kenneth Koch's books, please click on the boxes below:
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
More FREE Homeschool Resources!
Prek-3 Activity Books from St. Aiden's Homeschool - please note, this website is based in South Africa. So far the activity books that I've printed are more than 30 pages long.
Foreign language resources - we use the free downloadable version. However, you can also choose the deluxe version for access to more lists and resources. There are over 70 languages to choose from.
This is meant as an adult education resource, but I have found it to be useful with several of my middle school and high school students in need of reading comprehension assistance. I have only used the reading and vocabulary sections but would imagine the other parts are decent as well.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Happy Holidays!
Whatever holiday you celebrate at this time of year, we hope you are having a wonderful time with family and friends. Same goes for those of you who choose not to celebrate any holidays.
With that said, what are some of the ways you make your holidays special? This year, JP and I are away from family for the first time ever on Christmas. It has been rough and things haven't worked out quite the way I had hoped. I thought we would create all sorts of new traditions but we haven't...we haven't really done anything festive or holiday related. Nada. We would love some suggestions from you on how to make next year more festive and special. How do you celebrate?
With that said, what are some of the ways you make your holidays special? This year, JP and I are away from family for the first time ever on Christmas. It has been rough and things haven't worked out quite the way I had hoped. I thought we would create all sorts of new traditions but we haven't...we haven't really done anything festive or holiday related. Nada. We would love some suggestions from you on how to make next year more festive and special. How do you celebrate?
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