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November 2008 - Posts

which book is best for the Cold War?

I'm trying to figure out which book to use as I teach the Cold War. I considered a book about the myth of the fifties perfect family. After thinking through everything, I decided it would work best to use a fictional text. However, with the unit beginning Read More...
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2008 11 30

John Spencer

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Survey Saturday: Partial Credit

by John Spencer "Mr. Spencer, why does my progress report show a zero for the five paragraph Social Voice article?" a student asks me before class begins. "You never turned in a five paragraph article," I answer, slightly confused. "I did. I sent it to Read More...
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2008 11 29

John Spencer

6 Comments

Philosophical Friday: What makes education meaningful?

by John Spencer I stand by the barbecue and shared my frustrations with Brad the Philosopher, "I'm having a hard time with the isms of education. It's not hard to keep them straight. I just feel like there's an element of truth in behaviorism and classicism Read More...
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2008 11 28

John Spencer

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holding Micah

For the last half hour, Micah sat on my lap. He wasn't sick or tired even. So I held him. Sometimes he just wants to be held. It could be a desire for attention. But it's more than that. It's the desire for human touch, for love expressed in an embrace Read More...
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2008 11 27

John Spencer

6 Comments

Thursday Thoughts: Thanksgiving List

by John Spencer Thanksgiving is the ultimate holiday. Unlike Christmas, there is no pressure to put on a mask, no fear about buying a gift (or pretending to like a gift), no annoying music. It's a solid day of being in community with family, eating great Read More...
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2008 11 27

John Spencer

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my new blog

I'm still using my blog at jtspencer.blogspot.com but I have added a new blog called Learning with IMPACT . I'm choosing to use two blogs, because I want the Learning with IMPACT blog to have more of an educational emphasis based upong the values of community Read More...

2008 11 26

John Spencer

8 Comments

Wiki Wednesday: Integrating Spreadsheets

by John Spencer The first time I used the word "spreadsheet" in class, a group of girls giggled. When I asked what they were referring to, one girl confessed. "It sounds wrong. Like, 'Hey, I'm going to spreadsheet about you, even if it's not true.' You Read More...
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2008 11 26

John Spencer

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art isn't meant to last

A few minutes before class, two gruff, oil stained men saunter into my room. The first man scratches himself and then pulls out a sketch on a sheet of graph paper. "I don't think there's adequate plumbing. Looks like they'll have to knock out the wall." Read More...
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2008 11 22

John Spencer

1 Comments

is homework a bad idea?

Until Alfie Kohn raised the question, I always assumed that homework was a great idea. Now, I am undecided. I am not sure where I stand on the issue. On one hand, I agree with the premise of homework. If it is authentic, it connects learning to one's Read More...

2008 11 21

John Spencer

3 Comments

Purpose of this Blog

I hope this turns out to be good. Our goal will be to provide teachers with the tools necessary to teach with an IMPACT. Read More...

2008 11 20

John Spencer

1 Comments

welcome to my world

This morning, Micah wanted to watch Finding Nemo. I turn to Christy and explain, "I like Surfs Up . I like the theme of mentoring and the redemption that occurs. Unlike Nemo, the character development occurs through relationship rather than a bunch of Read More...

2008 11 19

John Spencer

2 Comments

cross-curricular

Often, when people think about going cross-curricular in social studies, they automatically assume the best subject is language arts. However, I have found a few times when science and math fit well within social studies. For example, in attempting to Read More...
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2008 11 19

John Spencer

3 Comments

finally joining Facebook

I'm finally joining Facebook. It feels trendy to join, but it also feels trendier (in a sort-of anti-corporate, counter-culture, I-hate-all-things-mainstream way) to avoid joining. I want to avoid becoming "that guy" who defines himself by all things Read More...
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2008 11 18

John Spencer

1 Comments

good and bad news

The superintendent announced that Borman Middle School will shut down at the close of this school year and re-open as a K-8 school. Whether we will have the same name is uncertain. Personally, I will not feel hurt if we lose the name. Somehow both Frank Read More...
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2008 11 18

John Spencer

1 Comments

four short Joel stories

These four stories have happened in the last two days. I don't want to forget them, so I'm recording them in the blogosphere. #1 Joel sits down with his stuffed animals while I clean the kitchen. Buddy the Puppy says to Sprocket, "I'm sad, Daddy." "What's Read More...
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2008 11 16

John Spencer

1 Comments

Is the Christmas season longer?

When I was a child, I remember that Christmastime began on December 1st. Though people would dash to the store after Thanksgiving, there was a short two week break before the season began. True, a few neighbors would decorate and occasionally someone Read More...
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2008 11 14

John Spencer

4 Comments

the new boss

Honestly, I titled it "boss," because I get confused with principal and principle. I'm usually pretty good with homonymns and homophones, but that one confuses me. For the record, I think it's "principal," but I'm not sure and I'd rather admit my ignorance Read More...

2008 11 11

John Spencer

5 Comments

loving linux

I'd love to turn on the television and see the Mac guy and PC guy in an argument. The PC man would claim that Macs are elitist, overpriced, trendy and unnecessary for most people. And he'd be right. The Mac man would shoot back with arguments about Macs Read More...
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2008 11 10

John Spencer

4 Comments

the hardest part of running twenty miles

At mile nineteen, I reach a point of near panic. I am fully hydrated. I am close to home. My shoulders are tense and my feet feel like gelatin. Yet, the hardest part is psychological. Though I feel the enjoyable "runner's high," I feel alone. It's more Read More...
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2008 11 10

John Spencer

1 Comments

how we present World War II

I rarely use my textbook. However, we spent some time analyzing it for bias and propaganda. The easiest section is often considered the safest - World War II. I split them up into groups, where they analyzed any elements of bias and then we spent about Read More...
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2008 11 8

John Spencer

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a child of the eighties

Throughout this unit on World War II, students keep making references to elements of pop culture. "I know of Mussolini, he was Hitler's gay lover on South Park," or some crazy reference from Family Guy or Robot Chicken (Admittedly, there is a great Robot Read More...
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2008 11 8

John Spencer

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in need of advice

I've decided that I'm going to teach self-contained sixth-grade next year. To borrow from my good friend Quinn, I'm offering these reasons in a list: I want to blend the subjects into thematic units. I'd love to combine elements of math and science, social Read More...
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2008 11 7

John Spencer

2 Comments

standing on the banks

I once read that the streams of history are filled with the blood of martyrs and soldiers, with the loud waves of war, the boats battling upstream for progress and power and conquest. Yet, if you step away from the stream, off to the banks, you'll see Read More...
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2008 11 5

John Spencer

1 Comments

the paradox of accountability

Accountability is a buzzword in education circles, business culture and within the church. It's an idea that makes sense at first glance. We should reward those who do right and punish those who do wrong. Simple. The problem is that accountability almost Read More...
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2008 11 3

John Spencer

1 Comments

America's Test Kitchen

Joel and Micah love the t.v. show "America's Test Kitchen." The host is a geeky chef who wears a dress shirt and a Tucker Carlson bow tie. They test kitchen gadgets, grocery products and recipes. It sounds awful when I describe it, but I have grown to Read More...
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2008 11 1

John Spencer

1 Comments

palinocracy

It's interesting that Palin has gone on the attack against Obama for attempting to "spread the wealth." Apparently, his plan to tax the richest of the rich and provide tax cuts for the middle class amounts to socialism. Palin has a point. It seems unfair Read More...
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2008 11 1

John Spencer

5 Comments