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February 2009 - Posts

Advice for New Bloggers

I'm no expert in blogging, so I realize my advice is most likely unfounded (though not spurious, I swear) I have found the following things helpful in my blogging experience: 1. Be human - I've found that being vulnerable and authentic did not turn people Read More...
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2009 02 28

John Spencer

5 Comments

Survey Saturday: How often do you blog?

I'm curious how often my blog readers post blogs themselves. Are most blog readers also blog writers? Do people who write more read more? Just curious about it. So, today's Survey Saturday is: On average, how often do you create a blog post? Last Week's Read More...
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2009 02 28

John Spencer

1 Comments

I Wish I Could Enjoy The Following . . .

Five Foods I Wish I Could Enjoy Lunch Meat - There are people at my school who assumed I was a vegetarian, because every "teacher reward" lunch involved sub sandwhiches. I piled on any imaginable veggie to make up for the bland, slimy meat imposters. Read More...
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2009 02 28

John Spencer

4 Comments

Philosophical Friday: Two Approaches

A student in my euphemistically titled, "Life Skills Math Exploratory Experience," (remedial math class) chose, for his statistics project to determine the ratio, percentage and decimal of the number of hours spent learning versus testing. After the teacher Read More...
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2009 02 27

John Spencer

2 Comments

Thursday Thoughts: Cutting

A girl walks in wearing wrist bands for the first time. She's a top student, quiet, unable to qualify for the honors class, but she finishes all her work and leads her small group with energy and passion. Like many of the eighth-grade girls, she realizes Read More...
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2009 02 26

John Spencer

5 Comments

My Class Blog

This post is basically shameless self-promotion. My only consolation is that I'm promoting my students' blog instead of my own. Our class blog / eZine is The Social Voice. For people who haven't visited the site in awhile, we've made some changes. All Read More...
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2009 02 25

John Spencer

2 Comments

What-if Wednesday: Changing People

The most profound change occurs over a cup of coffee when I can be authentic and you don't try and change me I am reticent about writing this blog, because it will probably reek of pop psychology. Still, it is a simple truth I've learned that applies Read More...
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2009 02 25

John Spencer

2 Comments

one of my new favorite blogs

I've been reading a lot of Science Teacher lately. On the surface he and I are really different. My guess is our religious beliefs most likely differ and I'm not crazy about science; mostly because school taught me that science is not about exploration, Read More...

2009 02 24

John Spencer

3 Comments

Hefe and Hemmingway

I'm listening to Eric Clapton Unplugged this morning. I'm in the mood for a voice that doesn't sound like a choirboy falsetto. I consider Tom Waits, but that's a little too much gravel and I'm not in the mood for the whispy voice of Sufjan Stevens. Counting Read More...
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2009 02 24

John Spencer

2 Comments

Techno-Tuesday: Avoiding Copyright Issues

For nearly five years now, my students have created an online social studies magazine called Social Voice. The title is a bit edgy, even Marxist, but it sums up the goal in simple language. I want students to express their individual and collective voice Read More...
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2009 02 24

John Spencer

0 Comments

Monday Metaphor: Denim

I like denim. It's unpretentious. It's universal. I can be a cowboy in Montana or a migrant in Arizona or an urbanite in a trendy bistro and share the same love of the same fabric. It's casual. It's wearable. I can wear the same pair of jeans multiple Read More...
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2009 02 23

John Spencer

4 Comments

another Joel story

We're walking to the park when Joel hears a dog bark. He and Micah start barking and, in turn, the neighborhood is a loud cacophony of various dogs. Both of them smile, delighted in the simple act of cause and effect. "Hey Joel, you shouldn't do that," Read More...
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2009 02 22

John Spencer

8 Comments

Survey Saturday: Should teachers share their religious beliefs?

I'm not the camp-counselor-see-me-for-all-your-drama style of teacher. Often, I am the last teacher to find out why a student is walking around feeling dejected. It's not that I am a hard-ass, but that I have a high respect for space and I am careful Read More...
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2009 02 22

John Spencer

1 Comments

coaching track

I've been coaching track now for about a week. I forgot how much I love this sport. I love the diversity of the players. We've got skinny, lanky distance runners mixed with the "super-athletes" who dominate the sprints and a few chubby kids who seem to Read More...

2009 02 21

John Spencer

0 Comments

Philosophical Friday: Unspoken Metaphor

Most metaphors go unspoken, aside from the casual conversation of idealists. True, the business world will employ metaphor, but only as a last resort, when analytical prose is too effecient. Metaphor is usually left for the dreamers, the poets, the writers Read More...
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2009 02 20

John Spencer

1 Comments

Thursday Thoughts: Politics

Our staff lounge can be really rough when it comes to gossip, rumors and outright slander. I admit that I occasionally engage in the backstabbing; and that's exactly what it is, a stab, a bloody knife used for groups to gain power. I share stories about Read More...
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2009 02 19

John Spencer

0 Comments

either really cool or really lame

I'm starting a new unit on the 1970's-2000's. It's odd to think of it as a forty year time span. I'm nearly thirty (which is triple X in Roman Numerals). The state standards are real banal for this unit. Each one reads, "Describe the events of the presidency Read More...
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2009 02 18

John Spencer

1 Comments

What-If Wednesday: What if fun is not the antonymn of boring?

When I explain to my seventh hour that our class would change from "math intervention" (attempting to make math concepts practical to life) to "social voice writing" the students groan. I have the low group, the Falls Far Below and Approaches. I understand. Read More...
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2009 02 17

John Spencer

0 Comments

Techno-Tuesday: A Story

I'm sitting on the couch, huddled next to my two sons. Feeling tired and overwhelmed I solicit the help of my virtual nanny, who provides both boys with a story about David and Goliath in the format of singing vegetables. It strikes me that I am closer Read More...
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2009 02 17

John Spencer

1 Comments

Monday Metaphor: Camera

I'm sitting here watching a photography show on the Create network. A guy named Art Wolfe travels to the a remote tribe in West Africa and takes snapshots of a sacred dance. In a whispering tone, he explains the belief system of animism. A few times, Read More...
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2009 02 16

John Spencer

8 Comments

Monday Metaphor: Mental iPods and Marriage

While running my marathon yesterday, I noticed only a small handful of runners without plugs in their ears. Surrounded by the beauty of the Superstitution Mountains, they chose to fill their ears with a pre-programmed stream of personalized songs. Instead Read More...
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2009 02 16

John Spencer

0 Comments

Survey Saturday: 7/8 Model

Our school is changing to a Pre-K through 8th Grade next year. Currently we are a "middle school" that functions more as a junior high. So, for this week's survey, I am curious which model works best for seventh and eighth graders: Junior High - typically Read More...
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2009 02 15

John Spencer

2 Comments

marathon interview with myself

After completing my marathon, I thought I would go Q&A style by interviewing myself. John: What was your time? Spencer: I ran it in five hours and twenty minutes. John: Is that what you were aiming for? Spencer: I had no target time, so I'm not really Read More...
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2009 02 15

John Spencer

5 Comments

a morning dialogue between Joel and Micah

Joel: Spiderman is a good man and so is Barack Obama. He's our president. Can you say President Barack Obama, Micah? Micah: Present Bock Bama Joel: No, not a present. President. Say it again, Micah. Micah: Why? Joel: He's our president. He's a good guy. Read More...
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2009 02 14

John Spencer

4 Comments

saccharine heart day

I'm not crazy about the saccharine heart day, with the incessant use of pink, the gawdy, primped flowers, the carnival-style, over-stuffed animals and the bouncing helium balloons. It's not the tacky side that bothers me, though. It's something more visceral, Read More...

2009 02 13

John Spencer

2 Comments

Philosophical Friday: Service

Students aren't wearing uniforms today. For me this is a refreshing change from the usual drab blue and white, but I am bothered by our staff's motive in choosing a non-uniform day. Students can wear red today if they donate a dollar to help raise money Read More...
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2009 02 13

John Spencer

2 Comments

thursday thoughts: typing and texting

Someone from Big Brother pulled me aside today to inform me that computers in a classroom can be a bad idea. "How often do they type their work?" she asked. I explained that, aside from a weekly handwritten assignment, they type everything they write. Read More...
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2009 02 12

John Spencer

0 Comments

What-if Wednesday: Beautiful Schools

This is a picture of our in-class mural before it was finished. I admit that this is a more humble suggestion in comparison to others. At our school, students litter constantly. People often make an excuse, blaming a "ghetto mentality." However, I have Read More...
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2009 02 11

John Spencer

8 Comments

Embracing Regionalism

This, by the way, is not what I'm talking about Blame it on technology. Perhaps it was mass media. What, with MTV and ESPN and a twenty-four seven stream of "late-breaking news," the notion of region has been slowly fading. Maybe it's the internet. All Read More...
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2009 02 10

John Spencer

3 Comments

Techno-Tuesday: Open Source and Freeware

My students are tapping away on Ubuntu, which is a Linux operating system. It's been easy for us to customize and rarely has viruses. They are working seamlessly between the Google Docs and Open Office, where they combine spreadsheets, create a presentation Read More...
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2009 02 10

John Spencer

3 Comments

Google Tasks

I've tried to use Google Calendar for my daily life, but it just doesn't work well for my to do list. Don't get me wrong, it's great for sending reminders about meetings (it e-mails my gmail acount), but it is inflexible and annoying when I have a fat Read More...
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2009 02 9

John Spencer

17 Comments

Five Things I Like

1. Bubble Wrap: Does it ever become uninteresting? I thought I would outgrow it, but I still think bubble wrap is the ultimate diversion. In fact, I think my school should supply bubble wrap at professional development meetings. 2. Frosting: I'm not a Read More...
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2009 02 9

John Spencer

9 Comments

Monday Metaphor: Shrapnel

A few times a year, I lose it. I yell. No, I scream at my class. Sometimes, it's the build-up from failing to address conflict. It's a combination of little things that I feel I shouldn't have to deal with anymore. After all, I convince myself, I have Read More...
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2009 02 9

John Spencer

4 Comments

Survey Saturday: Standardized Tests

At one time, I railed against standardized tests. Viewing it as a cancer destroying education, I watched it destroy meaningful learning. I hated the notion of teaching to the test instead of teaching to the student. I loathed the constant use of the words Read More...
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2009 02 7

John Spencer

1 Comments

saturday driving sucks

It seems so counterintuitive that Saturday driving is worse than weekday driving. However, every time I venture out on the road on Saturdays, I end up anxious and annoyed. So, I'll take that pent up emotion and, instead of applying it to road rage, I'll Read More...

2009 02 7

John Spencer

1 Comments

Overly Ambitious

There is more Macbeth in me than I would like to admit. I don't mean that in the raw, unadulterated thirst for power. Instead, I have a steady ambition that fuels me. It's part of what makes me a dreamer and it fuels my passion. It's also what makes me Read More...

2009 02 6

John Spencer

12 Comments

Philosophical Friday: Teaching Philosophy

For today's blog post, I have linked to my personal blog about teaching philosophy yesterday. Read More...
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2009 02 6

John Spencer

0 Comments

teaching philosophy

Yesterday, I had to teach the students who were left behind on the field trip. While the others went to the art museum and a play, the "troublemakers" were stuck with me. Our team leader handed me a stack of worksheets that would pacify them for a day. Read More...
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2009 02 6

John Spencer

4 Comments

What-If Wednesday: What if class sizes were dynamic?

I teach two classes that have a little over twenty students. The conversation is in-depth, with multiple students working. The group work flows nicely, because I have only five to six groups working. Honestly, it feels like a gift. However, I also have Read More...
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2009 02 4

John Spencer

4 Comments

Techno-Tuesday: Blog Makeover (#1)

This is the first of a series of Techno-Tuesdays that deal with "Blog Makeovers" When students go to our class blog , they often miss the fact that it is actually two blogs with shared links. The main reason is that students, like most people, rarely Read More...
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2009 02 3

John Spencer

0 Comments

Monday Metaphor: Barbecue Guy

All you really need is a flame There's a scene from an old Simpson's Episode where Lisa hides the Teacher's Editions and the staff lounge becomes a version of Lord of the Flies. It seems that the teachers are unable to teach well if they don't have their Read More...
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2009 02 2

John Spencer

3 Comments