Slowing down for spring

where I got this picture

Ever since I read Kamryn's biblioblog post #19 (which you can read here), I have been cooking up ....

where I got this picture

.... a new idea for our biblioblogs for spring (assuming that this season ever actually comes!)

where I got this picture

I think we have been doing them too quickly without enough drafting and revising/editing ahead of time. In the "real world" of professional writing, writers go through a process that goes something like this:

- brainstorm

- jot down ideas

- make a plan

- write a first draft

- read it aloud to yourself

- read it aloud to others

- discuss your draft and get feedback from others

- write a next draft

....

The process could go on indefinitely, but eventually the time does come to type the biblioblog post and hit the "publish" button. 

I think that 6th graders have done an excellent job of "publishing on demand" on their biblioblogs. You have written 19 posts so far (and some of you have gone back and made corrections to nearly all of them!).

You might not realize this, but all the teachers in the Middle School (and even some in the Upper School) have seen the 6th grade biblioblogs (the first in ASP history, I might add!) and have been very impressed with your work. 

Let's slow down now!

The New Plan:

Starting when we get back from the spring vacation, all 6th graders are going to write the 1st draft of their next biblioblog post (#20, by my calculations) by hand using pencil and paper (you DO remember pencil and paper, don't you?).

Following that, I am going to organize you in Editing groups so you can share your 1st drafts and get feedback and corrections from your classmates. All of you need ideas on how to make your sentences sound better. 

Even better, all of you know enough about good writing now to help others.

After that, you will take time to comment on each other's biblioblog posts, starting with the posts written by people in your Editing group. 

We're going to slow down and do things well this spring. And maybe even enjoy the sunshine too.

What do you think about my idea? 

Look at that S car go! :-)

where I got this picture

Hm, now I need a good topic for Biblioblog post #20.

Any good ideas?

Is anybody reading a good book over the vacation?

I am reading one called Skin Lane by Neil Bartlett. It takes place in London in 1967.

It makes me want to visit London again....

Have you read a book that makes you want to go somewhere? Or return somewhere?

"No need to be anybody but oneself."

(This post is inspired by our class reading of The Phantom Tollbooth.)

     I have procrastinated in writing this biblioblog post because, quite naturally, it's hard for me to think of something needless that students learn in school. If someone had asked me this way back in Middle School (which, by the way, nobody did), I would have made a huge long list starting with rivers in France, fractions, the planets, decimals, Mesopotamia, percentages,World War I, and geometrical shapes. Of course, that's only because at the time I thought all these topics were quite boring (although I was a good student - you can ask my mom to show you my old report cards!) and had absolutely no idea that they would become interesting to me later on in life when I just became, well, curious about more things going on in the world.

     After all, a middle school student really can't look into the future and see what he/she might actually need or want to know about later in life. How can you have any idea what you'll end up doing with your life??
     I really don't like the idea of people making comments such as: "You won't need to know that for your job later in life!"
     For one thing, how do you know? You haven't yet met your future self! 

     For another thing, we do a lot more in life than just go to work (fortunately!).

     Finally, it's quite surprising how much seemingly random knowledge and wisdom can be used to do your job even though it might seem as though none of it is directly related to your actual job. 
     People with interests in all kinds of areas are the best people to work with. Why? The answer is: they have a point of view on particular issues and are able to solve problems in unexpected ways. You never know how much someone's knowledge of the ancient Greeks gives them insight on how to attack and solve problems relating to the stock market. I have seen it happen.

     In short, everything we learn is a building block to something else, which is exactly what one of the Princesses in The Phantom Tollbooth meant when she said to Milo: "All the things you learn today will help you discover all the wonderful secrets of tomorrow."

     However, you can see that I am sort of avoiding the topic of this biblioblog post! That's not good. After all, I assigned the topic and have promised to do it. 
     I know you might be thinking right now: "All right, get to the point, Ms. Forbes. What do you think is needless to learn in school?"

     Well, you're going to be surprised to read what I have to say, but I actually believe that it is needless to try to teach students to be more extroverted or introverted. We sometimes try to do this in Advisory but, if you want to know the truth, I don't think we really can nor, in fact, really should. I have been reading some psychology articles lately and have discovered that psychologists consider the quality of being either extroverted or introverted one of the five big personality traits with which people are born.

     In other words, our brains are wired to be either extroverted or introverted, so it would be pointless to try to learn to be different.

Here are some definitions to help you understand.

Extroverted:  People who are extroverted tend to seek out social stimulation and opportunities to engage with others. They are often described as being full of life, energy, and positivity. In group situations, extroverts are likely to talk often and assert themselves.

Introverted: Introverts are people who tend to be quiet, reserved, and less involved in social situations. Being introverted and being shy are not the same thing. People who are introverts are not afraid of social situations; they simply prefer to spend more time alone and do not need as much social stimulations.

Which one are you? Be happy!! It is needless to teach you to be different! 

"No need to hurry. No need to sparkle. No need to be anybody but onself."

Virginia Woolf

It is indeed true that being a positive group member is something that teachers want their students to know how to do. Both extroverts and introverts can be good at working with others when the situation calls for it. However, sometimes in Advisory, we try too hard to get students to be more outgoing and talkative when it would be all right for them to just listen and think. I believe that teachers do need to remember that there are many ways for students to learn, and that certain fundamental personality traits need not be changed.

On the other hand, while it is needless to learn to be a completely different person, it is certainly useful to know how to learn best and enjoy life to the fullest with the personality traits you were born with.

This is exactly what Susan Cain talks about in this excellent video from TED TALKS (do you know the TED  TALKS videos??) called "The Power of Introverts." She reminds us that many people love to explore "the adventure of their own minds."

Enjoy the video! (It's in English with French subtitles)


Susain Cain: The Power of Introverts     TED TALKS: The Power of Introverts


Let's not be stuck on just saying, "This is the way I am and I can't be anything different." 
Here is an amazing video that only lasts 10 minutes. Amy Purdy talks about her journey to become a professional snowboarder despite losing both her legs! 
It is really inspiring!  


Amy Purdy: Living Beyond our Limits

Sounds that make me feel safe

     If I were in a far-off lonely place, there are many sounds that I would like to have with me in a package that I could open at any time. Some of them are: the sound of something frying (like bacon), the sound of knives and forks clinking against plates, or (just in case you are thinking that I am only interested in food sounds!), the sound of nice bath water running. I know that running a bath uses up more water than taking a shower, but everybody has a secret "ecological vice" and that's mine! And anyway, I'm only talking about the sound of the bath water running and not the real thing!

     Here is an example of this sound: 
 (Just click on the green arrow to hear it.) 


Audio recording software >> 

     However, the most important sound that I would want to have with me in this far-off lonely place (Where would that be, by the way? The Soundkeeper didn't mention that part.) would be a very specific combination of two sounds that I happen to find reassuring, comforting, and soothing. This particular mix of two sounds offers solace, peace, and relaxation (OK, enough with the synonyms and onto the sounds!).

It is the sound of somebody (not me) running a vacuum cleaner on a carpet while it is raining outside. 

I bet you never thought of that before, did you? Just imagine yourself lying in your cosy bed while it's raining outside and someone else (not you, of course) is running the vacuum cleaner. Really, it's a wonderful combination of sounds and I'd sure like to have that inside a box that I could take out anytime I wanted to hear it. In fact, I don't even see the point of waiting to be in a far-off lonely place. I would love to hear that sound now!

If you click on the green arrow, you can hear D block's rendition of this sound:


Audio recording software >>


Here is the sound of savages in the jungle (aka B block):
Click on the green arrow to play.



Record and upload audio >>

It's fun to listen to but I am not very sure that I would find this a reassuring sound in a far-off lonely place!!!

Here is the sound of a dove (can you guess which gifted student in E block made this sound?).
Click on the green arrow to play.


Record and upload voice >>

My lovely, lively street

     I don't want to write the name of my street for fear of giving away personal information (after all, I try my best to be a smart Digital Citizen), but I will reveal that I live in a neighborhood of Paris near many of you, my dear students.

     My street is very narrow and there are only two shops on it: a tailor and a grocery store. The grocery store is very convenient because it is open late and on Sundays. This is very helpful for people who need to purchase eggs, milk, cheese, or other necessities when the regular supermarkets or closed. In my case, it is very handy for me when I get those "I need chocolate!" moments. Don't try to tell me that chocolate is superfluous at 10 o'clock at night!

     I am glad that I don't own a car because, from what I can see, it is pretty impossible to find a parking spot on the street. There are, however, plenty of places to lock up a bike, scooter, or a motorcycle. Every year when the weather finally turns nice in springtime, I am tempted to buy a scooter (which I could park right in front of my building) but whenever I hear about an accident, I am reticent to purchase one. I am not sure that I would be adept at riding it on slippery roads; it seems like that could somewhat perilous.

     Although I live on a quiet street, there are always a few people heading up and down it going somewhere. One of the busiest times of the day during the week is 4:30 pm; that is when the little elementary school next door to my building gets out. The little children can be heard crying out, "Maman!" at that time of day. They are obviously famished at that time of day; fortunately, their mothers or babysitters always have a nice snack in hand for them (I should mention that there are at least 3 boulangeries near my street which makes it smell quite nice.

     More interesting than the people are the DOGS on my street! Many people in my neighborhood own dogs so I can safely say that I have seen just about every kind. They sniff, snarl, bark, amble, scramble, urinate and defecate. You do have to watch out a bit on the sidewalk.

There is one white poodle in particular who is quite conspicuous because he (or she?) yaps all the time. The funny thing is that she (or he?) resembles the woman who walks him. She has white curly hair and so does the poodle!

     One dog in particular is Mowgli, a yellow lab who lives in my building. He is the steadfast companion of Annie, a woman who lives in my building. Mowgli has lived there as long as I have! He always takes a walk with a little stuffed doll in his mouth which he sometimes leaves in the elevator (Mowgli has arthritis so he takes the elevator to his apartment on the 1st floor of the building).

     I like to take photos of signs that people post around the street - on doorways, for example.
Here is one that the "gardienne" of my building posted on the door of the room where the trashcans are kept. As you can see, she is pretty angry about something: 

                                                       Complaint note,16th arrdt, Paris, 2013



     Here is another sign that really caught my eye. It was hanging up at the boulangerie right around the corner of my street. Somebody was actually selling a fur coat! This sign inspired me to write a short story; I invented the character who was selling the coat as well as the person who goes to purchase it.
     I don't know the real story behind it, of course.

                                                    Fur coat for sale, 16th arrdt Paris, 2012

Much Ado About Shoes and Jeans

My mother and I have never agreed about clothes, especially shoes. Now that I am an adult and can buy my own shoes (after I pay my taxes,  of course), I understand that it's a simple matter of personal taste and style. However, back when I was in Middle School, our differing points of view seemed quite dramatic to me.

One kind of shoes that I really wanted in 6th grade was a brand called Candies shoes.
I wanted these kinds of shoes:

                                                       photo from shop.marketpublique.com

They're fabulous, don't you think? Well as you might imagine, my mother REFUSED to buy shoes like this for me in 6th grade! For one thing, she thought the heel was too high but mostly she didn't like the wooden heel because, as she said, "You'll just clump around the house and ruin our nice floors!"
I mean, floors? Seriously? When I was twelve years old, you can imagine that I didn't care much about floors.
Here is a link to the commercial that was on TV at the time:
Candies Shoes Video

By 7th grade, I wanted more. I wanted a pair of Jordache jeans. You've never heard of them, have you?

                                                              photo from etsy.com

At the time, all the girls in 6th grade were under the impression that Jordache jeans were French!
That's because the commercials all said that they were "French jeans." Since we didn't know anybody who actually WAS French, we believed it. Now I know the truth: the Jordache Jeans company was created in New York City by three brothers named Joe, Ralph, and Avi Naccache. Oh well!
Here is the commercial that was on TV at the time:
Jordache Jeans

Once again, trying to convince my mother that wearing Jordache Jeans would improve my grade in French class DID NOT WORK. She did not appear to believe me at all. How unfair, right?
At the time, we shopped for jeans at the Levis store. That seems OK now, but back then Middle School girls didn't really like Levis because they were for boys.

From my point of view, I thought I should have these items because, according to me:
1. Everyone else has them.
2. It's not fair! Everyone else has them.
3. You're a mean mother. Everyone else has them.

My mother did not agree with buying me Candies or Jordache jeans because according to her:
1. Not everyone else has them.
2. And even if everybody has them, I don't care. I am your mother and I am the one who decides.
3. If nobody has them, would you still want them?

Uhhhh.....hm, that number 3 was quite a question! Even today, I still don't know the answer for sure.

Anyway, my mother was and still is a wonderful, attentive mother mother and today I am grateful to her for making good decisions about my clothing and my future.

Having said that, I STILL would like a pair of those Candies shoes! I might just run right out and buy a pair for spring...after I pay my taxes, of course!

Zeugma

                                            copyright O.V. Collingridge

I wonder how many of you know the word zeugma? I did not know this word until my junior year in college when I took a class on analyzing Shakespeare texts using literary devices. We used a really good book called Figures of Speech: 60 Ways to Turn a Phrase by Arthur Quinn and, fortunately, I still have my copy after all these years. 

The word zeugma (by the way, it's pronounced "zugma") is a noun. It comes from an ancient Greek word meaning "linked together". People who are specialists in analyzing language do not completely agree on what a zeugma is, but I'll give you the pretty basic definition:
Zeugma: when a clause (a part) of a sentence is missing a verb on purpose, usually for a dramatic or humorous effect.

Here is an example of how Shakespeare uses a zeugma in his famous play Romeo and Juliet:
"Passion lends them power, time means, to meet."

What Shakespeare is saying is that “passion” lends Romeo and Juliet the power to meet. 

Not only that, “time” ALSO lends Romeo and Juliet the means to meet. 

As you can see, Shakespeare chose to leave out the verb "lends" from the second part of the sentence.

Don't worry if you are confused; you'll see that again in 8th grade when you study this play.

Here is a clearer example of the use of a zeugma:

"Bob loves soccer, and Susie tennis."

In this case, it's very easy to tell what verb was left out in the second part of the sentence.

Why use a zeugma? Why not just say:

"Bob loves soccer, and Susie loves tennis."??

Well, it gives a more sophisticated effect to writing.

Here is an example of a more dramatic use of a zeugma from Star Trek: The Next Generation:

"You are free to execute your laws, and your citizens, as you see fit." 

Do you get it? 

Why do I like the word zeugma? I have many reasons. Not only do I like the way it sounds, I also like that it comes from ancient Greek. In addition, I really like words that begin with the letter "z" because there are not many of them in English and they are good to know for playing Scrabble, a game I enjoy. For those of you who know Scrabble, you know that a "z" is worth 10 points, both in the English and French versions!

Moreover, when I think of the word zeugma, it brings back very good memories of that class in college since we spent time looking for literary devices in Shakespeare texts. The professor was really good (although I don't remember his name...).

Not so many people know the word zeugma. I like to try use this device in writing, although I am not very skilled yet at using it in a humorous way. You can see how someone could write a sentence, leaving out the verb on purpose in order to make the reader laugh, like in these examples: 

“The angry man lost his temper and his coat.”

“On his fishing trip, he caught eight trout and a cold.”

“The farmers grew potatoes, peanuts, and bored.”

“She killed time and the mailman.”

Aron's Help Has Arrived!

The Book of Intimate Grammar   by David Grossman

     This novel is about a boy named Aron Kleinfeld who lives with his family in Jerusalem in Israel. At the beginning of the story, Aron is ten years old. He is very small and underdeveloped physically. His mother is very anxious about it because he doesn't seem to be growing. When he turns thirteen, he has his bar mitzvah which is supposed to celebrate him turning into a man. The problem is that Aron is still very small and immature. What the reader finds out is that he has refused to grow up; he has actually made his body stay like a little boy's. He wants to remain a child.

     If I were to add myself as a new character in the story, I would become an older cousin. Aron already has an older sister which is why I would invent a cousin for him. I would be about 20 years old which would be helpful for Aron because I would be nice to him. Since I am naturally a very determined and realistic person, I would sit him down and have a serious talk about how great it is to be an adult (ha!) and how he needs to face reality and just get on with life.

     Aron is a pretty stubborn kid, but I would take him somewhere that he really likes to go which is his old kindergarten playground. There, I would get him to talk about his problems so I could solve them. Since I am realistic, I would not pretend that being an adult is always perfect (for example, taxes) but I would make him understand how terrible it would be to spend his whole life as a tiny little kid while all his friends are growing up and moving on in life. I would also explain to him all the great things about being an adult such as independence and freedom!

     I would be a great cousin for Aron! He certainly needs somebody determined and realistic in his life to get him moving. 

                                                      a cartoon me