Tuesday, November 30, 2004

Embracing the winter

Embracing the winter
R. Milian

Brilliant white snow covers the few remnants
of yellowish grass gasping for air.
Desolate park benches cry out for warmth.
A few ducks waste some time on the pond.
The golden sun reflects its light on scattered beer bottles left as
souvenirs from drunken souls.

The silent trees burst with squirrels that pirouette
on the branches like gymnasts at an Olympic Event.
Chunks of ice float like waffles on the slushy pond competing with the soggy bread thrown by strangers and ignored by disinterested ducks looking for a better meal.
The wailing wind whips my face moving my hair from side to side like windshield wipers. I move to an empty park bench, and I sit to admire the icicles hanging from the trees like pointy spears.

Sitting on the cold bench, I inhale the freezing morning and listen to the melody of winter, a song of renewal and cleansing. A rebirth, an awakening that spring is not far behind, and so, I embrace the winter and its wise message.



what 1st graders are learning in school

Learn interesting approaches taught in the first grade.

Reading More Into First Grade (washingtonpost.com)

New Jersey Registered Holistic Scoring Rubric

Carole Bartus's Page: New Jersey Registered Holistic Scoring Rubric

Take a look at a Holistic Scoring Rubric for persuasive and narrative essays. This is a tremendous tool for grading practice essays for the HSPA Test.We are spending too much valuable time using the red pen, and not looking at the whole picture of these essays. It's time for a change.

Monday, November 29, 2004

poets











Who is your favorite poet?
Frost
Neruda
Plath
Whitman



Free polls from Pollhost.com


HSPA WEBSITE

NJPEP: Virtual Academy (New Jersey Professional Education Port)
This website provides a lot of information dealing with the HSPA Test



HSPA picture prompt practice Posted by Hello

Metaphor activity


Metaphor actvity Posted by Hello

This is a picture of a famous museum in New York City. It is called the Guggenheim Museum of Art. Every time I look at this picture, I think of a giant wedding cake. The circles that surround the structure give me the vision of sweet layers of vanilla cake. The cars in front of the building are tasty chocolate figures ready to be eaten, and the tree branches add a taste of mint.

I do this activity with my advanced ESL students. First, I ask them to read the poem silently. Next, we read it together. Once we have become familiar with the reading, we identify the metaphors. Then, I ask them to close their eyes, and I read the poem to them. Finally, I ask them to activate their senses as I finish reading the poem.

For assesment you can cut out different magazine pictures and bring them to class. Have the students write their own poems based on the images they choose using as a sample the above reading. Once they have written their poems, they can read it to the class.

What do you think about this activity? Would you add anything to it?

ESL Comments

Poems are a great way of practicing writing skills. Every year I work with my ESL students with metaphors and similes. After they have an idea of how to use them, I encourage them to begin writing their own poems. At the end of the year, I collect all their best work and I publish it in a book named “First Poems.” Our students need to be challenged and should not be left behind.
The following are examples of two outstanding poems I read last year from two of my students.


Snow
Kelly Rivera


The Snow speaks to the people when it falls.
It rests its body for a while on the branches of the trees.
Everybody hears the snow’s voice.
From its beautiful voice you only hear poignant songs.
The Snow feels wounded when its sweet skin is hurt, but it feels genial when the children enjoy its soft and hard body. When it falls, it is the reason of displeasure for a lot of people. The world forgets that its soul decorates Christmas. It makes the streets joyful with its delicate snowflakes.
You think and admire for a second the wonderful reasons of its fall.


Who Am I?
Darwin Delgado
I am like the river that flows in the mountain.
Its waters have life.
I am like the oak tree, which is the tallest in the forest.
I am like a rainbow above the marsh.
I am like the eagle flying in the sky.
I am like the strong sun in the summer.
I am like the sky around the Earth.
I am like the rain falling above the flowers.
I am like the smile that heals the soul.
I am who I am

Here is picture of my 3- year- old son Emilio Posted by Hello

Want to know the top 75 high schools in NJ?

Persuasive essay

This is a great website for persuasive essay ideas
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Atrium/1437/pers.html

Saturday, November 27, 2004

Almodovar's new film

Pedro Almodovar has created some of the most interesting images on film. I first got intoxicated with his comedic film " Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown" followed by so many other good ones. His last film "Talk to Her" was an instant classic. If you want to learn more about him check out his new film " Bad Education." See what Rex Reed says about his film here:

http://nyobserver.com/pages/onthetown.asp

Is Walmart Evil?

Many customers of this chain say that they relish shopping at the big behemoth because its stores have fantastic low prices. However, there is another side of the story that is never exposed. Find out here:

http://www.grist.org/advice/ask/2004/11/22/umbra-walmart/

Aztec Exhibition

The Guggenheim Museum is currently showing an exhibition
called "The Aztec Empire" check out the following link for details
http://csmonitor.com/2004/1126/p12s01-alar.html

Overweight and fit?

The Washington Post has a fascinating article on the idea that you can be overweight and fit at the same time. Check it out here
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A13355-2004Nov25.html

Waste of Money

I recently read a news item that someone bought a ten year-old grill cheese sandwich for $28,000 on Ebay. This is the reason why our country is going down the drain. With poverty everywhere, this is the most outrageous act of materialism one can actually commit. Do you agree?

check out the story here
http://slate.com/id/2110075/

Friday, November 26, 2004

hypocrisy of moral values

Frank Rich of the New York Times writes of the hypocrisy of moral values. Reporters after the Presidential election have described the Red States as the great epicenter of moral values and faith believing folk. Yet these same folk enjoy watching Desperate Wives. Read Here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/28/arts/28rich.html?oref=login&8hpib