Word Exploration

Being an English teacher, it is only fitting that I am fascinated with words. I enjoy finding new ways to say "old" things (to my students' dismay) or better ways to say "boring" things. Words can cut like a knife or heal long standing wounds. Words can toss us to the very depths of the Earth or make us feel like we are flying above the clouds. One single word can change your life.

So, it is no surprise that my love of words leads me to explore how words are created. During this exploration I stumbled upon a couple of resources that I could not help but share with my readers. The first resource, a new book about the people that inspire words, is fascinating. The story about the origin of a "sandwich" is well-known, but who knew that a pie maker inspired the word "frisbee?"

The second resource is a blog, Podictionary, that I subscribe to that posts information about word origins and definitions. They tend to present a nice variety of words from typical, commonly used ones to more obscure words. I recommend subscribing to a blog like this to help improve your vocabulary for not only the SAT/ACT, but also your personal vocabulary development.

For this week's response I would love for you to research a word origin and share it with your peers. You can use the resources I listed, or find some of your own. Happy exploring!

It seems almost natural for corporate America to find a way to profit off of everything. We have come to accept these practices as everyday, common occurences. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that internet providers want to start charging users for accessing sites that require more bandwidth, like YouTube or Flickr. It seems that these companies are not already making enough money charging exorbitant fees for what has almost become a necessity in our society, but now they must find new ways to "stick it to the masses."

Thankfully, sites like Amazon, Google, Skype, and Facebook are fighting these impending practices. They feel that the net should retain its neutrality and that all content should be treated equally. I, for one, agree.

Although I am the first to admit that the internet has problems, I also realize how useful the internet can be. The internet has opened up a brave new world of information sharing, communication, and exploration that was impossible only twenty years ago. We are now able to learn about cultures across the world with the click of a mouse. And, we are not only reading about this culture, but we are watching videos showcasing cultural practices, hearing interviews and music associated with the culture, and viewing art that conveys cultural ideals. We would not be able to engage is this multi-media experience if the internet was policed to the point where certain content cost more money. If this was the case, we would be right back to the olden days where the poor are held back from that inalienable right that we call an education, simply due to cost.

Please take the time to read the short article about this issue. I would love to hear what you think...

Time

I find myself a bit nostalgic today...thinking about the past and daydreaming about the future. Plus, I have been celebrating the time change. I love when it gets dark earlier and is light when I arrive to school. In the mornings the skies to the East are so beautiful! The combinations of yellows, oranges, pinks, and blues always seem to be just right. It is a nice way to begin my day.

I am also nostalgic because it is my birthday. I hate "those people" who announce to everyone that today is their day, but for the sake of this particular posting, I broke my own rule. I am yet one year older and one year wiser (sort of, but not really :). I have no issues with getting older - my mom always says that I was born a 30 year old - but I am starting to notice just how quickly time goes by. Actually, it flies by. Truly. Yesterday was the last day of school five years ago. It is crazy.

So, I feel it is my duty to pass on some advice. Indulge me, it is my birthday :)...Appreciate the time you have now. I hear so many complaints - I have so much homework, my friends are mean, my parents won't let me do anything - but few utterances of appreciation. You go to a beautiful school, are provided with a free, fantastic education, and live in a safe, well-tended community. The world is most certainly your oyster. Take advantage of it. Appreciate it. Love it.

Halloween

Have I mentioned how much I love Halloween? Any holiday that celebrates the macabre is a holiday that speaks to my heart :)
I understand that many people shun away from Halloween because they believe (falsely) that the holiday has a strong connection to the devil. But, in all honesty, most people today do not even know or understand the origins of Halloween. Today the holiday is about candy, costumes, and mischief. It is about becoming someone or something else for one day out of the year. It is about imagination, ingenuity (especially is you have little money for an expensive costume), and reinvention. Is this so bad?

I am all for people doing what they feel is right. But, for just a minute, I am going to get on my soap box and say that Halloween is harmless. It is about frightening fun and ghastly ghouls and the creation of cavities. And, let's not forget about the pumpkins! Oh, those wonderful orange spheres of yumminess! This alone should be enough to convince the halloween phobic.

So, share your Halloween plans with us. Are you dressing up? Will you be handing out candy to the little ones?

To see some of those fantastic pumpkins, click here.

Film as Reality?

As I am sure many of you know (by looking around my classroom) I am a huge fan of films. I enjoy watching all kinds of films - even the occasional horror flick. With films, viewers can lose themselves in another world. They can travel back in time or see a glimpse of the future. For two hours you can become a pirate or a cartoon character or even an alien life form.

But, no matter how often I lose myself in a film, I always have enough brain power to realize that what I am seeing is fiction. Sure, there are films that are based on facts, but the very essence of filmmaking dictates that the viewer is seeing a biased, perception driven version of the story. The camera can only show you so much. The special effects can only make things look somewhat real. In the end though, no film shows the complete truth - even documentary films.

Apparently the "film as fiction" reality is something that many viewers forget. According to an article that I read recently, "Students Recall More Hollywood Than History", young viewers "tend to substitute Hollywood fiction for historical fact in their minds." Although viewers tend to retain information better from watching a film, the information that is retained is often not the previously learned factual information but the newly acquired "movie facts." So, this leaves me to ask, do young people believe anything they see? Or better yet, how often do educators need to remind students to read or view everything in an analytic manner?

I enjoy using films in my classes. I have seen, first hand, how films can reinforce information and present a new way of seeing of the world. I have also seen how films can be great tools for teaching metaphor, symbolism, and deep analysis techniques. But, after reading articles like the one cited above, I am more hesitant to show films in class. I know that no matter how many times I state that a given film is a representation of reality, there will always be those few students that believe they just watched the truth. These same people will then pass along these "truths" to others and begin a terrible cycle similar to the telephone game.