Links to Sites with Bookbinding Instructions

http://www.mothteeth.com/bookmaking/

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-bind-a-book/

http://www.marthastewart.com/article/how-to-bind-a-book

http://www.diybookbinding.com/instructions-on-how-to-bind-a-book/

http://www.persistenceunlimited.com/2006/03/fun-and-easy-how-to-guide-to-binding-your-own-paperback-books-at-homefast/

http://www.ehow.com/how_2032618_bind-book.html

http://www.sff.net/people/brook.west/bind/bindit.html

Revisiting the Blogs:

Blog Expectations:
You will have one thoughtful response per week. 

This is also how I will hold you accountable for your reading life.  For instance, you may post about a book a few times if it takes you two weeks (or longer, if the book is especially challenging or long).  Your first blog post might be about a small idea or theory you are formulating about the book, or a line that caught your attention.  Then your second week post will be about a bigger idea that you noticed throughout the book. Or, any combination.

Blog posts should be thoughtful and based on your ideas.  They should not just be retellings of the book. 

Are there other requirements?

You will also be required to respond to at least one blog post a week.  Do not post anything that is inappropriate or mean in any way.

We will occasionally take a break from posting online to work on our writing craft by printing out and revising one of our favorite posts.

Other news...

Keep an eye out for "All-star Mentors" (posts that I thought were particularly well-written and thought-provoking)!

If you need time to work on a computer, come in at 8 a.m. to my room, the library, or the computer lab.

Other things to think about:

Grammar

One of the biggest differences between writing that stays in your notebook and writing that gets published online is that the writing you post on your blog should use correct conventions and mechanics all the time.  When you are emailing or texting your friends, that is a different kind of writing, and a lack of conventions (following grammar rules) may be appropriate.  Our blogs, though, are a way of practicing writing in an academic setting.  Please practice using academic writing on your blogs.   I'll be looking for the following conventions that you should already be familiar with on your blog:

• Underline (or italicize) and capitalize the title of your book
• Use purposeful paragraphs when you switch to a new topic or idea
• Capitalization in general: you know what gets capitalized! No need for writing in all caps - ever!
• Spell words correctly - no text-spelling allowed!!  (i.e.  it's not "u".  it's "you".)

Writing for an Audience

Your thoughts are no longer living in your notebook, and your peers will be reading your thoughts.  That means that you need to write with your audience in mind.  It is important to think about the following: 

• Give your reader a bit of context so that he or she can understand what you are writing about. Context can be attained in 1-2 sentences and includes the title of the book plus a brief introduction to the character, setting and conflict. For example, "I have been reading The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, set in a dystopian, futuristic society that forces 12 children to participate in an Olympic-style game, only it is to the death.  The reader is allowed inside the mind of Katniss, the main character, as she fights her way through the games."
• Try to "bookend" your post thoughtfully: use a lead to begin and try to leave your reader thinking at the end. 
• As a courtesy, if you are writing about the end of a book, put a "spoiler alert" in the post so that anyone who hasn't read the book doesn't see what happened in the end, just in case they want to read the book.  It is very possible to write a reading response thoughtfully without giving away the entire plot. 

Have fun!!!

Social Action Blog Posts of Note

These students did a great job answering the question, "What really hard things are happening in the text?" about their independent reading books.  Notice how they consider things like: what issues are at the root of the conflict?  What social commentary might the author be making or hinting at?  How do the problems in this book play out in the real world and affect large populations?

Sebastian's blog post: http://happytoasterstroodle.blogspot.com/2010/10/hard-things-in-old-mans-war.html

Louis's blog post: http://louisvazquez.blogspot.com/2010/10/village-place-for-everyone.html

Peter's blog post: http://ridingapancaketoschool.blogspot.com/

Graham's blog post: http://guttentagfurlein.blogspot.com/2010/10/social-issues-on-1984.html

Liza's blog post: http://lizaisawesome.blogspot.com/2010/10/independent-reading-book-entry1.html

What makes a good, thoughtful blog comment?

So now that we've all started posting about our reading, it's time to begin interacting with each other by responding to each other's blog posts.

By going through The Starry Void, you can read your classmates' (as well as my other two classes') blogs listed in the blogrolls on the right.  Start perusing their blog posts, and find some that are interesting to you.  (You can even start 'following' your favorites on your own blog!)

You are required to comment on the blog posts of 805, 808, or 809.  I will be checking these responses.

A good, thoughtful blog comment might:
* praise interesting ideas in the original post
* ask for clarification of any unclear parts of the original post
* add the responder's own thoughts to original ideas to build strength
* contradict or challenge (respectfully!) by explaining another aspect or asking a question to further dialogue
* contain connections (to the self, the world, another text, or another part of the same text) to deepen thinking about the post

***  AND good, thoughtful blog responses always
* are respectful and coherent
* use standard vocab, spelling, and grammar (so that everyone can understand)
* show consideration of the original blogger's work and thought

Great thoughts on Charlotte's Web: All-Star Mentors

A succinct yet comprehensive study of Charlotte as the archetype of "the mentor" by Karenna Lief:
http://thebubblepop.blogspot.com/2010/09/charlottes-web-archetype-entry.html

An in-depth examination of adults in the book and the world by Annabelle Einhorn:
http://einhornunicorn.blogspot.com/2010/09/connecting-annotations-response.html

Isaiah Russell considers archetypes:
http://zayrussell.blogspot.com/2010/09/archetypesroles-and-journeys.html

Elona Kosharny begins to notice deeper themes in her "expanding entry":
http://elonaisacookie.blogspot.com/2010/09/charlottes-web-by-eb-white.html

A philosophical journey for Lilabet Johnston-Gil inspired by a simple quote:
http://anorderlyuniverse.blogspot.com/2010/09/food.html

A beautiful pondering on "the acceptance of death" as an overall theme in CW, complete with Sophia Stern's relevant personal connection:
http://thesugarrushblog.blogspot.com/2010/09/death-what-we-must-accept.html

All-Star Mentors (also stolen with permission from Ms. Robbins!)

Here are a few links to some really exemplary blog posts by last year's students!  You can model your writing on these!

http://room116ela.blogspot.com/2010/09/all-star-mentors-from-2009-2010-sammie.html

http://room116ela.blogspot.com/2010/09/all-star-mentors-from-2009-2010-cullen.html

http://room116ela.blogspot.com/2010/09/all-star-mentors-from-2009-2010.html

Check them out!!

How to Get Started (stolen with permission from Ms. Robbins!)

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

How To Get Started!

How do I start a web log?
Go to www.blogger.com and click on the “Create a Blog” button.

Blogger is a part of Gmail and you will need a gmail account if you don’t already have one. If you already have a gmail email address, simply type it in. If you don’t, you can create one. Don’t forget your password! You can now also use this account for email, or use it just for your blogger account.

Follow the directions to name your blog and create its URL. The name and URL do not necessarily have to match. (For example, Ms. Robbins's blog is called “Books Upon Books,” but that URL was already taken, so her URL is http://www.room116ela.blogspot.com/.  Mine happens to match - my blog is The Starry Void, an allusion to one of my favorite Pablo Neruda poems, and my blog is http://www.thestarryvoid.blogspot.com/.)

Follow the directions to pick a template, and your blog is ready to go!

How do I set up my blog the way I want to?
It is important to first adjust the privacy settings. Go to the “Design” link at the top right hand corner of your blog’s page. This will take you to your blog’s “dashboard,” which is where you can change the design, add new posts, change the settings, etc.

First and foremost, click on "Settings" and change the “add blog to our listings” and “let search engines find your blog” options to “no.” If you want search engines to find your blog, you MUST make that change with your parent or guardian.

In the “settings” tab, go to “comments.” Change it to commenters “must have a user ID.”

Finally, go to “Permissions.” You can decide who can see your blog. Everyone will be creating blog communities, where you will be reading and commenting on other people’s posts. If you are uncomfortable for any with having your blog open to everyone, you can choose who your readers will be and enter them in this section. Those users will have to go to your blog, request permission to see it and then be verified by you.

Additional Guidelines
This blog is a part of a school project. Therefore, all content on your blog must be related to your reading and writing life in some way. Please do not use this blog as an online journal.

My expectation is that we are a community of readers and writers. I will be monitoring all blogs and trusting that your words that appear online will come from a place of respect for your fellow classmates as well with a tone that is appropriate for school.

Extra Features

As you customize your blogs, feel free to utilize all the tools available to you on blogger. A few of my favorites are:

-labels: you can label each post according to genre, author, topic, etc. I have found this really helpful when I want to go back and read a certain type of post I’ve done in the past. It also helps new readers to your blog find what they are looking for/interested in.

-blogroll: you can create a list of blogs you are reading on the sidebar. Everyone will be responsible for commenting on a handful of other blogs, so this is a great place to put the blogs you plan on keeping up with. Each time an author posts something new, it automatically moves that blog to the top of your list.
 
Thanks!  Let's get this blogging started!
 
-Ms. Rear