College Shopping Sheet

This post is probably more for the seniors than anyone else, but it wouldn't hurt for the sophomores to look as well.  This article from the U.S. Department of Education contains some useful links toward the end related to college cost, etc.  One of the links in the article allows you see how much a school costs, how many of their students typically graduate, how many former students aren't able to pay back their student loans, etc.

Is What You Are Reading Online True?

Do you ever wonder if what you are reading online is true?  If not, you might want to ask yourself that question the next time you are faced with a story which seems a bit too extraordinary.  In this article from the New York Times, the author discusses how some of the stories which go viral are simply that - creative stories.

The next time you read something which seems too good to be true, remember it might be.

Freshen Up Your Notes With Classmint

Classmint is a website designed to help create flashcards which can be used as a study tool.  The flashcards can be annotated, pictures can be added, and audio can even be included.  If you are a person who likes to study using flashcards (you Spanish students know who you are), this might be a good website to visit.

Do You Have Time for a School Lunch?

How much time should students have to eat lunch?  This isn't a question I have ever considered because I have always worked at VB and the length of the lunch period has always been a half hour.  In this article from NPR, the author discusses how much time students should get and how much time they are actually getting.

I would be interested to know how students feel about this topic.  As a teacher and former cafeteria monitor, I have always believed that less time in the cafeteria forced students to spend their time eating, not screwing around.  Regardless of how you feel, it is an interesting article on a topic I wouldn't usually stop to consider.

White House Film Festival

How do you use technology in school? That is the question the U.S. government is asking, and they want students to create videos containing their answers.  Watch the video explaining the contest here, and let me know if I can help in any way.  Who knows - you might find yourself heading to the White House to watch your video with the President of the United States!

Identifying Word Repetition in Writing

Ah, writing - some view it as a great opportunity to share their thoughts, while others view it as being the last activity in which they'd like to participate during their time on Earth.  Either way, having to write is a fact of life while in high school.  If you have to do it, you might as well do it well, right?  A website which might help you do that is wordcounter.com.  This website doesn't simply count the number of words you have written; it identifies how many times a word appears in your writing.  If you are a person who uses the same words repeatedly in your writing, this would be a good tool to help you identify where you can add variety to your word choices.

The next time you have to write for this class or any other, use this tool to make sure you are providing the type of word variety your readers (i.e. teachers) desire.

Happy writing!