04 Oct 2006
akacoolpeople.com
I work at a day treatment facility for troubled youth. They wind up in our program either through long-term suspension or via adjudication.
It can be a tough bunch of kids.
Recently, I set up a blog for the whole program with the aim of using it as a way for students to write for an actual audience, instead of just writing for the teacher, as is often the case.
But for that, we need an audience.
That’s obvious enough.
Since I’m just trying to get the kids excited about the idea of writing on a regular basis, I’m not having them do much of any correction. Small steps”
Read it with a smile. So I’m asking any willing readers to pop over to akacoolpeople.com and read what the kids have written so far, make a few comments (even if it’s “Hey, that sounds really great!”) and — most importantly — to keep checking back from time to time to make comments. It’ll be slow for a while (right now, there are only a few posts — two of them mine), but I’m hoping that as kids get comments, it will encourage them to write more. (And obviously enough, I’m looking for comments to the kids’ posts, not my own!)
Additionally, if you yourself have a blog or web site and would be willing, give “aka cool people” a mention and see if you can steer some more traffic our way.
Thanks in advance for your help.
on 07 Oct 2006 at 8:30 pm 1.Keywords » Difficult said …
[...] I thought of this when I was recently pointed to a new blog by a group of students described by their teacher as “a tough bunch of kids.” I’m sure this is an understatement. But I don’t think the difficulty of teaching these students lies where most people think it does. Read their blog (I commend their excellent choice in layout!), and you will see what I mean. For instance, this post on Science: I do not like science at all. And i,ve got three reasons why. One reason is because it is so confusing. likewhe gives the homework out. I dont know what he is talking about beause. They would be so many things that he is talking about. An the other reason iswhen he gives the i want know what to do because. It will be so many things that you would have to look for an you would have to do so much research. And the last reason is the things that he teaches in class i dont know wat in the world that hebe talking about. Likewe was talking about an atom an what i have to study about it is so hard because. The atom has so many things in it. And you will get mixed up with all the parts of an atom. Beceause you will not know how to put them in oder. An if you get this and you are really feeling wat i am saying to you then mail me back M-JEZZY out. I hate science so bad i wish i did not have it at all. [...]
on 09 Oct 2006 at 11:53 am 2.M E-L said …
Thudfactor sent me your way… I work for DonorsChoose which makes small grants to teachers, and you might be eligible. Please send me your contact information and I’ll put you in touch with our NC director. Thanks!