The days are going by so quickly that we need to start thinking about what contest you will want to participate in at the STN Convention.  For this week's blog entry, I'd like you to think about the various contests available (anchor team, PSA, movie trailer, spot feature, commercial, music video) and decide on one that you'd like to be a part of.  Please know that there is a possibility that you will not be selected for a team only because there are only so many spots available and we can only form one team per contest.  More than likely, it'll be some of our 6th graders that may not be placed on a contest team.  

This week we’ll be using some of our class time to view our 1st quarter projects and provide feedback to our classmates on how well they did.  You’ll be asked to assess each group and provide your thoughts on what they did well and what they can work harder on for their next project.  What’s important to keep in mind is that while we’ll be looking at each video one at a time, the things we see can easily help us in our own projects so you need to pay close attention to what’s being said.  Just because we’re looking at another group’s project doesn’t mean that their feedback can’t help you.  Your team may be doing the same thing in your video so that feedback can pertain to you.

Also try not to take the feedback personally.  Oftentimes you’ll get more feedback on how you can improve rather than to heap praise on you.  While it’s important to note the things we did well and to feel good about that, those things are usually less than the things we can improve at this point in the school year.  The comments you get back from your classmates aren’t personal, they are just trying to help you so don’t be offended by what they say.  Likewise, be careful of your comments to others and make sure they aren’t too harsh.  There is a difference between being honest and being negative.  Think about your tone and how you share your comment as well.

For this week’s blog entry I’d like you to write about how important feedback is to our process.  How does it help us get better and improve?  Remember to write it in the constructive response format.

I hope all of you had a wonderful Fall Break and you were able to recharge your batteries for the start of the 2nd quarter.  As you know, we’ll be working on a second news/feature story and hopefully you were able to talk about this with your partner while you were out so that you have an idea of what you both will want to do.  Some of you traveled on your vacation while others stayed home and did other things.  Over the last 5 days, 6 of your classmates have been working very hard on an extra project, the STN Challenge.  I want to commend Lindsey, Brooke, Kelli, Brandon, Ben, and Micah for giving up the last 5 days of their vacation to be a part of this contest.  They were up late every night and in fact we all didn’t go to sleep until well after 1 am this morning to finish, but we have two very solid stories to show for it.  The boys did a story on the Friendship House in Kapaa and the girls did a story on an amazing family in Kekaha who were foster parents that adopted 10 children!  The days and nights were long, the work was hard and exhausting, but these 6 students really stepped up and did an amazing job.  I am very proud of their work and as soon as I submit it, I’ll be posting it online for all of you to see.

In class you might have seen me with those college pennants, taking pictures of them while spread out on a table.  I’m collecting them from former students of mine who have attended college.  My goal is to put them up on the wall of the library to create a “Wall of Fame” to remind all of you that if you work hard, you can succeed.  Going to college is something that you all will need to start thinking of soon, even if you’re just a 6th grader starting middle school.  All of those pennants that you will soon see will represent a student much like yourself, that came through my program or classroom, and worked hard to get a college education.  Someday when it’s your turn, I hope that you will also send me a pennant to add to the “Wall of Fame”.

For this week’s blog, since it’s a short week, you only need to do one blog post and here is your topic.  I’d like you all to take a moment right now to think about your future and what you’d like to pursue once you graduate from high school.  What kind of job do you want to have?  What kind of school do you want to go to?  Are you thinking of joining the military?  I know it’s early but tell me what you are interested in doing once you graduate from high school.  I look forward to reading your responses!

Mr. M