The 21st Century Classroom

Today, English classes don't only rely on the text they read, but on sources online and social networking sites to find ways to enhance their learning and curriculum. Teachers use sites their students are familiar with and enjoy as a way to try to keep students interested and give them a new way to look at the assignments they would normally dread.

At the beginning of this assignment, I honestly felt like the incorporation of social networking and technology was a last ditch effort for teachers to make their assignments feel relevant. It's a little odd for me to blog as a serious assignment, since I've blogged for fun before. It's a bit of a challenge to remember that the blogs you're posting are being graded and they should be formal, since the structure is so informal. But it does give me a new outlook on an assignment that would've normally been an essay. It's definitely more fun and I think it takes some pressure off students. An essay can be a daunting task, but blogging is simpler.

Blogging, in some ways, is more personal than just talking about my book in front of the class. It gives me time to sit down, think aout what I want to say, and then turn it into a creative post. This blog is a direct link to all my thoughts on the book in short segments instead of a boring essay that wouldn't hold anyone's attention.

Links for The Sky is Everywhere!

http://www.griefshare.org/ - A website dedicated to helping those coping with the loss of a loved one through meetings. In the book, Lennie struggles with the sudden death of her sister. She feels like she's grieving alone, and doesn't often talk about her sister.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grief - A wikipedia page of information on grief and the different stages of grieving people go through. It has certain sections on how the loss of a parent, sibling, child, etc. can have different effects on people. It also mentions different reactions people can have to loss.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarinet - A wikipedia page with information on clarinets, the instrument Lennie plays. It has the history of the clarinet and its usage in different types of music. It also goes into detail on the contruction of the clarinet.

http://www.cignabehavioral.com/web/basicsite/bulletinBoard/brothersAndSistersUnderstandingSiblingLoss.jsp - A webpage with specific information on mourning the loss of a sibling. It goes into detail on how people cope differently with sibling losses. It also talks about what effect it can have on siblings at different ages.

http://www.gardenersnet.com/lilac.htm - A page of information on lilacs and how to grow them. Lennie finds out that her estranged mother loves lilacs, and she takes interest in them. Her grandmother is also a proficient gardener.

http://www.writersdigest.com/ - A website for writers and aspiring writers. Lennie often writes poems. Instead of publishing them anywhere, she scatters them to the wind.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Private_investigator - A wiki of information on private investigators and how they operate. Lennie learns that her family once hired a private investigator to find her mother. She also discovers that before her sister died, she was planning on meeting someone with information on her mother.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_painters_by_name - A wiki list of painters by their first name. Lennie's grandmother is a skilled painter. She only paitns in different shades of green.

http://www.abandonment.net/faq.html - Information on childhood abandonment. Lennie's grandmother tells her that her mother was a free spirit full of wanderlust. When Lennie gets older, she comes to realize that her mother just abandoned her.

http://teenadvice.about.com/od/loveanddating/a/winhimback.htm - A how-to page on winning your ex boyfriend back. In the book, Lennie's boyfriend, Joe, breaks up with her and she's desperate to win him back. This website tells you how to do that without making yourself look like an idiot.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guitar - A wikipedia page on guitars. Joe is a dedicated musician, just like Lennie. This page gives information on how they differ in structure and sound.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_France - A wikipedia page on Paris. Joe was born in the United States, but spent most of his childhood in Paris. He tells Lennie about his life there and occasionally speaks French around her.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lasagna - A wikipedia page on lasagna. Lennie spends a lot of time at a bakery where she works. Her specialty is lasagna.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juilliard_School - A wikipedia page on Juilliard, the preforming arts conversatory. It was Bailey's dream to go there, though she wasn't accepted. Lennie discovers it was her dream, too.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wuthering_Heights - A wikipedia page of the novel Wuthering Heights. It gives a plot summary of the book and expands upon the characters. It's Lennie's favorite book.