Badgley Blog

Photo Poetics/Photo Stories

2008-04-08T16:43:00.002-05:00

People say a photo is worth a 1,000 words. I'll be that most phots have more to say than that. If you have an old photo somewhere, one of a person, a couple, a family, a home, an activity, or anything else, if you show it to the right person, they can tell you all about that person, the place, and possibly the day that photo was taken.

Now is your chance to make up your own story about an old black and white photo. Scan a picture, download one from the Internet or wherever. Once you have that picture found, write a creative piece telling the story of that moment in time. You can write a poem, a letter, a short story, or anything that hits your whim.

Post your photo story here...

Creative Writing: Riddles

2008-04-08T16:40:00.003-05:00

I'm a form of a question which is to be solved by guessing.
Sometimes I am a statement which has a hidden meaning.
It may not take that long, so in the mean time sing a song.
I'll have you aping for the answer, but don't worry you will not get cancer.
I do not mean to trick you in any kind of way.
Can you tell me who I am today?

RIDDLES


Riddles have a long history, and many people enjoy them because they are
puzzling, intriguing and complicated.

Riddles are fun to write and usually a very short thing to write.
You might begin by researching riddles on the Internet.  Find several as examples.
You could even post the example riddles to this site if you find a fun one.

******  For your assignment, please write a riddle and post it here.

Example:
HOW TO WRITE ONE

When writing a riddle only THREE rules apply:

1.) Pick one item you would like to talk about.
2.) Think crazy, mad thoughts about that particular thing.
3.) Give clues about your item (but don't ever tell what it is.)

So don't get lazy--just get mad, crazy--and show me what you got.

How to Post to This Blog

2008-03-17T11:46:00.004-05:00

Anyone can post to this blog and add their comments. It is really simple. As you read this site, and see a strand you are interested reading, all you have to do is click the name of the strand on the right side of the screen.

A beginning post will appear from the originator of the blog. Sometimes the main page is really long, so for quick reference, on the right side is a list of the blog titles for a quick link to the start of that post.
To make a comment, add to the discussion, or argue about something you disagree with :) simply click the comment link below the post.
Type or paste in your comment.
You can include a link in the box below the title bar, or you can copy/paste a web site resource link into your post. You can also post a web address for a picture, photo, or other form of media to support your discussion.
If you have a google account please put in your information.
If you are not a google account owner, in this same location at the bottom of the page please click the "Name/URL" radial button and fill in your email address as the name of the person posting.
Then click submit.

Thank you for your time.

NETA Blog Comments

2008-03-17T11:30:00.002-05:00

Don't Be In Jeopardy: Daily Integration for the Language Arts Classroom

As we work our way through this workshop, I am hoping that you will post your notes of what you see as interesting, usable, or thought provoking to this location. That way, when you get home you can read your saved notes, read the notes of others, as well as leave me comments about the workshop.

The sites I will reference the most are:

Don't Be In Jeopardy Site: http://sites.arnold.k12.ne.us/dmoninge/
My teacher web site: http://162.127.120.1/~nicole/Site/Welcome.html
Our school web site: http://sites.arnold.k12.ne.us/arnoldhome
Our integration web site: http://sites.arnold.k12.ne.us/techintegration

Things you might include in your posts:

Links to web sites you can use in your own classroom
notes of how you might use the examples
Comments of what you liked or disliked
Comments of what you want to know more about
Questions

I will leave this blog posted so you can refer back to it and post to it in the future. I also plan to continue to use it for other presentations. Visit again in the future.

Thank you for your time, and comments, Nicole

Creative Writing: Places to Get Published

2008-03-17T10:50:00.000-05:00

Research on the Internet for web sites, magazines, contests, and other places for aspiring writers to get published. Please find 3 to 5 resources to include the following elements for each site. Post each site as a separate comment to this blog and include the following in your comment:

Put the title of the web site or resource in the title of your comment.
Copy and paste the web address for the site into the comment.
Write a short summary of the requirements that the aspiring writer would have to meet to get published at each site.

Creative Writing: Online Writing Resources

2008-03-17T10:44:00.001-05:00

An example of a great resources for improving your own creative writing is Foremost Press. There is an article list from which you can choose the topic that would help you the most. http://foremostpress.com/authors/articles/index.html

I know that the Internet is full of really great resources to improve your writing. I am asking that you take a little time to find at least 5 sites on the Internet that you have used, or think other students could use to learn more about creative writing. These examples might be for personal writing, speech writing, research, creative writing, persuasive, entertaining, or classroom writing.

Please post a comment on with the web site address copy/pasted into the entry for others to use.
Write a one or two sentence summary of what the visitor to this site would learn if they clicked the link.

An Effective Blog Entry

2008-03-17T10:27:00.000-05:00

The definition of a blog is "commentary or news on a particular subject ...[which] combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic" (wikipedia.org). A blog is an academic endeavour and should focus on the discussions that would be held in class about literature. My Space is a social network that focuses on personal thoughts, etc.

My purpose for this blog in Creative Writing class involves discussing writing in an environment that allows you to post your writing for others to offer feedback without stress of belittling by others. Responses should offer insight and spark ideas for improvement about the story that go beyond the literal interpretation to thought provoking observations. I want you to practice writing your thoughts about literature and become active readers and editors. Ask questions that will make a writer think and want to rewrite, revise, and improve.

My requirements for a good entry include:

I will post an assignment and a grading rubric for the assignment to this site.
I will then ask each of you to post your creative writing piece to this site in the designated area.
Once you have posted your story. Each of the class members will then take some time to read your writing and make comments. We have done this process outloud in class, and with the busy track season coming up, we are going to try this method so everyone can participate.

Give suggestions of new ideas the writer might like to add to the story
Give feedback of where the author might "show" instead of "tell" the story
Point out sections of the story that you really liked
Point out chapters or sections that could use some expansion of details
Give ideas of doing more character development
Locations or scenes that might need more description.
Revisions of "said"
Use specific examples from the writing (by copy and paste) to give suggestions for improvement. (That way you can show how to correct dialogue, demonstate different word choices, or show sections that you really like.)

You may add website links, pictures, video links, podcasts, and links to other blogs as needed if it will help the writer to improve.

You need to focus on academic purposes of writing and critquing unless told otherwise in the directions. You shouldn't just summarize information from the story or that can be read from the previous entries. Your response should go to the deeper level to try to give good suggestions beyond grammar and spelling about the writing.

You should share new information and comment on information posted from others. You can't just lurk in the shadows and read. You will be required to post responses to other students' writing and reply to responses written about your own entries.

Spelling, Grammar, and Conventions of writing play an important role in blogging because your audience may turn off good information if it is poorly presented. You must follow the guidelines for the English classroom.

No last names, profanity, plagiarism, or destructive criticism. This is not a chance to bash others' writing because it ruins the learning environment if other bloggers don't feel free to explore their thoughts.

Remember, this is not a social site. Don't tell me your darkest secrets or give me more information about your personal life than I would want to hear. Remember, this goes out to the world so you must practice safe Internet procedures.

Creative Writing: Two-Minute Mysteries

2008-03-03T10:24:00.000-06:00

For this very short unit, we will be reading several stories from the book "Two-Minute Mysteries" by ____. Please read the stories provided and then answer the following questions by posting a comment, which will be your answer. (If you are not sure how to post to blog, click here for instructions.)

Read a couple of 2-minute mysteries and determine what "gives away" the answer to the mystery. Is it a word, phrase, clue, etc.? Something makes the mystery solvable and we have to figure out what detail is giving it away.

Now analyze those same stories to figure out the basic pattern of each mystery. Is there a formula for these mysteries? What happens in paragraph 1? The last paragraph? The order of information being revealled in the body section?

What parts of the story are (fictional elements) are emphasized in such a short piece of writing? (Is it character, setting, dialogue, mood/tone, action, showing/telling?)