a swing around the web

Now that I'm back from all of my world travelling (Disney World, anyway), and school is about to start back up -- shockingly soon for some folks -- I figured I better get back into the swing of blogging on a more regular basis. Not once per week, and guest bloggers at that!

So I took a look around at some other bloggers to see what they were doing.

Carol over at My Bellringers has jump started up the old Carnival of Education. This is something that really hooked me into the "edusphere" when I first started blogging -- I even hosted a couple (this one was my fave) -- and it's a shame it's gone away. But it's super fantastic that Carol has revived it!

Happy Chyck is (morosely) realizing how soon the new year will be upon us...

Joel at SYWTT is gearing up for the new year as well, with this great guest post and THIS great guest post!

As for me, I'm busting out my copy of The Cornerstone and brushing up!

Web sites to help kids

I got a tip from Adrienne Carlson at Forensic Science Schools about a post she recently wrote entitled, "100 Tools to Make Your Kids Math and Science Stars."

I thought it was pretty neat. I only have one working computer in my classroom, and it runs at about the speed of mud. But I might just jot a few of these math sites down for any kids in my class who have working internet at their home or who can use the computers at the library. I especially found the math section of websites helpful.

Also, we're only 2 FoLMeGs away from 100! Step right up and join the club!!

Inspiring?

I found out today that one of my posts made someone's list of "100 Incredibly Inspiring Blog Posts for Educators." Oddly enough, it's a post I don't find THAT inspiring, but hey, one man's inspiration is another man's perspiration. Or words to that effect.

Anyway, the post that made the cut was America's Next Top Student, which was a reposting of an earlier education.com article about appropriate and inappropriate dress for kids at school.

Check out the list and you'll also find posts from Joel at So You Want to Teach, Mr. D of I Want to Teach Forever, and Dr. Pezz among many many others.

Almost time for the drawing

This Monday, March 9th, will end the Learn Me Good Grand Reopening Sweepstakes of 2009! There are still a couple of days left to get entries into the sweepstakes!

Remember, leaving a comment, signing the guest book, and becoming a FoLMeG all get you a few entries, but I was really, really, REALLY hoping that people would start posting links to learnmegood.com around the net! I see that a lot of places that link to the Learn Me Good blog still have the blogspot.com link up. I DO plan at some future date to do more than just mirror the blogspot, at which point any blogspot links will be outdated.

So switch NOW rather than LATER! Think of it like making sure your TV is up to date and won't be obsolete once THAT switch happens. Also, you get a chance to win a great T-shirt or Book!!

learnmegood.com

So far, a lot of people have gotten entries in the Learn Me Good February Sweepstakes by leaving comments and signing the Guestbook, but I think that Joel at So You Want to Teach is the only person who has actually posted the www.learnmegood.com link for 5 entries!

I encourage (and beg!) everyone to put up a link for learnmegood.com! If you already link to Learn Me Good, just change your link and let me know! You'll get more entries into the sweepstakes (to win a T-shirt or a book), AND you'll be doing your country a service. :)

What were they THINKING??

Well, apparently I have been tagged by Mrs. T (no relation) as a Thinking Blogger. NOT to be confused with a Sinking Booger or a Stinking Logger, the honor of being named a thinking blogger is quite nice. And by writing this post, I am proving that I am worthy of at least half of this honor.

Now, the trick is to pass it on to five more blogs. But here's the deal. I don't read a ton of blogs every day, and many of the ones that I do read have already been nominated somewhere or other. However, I'm not going to let that concern me. If we are really naming blogs that make us think, then it stands to reason that some blogs would be nominated more than once and things would start to loop back on themselves at more than one point.

Therefore, here are my nominations for Thinking Blogger, regardless of whether or not they have been named previously:

Education in Texas: I have enjoyed reading Mike in Texas' thoughts, musings, and observations ever since I started blogging myself. Maybe it's that we share a similar sense of humor, or maybe it's that we agree on many issues facing the education system in Texas. But he definitely makes me think.

A Shrewdness Of Apes: Mrs. C consistently blends humor, pop culture, and journalism in regards to education specifically and life in general. I especially enjoy her Movie Madness Mondays, but I also look forward to reading her viewpoints on other issues.

Redkudu: Another Texas teacher (am I biased??) who makes me think. I like her ideas for lessons and she tells good stories. Plus her name sounds like a killer sports franchise.

Get Lost, Mr. Chips: I just enjoy reading his stuff. He's a substitute teacher, but he so clearly has vastly more experience in the classroom than I do. Plus I like his wit.

3 Standard Deviations To the Left: A fellow math teacher, even if we do teach the subject on different levels, and I enjoy reading the true-life letters from students, teachers, and misguided colleagues.

OK, there you go, ya little wing nuts! Don't tell anyone I never made you think!

Popping up like an unwanted weed

Hey, over the past few days, I've noticed some people surfing on into this site from some new places. So I'd like to give a shout out to those people, and even more so, to the people who directed them here!

Over at Teacher Magazine's Blogboard, an author posted a short recap of my teacher/hoopster comparison. Now if I could just get them to review my book at their magazine...

And over at a discussion board called The Awful Forums, some dude called Man Eating Cow referenced my site. Seemingly positively, I would say. I was worried at first, given the name of the forums and all. But for the pointer in my direction, I raise my glass to you, Cow.

And while I'm thanking people, I don't know who these people are, but I would like to thank a certain "Dallasbap" who gave my book a nice review on Amazon.com AND ditto for "pediatric nurse" who had nice things to say about Learn Me Good over on barnesandnoble.com.

Cheers!