N-Puts

Nick has a fun post. Check it out.

We Heart Apostrophes!

Proper use of apostrophes is a must for all smart teenagers. Apostrophes have two main functions.

First, apostrophes take the place of missing letters in contractions.
Second, apostrophes indicate possession.

Example: AG's appearance on WBNG news last night as this week's Scholar Athlete didn't surprise me. She's worked hard for many years and deserves this honor.

"AG" and "week" use an apostrophe to indicate possession whereas "she" and "did not" use an apostrophe to indicate a missing letter. She + is = she's. Did + not = didn't.

Common Mistakes:

#1 Your vs. You're
Your going to regret eating those three pork sandwiches. This sentence is incorrect because it is missing its verb. It should read, You're going to regret eating those three pork sandwiches. The apostrophe indicates that letters are missing. You + are = You're.

#2 Its and It's
"Its" as a possessive does not take an apostrophe.
The dog chased its tail.

"It's" represents a missing letter or letters.
It's been days since Tim recorded an animal in the wild. It + has =It's
It's nice to see Emily back in school today. It + is = It's

Please respond to this posting by deftly incorporating all of today's grammar items into a brilliant sentence or paragraph.

Love,
Mizzle Dawg

Grammar is fun!

Dear Students,

I would be remiss if I didn't use this fabulous web 2.0 technology to teach you about grammar. Let's talk about our friend, the comma.

First, the above sentence featues an appositive. An appositive is a noun or noun phrase that renames another noun right beside it. An appositive is always set off by commas.

Tim, the fabulous amateur movie director who thrills and delights all who know him, risks his life to bring his classmates raw footage of wild animals in their natural habitats.

The noun phrase in red is the appositive. Notice the commas setting it off. Sweet.
______________________________________________________________________

Second, let's talk about direct address. Whenever you write directly to someone on the blogs, AIM, Facebook etc., set off his or her name with a comma.

Hey Brian, how big is a size 12?
Will you be eating a sandwich today, Derick?
Stop talking, Rugs!

Please respond to this post by using an appositive and direct address.

Colbert

Please chime in on Sexy Kittin's Colbert discussion.

<3 My Girls!

It's only fitting that I rave about the girls today. You know I don't have any daughters so it's fun to be a part of your lives. It's also fun to get surprise visits at my house. When AG, Jenna, Jourdana and Marie found out that my husband was going to deploy last year, they showed up at my house with cookies, a great big bear and other little goodies. This year I got a sweet pre-Snowball visit from Kathleen, Marie, Richelle, Victoria, Steph and their posse.

I also love being your teacher. This year's graduation will be bittersweet as many of you have been in my classes for multiple years. For instance, Katie, Elise, AnneMarie and Jenna were all in my very last freshman class. Elise has been with me for 4 years while AG, Jourdana, Jenna, Anne Marie, Julia and Marie have been with me for 3 years. Em, Sarah, Katie A., Katie Mc., Britt B., Britt G., Britt C., Kathleen, Tara, Miranda, and Mallory have been with me for two years.

The Joys of Boys

Boys, boys, boys. 8th period today consisted of Colin, Davis, Tony, Miguel, Corey, Anthony, Nick, Mallory and me. That's seven boys and two girls. What did we do? We thoughtfully analyzed media created by and for an intensely male audience. As it turns out, Pink Taco and Chief Burning Bush have distinctly male blog postings that cut right to the heart of what it means to be male.

It also happens that T-Sags has a 4th installment of "Tim in the Wild" available. I'm constantly amazed at the danger that he puts himself in for the sake of education. So boy.

Earlier in the day, we also got to hear B-Shaves' theory of how big a size 12 woman is. Very boy. (Are you ok, Bri?)

When I got home (at 3:30 as I was one of the teachers who stayed behind to ensure that all children arrived home safely), my house was full of boys. Big ones (seniors) downstairs, and little ones (freshmen) upstairs. Pizza and soda on the counters; great big shoes on the floor. It was all good. I heart boys.

The Sandbox

The Sandbox is a military blog that features entries from servicemembers deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Sometimes the posts are serious; sometimes they are funny. The pictures are awesome.
______________________________
On a separate note, check out Masher's rant on the American education system. And take a looksie at Sami's paper airplane plea.

Semper Fi

Hello. We have adopted 4 service members.

-Airman First Class Mike Songer is a member of the Air Force Military Police stationed in Afghanistan. Based on his rank, I am guessing that he is very young (19 or 20 maybe).
-Michael Munson is (I think) a member of a combat support battalion in Iraq (I think). I don't know his rank, age or exact job.
-First Sergeant Dylan W. Goldman represents a group of 171 Infantry Marines (males only). They are in combat in Iraq.
-Sergeant Patsy Lee is a member of a support squadron who represents 8 female Marines.

The first two are individuals who we can write to and send stuff to. The second two represent bigger groups. We are not the only group writing to the Marines so don't worry about getting enough stuff for 171 Marines. We'll just do our part. You can start bringing stuff in on Monday 2/25. I have students who are going to shepherd our servicemembers. This means that they will keep track of donations for their servicemembers. I hope that we will have lists of requested items available in the next couple of days. For now, think about comfort and hygiene items. "Manly" magazines (motorcycle, car, music, etc.) are also good.

Our shepherds:
Liza You Love It = 1st Sergeant Goldman
Funky Fresh = Sgt. Patsy Lee
Sami Brightside = Michael Munson
Sweet J = A1C Mike Songer

Memories and Chocolate Pretzels

Flying Lizard and Jazzy Tap posted about memories and the things that you have in common. I think it might be fun for you to chime in.

On the subject of blog topics, relax. The simple and the everyday can be the most meaningful. For instance, Stalephish recently posted about skiing at night. Annemuhree posted on connecting with friends and family even when you haven't spoken to them in a while. Ellis Eyeland posted about chocolate pretzels.

Congrats to Mardawg and Swift on their awesome victory this week. Emily Bemily too. As for me, I found these sweetener packets in my pocket. A bad habit.

Family

Today we went to visit Lily, the mama of the Newfoundland puppy that we are waiting for. Newfies are enormous dogs with giant heads. They have slightly webbed feet, and they love to swim.

I am with Lily on the left. She's 125 pounds. Buco is the papa and he weighs about 150 pounds. Who wants to babysit when I go to Hawaii this summer?

Adopt a Soldier

I would like to know if you are interested in adopting a soldier or Marine. We would adopt him as a class. We could send him just letters or letters and a care package. Please let me know. This is volunteer only.

The Marine in this picture is not the person we would write to. I just happened upon this photo while online tonight. However, beanie babies and hard candy are among the items requested for care packages. Soldiers and Marines pass them out to Iraqi children.

You are Exciting!

My public speaking professor in college told us never to use the word "interesting" because it doesn't really saying anything. As a result, I like to use the word "exciting" because it embodies a sense of energy and vigor.

Did you know that Masher's dream job is to be the president? Did you know that Colin Rambo's dream job is to be a sailing instructor? Did you know that Robin Hood is in Las Vegas at a National Archery Competition? Did you know that Pink Taco went swimming in a Sea of Estrogen this week? Did you know that Mr. Gorbachev wants to open a business in the Netherlands? Did you know that Liza You Love It is enamored with a guy named Harry? Did you know that Call of Duty can create amazing pencil drawings? She drew the picture I have in this post. It's a picture of my friend who was killed in Iraq.

Posting hint if you're feeling uncreative. I found a blog called "Found in Pockets." The whole thing is about the stuff that people find in their pockets.

The Seychelles

I've been having a good time reading your posts about your dream jobs. I'm not sure why, but I couldn't leave any comments last night. Some sort of technical problem. I'll go back through later today.

I also love hearing about your vacations. I wonder what Nick is doing in Las Vegas. Liza must be chasing armidallas in Texas and I'm pretty sure that Trever is dodging mosquitos in Florida. I'm playing Scrabble in Vestal. If I could go anywhere I wanted to right now, I would go somewhere beachy. If I didn't hate Africa so much, I'd go to the Seychelles. What about you?

Why Mrs. Krieger hates Africa. It used to be a fantasy destination for me. You know, safaris, exotic tribal rituals, etc. However, my husband and I have been married for fifteen years, and we have been geographically separated for 7 of those years due to his military obligation. Bet you can't guess where he spent a goodly portion of those seven years.

It's Fun Being a Teacher

You know, my dream job was to be a secret CIA-like spy who spoke multiple languages and went on daring missions with handsome men. My life turned out pretty much just that way. I live with 3 handsome men--the Commander, Sy and Preston. I go on outings to exotic locales including Buffalo for soccer tournaments, Colgate for lacrosse camps and the McKinley for the Power Lunch on May 21, 2008 (DO NOT BE ABSENT). I speak English, AIM, and various teenager vernaculars. And most important, I spend my days with exciting and talented people. My life is good, really, really good.

MANDATORY POSTING: What is your dream job?

Missing

Where in the world is Davis Stella? There is worry in the streets as the masses learn that Davis has not blogged in several days. Are his fingers broken? Has his will to blog died out? Rumor has it that Davis possesses sweet video of Mark's 360. Davis, come back!

In other news, check out these blogs:
Liza goes green.
Sami goes animal.
Tim goes Hollywood. Please make suggestions for T-Sags next "Tim in the Wild" feature.

Updates

Please visit the following blogs for the following reasons:
1. Ellis Eyeland--The color scheme is rad and the fun factor is high. She also has a sweet post on rockin' out.
2. D-Strubes -- He's got a sweet post on sandwiches. Let the world know about your favorite sandwich.
3. Quinny - He's doing a survey on who's your favorite superhero.
4. Stalephish -- He's running a poll on whether or not we think he should buzz the fuzz.
5. TSags- Tim in the Wild. More video. OMG!

Possible, but not required topics, favorite movie, greatest fear, favorite musical artist, favorite pastime, dream car, dream vacation..

The Bear has Landed!

Attention in the streets! The Sissenstein video is now up on YouTube. All hail, Tim Sagasti and his dad for making this a reality. In case you didn't know, the video has been stuck on one of the FLIP cameras. The Sagastis had to perform delicate surgery to make the video available.

White Flag to the B-Shaves

I hurt littlesXekittin's feelings. I said that his blog has a lot of stuff on it. It does. It has more than I would put on mine. That's not a slap; that's just a difference. Wouldn't it be a little weird if your teacher was just like you with rap songs and scary kitties coming out of her blog?

I'm a traditional web person--no flashy blinky stuff and no sounds. That's just me.

Kittin's blog along with several others: T-Sags', Strubes', Stalephish's, Pink Taco's, Dr. Gonzo's, Deathnotronic's and more are bold. That's a good thing.

Sweet Sweet Elise

Blog of the day: Ellis Eyeland . I love this blog. I love the colors. I love the topics. I love the fun factor.

Blogs of the Day

Today's feature blogs belong to Kristyn G. and Mark R. I picked these two for their design, style, and writing.

I continue to learn so much about each of you through this project.

Croc Hunter

Today's featured blog is T-Sags. Join me as we watch Tim hunt down the elusive T-Blazer. Link on side. BShaves, please tell me how to get these links to work correctly in the posts.

Homecoming

The Commander is home. Happy Valentine's Day.

Reflect

It's always good to pause and think about what you are doing along the way. It's one of those learning strategies that you hear about in school. Now that I have perused your blogs for a few days I have smart things to say.

First, always ensure that your spelling and punctuation are top notch. Attention to detail lends to your credibility. Help each other.
Second, I love all of the extras that many of you are adding to your blogs. You are definitely schooling me.
Third, Your postings are smart and diverse. I am very pleased. Keep it up.




Fourth, for those of you who are new and perhaps a bit nervous, don't worry, you're doing a great job!

As I have mentioned, I can't read every blog post and every comment every day. That said, I will be featuring certain blogs and posts each day for various reasons. If you want to draw my attention to a posting, please use the new "shoutbox" that I have added to my page. Be sure to leave your name. By the way, I learned about "shoutbox" from Trever. Thank you.

Learn from each other. Argue. Challenge. Question.

FIRST FEATURES:
(links on side until I figure out how to get them in this post. Grrr...)

Alex rages against the machine.

Jesse calls the straightedgers to the mat.

Kate brings philanthropy to her space.

Trever is neat as a pin.

Brian rallies for Ramos.

Educate Me

I want to hear about education.

I'm not sure if you realize it, but I learn from you guys all the time. I mean, I had no idea that turtles could come out of their shells after eating too much. I guess that would be like unzipping your pants after eating an entire pizza. I also didn't know that boy turtles hurt girl turtles when they want to "get friendly." Amazing.

Teacher Went Crazy

Anybody in Socrates or Buddha who handed me their blog address today will have to send it again as I have misplaced my sheet of paper.

Anybody who would like to turn in their blog link can do so by commenting on this post.

Cruise down one post for your first assignment entitled "Blog Topics."

Blog topics

A few of you have expressed anxiety about writing blogs. At least one of you has flat out told me writing a blog is gay. Lucky for you, I don't frighten easily.

A couple of things to keep in mind:
First, you can write about whatever you want.
Second, every entry should be thoughtful. Keep in mind that thoughtful does not necessarily mean personal.
Third, thoughtful also does not mean "I don't know what to write..." or anything like that.

Please do the following:
1. Add a link to my blog on the side of your blog. You can do this in the layout tab.
2. Go to my blog and make a thoughtful comment on any entry.
3. Post a thoughtful entry on your blog. In case you're having trouble with a topic, consider writing about your favorite movie or your favorite band. Other possibilities: war in Iraq, school, upcoming elections, graduation, college, etc.

The Iraq Bubble

I do believe Trever has solved our current world situation. More important, Trever's speech has propelled us into the zone of political blogs. Oh yes.

YouTube in the House

I love watching funny videos on YouTube. I also like randomly searching things that I'm interested in including: giant dogs, the war in iraq, and motley crue.

I'd like to see more YouTube in the classroom. Well, not literally in the classroom, but as an integral piece of learning. YouTube is part of the knowledge and information shift. Might as well wrap ourselves up in it. I mean where else can you watch video of a baby laughing at a newfie?

Flat World

The military men in the Horn of Africa are only able to drink bottled water lest they get some sort of terrible cooties. Arabic Aquafina.

These guys also have to take malaria pills and get innoculations for Anthrax and other weird stuff. They'll never be able to donate blood again.

What is Mrs. Krieger reading?

In the age of the digital, many young folk stay away from books. This is an unfortunate trend. Books hold knowledge. Books hold meaning. Books hold the answers to the queestions that humans have asked for hundreds of years.

There are different flavors of books. Fiction. Non fiction. Novels. Whatnot. I am currently reading Lawrence Wright's *The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11.* It was in the media/journalism section of Barnes and Noble. I like reading books penned by journalists because their writing styles are so smoooooth.

This book is helping to answer some of the fundamental questions that I have about what in the H-E-double hockeysticks is going on in the world right now. For instance, why are Islamic fundamentalist so ticked at America? How did they get that way? What is their goal? And what do I do if one of them shows up at my door?

Prezident Polk

Who doesn't love Jamez K. Polk? Journey with me through the musings of a J-Pizzle fan. Learn about the infamous Martha Lewis, guys with things in their ears, and what it means to be the best president ever.

Mr. Merlino got a haircut

Mr. Merlino has a sweet new haircut and a sweet new look--conservative. I'm pretty sure he'll be voting Republican in all future elections.

He is going to participate in our blogging project. Nice. Mr. Merlino is an experienced blogger so he can teach us a few things. I wonder if his posts will be as flamboyant as his green paisley shirt?

Sylvia Plath's Oven

My oldest son, Sy age 18, took his oral IB English exam yesterday. For 15 minutes straight he discussed the literary aspects, elements, concepts and whatnot of Sylvia Plath's "The Appointment."

I like the idea of students communicating what they know in a live format. This ends up being a test not only of literary knowledge, but also of communications skills.

Sylvia Plath stuck her head in an oven and never took it out.

Gorilla on Wheels

The mailman left me a note yesterday. I had to go to the post office to pick up my husband's foot locker. It was cracked and covered in customs stickers. Some of those stickers were in Arabic. That's this whole other language.

The footlocker itself was made of plastic. It wasn't sturdy like the good ol' WWII footlockers. I wonder it that is a metaphor.

His Boots

My husband, along with all the other husbands currently serving in combat zones, has to place one of his dogtags in his boot. It's actually on the laces. I can see it when I look at pictures of him. He keeps it there for identification purposes in case something goes wrong.

When it comes to war I have to speak in euphemisms. I like to think it's because I'm a mama and not because I'm weak. I recently told my sons about some of the things that their father and I had to talk about before he left the country. It's not fun when you have to ask the one you love where he would like to be buried if something goes wrong.

Innovate

OK. So I'm at a board meeting and the CHAIR of the technology clique starts talking about podcasts. The student sitting next to me grabbed my arm, hard. Podcasts are so three years ago.

How can people make decisions about innovation when they don't know what innovation is? Oh snark, I can't upload from here. I'll do it later.

Ja-Booty

"One year boots on ground." One year. One year. He's been gone for 17 months. The training time doesn't count toward the official time gone.

This deployment is different from any other. In deployments past I could go for months without even knowing where he was. Now I can communicate with him just about every day depending on his status. E-mail has revolutionized the military deployment.

He's in a crazy, dusty place called, "Djibouti," pronounced "Ja-Booty." I have had to explain many times not only where that is, but also why he is there. The mission of the Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa (CJTF HOA) is part military and part humanitarian. They seek to empower the people of the region by creating economic stability. They also thwart the al-Qaeda training camps.

For only the second time in a year I recently looked at the HOA website. It features one of my least favorite military phrases: "winning the hearts and minds." What an impossible mission. Shoot and hug.

AFRICOM is scheduled to stand up later in FY08. HOA currently resides under the auspices of CENTCOM.

Birnam Wood

I received a note from a former student. He "messaged" me on AIM. He thanked me for the Communications class and told me that the interview I set up for him at Lourdes Hospital "set him up for life." He's been working there ever since and he is looking forward to going to school for radiology. It was nice to hear from him. It's nice to hear from all of them. They dim the bureaucracy.

I have entitled this entry "Birnam Wood" because the boy who "messaged" me is about eight feet tall and one day one of his classmates drew a picture of him and made him into a tree. As if that picture wasn't funny enough, the second student eventually drew a second picture. It was a complete casting for Macbeth starring various students and my big, tall, future radiologist was cast as Birnam Wood. Who says Shakespeare isn't important?

*In case you're rusty on your Shakespeare, Birnam Wood refers to the final battle scene of Macbeth where Macduff's forces dupe the betrayer king Macbeth by disguising themselves as trees.

Double Plus Good

It's been a rough couple of weeks. I think I stepped into some kind of Orwellian vortex where people who don't know much are trying to take over the world.

I was accused of pushing an anti-war agenda in my classroom and of squelching dissenting voices. The accusation was based not on complaints, not on concerns, not even on the cycles of the moon; rather, it was based on a book selection that I made for my senior Communications class. Bruce Weigl's Song of Napalm is the offending book. Actually, the book wasn't the problem. The title was. Neither accuser read the book. I'll spare you the details of the confrontation, but you can rest easy knowing that I won the right to use the book in the classroom. Woo Hoo! Knowledge remains safely in the hands of everybody.

You know, this is not the first time that I have been accused of being a liberal. Apparently, not everybody has seen me drink tea out of my Ronald Reagan mug. I guess I should be flattered.

Pax Per Potens

I like saying things in Latin. Sometimes I wish I were a Roman.