There's a First Time for Everything

Hey 708, 805, and 809!

I have a confession to make: THIS is my first blog post ever.

That being said, I can't say I joined the world of blogging easily--actually there was probably a lot of kicking and screaming going on (mostly metaphoric, of course). You can ask anyone in the 8th grade ELA department--they'll tell you it's true. Unfortunately, I'm kind of new to all of this 21st century technology (I bought my first cell phone just this past March) and it makes teaching with it a little scary for me. Luckily we have Ms. Langbein to help us get this community of bloggers up and running (thanks Ms. Langbein!).

So here it goes. I REALLY thought I was going to hate this. BUT, as it turns out, I really kind of like it. I've read some of your blog posts and it makes me excited to see how stoked you are to start blogging. I LOVE that some of you are asking questions about your fellow blogger's posts that will truly make them think more about their writing and I think it's really fun to sit here on my couch with my laptop and read about what's going on with your reading.

As far as who I am as a reader...mmm....it's hard to say. I love to read a lot of different kinds of texts. During the school year I read a lot of professional books (that probably wouldn't interest you) as well as the books that I see you guys reading (it helps me to understand what's going on in your teenage noggins). Outside of school it's a mixed bag. I like to research random topics because I hate it when I don't know the answer to something. I also read comic books, political commentary, stuff I find on the sidewalk (NYC is great for finding books on the sidewalk!), books and articles about travel, and stuff that friends recommend. I just bought a new book yesterday called MetaMaus by Art Spiegelman and I can't wait to crack it open (and blog about it).

So...here we go! I'm truly looking forward to finding out where all of this blogging about books takes us. I'm thinking it's going to be pretty cool.

Ms. Cunningham

Intro

Hi!

This is Jessica (otherwise known as Ms. Langbein.)  Thanks for stopping by.

This post is my first endeavor towards entering the world of blogging...in this classroom, at least.  I love blogs.  I've kept a few myself and read blogs constantly, practically everyday.  I like that I can easily access a wide variety of "experts" on any topic.  I like that I can reach out to those experts, ask them questions, engage in discussion, and read the discussions of other members in my online community.  Blogging helps me feel like I belong somewhere.

Outside of the blogosphere, I enjoy reading a wide variety of things.  My favorite author is Jane Austen, and I like fiction often referred to as "chick lit" or "women's fiction," although I despise these terms.  I read a lot of modern Japanese fiction.  I also like memoir and other narrative non-fiction.  Also, I love reading cookbooks.  (Betcha didn't know you could read cookbooks for pleasure, huh?  It's the first section I visit in the bookstore.)  But, lately, it feels like I've been reading nothing but "teacher books:" books on what to teach and how to teach it.

What about you?  What do you like to read?