How to read a blog
by Donald Sensing | Link to this postFor those who have not seen a blog site, please take a moment to learn how this site works.
"Blog" is short for "web log," which refers to the fact that blog sites are designed for the content to appear in chronological order, reverse order, actually. That means that entries, called "posts," appear with the most recent one on top of the page and working in reverse chronology down from there.
Each post is distinguished by its own title and content. Each post also has a unique web address, called a "permalink." That means that while the site's main page displays several posts in a row, each post can be individually linked to and can display as its own web page.
As well, the blog software automatically stores every post in the site's archive so that even when they no longer display on the main page they can be retrieved by entering the archives (link on left column).
A short list of recent posts is displayed in te left column of the page.
These features are fully automated in blog software. All the blog writer has to do is set up the basic template, very easy, and then add verbiage without worrying about encoding for HTML. If you can use a word processor you can blog.
This site is online using free services by Blogger.com, the easiest way to start a blog if you've never done it.
4 Comments:
test comment
The "Balanced Calendar" for Williamson County is NOT a done deal.
Now that the initial shock has hit home as parents have finally received some (flimsy) information about the proposed calendar for 2006-2007, a couple people have contacted me saying that they've heard that this calendar is a "done deal." That simply is NOT true. It's just wishful thinking from those who support the change.
The truth is that this cannot be decided one way or the other until the School Board meets in January to vote on the matter. The Director of Schools doesn't get to vote, your principals don't get to vote, your teachers don't get to vote, YOU don't get to vote . . . only the 12 School Board members get to vote.
So, what can you do to help those 12 School Board members make the correct decision?
--Make sure you're home to answer the phone survey on Monday or Tuesday
--Contact ALL School Board members and voice your concerns (all of their e-mail addresses are posted at the wcs.edu web site)
--Write a Letter to the Editor of your local newspaper
--Set up a question and answer forum at your school. (A Brentwood High School parent sent out a single e-mail invitation earlier this week, and a couple days later about 200 parents showed up to voice their concerns.) Be sure to invite your School Board members to these meetings and be VERY polite. If you're reading this post, chances are you're probably very upset about this subject. Meetings like this can quickly get very heated. Make sure that people are allowed to voice their concerns, but make sure you have someone leading the event who will insist that people keep their emotions in check. Yelling at School Board members will only make matters worse.
--Show up for the School Board meeting in January to demonstrate your opposition to this change. Remember, one e-mail from Brentwood High School produced 200 people in a couple of days. Multiply that by the number of schools in our district, and the numbers could easily be overwhelming.
The only reason some people think the "balanced calendar" is a done deal is because it was handled under the radar for several months before being thrust on the parents. However, the groundswell of opposition has snowballed in just one week as parents are suddenly becoming aware that this reality has been shoved in their faces.
YOU can play in important role in stopping this by simply becoming involved at some level. Get started now! These are YOUR schools paid for by YOUR tax dollars. These are YOUR School Board members, elected by YOU. Most importantly, these are YOUR children and only YOU can stand up for their interests.
We moved to Nashville from Calif. 11 yrs ago, mostly due to the state changing over to a "balanced" calendar. My son started school on what Calif. called "Year-Round" school. It was a disaster on several levels. The worst of it being that just about the time we got used to getting up, getting ready for school, coming home and doing homework, going to bed early for school...there would be a break for two or three weeks. During that time, we would get out of all those habits and have to start all over again when school started again. The year was a total waste. Swimming lessons at the park were not easy to fit into our summer weeks, we could not visit other families and friends out of state that were on traditional school calenars. Our babysitter was on a different rotation of year-round, so her kids were out when mine was in. After a year, we moved to Tenn. to live on a traditional calendar.
Test scores in California continued to drop until finally they have discontinued the "year-round" calendar, and are returning there schools to a traditional school year. It failed the children that suffered through all these years on "balanced" calendar.
It's interesting that the quotes on this site by Becky Scharber lead one to believe that she is opposed to the "balanced calendar" and it is the School Board who is in favor of it. I have been in meetings with her and she made comments which would lead one to believe that she is in favor of a balanced calendar because it would give teachers and students needed breaks during the school year. Unfortuneately, the calendar she proposed begins July 24, while with many school's balanced calendars students do not start until August (for a few, check out Wilson County, Dickson County, and Mesa, AZ). Starting a week earlier and ending a week later than we already do would probably not upset parents the way starting July 24 does.
Then we (parents) were asked to participate in a survey which asked "Are you in favor of the Proposed Balanced Calendar?" My answer is yes, I am in favor of a balanced calendar but not the "Proposed" balanced calendar.
That was not an option on the survey.
I don't believe the School Board will vote in favor of the balanced calendar because of the negative feedback from parents. I do believe that is "by design" from our Superintendent. Don't forget for a minute that this is about politics not education. If you believe otherwise get involved at the County level with education and funding.
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