New Bloggers!

Sam started a new blogger initiation and the crew has already finished week one and is working through the week two assignment as I type.  A group of us divvied up the introductions since there are so, so many enthusiastic newbies!  I'm keeping track of the introductory posts on the #matheme page.  The prompts they have been getting are really great.  I will post a link to all of them at the end of this process, even if you're not a new blogger they are great to think on and share about.


Without further ado, may I present the following 15 new/restarting bloggers:


Kaleb Allinson has a blog named To Accumulate a Rate -- Integrate. The first post for the Blogging Initiation is titled Why I named my Blog – “To Accumulate a Rate – Integrate” and the author sums it up as follows: "I've unfortunately named my Blog, "To Accumulate a Rate -- Integrate." Now, I will undoubtedly have to answer the question: What does that mean? I have explained it in this post so I never have to again." A memorable quotation from the post is: "Accumulating a rate is something that I didn’t recall from my Calculus experience, but I fell in love with almost immediately."

Lori Stolaski @lstolaski has a blog named Polygon Wild. The first post for the Blogging Initiation is titled Excited (and Overwhelmed!). and the author sums it up as follows: "I made the decision to jump right into the 21st century this summer and update my sadly outdated teaching methods. I have new classes to teach, and I'm excited by all the awesome people out there willing to share ideas!" A memorable quotation from the post is: "Now, I am following blogs, attending online meetings, and TWEETING!"

Kirsten Silverman @klsilverman has a blog named Numbers. The first post for the Blogging Initiation is titled Changes. and the author sums it up as follows: "Changes I want to make for this school year." A memorable quotation from the post is: "We’ll see how it goes."

Courtney Steketee @csteketee21 has a blog named thenumbertwentyone. The first post for the Blogging Initiation is titled My Journey and the author sums it up as follows: "This began as a post about a letter I got from a student last year, but turned into the story of how I became a middle school teacher. " A memorable quotation from the post is: "That even though middle school students can be big, and loud, and rude, and disrespectful, and TOUGH… they are also insightful, and amazing, and thoughtful, and FUNNY!"

Rebecka Peterson @RebeckaMozdeh has a blog named Epsilon-Delta. The first post for the Blogging Initiation is titled New Blogger Initiative :: Week 1 and the author sums it up as follows: "This year, I hope to implement more math history in my classroom by encouraging students to research the Mathematician of the Month. I also hope to make THEM do more of the work by, yes, encouraging group work, but always asking them to bring something to the group first (independently). Ideally, I hope to see a marriage between independent thinking and collaborative working." A memorable quotation from the post is: "Mathematics lead crazy lives."

Robin Nehila @radical_robin has a blog named Flip!Learn!Share!. The first post for the Blogging Initiation is titled Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. and the author sums it up as follows: "I am a new teacher, this will be my second full year teaching 7th and 8th grade math. After finding out my students did poorly on the state tests, my post is about what I am doing differently this school year." A memorable quotation from the post is: "To me flipping means that the kids are going to work harder than me in class."

Mrs. W has a blog named Mrs. W's Math-Connection. The first post for the Blogging Initiation is titled Whole Brain Teaching and the author sums it up as follows: "I've started using Whole Brain Teaching practices in my class this year. So far using Whole Brain Teaching has provided a much more positive classroom for me." A memorable quotation from the post is: "To be honest, I thought "great if you're dealing with little guys, but could it really work with my not-so-little people?" The answer is YES!"

Matt Owen @_MattOwen_ has a blog named Just Tell Me the Answer. The first post for the Blogging Initiation is titled Why that blog title you ask? and the author sums it up as follows: "I'm trying about a million new things in my Algebra and Physics classes this year. The most important thing is letting kids struggle more with difficult problems. If they're willing to jump in, I'm willing to let them swim." A memorable quotation from the post is: "Let’s start doin’ some math!"

barrylewis @2ndarymathedist has a blog named Gleaming Number Rockets. The first post for the Blogging Initiation is titled Color Correction and the author sums it up as follows: "I'm learning that it's the small things that can make big ripples. I know that I have to track and record homework habits. This IS and SHOULD BE a small thing. So how come it's sucking so much of my time and smothering that precious first-buzz of the beginning of class. My first post is about my work on that little detail." A memorable quotation from the post is: "It’s all part of my diabolical plot to develop my students’ taste and skills for the practice of self-reflection."

Joe Ochiltree has a blog named brainopennow. The first post for the Blogging Initiation is titled KAFDOC and the author sums it up as follows: "In which I attempt to describe my plans for my very own KAFDOC." A memorable quotation from the post is: "Simply enough, my goal is to have a completely KICK ASS First Day Of Class."  (Tina's side note: Joe and I went to PCMI together!)

frank_w_b @frank_w_b has a blog named Short Attention Span Teacher. The first post for the Blogging Initiation is titled Version 3 and the author sums it up as follows: "I'm overwhelmed by the resources I've discovered in the Blogotwitterversesphere. I'm looking forward to trying lots of new stuff and also to contributing as best I can. Best professional development I have EVER found. Thanks, thanks, thanks..." A memorable quotation from the post is: "Mostly however, there’s a comfort in finding a community that enjoys math and working on their profession during the summer & weekends & vacations, and doesn’t hide these qualities from their online colleagues."

Jeff Brenneman @brennemania has a blog named Trust Me - I'm a Math Teacher. The first post for the Blogging Initiation is titled Keepin' It Real and the author sums it up as follows: "One of my goals for the school year is to give my students more opportunities to complete authentic real-world projects that have a positive impact beyond the classroom. In this post, I give my thoughts on this goal, examples of where I fell short in the past, and ideas for the future." A memorable quotation from the post is: "I want students to use math to actually create things; to innovate; to predict; to think critically; to affect their community in a positive way."

Stephanie Macsata @MsMac622 has a blog named High Heels in the High School. The first post for the Blogging Initiation is titled Start - Stop - Continue and the author sums it up as follows: "This post is goal oriented for the upcoming new school year. I used "Start, Stop, Continue" to help summarize what new things I want to try this year, as well as what I did and didn't like from previous school years." A memorable quotation from the post is: "I am learning that I kind of have to just let it go and that sometimes my classroom will be loud, but that it's ok because that noise could be GOOD noise and could be awesome collaboration between students."

Sarah Hill has a blog named You Can Secant You. The first post for the Blogging Initiation is titled How I got my name and the author sums it up as follows: "This is just a simple post explaining how I came up with the name for my blog." A memorable quotation from the post is: "He could come up with a pun at the drop of a hat and he frequently gave us all a chuckle with his puns related to whatever we were learning that day."

Brielliephant @Brielliephant has a blog named Thriving Not Just Surviving. The first post for the Blogging Initiation is titled Thriving Not Just Surviving and the author sums it up as follows: "I refuse to simply settle in to coast through my first year of teaching. I want to do so much more than that. I want to learn and relish the year ahead. I want to glean as much from it as I can." A memorable quotation from the post is: "I admit I may not thrive, but I can do a whole lot better than simply survive"