Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Two funny posters (and podcasts too)



These "demotivational posters" made me laugh out loud when I saw them on the internet today. I know its totally sophomoric, inapproriate, and stupid . . .but hey, lighten up.


So this evening I have been upstairs by the fire browsing some of the awesome podcasts that iTunes has to offer--not only are they fantastic for school lessons, but also they are completely free. The first rule of thumb is this: you absolutely do not need an ipod to get podcasts. Simply download itunes on your computer (its free) and then just start exploring. Podcasts are video or audio "shows" that you can download on your computer. For example, you can download a Sesame Street podcast. You can also check out a National Geographic podcast. There are thousands of possibilities, for every taste. NPR (national public radio) has a pretty comprehensive set of podcasts, from great shows like Prairie Home Companion and "This American Life" to NPR news stories, all categorized by "story of the day," "best of politics," "religion," "pop culture," etc. Its all pretty interesting, and it will (hopefully) open some new doors for my English classes. In addition, they are just fun to listen to, even if you dont teach seniors (mike has seniors too!!)


Amanda is at orchestra rehearsal and I am about to go lie on the couch (as instructed by Sally) and read my book . . .and hopefully kick this strep throaty-coldy thing in time for the snowstorm on Friday.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Why don't you post that picture of your behind. I don't know if people could tell the difference between that and your face. By the way, I have a copy cat, I am not the one that is telling Belle to move to Maine!

Belle said...

So it's not you Ortiz!

Anonymous said...

Hey Jared!

Milan and I have been really taking advantage of the podcasts over here. We have no TV and no radio, so a few times a week, we put on the computer and listen to podcasts! Some are really interesting, and it's great to a bit up-to-date. "Fresh Air" is a big one (from NPR) as well as "Car Talk." Other than that, we watch video streams of "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report"--our favourites. Wouldn't survive without them! But to echo your view that they're great for English classes, I downloaded one that will be EXCELLENT for my "Coercion" media term paper unit!