Sunday, November 19, 2006

A tribute to South Jefferson Central School


About two weeks ago, I found out in my stats that I had many visitors coming from a school (South Jefferson Central School) in New York state. I then looked at the site and discovered that a French teacher, Françoise Piron, had given her students an assignment based on PDP... I think their work is great! If you want to see for yourself, simply go here. To thank them all, here is a dedicated post from Thomas Jefferson Square here in Paris (16th arrondissement).

73 comments:

  1. Welcome South Jefferson! And what a cool idea to post Eric. Hopefully some of the students will leave a comment or two here. Sure wish I had paid attention in Spanish class...it would have made learning French a whole lot easier later in life.

    ReplyDelete
  2. What a charming idea. That is a terrific way to make learning meaningful. I am impressed. Our politicians could learn from this.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Had a look at the students' writings and thought it very interesting. Did you ever think, Eric, that your work would one day be the subject of study for pupils? Must be a bit of an honour... well deserved i'd say. How's your weekend going Eric? We haven't heard a lot from you recently. We all get a bit excited when you pop in... :)
    Have you been asked to a photo shoot yet for poster production? If not, why not? lol

    ReplyDelete
  4. Kudos to you Eric! You're now part of the education system.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I like what Allie M. said. He (? She?) commented in the school blog about the November 9th "Greedy Pigeon!" It was said that if there was a similar thieving pigeon at an outdoor fruit stand in the U.S. the owner of the stand would be sued for unsanitary conditions and thus probably be forced to pay the plaintiff thousands of dollars. Yeah, a bit of cultural difference.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Yay Eric! That's so cool. An ordinary guy with a camera, a good eye, and a little corner of the web ends up making a difference in the education of quite a few students! You deserve an award!

    ReplyDelete
  7. It's amazing how you've become so famous all around the world with your city daily photo idea!
    I was just wondering... Have anybody ever recognized you in the street?

    ReplyDelete
  8. Eric, Great dedication. I followed the link and went to the classroom site. That woman is a highly creative teacher!! I hope that you write to her because she should be lauded and recognized for her imaginative efforts,which does not happen often enough!!I also wonder if her school takes students on international trips? Wouldn't it be wonderful to meet the teacher and some of the students if they took a school trip to Paris?! I hope they do because it would be a thrill for them and for you. I taught kids this age for 28 years and I still miss them! They kept the world alive for me for so many years.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Congrats Eric, your works inspire many people....

    ReplyDelete
  10. This is very cool! I read some of the kids' comments and they had some really interesting things to say! Seems like some of them are really into French culture. Wow. Impressive.

    ReplyDelete
  11. This is a message for Françoise Piron's students at South Jefferson Central School.

    I am much older than you (and, I hope, a little smarter), but there are times when I wish I still had my freshly-minted child's brain instead of the very over-used one I am stuck with at the moment - but which, of course, I'd rather have in place of no brain at all. The reason I am telling you all of this is because, this year, as a supplement to my graduate studies, I enrolled in Beginners French; which I thought would be easy, but which, in fact, turned out to be quite difficult: not because I am stupid (well, I hope not), but because the objective was to cover four years of classes in the space of just one! Anyway, last semester I took my first oral exam, for which my partner and I had prepared and rehearsed until our tongues were as rigid and crusty as a week-old baguette.

    Which brings me to the point of my story. On the morning of the exam, I left home with a brain bursting at the seams with enough nouns, conjugations and idiomatic phrases to fill a small picnic hamper. In fact, I felt I was going to school with all the ingredients and utensils - metaphorically speaking - for a very successful exam; but I was still very unsure about whether or not I would be able to keep my cool, and remember everything I knew, when, as they say, push came to shove. In the end, however, everything went just fine, as, when I opened my mouth, all the right words came out at all the right times in all the right ways. In short (and, again, metaphorically speaking), although I had left home with only a basket of ingredients, when I opened it on my arrival…I had sandwiches!

    The moral of my story is this: Doing your homework is not an end itself, but it is certainly the best means for achieving the end it was designed to realize.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Interesting message to students LouisLondon. Mine would be a little different....

    Learning another language/culture may sometimes seem boring and uninteresting now, but years later it will differentiate you and make you more adaptable and flexible in your work and personal life.

    That's it, short & sweet.

    ReplyDelete
  13. That's an important message too, Michael, and one I hope all young(er) people who read this blog take heed of. Personally, I have only found studying the language and culture of one country boring and uninteresting - but, not wishing to offend, I'll keep that information to myself. Anyway, who knows, I might one day change my mind and find them fun and stimulating!

    ReplyDelete
  14. I checked out the classroom website as well and found it interesting to read all their choices.

    My big question is for Eric. How in the world did you find her website? I would think that the only information the stastics would give you are the IP addresses and the city where it is hosted. What information is being given?

    ReplyDelete
  15. LOL Louis...I see what you mean... Maybe we can work to change that idea one day.

    Susan, normally any stat counter embedded in any website, blog, etc will give the author the URL of the site where any hits come from. Otherwise advertisers wouldn't know where to put their money.

    Thankfully Eric found this one (or the instructor found Eric?) because I think it's excellent. I can remember learning to type on a typewriter and now students are blogging etc. What a small and high tech world it is becoming.

    I hope the students write back after classes on Monday. *fingers & toes crossed*

    ReplyDelete
  16. I would like to qualify my earlier comment by stressing (not that it should need stressing) that I was definitely not referring to France, or the french language - both of which I obviously adore.

    ReplyDelete
  17. This is such a great way to bring Paris into the classroom. I loved reading some of the essays about the photos, bringing even more insight to Eric's great photos. My fingers and toes are crossed too Michael.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hei to South Jefferson central school from Norway!

    I thougt at first this picture would be about the movie Jefferson in paris. Has anybody seen it?

    ReplyDelete
  19. Congrats Eric. What a great reward that a whole class chooses PDP for an asignment, that only means you are doing a wonderful work about your city.

    ReplyDelete
  20. message to students; As a language teacher i was so impressed by your comments and enthusiasm. After completing your studies, keep them up though and remember, 'if you don't use it, you lose it'.

    ReplyDelete
  21. If anyone is interested, in addition to my daily photo, i'm doing a daily painting blog at this link. Yes ok, so i'm a jack of all trades and probably master of none!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Wouldn't it just be the IP address though?

    Lynnedeartist, I am posting here because you don't allow comments from nonbloggers: I wanted to see a larger version of one of the watercolors but when clicking on it, it showed the same small size. It would be nice to be able to see it larger as they look nice. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Susan - Do i not allow that? Goodness, i'll have to check. i have no objections! I also don't know how to enlarge the pics. I still have a lot to learn! Thanks for visiting and thanks for pointing those things out.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Won't see you for a while then...? don't desert us.

    ReplyDelete
  25. You'll see me, when it's not my turn to play!

    ReplyDelete
  26. >>I thougt at first this picture would be about the movie Jefferson in paris. Has anybody seen it?>>

    Yes, Jan-Eric, I have.

    I'm impressed ny this teacher and her students. I still remember fondly my highschool French teacher, Madam Fugate.

    Wonder if they study about Sally Hemings and Jefferson in Paris?

    ReplyDelete
  27. Did you know that over 36,000 students in America are blogging?

    Isn't it remarkable that when we require them to write, they won't, but just give them the freedom, and they won't stop!


    UJIMA - still can't lave a comment on your blog. It only allows e-mail. Don't know your e-mail address, of course.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Soosha...glad you got the Wii. I wonder if any of the students at South Jefferson Central School got one too! Wii should find out Monday.

    You might have some competetion if they did....that is I'm presuming it does everything like allow you to play virtually and cross country along with doing the dishes, walking the dog, and finding the kids socks?

    ReplyDelete
  29. Boy I wish it could find Owen's socks. He sure has a hard time finding them on his own!

    ReplyDelete
  30. I just clicked on Eric's photo to see what was actually written on the sign. It says:

    Square Thomas Jefferson 1743-1826

    Author of the Declaration of Independence of 1776

    U.S. Ambassador to France from 1785 to 1789

    President of the United States from 1801-1809

    ReplyDelete
  31. Eric,

    I was scrolling down your blog to see your archives and links, when I noticed a little button that says you are #1 on the Top 100 Bloggers site. You must be quite happy! I voted for you too while I was there.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Yay and congrats again Eric!

    Something I wanted to share with you guys, thought you might find it amusing. Yesterday afternoon when there was about 10 people in line, naturally a lot of people who walked by asking why we were there. Most asked if we were there for the new PS3. One asked if it was for the Xbox (which came out a year ago). The most clever and non annoying comment we got was from a guy who looked a lot like Edward James Olmos, who asked us, "Man, it must be toung being homeless, huh?"

    ReplyDelete
  33. And because I didn't feel like typing up all this, I had my man servant do it for me:

    Wii update while I'm letting the boys play:


    After waiting in line for (fill in the blank) hours, We managed to get one after being second in line. Some of the crazier people in line formed a religion around the first person in line ("All hail the mighty and powerful Number One!") who was a 13 year old boy. There was also some pushing people around in shopping carts and a drunk guy who harrassed everyone then drove off and had the cops called on him, and a couple hours before Target closed yesterday a woman was arrested for shoplifting (just regular stuff, not the Wii.). So far it's great! My son's having a blast playing Super Monkey Ball right now. Some of the control motions are a bit difficult, for instance for someone who's never used tank controls before and is playing a game with a similar control system. But it's fun. And just for the record - I kicked my husband's butt in Nintendo Sports boxing!

    ReplyDelete
  34. So did you have to wait long to get this Wii thing?

    ReplyDelete
  35. Oh...um....stupid man servant. I guess I'll have to fire him for not putting in the actual time. Jeff was there for 26 hours. I was with him for most of it.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Ujima - i remember my favourite French teachers too. Madame Madan and Mr. Poole in Surrey UK. Later at Uni i studied under a Professor Carol Sanders. All great tutors of French. They never leave your head do they really?

    ReplyDelete
  37. That's cool (<--sorry, it's the most appropriate word I can find right now) Eric and Metaphysicalmama. I voted a long time ago for PDP, but wonder if I can do it again.

    26 hours Soosha? I hope it was worth it. Did the local tv show up to interview you like they do people who are waiting in line for days for concert tickets?

    ReplyDelete
  38. What's the word I'm searching for right now? ...Annoying? No, that's not it. Irritating? No...caustic? Uh-uh...galling? Oh no, I know: Michael! ;oP

    No interviews. Yeah, it was worth it. It wasn't just for the Wii. It was for the experience. Something we can tell Owen when he's older that he participated in. A mini adventure in the story of our lives.

    ReplyDelete
  39. I've got an ice cream with your name on it!

    ReplyDelete
  40. hey, i am a student at south jeff and i would like to say i think all of your pictures are wonderful..i absolutly love france and i get to go there this spring so i really am anticipating a wondeful time...thank you again for posting these pictures!!!

    Than Harrington

    ReplyDelete
  41. I am sooo jealous that you get to go to France and I don't! That's it, I need to win the lottery or something. Anyone care to contribute to the "soosha_q is broke as all get-out and needs to raise money to go to Paris" fund?

    Oh, and welcome to PDP, by the way. We love having new cannon-fodder...erm, I mean guests!

    ReplyDelete
  42. Hello Than Harrington! How great to see you here. Hope you can keep up with crazy soosha_q. Is your whole class coming to Paris?

    ReplyDelete
  43. Crazy, huh? Is that what you think I am? Huh? Crazy? I'll show you crazy!!! AAAWWAAAAKAYAAABRRBRRRCOCKERSPANIELCOOOCOOOCAAACHOOOO!

    ReplyDelete
  44. he he you two are flying today!
    Michael thank you so much for your comments at my painting blog, linked here. I've replied there.
    Soosha - I used to do the same with my boys, creating memories for their history. Wonderful. However, often as they grow up and you remind them fondly of this and that and say, "wasn't that fun darling?" they look at you quizzically and say "erm, don't really remember that mum..." Oh well, we try...!

    ReplyDelete
  45. Hey guys, sorry about that. My temporary insanity has come to an end. I will leave now!

    ReplyDelete
  46. they made such a great work...congratulations to the students! And to the teacher too for the great idea!

    ReplyDelete
  47. oh and Soosha can i join your fund as I'm broke at the moment too. In fact, Eric,,,, ? very handsome Eric that is..... (yes i'm shameless) know of any of your publishers needing an extra freelance writer? That would be great. he he.... no, actually I'm serious. I am !!!

    ReplyDelete
  48. Oooh, I'd love to do some freelance writing. I'm gonna be shameless to and try and usurp any publishers you offer up to lynn.

    Oh wait, I said I was going to leave now! Silly me. Bye!

    ReplyDelete
  49. Wow! I clicked on the "Top 100 Bloggers" link and this site BLOWS ALL OTHERS AWAY!!!

    1,400 hits today alone!

    Well Eric, I guess I do my part for you as your page is my blogger "home page" of sorts. I use it to link to all the others either by the links on the right or exploring blogs of people that post here!

    I still can't get over 1,400 today! Wow.

    And Shoosa...I've been wanting to ask you...exactly what is your new avatar? I can't figure it out...but it scares me :o Glad you got your new console. I always wait a few months, stroll in buy it for a couple of hundred dollars less and no lines! I have an XBox but thinking about the new Playstation...a few months from now of course! That $200 savings will go toward my next trip! Have fun!

    ReplyDelete
  50. um, I meant the links on the left....I really should reread what I type before hitting publish...

    ReplyDelete
  51. Cousin It. Also known as me. Ugh! I have to leave now! I keep going back on my word!

    ReplyDelete
  52. > Michael.Yes and no.If you had learned Spanish first, maybe you would have been totally confused because Spanish is very close to French (or French is very close to Spanish!)

    > Johnny. Good idea. Who sends the story to UN?!

    > Lynn. My week-end went alright, thank you. But pretty busy too, I did not have enough time to take photos... And to answer your question; well no I surely did not think I'd ever do something in my life that could be used by students at the other side of the world!! Poster ? No, not yet but I'm working on it ;)

    > Rickemmanuel. LOL. Very LOL actually!

    > Percy. Very true. Thank God we don't have to worry that much about legal issues in France. it's changing though, unfortunately.

    > Soosha. LOL. An award? Yeah yeah. Sure... Aren't you overdoing it?!

    > Edulabbe. Nope, never. Only once in a blogger gathering... see, I am not that famous LOL.

    > Kate. Well Françoise (the teacher) and I are in contact now. She seems to be a nice lady indeed and she is of Swiss origin.

    > Bunyamin. Blush!

    > Tomate. Yeah. Their comments are very cute, I just love all what I read.

    > Edwin. Thanks.

    > Louis. LOL on the [...had prepared and rehearsed until our tongues were as rigid and crusty as a week-old baguette. ] ! Loved your story and its moral...

    > Michael. True, that is often the problem at school. Learning a language is not fun, it's something you do to earn grades and that spoils it all.

    > Susan. Well in fact it gives you a little more... And more precisely the origin of the click (that is, on which site your visitor was when he or she clicked on the link that took him/her to your blog). That's how I found it.

    > Louis. Nobody doubted that I think!

    > Haxo. Yeah I saw that. And in good French too.

    > Metaphysicalmama. Yes I agree, I think these kinds of exercises are clever because they're fun. Not to mention that nowadays kids are more used to surfing the Internet than reading books...

    >Jan Erik. I haven't seen Jefferson in Paris. Was it good?

    > Carlos. Thank you. I try to...

    > Ujima. "Wonder if they study about Sally Hemings and Jefferson in Paris? ". I don't think so really.

    > Vicky Hugo. Same here. Blogging is so popular among the young, it's crazy!

    > Metaphysicalmama. Yes I don't know exactly how they rank the sites but, well, I suppose it's better to be #1 than #100! Thnkas for letting me know anyway.

    > Than. Thank you for your nice comment. I hope you will enjoy your time in France. Which place(s) are you going to?

    > Lynn + Soosha. I am afraid I don't for the time being, but it should not be too difficult to find someone who needs an English writer in France... I am not sure that would require coming to Paris though. Nowadays you can use the Internet, no need to meet ;(

    ReplyDelete
  53. Now what would be the point of freelancing for someone in Paris if I wouldn't have to go to Paris? Takes all the fun out of it!

    ReplyDelete
  54. Eric I'm happy to freelance via email, do it all the time!
    Yes I know Soosha, i sound smarmy but hell i need the work! he he ...
    ...oh and ... sigh.... i got a wink from Eric ... ! ... he he ... giggle.. .
    No, Eric, come back! I'm a serious journalist, really i am. lol. Look me up.
    .... sigh ....
    (the gooey bits are all to tease Soosha of course)

    ReplyDelete
  55. Eric, quand on commence a être un auteur étudié en classe, l'académie n'est pas loin. Tu as fait prendre tes mesures pour le costume ?

    ReplyDelete
  56. Mort de rire Nathalie, vraiment mort de rire!

    ReplyDelete
  57. OK Lynn, I'll keep my ears open, cannot assure you anything of course, but one never knows.

    ReplyDelete
  58. Rough translation folks:

    Nathalie said: When you begin to be an author studied in class, the academy (Academie Francaise) isn't very far. Have you gotten things in order to get your costume? (a special outfit is required apparently).

    Eric said: Dying from laughing Nathalie, really dying from laughing. (LOL)

    ReplyDelete
  59. i know for a fact that we are going to Paris (obviously) and that we are going to normandy and a couple other places. Not our whole class is going because our french class teamed up with the International Student Organization at our south jeff and so i believe 20 of us are coming over our spring break which beats going to florida or north carolina anyday haha...i will make an account tommorow so i don't have to keep posting anonymously

    Than

    p.s. i read that someone wanted to know if anyone got the Wii...i don't think anyone did that i know and thats the same with the PS3 because the Best Buy ( a national chain ) in the near by city of watertown only carried 26 all together so fights broke out and stuff...not good!!

    ReplyDelete
  60. Eric, merci bien pour ca...
    Michael i had translated the french in my head and was relieved when i got to yours that i was right! thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  61. Thanks for the picture!! We all appreciate it.

    ReplyDelete
  62. Thank you so much for all the great words of encouragement, everyone. This blog is one of the most wonderful things I have had a chance to use with my students. Talk about the world being flat!

    ReplyDelete
  63. Françoise "the teacher"?? Oh wow, look everybody, a celebrity! Teacher of the year nominee for sure! Congrats for being creative with your students and allowing them the liberty to explore and learn at the same time!

    ReplyDelete
  64. Good to see you here Francoise. We have all been v. interested to see the results of your excellent teaching.

    ReplyDelete
  65. hello everybody,
    I am from South Jefferson and thank you for all the comments contributed to the picture by Eric =)
    -Mamadou French 2.

    ReplyDelete
  66. I hope you have a nice day! Very good article, well written and very thought out. I am looking forward to reading more of your posts in the future.

    ReplyDelete