A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....10-16-02

Billie and daisyscarlett

[daisyscarlett]

The Free Republic Forum has approximately 14 "Daily Threads". Today, we are happy to SPOTLIGHT one of them, along with its founder, anniegetyourgun, and its current teacher, RikaStrom.

The mission of the Word for the Day Thread is to raise the level of discourse and expand language abilities. The Rules are simple: Everyone who chooses to post must leave a post using the "word of the day" in a sentence. The sentence must, in some way, relate to the news of the day.

Anniegetyourgun started the Word for the Day thread on 2-10-01. Click here to read that first thread .

Anniegetyourgun called the thread "Word For The Day" because she planned to "teach" a daily class. She developed a Freeper school scenerio-establishing the routine, monitoring responses, setting the rules, "grading" the results, etc. She did "lesson planning" the night before and opened the school house door every morning at 7 am PST. Soon the WFTD thread took on the feel of a cyberclassroom. Since AGYG is not a teacher by profession, this was quite an accomplishment!

Being as Freepers have such creative minds, one thing led to another. They soon had things like "recess" bells, lunchroom time (complete with tuna croquettes), JimRob as principal, and Show and Tell days. They even fancifully created teachers of other classes at FR School. (BTW, ultimately, the Spanish teacher ran off with the German teacher!) They also had running jokes about the school nurse, as many of the guys in the class presumed she was beautiful and were always coming down "ill" for some reason!

There have always been special weeks at WFTD, such as "graduate level" word weeks, a week of some of the latest words added to the English language (neologisms), Spring Break vacation week, etc. One weekend, they had an open house on FR so people could find out more about WFTD – complete with student work being "displayed". During the summer of 2001, there was a "WFTD Summer Camp" at Camp Lotsawords -. lotsafun was had at Camp Lotsawords - including pranks!

In the real world, at least two homeschool mothers on FR have used the WFTD thread for their children everyday.

anniegetyourgun
Freeper since 11-24-00

"In Her Own Words"

"I hate to say it, but it seemed to me that there was a need on FR to perhaps 'upgrade' the language, spelling, grammar, word usage, etc. Rather than insult folks by saying so, I thought I might try a forum that would allow people to expand their vocabulary, explore word origins, and generally try things out."

"The thrill for me was to find so many on FR who are truly gifted writers, people with excellent imaginations, those with incredible senses of humor who were always making me laugh out loud at my desk, even a student who wrote the FR school song."

"I had to stop in May (2001) due to schedule changes and RikaStrom took over. I was so relieved because the 'students' had become so close and I hated to see it die out."

"I had a blast with WFTD. I believe it has contributed to the 'persona' of FR. Why, we've even seen BIG name journalists use the WFTD in an article they wrote within a day or two of it coming up on our thread. Coincidence? U decide!"

Just in case you are wondering, that is not really a photo of anniegetyour gun shown above. Anniegetyourgun says she "actually looks like a cross between Marsha (of Brady Bunch) and Joey Heatherton - if you can imagine them in their mid-forties!"

RikaStrom
Freeper since 11-10-00

RikaStrom's Profile Page leads off with the following:

"I am the current 'teacher' for WFTD, the FReeper school of vocabulary and inventive verbiage. This school was the creation of Anniegetyourgun.

If you have a sense of humor, please come on in. If you are part of the 'short bus' group, you can come in too. My students need targets for their verbal veracity. We thank the talented Registered for our school logo!"

Miss Rika took over posting the WFTD thread during the Spring Break thread in 2001. At the time, "that particular thread was keeping me sane." So she decided that she would step right up and continue to post the thread after it became impossible for Miss Annie to continue. She has been posting the WFTD thread for over a year and a half.

RikaStrom, who is also very active FReeping with the Houston Chapter of FR, recently started a new job and does not have the time luxury that she experienced at her previous position. Student Bella_Bru is now sharing teaching duties with Miss Rika. Mistress Bella does one week, Miss Rika does one week. This new arrangement began around September 10, 2002.

Here are two links to memorable threads suggested by Miss Rika.

Word for the Day Review 4-24-01

Word for the Day Review 6-04-01

THANK YOU, ANNIEGETYOURGUN
THANK YOU, RIKASTROM

YOU ARE TWO OF FR'S FINEST

THIS WEEK'S THREADS

10-14-02 Molly Pitcher

10-15-02 Dutchess

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' The guy's good, folks!

Thanks, Mixer!

     1) Click on the graphic to open the Calendar.
     2) Once there you can click on any month and even click to the right to go into next year. Once you are in the month that you joined FR you will need to click on the number in the calendar and then an add item screen will come up.
     3) In the next box enter your name in the "Calendar Text" field and then click on submit.
     4) If any of the screens fail to load simply click on refresh in your browser and that will usually fix it.
     5) If all else fails or simply if you want me to do this for you send me an FReepmail and I will gladly do it for you. ~Mixer

[daisyscarlett]

Thanks for coming by and showing respect for the "teachers"....

[daisyscarlett]

One of my favorite butterfly pictures...thank you.....Your butterflies can now join JustAmy's Shaggy as part of my good luck team...

[RikaStrom]

Thank you Dutchess. I've always said of our more talented "students" that I just want some of their dead brain cells. The fact that they can come up with their responses as fast as they do, and with the insight they have... wow.

BTW, congratulations on yesterday. I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to come in and say so.

[lodwick]

 

A Box of Friendship

 

To make a box of friendship:
To insure that it is strong,
First a layer of respect
On the bottom does belong.

Then to the sides attach,
In the corners where they meet,
Several anchors full of trust
And devoid of all deceit.

The depth of friendship can be measured
By the sides of four,
So make them all a larger cut
And the box will hold much more.

Now fill it up with courtesy,
Honor and esteem,
Understanding, sympathy,
And passion for a dream.

Add to that your honesty,
Emotions, joy and love,
And since they're so important,
Place them up above.

But leave the box wide open
So all can see inside -
To learn what makes a friendship work
From the box you built with pride!

~ Author Unknown

[RikaStrom]

It's hard to dance now, like we used to do.

Otter, friend Otter
How we used to dance the thread
Joy in poetry.

[RikaStrom]

Thank you LadyX.

[RikaStrom]

Nope. Are you surprised? :-D

[daisyscarlett]

Good morning jwfiv. I appreciate so much that answered my call to tea time late yesterday and revisited the thread just to say hi to me....and your kudos to the teachers of WFTD are most appropriate...

[RikaStrom]

Hi Flyer. Do you like today's word? :-)

Thank you.

[daisyscarlett]

How sweet of you to notice that I made my own Pledge graphic today....I was going to send you a freepmail and "crow" about it later...It was such fun...course it took a while and I think it distracted me from paying attention to the beginning of the thread which contributed to my "big goof" today....

Ah, if only my elementary school art teachers could see me now...I used to get one of those check marks under "Works to the best of her ability" columns from my Art Class teachers in grade school...lol....

[Auntbee]

I've been lurking :)

[daisyscarlett]

Oh Molly, what a cute classroom of bears....Thank you....

[RikaStrom]

That's beautiful.

[JustAmy]

Love that box of friendship. That is what is found here everyday on the
Finest Thread. AKA The Friendliest Thread!

[RikaStrom]

Thanks Gabz.

[daisyscarlett]

Ahem,,,,did we forget something this a.m. Like the attaboy, girl graphic Need three this a.m., Dave, one for Miss Annie, one for Miss Rika and one for Miss Bella (who has been promoted from substitute teacher to co-teacher)...Well just in case you are crawling around after Logan David, I will post the attaboys for you today....

[Pippin]

in the case of today's thread could'nt we say "atta girl!" ?

[COB1]

Wul, I wuz by thet thred a few times, but I ain't figurd out yit whut in the heck they wuz talkin' 'bout!
They wuz usin' sum words thet I ain't ever heerd tell of!

I mite need sum of thet private type schoolin'!

[daisyscarlett]

Thank you for checking in ofMagog...I am so sorry for your troubles. We will add you and Mrs. ofMagog to our prayers....

[RikaStrom]

Thank you.