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

[LadyX]

A search of google.com yielded an early photograph of you and your classroom, annie!

Is that hobbes1 standing up?

[daisyscarlett]

Oh dear, I cannot tell a lie....I copied that sentence from the thread...it was xsmommy sentence....Do I still get an A for the link I did though? lol...Seriously, that is a fun thread you all have and I am going to visit it more often....I love reading those language columns that Edwin Neuman(?sp> and Safire write or wrote, is Neumann still alive?

[Slip18]

Now, Daisy, I can only give you the plus. We are not allowed to copy from each other. This is what happens when a student copies another student's notes:

You must have a detention in the Janitor's Closet! LOL!

[daisyscarlett]

Now that is an early classroom....Very cute...How on earth did those poor teachers keep any kind of order in that situation?

I am looking high and low for a Norman Rockwell graphic of the little boy dipping the little pigtailed girls hair in his inkwell....Maybe it does not exist, but I thought it was Rockwell who did it....

[daisyscarlett]

Oh no, not the janitor's closet...When I was but a young lass, we had to stand out in the hall with our faces to the wall when we were naughty.....One year though, we had a "mean" teacher and she made the very unruly ones (usually the hyperactive little boys) sit under her desk and she would kick them if they moved. Well, I never saw her actually kick anyone but that is what the little boys told us at recess....

[lodwick]

Ooops

Looks like you'll get to join these guys.

[michigander]

My wife says to say "Hello!"

"Hello!" to Mrs. ofMagog!
Glad to see you've made it back.
Altitude isn't a problem?

[Slip18]

"One year though, we had a "mean" teacher and she made the very unruly ones (usually the hyperactive little boys) sit under her desk and she would kick them if they moved."

Hey, that happened to me when I was in second grade! Except the teacher (a nun) kept on kicking me with her high heels.

Must be my mouth! LOL!

[daisyscarlett]

Your nuns wore high heels? What order was that?...lol.....I have heard that the nuns were not at all hesitant to use the rulers to slap hands with...ouch...

[daisyscarlett]

So good to hear from the ofmagogs...sorry for Mrs. ofmagogs problems but it is good that they are back in the good ole USA in these times of terror...

[lodwick]

The Rockwell cover is a toughie - no luck here so far. ;-)

[LadyX]

Actually, daisy, my mother taught first and second grades combined in a classroom in the 1920's that must have looked much like that one!

The huge difference was children in those days were brought up to behave and HAVE respect for their elders and teachers.
Parents taught it from toddler stage upward.

Children were expected to pay attention and excel.

Of course there always were a couple of recalcitrant boys, but their next lessons were in the Principal's Office, followed by a stream of words and actions from his parents...:))

Today a father (if one is present) is apt to say "Don't take anything from anyone, boy.." or merely take away his Game Boy or television privileges for a day or two.

[dutchess]

You all may have created another freeper addict. Because of yesterday, Mr. D. now is into the freepers finest thread and asked who was spotlighted today. I told him about the WFTD thread...his eyes lit up and he was like "WOW, that would be FUN". He LOVES crosswords, word puzzles and writing....So now he wants me to direct him to the link...

He just better remember I have first dibs on the computer at home....

[daisyscarlett]

Thanks for that reminder, LadyX....Those were the days if you got sent to the principals office you were in big bad trouble at home....

[Pippin]

Thanks, Meekie! And Carlsbad!

[Pippin]

OOOOOOKAAAAAAAYYYYYYY! You asked for it!

YEEEEEEEEEEE, HAAAAAAAAAAA!!

[lodwick]

That's great - and it's also the great thing about FR - there's some thread, or several, for all of us to enjoy whether we're lurkers or posters.

Now you've got to get another 'puter and get networked.

A super evening to you guys and we'll be looking for another freeper screen name soon.

[lodwick]

Damm - ;-)

Tomorrow's Thursday Pips.

[Pippin]

ah, Thursday?

Is that the day I give that Texas yell?

[daisyscarlett]

I have read your latest "Pippin's Thoughts Post" and will reply soon...I don't like to be first, lol....Here is a link to Pippin's thoughts