eDITORcHRIS

Looking Back in Time & Laughing at Teachers

2011-10-02T22:23:00.000-04:00

Because of the age barrier, we just don't get many things teachers say when we're kids and vice versa. That's exactly what makes everything so funny to think back on.

I remember when a teacher had us pour a bit of paint in the middle of sheets of construction paper, fold the paper, open it and it was supposed to be a nice little art project to go along with reading the story, Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk. However, even at that point in time, all it did was just make me think of an ink blot test! Also, I remember the teacher asking us if any of us had ever heard the phrase, "Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk" before & she asked us what it meant. Ummm yeaa, seriously, we were only six years old!

I remember when, in high school, one of my classmates got up at random, went to the front of the classroom and just started dancing in front of the teacher. There was no way she would not have been caught off guard and have actually known how to respond to it. That made that moment extremely humorous because it wasn't a cruel act, just a silly one.

We are all just trying to play our part and we all make mistakes but the best thing to do is to keep that kind of lightheartedness and not be hard on one another throughout the process.

I look back and laugh at times like these. What are your funny student-teacher memories?

Why do you write?

2011-05-14T13:47:00.006-04:00

If you write because it is your passion, your dream, your aspiration of having it be your life's work, even when it gets hard to do it, you have to do it because it is what you want! I realize this deeper now so, expect more posts from me more often again =)

To be a greater poet...and know it

2010-11-04T02:07:00.007-04:00

Why is it that, when it comes to poetry, we can so easily and so suddenly forget proper grammar and mechanics?

Writing poetry is more than an art; it is something that needs to be learned and developed. It's not so much the words that need to change but what we need to re-evaluate is how to effectively write them.

Your flow and a poem's style are important factors when it comes to spoken word but when it comes to writing, don't chop it up in abnormal ways in an attempt to write how you hear it in your head. Begin to recognize what the pauses in your head stand for. It's not so much the length of the break between the words but how the words go together in the English language and how the context (the meaning within the poem) flows.

We need to be mindful in doing these things:

*Hyphenating when necessary
*Using semi-colons, colons and commas when needed
*If there’s a question, putting a question mark
*Stop putting periods at the end of each line. A poem has lines and stanzas, not sentences. It's a continuous story so no periods are necessary.
*Stop starting new lines with lowercase letters. If you feel the need to do so, leave it on the previous line (with proper punctuation) or simply capitalize it on the new line.

Watch this video and tell me what you think: Ommwriter for Mac computers

2010-10-14T17:06:00.002-04:00

Ommwriter from Herraiz Soto on Vimeo.

A Sample Pre-K and Kindergarten Curriculum Part 2

2010-07-08T10:09:00.001-04:00

A Sample Pre-K and Kindergarten Curriculum Part 1

2010-07-08T09:36:00.010-04:00

*These are good printouts from NickJr.com*

*Dora's Practice Writing Paper
*Blue's Room Writing Paper
*Dora's Number Practice Writing Paper
*Blue's Mix & Match Game
*Perrito Connect the Dots
*Super Silly Activity Pack
*Blue's 'ShapesPuppy' Printable
*Polka Dots Bubble Puzzle
*Diego Glider Puzzles
*Signing Time Flash Cards

You want to write. Now what??

2010-06-14T12:27:00.003-04:00

There are always opportunities to write online and get paid for it. A few I came across recently were to write for AllBlogTools, write a story over at FirstLineFiction, writing at Womenworking.com and there are many others.

One thing you can't forget if you want to write is to read. Never stop reading, especially your favorite books.

Reading also helps you to discover opportunities. Read a lot, not neglecting the Bible, dictionaries, encyclopedias and thesauruses.

Research and learn what's best for your strengths by getting out there and writing. Write for Associated Content, Helium, HubPages, whatever it may be. People say it's a waste but I disagree. I've been on Helium since October 5, 2009. My activity is not at all constant or heavy but I've found it rewarding in several ways. To date, I've written 73 articles in 27 channels (topics) and invited 4 other writers. I've accumulated $22.24 as of now and once I get to $25, I'll get my first check through PayPal. Ask me more about it. Leave your e-mail and I'll get right back to you.

Never neglect your college degree (especially since a lot of people don't have one). Those come in handy for temporary jobs that you may find at SimplyHired, Indeed, HotJobs and the like. You may have to be in a not-so-great place for a few weeks but the experience will be rewarding if you do the job and you will be more equipped for the next, which will be closer to what you are trying to accomplish!!

Stay focused. Practice. Write as much as possible. Write anything and everything and never throw any of it away!! Keep folders, binders and notebooks. Organize your writing. Rewrite when necessary or desired but do not destroy it. What seems like trash turns into gems. Share your writing with two trusted friends/relatives. The actual goal in doing so is to hear all of the negative things they say, but don't listen to the attitude, listen to the critique and use it!! Do not take their word as law but take heed to instruction!!!

Just like writing is a process, so is a writing career.

For anything, email me at editorcbutler(at)gmail(dot)com because I'm here. I even may hire you myself one day or vice versa. =)

Name Puzzles

2010-05-14T14:14:00.002-04:00

I found a great project a few months ago but have not found the site where I found it.
A great, simple yet creative game for preschoolers/pre-kindergartners/kindergartners is name puzzles. You write the child's name on a sheet of paper and cut each letter as a different piece of the puzzle. The kids play the puzzle and learn shapes as well as the correct spelling of their name.
You can then glue the letters to a piece of colored construction paper and make designs (I used an 11x14 in. pink sheet of construction paper, a glue stick, blue, green, red, silver and gold glitter glue sticks and regular child scissors but there are also scissors that cut in designs) so as to have a name poster.
Here's mine:

It's a little thing with an important role: The comma

2010-04-28T11:09:00.003-04:00

I enjoy laughing and marveling at the silly uses of quotation marks that are exposed on The "Blog" of "unnecessary" quotation marks," but I take language very seriously. A recent Youtube video from Howcast came as a surprise to many because of the fact that they are being serious about teaching "how to use a comma." The fact is, many people don't know how or could surely use a refresher and, at 1 minute and 52 seconds, this is packing the essentials in minimal time!! Please view:

Having purpose && intentionality

2010-01-26T17:14:00.003-05:00

Often, we lose the focus and then the passion for writing a piece because of one thing: having lost touch with the original purpose and intention for writing it. Before anything can be written, you have to know where it's coming from or what it's being written for. Without any type of clarification or focus, how can you go on, especially when that horrible "writer's block" kicks in?? The point being, in order to bring out a concept, you have to bring it from a certain place and stay tuned in with that voice.

For example, maybe you are writing a personal narrative for a magazine and it's supposed to be about your past experience growing up in a cult or about the day your sibling was murdered. It is easy to get caught up in the emotions and still-unanswered questions of the experience while you work on the writing piece until you realize that, after all the work you have been putting it, you have an incomplete article that you have no idea what to do with anymore and don't even want to work on because you see no point in it.

Keep purpose and intentionality in all you write!!

Flash Fiction

2010-01-08T13:25:00.004-05:00

In my in-box, there was a very short story that seemed to have potential. In fact, after working with this story, I feel very attached to the beauty of it. At 340 words, this is considered Flash Fiction, something you can read more about here. Read the story below and tell me if you feel the same:

Email:
He waited while the school let out.children ran to their parents."mommy" he heared them saying while he waited seeing into the vast kid picking the time when the right one come.
He look up at the doors there she was a tender age.she had on a jean jocket with a white hooded and a black jocket. her mother always over dresses her through. Het jeans matched the jocket she had on,with no dirt stain but a black mark that been there for as long as he could remember.they made eye contact, she waved and he knotted he's head.
Shw walked down the front ateps of the school to the car.while saying bye to her friend and teacher. She got to the car he unlocked the door." Hey how was school?" he asked."it was fun in art class we made clay cup and I didn't even mess up my jeans look?" she said with a happy voice. "Oh...that nice you get a treat for that" he give a pack of candy and she jump for it like it was gold." Hey why don't you pick me up everyday?"." Because your mom would let me"." Why?"" now that bewteen your mom and me ok?". "Ok" she said opening her pack of candy. They turn up a drive way to a house. The brick house had a wooded door lace with golden frame. The car stop, then the door open." Jamine come here" said a lady blond hair and brown eyes. The little girl heared her mother and run to her.
"Hey honey how was shcool" her mother said hugging her tight."go inside honey I have to speak to daddy ok"." Ok" the little girl said running inside the house."
Mr.wilson

Edited, revised & proofread:
He waited. He waited while the school let out and children ran to their parents. "Mommy," he heard them say as he waited. Peering through the depths of the vast crowd of kids, he awaited the moment when the right child would appear.
He looked up at the doors of the school building. There she was - a little girl of a tender age. She had on a jean jacket over a white-hooded jacket that was over a black jacket. Her mother always over-dresses her. Her jeans matched the denim jacket she had on, with no dirt stains besides a black mark that had been there for as long as he could remember. They made eye contact; she waved and he nodded his head.
She walked down the front steps of the school and to the car, saying bye to her friend and teacher all the while. As she reached the car, he unlocked the door. "Hey, how was school?" he asked. "It was fun. In art class, we made clay cups and I didn't even mess up my jeans. Look!" she happily offered. "Oh...that's nice, you get a treat for that," he handed her a pack of candy. She jumped for it like it was gold. "Hey, why don't you pick me up everyday?" she asked. "Because your mom wouldn't let me," he answered. "Why?" she asked. "Now, that is between your mom and me, OK?" he stated. "OK," she said and began to open her pack of candy.
They turned up a drive-way to a house. The brick house had a wooden door, laced with a golden frame. The car stopped. Then, the front door of the house opened. "Jasmine, come here," said a lady with blond hair and brown eyes. The little girl heard her mother and ran to her. "Hey, honey. How was school?" her mother said, hugging her tightly, "Go inside, honey. I have to speak to daddy. OK?" "OK," the little girl said and ran inside the house.

Mr. Wilson

Grammar Girl

2010-01-08T03:08:00.000-05:00

Today's tip comes from Grammar Girl. Check her out to see things such as how to use "aint." Do it!! :-}

Article-writing success

2009-12-31T15:41:00.001-05:00

I was sent an email with an article to be written to the title: Tips for choosing a set of pots and pans

This was the article:

Sure skills play a major part in creating great food, but skill is not the only thing that plays a role in making great food. Great quality in cookware also plays a part in making great food. If you cook professionally then cooking with any kind of cookware is an easy feat, but for those of us that aren't skilled we have to be careful as to what we cook in. There are many types of cookware, they come in sets that range anywhere from starter to professional, aluminum to stainless steel. Aluminum cookware is pretty cheap if you don't have a lot of money to spend. Aluminum pans are very light compared to others their not that durable either. They are great heat conductors,and are pretty useful when frying and sauteing foods, also they get damaged pretty easily, butthat's to be expect for something so cheap. Aluminum cookware is also pretty hard to keep clean. So aluminum cookware would be at the bottom of the list of cookware to get.
Anodized aluminum cookware are basically the same thing as regular aluminum but have a special finish add to them. This special finish helps to keep food from sticking to the cookware while keeping the pans great conduction qualities in tack. They are not dishwasher safe like the regular aluminum cookware, cost a bit more, and they have to be hand washed. What ever you do even though this has special coating that helps keep food from sticking don't mistake this for non-stick cookware. So for frying and sauteing food this is a step up from aluminum. Next is cast iron cookware. Cast iron cookware is exactly how it sounds iron cookware. Cast iron cookware is also pretty cheap like aluminum but is very durable, heavy, conducts heat evenly. Now what I mean by conducting heat evenly is that the temperature through out the whole pot or pan is the same, in most pots and pans the temperature varies because of it conductioncapabilities . With an aluminum pan the exact spot that is over the flame will be a hotter temperature then the sides of the pan, but with cast iron it is the same temperature through out the whole pan also it takes the pan a little while to get hot. Now the downside to this type of cookware is that like all iron it eventually starts to rust, that is because of the moisture from some types of food and water when cleaning it. When washing this type of pan you should dry it immediately, the best solution to this is to wash it then put it on the stove and let the water evaporate. By the way if using cast iron cookware be sure to be careful of the handle because remember the whole pan is iron which means that the whole pan is the same temperature.
Lined copper is another type of cookware that is perfect for sauteing food, and being a even conductor. Lined copper is extremely responsive to temperature, it will heat up quickly and evenly and also cool down quickly and evenlythat's what makes it so perfect for sauteing. It helps keep food from burning with it's quick responses. The downside to lined copper is that it is moreexpensive then cast the others, also copper interacts with everything. Since copper interacts with everything the moisture in the air can cause it to create poisonous films, and salty food can create a chemical reaction that could make the food have a metallic taste to it and that is why it is lined with material like silver, stainless steel, or tin to keep the food safe. The copper pots and pans should be re tinned every couple of years and polished with copper polish to keep it from forming white spots.
Now comes my favorite type of cookware non-stick cookware. This is one of the best kinds of cookware because it is non-stick, and very easy to clean. This type of cookware is also moreexpensive, it is pretty durable, and not too light, not too heavy, but just right. Non-stick cookware is great for omelettes and other sticky food, it is also good for other foods that don't normally stick. Non-stick cookware also reduces the amount of fat the is need when cooking The downside to this type of cookware is that it is not great for sauteing because of its special coating which makes it hard to transfer heat. Also because of the special coating you should use wooden, non-stick-or plastic materials on the cookware. Don't use silverware or metallic objects to cook with or clean it with these things will scratch off the coating of the pan or pot. It is not dishwasher safe but that is no problem because it so easy to use.
Stainless steel is also a more expensive type of cookware but is also worth it. Stainless steel is also very durable and easy to clean, another thing about this type of cookware is that it doesn't stain as stated in the description. There is not much to say about stainless steel except that it does not conduct heat well and that it is not non-stick. There are some stainless steel cookware sets that have cooper bottoms and aluminum bottoms to help conduct heat. Stainless steel is the best choice for people that cook regularly and can afford it. There are more types of cookware out there but these are the basics and popular types of cookware when making adecision on the type of cookware is best for you be sure consider everything like the weight, abilities, price, durability,purposes, and cleaning methods.

I returned this:

Sure, skills play a major part in creating great food but skill is not the only thing that matters. Great quality in cookware also plays a major part in making great food. There are many types of cookware. They come in sets that range anywhere from starter to professional and aluminum to stainless steel. If you cook professionally, cooking with any kind of cookware may be an easy feat but for those of us who aren't as skilled, we have to be careful when choosing what cookware we use as to overcome this challenge.

Aluminum cookware is inexpensive and may be the choice if you don't have a lot of money to spend. Aluminum pans are very light compared to others but they are not very durable and get damaged pretty easily, which can be expected with what they cost. Also, aluminum cookware is pretty hard to keep clean. So, aluminum cookware would be at the bottom of the list of cookware to get. However, they are great heat conductors and are pretty useful when frying and sauteeing foods.

Anodized aluminum cookware are basically the same as regular aluminum but have a special finish added to them. This special finish helps to keep food from sticking to the cookware while keeping the aluminum's great conduction qualities in tack. Expectedly, they cost a bit more. Note that they are not dishwasher safe like regular aluminum cookware is; anodized aluminum cookware needs to be washed by hand. Even though this has special coating that helps keep food from sticking, whatever you do, don't mistake this for non-stick cookware. For frying and sauteeing food, this is a step up from regular aluminum cookware.

Next in line is cast iron cookware. Cast iron cookware is exactly how it sounds: iron cookware. Cast iron cookware is pretty cheap like aluminum but is very durable, heavy and conducts heat evenly. Now, what I mean by conducting heat evenly is that the temperature throughout the whole pot or pan is the same. In most pots and pans, the temperature varies because of it conduction capabilities. With an aluminum pan, the exact spot that is over the flame will be a hotter temperature then the sides of the pan but with cast iron, it is the same temperature throughout the whole pan. alIt does take the pan a little while to get hot, though. The down-side to this type of cookware is that, like all iron, it eventually starts to rust. This happens because of the moisture from some types of food and water when cleaning it. When washing cast iron cookware, you should dry it immediately. The best way to do this is to wash it and put it back on the stove to let the water evaporate. By the way, if using cast iron cookware, be sure to be careful of the handle. Remember that the whole pan is iron, which means that the whole pan is the same temperature.

Lined copper is another type of cookware that is perfect for sauteeing food and is another even conductor. Lined copper is extremely responsive to temperature; it will heat up quickly and evenly and will also cool down quickly and evenly. That's what makes it so perfect for sauteeing because it helps keep food from burning with it's quick responses. The down-side to lined copper is that it is more expensive than cast and the others. Also, copper interacts with everything. Since copper interacts with everything, the moisture in the air can cause it to create poisonous films and salty food can create a chemical reaction that could give the food a metallic taste. This is why it is lined with material like silver, stainless steel or tin; it keeps the food safe. The copper pots and pans should be re-tinned every couple of years and polished with copper polish to keep it from forming white spots.

Yet, my favorite type of cookware is non-stick cookware. This is one of the best kinds of cookware simply because it is non-stick. This type of cookware is more expensive but it is pretty durable, not too light or too heavy but just right. Non-stick cookware is great for omelettes and other sticky food; it is also good for other foods that don't normally stick. Non-stick cookware also reduces the amount of fat because you don't have to use the extra oil, butter and margarine you normally would to prevent sticking. The down-side to this type of cookware is that it is not great for sauteeing because its special coating makes it difficult to transfer heat. Also, because of the special coating, you should use wooden, non-stick or plastic materials on the cookware. Don't use silverware or metallic objects to cook with or clean it with because these things will scratch off the coating of the pan or pot. It is not dishwasher safe but that is no problem because it very easy to clean.

Stainless steel is also a more expensive type of cookware but is also worth it. Stainless steel is very durable and easy to clean. Another thing about this type of cookware is that it doesn't stain, as stated in the description. There is not much else to say about stainless steel except that it does not conduct heat well and that it is not non-stick. There are some stainless steel cookware sets that have cooper bottoms and aluminum bottoms to help conduct heat. Stainless steel is the best choice for people who cook regularly and can afford it.

There are more types of cookware out there but these are the basic and popular types of cookware. When making a decision on the type of cookware that is best for you, be sure to consider everything. Note the weight, abilities, price, durability, purposes and cleaning methods.

Teaching Tips

2009-12-31T13:03:00.001-05:00

We will now offer teaching tools on this site.
The first will be in the kindergarten series:

Letters, color recognition, spelling, tracing, knowledge of shapes and space

This is an example of a worksheet. Email for more info!!

Happy Day-Before-New-Years-Eve!!

2009-12-30T13:51:00.000-05:00

Here is an interesting webpage I saw about misspellings

Merry Christmas Eve

2009-12-24T15:37:00.000-05:00

Welcome to eDITORcHRIS's blog site at thewholepiece.blogspot.com.
From time to time, we offer writing tips!!

Today's tip:

Brainfreeze/writing block tip
--Do not doubt. You may second-guess and keep your mind open; you may think things through thoroughly before publishing...you may and you should do these things but one thing you shouldn't do is doubt. Write and write more. When you're done, that's what drafts, revisions, editing & proofreading are for. Do not cross out, erase or re-type while in a writing flow. Allow it to flow!! Brainstorm. Write how ever much you can. Then, submit it to eDITORcHRIS for a stamp of approval, if need be.

Grammatical tip
--Apostrophes signify possession as well as contractions. This confuses people when it comes to word like "its" and "it's." You can say "it's" to mean "it is" but if it does not mean "it is," leave it as "its." So, a rule for this situation can be: Read aloud what you are writing as if the apostrophe were not there. Say "it is" when your notes say "it's" and if what you are hearing yourself say does not make sense, remove the apostrophe!!

God bless you always!!

Proofreading/editing set-up & format

2009-12-23T17:04:00.000-05:00

3-step system:

Your submission:
How arr yu todat mr, juneson special architecshure!

Outlining:
How arr yu todat mr, juneson special architecshure!

Return:
How are you today, Mr. "special architect" Juneson?