20.5.23

Clip Art: New York City Food Truck

Are you hungry on a Saturday night in Queens? You can find any number of food trucks on Northern Boulevard or Roosevelt Avenue to sate your late-night craving. My favorite is hot, steamy birrias, a Mexican dish of stewed meats seasoned especially with chili peppers. 
Source: Created by Stones of Erasmus, coloring page (with digital elements added by open-source artificial intelligence). This image is created and made with love by Stones of Erasmus (stonesoferasmus.com).
Posted by at No comments:

26.4.23

Celebrating 1,000 Posts: Reflecting on My Blogging Journey with 1,00th Post on Stones of Erasmus (Is it a Milestone Worth Celebrating? Yes! I Think it Is.)

Celebrating 1,000 posts on Stones of Erasmus! From poetry to lesson plans, join me in reflecting on my journey as a writer and educator.

1,000 Blog Posts Later
Writing my 1,000th post for my blog, Stones of Erasmus, is a milestone that I find challenging to write about. I started this blog when I was still a Benedictine monk, and it has stayed with me through various life changes, including my stint as a high school English teacher in New Orleans, my time at the New School for Social Research, and my New York City sojourn.

Initially, my blog was a mishmash of embarrassing pieces of poetry and ersatz literary criticism, sprinkled in with some theology and movie reviews. Over time, my blog has evolved and become more focused. Although it still includes some of those early elements, such as movie reviews and records of my visits to random art museums, it now features a lot of educational content related to my teaching career.

One of my earliest obsessions was making things up, and my journey as a teacher has allowed me to indulge that passion. I create digital educational resources such as clip art and lesson plans that I share on my blog. I also write about my creations, sharing my experiences with my readers.

A Writer's Blog As An Excuse To Journal
Writing on my blog has also allowed me to indulge in another childhood obsession: keeping a journal. I still have my first spiral notebook, which contains my first journal entries from the end of my fifth-grade year through the monotony of sixth grade. As an adult, I have only read it once. However, I am considering adding it to my blog, which would be a fun and nostalgic experience.

Answering Questions from My Students
Some of my high school students have asked me about my blog, such as whether I make any money. The answer is yes and no. I used to use AdWords from Google, but I stopped using it. My blog does make money, but it is minimal, around one hundred dollars a year. The income comes from people clicking on a link to one of the digital educational resources I sell, such as my popular lesson plan on teaching Plato's Allegory of the Cave to middle and high school kids.

The Future of Blogging
Another student asked me why I continue to write my blog when long-form writing appears dead. My blog is more permanent than other forms of social media, and I enjoy the idea that more people are likely to stumble upon it, whether through a Google search or a link somewhere. I am always surprised when old posts receive a resurgence, such as a post I wrote years ago about words from Greek mythology or a post I wrote about The Iliad, which has remained popular for some reason. The difference between long-form blogging and other types of content on the internet is that blog writers offer a unique perspective on things. I enjoy reading other blogs, such as those written by nannies or teachers, because they share their personal experiences, which is powerful.

As my blog has evolved, I have also learned some important lessons about writing. One of the most important lessons is to keep writing, even when I do not like it. I easily get discouraged when I get few views or comments on my blog. However, I have learned that if I keep writing, eventually, people will discover my work, and it will find an audience.

Another lesson I have learned is the importance of editing. Writing is a process that takes time to craft a well-written post. I often write several drafts before I am happy with the final version. It is also essential to proofread my work carefully, looking for spelling and grammatical errors. Reading my work out loud is helpful, as this helps me catch mistakes I might have missed otherwise.

Finally, I have learned that blogging is a community activity. Blogging is not just about writing for myself but also about connecting with others with similar interests.

Drum roll, please.
Here are my favorite selections from Stones of Erasmus (in no particular order):
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , ,

22.4.23

Clip Art: A Boy Akimbo Pondering Dasein

A portrait of an adolescent boy looking askance at the camera, discussing the beauty of wonder and being against the backdrop of dasein.

Source: Created by Stones of Erasmus, claymation (with digital elements added by open-source artificial intelligence). This image is created and made with love by Stones of Erasmus (stonesoferasmus.com).

Update: I created a remix.

PDF Copy for Printing
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , ,

19.4.23

162+ Listings — Let's Celebrate! With the Release of the Stones of Erasmus Educational Digital Download Catalog (as of Spring 2023)

In this post, I reveal how well-organized I am, and as a result, you now have a bird's eye view of every educational digital download available in my TpT store.

Hello, Teachers and Friends,

One thing I love about Teachers Pay Teachers is that it has forced me to become more organized. I am not naturally an organized person. In Kindergarten, my teachers bewailed my lunchroom messiness; in middle school, I barely kept my Trapper Keeper intact. However, flash forward to 2022 — and I have at least become more organized on TpT and in my own teaching practice.

Remember when you used to receive the Sears catalog as a kid, and you would circle in red marker the items you wanted and hoped mom or dad would notice? You are an adult with a bank account, so you don't have to beg Mom or Dad. But you can click the link and add to your wish list any of the items listed. Not going to brag, but you will be delighted. As recent buyers have said:

"Thank you for scaffolding the reading into manageable reading chunks and providing writing opportunities."

- Margie 

"Love [your] products! Very thought-provoking. I used [it for] distance learning with students in zoom class."

- Aron 

So, there you go.

Here is the complete catalog for the Stones of Erasmus store. Feast your eyes.

Stones of Erasmus Catalog 

as of Spring
2023


Smart Humanities Bundle Cover

Note: This catalog does not include bundles (except for a few exceptions). Listings with an asterisk * are free.
Map & Geography Skills resources
Poetry Lessons and Activities
Literary Terms & Vocabulary Instruction, Et Cetera
Complete Philosophy in the Classroom Series
Complete Mythology in the Classroom Series
Gods and Goddesses
Movie-Tie Ins
Mythology Graphic Organizers and Charts (& Assessments)
Writing Graphic Organizers and Skills Practice
Short Story Discussion Guides
Non-Fiction Study Unit
Other Non-Fiction Resources:
Philosophy in the Classroom Bundle Cover
Summer Reading Campaigns
Animated Short Film Viewing Guide
First Day of School Resources
Bonus Resources
Thank you for following me on my journey. Leave a comment, drop a line and visit me on my website at stonesoferasmus.com. © 2023

PDF Copy for Printing
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)