Ah... the first demo... the proverbial trial by fire... the first one thrown to the wolves... and surprise, surprise, it was great.
Casey started of the intense part of the SI today by showing us how she helps kids explore their own power in creating change yet thinking critically about what the implications and consequences of their decisions could be. Awesome. As a teacher who is tired of students (and people in general) just jumping on one side of an issue and having no ability to see the other, no matter what side they initially choose, it's great to see a teacher having kids learn to justify and understand their own opinions and actions.
Thank You Casey... for volunteering to go first and for expecting more from all of our kids.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Technology Orientation
So this is for you Bud...
I know you are reading this... probable 7 minutes after I post it.
2nd Day of the 2008 SI and we are introducing everyone to the Technological side of CSUWP... the blog, the website (good work Will), NWP interactive, and of course the e-Anthology. Everyone is quiet right now which means that they are really into what they are working on or they are bored out of their minds and now looking at YouTube. I'm hoping for the former.
As always, the Blogging conversation has begun... How do we support student writing and achievement through the use of online forums and discussions... especially at the Elementary and Junior High School levels? The ideas are flying, the questions have begun but we already have a group of teachers interested in beginning the inquiry and maybe the fight... PSD, there are more of us now. So another group of teachers in our corner willing to push for technology use with kids.
At the same time, Cindy, Rick and Craig are discussing Teacher Research with the rest of the group... I'm sure they might even learn something from these three... at least the meaning of the word "psittaceous".
More coming soon...
Jason
I know you are reading this... probable 7 minutes after I post it.
2nd Day of the 2008 SI and we are introducing everyone to the Technological side of CSUWP... the blog, the website (good work Will), NWP interactive, and of course the e-Anthology. Everyone is quiet right now which means that they are really into what they are working on or they are bored out of their minds and now looking at YouTube. I'm hoping for the former.
As always, the Blogging conversation has begun... How do we support student writing and achievement through the use of online forums and discussions... especially at the Elementary and Junior High School levels? The ideas are flying, the questions have begun but we already have a group of teachers interested in beginning the inquiry and maybe the fight... PSD, there are more of us now. So another group of teachers in our corner willing to push for technology use with kids.
At the same time, Cindy, Rick and Craig are discussing Teacher Research with the rest of the group... I'm sure they might even learn something from these three... at least the meaning of the word "psittaceous".
More coming soon...
Jason
example of deadline draft
Hi, all,
Last year during the Advanced Institute, we experimented with "deadline drafts." I'm posting my and Rebecca Garrett's below. It's a little different because we were reporting on a teacher research study, but I thought it might help you get an idea of how we organized ours. Incidentally, it actually was a "demo" in that Rebecca, Cameron, and I presented a slice or this research last year at the conference of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).
Hope this helps!
- Cindy
Cindy O’Donnell-Allen
Associate Professor
Colorado State University
Rebecca Garrett
English Teacher
Fort Collins High School
How can we use literature to help students engage in
civil discourse on culturally sensitive topics during book clubs?
How We Became Interested in This Topic
About three years ago, we began working with sophomore Pre-AP students in Rebecca Garrett’s World Literature class. We define book clubs as “small groups of readers that meet on a regular basis to systematically discuss books (or other texts) of the members’ choice” (O’Donnell-Allen, 2006, p. 1). Originally, we convened book clubs in Rebecca’s classroom because we believed in them as authentic contexts for reading. Both of us liked that they allowed students to exercise choice in what books they wanted to read and how they would interpret them. We liked book clubs for the curricular flexibility they provided for teaching sound response strategies, and we knew that students, like readers outside of school, typically enjoyed the social aspects of book clubs. Most of all, though, we appreciated book clubs’ potential for helping students become more independent and able readers of complex literature.
Each semester, though, when we determined which books to use, we focused increasingly on those with culturally sensitive topics because these books seemed more likely to prompt the deeply engaged conversations we were hoping for, and, for lack of a better way of putting it, they really seemed to “matter” to the kids beyond school. During discussions of these books, students would lean forward as they spoke and cock their ears toward the speaker in order to hear better. What was going on in these instances? Over the years, we’ve heard students discussing some of the most difficult issues of our times calmly, intently, with maturity far beyond their years. Exactly how were these kids able to do what many adults in our culture apparently cannot, that is, to engage in civil discourse about such culturally sensitive topics as race, class, religion, and war, especially among those with whom they may disagree? We are conducting this research to find out.
What Our Research Looks Like
The contexts for our research on civil discourse book clubs have been Rebecca’s pre-AP literature classrooms. Cindy is also conducting similar research in sixth-grade classrooms in a rural school and mixed-grade English classes in a diverse alternative high school. In each of these contexts, the research has looked an awful lot like regular teaching. That is, while we have discussed our research interests with students throughout the book club units, we’ve integrated it with the regular curriculum. In fact, Rebecca has conducted book clubs in her regular classes just as we are conducting them in the classes where we’re collecting data.
Furthermore, the much of the data we’ve collected consists of the same student work that Rebecca would collect in the normal course of teaching: students’ free-writes, their written responses to the reading, the book club discussion records each group keeps, and their final group projects. As we’ve browsed the room while students are participating in their book clubs, we’ve also written “fieldnotes” recording what we observed. Finally, we’ve taken notes during occasional whole-class discussions and final presentations.
We’ve analyzed the data we’ve collected so far through a process called “open coding.” During open coding, we’ve read the data numerous times with our research questions in mind in order to notice patterns that are emerging. We then developed code names for these patterns. Our next step in data analysis will be “focused coding,” where we will re-read the data and code it according to the patterns that emerged in the first round of open coding. Our inquiry group, consisting of ourselves, and other CSUWP teachers Renee Esposito, and Natalie Barnes (see also their research reports in this volume), has been an important sounding board during the entire research process.
What We’re Learning through Our Research
1. First and foremost, we have discovered that, “Yes, kids can really do this!” as our friend Louann Reid recently put it when Cindy was talking with her about this work. Furthermore, unlike more conventional dialectic models of communication familiar in our culture (e.g., debate, op-ed columns, etc.), civil discourse book clubs are dialogic. In other words, they are geared toward connection and negotiation as opposed to argument, conversation as opposed to debate, and empathy for others’ perspectives rather than conquest.
2. Book clubs allow students to use literacy practices for civic consequences—that is, to surf, read, write, talk, listen, draw—in order to engage in civil discourse about culturally sensitive issues. Civil discourse book clubs are rooted in social justice principles, but unlike much of the other work done in this area, they place within the classroom and are thus immediately consequential.
3. Collaborative conversation is central to civil discourse because “all of us know more than any one of us.” The literacy tools students use in civil discourse book clubs, like Dailies, discussion records, and visual interpretations of literature make this collaboration visible and function as springboards into new understanding.
4. Engaging in civil discourse about culturally sensitive topics is difficult and doesn’t occur by magic, which may be why we see so little of it happening among adults. Rather, a process we call “perpetual scaffolding” is essential for this kind of work to take place. Scaffolding is usually thought of as instructional support teachers provide for students in the beginning stages of a learning process, but we have discovered that students need varying kinds of graduated support throughout civil discourse book clubs. Therefore we provide more explicit scaffolding in early stages of book clubs through the project introduction, gradual application of response strategies, norming, and “meta-talk” (i.e., “talk about the talk” students have been engaging in thus far. As book clubs progress, we gradually embed more implicit scaffolding through tools like sticky notes bookmarks, individual responses called “Dailies,” prompts on discussion records, drop-in visits during book clubs, and our and peers’ questions during book club presentations.
5. The multimodal tools students use throughout book clubs allow them to synthesize complex ideas, develop sophisticated interpretations of book club texts, and reflect on their civil discourse strategies they are learning. What do we mean by “multimodal tools”? We ask students to learn and demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways (or modes), such as internet research, reading, writing, listening, discussion, and visual interpretation. Furthermore, as Rebecca and I discovered when creating a visual map of our preliminary findings to share with the students, projects requiring multimodal responses challenge one to make sense of what one knows in different ways than writing alone.
How This Research Continues To Be Important in Our (and Others’) Classrooms
After several rounds of civil discourse book clubs in Rebecca’s classrooms, we feel as if we have the general drill down, but we learn something new with every group of students. As a result, we continue to refine the process and try out new strategies and approaches to help students be successful with the difficult process of engaging in civil discourse. We believe this is important because ours is a cultural moment dominated by trash-talking celebrities and professional athletes, politically partisan sound bites, spin-doctored news, and “reality” television shows that make it appear “difficult to deal, except in a ridiculing way, with issues of any complexity” (Gardner, 1995, p. 60). Our world may not be more fraught with personal, social, and political conflict than at any other time in history. The erosion of general civility and the popular tendency toward polarization, however, make these conflicts more emotionally charged and less easily negotiated than ever before.
We believe that many in our culture are longing to figure out a way to bore through the complexity of very difficult issues without clamming up or coming to blows. Yet when young people look to adults, they see few models for communicating in ways that aren’t agenda-driven. If we don’t do something to intervene, the result may be a new generation of chair-flinging, shout-‘em-down bullies who actually see verbal, emotional, and physical violence as viable alternatives for resolving conflict once and for all.
Our teacher research on civil discourse book clubs, however, has convinced us that English teachers can intervene by teaching students how to exercise literacy as a means toward socially just ends. By reading and discussing literature focused on culturally sensitive issues in book clubs, students can learn to grapple with questions such as these Rebecca’s students posed: “Is peace possible? What does it mean to make a difference? If you can’t change big things in our world, do small changes matter?” They can do so even when we are not in charge of the conversations. And in the service of learning to listen and respond empathically, our students can become more critical and strategic readers, writers, and thinkers in the process.
Suggested Resources
Dyson, A.H., and Genishi, C. (2005). On the case: Approaches to language and literacy research. New York: Teachers College Press. This book describes useful methods for conducting case study research, including how to design a study and collect and analyze data.
Friedrich, L., Tateishi, C., Malarkey, T., Simons, E.R., & Williams, M., Eds. (2006). Working toward equity: Resources and writings from the Teacher Research Collaborative. This book is the result of a three-year collaboration among educators who believe that the power of inquiry can be focused on vital educational goals such as equity. Included are teacher research studies, chapters on teacher inquiry groups, an annotated bibliography on teacher research, and multiple tools for individual teacher researchers as well as protocols for teacher research groups.
Maclean, M., & Mohr, M. (1999). Teacher researchers at work. Berkeley, CA: National Writing Project. This book might be considered the teacher researcher’s bible. Maclean and Mohr provide suggestions for framing teacher research questions, conducting secondary research, collecting and analyzing data, and sharing teacher research with wider audiences. In addition to discussing the ethics of teacher research, they also provide multiple examples of teacher studies conducted by teachers across grade levels and disciplines.
O’Donnell-Allen, C. (2006). The book club companion: Fostering strategic readers in the secondary classroom. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. In this book, Cindy provides a step-by-step process for implementing book clubs with secondary students. She reviews recent research on adolescent literacy, describes her own teaching experiences with book clubs, and provides curriculum planning guidelines, teacher research tools, response strategies, book lists, scoring guides, and ideas for final projects. Reproducible masters and handouts are included in the book’s Appendices.
Contact Information
We welcome your inquiries about our teacher research on civil discourse book clubs and invite you to e-mail us at the following addresses:
Cindy - cindyoa@mail.colostate.edu
Rebecca- rgarrett@psdschools.org
Last year during the Advanced Institute, we experimented with "deadline drafts." I'm posting my and Rebecca Garrett's below. It's a little different because we were reporting on a teacher research study, but I thought it might help you get an idea of how we organized ours. Incidentally, it actually was a "demo" in that Rebecca, Cameron, and I presented a slice or this research last year at the conference of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).
Hope this helps!
- Cindy
Cindy O’Donnell-Allen
Associate Professor
Colorado State University
Rebecca Garrett
English Teacher
Fort Collins High School
How can we use literature to help students engage in
civil discourse on culturally sensitive topics during book clubs?
How We Became Interested in This Topic
About three years ago, we began working with sophomore Pre-AP students in Rebecca Garrett’s World Literature class. We define book clubs as “small groups of readers that meet on a regular basis to systematically discuss books (or other texts) of the members’ choice” (O’Donnell-Allen, 2006, p. 1). Originally, we convened book clubs in Rebecca’s classroom because we believed in them as authentic contexts for reading. Both of us liked that they allowed students to exercise choice in what books they wanted to read and how they would interpret them. We liked book clubs for the curricular flexibility they provided for teaching sound response strategies, and we knew that students, like readers outside of school, typically enjoyed the social aspects of book clubs. Most of all, though, we appreciated book clubs’ potential for helping students become more independent and able readers of complex literature.
Each semester, though, when we determined which books to use, we focused increasingly on those with culturally sensitive topics because these books seemed more likely to prompt the deeply engaged conversations we were hoping for, and, for lack of a better way of putting it, they really seemed to “matter” to the kids beyond school. During discussions of these books, students would lean forward as they spoke and cock their ears toward the speaker in order to hear better. What was going on in these instances? Over the years, we’ve heard students discussing some of the most difficult issues of our times calmly, intently, with maturity far beyond their years. Exactly how were these kids able to do what many adults in our culture apparently cannot, that is, to engage in civil discourse about such culturally sensitive topics as race, class, religion, and war, especially among those with whom they may disagree? We are conducting this research to find out.
What Our Research Looks Like
The contexts for our research on civil discourse book clubs have been Rebecca’s pre-AP literature classrooms. Cindy is also conducting similar research in sixth-grade classrooms in a rural school and mixed-grade English classes in a diverse alternative high school. In each of these contexts, the research has looked an awful lot like regular teaching. That is, while we have discussed our research interests with students throughout the book club units, we’ve integrated it with the regular curriculum. In fact, Rebecca has conducted book clubs in her regular classes just as we are conducting them in the classes where we’re collecting data.
Furthermore, the much of the data we’ve collected consists of the same student work that Rebecca would collect in the normal course of teaching: students’ free-writes, their written responses to the reading, the book club discussion records each group keeps, and their final group projects. As we’ve browsed the room while students are participating in their book clubs, we’ve also written “fieldnotes” recording what we observed. Finally, we’ve taken notes during occasional whole-class discussions and final presentations.
We’ve analyzed the data we’ve collected so far through a process called “open coding.” During open coding, we’ve read the data numerous times with our research questions in mind in order to notice patterns that are emerging. We then developed code names for these patterns. Our next step in data analysis will be “focused coding,” where we will re-read the data and code it according to the patterns that emerged in the first round of open coding. Our inquiry group, consisting of ourselves, and other CSUWP teachers Renee Esposito, and Natalie Barnes (see also their research reports in this volume), has been an important sounding board during the entire research process.
What We’re Learning through Our Research
1. First and foremost, we have discovered that, “Yes, kids can really do this!” as our friend Louann Reid recently put it when Cindy was talking with her about this work. Furthermore, unlike more conventional dialectic models of communication familiar in our culture (e.g., debate, op-ed columns, etc.), civil discourse book clubs are dialogic. In other words, they are geared toward connection and negotiation as opposed to argument, conversation as opposed to debate, and empathy for others’ perspectives rather than conquest.
2. Book clubs allow students to use literacy practices for civic consequences—that is, to surf, read, write, talk, listen, draw—in order to engage in civil discourse about culturally sensitive issues. Civil discourse book clubs are rooted in social justice principles, but unlike much of the other work done in this area, they place within the classroom and are thus immediately consequential.
3. Collaborative conversation is central to civil discourse because “all of us know more than any one of us.” The literacy tools students use in civil discourse book clubs, like Dailies, discussion records, and visual interpretations of literature make this collaboration visible and function as springboards into new understanding.
4. Engaging in civil discourse about culturally sensitive topics is difficult and doesn’t occur by magic, which may be why we see so little of it happening among adults. Rather, a process we call “perpetual scaffolding” is essential for this kind of work to take place. Scaffolding is usually thought of as instructional support teachers provide for students in the beginning stages of a learning process, but we have discovered that students need varying kinds of graduated support throughout civil discourse book clubs. Therefore we provide more explicit scaffolding in early stages of book clubs through the project introduction, gradual application of response strategies, norming, and “meta-talk” (i.e., “talk about the talk” students have been engaging in thus far. As book clubs progress, we gradually embed more implicit scaffolding through tools like sticky notes bookmarks, individual responses called “Dailies,” prompts on discussion records, drop-in visits during book clubs, and our and peers’ questions during book club presentations.
5. The multimodal tools students use throughout book clubs allow them to synthesize complex ideas, develop sophisticated interpretations of book club texts, and reflect on their civil discourse strategies they are learning. What do we mean by “multimodal tools”? We ask students to learn and demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways (or modes), such as internet research, reading, writing, listening, discussion, and visual interpretation. Furthermore, as Rebecca and I discovered when creating a visual map of our preliminary findings to share with the students, projects requiring multimodal responses challenge one to make sense of what one knows in different ways than writing alone.
How This Research Continues To Be Important in Our (and Others’) Classrooms
After several rounds of civil discourse book clubs in Rebecca’s classrooms, we feel as if we have the general drill down, but we learn something new with every group of students. As a result, we continue to refine the process and try out new strategies and approaches to help students be successful with the difficult process of engaging in civil discourse. We believe this is important because ours is a cultural moment dominated by trash-talking celebrities and professional athletes, politically partisan sound bites, spin-doctored news, and “reality” television shows that make it appear “difficult to deal, except in a ridiculing way, with issues of any complexity” (Gardner, 1995, p. 60). Our world may not be more fraught with personal, social, and political conflict than at any other time in history. The erosion of general civility and the popular tendency toward polarization, however, make these conflicts more emotionally charged and less easily negotiated than ever before.
We believe that many in our culture are longing to figure out a way to bore through the complexity of very difficult issues without clamming up or coming to blows. Yet when young people look to adults, they see few models for communicating in ways that aren’t agenda-driven. If we don’t do something to intervene, the result may be a new generation of chair-flinging, shout-‘em-down bullies who actually see verbal, emotional, and physical violence as viable alternatives for resolving conflict once and for all.
Our teacher research on civil discourse book clubs, however, has convinced us that English teachers can intervene by teaching students how to exercise literacy as a means toward socially just ends. By reading and discussing literature focused on culturally sensitive issues in book clubs, students can learn to grapple with questions such as these Rebecca’s students posed: “Is peace possible? What does it mean to make a difference? If you can’t change big things in our world, do small changes matter?” They can do so even when we are not in charge of the conversations. And in the service of learning to listen and respond empathically, our students can become more critical and strategic readers, writers, and thinkers in the process.
Suggested Resources
Dyson, A.H., and Genishi, C. (2005). On the case: Approaches to language and literacy research. New York: Teachers College Press. This book describes useful methods for conducting case study research, including how to design a study and collect and analyze data.
Friedrich, L., Tateishi, C., Malarkey, T., Simons, E.R., & Williams, M., Eds. (2006). Working toward equity: Resources and writings from the Teacher Research Collaborative. This book is the result of a three-year collaboration among educators who believe that the power of inquiry can be focused on vital educational goals such as equity. Included are teacher research studies, chapters on teacher inquiry groups, an annotated bibliography on teacher research, and multiple tools for individual teacher researchers as well as protocols for teacher research groups.
Maclean, M., & Mohr, M. (1999). Teacher researchers at work. Berkeley, CA: National Writing Project. This book might be considered the teacher researcher’s bible. Maclean and Mohr provide suggestions for framing teacher research questions, conducting secondary research, collecting and analyzing data, and sharing teacher research with wider audiences. In addition to discussing the ethics of teacher research, they also provide multiple examples of teacher studies conducted by teachers across grade levels and disciplines.
O’Donnell-Allen, C. (2006). The book club companion: Fostering strategic readers in the secondary classroom. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. In this book, Cindy provides a step-by-step process for implementing book clubs with secondary students. She reviews recent research on adolescent literacy, describes her own teaching experiences with book clubs, and provides curriculum planning guidelines, teacher research tools, response strategies, book lists, scoring guides, and ideas for final projects. Reproducible masters and handouts are included in the book’s Appendices.
Contact Information
We welcome your inquiries about our teacher research on civil discourse book clubs and invite you to e-mail us at the following addresses:
Cindy - cindyoa@mail.colostate.edu
Rebecca- rgarrett@psdschools.org
Monday, June 09, 2008
We're Back... and Off and Running...
As usual, we disappear for awhile, especially as the tidal wave of school crashes down on us at the end of the year. But... The CSUWP Summer Institute has begun this year... that of summer 2008.
We have an incredible group once again... 18 High School, Middle School, and Elementary teachers representing everything from Language Arts to Humanities to Sciences. As always the experience and expertise that exists in this small cramped room in the corner of the Engineering Building is incredible. Now in my 5th year, I'm just as excited to learn from these individuals as I was from my group of fellows.
So here we are, the first day, participating in a "Demo Demo" from Jason Tyler (2007 Fellow). His use of improvisation in the classroom to engage students and inform their writing is an incredible way to start the summer... getting our new fellows out of their seats and interacting on Day 1. Thank you Jason for demonstrating an amazing demo for our new fellows.
We have an incredible group once again... 18 High School, Middle School, and Elementary teachers representing everything from Language Arts to Humanities to Sciences. As always the experience and expertise that exists in this small cramped room in the corner of the Engineering Building is incredible. Now in my 5th year, I'm just as excited to learn from these individuals as I was from my group of fellows.
So here we are, the first day, participating in a "Demo Demo" from Jason Tyler (2007 Fellow). His use of improvisation in the classroom to engage students and inform their writing is an incredible way to start the summer... getting our new fellows out of their seats and interacting on Day 1. Thank you Jason for demonstrating an amazing demo for our new fellows.
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Hi.
Hey, somehow I've dropped off the email list.
Could someone put me back on?
Please.
Thanks,
Jack Martin
Could someone put me back on?
Please.
Thanks,
Jack Martin
Saturday, March 08, 2008
CLAS Conference
Greetings!
I've just returned from the Colorado Language Arts Society's regional conference. This year, the organizers moved it from The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs to The Inverness Hotel in south Denver. I appreciated the shorter drive, and the more reasonable hotel price. What's more, the layout of the conference rooms was less labyrinthian and the food was better (I did miss the black swans, though.)
This was my third time attending the conference, and the first time I haven't presented a session. I enjoyed just being there with no pressure to perform, and I attended several great workshops, including one by Denver Writing Project alum Jonathan Wright on differences between male and female brains. Another great session was offered by Metro State professor and poet, Renee Ruderman. I always enjoy her workshops, and was delighted to see my '05 SI comrade, Rhys Roberts, there too. What's more, I wrote a poem draft about meeting My New Boyfriend on match.com. (Yeah, I got divorced and turned forty last year. You think doing a teaching demo is stressful? Try entering the dating world after having been married fifteen (ulp) years. I discovered, however, that dating online is a lot like catalog shopping. You place your order and then wait to see it if looks good on you. When Bud was teaching us all about the fabulous applications of the internet, I had no idea it would end up bringing love back into my life!) In any event, with a little tweaking, this new piece might become a poem. Tune in to my blog if you want to see what happens with it.
As always, the highlights of the conference were the keynote addresses. I absolutely love being in the presence of such brilliant speakers and writers. It rejuvenates my hope for humanity and inspires me to be a better member of our species. This year, we were lucky enough to hear Ralph Fletcher talk about boys and writing, Dan and Dawn Kirby talk about memoir, Nikki Giovanni talk about her relationships with Toni Morrison and Rosa Parks, Katie Wood Ray talk about her work with "co-teachers" (writers whose work she uses as mentor texts in her classrooms), and Leonard Pitts talk about the craft of commentary and the writer's life. I left each of their presentations motivated to get back into my classroom and inspired to get out my own writer's notebook.
If enough people attended, it would be great to do some sort of CSUWP social event at next year's conference. I certainly love getting the literary jolt in the arm that the conference always provides, and I think combining it with some sort of summer institute reunion could be fun. Any interest out there?
I've just returned from the Colorado Language Arts Society's regional conference. This year, the organizers moved it from The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs to The Inverness Hotel in south Denver. I appreciated the shorter drive, and the more reasonable hotel price. What's more, the layout of the conference rooms was less labyrinthian and the food was better (I did miss the black swans, though.)
This was my third time attending the conference, and the first time I haven't presented a session. I enjoyed just being there with no pressure to perform, and I attended several great workshops, including one by Denver Writing Project alum Jonathan Wright on differences between male and female brains. Another great session was offered by Metro State professor and poet, Renee Ruderman. I always enjoy her workshops, and was delighted to see my '05 SI comrade, Rhys Roberts, there too. What's more, I wrote a poem draft about meeting My New Boyfriend on match.com. (Yeah, I got divorced and turned forty last year. You think doing a teaching demo is stressful? Try entering the dating world after having been married fifteen (ulp) years. I discovered, however, that dating online is a lot like catalog shopping. You place your order and then wait to see it if looks good on you. When Bud was teaching us all about the fabulous applications of the internet, I had no idea it would end up bringing love back into my life!) In any event, with a little tweaking, this new piece might become a poem. Tune in to my blog if you want to see what happens with it.
As always, the highlights of the conference were the keynote addresses. I absolutely love being in the presence of such brilliant speakers and writers. It rejuvenates my hope for humanity and inspires me to be a better member of our species. This year, we were lucky enough to hear Ralph Fletcher talk about boys and writing, Dan and Dawn Kirby talk about memoir, Nikki Giovanni talk about her relationships with Toni Morrison and Rosa Parks, Katie Wood Ray talk about her work with "co-teachers" (writers whose work she uses as mentor texts in her classrooms), and Leonard Pitts talk about the craft of commentary and the writer's life. I left each of their presentations motivated to get back into my classroom and inspired to get out my own writer's notebook.
If enough people attended, it would be great to do some sort of CSUWP social event at next year's conference. I certainly love getting the literary jolt in the arm that the conference always provides, and I think combining it with some sort of summer institute reunion could be fun. Any interest out there?
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Learning 2.0: A Colorado Conversation
You are invited to attend the Learning 2.0: A Colorado Conversation Conference.
What is Learning 2.0: A Colorado Conversation?
Learning 2.0: A Colorado Conversation is a one day conference/meetup for teachers, administrators, students, school board members, parents and anyone who is interested in education. It will be held on Saturday, February 23rd, 2008, from 9:00 am until 3:00 pm at Arapahoe High School in Centennial, Colorado, USA. We assume most folks will be from Colorado, but everyone is welcome to attend, and we are working on some ideas for virtual participation.
What is Learning 2.0: A Colorado Conversation?
Learning 2.0: A Colorado Conversation is a one day conference/meetup for teachers, administrators, students, school board members, parents and anyone who is interested in education. It will be held on Saturday, February 23rd, 2008, from 9:00 am until 3:00 pm at Arapahoe High School in Centennial, Colorado, USA. We assume most folks will be from Colorado, but everyone is welcome to attend, and we are working on some ideas for virtual participation.
Education is conversation.
Conversation creates change.
Conversation creates change.
The future of education does not exist in the isolated world of theory and abstract conference sessions. Instead, it exists in conversations. It exists in creating a robust learning network that is ever-expanding and just-in-time. Learning 2.0 is not the beginning of this conversation. It is merely a stopping point, a time to talk about the visible difference that we all seek.
We read. We reflect. We write. We share. We learn. Come join us for a day of conversation about learning and technology.
You can learn much more about the conference on the wiki, including information about registering. Here are some highlights:
Tentative Schedule
We're still working on the details so this will be updated before the conference. Also, this may expand if we have more folks register than we are anticipating. (To quote Bud Hunt, "This conference stuff is hard!")
Registration
You must register so that we know how many folks to expect and so that we can have enough lunches available. (Who says there's no such thing as a free lunch?)
Cost
Free, baby. And lunch is included, thanks to the generous support of Littleton Public Schools, St. Vrain Valley Public Schools, and Arapahoe High School.
Wireless
BYOL (that would be Bring Your Own Laptop) - we'll have wireless access to the Internet (filtered) - we may test our capacity to handle density of machines, but hopefully things will go swimmingly. If not, we have wired machines in various places you can access.
Questions for Students
We're having a student panel discussion during lunch. Here's your chance to submit some questions for them to consider.
Invite Others
We strongly encourage you to invite other folks from your school, district, neighborhood, or learning network to attend as well. It would be great if everyone could bring at least one person with them that is perhaps new to this conversation.
Questions?
Feel free to leave a comment on this post or on the FAQ page on the wiki.
You can learn much more about the conference on the wiki, including information about registering. Here are some highlights:
Tentative Schedule
We're still working on the details so this will be updated before the conference. Also, this may expand if we have more folks register than we are anticipating. (To quote Bud Hunt, "This conference stuff is hard!")
Registration
You must register so that we know how many folks to expect and so that we can have enough lunches available. (Who says there's no such thing as a free lunch?)
Cost
Free, baby. And lunch is included, thanks to the generous support of Littleton Public Schools, St. Vrain Valley Public Schools, and Arapahoe High School.
Wireless
BYOL (that would be Bring Your Own Laptop) - we'll have wireless access to the Internet (filtered) - we may test our capacity to handle density of machines, but hopefully things will go swimmingly. If not, we have wired machines in various places you can access.
Questions for Students
We're having a student panel discussion during lunch. Here's your chance to submit some questions for them to consider.
Invite Others
We strongly encourage you to invite other folks from your school, district, neighborhood, or learning network to attend as well. It would be great if everyone could bring at least one person with them that is perhaps new to this conversation.
Questions?
Feel free to leave a comment on this post or on the FAQ page on the wiki.
Friday, November 23, 2007
Sunday, November 11, 2007
After the Retreat
If you didn't make it to the writing retreat at Tamasag I hope to see you at the next one. I wrote for the first time since SI! Here are the "tiny poems" Megan suggested we try out. I think I'll do this with my students this week:)
Drained
Soul has fled body through
aura’s tiny chords.
Everybody wants you and so they steel
little pieces of love or disdain.
Then, they keep you.
Joyful
in unseen.
I am that essence.
Content
Tapioca-full belly
by the fire I am close
to dog and cat cuddles
in my lap.
Under me, earth.
Rooted
How a root can hold against water’s flow.
Rocks bunch together and sinew
straps of bush search out for nourishment
How a mother can hold against separation’s flow.
Children bunch together and sinew
straps of broken heart seek the word family.
How a house can hold against time’s flow.
Ghosts bunch together and sinew
straps of grief dig into graves.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Time for a Change
There comes a time in everyone's life that all things must come to an end. I have deleted my Everyday at 40 blog. Please stop by one of my other blogs and leave a note.
Thanks.
http://www.waldencolorado.blogspot.com/
http://www.howtolivewithchildren.blogspot.com/
http://www.julie-shortstory.blogspot.com/
Thanks.
http://www.waldencolorado.blogspot.com/
http://www.howtolivewithchildren.blogspot.com/
http://www.julie-shortstory.blogspot.com/
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Bee in my Bonnet
I bought the helmet because my dad was worried I’d get in a wreck and suffer another head injury. Little did he know it was the helmet that helped cause the wreck.
I’m making great time on my bike, really covering a lot more ground than the last time, in less time, and I was feeling like I was about ready to be done rehabbing my legs and back and get back into real training, hard core training like I’m a professionally athlete again. It’s when I start feeling like this that I’m usually brought an experience to humble myself rather quickly.
I see something fly at me, just above my head, and I can’t tell what it is—I’m too busy listening to Lloyd Banks rap Warrior, and I’m feeling like a warrior, someone not to be toyed with because the consequences could be irreversible. It’s then that I feel something in my helmet. It’s not a leaf, or some other harmless piece of a tree or bush, but a bee. This bee is stuck in my helmet, can’t fly out, so it’s stinging me. It’s hurting, but I’m really moving fast on the bike, so I can’t just pull over. It’s still stinging me, I’m starting to panic at this point, so I’m moving my helmet around on my head, trying to get the bee out, but it’s not working—it’s still stinging me. I’m still panicking, a little bit, so I’m trying to take the helmet off and stop the bike which is like trying talk and cough at the same time: neither is all that successful. I start to pull my bike off the concrete trail, my right hand fumbling with the helmet strap, my left hand applying the front brake. This was not a good thing: the tires on my bike are really skinny, and turning the front tire while applying the brake like a desperate man, brought my two hundred forty pounds forward rather quickly. I’m not sure if I jumped off the bike, or fell, but at some point I was up and to the left of the bike, executing I’m sure what must have looked like a cartwheel with my hands, knee and butt, but I’m not sure what handed first. My head is still stinging, but at this point I’m inspecting my hands, making sure they aren’t a bloody mess, which they weren’t, then unsnapped the helmet, something I was unable to do while on the bike, flung it off, and saw the bee on the ground, and I could see it’s stinger, part of it’s mid section ripped. It was unable to fly. I remember reading an article about how bees were dying, and steps needed to be taken to help save the bees, how important they were for pollination. I stood up, stepped on him and smeared his insides over the concrete next to where my outsides were smeared on the concrete.
I was bleeding from my right calf, my left knee, my left elbow—which hurt, but I didn’t remember it being a part of the afore mentioned cartwheel—my hands bruised from absorbing the weight of my fall, and I’m mad. I’m thinking, “If I hadn’t worn my helmet, I’d be fine right now,” but I did almost get into a head on collision with another biker who had crossed the center line, but I’m still mad. My bike chain is off, so I have to fix that, and I’m debating if I need to go home, or if I can wash up, clean my cuts and scrapes in the sink with soap, of if I need to go the route of hydrogen peroxide. And then, I realize I’ll have to make my way through all the people who are in Old Town, all the freaks—guys wearing dresses, girls wearing gymnastics leotards, people wearing the most bizarre costumes while riding their bikes—who stand in my way, while I’m bleeding on a bike—I could see the blood slowly moving down my leg. Once I made my way back to the freaks, I hollered, “Move! I’m bleeding!” and I wished I had rode the stationary bike instead. But, I also knew, once I was cleaned, and bandaged, I'd have something to write about.
Friday, August 03, 2007
greetings from the watershed writing workshop
I'm writing from "Cloud City," also known as Leadville, CO, and understanding this morning how it got its nickname. It's in the balmy fifties, and me without the proper wardrobe.
Will and I arrived here late yesterday afternoon and have been bowled over ever since by this charming little town, all the amazing history, and the terrific things that are happening in our Watershed Writing Workshop. About a year ago, we received a grant from the NWP Rural Sites Network to fund this dream of Starr Hill's, and now it's finally happening.
As usual, all the groovy writing project synchronicity is taking place, and we have a great bunch of participants who've worked some rigorous magic that they plan to take back to their classrooms. Starr has done an amazing job of building a community, getting them writing and reading and creating and blogging and on and on and on. Suffice it to say that this has exceeded everyone's highest expectations.
Gotta go right now for body biography presentations, lunch, and a writing marathon, so stay tuned for the results....
- Cindy
Will and I arrived here late yesterday afternoon and have been bowled over ever since by this charming little town, all the amazing history, and the terrific things that are happening in our Watershed Writing Workshop. About a year ago, we received a grant from the NWP Rural Sites Network to fund this dream of Starr Hill's, and now it's finally happening.
As usual, all the groovy writing project synchronicity is taking place, and we have a great bunch of participants who've worked some rigorous magic that they plan to take back to their classrooms. Starr has done an amazing job of building a community, getting them writing and reading and creating and blogging and on and on and on. Suffice it to say that this has exceeded everyone's highest expectations.
Gotta go right now for body biography presentations, lunch, and a writing marathon, so stay tuned for the results....
- Cindy
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Craig and Megan and Cindy's Excellent Adventure!
As Cindy says below, we really learned a lot in Wellesley, MA. Cindy was the star presenter, and we beamed with pride as our fellow attendees said, "Who is this amazing woman?" because, she's ours! But we also had a great time walking and running in the 90+ degree heat and seeing the sites. And, we stayed at a conference center on the Babson College campus where the dining room rivalled the Oak Room. You could even get dessert for breakfast, I swear. Tables and tables and tables of buffet, gourmet food. And the last night was lob-stah and clams and peanut buttah pie! Mmmmm, Mmmmm! Naturally, when we went sightseeing in Boston before our flight left, we thought all food in Mass. should be free for the taking, and were disappointed at having to pay.
Craig and Cindy were willing to walk a portion of the Freedom Trail with me so I could "ooh!" and "ahhh!" over the graves of dead revolutionaries. Craig took a lot of digi-pics, so perhaps one will show up here. We bought the requisite loads of Red Sox stuff - sorry, Cam, but your guys are currently 7 games out.
Finally, look for a podcast from Logan International Airport to show up soon. And you'll be hearing more from us about Teacher Research and Inquiry Initiatives.
Craig and Cindy were willing to walk a portion of the Freedom Trail with me so I could "ooh!" and "ahhh!" over the graves of dead revolutionaries. Craig took a lot of digi-pics, so perhaps one will show up here. We bought the requisite loads of Red Sox stuff - sorry, Cam, but your guys are currently 7 games out.
Finally, look for a podcast from Logan International Airport to show up soon. And you'll be hearing more from us about Teacher Research and Inquiry Initiatives.
Monday, July 30, 2007
hello from the nwp conference in massachusetts!
Hi, all,
Just a quick message to say that I just finished showed our Advanced Institute blog (and many of your individual blogs) to the participants here at the "Inside Inquiry" conference in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and they think your blogs--as well as the overall concept of our AI--are way cool! They also love it that we have a site blog and have admired our website, too.
Craig Moyer and Megan Baker are here with me, and they're cramming every resource about teacher research that they can into their heads, and I'm co-facilitating the conference with other members of the NWP Teacher Inquiry Communities Network leadership team. It's been a terrific, but very intense, experience, and we'll have lots of knowledge to share when we get back home.
- Cindy
Just a quick message to say that I just finished showed our Advanced Institute blog (and many of your individual blogs) to the participants here at the "Inside Inquiry" conference in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and they think your blogs--as well as the overall concept of our AI--are way cool! They also love it that we have a site blog and have admired our website, too.
Craig Moyer and Megan Baker are here with me, and they're cramming every resource about teacher research that they can into their heads, and I'm co-facilitating the conference with other members of the NWP Teacher Inquiry Communities Network leadership team. It's been a terrific, but very intense, experience, and we'll have lots of knowledge to share when we get back home.
- Cindy
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
FYI
CSUWP fellow Megan Freeman will be the Featured Reader in the Poets' Co-op Reading series on 10/4.
The Poets' Co-op Fall 2007 Open Reading Series will be held on Thursday, September 6th, October 4th & November 1st at the Loveland Museum on the corner of Fifth & Lincoln. Readings will be downstairs at the Foote Gallery/Auditorium from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Complimentary snacks will be graciously provided by HENRY'S PUB (234 E. 4th St.).
Friday, July 06, 2007
One Last Thing
and then I'll let somebody else talk for a while.
The editorial/submission guidelines for Cricket Magazine and some other children's magazines published by Carus Publishing are here.
Kim's puke poem and some of the other work we heard this month are pieces that these magazines would seriously consider. Cricket pays 25 cents per word for stories and up to 3 dollars a line for poetry.
If you send something to them, be sure to include a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
As I recall, my lovely wife Lauren's first real publication was a short story she placed in their teen mag Cicada.
If you're looking for another real audience for your students, I think Cicada also publishes some work written by teens themselves.
See you in September.
The editorial/submission guidelines for Cricket Magazine and some other children's magazines published by Carus Publishing are here.
Kim's puke poem and some of the other work we heard this month are pieces that these magazines would seriously consider. Cricket pays 25 cents per word for stories and up to 3 dollars a line for poetry.
If you send something to them, be sure to include a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
As I recall, my lovely wife Lauren's first real publication was a short story she placed in their teen mag Cicada.
If you're looking for another real audience for your students, I think Cicada also publishes some work written by teens themselves.
See you in September.
Thursday, July 05, 2007
FYI
On Saturday, September 22, 2007, at 7:30 p.m., poet and former U.S. Poet Laureate Ted Kooser will read and sign books at the Rialto Theater in Loveland. He will present a talk that afternoon at the Loveland Museum & Gallery that will be free and open to the public (with reservations required). (Contact the Loveland Museum & Gallery to make reservations for the afternoon talk.)
In other news, on Saturday, July 14, there is a benefit for the Larimer County Hospice that includes a poetry reading and desserts. Among the readers will be some of my favorite poets: Lisa Zimmerman, John Calderazzo, Evan Oakley, Veronica Patterson, Beth Lechleitner, Linda Aldrich, and Jack Martin.
In other news, on Saturday, July 14, there is a benefit for the Larimer County Hospice that includes a poetry reading and desserts. Among the readers will be some of my favorite poets: Lisa Zimmerman, John Calderazzo, Evan Oakley, Veronica Patterson, Beth Lechleitner, Linda Aldrich, and Jack Martin.
Books from the demo
Hello all again. I have a list of the books I shared at my demo time, but was remiss in writing them down for all of you. So here they are:
The Landry News by Andrew Clements
The School Story by Andrew Clements
Both of these books are great for those middle grade readers (4-6)
And they happen to be about kids who write!
Family Literacy: Easy Ways for Families to Read and Write Together by Marcia Ardis
This is a resource that is best suited for those lower elementary grades (K-3)
Family Literacy Experiences: Creating reading and writing opportunities that support classroom learning by Jennifer Rowsell
I was very excited about this text since it encompasses many different types of literacy activities and even validates the use of comic books as a valuable resource in the classroom!! Yahooo.
The Landry News by Andrew Clements
The School Story by Andrew Clements
Both of these books are great for those middle grade readers (4-6)
And they happen to be about kids who write!
Family Literacy: Easy Ways for Families to Read and Write Together by Marcia Ardis
This is a resource that is best suited for those lower elementary grades (K-3)
Family Literacy Experiences: Creating reading and writing opportunities that support classroom learning by Jennifer Rowsell
I was very excited about this text since it encompasses many different types of literacy activities and even validates the use of comic books as a valuable resource in the classroom!! Yahooo.
Friday, June 29, 2007
permission needed to share your thinking
Hi, all,
It will be SO great to see face-to-face at Tamasag today, but it's also been cool to lurk around here on the blog and get a sense of what's going in SI. Speaking of that...
The National Writing Project has asked our site to participate in a couple of sessions at the national conference in November (it will be in the Big Apple!) to discuss how we've integrated technology into our summer institute. I think it makes a lot of sense to focus on our blog during that session.
Along those lines, I'd like your permission to share these blog entries but also to hear any additional feedback you'd like to offer about your participation here or in other technological aspects (e.g., Diane's demo, the E-anthology) of the SI.
So what do you think? How has the technology piece of SI gone for you? If we didn't have anything happening digitally, how would your experience change?
It will be SO great to see face-to-face at Tamasag today, but it's also been cool to lurk around here on the blog and get a sense of what's going in SI. Speaking of that...
The National Writing Project has asked our site to participate in a couple of sessions at the national conference in November (it will be in the Big Apple!) to discuss how we've integrated technology into our summer institute. I think it makes a lot of sense to focus on our blog during that session.
Along those lines, I'd like your permission to share these blog entries but also to hear any additional feedback you'd like to offer about your participation here or in other technological aspects (e.g., Diane's demo, the E-anthology) of the SI.
So what do you think? How has the technology piece of SI gone for you? If we didn't have anything happening digitally, how would your experience change?
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Because Writing Matters: Chapter 6
Better late than never...
Last week, in a World Cafe format, we had many interesting discussions sparked by Chapter 6 of Because Writing Matters. Here were some of our thoughts:
*Comments on the difference between "assigning" and "teaching"
*Principals rarely ever have the time to observe, interview teachers and examine student writing, as the text suggests. They wear too many hats and only tend to come in for formal evaluations or in response to some kind of problem. We need educational leaders as principals!
*Ongoing process of professional development in the area of writing is necessary
*Great idea to survey teachers about writing and writing instruction
*Principals rarely write themselves...they should be involved in the NWP!
*Principal observations are going toward the "5-minute walk through" epidemic
*Staff buy-in in full is always difficult
I volunteered as "captain" of this group under the impression that we were playing kickball (very sneaky Craig)...is there a chance we will play at Tamasag? :)
See ya, Bissy
Last week, in a World Cafe format, we had many interesting discussions sparked by Chapter 6 of Because Writing Matters. Here were some of our thoughts:
*Comments on the difference between "assigning" and "teaching"
*Principals rarely ever have the time to observe, interview teachers and examine student writing, as the text suggests. They wear too many hats and only tend to come in for formal evaluations or in response to some kind of problem. We need educational leaders as principals!
*Ongoing process of professional development in the area of writing is necessary
*Great idea to survey teachers about writing and writing instruction
*Principals rarely write themselves...they should be involved in the NWP!
*Principal observations are going toward the "5-minute walk through" epidemic
*Staff buy-in in full is always difficult
I volunteered as "captain" of this group under the impression that we were playing kickball (very sneaky Craig)...is there a chance we will play at Tamasag? :)
See ya, Bissy
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