tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30896458425460962162024-03-14T01:52:44.345-04:00MiscellanyA collection of various items, parts, or ingredients, especially one composed of diverse literary works.Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110067104741240779noreply@blogger.comBlogger87125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089645842546096216.post-68613201004067136012014-08-11T16:03:00.000-04:002014-08-11T16:03:00.508-04:00Wonder by R.J. Palacio <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AZBYCxHiXhQ/UY6jvfljOpI/AAAAAAAAAA0/SKRCHeqqTsQ/s1600/11387515.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AZBYCxHiXhQ/UY6jvfljOpI/AAAAAAAAAA0/SKRCHeqqTsQ/s1600/11387515.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">A wonderful story of August Pullman who suffers from a congenital facial deformity. August has been homeschooled, but now that he's going into fifth grade, he decides to attend Beecher Prep. He and his family are admittedly nervous about how going to school will be for August.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">The story is touching and told by several narrators in August's life who all share their perspective of the events. What endures is friendship and kindness and deciding what we want to be known for and how we want to be remembered.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Themes: friendship, acceptance, perseverance, adversity</span></span>Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110067104741240779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089645842546096216.post-76083820252905113922014-08-08T14:32:00.000-04:002014-08-08T14:32:00.040-04:00The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GdfMbnch_x8/U-EiY1AOMBI/AAAAAAAAABc/J6VvVtHxInw/s1600/book-home.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GdfMbnch_x8/U-EiY1AOMBI/AAAAAAAAABc/J6VvVtHxInw/s1600/book-home.jpg" height="320" width="281" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Aliens invade the Earth, but not in the way you think...they do it in waves with the goal of destroying humans and saving the Earth. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">16-year-old Cassie and her family have survived the first three waves. They lose their mother to the 4th wave. Her father is gone at the beginning of the 5th wave and her 7-year-old brother, Sam, is taken to Camp Haven by the United States military. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Cassie is left on her own in a wasteland. The only thing keeping her alive is her promise to reunite with Sam. Cassie is headed to where she thinks Sam has been taken by the military when she's shot. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Later she awakes, having been rescued by the mysterious Evan Walker. But, can she trust him? Can she trust anyone? What will the aliens/"others" do next?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This is the first in a science-fiction series.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Themes: survival, trust, relationships</span>Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110067104741240779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089645842546096216.post-33124306940657813812014-08-05T14:26:00.000-04:002014-08-05T14:26:24.110-04:00Panic by Lauren Oliver<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.laurenoliverbooks.com/panic.php"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--GU9v2mxCMM/U-EhVH9JQzI/AAAAAAAAABQ/6HXnZaW1W-4/s1600/bookcover_home_panic.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">In the small town of Carp, NY, there's a game that new high school graduates play each year in the summer after graduation. 'Panic' is high-stakes and fear-inducing and only the brave survive. With winnings of over $50K, competition is fierce. No one knows who the judges are or what daunting task they will develop next.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Heather and her best friend Natalie join the competition and must face their fears. However, only only one person will win.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Alliances, friendship and trust will all be gained and lost and what will remain? How does the game change the players and is it worth it?</span>Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110067104741240779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089645842546096216.post-61548653981169580382013-05-11T15:58:00.000-04:002013-05-11T15:58:02.470-04:00May Bulletin Board: Wordsworth<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JnUuYIq9yqs/UY6hFTEZTnI/AAAAAAAAAAo/qO53XNoewR4/s1600/Wordsworth+Bulletin+Board.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JnUuYIq9yqs/UY6hFTEZTnI/AAAAAAAAAAo/qO53XNoewR4/s1600/Wordsworth+Bulletin+Board.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
I know I did a <a href="http://casherc.blogspot.com/2013/04/national-poetry-month-bulletin-board.html">poetry bulletin board</a> last month, but I figured another was in order! Since April was about rain and showers, I thought May should be about flowers! The first poem that came to mind was Wordsworth's<a href="http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/174790"> <i>I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud</i></a>.<br />
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I thought, what can I do to make the daffodils 3-D? Hmmm, cupcake liners! I just Googled for a flower template, then used the cupcake liners for the center. A colleague suggested green straws from a certain coffee chain could be used as "stems". Here's a close-up of the flowers:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qs0oczqNlLc/UY6hBNn_KfI/AAAAAAAAAAg/vUGu1htTrlc/s1600/Flower+Close+Up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qs0oczqNlLc/UY6hBNn_KfI/AAAAAAAAAAg/vUGu1htTrlc/s1600/Flower+Close+Up.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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I used 11x17" paper stuffed with shredded paper to make the cloud.</div>
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May your May be filled with beautiful flowers!</div>
Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110067104741240779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089645842546096216.post-19132289753230159452013-04-05T16:51:00.000-04:002013-04-05T16:51:07.619-04:00National Poetry Month Bulletin BoardApril is <a href="http://www.poets.org/page.php/prmID/41">National Poetry Month</a> and I created this bulletin board with <a href="http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/182174"><i>April Rain Song</i> by Langston Hughes</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eQipU6qhojE/UV84sNYDhpI/AAAAAAAAAAM/QJumrEpWje4/s1600/Poetry+Month.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eQipU6qhojE/UV84sNYDhpI/AAAAAAAAAAM/QJumrEpWje4/s1600/Poetry+Month.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
Yep, I'm pretty proud. As a former high school teacher and current Literacy Coach, bulletin boards aren't my strong point. <br />
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What are you doing to celebrate National Poetry Month?Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110067104741240779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089645842546096216.post-5128800854490696022012-01-14T18:56:00.000-05:002012-01-14T18:56:00.843-05:00Trapped by Michael Northrop<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3nrLvuzYzjY/TwJEIjtFVYI/AAAAAAAAAIU/kMJDwdTcWLU/s1600/trapped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3nrLvuzYzjY/TwJEIjtFVYI/AAAAAAAAAIU/kMJDwdTcWLU/s1600/trapped.jpg" /></a></div>
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A huge Nor’easter drops a ton of snow on a Massachusetts
town and traps seven students and one teacher in their rural high school. What follows is a survival tale spanning five
days and countless cold, dark hours in the school. 15-year-old sophomore basketball player
Scotty Weems narrates and tells the reader up front that not everyone will
survive. The students have to find food
and a place to hole up for the duration.
As the power fails and then the emergency lights fail, they will have to
work together to survive and with this mix of personalities that might be
difficult. Then the pipes freeze and the
roof collapses and romance goes bad and jealousy leads to fights. Who will survive and how? Will they be rescued and when? Does anyone even know they are there?</div>
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The novel got a little muddy in the middle, maybe because we
knew from the first pages that not everyone would survive, so the reader was
just waiting to find out who and how. It’s
nice to have a male narrator in a non-sports book for a change.</div>
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Themes: survival,
teamwork, priorities, perseverance, ingenuity</div>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089645842546096216.post-8545681711351393712012-01-10T17:22:00.000-05:002012-01-10T17:22:00.813-05:00Skeleton Creek (Number One) by Patrick Carmen<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sDR6ZFjdCTY/TvzoKcrFBdI/AAAAAAAAAH8/kEToMFjYA2k/s1600/skeleton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sDR6ZFjdCTY/TvzoKcrFBdI/AAAAAAAAAH8/kEToMFjYA2k/s1600/skeleton.jpg" /></a></div>
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This book is presented as the handwritten journal of Ryan
McCray. Ryan lives in Skeleton Creek,
Oregon, a former gold mining town with an eerie past that he and his best friend
Sarah are determined to discover. On one
of their adventures out to the dredge, a former mine site, Ryan breaks his leg
and his parents forbid him from seeing Sarah.
While he’s home recovering, he journals what has been going on and of
course, keeps track of his contact with Sarah.
(They have both found a way around the tracking software their parents
placed on their laptops.) Ryan prints
out Sarah’s email messages for his journal and she posts videos to her
website. Readers can also watch the
videos with passwords that Sarah provides.
This is an interactive media with the text and the videos. The plot was a bit thin and dragged on
without a resolution, which may be because this is a series.</div>
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Themes: Friendship,
discovery, problem-solving</div>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089645842546096216.post-30732500928450219552012-01-09T14:13:00.000-05:002012-01-09T14:13:00.199-05:00The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0dklCLIDt6w/Tvd1Mzk345I/AAAAAAAAAHk/uSa-8rUJxio/s1600/wind.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0dklCLIDt6w/Tvd1Mzk345I/AAAAAAAAAHk/uSa-8rUJxio/s1600/wind.jpg" /></a></div>
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This memoir of William’s life growing up in Malawi the son
of poor farmers, showcases what one can accomplish if one is willing to work
for it. William earns a spot in
secondary school, but due to a famine and poor harvest seasons, his family is
unable to pay his tuition. William wants
to keep up with his studies so he gets class notes from his friend, Gilbert, and
visits the library at his primary school.
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While at the library, William discovers a few books on
physics, energy and science. Although
William’s English is poor, he is able to understand the diagrams and looks up
words he doesn’t know in the dictionary.
William decides to build a windmill to provide lights for his family’s
home and hopefully power an irrigation system for the farm so they never have
to go hungry from a draught again.
William’s windmill is successful in providing energy and gains much
interest from local villagers and some businessmen in the city.</div>
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The windmill changes William’s fortune and future. His radio interviews yield an invitation to
be a TED Global Fellow in 2007 at age 14. See his TED talk <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/william_kamkwamba_on_building_a_windmill.html" target="_blank">here</a>. He meets
many people at the TED conference who eventually help him with tuition for
school and encourage him to write this memoir.
While on the book tour in the U.S., William visits many colleges and
decides to attend Dartmouth where he is currently a student.</div>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089645842546096216.post-62126046407058252462012-01-04T14:14:00.000-05:002012-01-04T14:14:07.307-05:00One Little Word, 2012<br />
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So I’m not the New Year’s resolution type. Really, I’m not. I know that comes as a surprise to those who
know me since I’m “Type A” and goal-oriented and all. I’ve just never gotten into resolutions. However last year, I was reading some of my
blogs (like this <a href="http://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com/2012/01/04/ruths-olw-reflection-2011-word-2012/" target="_blank">one</a>) and noticed that folks were choosing a word of the year - a word to live
by or to live for or to live up to. I
liked this idea, so I came up with a word, or rather, a word found me. My word for 2011 was <b>flexibility</b>.</div>
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Remember when I said I was “type A”? Well, that doesn’t really make one flexible. I was in a new job and things were quite
reactive instead of proactive and I was having a difficult time adjusting and
finding my happy place. So, when several
months into the job, the word flexible found me, it was PERFECT. I needed to learn to be less rigid; to let
things go; to take things less seriously; to stress less. I applied this in my personal life as well. My husband and I went away for the weekend
with nothing but hotel reservations. I
hadn’t planned the whole trip out or done a ton of research; we just arrived
and found stuff to do. The one area of
flexibility I didn’t work on (but should have) is physical flexibility. You know when you take those fitness
assessments at the gym and they tell you your body age vs. your real age? Well, I stink at the flexibility part. Actually, my score is poor! So, I should have worked on that, but I didn’t.
My loss, or rather my hamstrings’ loss.</div>
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On to 2012! I’ve been
thinking for weeks about my word and tossed around some possibilities. But the word that found me is <b>blessing</b>. According to dictionary.com:</div>
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<b>bless·ing<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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noun</div>
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1. the act or words of a person who blesses.</div>
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2. a special favor, mercy, or benefit: the blessings of liberty.</div>
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3. a favor or gift bestowed by God, thereby bringing happiness.</div>
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4. the invoking of God's favor upon a person: <i>The son was denied his father's blessing</i>.</div>
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5. praise; devotion; worship, especially grace said before a
meal: <i>The children took turns <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>reciting the blessing.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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I’m thinking of counting my blessings and being more
appreciative and thankful for them all. I’m
thinking to try and be a blessing to others with my speech and actions. I’m thinking of using my faith to appreciate
the blessings from above with my thoughts, speech and deeds.</div>
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Here’s my first example, January 2 found me back at work
while the majority of the country enjoyed a federal holiday. Instead of being bitter, I acknowledged that
there are many out there without a job and I should feel blessed that I GET to
go to work every day!</div>
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So, we’ll see how it goes, my year of the blessings! What words are speaking to you?!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089645842546096216.post-75259348463231484072012-01-04T13:02:00.000-05:002012-01-04T13:02:00.779-05:00Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kynkX8y2Iho/TvoIIqa5itI/AAAAAAAAAHw/EI2zUTnc7BE/s1600/akata.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kynkX8y2Iho/TvoIIqa5itI/AAAAAAAAAHw/EI2zUTnc7BE/s1600/akata.jpg" /></a></div>
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Part fantasy, part science fiction, this novel set in
present day Nigeria chronicles the life of 12-year-old Sunny. Sunny is albino and was born in America where
she lived until she was 9-years-old, both of these cause her to be teased
mercilessly at school. She does befriend
Orlu, a boy who sticks up for her against the bullies, and his neighbor Chichi,
who is homeschooled. Sunny soon
discovers something Orlu and Chichi already knew, she has magical powers and
can visit the spirit world (Leopard) and the human world (Lamb). Orlu and Chichi have powers as well and they
all meet Sasha when he comes from America to live with Orlu’s family. These four young people must navigate both
worlds while learning many difficult lessons.</div>
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I don’t know if a sequel is planned, but I could see the
author tracing the adventures of these four adolescents for years to come.</div>
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Themes: friendship,
trust, maturity, change, parent/child relationships</div>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089645842546096216.post-6590674575247375282011-12-31T16:35:00.000-05:002011-12-31T16:35:00.622-05:00Goals: Update for 2011<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">The last day of 2011 and it’s time to do a</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><a href="http://casherc.blogspot.com/2011/01/goals-for-2011.html">goals</a></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">progress update.
How did I do? Did I reach my
goals? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Get published.</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Well, I feel like a
broken record: rejected again. After a major rewrite of the article, we sent
it to an International Reading Association publication and were rejected. (With some pretty harsh comments from one of
the reviewers, I might add.) We’re at a
little bit of a stand-still right now.
Do we lower our standards and try for publication in a state journal
instead of a national journal? Do we do
another re-write? Do we give up?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Read more books.</span></b><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> (Goal of 50 in 2011)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Fifty-nine! </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">I’ve read 59 books this year. Even if you take out the six picture books, I
still exceeded the goal! Here’s a
graphic of my reading history for the past three years:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SS8xEERXuPA/Tv4ukTWJgJI/AAAAAAAAAII/j0O86z4xTGs/s1600/books_read.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="71" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SS8xEERXuPA/Tv4ukTWJgJI/AAAAAAAAAII/j0O86z4xTGs/s320/books_read.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">I still have a few
reviews to write and post from books I’ve read in the past week. I hope to get those up the first week of
January.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Blog more often.</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> (Goal of three times per month)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Ugh, I slipped up on
this one and only blogged twice in November!
I made it for ten months either meeting or exceeding three posts per
month, but blew it in November. However,
I had 56 posts this year and if you AVERAGE my posts for the year, it’s 4.66
per month. So, I’d say that’s still a
success!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">That’s it for 2011! I’m still thinking of my 2012 goals and have
an idea of my <a href="http://www.bigpictureclasses.com/onelittleword.php">One
Little Word</a> too! More on that soon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Happy New Year!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089645842546096216.post-69617292140370575652011-12-23T11:23:00.002-05:002011-12-23T11:23:23.775-05:00Where She Went by Gayle Forman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0Qr17Y5caUU/TvSqwF4RkpI/AAAAAAAAAHY/qhS_dbMgx6g/s1600/book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0Qr17Y5caUU/TvSqwF4RkpI/AAAAAAAAAHY/qhS_dbMgx6g/s1600/book.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Where She Went</i> (2011)<i> </i>is
a sequel to <i><a href="http://www.ifistay.com/" target="_blank">If I Stay</a></i> (2009), which
is about 17-year-old Mia whose family is killed in a car accident that she
survives. Mia’s boyfriend, Adam, and
best friend, Kim, help her through the difficult recovery and grief at losing
her parents and brother.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fast forward three years, and much has happened. Mia has gone to Julliard and is an aspiring
cello virtuoso. Adam and his band,
Shooting Star, have made it to the big time, with their first album going
double-platinum. Adam narrates this
story as his band’s second album is released and they begin touring. He is still dealing with Mia’s rejection from
three years ago, just after she moved to New York to attend Julliard. He’s had virtually no contact with her, but
cannot move on. He suffers greatly and
is definitely a lost soul after going through so much to save Mia and help her
recover to only lose her anyway.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Beautifully written and fast-paced, the second half of this
novel is amazing when Adam and Mia reconnect and attempt to recover from
tragedy. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Themes: loss,
reconciliation, relationships, dreams/goals, unconditional love</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089645842546096216.post-11666590528202748832011-12-09T16:32:00.000-05:002011-12-09T16:32:00.328-05:00Writing, Technology and Teens<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In 2008, the Pew Internet Trust released a report titled,
Writing, Technology and Teens. While the
study is a few years old, I was pleased to see that “93% of teens say they
write for their own pleasure.” They also
have a great graphic about writing done outside of school.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-98372krOem0/TuJVXFzePmI/AAAAAAAAAHE/aab5vbML6R0/s1600/Non-school.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="289" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-98372krOem0/TuJVXFzePmI/AAAAAAAAAHE/aab5vbML6R0/s320/Non-school.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Here’s the list of their findings:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RSdVKR8w7vE/TuJVdTRNnaI/AAAAAAAAAHM/cCGMOvOvT4M/s1600/2011-12-09_1330_001.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RSdVKR8w7vE/TuJVdTRNnaI/AAAAAAAAAHM/cCGMOvOvT4M/s320/2011-12-09_1330_001.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="apple-style-span"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The full report can be found <a href="http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2008/Writing-Technology-and-Teens/01-Summary-of-Findings.aspx" target="_blank">here</a>. This really got me thinking about my Writing Workshop block and am I doing enough authentic writing.</span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089645842546096216.post-84357164147601517742011-12-02T08:38:00.001-05:002011-12-02T08:39:58.362-05:00Moon over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ubKtqloPM5g/TtjVBz7tqNI/AAAAAAAAAG8/sdQ_OTyWTUs/s1600/moon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ubKtqloPM5g/TtjVBz7tqNI/AAAAAAAAAG8/sdQ_OTyWTUs/s1600/moon.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the summer of 1936, Twelve-year-old Abilene Tucker
returns to Manifest, <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Kansas</st1:place></st1:state>,
her father’s hometown. The problem is
her father isn’t with her. After years
of a nomadic life, Gideon feels a young lady needs a home, so he sends her to
Manifest to live with friends of the family, except <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Abilene</st1:place></st1:city> has never met any of them. She’s excited to find out about Gideon’s
childhood and to see the town he has described so many times. However, much has changed since Gideon left
in 1918; the town doesn’t seem like the Manifest of Gideon’s stories. <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Abilene</st1:place></st1:city>
meets townspeople and uncovers Manifest’s history. Alternating chapters flashback to 1918, and
the war, the townspeople (mostly immigrants) and the local mine which was the
primary employer at the time. Through
these flashbacks, <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Abilene</st1:place></st1:city>
learns all about Gideon, Manifest and the true meaning of home.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2011 Newberry Medal Winner </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089645842546096216.post-87475604896733073822011-11-15T16:21:00.000-05:002011-11-15T16:21:00.490-05:00Drowning in Data (and paperwork)<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What’s that phrase being bandied about right now, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Data rich and information poor</i>?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sometimes feel that way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have state standardized assessments,
district quarter assessments, unit common assessments, tests, quizzes,
homework, classwork….We have the data, what do we do with it?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One thing is fill out reports with it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have spreadsheets that are 14 pages long
with all the data we could ever hope to know about a student! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently, my district isn’t the only one in
this predicament.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was an article
in the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Washington Post </i>last week
about this very topic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even the title, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/paperwork-burden-plagues-teachers/2011/11/11/gIQALB3aFN_story.html" target="_blank">Paperwork Burden Plagues Teachers</a></i>, tells
the story.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So we have the data, we have a report, now what do we do
with it all?</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089645842546096216.post-61009587861707352452011-11-01T08:11:00.000-04:002011-11-01T08:11:00.266-04:00Ducks Quack, Eagles SoarMy Principal is good at reading her staff. She knows when we need a pick-me-up. This is what she shared with us today...<br />
<br />
No one can make you serve customers well….that’s because <b>great
service is a choice</b>. <a href="http://www.harveymackay.com/">Harvey Mackay</a>, a business motivational speaker, tells a wonderful story about a cab
driver who proved this point.<br />
<br />
He was waiting in line for a ride at the airport. When a cab pulled
up, the first thing Harvey noticed was that the taxi was polished to a
bright shine. Smartly dressed in a white shirt, black tie, and freshly
pressed black slacks, the cab driver jumped out and rounded the car to
open the back passenger door for Harvey.<br />
<br />
He handed my friend a laminated card and said: ‘I’m Wally, your
driver. While I’m loading your bags in the trunk I’d like you to read my
mission statement.’<br />
<br />
Taken aback, Harvey read the card. It said: Wally’s Mission
Statement: To get my customers to their destination in the quickest,
safest and cheapest way possible in a friendly environment….<br />
<br />
This blew Harvey away. Especially when he noticed that the inside of the cab matched the outside. Spotlessly clean!<br />
<br />
As he slid behind the wheel, Wally said, ‘Would you like a cup of
coffee? I have a thermos of regular and one of decaf.’ My friend said
jokingly, ‘No, I’d prefer a soft drink.’ Wally smiled and said, ‘No
problem. I have a cooler up front with regular and Diet Coke, water and
orange juice.’ Almost stuttering, Harvey said, ‘I’ll take a Diet Coke.’<br />
<br />
Handing him his drink, Wally said, ‘If you’d like something to read, I
have The Wall Street Journal, Time, Sports Illustrated and USA Today..’<br />
<br />
As they were pulling away, Wally handed my friend another laminated
card, ‘These are the stations I get and the music they play, if you’d
like to listen to the radio.’<br />
<br />
And as if that weren’t enough, Wally told Harvey that he had the air
conditioning on and asked if the temperature was comfortable for him.
Then he advised Harvey of the best route to his destination for that
time of day. He also let him know that he’d be happy to chat and tell
him about some of the sights or, if Harvey preferred, to leave him with
his own thoughts…<br />
<br />
‘Tell me, Wally,’ my amazed friend asked the driver, ‘have you always served customers like this?’<br />
Wally smiled into the rear view mirror. ‘No, not always. In fact,
it’s only been in the last two years. My first five years driving, I
spent most of my time complaining like all the rest of the cabbies do.
Then I heard the personal growth guru, Wayne Dyer, on the radio one day.<br />
<br />
He had just written a book called You’ll See It When You Believe It.
Dyer said that if you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day,
you’ll rarely disappoint yourself. He said, ‘Stop complaining!
Differentiate yourself from your competition. Don’t be a duck. Be an
eagle. Ducks quack and complain. Eagles soar above the crowd.’<br />
<br />
‘That hit me right between the eyes,’ said Wally. ‘Dyer was really
talking about me. I was always quacking and complaining, so I decided to
change my attitude and become an eagle. I looked around at the other
cabs and their drivers.. The cabs were dirty, the drivers were
unfriendly, and the customers were unhappy. So I decided to make some
changes. I put in a few at a time. When my customers responded well, I
did more.’<br />
<br />
‘I take it that has paid off for you,’ Harvey said.<br />
<br />
‘It sure has,’ Wally replied. ‘My first year as an eagle, I doubled
my income from the previous year. This year I’ll probably quadruple it.
You were lucky to get me today. I don’t sit at cabstands anymore. My
customers call me for appointments on my cell phone or leave a message
on my answering machine. If I can’t pick them up myself, I get a
reliable cabbie friend to do it and I take a piece of the action.’<br />
Wally was phenomenal. He was running a limo service out of a Yellow
Cab. I’ve probably told that story to more than fifty cab drivers over
the years, and only two took the idea and ran with it. Whenever I go to
their cities, I give them a call. The rest of the drivers quacked like
ducks and told me all the reasons they couldn’t do any of what I was
suggesting.<br />
<br />
Wally the Cab Driver made a different choice. He decided to stop quacking like ducks and start soaring like eagles.<br />
<br />
Ducks Quack, Eagles Soar.<br />
<br />
Have a nice day, unless you already have other plans.<br />
<br />
How will you serve your customers (read: students, parents, colleagues) today?!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089645842546096216.post-27310156279283813542011-10-29T13:05:00.000-04:002011-10-29T13:05:00.447-04:00Mediactive by Dan Gillmor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SNGdviL1Dg0/TonrzFkcKyI/AAAAAAAAAGw/nhH0Fei-0yk/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SNGdviL1Dg0/TonrzFkcKyI/AAAAAAAAAGw/nhH0Fei-0yk/s1600/images.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
How has media publication changed? How will it continue to change? As we move further into the digital age, we will
be creators and producers of the news, rather than passive receivers. Gillmor offers many insights into media and
journalism in an evolving climate from managing your online presence, to being
a skeptical consumer of information, to trustworthy media/journalism and plenty
of ideas and suggestions for improvement.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All of this begs the question, what are we teaching in
schools in order to prepare our students to face the media of the future?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Author Dan Gillmor is the founding director of the <a href="http://startupmedia.org/">Knight Center for Digital Media
Entrepreneurship</a> at Arizona
State University’s
<a href="http://cronkite.asu.edu/">Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass
Communication</a> and writes an online column for the <a href="http://guardian.co.uk/">Guardian</a> newspaper. He also runs the website <a href="http://mediactive.com/">mediactive.com</a>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089645842546096216.post-31064770217962695452011-10-26T13:41:00.000-04:002011-10-26T13:41:15.352-04:00Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ldvDaepLDas/TqhGBAlsMMI/AAAAAAAAAG0/-JjiVYIN1Tg/s1600/BYT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ldvDaepLDas/TqhGBAlsMMI/AAAAAAAAAG0/-JjiVYIN1Tg/s1600/BYT.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>The Great Gatsby</i>
meets <i>Romeo and Juliet</i>…this historical
fiction novel is set in New York City
and surrounding suburbs during prohibition.<span>
</span>Of course, girl falls in love with boy, boy falls in love with girl,
then they discover they are from rival families.<span> </span>The story was moderately engaging, but I was
distracted by the lack of historical accuracy.<span>
</span>I don’t believe young ladies in 1929, would have behaved in the way
these characters are portrayed.<span>
</span>Apparently this is the first in a series and I believe the second
historical fiction series for this author, her first being <i>The Luxe</i>.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089645842546096216.post-59162979112888456962011-10-01T12:02:00.000-04:002011-10-01T12:02:00.690-04:00Goals Update: July - September<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Here we are, beginning the fourth quarter of 2011 and it’s
time to do a <a href="http://casherc.blogspot.com/2011/01/goals-for-2011.html">goals</a>
progress update and see how I’m doing on achieving my goals.<span> </span>Here’s the break down for third quarter.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ol start="1" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal"><b>Get published.</b></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This one is still in progress. <span> </span>I’m over the sting of a second rejection of
our article. <span> </span>Now my colleague and I have
done a major overhaul and are going to shop it around to another publication.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ol start="2" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal"><b>Read more books. </b> (Goal
of 50 in 2011)</li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Forty-nine!<span> </span>That’s
right, 49 books read.<span> </span>I am going to blow
this goal out of the water!<span> </span>My average
is 5.4 books per month. I’ll admit that six of these books were picture
books, but even if you subtract those from the list, I’ve read 43 books and
will definitely <s>meet</s> exceed my goal! <span> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ol start="3" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal"><b>Blog more often.</b>
(Goal of three times per month)</li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m
still kickin’ it on this one.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
July = 4 posts</div>
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August = 8 posts</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
September = 7 posts</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We’ll see how long I can keep it up now that school is back
in session…</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There you have it, my goals update for the third quarter of
2011.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089645842546096216.post-57286224961742250182011-09-23T11:37:00.000-04:002011-09-23T11:37:00.395-04:00Who are we leaving behind?A friend recently loaned me his copy of the August <i>Christian Science Monitor</i> because the cover story was about education. The article was quite insightful and I'm ashamed to say on a topic I'd not thought about: gifted education. <br />
<br />
In this high-stakes accountability environment, our gifted students are often forgotten. I know in most districts where I have worked, our focus has been on the most at-risk (or ask my current employer says: at promise) students. But, what about our gifted learners? Are they being pushed to their fullest potential? Are we challenging our gifted learners? Shouldn't we consider all students, not just the sub-group/reporting category that may prevent a school from making AYP?<br />
<br />
I'd encourage you to read the article <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Education/2011/0831/Back-to-school-Are-we-leaving-gifted-students-behind">here</a>. <br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089645842546096216.post-64397414701983826742011-09-20T09:00:00.000-04:002011-09-20T09:00:04.570-04:00Making Thinking Visible<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yenXory2fk8/TnE4WRSSOsI/AAAAAAAAAGs/uFGcF5af0ec/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yenXory2fk8/TnE4WRSSOsI/AAAAAAAAAGs/uFGcF5af0ec/s1600/images.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
This professional text is from Harvard's Project Zero. It is filled with thinking routines for
classroom use along with case studies and a DVD. These are excellent resources for any and all content areas and grade levels. The book is organized in a very handy way with the routines grouped by use - before, during and after the learning occurs. I have used these routines with students and adults, which great success!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089645842546096216.post-32599430568017756802011-09-14T19:23:00.002-04:002011-09-14T19:23:15.121-04:00What if school were fun?A few months ago, I read a tweet from Kylene Beers linking to this video:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/2lXh2n0aPyw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
Beers asked about what we could do to make school routines more fun. What do you think?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089645842546096216.post-63913627610124292092011-09-12T11:54:00.000-04:002011-09-12T11:54:23.968-04:00Ten Miles Past Normal by Frances O’Roark Dowell<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
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<a href="" name="OLE_LINK2"></a><a href="" name="OLE_LINK1"><span></span></a><span><span><b></b></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2DkJ5Ye6ovk/Tm4q5CnyATI/AAAAAAAAAGo/Byzq8jLqfM8/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2DkJ5Ye6ovk/Tm4q5CnyATI/AAAAAAAAAGo/Byzq8jLqfM8/s1600/images.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span><span>Farm Girl, Skunk Girl, Haystack Girl, Goat Girl…you pick the name
and fourteen-year-old Janie has heard it.<span>
</span>She thought it would be cool to live on a farm, but once she gets to
high school, it’s definitely NOT cool!<span>
</span>It doesn’t help that her friends from middle school are all spread out
and she doesn’t know anyone in her lunch period.<span> </span>At least she has one class with her best
friend, Sarah, and they get to do a project on a great woman in history.<span> </span>This leads Janie and Sarah to a local lady
who taught blacks how to read and write during the Civil Rights Movement.<span> </span>Janie learns just what it means to <i>live big.</i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span><span>This is very much a coming of age novel about Janie figuring out who
she is and what she stands for. <span> </span>It would
be appropriate for middle school readers as there’s no foul language, drug use,
sexual encounters, etc.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span><span>Themes:<span> </span>friendship,
discovery, standing up for what’s right</span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089645842546096216.post-74486992359468767122011-09-08T11:45:00.000-04:002011-09-08T11:45:00.196-04:00Change: Part Two<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yesterday, I wrote about changes and the implementation
bridge that teachers must cross when learning something new.<span> </span>“When implementers make it across the bridge,
self and task concerns should decrease while impact concerns should increase.”<span> </span>So if there’s truly fidelity to the
implementation, teachers are less concerned about how the change will impact
them and most concerned about how the changes will impact students’ learning.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, how do I support teachers where they are and help them
move forward?</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Levels of Use</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Level 0 Non-use</b> –
no involvement, not doing anything related to change.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Level I Orientation</b>
– learning about, exploring requirements, evaluating value</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Level II Preparation</b>
- preparing to implement, asks questions, attends meetings, considers
innovation/change</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Level III Mechanical
Use</b> – begins to use curriculum, first attempt is disjointed, scheduling is inefficient,
refers to guides often</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Level IV Routine</b> –
pieces are coming together, can predict what happens next, moves through
lessons smoothly, focus remains on the process</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Many teachers will start at Level III since participation at
professional staff development training is mandatory. <span> </span>The key seems to be helping teachers move out
of their discomfort.<span> </span>This could be
co-planning with teachers, co-teaching lessons, etc. <span> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A large part will also be monitoring implementation and providing
constructive feedback. <span> </span>This could be via
classroom visits or debriefing of lessons together.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hall, G. E., Hord, S. M. (2011).<span> </span>Implementation:<span> </span>Learning builds the bridge between research<span> </span>and</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
practice<i>.</i><span> </span><i>JSD</i>,
32(4), 52-57.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089645842546096216.post-5198075574363240982011-09-07T11:28:00.001-04:002011-09-07T11:47:39.805-04:00Change“Change cannot occur without professional learning.” Whoo, hoo! This will keep Instructional Coaches in business for a long time! Change is always happening in education and with change comes new learning, discomfort and maybe obstacles. How do we support teachers (and students) in developing new understandings and acquiring new skills?<br />
<br />
<br />
Part of my role as an Instructional Coach is to support teachers’ implementation of new curriculum and improved instructional practices through job-embedded professional development. Hopefully, I can be the bridge to forge the implementation dip that occurs when one learns something new. This leads me to the Concerns Based Adoption Model (CBAM) as a tool to assess progress and support implementation efforts. <br />
<br />
<br />
First, I have to be aware of how the change will impact teachers; thus, the personal/affective aspects of change. Where are my teachers on this continuum?<br />
<br />
Stages of Concern:<br />
<b>Awareness </b>– not aware of change or doesn’t want to learn it.<br />
<b>Information</b> – heard of change, needs more information.<br />
<b>Personal</b> – main concern is how change will affect me.<br />
<b>Management/Task</b> – main concern is about the scheduling, tasks to be one, management.<br />
<b>Consequence/Impact</b> – main concern is how to make the change work for student success.<br />
<b>Collaboration</b> – main concern is how to make it work even better by collaborating with colleagues<br />
<b>Refocusing</b> – seeking out continuous improvement to make the change even better.<br />
<br />
<br />
Typically, teachers’ comments in meetings and even in hallways, give insight to where they are on this continuum. I have seen teachers move several stages in one professional development session. I have seen other teachers camp out on one stage for a while. My goal is to meet them where they are. Tomorrow, I’ll post about how to help teachers move forward.<br />
<br />
<br />
Hall, G. E., Hord, S. M. (2011). Implementation: Learning builds the bridge between research <br />
and practice. JSD, 32(4), 52-57.<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0