The final post (but not really)

The FINAL post.  So daunting on many levels...FINAL seems so definitive.  Isn’t this really just the beginning anyways?  

I have been totally putting this off since I heard Lacy say those words yesterday morning.  I started the post in the afternoon; but deleted 3 different attempts.  Now, here I am at 7:15 this morning, needing to get this done.  As I sat down at the computer with my coffee, I checked my emails, Facebook, checking account, Pinterest, my gmail account, before I finally set my mind to pulling up my google docs to get started.

  There are so many ways I want the FINAL post to go; but I’m just not ready to go there yet...I will eventually.  This morning, I may be taking the easy way out, but I’m simply going to thank each of you for what you’ve added to my SI experience.

Erika...You’re getting married!  Your focus and great ideas that you shared with us, even while your mind was distracted by your wedding!  

Sarah D. … Another person from the “Common”wealth.  Completely enjoyed the skit aspect of your demo!  

Tiffany... Letting me share in all those mind blowing moments that you had.  Listening to you talk about your girls!

Tonya... LOVE your enthusiasm (even though you took my spot in the collaborative story).  You were never afraid to throw it all out there!

Wendy... Your smart-ass-ness made me laugh a lot!  You made things light hearted but thought provoking at the same time.  Your story moved me, you are a strong lady!  When you get that book published, I want to be at the release party!

Robin... Candy!! Yum!!!  Your passion about what you believe in shines through you!

Jessica... Your additions to the discussions at the end of demos or activities always made me think a little bit more (even when I thought I couldn’t think anymore)

Joshanai...My parking lot buddy!  I really enjoyed our end of the day walks...reflecting on our days, but also talking about our kids and husbands!

Ashley...Your quiet and careful ideas during discussions added another layer.  Enjoyed watching as you got ideas to try in your classroom.

Mary Ellen... Missed you this week.  I enjoyed partnering up with you last week and hearing your thoughts.  

Ben … Eaves dropping on your conversations with yourself gave me some new thoughts. Your wit made me smile.

Meredith... (as you read this, you know you sung it).  Writing those opening scenes may have been my absolute favorite activity.  Didn’t want to end (and I almost got angry at you for making it end).

The leaders...

Lil...Always pushing us to the next level of our thinking.  Opening up doors that were already there; but we were too afraid to answer.

Steve... Helping me to be more comfortable and open with the digital world.  Although I was resistant, I’m coming around!  And the way that your brain processes and analyzes so much...reflected in your profound blog posts.

Lacy... Your enthusiasm and love for what you do.  It shines through in the way you present yourself!

Sally... The demos were all fantastic! Enjoyed sitting next to you and delving a little bit into your beautiful soul!

My group...

Kendra... The movies and music that you seamlessly incorporate into your blogs.  Bouncing ideas off of you and sharing some good discussions.

Kim... Connected from the initial first interview!!  Enjoyed hearing your thoughts and how you are going to incorporate this into your classroom. Relaxing and enjoying lunch together!

Sarah S … Prezi gooroo!  Amazed at how you get it all done for all of your classes, yet contribute in such meaningful ways!  

Nick... Ability to make us laugh at just about anything; yet throw out some really deep and thought provoking statements.  Keeping it real!

I could go on and on and how each person’s demo touched me, but the towel on my head is screaming at me to finish getting ready.

"After the first few nights..."

One of my takeaways for today, came from the Writing Into the Day piece by Barbara Crooker’s piece Patty’s Charcoal Drive-In.   The writing was around 40 lines long...but I picked up on 2 lines close to the beginning of the piece. Then I tuned out a little bit for the rest of it, as I mulled these lines over.  .  

“After the first few nights of mixed orders

and missing cars, the work goes easily.”

I'll be Captain Obvious here...These 2 simple lines brought to mind most of life's experiences.  You start out cold and unknowing with something; but once you do it for a while, things get easier. 

Case in point, this entire SI experience.  Many of us entered the room that has become our safe place, 2 1/2 weeks ago...unsure of what to expect, afraid of what we'd have to do, fearful of our personal writing, inquisitive about this "demo" we'd have to give, terrified at having something to blog about everyday!  I (was I the only one?) participated in discussions with some hesitancy at first while I was testing out the waters.  I also wrote with that same hesitancy at first...doubting myself that I'd somehow do it wrong.  I couldn't find the dern website for the 5 things I was supposed to comment on, let alone write a creative comment.  But after that first day (amazed that it happened even that fast), I came in feeling more comfortable in speaking up and writing with more ease in my daybook.  Now, I can also "find my 5" in a blink of an eye and produce a somewhat thought provoking blog post with confidence.  "...the work goes easily."

The second comparison (dang you, Sarah, I can't get these outlines out of my head! :))  Our writing group.   Our first writing group lunch was filled with "mixed orders and missing cars."  We practically ate in silence as we sat at the same table reading each other's institute drafts.  We made our digital comments directly on the piece rather than speaking aloud to each other.  We definitely didn't get the directions right about actually sharing with each other.  "...mixed orders"  Then there was one of our members who wrote his piece (I won't name names...) while we were sitting there. "...missing cars" But the change since that first day has been phenomenal! 

Today, as we ate lunch together (some at the appropriately scheduled time and others on their own agenda), I marveled at how well we work together.  We started our group project on Monday afternoon with a vague idea of what we'd like to produce.  The 5 of us have contributed multiple layers to this unified project.  When one of us spurts out an idea to add an additional layer to the project, I get even more excited.  There are no more of those awkward silent lunches...rather they are filled with the happy chatter of project ideas, travel plans and inspiring music...go BirdMan.  (If only Kendra would show me how to insert a music video here!)  "...this is enough."

From 1 to Y...

The discussions following both Meredith and Sarah’s demos today made me reflect on how in the world do we sometimes go from point A to point 25.  I do it often inside my head, then I’ll make a comment about the point I’m on, while I get blank looks, I realize everyone else is still on tangent G.  

This was exactly what was happening to me on my walk in from the parking lot this morning, going from point 1 to point Y.  That’s why when I saw Kim in the lobby, I couldn't figure out why she was here.  

I’ll try to OUTLINE my thoughts on that 13 minute walk in:

1. My blog post was so simple yesterday.  I pulled from a Writing into the Day from one day last week.

2. What a cop out to not thinking! Blog posts should be thought provoking!

3.  Hmmm...if I take the short road, then I’m not really getting everything out of this experience.

D. This experience?  How can I even try to articulate this experience to the people I work with?

D-a. We all experience the children at our school in different ways.

5. The kids are our audience, we speak to them in various ways, depending on what we need to deliver to them.

6. Oh, Sarah’s demo from the day before.  She used a lot of “P” words.

sub 6.  small thought on the “pee pants” ha!

VII. What were those P’s ...purpose, perspective, perception.... no not perception.

8. Back to the teachers at school.  I’m interested to see how their perception has changed in being a teacher now that they are both new moms.

Nine.  Back, again to the thought that I’d like to share this experience with my fellow teachers.  Maybe I can link them up to my blog, to see into our days a little bit

X. Ugh, I better come up with some more thought provoking blogs then, can't slack off on the simple posts.

...dang was I on 10 or X...do I go to 11 or Y?  ...why is Kim looking at me in the lobby?

This is trady...mark off a point or two

From my blog post idea file....let's go back to July 10, Day 6.

Marks

My husband fives me an A

for last night's supper,

an incomplete for my ironing,

a B plus in bed.

My son says I am average,

an average mother, but it

I put my mind to it

I could improve.

My daughter believes

in Pass/Fail and tells me

I pass.  Wait 'til they learn

I'm dropping out.

                                                                                                  --Linda Pastan

 

This particular writing into the day had me thinking in my day book... "Don't we all judge and grade ourselves, often times too harshly.  Not only do we grade ourselves, but we think others are grading us also.  Do "regular" people do this also - or just teachers?  Maybe everyone does it - but without the grades.  How can people get to the point of not doing?  Can I get there, please?"







Softball tweeting

I was bummed that I couldn't go to the writing marathon on Saturday with Writing Project.  Although I am am anti-technology sometimes, it was an asset being able to experience the marathon digitally.  I checked in and participated during my daughter's softball tournament in Concord.  I loved seeing others checking in also from their various locations.  So even though we weren't there physically, we made our presence known.

I'm still new to twitter, so I'm sure I missed some tweets from other people and I struggled a bit trying to get mine out there in the twitter world (oh, and I drained my phone battery by about 11:00am)  Below are two of the writings that I came up with during her games.

Jennifer Formon @yoformons

Sorry, trying to figure this out. #unccwp pic.twitter.com/tBx8JUojyf

9:29 AM - 13 Jul 2013

Jennifer Formon @yoformons

#unccwp 10:50 at the field: pic.twitter.com/lUi0kpSH25

11:07 AM - 13 Jul 2013

Rolling in the Deep

I have so many different posts rolling around in my head.  Do you start with the newest idea then work backwards or start with the oldest idea and work forward?

I'm going to start with one of the newer ideas (and maybe toss a few more into this one too).

Friday's demos by Tiffany and Wendy were great.  As I said previously, I have many new activities to implement in my class; but I keep being inspired by all of these great demos for even more!

I love the idea of using the story starters in a basket for the writing work from Tiffany's demo.  I may try to get some ideas out of the kids...wouldn't it be interesting to hear what a 4 year old would come up with for a story starter.  (By the way, I am planning on trying to update the blog throughout the school year to share how all of these ideas translate into the classroom)

Wendy's music demo was great also. (Blog Post title inspired by Wendy)  (One of the things that I really love about the whole SI experience is seeing the excitement from the other teachers, whether they are sharing their demo with us or being inspired by a demo.  When one of us gets a break off idea from a demo and I can see the excitement in his/her face, it makes me excited for him/her.  The whole experience is rejuvenating. This was one of those other blog post ideas that I threw into this one.)

Back to Wendy's demo...music really speaks to small kids.  I'd like to try this idea in the classroom with a small music area with head phones.  The children can listen to various types of music independently, while writing a story or drawing a picture.  I could center the types of music around various "themes"...happy songs, scary songs, quiet songs, etc and see how the pictures and stories differ.

I have a page in the back of my day book where I'm writing the activities that I want to implement in the classroom, I've already about filled up 2 pages!  And still a week to go....

Heavy

Last night, I was recounting the day to my husband, Kory.  As with most of us, I think, the Lisa Delpit piece was in the fore front of my thinking.  I didn't go into much detail though; basically I summarized the piece for him, then moved on to the lack of connect-ability with the internet.  I honestly didn't really want to "go there," but of all of the things I talked about, he picked up on that one.

He then told me about an incident with Commissioner Kim Ratliff and a racial statement... Article from Charlotte Observer.

Is this reverse discrimination?  Is this better/worse/different/? What would the reaction be if she was a white man making a statement about black women?

I don't want to create a bunch of hulabaloo...just throwing this thought out there.  As we talked about at the end Wendy's discussion...we can all have our own opinions.

Next post won't be so heavy...

Are they in our heads?

It's pretty eerie how the leaders of SI seem to have an inside look into our brains.

I have found on many occasions the focus of the activities centers around a thought one of the SIer's had and mentioned on a blog or a conversation struck up between partners or a concept mentioned in a demo.

* Steve's blog post: yesterday was almost directly related to the reading by Lisa Delpit for today.  I had read his post and commented on it before reading the piece.  I had to go back and comment on his post again after reading it.  We talked about that crazy connection coming up the hallway today.

* Sarah's blog post: yesterday mirrored the Writing into the Day reading by Lydia Davis.  Again, rendez-vousing in the hallway to point this out.


Maybe the question isn't "are they in our heads" but what would we do without the hallway?

When it's stuck ... just look around...

Yesterday, when we read Sir Francis Bacon’s piece with Sally, I tried to get one of my thoughts out and did such a poor job.  I just wanted to stop talking and throw out a blaahhh...  My thoughts made sense in my brain but they just weren't getting to my mouth.  

“If he be not apt to beat over matters, and to call one thing to prove and illustrate another, let him study the lawyers’ cases; so every defect of the mind may have a special receipt.”  

This morning, I was mulling it over again I was I driving into “college” today.  I was still visualizing in my brain what I wanted to say; but just couldn't get the words together.   

 As I was waiting at a red light, I looked up at a billboard for Turkey Hill Iced Tea and it said “Everyone is #1 at something.”  I said out loud (although no one was in the car with me) “THAT’S what it is saying!”

Does that make any more sense than what I was saying?  Do they connect for anyone else? To be honest, it makes sense to me...so I’m happy!

Oh, I do revision in my class

Over the past few days, I've enjoyed the activities on revision.  It's made me think about, as a writer, how I do my revising.  I like to revise and tweak my writing and know it's part of my writing process. 

As we've been going through these activities, I can see the other teachers wrestling with how to get revision into their classroom, make is easier for their students, and in general just get their students to do it.  I didn't give much thought to revising in my classroom, because I thought "we don't do it."  We "just" celebrate the fact that they wrote something.  Then as I was reading Kendra's blog this morning, it hit me...I do help the kids with revising.  What was I thinking earlier?  How did I not see this?

After the child writes a phonetic story, he shares it with me.  This is when I help with the revision, but in my mind I call it a discussion.  I use it as a time to make conventional spelling corrections (if he is at the point of understanding that), I help add punctuation...some of those mechanical revisions.  But then, I also help with moving the story along.  I may ask open ended questions to have him write further, or add to the story myself if he is stuck.  (SIers don't look too closely yet at this story, as it's part of my demo tomorrow!)



All of these thoughts for today...and it's not even 8:00...help me!

Catching Connections

I'm considering changing the name of my blog to "Connections".  They really jump out everywhere during the Institute and even on my weekends! 

Connections made today (and just before lunchtime alone):

• Writing Into the Day..."We can revise our life. We can revise our teaching....Think about revision in the largest sense, of imagining things as if they could be otherwise, as Maxine Greene says."  (Katherine Bomer) ----> Walking into UNCC this morning, finished a conversation with my mom about my 25 year old cousin who needs to revise his life!

• Mary Ellen's Demo ...soooo many

-----> my writing process, the exact part of my writing history I focused on for my digital project.
-----> revision bit mirrored last week's sessions.
-----> creativity parts zoned in on my Institute piece, in a way, about sewing.
-----> creativity also made me think of making connections, making things better or different, adapting to make things fit...basically everything I am trying to do in the Institute.
-----> creativity is also what I'm thinking about for my inquiry.  Repurposing the object activity is one that I'll try with the kids in my class.
-----> repurposing the object activity made me think of the Improv of naming something that it's not.

• Steve's blib about revision...add.  -----> I had been wanting to add more to my Institute piece, the perfect time to do so.

• Cindy -----> I had been wondering if I'd see her, as she's the one who "got me into this!"

Sometimes I wonder how I see all of these connections and are there times that I miss some of them?  And is it okay if connections aren't there at times?

A Break....nah

On Wednesday as we were wrapping up for the day, I was glad for the 4 day break.  Not because I am not enjoying myself at Summer Institute; but rather, I needed time to process everything that's been going on.  Monday and Tuesday nights, I was up way past my "bedtime", thinking about all the things that had happened during the institute.  I was constantly making connections, even when I wasn't trying to. (Connections)

Obviously, I am not that type of person that can just take a break! 

As I was cruising Facebook this morning, I came across this post from a fellow Montessori friend... Papa Don't Text.  It stuck a cord with me, as I've been having a hard time figuring out how to get some of the digital ideas presented this week into my classroom.  There have been some neat digital tools that I've enjoyed playing around with.  But, I keep going back to the thought that I don't want to bring technology into my 3-6 year old classroom.  I want to expose them to real materials, real conversations.  This article was centered around parents talking to their children while out of on a walk instead of talking on the phone.  It didn't get into classroom practices.  This quote, however, jumped out at me: "How ironic is it, that, in this era when child-rearing is the focus of unprecedented imagination, invention, sophistication, and expense, something as simple and pleasurable as conversing with our children can be overlooked."

While reading the article above, it made me think back to the activity we did with Lacy.  We read various quotes and then jotted down a few of our thoughts about the quotes.  The one that stuck with me was about transmedia play.  I focused on the fact that kids that are exposed to so much electronic play lose certain key developmental skills. The may not have the opportunity to build with legos, scribble with markers, therefor, they lack fine motor skills or hand eye coordination.  I hadn't even made the connection earlier in the week about delaying language exposure and skills with too much electronic play. 

I guess I just see so many kids who are put in front of ipads, movie players, computers that I'm a little jaded to exposing them in the classroom.  I see parents take the easy road and rely on this technology to entertain and educate their children.   Don't get me wrong, I'm not completely against technology, I just appreciate the "old fashion" play and learning more. 

Now, I'm going to go and enjoy the last day and a half of my break...or maybe I'll find some other connection...

Connections

Yesterday, I read Steve's blog about making connections to things we've done before, things we'll do in the future, just things in general.  It resonated with me that I am constantly doing that.  Not just in education, learning, school but in my everyday life too.  My brain is just always in motion...thinking, connecting thoughts, ideas, actions, etc. (So much so that sometimes I can't sleep because my brain isn't ready to "turn off")

Case in point....this morning for our Writing Into the Day, we watched a video of Chimamanda Adichie.  Her talk was about looking beyond the "one story" of individuals, cultures, groups as a whole, writers, etc.  Afterwards, we were to write into the day about our thoughts.  I found myself thinking about my classroom and how we are always trying to add diversity into the classroom.  We use books using people from different cultures, disabilities, etc.  We provide pictures throughout the room, works about other cultures, and stories of other cultures to promote this diversity.  Yes, Chimamanda, we are doing what we can to help distill that "one story" per culture, that stereotyping.

But then my thoughts kept moving and  kept connecting...We, as teachers, can do this in our classroom to get rid of those negative cultural biases; but what about when the children hear otherwise from outside of the school.  How do we offset some of the stereotypes that parents feed to their children?  Now, I keep thinking, keep connecting....Hey, this is exactly what my group talked about yesterday during Lacy's presentation.  We were exploring other people's inquiry and ours to explore was "I'm interested in the literacy underlives of young children an their teachers: the literacies they bring to the classroom that are expressing informal in formal spaces."

Connections, connections, connections....

Circle and Art Projects

Day one of the Summer Institute brought back a few of those recurring questions about fitting in from the orientation as I drove onto the UNCC campus.  From my previous post though, I was really enjoying the book I got at orientation, thinking a lot about my inquiry and gathering more ideas for my demo.  I already had several ideas that I was ready to bring back into my classroom and also help implement into my school.  So, I was feeling good with only a tiny doubt as I began my morning.

We started off first with the directions of walking down the hallway to the common area for our first activity.  How strange it was to walk down the hallway with a group of people and to NOT remind them to keep their hands to theirselves, use walking feet.  Ah..this is nice.  We gather for a circle, yes, a circle for this activity.  Again, everyone gathers easily with no prompting from me to move away from friends, stop talking, allow space for other friends.  We do an improv piece where everyone follows directions, waits for turns, listens quietly to others.  Next, we play a game with movements.  Now, I'm really thinking, hey, I can do this, I feel right at home here...but it's easier even. 

The first "real" session involves us thinking about our writing timeline and how we've evolve as writers.  Hmm...now we're into a bit heavier things and activities...but wait.  Steve tells us about the tools that we will use to produce the timeline: glue, construction paper, scissors, magazines pictures, markers. 

 Is this really happening?  I feel totally at home surrounded by all of these supplies.  But this time instead of watching and helping the kids with their work, I'm the one creating it! 

And to boot, I really like the people I'm interacting with.  They have great stories to share, interesting ideas to mull over, they are curious about what I have to say...and they don't wipe their boogers on me!  I feel right at home.