Trusting Yourself as a Learner

In the late evening hours long after the last tweet came across the screen, I sat perplexed. #NYEDChat's return to Twitter was a successful #StartStrong chat. Many new educators came on board ready to listen to the wisdom of the dynamic duo of Kassandra Minor and Cornelius Minor. The topic, Bringing "All Students Can Learn" To Life Through Culturally Relevant Pedagogy and Anti-Racist Teaching, was timely and important for a back-to-school conversation.

While everything with the #NYEDChat went well, I clumsily stumbled my way through the steps for making a transcript of the conversation. No matter how many attempts I tried, I kept getting stuck.

Then, I thought of students who also sit perplexed in our classrooms. Without support, they flounder. Luckily for me, I happened to have a Tweet pass by from Brian R. Smith, Sr., "Keep smiling. Let me know if I can help." I did need help and Brian quickly responded with a video on how to easily create an accurate transcript with all the tweets posted. Brian's words gave me the boost I needed.

Knowing that I was out of my comfort zone led to many frustrating moments and a feeling of inadequacy but I plugged along.  It did take me many tries to accomplish what I set out to do but when I finished creating the transcript, I felt pleased with myself. I persevered , took a deep breath, and then continued to ponder on what I needed during the process:

• A guide to help me navigate my way through the struggle ( that is what a teacher does)

• A model to work from (being a visual learner the video provided the steps I needed  to accomplish my goal)

• Time and perseverance to muddle through the mess toward finding a solution

Recently, I listened to Julie James' interview with actress Sabine Fontana on Broadway Names. The idea of trusting yourself came up. I kept the thought, "You got to trust yourself," close to me during the days before the chat.  

With the #StartStrong mantra and that Fontana's quote in mind, I created a wish for all classrooms-offer each student the opportunity to notice, wonder, and be engaged in the productive struggle. A passionate teacher is needed as the guide in a culture of trust where all abilities are honored, all voices nurtured, and student agency fostered. NOW is the time to build the foundation for successful learning for ALL.

Tuesday's Slice of Life

Professional Wonder

As the school year nears closing, educators continue to find resources and avenues to explore their professional wonder. I am impressed by the hundreds of educators who aspire to seek knowledge and grow as learners each day on Twitter. Twitter chats provide excellent soil to plant seeds, share growth, and cultivate new gardens of thought. 

While not being able to join #G2Great on May 4th, I was fortunate to read the archived transcript and Dr. Mary Howard's Literacy Lenses post reviewing last week's educational chat with Cornelius Minor and Courtney Kinney.  You can access Mary's post here. I was intrigued by the way Mary synthesized the information from the #G2Great Twitter conversation, focusing on the theme of building a tapestry. She deftly wove her post together, providing the reader with a backward look on the chat and a forward plan to finish the year strong. 

For those who enjoy the journey of professional wondering like me, I hope you cultivate gardens of thought as you network and learn from other educators. By becoming a voice on Twitter, you can gather seeds of knowledge to support your journey and build your own Wonder Wall of quotes that extend your knowledge and assist you in helping your learners become unique voices in a diverse world of thought. 

From Mary's post and the thoughts garnered from Cornelius' and Courtney's nuggets of wisdom, I created a commitment statement that I will share with other educators as I continue to walk my journey as a wonderologist.

Educators: 
Stand on the precipice of change.
Hand in hand, lift thoughts while
cultivating gardens of unique blossoms,
places of wonder-filled opportunities
where individual seeds root and grow.

With passion, cultivate and care-tend

your garden, recording each growth. 

Step back in faith, vigilant harvesters. 
Watch the fruits of your patient labor:  
each blossom spreading and standing 
tall in harmony with many others. 

Reflect within your garden quadrants.
Find the inspiration to start afresh
With yet another garden bearing blossoms.
You are the tillers of the soil of knowledge.
You are the cultivators of immense learning.
You are educators who finish the year strong!
©CV, 2017

I offer this to post to #DigiLitSunday where the topic is professional wonder. This topic stems from last week's #WonderChat where Dr. Mary Howard was the guest host discussing Instilling a Sense of Professional Wonder. 

Celebrating #ILA16

#ILA16 in Boston last weekend was an amazing compilation of #learning, meet-ups, & strong voices celebrating #literacy. It is not often that you can be in a space of learning with committed educators and literacy luminaries who share the same mindsets and vision to impact teaching and learning. I celebrate the #ILA16 experience through visuals.

My family and I arrived in Boston in time for my #edcampliteracy session where I met Twitter friends face-to-face for the first time. There were many hugs and aha moments before I presented, Discovering Wonder and Joy Through Inquiry Via Family Literacy. As Wonderopolis' Wonder Lead Ambassador, I was happy to shed light on various family literacy programs that allow students and parents to notice and wonder about new topics.

There was high energy the morning #ILA16 opened. Keynote presenters, Kwame Alexander and Adora Svitak, wowed the audience.

During the day, I met up with connected educators and authors.

My colleagues, Dr. Michele Haiken and Laura Purdie Salas, presented Transforming Writers' Lives With Digital Tools as Powerful Agents to Impact Literacy Instruction, Authenticate Voice, & Present Positive Perspectives with me to an full house, engaged audience.

After my two presentations, I felt excited to have engaged with many interested educators and ready for additional learning and meet-ups.

The short video I created expresses my interest in impacting digital literacy. You can access it here. You can read my post on a Courageous Conversation led by Cornelius Minor at #ILA16 here.

Since I missed Celebrate This Week last weekend due to my busy weekend at #ILA16, I am recounting the first part of my celebration of the International Literacy Association Conference in Boston with this post. Please visit Ruth Ayres' Celebrate This Week site to read how Ruth celebrates her family this week. 

Courageous Conversation

Last week in Boston at the International Literacy Association 2016 Conference, a courageous conversation ensued and created a ripple effect with far-reaching effects. I was fortunate to be present when my educator friend, Cornelius Minor, opened an impromptu forum with three simple questions. 

Why did you come? How do you feel? How do you hope to feel?

All present were encouraged to engage in an open conversation on racial relations to help us grapple with the troubling issues of the times. As reflective educators, we listened, partnered to discuss the bystander/upstander concept, and pondered ways to bring the conversation to students on an academic level. The discussion centered on a positive perspective so that trust was built among educators from around the states. During the short time together, a community evolved. 

After the first reflective pause, Sara Ahmed's statement, "Be vigilant of our own biases," prompted me to complete a quick recheck of my past actions and how I have dealt with the issues. I reflected on the amount of racial tensions multiplying throughout the world, leading to a disregard of kindness to fellow man. I thought about the word hate and how it has led to violence and the uprooting of seeds of love. I questioned why there is general unrest and a sense of disconnectedness in the world.

Why did I come to Cornelius Minor's session at ILA 16? 

I came to hear the conversation that would push me out of my comfort zone. How did I feel? To say the least, I felt uneasy. On the other hand, I felt empowered to have a voice in a conversation with thoughtful educators. What I hoped to feel was a sense of balance when I left the room. 

During the courageous conversation, positivity flowed as we grappled with the issues and our emotions. We confronted the uncomfortable and connected as a body of collective practitioners. We provided avenues to explore, knowing that much needs to be accomplished. 

From this conversation, words started spinning in my head. A draft of a poem recording my impressions of the powerful interaction at ILA 16 evolved. I listened, wove words together, and created. Dr. Stephen Peters' words, "Courage and fear cannot co-exist," resounded with me and brought closure to my thoughts. 

From a powerful ninety-minute happening, the following thoughts were designed into a digital composition.

When I left the room, I was almost speechless. The effect of connected educators trying to make sense of the unthinkable stayed with me as a hope for future conversations with family, friends, and educators. One week later, I am still thinking and engaging in face-to-face and Twitter conversations on the issue of man's inhumanity to man. 

What can be done to stop fear from rearing its head and breaking down walls? 

Times are changing. No longer can we skirt the issues of world politics and biases that lead mankind to become involved in destructive outcomes. I believe educators stand on the precipice of change. Connected together, we can:

1. Embrace change
2. Build cultures of trust in active learning classrooms 
3. Engage students in courageous conversations, allowing all voices to be heard and all identities addressed 
4. Provide the open space for students to explore their feelings through writing 
5. Continue grappling with tough issues as a body of practitioners

It is my hope that as connected educators and colleagues, we can band together to raise our voices as a collective body of thoughtful practitioners of life. We have the power to make a difference in a world ridden with disconnect. It our voices that can be heard and our voices that will impact our students' and children's lives. We can become the difference makers that will bring about change.

Reflecting on TCRWP's 86th Saturday Reunion

There is a distinct  energy and feel to New York City when spring begins to peek its head out from a long winter. Streets come alive; people move freely, unencumbered by the weightiness of winter; smiles abound. March 22, 2014, was one of those magical days in the city. Not only did spring tip its hat to greet the day but eager anticipation filled the streets around 120th Street and Broadway. It was a day to celebrate the best of learning from literary luminaries, engaging presenters, and a time to turn and talk with colleagues in the field. Saturday was the TC Reading & Writing Project's gift to educators as it opened the heavy doors of the majestic Riverside Church to the 86th Saturday Reunion. It is with a sense of eager anticipation that I traveled to Teachers College for the day of free professional development that drew over 3500 educators to soak in the magic of spring and mill through the hallowed halls of Teachers College. Credit for the professional development opportunity available to all educators went to Lucy Calkins, who along with the support of distinguished colleagues and staff, planned the day of learning. 

From years of traveling to the Saturday Reunions, I learned that arriving early is a prerequisite. First task once you are on the Columbia campus is to pick up a flyer on the street corners surrounding Teachers College or in the foyer of Riverside Church. The early birds are able to relax into the experience of the day's ongoing learning by perusing the extensive flyer and planning their schedule before the crowds arrive. They are also able to secure a spot in the magnificent church where notable theologians and political figures, such as Martin Luther King and Bill Clinton, have spoken. 

From the moment I stepped into the majestic Riverside Church, I felt a sense of eager anticipation. Collegial and welcoming TCRWP staff greeted guests. Luckily this year, I was able to find a seat close to the front and make acquaintances with first timers from Maine. We chatted about education and ways to maximize the days' workshops before Lucy Calkins' began the day. As I began to reflect on the new learning that would come my way, I started reading the Tweets marked #TCRWP that were filling the Twitter channel. Everyone was there for a singular purpose: to learn new information, strategies, tips, and practices to hone their craft and impact their students' reading and writing lives. 

The program at Riverside Church began with Lucy Calkins speaking about the new site, testtalk.org, that she and other influential people in the field of literacy will open. Next, she introduced Diane Ravitch, historian of education and author of Reign of Error, whose speech was dedicated to defending public education "in the storm of the American public schools crisis." Several of her key statements were well-received by the audience, as evidenced by the number of tweets. 

• We need to find ways to recruit, support, and prepare teachers. 
• Standards should be reviewed continuously.
• Testing reflects socio-economic status. No matter what the test, the pass/fail pattern mirrors family income. 
• Tests don't close the achievement gap; they measure it. 
• What is the plan for children who do not get a diploma?

The last thought left me pondering what indeed is the plan and how will each state resolve this issue. If you would like to see a detailed summary of Diane Ravitch's speech, you can go to a blog post provided by @teachcmb56 at wp.me/p1FPEO-24K.

After this rousing speech, I joined the crowd of teachers who were moving at a fast-pace to the next venue, only to find several sessions closed, including the one that I wished to attend, Maggie Beattie Roberts' workshop, "Teaching Perspective, Author's Intent, and Critical Reading in Nonfiction Text Sets." Luckily, I found one spot in the back of the room and I slipped in just in time to hear the link for the handout, http://buff.ly/1jyrLYN.  We started with a quick look at Standard 6, Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text, and subsequently led through an activity using feeling words as entry points for understanding the point of view of a nonfiction text. I lingered on the following quotes from Maggie: 

• Critical reading is a stance.
• Explore nonfiction as a viewpoint, not just a text. 
• All text have power, perspective, and position. (from Stephanie Jones' book, girls, social class, & literacy)

For more information about nonfiction reading, point of view and perspective you can read the blog post at www.kateandmaggie.com.

Because I thoroughly enjoyed this session, I stayed for Maggie's second workshop, "From Writing Information Books to Designing Websites: A New Unit of Study (and Book) in Information Writing for Middle School." I was not disappointed in my choice for I was introduced to the new Unit of Study in Information Writing for Middle School that Katie co-authored and work from the Riverhead School District's 6th graders. I learned that the goals of this new work are to expose and teach a variety of writing forms from an essay to a book to a website, develop healthy research practice, and incorporate research into writing. 

Next, I went to Kate Roberts' session, Teaching Students to Write Powerful Literary Essays Across 6-8. Kate was particularly animated during her discussion and very engaging.

An important point made was, "Lift the level of literary essay work through claims and thinking." Kate provided examples of the process that she used with 6th grade students to lead them toward independence in writing. She mentioned John Hattie's work on the important factors in student growth. "Kids need to have clear goals and see a clear pathway." She provided examples of Elaborate our Evidence prompts to push analysis, such as:

• This illustrates...because ______________.
• ______________ means ___________. Therefore, ______________.

Because of the short time between sessions, I was not able to speak with Kate and thank her for guest hosting of #nyedchat on March 3rd with Chris Lehman, so I joined the group taking the stairs to exit the building. 

My next and last workshop of the day was led by Stephanie Harvey. Her presentation, Thoughtfully Connecting Technology to Instruction, centered around these key words: connect, create, communicate, collaborate. During the presentation, Steph warned of the risks of technology when using iPads in the classroom with students. There can be an isolation factor. Therefore, teachers need to refocus on talk in the classroom, bringing collaboration to the forefront. A closing thought was to "nurture curiosity by living a curious life." The word curiosity has become a powerful and common thought in Stephanie Harvey's presentations over the years.

With the power of Twitter available and many tweeters recording thoughts from various sessions, I added additional memorable quotes from TCRWP presenters:

On Twitter:
Twitter is the most powerful platform for educational professional development.  -Stephanie Harvey
Twitter profoundly changed my professional life and career.  -Maggie Beattie Roberts

On Saturday Reunion:
As always, the Saturday Reunion Conference reminded me that I'm proud to call the TCRWP my professional home. -Carl Anderson
Reunion is so comfortable to present. -Maggie Beattie Roberts

On Reading:
Any text you read should trigger perceptions, feelings, thoughts. The DNA of reading. -Kathy Collins
Even 5 minutes of talk time after reading improves comprehension. -Lucy Calkins

On Writing:
We don't assign writing. We TEACH it. -Cornelius Minor
Revision is a disposition to be nurtured. -Shana Frazin

On Students:
Students is a word for school. Children is a word for life. -Kathy Collins
Whoever does the work, learns the most. Teachers do less. Kids do more. -Stephanie Harvey

As with every memorable experience, the day came to a close, but the energy for learning remained, and so at the end of a uplifting day of TCRWP collegial conversations and pertinent talk, I bid New York City good by.