I like to connect via Twitter with my global friends about teaching and learning either through chats or blogging. It is amazing to be virtual friends with so many like-minded people who are student-centered and creative. This weekend, Terje Akke, one of my educator friends from Estonia, created her celebration post about an idea that has been marinating for years. Excitedly, I read her post to see what photos Terje would include. She is a wonderful photographer and writer who has been giving her students the gift of writing in the great outdoors but her real desire for years has been to have her students experience how writers go to unexpected places for ideas. Recently, her dream was realized.
In Terje's blog, she described the unusual place she took the children to write. It was the Estonian Art Doll House. I found Terje's photos of the doll museum to be quite engaging. I could picture the young writers milling about the house being greeted by an assortment of dolls. I especially liked the photo Terje included of a Victorian Queen of Hearts type doll. I started playing around with rhyme and decided to draft a short poem for the students to remember their experience. Who knows, maybe they will create their own person poems for each of the dolls they saw.
I am grateful for the connection I have made with Terje. You can see her photographic work in my recent gallery of artistic expressions. Terje has given me a gift. She hasprovided me with insight into the teaching methods and lifestyle of Estonians and continues communication to share ideas. There are many other photographers and educators from across the world that I have met through Twitter. Being able to connect virtually with others across regions makes the world seem more accessible to me.
I celebrate with Terje this week to continue the commitment to celebrating life that Ruth Ayres started.
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