Planner Versus Pantser

Are you a planner or a pantser? Are you intrigued by this question posed by Margaret Simon for this week's DigiLit Sunday? I was but must admit that I never heard the term, pantser before. Upon researching the word, I realized that I did know what it meant, a person who flies by the seat of his/her pants. 

Relating this term to education, makes me question if we need to choose between being a planner versus a pantser? Can we be a little of both? When thinking about curriculum for an upcoming lesson or presentation, most educators plan. Some have intricate planbooks and others have a basic sketch or thought for a lesson's framework. Sometimes plans need to be changed due to kidwatching. The teacher who thoughtfully planned a lesson changes course due to the thoughtful read of student expressions. A teachable moment evolves with creativity stepping in. Well-crafted plans are tweaked or put aside to hone in on a concept. Paths take a turn and learning continues because of the teacher's watchful eye. The teacher dons the role of a plantser, planting the seeds for a better lesson than the original.

Teachable moments allow for the magic of learning to occur.

Are you a planner, pantser, or plantser? Read more at DigiLit Sunday.

DigiLit Sunday

Seasonal Change

As I walked on the boardwalk today, I realized what I wrote yesterday is evident today: Moments in time transition with each seasonal change. 

From March to April, I noticed a change at the boardwalk and wondered why it was important to me. I decided to look at the contrast and similarities to explore the topic "Why Are We Doing This", posed by Margaret Simon for DigiLitSunday. 

Reflecting on a March day 
at the Long Beach Boardwalk on Long Island:



Picture this April day at the same boardwalk:

It's boardwalk Sunday-
A crystal blue sky, 
Seagulls sweeping by, 
Children out to play,
A beach time soiree.

Questions:

What do you notice in the digitals? What do you wonder about? Why are these questions important? How do the questions about the digitals impact your thinking? 

Self-Reflection:

I pause to ask myself "Why do I create digital inspirations and write poetry?" As a wonderologist, nature and small moments in life spark my curiosity and ignite creativity. 

-I notice and wonder about what I see.

-I observe and examine life and find positivity in its gifts.

-I celebrate the small moments with the eye of a photographer.

-I explore life with the poet's pen to experience the full potential of the possible.

-I share my findings so that others may find their voice and be immersed in the process of creating. From that act inspiration and joy flows.

The Journey:

Celebrating life poetically with a positive outlook is a pathway I travel to explore life and learning. Beyond the digitals, I create global galleries of artistic expressions as a means to connect voices from around the world and to share the love of poetry through the wonders seen.  

Projected Thought:

A creative, joyful environment where process and voice are honored is a haven of learning. 

If ALL students could view the world with creative eyes and curious minds, then their learning spaces would be filled with passions they wish to explore. Choices would be offered, inquiry paths sought, and process-driven results the offshoots. "Messy learning" would become a positive within their grasp as they grapple with creating content not just taking it in. 

DigiLit Sunday

I will be celebrating the month of April with poetryliscious poetry and a soon to-be-announced spring gallery. 

These digitals, as part of my Poetryliscious Poetry collection, will be offered to Laura Purdie Salas for her National Poetry Month project, #wonderbreak. 

March Musings 5: Slicing Our Lives

Above digital was created with a new photo editing tool, FotoJet.

Today, the sun is shining so brightly that I am ready to soak in the beauty of life. It is bitter cold outside. I decide that a walk would have to be very brisk so I choose to go to restorative yoga where I can soak in a feeling of warmth and serenity. This will be a compliment to the beautiful morning Twitter chat, Living and Giving with a Smile, I engaged in with my #Spiritchat friends. 

Come along with me to enjoy a virtual spa-like visit
as I provide a slice of my life.

The gym is crowded with others who have the same idea. I move slowly downstairs, imagining the fragrance of eucalyptus permeating the hall. Inside the studio, the instructor greets all who enter with a welcoming smile. First timers to restorative yoga are invited to the experience with gentle instructions on what to bring to the mat. The three Bs, bolsters, blankets, and blocks, are gathered and the class starts with a brief meditation. The instructor opens with thoughts on how life may be unsettling but here in the studio we are to let go and relax in the practice. A very short and gentle om follows. Then, we are led into three twenty minute poses that open different areas of the body. During quiet time when we hold the pose, we follow the breath's pattern to create a peaceful oasis on the mat. At times I am reminded not to be distracted by the mind's chatter and return to the breath. The perfect pace of the practice relaxes the body and the mind. One hour and fifteen minutes of indulgence in me time is a delightful gift to give myself on a cold Sunday. With a smile on my face, I leave the studio knowing that I will enjoy life a little bit more today. 

"A warm smile is the universal language of kindness."

-William Arthur Ward

This post is the 5th in a series titled March Musings  that I am offering to: DigiLit Sunday founded by Margaret Simon and March Slice of Life Challenge created by Two Writing Teachers.

Slicing my life this March is an opportunity to savor 

the small moments that have allowed me 

to notice and wonder more deeply.

On Critical Thinking

Inside active, student-engaged classroom communities, processes of noticing and wondering, are found leading to the development of unique thoughts and authentic voice. Teachers, as thoughtful guides, lead students forward on journeys of the mind where paths of inquiry are fostered. Choices are provided. Critical thinking and accountable talk occur leading to the amplification of student voice.

Both DigiLitSunday led by Margaret Simon and #10FoundWords Project (Day 25) created by Laura Shovan invited writers to synthesize their thoughts on prompts provided. I created one poem based on Margaret's topic, Critical Thinking, and Laura's 10 found phrases from “Teaching Resistance in Unjust Times,” by NCTE Historian Jonna Perillo, NCTE Blog, 2/15/17.

• tool of resistance
• those loyal aliens
• under suspicion
• asked their teachers why
• complex and riskier
• our thoughts are foolish
• going off the rails
• bad hombres
• recycled phrases
• writer as a rebel
• Bonus: democratic life

Tagul Word Cloud created by Carol Varsalona, 2017

In the turmoil of recycled phrases,

students question teachers, Why?

In turn, teachers respond with care

while safely guiding all voices into

a culture of trust. No thought is

regarded as foolish in these

communities of respect where

pathways of safe engagement

are established.

Using norms and protocols,

accountable talk flows.

Brainstorming with tools

to unpack confusion, follows.

Terms, like bad hombres,

loyal aliens are examined.

Students ponder. Who are

these dudes? Discussion

digs deep. There are neighbors

under suspicion. What should

we do? Learners write to

grasp the bigger picture.

In a time of complexities and

risks, the pen is taken up to

soothe the soul. Authentic

voice rises in the silence,

turning negativity into positivity.

Writers write with words of hope,

combating negativity posed. Trying

to comprehend the enormity of

the world's reality, their pens

are their tools of resistance.

Seeking understanding in a

world grappling with truth,

learners are encouraged to

resist hearsay and provide

evidence for their beliefs.

It is through the critical

thinking process, not
going off the rails, that

students finds their place

in the democracy of

classroom life as voices

rise in fellowship.

©CVarsalona, 2017

*******

If today’s students want to compete in this global society, they must be proficient communicators, creators, critical thinkers, and collaborators. ~National Education Association

DigiLit Sunday

#10FoundWords

Tis the Season to Celebrate

As fast as the snow came in, it was swept away on Sunday morning with the loud pelting of the rain. When that subsided, temperatures rose, then sprinkling raindrops fell. As my guests arrived for a holiday gathering, another loud sound arose but it was not the weather. Some guests shouted with glee. Others were startled. All ran outside to see and hear what happened. Can you guess what occurred?

It was not a flying saucer nor a commotion from the sky. 

There were lots of dazzling lights and loud fire truck sounds creating quite a stir in the neighborhood. For those who do not live on my side of the village, it was a brand new sight. For us who do live in the northern part of Rockville Centre, we were delighted to find a long parade of South Hempstead Fire Department trucks leading a very large sleigh filled with excited children and the grand master of the Christmas holidays, Santa Claus. It was Santa's annual Sunday-night-before-Christmas visit to the neighborhood. With a swoosh of light and sound, the firemen and Santa brought cheer and well wishes to all for a happy holiday.

As the holiday season officially starts, it is best to remember that life can be merry and bright beyond the holiday. What we need to do is be of good cheer, positive in spirit, and live life to its fullest potential. Let's bring on the spirit of the holidays at this time of year and continue it throughout 2017. It is our gift to our family, children, and students. 

Celebrate - Reflect - Live Life with a Positive Stance

soundtracks from santa
swoosh, swirl, shoutout cheer to all
2017 harmony
©CV, 2016

I am sharing my celebration slice with Two Writing Teachers , DigiLit Sunday, and #haikuforhealing, wishing all a happy holiday season.

Gratitude for #Kinderpoets

Gratitude Gram created at
http://elementofgratitude.org/

Gratitude is a small package of warmth reaching open hearts and minds. I am sending my thanks to a Massachusetts teacher and her kinders who accepted my invitation to write alongside me for my upcoming Autumnventure Gallery. 

Christie Wyman and her #WymanWonders, a Kindergarten class of interested young poets, and I struck up an interesting relationship via Twitter this year. It resulted in several tweets, emails, a shared Google Doc and a pathway to writing using the season of autumn as a backdrop for the integration of poetry, technology, and art. 

Flip flopping between a nondigital platform and a digital one, Christie's kinders have not only embraced the spirit of the #poetrylove hashtag but went beyond talking about fall to creating list poems with illustrations. Their voices rose in a collective chorus to become a global conduit for spreading the joy of appreciating poetry year round. 

You can see the Wyman's Wonders class poem and the above video featuring individual kinder poems and Christie's poem, Season for the Senses, at my Autumnventure Gallery that will be unveiled soon.

What are the ingredients for a class' poetic journey into digital writing?

A passionate teacher 

a group of engaged learners 

interest and desire to notice & wonder

collaborative talk as a pre-writing stage

a creative environment to spark writing from talk

the writing process leading to poetic writing

digital tools to support, inspire, and create

reflection, feedback, and celebration

My gratitude is extended to Christie Wyman and Wyman's Wonder who eagerly engaged in sharing their voices for a global share-out of #poetrylove.

Please visit #DigilitSunday at Margaret Simon's blog site here to read what the community is writing on Margaret's topic of gratitude. 

Mentor Texts To Guide Writing

"With you (the teacher) as a guide, and literature as the landscape, you can open young writers eyes to the full range of possibilities before them." 

Ralph Fletcher and Joanne Portalupi, Writing Workshop- The Essential Guide

Thinking about the topic of mentors that Margaret Simon asked DigiLit Sunday to write on recalls the #TMchat that Connie Hamilton invited me to moderate. My topic was Mentor Texts. The questions that I posed to the educators who joined in on Twitter are below. They are identified with the letter Q and the number of the question following. My answers that I tweeted out during the chat are identified as A with the number of the question following.

Q1 What is a mentor text and how do you select one? A1 Mentor text is written anchor text to use as a model for studying author's craft. It's the mirror to reflect on craft while conveying meaning. A1B: Select a mentor text that provides Ss with an appropriate lens to craft their own piece. Voice matters. #stuvoice

Q2 How does the use of mentor text affect your teaching of reading and writing? A2: Mentor texts provide the lens for students to model craft moves-students become the junior craftsmen honing their own writing.

Q3 How does a mentor text help students learn to read like a writer? A3 Read like a writer to learn about writing craft: choices made by authors can be borrowed by students to improve their writing.

Q4 As teachers of writing, how does careful attention to craft work, take students deeper into text? A4 Attention to author's craft allows students to analyze text & its impact on the message conveyed. Read with "pencil in hand" for a deeper look.

Q5 Why is it important to become a guide to effective writing, rather than a sage on the stage? A5: Sages direct. Guides facilitate & support student writing through conferencing & the gradual release of responsibility model.

Q6 Share a mentor text you like and how you use it to help students become writers. I used "Fog" by C. Sandburg with young writers: read aloud, sketch it out, shared writing to student creation. My piece is at http://goo.gl/8jyEv7.

Q7 List a title of a professional book/trade book, website, or educational blogger to create a resource guide on mentor text.  Resources on Mentor Text that I collected can be found at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1joM9ql1s8EpMnf-3z1b5L8hA9p_Uv22CWqVFaca_QRY/edit?usp=sharing

Questions to Consider When Selecting a Mentor Text

1. Does the selected text provide examples of the kind of writing you want from your students?

2. Is the mentor text you are using worthy of multiple reads?

3. Can the mentor text be revisited multiple times for different purposes?

4. Do you have a variety of genres in your collection for student use and do they address diversity? 

5. Is the mentor text one that students can learn from and transfer to their own writing?

Using mentor texts is an engaging way to entice your students to write like real authors. Have students reflect on the craft moves they see and emulate them in their own writing. Picture books as mentor texts can be your faithful companions on the journey to helping your students become lifelong writers.

You access Margaret Simon's site here to read what my #DigiLitSunday colleagues are writing on the topic of Mentors.

Digital Playground

Creating a digital composition is like placing life in play mode. The joy of spontaneously capturing vivid images in natural surroundings sets my thinking in motion. The world becomes a playground of color, sound, and action with a lens in my hands. I observe, wonder, create and then tell a story digitally.

My passion for photography and design started back in college. I distinctly remember a country ride outside of Albany, NY.  The weather was temperate and the scenery was just so different than what I was used to back at the modernistic campus. Red barns and flower fields were perfect settings to capture pictures for a photo journal I was creating in my photography class. I noticed, wondered, played with photo layouts, and created a scrapbook portfolio.

With the advent of apps and iPhones, I have advanced from photo scrapbooks to digital portfolios and global galleries of artistic expressions. The techno world of today allows me to couple writing with art, technology, and design in a digital playground of creation. Images are shot; words revolve; writing flows. As I continue to play with digital tools, inspirational quotes, image poems, and or digital inspirations are created. Life stands still at these times in my office. Play is celebrated; thinking honored; writing connects with life experiences.

An example of this evolved when the storm, Hermine, started moving up the eastern seacoast with a reported destination to New York. Luckily, it fled from the Long Island shoreline. Witnessing the after effects of the storm surge, set my mind in motion and a story unfolded.  Watching the children on the beach gleefully climb the dune to see what the ocean was doing on the other side set a playful tone to my picture taking. When I tried the same walk-over I was surprised at how difficult it was. Shifting sands only found me sinking into deep holes until I figured out how to transverse the dunes. 

Life was surreal as I watched the surging waves.  The baby seagulls were having just as much fun as the children. They darted toward the flowing water and quickly waddled back as the waves moved closer to shore.

The surfers darted in and out of the ocean as they decided how to ride the waves. 

I delighted in capturing all of us this and then deciding what to digitize.

I am turning around this passion of telling story through photography by providing teachers with the tools to uncover the power of  images. Given choice in the digital playground, students can observe the world with a different lens and tell their story. 

Margaret Simon opened DigiLit Sunday with a call to reflect. While this piece is being submitting, I spent a good deal of time reflecting on the Day of Remembrance tracing back to 2001 when my community was faced with a tragedy, the loss of 45 lives. Please read Remembering #911 here. You can access others' thoughts here.