Nature Nurtures Neighborhoods

As COVID-19 continues to rage here on Long Island, nature shares its beauty. With a heart full of gratitude, I step outside my home to notice my surroundings and let nature nurture my soul. Tiny buds open with the colors of spring and skies flood earth with glorious rays. Sunrises and sunsets spread their hues of rose tint and sunset orange. 

Step outside.

Neighborhoods come alive

with the scent of springtime.

Please join me at NYEDChat's Annual Poetry Twitter Chat

Monday, April 20, 2020, 8:00-8:30 pm EST

to discuss

"Poetry Soothes Souls During Troubled Times"

Georgia Heard
and
Rebecca Kai Dotlich 
will guest moderate.

Raise your voices with our poetry community to give
the gift of hope through poetic thoughts.

Today, I join the talented photographer poet Molly Hogan at her blog site where she shares the sensory experience of creating bread and then mixing it with poetry. Her poem is sure to bring comfort to readers. As an aside, Molly allowed me to use one of her lovely bird photographs to pair with one of my quarantine life poems. It can be seen here. 

March Musings 26: Burning Questions

Margaret Simon asked writers in the DigiLit Sunday writing community to think about the topic, Burning Question, this week. Many relevant, burning questions have been posed lately on Twitter educational chats. As one of the moderators of #NYEDChat, I know that it is important to pose both timely topics and questions that ask connected colleagues to reflect on critical topics. 

Some examples of topics and questions are:

“Prevailing” is not linear.  It is a lifelong process.  What is one specific thing that you can do this week to continue being a difference-maker in your school or district?

How do #StuVoice opportunities connect and empower students to develop empathy for causes & movements outside of their comfort zone?

Why do we need to be a tribe of positive champions?

Is homework valuable?

How can we reimagine homework to be a more effective learning experience?

I created the following What if poem to reply to the burning questions on the homework  topic.  (The format is a zeno created by the imaginative J. Patrick Lewis, Children's Poet Laureate from 2011-13.)

Have you engaged in Twitter chats where the burning question allowed you to reflect deeply?

This is my twenty-sixth posting in a series titled March Musings for Two Writing Teachers' March Slice of Life Story Challenge, that addresses the DigiLit Sunday topic, Burning Question. Please visit both communities of writers to see the vast array of topics and writing styles. 

 

March Musings 21: Amplifying #StuVoice

What happens when you hand the reins 

of an educational chat over to a group of student moderators? 

Student voice surges

and 

the hashtag, #KidsCANteachus, becomes, a reality.

************************

Last Night:

An amazing event occurred last night on Twitter. It was a first of its kind for #NYEDChat, the voice of New York State educators and beyond. Six student moderators, @CurranCentral, @thelivebits, and #BowTieBoys: Joe O'Such, Spencer Hill, Doug Unger, and Ryan Hur led a group of educators, parents, and students in a spirited conversation about #StuVoice. (Our seventh moderator, Sam Fremin, was detained due to an unexpected soccer practice but he was actively involved as the leader from the #BowTieBoys.) While I oversaw the process, I clearly noticed early on that the students needed no prompting during the chat. Their voices were strong, clear, and they efficiently maneuvered the ins and outs of a very fast-paced convo that trended early on Twitter (#40 on Trend USA Now).

Preparations:

Prior to the night's outstanding, epic event, Curran from #DigCitKids, Liv from #thelivbits, and Sam from the #BowTieBoys spent time preparing for the Twitter conversation via the Google Docs I set up for them. Each wrote 2 questions for participants' responses. Back-up support was offered by the moms, Marialice BFX Curran and Cynthia Merrill. Buncee provided the digital online tool to create the flyer and Participate, an active #NYEDChat partner, let us know that its online service would archive the chat and resources at the end of the convo. 

Questions:

Q1 Why is it so important to honor student voice? #StuVoice #NYEDChat

Q2 What role does establishing #StuVoice play in building positive rapport with students? #NYEDChat

Q3 How do you foster a classroom environment that encourages #StuVoice? #NYEDChat

Q4 How do #StuVoice opportunities connect and empower students to develop empathy for causes & movements outside of their comfort zone?  #NYEDChat

Q5 What role do parents play in monitoring and empowering their child’s #StuVoice? #NYEDChat

Reflaction (Reflection with Action) What can you do this week to promote more effective #StuVoice in classrooms, schools, or on social media? #NYEDChat

Highlights:

Mother & son #digcit story at 

http://www.digcitkids.com/uploads/4/1/8/4/4184069/glastonbury_life_digcitkids_december_2016.pdf

Spencer Hill A1- Honoring student voice is one of the most crucial things 

in the classroom bc, in the end, Ss choose what they want to learn #NYEDChat 

Kids need to be empowered, not engaged. @danieldmccabe

We need active classrooms guided by teachers who empower students.-Carol Varsalona

 

Reflactions:


My goal is to promote student voice and digital
citizenship for kids, by kids. -Marialice BFX Curran

Thank Yous:

At the start of the chat, Doug Unger said "Make sure to join in tonight's #NYEDChat. You won't be disappointed." He was right so I thank everyone who joined in the conversation last night. We amplified #StuVoice and trended early signifying that #KidsCANteachus! 

This post is the 21st in the series titled March Musings for Two Writing Teacher's March Slice of Life Story Challenge.  

Let Kindness Spread

Media headlines have been full of political issues and concerns lately, so much so that writers are turning to the pen to uphold their beliefs on social justice. Students are also confronted with headlines, sometimes with full knowledge of the issues and other times, only through hearsay channels. Exploring ideas to bring balance to the classroom is an important step these days.

At the beginning of January, #NYEDChat discussed the topic, Tackling Tough Issues, with Ted Palenski and Newsela guest moderating the chat.  Educators from many different locales gathered to discuss issues that have arisen and traded ideas on strengthening classroom culture as ways to bring balance to the classroom. 

Providing the forum for students to discuss terms like tolerance, patience, sharing, and kindness through storytelling, essay writing, and opinion polls is an idea I throw out to all. Relationship building exercises are steppingstones to cementing a culture of trust that help students see each other as peers and partners in learning.

Further ideas on spreading kindness can be viewed at my recent post at my #WonderGround site. It features a Wonder of the Day,  from Wonderopolis, and a poem, as core texts in a lesson on kindness. You can access that post here. 

The following quote, "A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees," by Amelia Earhart provides a beautiful visual. It would be interesting to see what images students sketch before a discussion or follow-up activities. In addition, it would make a great bulletin board in the foyer of a school or administrative offices. 

Plant seeds of kindness for kindness' roots grow and spread. 

Today is "Slice of Life Tuesday" at Two Writing Teachers. There is a sense of urgency as I write this piece for world news is moving at a fast pace and will have a growing impact on the lives of students. 

Table Turned

As a co-moderator of #NYEDChat I have had the opportunity to interview various educators at the different Long Island EdCamp events but on May 24th the table was turned. I was an interviewee. 

It was a surprise to be contacted by the @ILAToday team of the International Literacy Association to speak about the upcoming conference, #ILA16, in Boston this summer. Prior to yesterday's interview, I had the opportunity to prep with April Hall and communicate with the broadcaster, Larry Jacobs. It is always a wonderful experience collaborating with those who are like-minded and enthusiastic. 

Since I am a member and have been attending International Literacy Association's conferences years before it switched over from being called the International Reading Association (IRA), I was asked to give my perspective on the upcoming conference. I was pleasantly surprised by Larry Jacob's humor that immediately brought a light-hearted touch to the interview. At the onset, Stephen Sye, ILA Associate Executive Director, was asked to describe the differences between IRA and ILA. He noted that ILA is expanding its reach to include parents and community members along with educators. It is directing its attention to literacy around the world. He added that the conference this year, titled Transforming Lives Through Literacy 2.0, will have between 6,000 to 7,000 educators and exhibitors attending from July 9-11, 2016. On July 8th, EdCamp Literacy will be held and I will not only attend but hope to participate as a presenter. 

Besides the usual academic influence at the conference, there will be social events to keep the energy level high. Lit Night at Fenway Ball Park and the Inaugural Steps to Literacy 5K are highlights of the festivities. Other bonus features are free conference registration for pre-service teachers and the first timers to the conference session on how to make the most of the conference experience. 

Beyond attending amazing sessions with literacy experts, I will be presenting a workshop with my team, colleague Dr. Michele Haiken and poet Laura Purdie Salas. In our hands-on session, Transforming Writer's Lives with Digital Tools as Powerful Agents to Impact Literacy Instruction, Authenticate Voice, & Present Positive Perspectives, we will present a series of creative and collaborative activities to explore the power of digital tools to affect change in literacy instruction, engage learners as writers, and create agency in classrooms. In addition to presenting and attending sessions, I will be pleased to network with colleagues across the country and meet up with long-time conference friends, literacy experts, and poets, make face-to-face contact with Twitter friends, and be passionately caught up in the learning experience.

As a Wonder Lead Ambassador for Wonderopolis, I will highlight the inquiry/noticing and wondering process in my presentations and hope to connect many educators with the wonders of the Wonderopolis free site. You can find me tweeting from the conference floor and blogging about #ILA16 when I return home. 

Am I excited for this experience? I certainly am and hope that my passion for learning and being an ILA member was heard throughout the interview. You can access the archive of the interview here. 

With the table turned, I was able to experience what it takes to be a good listener and responder during an interview. I also found out just what a small world this is. During the interview, Larry Jacobs asked me if I knew a Twitter colleague, Tom Whitby, here on Long Island. It just so happens that I not only know Tom, a fellow connected educator and author, but I have interviewed him. Larry has known Tom for years so after the interview both Larry and I notified Tom of our meeting on air.

I thank both April Hall and Larry Jacobs for partnering to highlight the International Literacy Association's 2016 Conference and including me as an interviewee and spokesperson.

This post is also visible on my Wonder Ground blog site and can be accessed here.  

Positively Reaching and Connecting

While gearing up for #NYEDChat's conversation on Positive People Do More, my writing colleague Kevin Hodgson, sent me poem based on the invitation to the chat that I tweeted. I then, retweeted Kevin's text to honor the work fellow poets and writers are engaging in during National Poetry Month. 

We search the gap

between the difficulties

of the world

and the silent negativity

of the complaints;

We nestle our way forward

and work around way into the warmth

of the positive.

I'll light the fire, with words if I have to,

these poems make fine kindling,

and you bring the sustenance of ideas

we can share together.
Kevin Hodgson, 2016 

Intrigued by the line lifting remix technique, I composed a poem based on one line of Kevin's poem.

Following the lead of poet Amy Ludwig VanDerwater who created Wallow in Wonder for her 2016 National Poetry Month project to celebrate learning and writing from learning, I searched Wonderopolis for an article on positivity. I found Wonder of the Day #991, Do You Have a Positive Attitude?  Below is a blackout poem that I created from the information in the article.

My fellow Wonderopolis Wonder Lead Ambassador, Paul W. Hankins, has also been writing poetry alongside Amy Ludwig VanDerwater, based on Wonders of the Day. His series can be accessed here. 

To reach out and connect with #EduFriends and connected colleagues across the globe, NYEDChat will open its doors on May 2, 2016 for a chat on positivity that will surely be a meeting of the minds. 

Join the NYEDChat Moderating Team(Bill Brennan, Victoria Day, Blanca Duarte, Dan McCabe, Lisa Meade, Starr Sackstein, Dennis Schug, Tony Sinanis, Carol Varsalona) and our Positivity Champions (Bobby Dodd, Sean Gaillard, Reed Gillespie, Phil Griffin, Neil Gupta, Jon Harper, Jennifer Hogan, Eoin Lenihan, Craig Vroom, Jennifer Williams) for an epic conversation.

In the meantime, stay positive. According to the Mayo Clinic, looking at life's challenges in a positive way has its long-lasting rewards. Here are some benefits: 

• lower levels of distress 
• greater resistance to colds 
• better coping skills

You may enjoy listening to Luke Britnell's catchy tune, Think Positive. 

On Teachers

When three loves intersect, tasty creations evolve. This week I am immersed in the following projects (among others):

• gathering ideas for two presentations to educators
• creating new poems from seeds of ideas 
• baking batches of cookies as welcoming gifts for family and friends

Three loves, teaching, writing, and baking, will provide the stimuli for me to create as the spring morning opens the sky with sunshine. When gray turns to golden yellow, creativity sparks.

Recently, Rich Czyz, moderator of Four O'Clock Faculty, tweeted out two questions for educators to ponder. Intrigued, I responded. Since it is National Poetry Month and I have been trying to write alongside friends, I used poetic forms to compose my answers. 

Question #1:

If you were responsible for building the perfect teacher, what skills, attributes, or characteristics would you include? 

Along with teaching and writing, I am passionate about baking. While growing up, I learned the art of baking from two master teachers, my grandmother and mother. With enthusiasm and focus for what they loved, these two mentors provided me with recipes to entice family and friends. What follows is a first attempt at penning a recipe for a delicious teacher.

one dose of passion with good cheer,

a cup of kindness to persevere,

sprinkled with uniqueness throughout the year
creates a delicious teacher premiere,
promoted by a skillful mentor marketeer. 

Question #2:
Think of the great teachers that you have come in contact with. What words would you use to describe these great teachers? 

Teachers

passionate guides

stirring, stimulating, encouraging

young learners' endless journeys

Facilitators

Created by Heather Stillfusen

Teaching Matters!

Now off to start my day. Baking and working on my presentations will follow. 

Below is an invitation to connected colleagues to chat on a topic that should entice many to participate. The post can be accessed here.

Today is Slice of Life Tuesday. Please visit Two Writing Teachers where the blogging community dishes out delicious small moments each week.