Slice of Life #6 of 31 Will this be the One?

I am happy to be participating in Two Writing Teachers' Slice of Life March Challenge.  I will be posting every day in March.  My students are also participating and you can read their slices on the Classroom Challenge page.

Only have time for a quick slice tonight as I'm taking a break from getting our house cleaned up.  Potential buyers are coming to look at it tomorrow afternoon.  Every time we go through this process of readying the house, I wonder if this will be the one.  We're going to need a special buyer. We live on 5 acres out in the country.  Not everyone wants to mow and take care of that much land.  

The anxiety always builds as I go through the routine of wiping down sinks and counters, putting away the  clutter, dusting and vacuuming.  Who will be the next family to own this house?  We built it 16 years ago with the intention of growing old here.  I always imagined our future grandchildren running around the wrap around porch, or baking cookies with them in the kitchen.  Our plans changed and we decided that we no longer really need all of this room.  I'll be sad to say good-bye when the time comes.

My friends remind me that the house is the structure that holds the memories.  The memories will follow me, and new memories will be made in a different place.  For now, I will prepare the house, saying a little prayer that this house that has been our home for the last 16 years will bring joy to another family.  It's been filled with lots of love and I hope that the next people who live here will feel that love and create their own wonderful memories.

Slice of Life #5 of 31 High/Low

I am happy to be participating in Two Writing Teachers' Slice of Life March Challenge.  I will be posting every day in March.  My students are also participating and you can read their slices on the Classroom Challenge page.

Tonight was one of those rare nights when all three of us were home for dinner at the same time.  I miss the days when all 5 of us sat down at the table every night. As the kids got older and went away to college, sitting together at the table as a family became a rare event.  So, we took advantage of the opportunity tonight.

When the kids were little, we played the High/Low game.  We'd share our high and low for the day.  It was a great way to connect with each other and keep up with what was going on in the kids' lives.  We haven't played in a long time.  

"What's your high/low, Annie?" my husband spoke up as there was a lull in our conversation tonight.  She shared her stories and then it was my turn.  I knew immediately which story I was going to tell.

My students are finishing up their Google 20% projects this week so they can share them on Friday.   I wanted to take pictures, but I never got a chance as I flitted among kids creating a myriad of presentations.  It was a crazy, busy afternoon.  

As I was helping another student, C asked me if she could go to one of the tutor rooms so she could record her voice.  A few minutes later, G asked me if he could go to a quiet room to practice his presentation.  I gave both of them permission, assuming that they'd go to different rooms.  Imagine my surprise when I walked down the tutor hallway to check on them and heard loud guffaws coming from one of the rooms.  

Who could that be?  I turned the corner and peeked through the window to see C and G dancing around the room.  Hmmm...it did not look like either one was using their quiet time very productively.  I swung the door opened and said in my "mom voice," "What is going on in here?"

"We're rapping."

"Rapping?  What does rapping have to do with your presentations?"  

Usually, I'm a little more patient and take time to let kids explain a questionable situation, but today, I was focused on the lack of time we had left and all the work there was to do.  Plus, I was a little perplexed.  C's project was a slide show depicting Spanish words and their translations with  illustrations.  G's presentation was about bull riding and roping a steer.  I really wasn't sure where rapping was coming into the picture.  

"No, wait, Mrs. Johnson.  It's really cool.  Can we show you?"

Well, now, I was intrigued.  "Ok."

Let me tell you, C, whose family is from Jamaica, has rapping down.  She started crossing her arms across her body and bending her knees to the rhythm she was creating with her mouth.  As her body swayed to the melodic rhythm, she started ad libbing this great rap about what you do if you are going to rope a steer.  Apparently, G had filled her in on the finer points of being in a rodeo.  Next thing I know, G, who is a 10 year-old cowboy from central Ohio, joined in.  He began swinging his arms as if he were ready to throw his lasso, keeping with C's beat.

Oh my gosh, they were good!  As I smiled, they said in unison, "Can we video it?"

What was I going to say?  A rapping cowboy?  Of course they could video record it.  With a squeal of delight, they ran to the classroom to grab a flip camera and a friend to film them.

The movie is still in the editing process, but I'll be sure to share it when it's done.  It really is priceless.  

I was reminded of an important lesson today.  Things aren't always as they seem.  What I had assumed was goofing around, was two students who given free reign, came up with something very creative.  I would  never in my imagination think of putting a rap to a presentation about roping a steer, but they did, and it works.  It was definitely the highlight of my day.  

Slice of Life #4 of 31 Breakfast with Friends

I am happy to be participating in Two Writing Teachers' Slice of Life March Challenge.  I will be posting every day in March.  My students are also participating and you can read their slices on the Classroom Challenge page.

Tuesday mornings are special.  For the last ten years (where does time go?), I have been meeting Kathy and Joyce for breakfast before school.  That means we are at our table at Bob Evans at 7:15 AM.  The cook knows us so well that he starts our breakfast when we walk in the door.  It throws him for a loop when one of us changes our order (usually me).  

We've shared laughter and tears over life's ups and downs:  marriage, the birth of children, illness of parents, watching our children grow up and break ties from home, marriage of a child and then 2 years later, the birth of a grandchild ~ all those things that make up the rich tapestry of our lives.

It's the type of friendship that means we are there for each other no matter what.  And for that, I am eternally grateful.  Lately, I've especially needed them as I maneuver through some difficult trials.  I'm not used to needing; usually I'm the giver.  They've taught me that it's ok to let my guard down and accept their gift of love and support.  

So, now I'm off to breakfast.  Spending the morning with these wonderful ladies makes me smile and gives me the boost I need.  Friends, are indeed, so very important to our lives.

Slice of Life Day 3 of 31 The Poetry StoryBox Launch

I am happy to be participating in Two Writing Teachers' Slice of Life March Challenge.  I will be posting every day in March.  My students are also participating and you can read their slices on the Classroom Challenge page.

We'd been planning for it for over a month.  We spent two weeks learning about the poets and learning about poetry.  We wanted our kids to have a foundation on which to finish the poems in the Poetry StoryBox.  We searched for beautiful language (thank you Georgia Heard), filling our bulletin board with the examples we found.  We wrote from our heart maps about special people, special memories, special places.  We learned about metaphors and similes, and onomatopoeia.  We discovered how line breaks can change a poem.  We studied the authors' styles and tried to write in the manner of different poets.  All of these experiences helped us be ready to complete the unfinished poems.  

And yet, there was more to this project than finishing poems.  The "lack of rules" found in poetry gave several of my young writers the freedom to play with language in a safe environment.  I watched G. and J. open up to possibilities that they hadn't had the confidence to try before.  Dr. Cordi commissioned the kids to dance with words and that's exactly what happened in my classroom.  

The Poetry StoryBox was officially launched last Monday at the Thurber House.  The house was packed with students and their families from Scioto Darby, Dr. Cordi's students from Ohio Dominican University, and folks from the Columbus Area Writing Project.  Our students read their poetry and then we were treated to hearing J. Patrick Lewis speak.  Two of Dr. Cordi's students shared their digital story about the power of poetry.  Lastly, the audience was invited to finish poetry themselves.  What a sight that was, parents and children hunched over poetry folders, creating their own endings.  

It was a night filled with the beauty of word dancers coming together to celebrate the wonderous world of poetry.

Make a photo slideshow

Slice of Life 2 of 31: Celebrating Digital Learning

I am happy to be participating in Two Writing Teachers' Slice of Life March Challenge.  I will be posting every day in March.  My students are also participating and you can read their slices on the Classroom Challenge page.

Margaret Simon's post about Digital Learning or Digital Fun has me thinking.  She poses the question about whether or not allowing her student time to "play" with digital tools is a good use of classroom time.  Is the learning valuable?  Will it permeate to others?  A comment in our Facebook Digital Literacy Workshop group (please consider joining if you're interested) from Franki Sibberson propelled my thinking forward.

I think one of the most important things I've learned since I've been dabbling in digital literacies, is the importance of time.  I know that I need time to explore and make mistakes when I'm learning how to use a new tool.  We know how important play time is to the development of young children.  I think it's true for all of us.  It's through this play time that we can try new things, see what works and what doesn't, and share our learning with others.  We must give that time to our kids.

The other thing I've had to give up is control.  I had to let go and give that control to the students.  That was a huge paradigm shift for me.  But, we all know what can happen when we step back and let kids take control of their learning.  Great things happen and I see it over and over again in my classroom.

  We are currently finishing our Genius Hour projects.  The kids have had a chunk of time every few weeks to work on something that is of interest to them.  We are now at the point that it's time to share what they've learned.  I've given them free reign in deciding how to present their learning.  I have kids making Glogs using Glogster.edu, a few creating websites using Weebly.com, one girl is creating a slide show with voice over using Pixie, there are a few blogs being made, a few Power Points and some are choosing to create posters.  I am in no way an expert in any of these areas.  I know a little bit to get the kids started, but we don't have time to have full-blown lessons in the use of these tools.

A snippet of Jonathan's blog about his project.

The kids are exploring, asking questions, trying new things, making mistakes, and teaching each other.  It's messy and noisy.  But this time is so valuable.  They are invested in their learning because it's meaningful to them.

So, in going back to the original question, I have to answer that yes, this learning is valuable.  The kids are learning life skills not only in technology, but also in how to problem solve, work with others, and persevere when challenged.

Thank you Margaret Simon for sharing your blog on Sundays for the Digital Learning link up.

Slice of Life 1 of 31

Today is a combined post of Celebrating the Slice of Life Challenge.

Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for hosting the Slice of Life Challenge.  For the month of March, writers will be posting their Slice of Life stories every day.  Please visit their site to read stories and leave a comment.  Also, check out the Classroom Challenge.  I will be posting my students' writing there every day too.

It's the beginning of the Slice of Life Challenge 2014.  As is often the case when I embark on a challenge such as this, I am filled with hope, excitement, and anticipation.  I was wide awake at 5:30 this cold Saturday morning with topics running through my mind.  I tried to quiet them as I snuggled deeper under the covers, hoping for a few more hours of sleep.  My mind had a different agenda.  Slice of Life was beckoning me.

And so it was with my students yesterday afternoon.

Earlier in the afternoon, they posted their  first slices on their individual blogs so they could learn how to link up to our classroom blog.  (They will be doing a combination of writing in their journals and blogging). The room buzzed as the kids wrote.  They peeked over at each other's stories, sharing giggles and whispers.  They helped out when their friends were having difficulty linking up.  Our community of writers, which is already strong, became even closer.  We have a mission ahead of us...write every day for 31 days straight.  They left school yesterday with their Slice of Life journals in their hands.  When I told them that they were ahead of the game and they didn't need to write on Saturday, they groaned in unison, "Can we still write if we want to?"  My heart was smiling.  My heart smiled even bigger when I received a few emails from parents telling me that the whole family was joining in.  Joy!

All in all, 5 classes from our school, along with the principal, will be joining the Slice of Life Challenge.

On this early morning, as we brace ourselves for another winter storm, my mind is bubbling with possibilities for this month...topics are tumbling over themselves...

• Our Poetry Box launch
• Waking up this morning to a science project on the coffee table (There is a dead crawfish floating in formaldehyde waiting to be dissected.)
• Hearing my son end his voice mail with, "Love you"
• Snow days in March (Ughhh)
• New directions in my life
• Playing Bay City Rollers for my fourth graders
• Sharing the struggle of finding something to write about with my class (because I know it's going to happen)
• Celebrations

Writing every day, connecting with other writers, meeting new people, and discovering more about myself all make this challenge so worthwhile to me.  I'm looking forward to what the month of March brings...the joys and struggles and surprises that await my young writers and me.  For that's what this is all about.  We write, we share, we connect, we grow.

Thanks to Ruth Ayres for providing the space to share our celebrations.

I'd love to hear about your hopes for the Slice of Life Challenge.  Please leave your blog URL in your comment so that I can easily find you and comment on your post.

Slice of Life: Valentine Tradition

Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for hosting Slice of Life Tuesday.  Please visit their blog to read other slices and leave a comment.

I grew up in a very traditional home.  My dad worked (sometimes 2 jobs) and my mom stayed home and took care of my sisters and me.  Dinner was meat, potatoes, vegetable, salad, and bread served promptly at 6:00 when Dad got home.  Dad was the disciplinarian while Mom was the one who handed out hugs.  Dad had his duties which included mowing the lawn, household repairs, and taking care of the car.  Mom had her duties:  cooking, cleaning, driving us around, and buying gifts and cards for family members.  There was no crossover of jobs.  Mom didn't fix things, Dad didn't clean.

There was one little place where Dad broke with tradition:  Valentine's Day.  From the time I was a baby, Dad went to the store on his own and bought me (and my sisters as they came along) a Valentine card.  He signs it simply, "Dad."  As I grew up and went to college, and then later married and moved out on my own, the tradition continued.   I still look forward to his meticulous, mechanical engineer script printed on a pink or red envelope that arrives a day or two before Valentine's Day.  

And I still get a little tug at my heart each year, glad that this is one place Dad broke away from tradition and started his own.

***Disclaimer:  Now that Dad is retired, he has taken over the kitchen and can even be found folding a load of laundry now and then.