Learn, Think, Write

Organizing myself online

So Far Away

It’s 5 a.m. Not an unusual time for me to get up since I try to get in my exercise before breakfast. If I don’t, the workout doesn’t happen.

But first, I pull out my laptop and check email, twitter, and my RSS feed- my morning routine. Yesterday, I decided to visit Tania Sheko, a friend from PLP days and someone I’ve kept up with for her great resources and teaching activities. I remembered some literacy activities I wanted to read again, and, wow, did I find them. Then today, Jenny Luca popped up on twitter with a link to some PBL reflections. Just what I needed for some work I’m doing with Collegiate School in Richmond.

A couple of days ago, Melanie Hutchinson texted me a reminder to post my photo in Flickr, a re-do of a project we participated in a few years ago. Hello New York :)

In Tania’s and Jenny’s case, I love being able to watch their work from Australia in the middle of the night when I can’t sleep. Hooray for time differences!

It’s funny. I’m picturing us all as 90-year-olds, drinking our tea, and skyping (or whatever it happens to be) about our day, still sharing those important moments in our lives.

A visit to Flickr, or a quick tweet to Canada— for me, a meaninful way to start the day.

 

Finding the Beat

The room began to darken, lit only by candles. Pounding, tapping, and shaking sounds filled the circle. My mind, which only moments before had been spinning with thoughts of this and that, focused only on the pulsing beat.

Though I had taken one drumming class last fall (and loved it), this was the first for me–an unstructured hour of making music. A form of engaged meditation, the drum circle provides a place for community, creativity, and, in a way, storytelling. Without speaking, we played our instruments together, allowing the sounds to build and diminish naturally–and together.

I have trouble meditating, and I worried I wouldn’t be able to drum for an hour without some kind of instruction or direction. And yet, the time passed quickly, the heartbeat patterns centering and grounding me.

I wonder if any schools offer African drumming for students or teachers? Can you imagine starting or ending each day with this transformative act?

“The knower of the mystery of sound knows the mystery of the whole universe” – Hazrat Inayat Khan

Working together

Snacks, water bottles, white boards, and time to chat–all this made a difference in the success of our week-long writing camp, which ended today. What a gift to work in such a small group, sharing ideas, reading our writing, and talking about ways to improve. The boys, good sports both, worked hard on two different pieces of writing. And I wasn’t surprised to find that the conversations we had helped the most. This is, of course, the way to work with writers. You can’t be at the front of the room. You must sit with the student, talking about the strengths, asking questions…..nodding and encouraging.

One of the boys had brought a MacAir, so before I could say “sure,” he had set up his iphone as a hotspot, pulled out and set up his iPad for another boy, and opened Google Docs to start typing. So much the notebooks I’d purchased:)

He also texted me this, which I hadn’t seen but seemed so appropriate for the week:

I sure love middle-schoolers.

 

Digital Writing

I’m putting finishing touches on a workshop I’ll be leading for the Virginia Association of Independent Schools this fall, for both lower school and middle/upper school teachers. We’ll take a look at ways improve student writing using a variety of digital resources. I’m grateful for the NWP site, DigitalIs and Troy Hicks’ book Because Digital Writing Matters— so many people so willing to share.

Once I’ve finished, I’ll post links to the examples I’ll offer as well as the work we will do that day. The event is not posted on the VAIS website yet, but once it is, you’ll find it here.

Hope to see you!

Pause

Maria Shriver’s not the first to use the word. (It’s Bud Hunt’s mantra, too). But her commencement speech is worth reading and mentioning here. The Power of the Pause…

Some highlights….

You have the power, each and every one of you, to change the way we as a nation speak to one another. I truly believe you can change our national discourse for the better.

…..
Change it from criticism and fault-finding to understanding and compassion. Change it from nay-saying and name-calling to acceptance and appreciation.
Change it from dissembling and dishonesty to openness and explanation.
Change from screaming to speaking.

She also says:

PAUSE — before you hit the “send” button and forward a picture that could ruin someone’s life — or write something nasty on someone’s Wall because you think it’s funny or clever. Believe me, it isn’t.

PAUSE — before you make judgments about people’s personal or professional decisions.

Sometimes when you pause, you’ll realize you’re gonna have to hold yourself back from acting out on your ego and your first impulse.

Pausing. A simple way to change the way we live.