This Saturday morning, I'm celebrating surviving one busy week and preparing for another one by sharing 3.14 reasons to celebrate!
1) It's hard to believe, but we are almost halfway through the SOL Challege, this crazy challenge that 200 or so of my internet-connected-friends-daily-essayists choose to do with our precious free time. I'm amazed how the more you write, the easier it is and the more you have to say. It really is just the way Donald Graves (and other writing gurus) described way back in the 80's. The formation of writers is not based on teaching spelling or grammar; rather, it's choosing
topics, focusing, elaborating, and exercising that writing muscle for meaningful purposes. Those of us doing the SOL are reminded each time we get feedback of what Graves and other writing -researcher said: writers need and appreciate meaningful feedback.
2) While the risk of another blast from old many winter is still very real, this week we saw sunshine, rain, short sleeve shirts, sneakers and spring beginning to stretch her muscles. I must admit I had to look for those sunglasses. They made my commute a bit happier. It had been too long, way too long. 
3) I put in some time this week assuring myself I was ready to support my colleagues during our Google-Educator-Survival-Training-Superintendent's Day. Google is HOT and it was fun to be on the front line of learning something "new." Yet, technology is not my native language, and it's not intuitive for those of us who grew up with pencils, and papers, pre calculators! We all logged on, visited Clouds of Drive, danced in Docs, and focused on Forms for a wee bit on a Friday afternoon. Teachers are a tough audience; but they too see the signs and know you can't stop the Google Train.
.14) It's Pi Day and even if you are not a mathematician, even if you (like me) never use 3.14 in your daily life, there is something pretty neat about the way the numbers on the calendar line up with Pi today. Plus it reminds you of the math you learned long ago and is a good excuse to make (or buy) a pie!
3) I put in some time this week assuring myself I was ready to support my colleagues during our Google-Educator-Survival-Training-Superintendent's Day. Google is HOT and it was fun to be on the front line of learning something "new." Yet, technology is not my native language, and it's not intuitive for those of us who grew up with pencils, and papers, pre calculators! We all logged on, visited Clouds of Drive, danced in Docs, and focused on Forms for a wee bit on a Friday afternoon. Teachers are a tough audience; but they too see the signs and know you can't stop the Google Train.
9 comments:
I agree that a fun topic with interesting supporting details are so much more important than a paragraph looking perfect. At the end of Writer's Workshop each day I say, "Check for your uppercases and periods," but I'm much more interested in what they write about. If they move on to publish a piece, we edit more carefully. It's first-grade for Pete's sake :)
Yes, it's so true that the ideas and thoughts that go into writing are much more essential to becoming a good writer than the mechanics. It's also a challenge to get children (at least 4th graders) to move from "All about my trip to Disney World" to the hilarious 15 minutes my brother and I spend wrestling in the hotel room. I use Lucy Calkins methods, but the schedule at my school doesn't allow enough time to really do it justice.
I'd be interested in your experiences with your Google event. I was just asked, along with the other middle grades teachers to attend the Illinois Google Summit in June. Right now professional development in the summer is not appealing, but it will probably be useful, interesting...
Love those 3.14 celebrations, Anita. We are at odds with the Google train at school, can't seem to get moving. I'm hopeful, but will probably be gone by the time it arrives. This Pi day is a special one. We've been celebrating it all week! Have a good piece of pie!
So glad that IO got on that Google train - it's been such a blessing to my students and to my back!
I like your celebrations. Writing generates writing and feedback fuels confidence. Google has certainly made writing life in grade 3 easier - google docs makes revision, sharing and collaborating fun and easy. Sunshine makes smile. And a pie is a good idea with and without math.
"visited Clouds of Drive, danced in Docs" This made me laugh! And in honor pi day, I bought the last blueberry pie at my local grocery store.
This is a very joyful post and fun to read. I am excited about all the writing, and love your comments about writing being the key to becoming a better writer. That could not be more true.
I love your phrasing of getting on the Google train. I need to learn more, but there is no conductor for me to follow. Hope the sun stays shining brightly for you and you get those glasses back out.
"The formation of writers is not based on teaching spelling or grammar; rather, it's choosing topics, focusing, elaborating, and exercising that writing muscle for meaningful purposes."
Wonderful quote that I'm going to chew on a bit today! Thanks for sharing!
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