Time is now

In revision groups I realize how my group mates are writing stories of their families.  Memories of when they were young.  I realize how important it is to document our families histories because if we don't tell the story then who will?  I think I will take this opportunity (SI) to explore my family history and document it.

Writing comes from love

In response to Rebecca's demo: Memories of writing notes to mom as a kid and writing baby Lilly's multigenre book:

Writing comes from innocent love,
from child's gift to mom
or adult's gifts to child.
I think on sweet notes
I signed and she adored.
Picked wildflowers to compliment
and presented wrapped in wet paper towels.
Dirty knees and tough bare feet
ventured into bumblebee ridden fields
for wild weeds that looked pretty.

And now I write for her.
Little baby wrapped up tight,
of what I wish hwer to see
and what I want her to find.
She cannot read but can say, "read?"
She will someday and know
this writing comes from love.

Grading

How many times have I graded a child's paper? How many times have I said, "Wow they didn't try at all here."  What if I put my writing up to be graded? I would feel helpless, vulnerable.  I would feel angry at someone passing judgement on my inner thoughts and feelings.  There is a reason why I didn't blog before. I don't want people reading my thoughts-they are mine alone. 

What's good...

As I was writing my draft last night I kept thinking....is this good? What is the obsession we have as teachers, as people, of what is good and what sucks? If I think it is good does that make it so? Or does some professor or author need to deem my writing good for it to be?  Lots of questions...little answers, I hope to answer.

Reflection

I'm thinking hard in many ways now: demo, inquiry, drafts of personal pieces.  I'm thinking hard on personal/emotional thinking and dialogue in response to the article read today.  We used the road sign: slippery when wet to describe this one.  I think on my mom and how a lot of her relationships have been slippery and wet and how this contrasts and is similar to my life.  The Murray cards made me evaluate what her parents thought was important: marriage and babies and what she told be was important: education. Yet although she told me countless times to get my education before a husband I didn't listen to her, but rather did both. I'm running with the theme that children are smarter than their parents because we have their experiences and our own to know what to do and what not to do. I hope my kids are smarter than me!

digital excitement

I'm so excited about all the digital media websites and apps listed on the wish wall.  I love to create these types of videos/comics for personal and professional use.  I can't wait to sink my typing fingers into these media outlets.

Review of Negotiating Critical Literacies with Young Children By Vivian Maria Vasquez

 Critical literacy can be fit into the regular mandate curriculum by making it go beyond the required curriculum. Critical literacy seeks to place importance not on predetermined or prepackaged curriculum but on what students are interested in.  Also, critical literacy should not be added as an “extracurricular item” but should become “central” to the curriculum.  There are a few common elements of critical literacy in a typical school day.  This includes a class meeting  and setting a meeting agenda about what will be discussed.  Reflecting is a way during these meetings to make connections and discuss various topics raised.  Read-alouds can also be used to introduce or reaffirm a topic presented.  Critical literacy starts by the student’s themselves voicing questions that they are interested in.  From these questions, an entire year’s curriculum can be created through connecting main ideas or themes that the children are interested in.  These themes are inquired about through artifacts such as plays, letters, newspapers, or books.  Critical literacy is gained by learning in the moment based on student’s interest or concerns.  However, this learning must be acted upon to give the inquiry purpose and must extend beyond merely talking about it. Critical literacy uses social critique, social analysis, and social action to understand the world and change it.

For me, I find I have participated in critical literacy without even knowing it.  This year we did book reviews, created scripts and performed for selecting our class president, and voiced our opinions on policy maker's decisions about our schools.  However, the step I didn't take that is very clear in Vasquez's book is making the connection between all this learning  and linking it by themes to make a yearlong chart of our learning.  I think this would be very powerful for students and give their learning a sense of purpose that wasn't always there this last year.  I hope to push myself to do this next year.