The Card

         

          What would you do for a library card?  I grew up in Arcadia which had a beautiful library that I imagined looked like the White House.  Growing up with three brothers, I soon discovered that I was the only one who actually liked going to the library.  My family did not buy books.  We went to the library.  Now, we “went” to the library, but I was usually the only one looking for books.  While searching for books that held scripts (I loved putting on back yard productions with my brothers and neighborhood kids in the summer) and Laura Ingalls Wilder books, my brothers waited with my mom in the lobby.  For me, a library card was a passport, and I put it to good use every summer.  I was a girl and a nerd, and I carried a library card.  

            Well, my three children have been raised in Claremont.  In Claremont, owning a library card is not just for nerds, because in Claremont, obtaining a library card is a rite of passage.  Claremont is known as the “city of trees and PhD’s.”  Now, while most citizens do not have their PhD, they do have a library card.  This is the same town that has a “What Are You Reading?” feature in the local paper, and promotes an annual reading program called, “On the Same Page” in which citizens all commit to reading the same book (participation is noted by a yard sign featuring the title of that year’s reading selection) every fall.  Only in Claremont will the Friends of the Claremont Library annual used-book sale be one of the must-attend events of the year.   

            Claremont’s library is tucked in the center of the Village, with shops and City Hall on one side, and the Claremont Colleges on the other.  Across the street from the post office and down the street from Some Crust bakery, the library was always on the way to some essential errand.  At my children’s elementary school, the most anticipated field trip in 3rd grade was a three mile walking field trip to the library for a reading presentation.  And for the lucky few who brought their parent-signed application form, library cards were obtained.  Now, this was a field trip with a purpose.  I have chaperoned these trips several times.  A student who was able to flash a new library card was as envied as a teenager with a new driver’s license.  Library cards not only allowed access to a world of books contained within a building, but admission into a city culture that made books a means of connection for its citizens. 

            In a world that provides instant electronic access to books and reading materials through e-Books, Kindles, and EBSCO, my local library is still a destination of choice for my children in the summer.  Home from college, my daughters will either ride a skateboard, bike, or walk to the library.  Yesterday, I found on the kitchen counter the library card for my daughter, Sarah.  It holds her “big girl” signature from the 3^rd grade.  Eleven years later, that signature still speaks to me of the day that she walked a three mile round trip for that card, and the pride that she felt at becoming a card-carrying citizen of Claremont.

Seeing Red

         

         I am not color blind, and I am grateful for that.  The   opportunity to experience color is everywhere:  feelings, food, and politics.  And editing.  But were you aware that one of the greatest perceived threats to students today is the application of a color?  To be specific, it is in the use of the red pen. 

            When used by a teacher, the color red has a force that can always be counted on.  Correcting a spelling test?  A red pen will draw immediate attention to the misspelled word, as well as shouting out the total score and percentage at the top of the paper.  I have never had an issue with the red pen.  As a student, I knew that its role was “professional” and not “personal.”  The red pen conveyed that teacher-voice.  Whether constructive or affirming, a comment written with the red pen demanded attention.  But now some educators believe that attention created by the red pen has been deemed “stressful.”

            Feelings, whether stated or implied, have always been attributed to color.  Red is not the sole defendant.  We have all used colors for both negative and positive situations.  Feeling blue?  Well, maybe not if you just won a blue ribbon.  Are you green with envy?  Probably not if you just got the green light on your latest project.  How about politics?  Is your state red or blue?  Depending on your party affiliation, one of these is good for our country while the other will lead us to despair.  But then, if you are not sure, you just might live in a purple state.  And then there is red.  We have all had the experience of seeing red, but what about the color of passion and love?  No one can ignore the impact of the color red.

            Well, the red pen has become the latest scapegoat for inducing stress in students.  Teachers, principals, and some school districts have banned the use of the red pen in the correction of students’ work.  More “neutral” colors are being employed, such as green and purple.  In fact, manufacturers of pens such as Bic have increased their production of purple pens expressly for use by teachers.  The first time I corrected spelling tests as a volunteer in my children’s classrooms, I was given a green pen and told that it was less stressful for students if work was corrected in green.  It actually reminded me of when I was in 6^th grade and my teacher had us peer correct papers.  We were told to place a “C” next to the correct answers, leaving the incorrect answers unmarked.  We were told that it stressed a more positive tone.  After receiving our papers back, we used simple math to determine how many we got wrong.  So much for tone.

            When my son started his 8^th grade year, his English teacher sent home a list of supplies to bring to class.  They included college ruled paper, pencil with eraser, black pen . . . and a red pen.  This struck a chord in my writer’s heart.  Speaking as a writer, and with a husband who makes his living writing, the red pen has always been an invaluable tool for improving writing.  Over the years, my husband Brad has spoken to 6^th grade classrooms at our children’s elementary school, and he has campaigned for the red pen.  The power that the red pen has in the hands of the young writer can be transforming.  Its use helps the student/writer and teacher/editor deconstruct and re-map a piece of writing.  Marks on a written page can blend together, but the marks of a red pen is a beacon for the writer.  It takes the writer by the shoulders and says, “This is where we get to business.” 

             Physical items do not possess power.  Instead, their  power is assigned by people.  I love the color red.  Red is a color that is in nearly every room of my house.  I see it as welcoming, passionate, and happy.  As an educator, I want my students to feel empowered and confident.  So I will choose the red pen. 

Home is Where Vince Is

           My home has a sound.  Music has always been a big part of our home, and it is evident through the instrumental relics in every room:  piano, electric keyboard, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, violin, clarinet, and drum set.  And a harmonica.  But even with all of these instruments, the sound that can best be associated with our home is actually an artist:  Vince Guaraldi.

           Vince Guaraldi’s presence in my home began about 25 years ago.  I added “A Charlie Brown Christmas” cassette to a Christmas present for one of my brothers back in the mid-80’s as a kind of a joke.  My brother Danny and I shared (and still do) a deep love for all of the Christmas specials that aired each year.  In the years before these specials were available on video tapes, one had to tape the shows themselves or make sure that they did not go out the nights they were shown.  This was especially hard for someone who worked as a bartender during college, like Danny.  I decided one year to tape every Christmas special for his Christmas present.  The fact that all of his friends loved this tape and that it was passed around is another story.  But I added the Vince Guaraldi cassette as that cherry on top.  Nothing more.

            Several years later, with the birth of my first daughter, I began the nightly routine of rocking her to sleep while listening to a lullaby tape.  Nice for a while, but as it grew closer to Christmas, I decided to buy my own “Charlie Brown Christmas” cassette and played that during the holiday season.   Well, it did not take long before I noticed my daughter’s reaction to the music:  she fell asleep more easily.  Listening to Vince every night became her night-time ritual, and this ritual continued with the birth of her sister and brother.  Listening to Vince also provided a feeling of home whenever we traveled.  Playing the tape in the car or in a hotel room provided a sound of home.

            Over the years my kids have made fun of my love of Vince Guaraldi and all of jazz impressions.  An accomplished jazz musician, I appreciated how accessible he made jazz for me, and I shared this with my children.  His music is often playful, and yet evokes a mood that is hard to pinpoint;  happiness, adventure, a little melancholy, and a yearning.  Not unlike childhood itself.   

            My children are older now.  My daughters are both away to colleges on opposite sides of the country, and my son is in high school.  During their time away from home, it would not be unusual for me to receive a text:  “Listening to Vince.”  Whether a random placement within their playlists or specifically cued to inspire them while studying for finals, they each told me that listening to Vince Guaraldi soothed them and made them feel like they were connected to home. 

            Yesterday, my 15 year old son was within ear-shot of the kitchen where I was playing a jazz playlist.  When “The Great Pumpkin Waltz” started playing, he called out, “This is my favorite song of all time!”  And this was coming from a boy who is spending today at the Van’s Warped Tour.  When I asked him why it was his favorite, he answered that it made him feel peaceful and at home.  Not a bad place to be.

http://youtu.be/IymAMEzEoDo

Summer Stacks

Our local paper has a feature which showcases a citizen and seeks to reveal their literary tastes.  The first question asked?  "What's on your nightstand?"  In my house, the question would be, "What's on the end table?"


Our house is filled with readers and writers.  I am an avid reader, RN, and liberal studies student.  My husband is a horse racing author, journalist, and broadcaster.  One daughter is majoring in political science/communications, another daughter is a double major in psychology/philosophy, and my son is a sophomore in high school who is still exploring his interests.  Our home holds a variety of literary tastes.  If you were to ask, "What's on the end table?" the answer would be, "Well, there are currently 14 books on it."  (While writing this, I actually got up, walked over to the table, and counted.)


Over the years, we have filled four large book-cases in our house, and have relegated dozens upon dozens of books into "deep storage" in a shed.  These books range from college text books to favorite novels from high school to cookbooks.  We have lived here for 12 years, and have seen our living room reading table morph from picture books and Harry Potter to "The Accidental Billionaires:  The Founding of Facebook," "Beyond Wealth," and "Meditations on First Philosophy."   The one thing that I have recently noticed is that what is on the table depends on the time of year.   


For me, I have several categories (literally, stacks) for my books.  These have little to do with subject, and more to do with my approach to reading.  Let me explain:

• School Books.  These are not exclusive to text books, but apply more to a variety of articles (research and enrichment), literary pieces for analysis, and review books such as the CSET.  Sometimes tedious, usually enlightening, and always outside of my usual scope of reading tastes.  

• Book Club Books.  Okay, since I returned to school three years ago, this category of book is usually placed on hold September through May.  I belong to a book club with four other women, and they indulge my non-reading during school months so that I can keep pace with my school work.  This is my kind of book club.  By summertime I am ready to dig into some guilt-free pleasure reading.   This summer's selection is less intellectual and more frothy.  Much like a refreshing summer drink.

• Personal Books.  These are the books that are usually voted down by my book club friends.  I have a passion for non-fiction, and lean toward political ("Game Change") and short stories (Stephen King and Tobias Wolff). I also love books about wide open spaces (please, no Westerns).  I love anything by John Steinbeck ("East of Eden" is the best novel ever written), and a couple of summers ago discovered Willa Cather.  Need that road-trip fix?  These are the types of books that allow the soul to hit the road at a leisurely pace.

You may not have realized it, but you have a place in your own home that reflects your passions, duties, and affiliations.  It could be that stack next to your computer, on your end table, or on your night stand.  Wherever your stack is located, sit down, pull out that volume you once committed to, and reconnect.  That is one of the pleasures of summer.

          

Put It On (Virtual) Paper

         Cue Alice Cooper.  This week begins my summer break from school:  not as a teacher (someday), but as a returning college student of 3 1/2 years.  With my final semester allowing for a glimmer of light before I pass into a credential/masters program, I have reflected on what lessons I have learned in and out of the classroom.  My best teachers have been my peers, if you can call 20 year-olds the peers of someone old enough to be their mother.  So, with thanks to teachers and students alike, I share my lessons learned.


1.  Sit at the front of the class.  Sure, you'll look like a studious nerd (is that redundant?), but go for the complete package.  The looks you get from being the oldest in your class eclipse anything you might get from being in the front row/table.  It has also allowed some of my professors to benefit from my ability to provide fact checks.  "Caesar Chavez organized a boycott of, uh, . . ."  Whisper:  "Grapes."


2.  Make sure you always bring your glasses.  Sure, it's easy to view large rambling writing on a white/black board, but if you really want to know what's going on in the classroom, you need to be able to read the projected web-pages on the screen.  Don't try to look younger by keeping your glasses off.  Your squinting will give you away.


3.  Always ask questions.  Sure, you'll be annoying some of the time, but your younger peers will love you for it.  With age comes courage, and the firm belief that no question is a dumb one.  Just know that you might get an occasional rolling-of-the-eyes from a less than passionate professor.  You'll need your glasses to catch that.


4.  Professor titles can be awkward barriers.  Professor, Dr., Mr., Mrs.  Conversations before and after class  are wonderful, but what do I call you?  Seeing a professor while walking briskly across campus or shopping at Target allows for very little time to determine the appropriate greeting.  "Hey, there!" covers most bases.


5.  Parking permits are over-rated.  When your school has expanded into residential neighborhoods, the walk to your classes can be motivation for the post-graduate life.  "So, this is what it looks like to be home at 7 p.m. on a Tuesday."  People do graduate and live a life void of night classes.


6.  An A- is more valuable than an A+.  Please don't share this with my professors, but this has been my belief since going back to school.  It means that the paper or essay was actually read.  A glossy A+ on a 20 page paper sounds like a major achievement, but did the professor fall asleep after page 6?  At least that's where the comments stopped.  An A- will always spark me to dig deeper and analyze more, that is after I take a few minutes to gripe about it.


7.  Power Point is a read-aloud for college students.  Read-alouds word for K - 2, but usually it is to reinforce concepts of print.  While more entertaining than becoming motion-sick from an overhead projector, Power Point is not a replacement for the content and real-world knowledge of a PhD.  Sharing with students and inviting discussion feeds both the student and the professor.


8.  The best advice can come from the most unexpected sources.  If you haven't guessed it already, I like to write.  Writing doesn't necessarily flow from the formed thought.  Rather, the act of writing can spark the thought process.  Kick start it, if you will.  A "thank you" to a professor who encouraged her students to write when they felt that they had no answer for a test question.  "I will follow the trail of your writing, because in the end you will lead me and yourself to the correct answer."  And this advice came from my Power Point professor.   Here's to new discoveries through writing.

          

Breaking News:  

Girl Enters Brave New World

          I just participated in a technology revolution.  Well, not in the way that you would consider revolutionary.  But the fact that I was able to be introduced to, practice with, and apply technology to assignments and educational applications was an experience that changed my perspective regarding technology.  I am a paper-and-pencil kind of girl.  I like to hold a book in my hands, turn the pages of a newspaper on the kitchen table early in the morning, and do my best thinking when writing with a pencil (not pen) on unlined paper.  The idea that I could not only keep up with the technology instruction in ed407 (okay: slow, but I did keep up) , but be able to envision its application in my educational future was not only unexpected.  It was revolutionary.

          One of the technology gold mines that I discovered during ed407 was Google and all of its bells and whistles.  I had been aware of certain aspects of Google in the educational setting, but primarily through the eyes of my children in high school.  Peer projects could be accessed and assessed in the classroom and the home.  Suddenly, material along with the means to network with peers, had been placed in the hands of the learner in a way that extended the classroom experience. Students created, shared, and supported each other's learning.  And that was just my view as a parent.  Then, I viewed it as an educator.  Through the utilization of Google Docs, Google Voice, Google Forms, and my personal favorite, Google Sites, I discovered that I can create, share, and experiment with information that will allow for a deeper level of learning for my students.  That is educator jargon for:  I love Google!  Google invites the student and the educator to enter, play, and learn.

           Another ed407 discovery was the application of technology to facilitate sharing.  Sharing opinions, ideas, or sometimes simply asking a question can be somewhat limiting in a classroom environment that has placed increasing demands on both teacher and student alike.  Enter social media.  My pre-ed407 view of social media was that of all fluff and rare substance.  I viewed people who habitually tweeted, posted, and blogged as those who had too much to say about too little.  Present company excluded, of course.  Twitter, Facebook, and Blogger were tools that I was aware of, but I had been generally dismissive of, especially as an educator.  I just knew that blogging was something that would never fit me.  But then, here I am writing, and there you are, reading these words.  We are communicating, and that is the life-blood of education.  Sharing, imparting, and sometimes, idea creation require communication.  It is often challenging to provide enough classroom face-to-face time to fully communicate all that is necessary for learning.  Social media provides a classroom extension which allows for an intimate sharing of ideas.  I loved the analogy for Twitter of being at a party and wanting to not miss out on any conversation.  Or an idea.  This was a major revelation for me:  social media to facilitate listening.  Social media can now provide me with the tools to reach out, listen, and share.  Now, I just need to learn and then master Twitter etiquette.  Stay tuned.

          A further revelation to me in ed407 was the creation and utilization of screencasts, Skype, and YouTube for out-of-classroom experiences.  The idea of these tools has always been at the back of my mind, but seeing them in action provided me with yet another means to reach students outside of the traditional classroom.  There exists in the educational shadows a population of students who often slip through the cracks:  chronically ill children.  Not only is it difficult for them to consistently participate in the traditional classroom setting, their absences can be sudden and prolonged.  When a medical crisis occurs, it is usually difficult and sometimes medically impossible for students to gain face-time with their teachers outsdide of the traditional classroom.  Virtual tools not only provide information for continued learning at home or in the hospital, but it more importantly allows for authentic interaction.  Screencasts can be customized for a specific student with a specific query, and Skype can provide real-time sharing.  Imagine a hospitalized student being able to participate in a classroom discussion!  When used as an educational channel, YouTube is a clearing-house of ideas, illustrations, and targeted lessons which can be bundled to suit any educational need.  Virtual tools can reach and benefit all students while allowing the educator to maintain the interaction and relationship that is critical to learning.

           There is so much to learn in order to teach, and at the core is how best to communicate and facilitate the sharing of information and ideas.  Einstein once said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge," and technology captures this spirit in the delivery and sharing of information.  Ed407 introduced me to many aspects of technology, and for that I am grateful and inpsired.  I cannot wait to get started.

Coming Soon to a Classroom Near You!

     

 
         Quick!  Imagine you have just 60 seconds to convey to a reader the elements of a particular literary genre.  During these seconds, you need to relate to your reader elements that convey your understanding of the material, and do so in a manner that grabs the reader's attention.  And please be entertaining.   Can a literary essay produce all of this in just 60 seconds?

 
        Now, imagine that you have assembled a visual literary project which can convey all of the elements of a literary essay.  The total viewing time for this project is 60 seconds.  Is this possible?  Well, most of us view this type of project several times every time we go to the movies.  It is called a movie trailer.  More than a means for displaying visual images of a soon-to-be-released feature, a movie trailer attempts to persuade an audience.  How many times have you viewed a movie trailer, and then turned to the person next to you and said, "I don't think so!" or  "This looks awesome!"  Movie trailers are able to distill down to 1 - 4 minutes the essential elements of a story:  characters, setting, theme, and conflict.  All of these elements work together to create the type of tension that is necessary to hook an audience.


          My technology project sketch is for students to produce a 60 second movie trailer that is tailored to a specific literary genre.  Each genre contains variations on characters, theme, setting, and conflict.  A successful movie trailer will be able to convey these variations and shifts to its audience.  By tapping into the creativity of teams of students, a variety of approaches can be shared when addressing the same piece of literature.  A movie trailer is a format that encourages creativity while it demands the distilling of essential literary elements into a format which has a built in audience.

     While this is longer than the proposed 60 second time limit for my proposed project, it is an AWESOME example of how all movie trailers essentially have a singular template.  Be inspired, and pass the popcorn!