#cyberpd - Dynamic Teaching for Deeper Reading: week 3

It's week 3 of the #cyberpd book study on Vicki Vinton's book: Dynamic Teaching for Deeper Reading.  I am once again synthesizing my take aways and quotes using a sketch note technique and in the process I am learning how to simplify my thinking in a visual format that will be easy to recall the big gleanings from this text come fall.

This week I am also adding a few lingering questions to my notes. I welcome any help or ideas to guide me in answering these questions.

#cyberPD 2017 - Dynamic Teaching for Deeper Reading - Week 2

It's week 2 of the #cyberPD reading of Dynamic Teaching for Deeper Reading by Vicki Vinton.  I once again challenged myself to sketchnote my thoughts and ideas from chapters 5 and 6 and was amazed at how much time I spent synthesizing and re-reading.  I do judge I was "diving deeper for meaning" in the process.  I am not certain if the sketching is slowing me down or the deep thinking that sketching requires is more time consuming.  Regardless I am doing extra heavy thinking about this book - more so than I have in a long time. Skimming a professional book is fine sometimes, but I am enjoying this deep read.  More importantly I am relishing this community of thought-provoking individuals.  Thank you #cyberPD!

My thoughts in visual format

July 6, 2013

It's Slice of Life Tuesday!  I am honored to be part of a community that supports and celebrates writing.  Want to join in the fun?  Go to: Two Writing Teachers to learn more.

July 6, 2013

I felt alone
4 years ago
Single in a minute
A widow
I worried about being
Lonely

But really?

3 children
2 + more grandchildren
Endless family 
Generous friends
Unlimited hugs

Alone?

I am blessed
With a legacy
Many memories
Great hope
Unfailing friendship


I am surrounded 
With Faith
With Peace
With Joy

I am Blessed 
I am Thankful
I am...

#Cyberpd 2017 - Dynamic Teaching for Deeper Reading - Week 1

I am excited to read the book Dynamic Teaching for Deeper Reading by Vicki Vinton this summer and be part of a collaborative discussion on the contents of the book with the wonderful participants through #cyberpd. 
This week we focused on thoughts from the introduction through chapter 4.  My book is chockful of yellow highlighting so now I am tasked with synthesizing the most important points from these 53+ pages.
I was intrigued by the various methods other participants were using to jot their thoughts down, but sketch-noting hit a chord with me.  I am not certain if there is a right or wrong way to sketch-note, but I thought I'd use my new set of colorful markers and jot down a few quotes and key words.  I am embracing the diving in and trying something new - it may be messy but it helped me synthesize my key thoughts for this section of the book.

Peonies and Thank Yous

It's Slice of Life Tuesday sponsored by the wonderful team at Two Writing Teachers.  Won't you join us?

Peonies and Thank Yous

I stooped down to take a whiff of a bouquet of peonies the other day and an image instantly popped into my mind...
It was the last day of school and I was dressed in a cool summer dress. I was holding a bouquet of peonies for my favorite teacher, a gift for helping me learn and grow that year. The blossoms were fragrant and sweet smelling. My mom had cut them from her garden that morning so they were still dripping wet with dew.  She wrapped the bouquet in a damp paper towel and then covered the paper towel with foil so the stems would stay cool until I got to school. The foil was rough against my hands as I rode the bus to school, but it was all worth it when I saw the smile on my teachers face as I handed her my peonies and whispering a soft thank you.  It was the only gift we could afford, but it was from the heart.  And with her smile I knew it was worth more than gold.

This week I must find a way to say thank you to a colleague that I admire more than gold. She mentored me in a gentle and caring manner and was there for me in my darkest of days.  How do I thank her?  I recall the warm smile I received from the few stems of peonies and the whispered words of thanks.  Maybe a stem or two from my garden will do, but I think I will add my whispering words of thank you by way of a letter, telling her of all my appreciation and admiration. 

I am sure this community will agree - words from the heart are worth more than any gift. Words are gold.

#joy #blessings

It's Slice of Life Tuesday at The Two Writing Teachers blog and I post along with a community of other writers desiring to share the craft of writing.  Join us!

#joy #blessings

Multicolored tubes splayed across the yard
Damp bathing suits hanging willy-nilly from the rack
Boat waiting to be covered
Cushions to be put away before it rains
Empty water bottles and seltzer cans laying on the table
Glasses in the sink filled with melted ice cubes
Dirty dishes on the counter
Full dishwasher waiting to be emptied
Towels on the bathroom floor

So many things screaming at me for attention...

But it's all worth it after a weekend of fun surrounded by children and grandbabies.
#joy #blessed

Learning a New Language

It's Tuesday and I am joining the Two Writing Teachers for their weekly Slice of Life post.

"Hey Chris, want a boat?'  asked my brother-in-law Joe.  "Now that I closed on my house in Maine I don't need it any more.  Would you like to use it for the summer and see what you think?"  

Living on a lake usually means you get a boat, but my idea of boating is a quiet ride on a kayak.  I really never saw myself owning a boat... with a motor... that needs gas... that requires maintenance...that means $$$. So when Joe asked me to take his boat I certainly had a lot to think about.  
With the gentle encouragement of my kids I decided to try it out for the summer.  Last weekend Joe took me out for a spin on the lake and to get my first lesson.  He spoke about watching the trim, taking care not to cover the vents from the fumes of the out-board motor, and making sure that I turn on the fan prior to starting the engine.  He shared that I might have to add another cleat to the dock and that on sunny or even rainy days I could put up the Bimini top. Many of these words I had heard before but not in terms of marine craft. It was like he was speaking a new language to me.  I just smiled and went along for the ride. 
When I got off the boat I realized that I had so much to learn. While my kids were calling me Captain Bebe (my name for grandma) I judged I was Captain Flounder, struggling to take it all in and beginning to feel overwhelmed.  It took some effort on my part not to drown (pun intended) in all the new information but rather remember that I needed to slow down and take the learning step by step. I take consolation in knowing that I am fortunate to have so many people around me that can teach me the ropes and I need to look to them to gently guide me to success because I can't do it on my own.  All of this new information required me to be patient and allow myself some scheduled time to practice with my teachers at the ready.  I can't do this on my own, I need the help of the experienced boaters by my side until I have mastered driving the boat, or at least feel confident enough to have a go at it on my own.  I am not there yet by any means, but I am charting the course with the help of my great teaching friends.

I couldn't help but think of the parallels to my students and how they learn.  I wonder: Do I sound as if I am talking in another language when I am teaching a new skill or strategy?  Do I drown them in vocabulary?  Do I leave them to sink or swim? Do I patiently let go or hang on too tight? My experience learning to drive a boat reminded me that I will be more cautious when I release the independence over to my students.  I think about the need for more check-ins, either through observations or questioning to ensure that they are ready to take the next steps.  I need to make sure I explain the new strategies and skills in a way that makes sense to them, and break down the steps into manageable pieces so as not to overwhelm them.  All this while carefully thinking about the balance of letting the students do the work so they can experience the success and not me. 

Like me, most children want to feel successful.  They want to speed through the waters and reach their goal. Sometimes this will take some hand holding and small steps and other times our students will simply take off quickly and surprise us all. Each of us are individuals with differing needs and backgrounds.  Knowing those needs is part of the challenge of teaching.  For me, when it comes to boating it will be slow and steady wins the race!