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March 28, 2009
Dreams and Memories
Recently my family had dinner in a little Mexican cantina, and I was
fascinated by the many dichos covering the walls. Dichos are
proverbs, or pithy cultural truths. This one caught my eye:
Cuando joben, de
illusiones; cuando biejo, de recuerdos.
[For the young, dreams;
for the old, memories.]
Here's a simple test to see if you're burning out on the job.
Are your happiest thoughts of work dreams of the future, or memories of
good times from the past?
This week, we've got some excellent web resources for National
Poetry Month in April. Poetry is such a wonderful way to
build delight in language and awareness of words. Plus more
as always - enjoy!
Brenda Power
Editor, Choice Literacy
Free for All
Two articles from the Choice Literacy Archives to get you thinking
about the power and beauty of language this month -
From Shirley McPhillips, "Messengers" is a lovely poem and message
about how poetry can move us, and why it is essential in classrooms:
http://www.choiceliteracy.com/public/464.cfm
Ruth Shagoury shares how dichos are a wonderful way to learn about the
home cultures our students bring to classrooms, as well as a charming
means to decorate walls with community beliefs:
http://www.choiceliteracy.com/public/150.cfm
This is an amazing project from Gregory K. of the GottaBook
blog. 30 Poets/30 Days will feature a new poem each day in
April from top children's poets, including Kristin O'Connell George,
Mary Ann Hoberman, X.J. Kennedy, Lee Bennett Hopkins, Jane Yolen, Janet
Wong. . .and many more. There are also links to interviews of
poets and daily poems from children:
The Academy of American Poets has a treasure trove of resources for
April celebrations, including new poems, quotes, lesson plans for
teachers, and links for students:
http://www.poets.org/page.php/prmID/41
What literacy lover hasn't made a poem with Magnetic Poetry's words on
a fridge or whiteboard? Students can now create virtual
magnetic poems at this site, as well as read recent creations from
their peers:
http://www.magpo.com/kidspoetry/
Delight in Words is one of our new Choice Literacy Workshop offerings
this summer. Franki Sibberson will share a wealth of
booklists and activities for linking word learning with children's
literature. The workshop will be offered in Ohio, Maine, and
Oregon:
http://www.choiceliteracy.com/public/860.cfm
Workshops Update: The CAFE in the Classroom Workshop is now
SOLD OUT at the Portland, Oregon and Columbus, Ohio
locations. Space remains at the San Antonio, Texas; Portland, Maine;
and Tacoma, Washington sites. You can access registration
forms for the open locations at this link:
http://www.choiceliteracy.com/public/600.cfm
For Members Only
How can teachers build more self-awareness in young learners as they
read nonfiction? In this week's video, Franki Sibberson leads her
students in a nonfiction goal-setting brainstorming session.
She also explains how her curriculum has evolved over the years to
include more nonfiction browsing and instruction time:
http://www.choiceliteracy.com/members/769.cfm
Getting more out of lesson debriefs is a goal of many literacy
leaders. In "Tips for More Effective Debrief Sessions," Clare
Landrigan and Tammy Mulligan share strategies and seven different
observation templates for participants to download and try out:
http://www.choiceliteracy.com/members/859.cfm
We've posted a new Choice Literacy Cluster on Inferring, with
contributions from Andie Cunningham, Mary Lee Hahn, Katie Doherty, and
"The Sisters" (Gail Boushey and Joan Moser):
http://www.choiceliteracy.com/members/858.cfm
Finally, we've added 20 clusters to the site since we began this
feature in September, and their popularity is growing. We've
started a new Clusters Department so members can browse all of them in
one spot. The department link is available below, as well as
in righthand margin of the homepage:
http://www.choiceliteracy.com/public/department71.cfm
That's all for this week!
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