The Big Fresh from Choice Literacy
May 30, 2009
Pecha-Kucha
When forced to work within a strict framework the imagination
is taxed to its
utmost--and will produce its richest ideas. Given
total freedom the work
is likely to sprawl.
T.S. Eliot
When I was as a college professor, I had colleagues who set
aside
their entire summer to write, since we were all under "publish or
perish" pressure. They didn't write anything during the fall
and
spring semesters, saving their energy for the long writing days in
July.
Over the years, I realized these folks were the least likely to
produce any publications. The people who published were the
ones
who set aside a little time every day, even just 10 or 15 minutes,
to peck away at projects. That daily time didn't stop them
from
taking whole days or weeks to write, too - but the daily discipline
was what led to long-term writing success for most of us.
I wonder why so many of us produce the most when we have the least
time. I've been reading this week about
pecha-kucha, a
presentation format developed in Tokyo by Mark Dytham and Astrid
Klein. Pecha-kucha presentations include 20 slides, each
shown for
20 seconds - no more, no less. The commentary must be in sync
with
the visuals. You have 6 minutes, 40 seconds to tell your story or
pitch your product or ignite the room with your revolutionary
idea. Pecha-kucha has a cult following around the globe, with
Pecha-Kucha Nights popular in over 80 countries. Adherents
present
their latest creations in hip multimedia venues (it sounds like
karoake for those who love powerpoint). As Garr
Reynolds writes
in Presentation Zen:
If nothing else, the pecha-kucha method is good training and good
practice. Everyone should try pecha-kucha; it's a good
exercise
for getting your story down even if you do not use the method
exactly for your live talk. It doesn't matter whether or not
you
can implement the pecha-kucha "20X20 6:40" method exactly in your
company or school, but the spirit behind it and the concept of
"restrictions as liberators" can be applied to most any
presentation situation.
I haven't tried pecha-kucha, but I love the idea of forcing big
ideas and massive projects into tiny spaces. If you
are one of
the lucky educators who have long stretches of time this summer to
work on looming professional tasks, it's tempting to slot whole
weeks for tackling them. And it's just that sprawl that may
have
you coming up empty when it comes to getting much accomplished.
What if you tried a different approach this year? Pretend your
days in July and early August are jam-packed with teaching chores
(in others words, imagine it's a typical March or April stretch).
You've only got 23 minutes each morning to work on that big
project. Why 23 minutes? Because it's my lucky
number.
Seriously, pick a number that is small and just that arbitrary -
17, 19, 34, Set a timer, work those minutes on the
big project,
and then get on with your day.
A daily tight framework doesn't preclude taking a full day or
week
to get the job done, but it does free you up from the lack of focus
or direction (or insistent pull of procrastination) that comes from
so much unstructured time.
This week we're featuring an article from Aimee Buckner on planning
and setting goals, plus more as always.
Enjoy!
Brenda Power
Editor, Choice Literacy
Free for All
From the Choice Literacy Archives, Aimee Buckner describes a simple
summer planning and goal-setting process she uses to get ready for
launching writer's workshop in the fall:
http://www.choiceliteracy.com/public/385.cfm
"I believe in tradition. I believe in roots. I believe in those that have come before me." With these words, Ryan Bretag starts cataloging the contributions and inspiration he has derived from his colleagues who are retiring. His list is also a call to all of us to do more, laugh more, and especially, focus more on kids as we reflect on why we teach and close out the school year:
http://www.ryanbretag.com/blog/?p=883
In "Looking Ahead to Next Year," Michael Silverstone offers a
wealth of tips for transitioning to a new group of students, as
well as using the summer months to get to know students and their
families. The article includes a sample letter to send home to
parents:
http://www.responsiveclassroom.org/newsletter/17_2nl_2.html
It can be difficult to explain the value of a literacy coach
or
specialist to parents and school board members who aren't immersed
in our jargon. Edurati Review has a succinct and helpful
article,
"The Missing Piece of the Puzzle," explaining the benefits of
literacy coaches for teachers. This would be a good piece to
share
with community members:
http://tinyurl.com/l69p6h
Literacy Coach Jumpstart is our one-day summer workshop for
literacy coaches with sessions in Oregon and Maine. The
fast-paced
session with Jennifer Allen includes tips on mentoring new
teachers, designing study groups, focusing classroom observations,
and leading whole staff literacy initiatives. All participants
receive a copy of the Layered Coaching DVD for review and use in
workshops back home:
http://www.choiceliteracy.com/public/383.cfm
The Sisters (Gail Boushey and Joan Moser) have new DVDs out this
week for grades 3-6 teachers. The Intermediate CAFE
and
Intermediate Daily 5 DVDs are on sale this month - purchase both by
June 30th and save $99. View footage from both programs at
this
link:
http://www.choiceliteracy.com/products/item27.cfm
For Members Only
Many teachers have happily have given up desks for students, using
tables and cubbies for storage. Yet cubbies present their own
challenges (and at the end of the year, can hold disgusting
surprises as children clean their way to the bottom of them). In
this week's video, Joan Moser of "The Sisters" shares strategies
for organizing student materials in "social groups" to avoid the
mess and hassle of individual storage areas. The video is
three
minutes long:
http://www.choiceliteracy.com/members/907.cfm
Choice Literacy Poet Laureate Shirley McPhillips has sent
along a
lovely new poem, "If We Could Meet Again," which captures perfectly
the "shaking off the old classroom skin" feel of the start of the
summer. Shirley's commentary encourages teachers to use time
away
from students "to break out, free up, go someplace, and cast
off
the trappings":
http://www.choiceliteracy.com/members/906.cfm
In "Engaged by the World," Kelly Petrin and Ruth Shagoury
connect
globes and children's literature with a map theme to inspire young
children to write more and include visual representations in their
drafts. While the examples are from a Head Start classroom,
the
booklist and activities are appropriate for any K-2 students:
http://www.choiceliteracy.com/members/905.cfm
Finally, if you find yourself continually moving between teaching
and parenting roles, you'll enjoy our new Choice Literacy Cluster
on what teachers learn from our children, featuring contributions
from Lisa Koch, Tammy Mulligan, Andrea Smith, and Franki Sibberson:
http://www.choiceliteracy.com/members/903.cfm
That's all for this week!
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Jennifer Allen
