Thank You, Amy Krouse Rosenthal

http://www.whoisamy.com

As many of you, we were heartbroken when we read Amy Krouse Rosenthal's piece in the New York Times last week, You May Want to Marry My Husband. Chronicle books had a short tribute on their site this week. And others, like Malcolm Mitchell, have shared the ways she impacted their lives.  We are joining the world in sending love and prayers to Amy and her family.

Amy has given us all so much over the years. She has given so much to children, teachers and the world.  When I reflected on Amy's impact on our worlds, I searched her name on our blog. She has been the focus of 26 blog posts over the years.  We love her work and celebrate it here often. Her visit to our school in 2011 is one none of us will ever forget.  As preparation for that visit, her work inspired our 4th graders to do something to make a difference in the world.  We were lucky to have her at our Dublin Literacy conference that same year. 

I keep looking back at the list of children's books that Amy has written over the years. She brought love and joy and kindness to all of her work  Each book amazing in its own way.  Each one teaching readers important life lessons in a playful way.  In Duck! Rabbit! she taught us how to see things from different perspectives, In The OK Book, she reminded us that you don't have to be the best at everything you do, and in The Wonder Book she celebrated the magic of wondering.  The list goes on and on.

And, if you have not read her adult book, Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life, it is a must-read.  This books says so much and the creative way in which she puts it all together is brilliant.

For me personally, Amy's Beckoning of Lovely Project (inspired by the video 17 Things I Made) is what I think of every time I think of Amy.  For me, this project is the anchor that ties all of Amy's work together and the message is the reason we all love her so much. It is a project I go back to a few times a year when I need to remember what it is that is important in this life.  In all of her work Amy teaches us all to celebrate life and all that is part of life--all that is good in this world. This project was all about that.

We are heartbroken by the news of Amy's illness and cannot imagine a world without Amy Krouse Rosenthal.  We are grateful for all the ways that Amy has impacted our lives and the ways we have been changed  because of her work over the years.  We are better people because of Amy.

Amy's website says, "Amy Krouse Rosenthal is a person who likes to make things."  We think that making the world a better place is what she does best.  Thank you, Amy.

A Visit from Livbits!

Liv of Livbits was in Dublin, Ohio for the Dublin Literacy Conference last week. She stayed in Columbus for a few days and we were lucky enough to have her visit our classroom.  What a fun day we had!  My students were filled with joy when she entered the room. They could only scream and squeal and giggle the whole time she was in our classroom!  

First Liv talked to us a bit about her work and sharks and books and lots of things.

She brought us some treats--the new Fenway and Hattie book and Water Princess by Susan Verde!

We gave her some treats too. We know how much she loves Pop-Tarts so we each gave her a package of Pop-Tarts with a note attached. (along with some Pop-Tart earrings).

Before Liv left, we got to star in a Livbits video with her!

Fun with the BEST 3rd Graders in Ohio on Vimeo

It was a great day. Liv continues to inspire my students with her videos, blog posts and more. I think her positive message and the combination of seriousness and fun that Liv brings to her work is empowering to other children. She lives the words "Kids Can Teach Us" and reminds us all of this important message every day.  

If you haven't kept up with Livbits, you can find her videos on her Vimeo Channel.
She has an incredible blog that you'll want to read regularly.
And of course, you'll want to follow her on social media (@thelivbits).

Many of my kids repeated these words throughout the week, "Meeting Livbits was the best day of my life!"

It was a great day!

Chris Lehman will be Speaker at 2015-2016 Literacy Connection Events

Mark your calendars now!

The Literacy  Connection is happy to host Chris Lehman as our 2015-2016 speaker. As we do every year, we'll host a yearlong study around a professional book. This year, the book will be Falling in Love With Close Reading.  The year will kick off on Saturday, October 3 (in Dublin, Ohio) with a full day session with Chris.  There will be 2 after school sessions offered for those wishing to participate in the yearlong study. Then we will end our year on Saturday, March 12 for another day with Chris Lehman.

I love these events because they start great conversations with colleagues and friends. I wasn't able to hear Chris speak at the Dublin Literacy Conference but everyone who heard him said that his work in close reading is great for all grades K-12.

So, save the date--you can pick and choose the days you want to attend, or like many teachers--attend all 4 for this yearlong study.

More info to come but as you are thinking about your own learning for the 2015-2016 school year, this might be one you want to add to your calendar!

Will You Be at #dublit15?

We are busy getting ready for #dubli15!  We are excited about this year's speakers! This is year 26 for the Dublin Literacy Conference and I've loved every one.  This one looks to be especially exciting.  If you haven't registered,  you can register on the Dublin City Schools website.  There will be 2 keynotes, concurrent sessions all day, a relaxing lunch with time for chatting with colleagues and book shopping/autographing. What better way to spend a Saturday?

Our featured speakers and authors this year are:

Chris Lehman (@iChrisLehman) will kick off the day with the morning keynote.  I fell in love with Chris's work when I heard him present on his book Energize Research for Reading and Writing. If you don't know the book, I highly recommend it. His new book (with Kate Roberts) is Falling in Love with Close Reading--another professional book I love. I love Chris's work because he helps us look at teaching in a way that is both intentional and joyful.  Looking so forward to hearing him at #dublit15!

Colby Sharp (@colbysharp) will be doing three sessions at the conference. Colby is one of the founders of the Nerdy Book Club and Nerdcamp. He is a 3rd grade teacher who blogs regularly at SHARPREAD.  Colby's work is always centered around giving kids voice.  If you don't already follow Colby on Twitter, you'll want to add him for sure!

The amazing John Schumacher (or Mr. Schu as you may know him) will also be presenting at the conference. John is a librarian and the person I rely on for book recommendations through his blog, his goodreads account and his Book Release Calendar.   John seems to know every children's book and every children's author out there and he shares his knowledge generously! You can follow him on Twitter at @mrschureads.

Clare Landrigan Tammy Mulligan (@ClareandTammy) are the authors of Assessment in Perspective.  They also blog regularly.Their work, like Chris's focuses on both intentionality and joy. Their book on assessment reminds us that it is about the story of a child-not just test scores--that help us as teachers.  We were part of their blog tour when their book was published and you can read their interview here.

We have 2 children's authors this year and we couldn't be more excited!

Lisa Graff (@lisagraff) will be the afternoon keynote speaker at this year's conference. When you search our blog for "Lisa Graff", you will notice we've been big fans forever.  There is not often a year that goes by that I do not read aloud a book by Lisa Graff.  And her newest book Absolutely Almost is a favorite of 2014!  A must read for sure!

Paul O. Zelinsky (@paulozelinsky) Caldecott and Caldecott Honor award winning illustrator Paul O. Zelinsky was inspired to make illustration his career when, as a sophomore in college, he took a course that was co-taught by an English professor and Maurice Sendak. Paul has most recently illustrated Z is for Moose and Circle, Square, Moose.

There are lots of other great sessions too!  You can access the conference brochure to see all of the amazing sessions being offered throughout the day.  The two of us will be part of a fast-paced IGNITE session (A-6) led by the amazing Tony Keefer.  IGNITE: Literacy in the Digital Age!  We've never had an IGNITE session at #dublit so are looking forward to trying this out!

We hope you can join us for a fun Saturday of learning and books and colleagues!

Time to Begin: #Nerdlution15

Another Fabulous Logo Created by Kristi Mraz!

Last year, we had great fun with our #nerdlution goals. We had an idea. Colby (@colbysharp) created a hashtag and Kristi (@MrazKristine) created a logo.  And lots of people joined in! If you missed out, you can get the scoop on Chris Lehman's blog. He posted Nerdlution and So Can You (FAQ) which is everything you want to know about it!  

Last year, we had 2 rounds of #nerdlutions. Each was 50 days long and each person set his/her own goals.  You can read Colby Sharp's Nerdlution Round 1 goals and also the posts of other bloggers who joined int he fun.  Nerdlution? What Kind of Word is That?, Jumping on the Nerdlution Bandwagon, and My #Nerdlution: 50 Comments/50 Blogs/50 Days.

My #nerdlutions did not go so well. Actually, my public goal setting never really produces the desired results but I do meet some goals. My goals from last year can be found at #nerdlution: When Mr. Sharp Creates a Hashtag, You Know He Means Business! and how it worked out for me at Thanks to the Nerdlution Community!

This year, we invite everyone to join us and to use the hashtag #nerdlution15 on Twitter, FB, Instagram, etc.  Feel free to revise any #nerdlution pieces that need revised for you--number of days, start date, etc.  I think I will do the traditional 50 days as Jan/Feb is usually a good time for me to meet personal goals since the craziness of fall at school has ended.  50 Days Takes us from January 1- February 19 which is FABULOUS timing because I will be seeing Chris and Colby the next weekend for the Dublin Literacy Conference. We can celebrate our successes!

So, it is 2015. And 2014 was not my favorite year. Needless to say, it wasn't a great year for meeting goals. So, this is my thinking for #nerdlution15, Round 1.  No apples for me this year.  Instead, here are my 4 #nerdlution goals--starting January 1 and ending Feb 19. (well, not ending--hopefully becoming habit by then!)

#nerdluton 1: Water

I saw this amazing post about a woman who drank a gallon of water a day and I decided I want to give it a try.  Not only does she look better, but she seems to feel better too. A gallon of water every day for 50 days.  So I am going to try that.  And I am thinking I'll go for a gallon but anywhere between 64 and 128 oz a day will be acceptable.

#nerdlution 2: Exercise

I would like to exercise 6 times a week (maybe 5 different days). I am going to try the Galloway run/walk method this time as I think it will be more doable for me and it seems to have good results.  So I am thinking I'll do walk/run 3 times a week and some kind of a yoga class 3 times a week. 

#nerdlution 3: Fun Times

I need to have more fun. Sometimes after a week of work, I am too tired to do anything fun.  So I am going to try to do at least 2 fun things a week. Fun things with family or friends that isn't part of a regular day.

#nerdlution #4 is actually a #nerdlotion. 

Last year, putting on lipstick for 50 days was one of my #nerdlutions. It didn't go so well. I am going to try again but this year with face moisturizer.  Preferably 2 times a day for 50 days but at least 1 time a day . You see, I go through phases when it comes to beauty products.  No real habits and hoping to build some back in. So lotion every day. 

So, follow us to see how we are doing and join us with your own #nerdlutions!  Ready to go tomorrow!

Circle, Square, Moose

Circle, Square, Moose
by Kelly Bingham
illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky
Greenwillow Books, September 23, 2014
review copy provided by the publisher

Did you love Z is for Moose? Moose disrupted Zebra's presentation of the alphabet in that book. He's back, this time causing problems in a shape book.

Zebra comes to the rescue to extract Moose from the shape book, but that doesn't go so well.

Leave it to Moose to patch up his friendship with Zebra AND end the book with a rhyme.

Want to hear Paul O. Zelinsky speak? Come to the Dublin Literacy Conference on February 21, 2015! Consider presenting about your literacy best practices!

Celebrate Today!

We LOVE the tradition Ruth Ayres has created our blog inviting bloggers to Celebrate each week. Take some time to visit her blog for the link up of everyone's celebrations this week!

Today is our 25th annual Dublin Literacy Conference!  We love this conference--it is one of our favorite days of the year. Not only do we learn lots, but we get to see so many friends and colleagues.  We get to hear amazing speakers and buy books.  So we thought today, we'd do a daylong photo essay. Throughout the day, we'll be adding photos to this post to celebrate the day!  So check back for new additions:-) We hope you enjoy the day with us!

Celebrating student work. 

Celebrating technology: the Blogger app (we're blogging from our phones today), the Mosaicam app ("celebrity" photos to follow), and the Skitch app (which I used to annotate this screen shot on my phone)! We will also be celebrating technology later this morning when we Skype with Gene Barretta, the only author who was not able to make it here yesterday during the Great Pre-Conference Flight Delay Mayhem. 

Top, L to R, celebrating blogger friends from far and near -- Betsy and Julie. Bottom row -- Celebrating Gene Barretta's flexibility in Skyping for our family session. 

More celebrities! Cathy, Bud Hunt, Katie and Franki. 

#dublit14 Authors: Penny Kittle, Bryan Collier, Kassia Wedekind, Don Brown

Look what Penny brought for me!

Thinking Ahead to 2014--I'm Not Calling These Resolutions

Well, 2013 was not a great year in terms of meeting any of my goals. A ridiculous concussion with a unique healing-turned-into-migraine-cycle, followed by drugs that didn't really help, made for a pretty blah year in terms of getting things done. It was a real bummer as I spent 2012 working hard to get in shape (Couch to 5K and Yoga) and read lots.  So, now, at the end of 2013, I am kind of back to where I was a few years ago. But when I look back, I learned lots.  I am not good at slowing down and the Concussion Year forced me to do that (since I had nothing else to do).

I realized that the goals aren't really so important.  Having a time in my life that I couldn't read, work or exercise was fascinating.  I really had nothing to do as I don't have many hobbies not related to reading, work or computers.  So, it forced me to take a break and to think about what I love and how I want to spend my time.  During my first week of the concussion rest, I told a friend that I thought God was telling me I needed to rest.  She said, "He has been trying to tell you that for a while. You just weren't listening."  Good friends say what you need to hear, I guess.

Anyway, going into 2013, I am just celebrating the fact that I can read again. And I can exercise again. And I can work a lot again. And I can write again. I do love work.  But I did learn that I also love rest. And I learned that I haven't been taking care of my own learning.  And I learned that I got so busy that I didn't even realize it.  And I realized that once I had to quit all of the ongoing projects I was involved in, it was okay.

As you can see from the list below, it isn't so balanced. I am really committing to a year of my own professional learning and that seems to take up most of my space here.  Visually, it looks unbalanced but I feel like I need a year like this while still fitting the other important things in.

Reading
So, this year, I want to read. I want to read more for me. I think I got so caught up in reading the newest books for my students, in reading the books that might win awards, in reading the books I thought I should, that I stopped reading YA and Adult Fiction that I love. I want to make a bit more time for that. My life is better when I'm reading.

And I want to use the library more. I am really bad about buying books I then don't really need.  I love owning books but clearly have too many.  When we got married, my husband told me that buying books was never something that would be a problem--you could never own too many books.  Well, he had no idea what that could become and I find myself with lots of books that I've read but don't necessarily need or want to own.  And the number of books I own is getting to be overwhelming to say the least.  So, I am going to try to use the library more often. It is right next door to my school and they have a great collection so there is really no excuse not to.

Fitness
Our #runteacherrun Facebook Group has grown to over 200 members! I haven't been very active on it this year as I've lost so much running time.  And I was never great at running anyway. But I do want to get back to it.  The Facebook Group started a challenge and I think I'll join.  With some modifications.  Here is their challenge:

2014 Run Teacher Run Challenge- join me?
*Run or work out at least 14 times a month in 2014.
*Post at least 14 times on run teacher run.
*Run at least 4 "real" or virtual races in 2014. (Or create your own with friends!)
*Run at least 400 miles in 2014. (Or create your own workout equivalent to miles.)
*Encourage 4 teacher friends to run/workout and join us here in this group!

I'll modify in a few ways.  I definitely want to work out at least 14 times a month in 2014 and I want to post at least 14 times on the Run Teacher Run page. I'll also encourage others to join the group.  In terms of races, I am going to try for 1 race or virtual race. I am not a big fan of races so one seems like plenty to me.  And I am not going to set a mile goal. I am a very slow runner (15 minute miles--slower than walking). I think my goal will to be to keep track of my mileage in 2014. That's all. Just to begin that habit.

I also started a membership to My Yoga Online. I love going to the yoga studio and we are lucky to have a few great ones and lots of great teachers here. But, some days, I just don't have the time for the driving, set up and 1 hour class. My Yoga Online has all different classes that I can do at home with my membership. If I add this as an option, I should be able to fit in 3 yoga classes a week.

Professional
My own learning is going to be a goal for 2014.  I have been in the classroom for 27 years and it is easy to burn out of this job without constantly learning, changing and growing. I have been so lucky to be part of lots of professional groups of people who are committed to learning and growing as educators.  Over the last several years, I've done lots of consulting and fit in my own learning when possible. When I had my concussion and had to cancel lots of my consulting work, I realized how much my own learning just kind of tagged along with my consulting work. I very seldom went to conferences over the last few years without presenting, etc. And I missed just being places as a learner. I love the consulting work and learn so much from that, but I realized in 2013, that I had lost my balance. Here is what I have planned for 2014.

I plan to attend several conferences over the year . A balance of topics and types of conferences. At some, I'll be presenting a bit and at others I'll attend with no responsibilities.  Here is what is on my professional conference plan.

OETC -Ohio Educational Technology Conference--I'll attend this one for one day and do a one hour session on digital learning at the conference. The rest of the day will be dedicated to my learning.

The Dublin Literacy Conference is one of my favorite days of the year. I'll be doing a session with Tony Keefer and Katie DiCesare.  I love this day. (Last year, my concussion was new so I was a little woozy during my presentation with Tony.  I am hoping to do my part a little better this year!)

I've been busy with my NCTE work over the last several years and because of that I've missed our state OCTELA Conference. This year, I'll be able to attend for a day and do a one hour session. This has always been one of my favorite conferences and I'm looking forward to getting back to it.

MRA will be a conference that I attend just for me and for fun. Driving with colleagues, having the weekend of learning is always a treat. 

I'm looking forward to the second part in our yearlong Literacy Connection study.  Ruth Ayres' visit in the fall was a highlight and I am looking forward to her April session! 

I'll be doing a few sessions at this year's All Write conference, one that I was SO SAD to miss last year because of my concussion.  This is definitely a favorite for so many reasons.  

Last year, I attended a Choice Literacy Writing Retreat and it reminded me of how much I love to write and that I wanted to dedicate more time to different types of writing.  It was an amazing few days and it changed me as a writer. Looking forward to another writing retreat.   I'd also love to participate in Kate Messner's Teacher's Write this summer too:-)

ISTE is one that I am thinking about attending. It isn't a conference I'd attend every year but one I'd like to attend once in a while and it is in Atlanta this year. If I can get organized to get there, I'm planning on it.

And of course, I can't wait for NerdcampMI!  Nerdcamp was one of my favorite days in 2013--from the moment we got in the car until the moment we got home, we had a great time. The team ran an amazing day and I'm looking forward to one that is a day and 1/2 this year. 

I'll be speaking at this year's Ohio Innovative Learning Environments Conference. This is an amazing week of learning and I'm excited to be part of it.

NCTE!!! Of Course!!


I'm also planning on revisiting professional books to really dig into the classroom piece a bit.  With 4 years out of the classroom and a year in 4th grade, it is taking me a little while to learn what works in a 3rd grade classroom. Now that I've had some time, I want to tweak a few things and learn a bit more as this age is so different than 4th.  

I'll also be finishing the NCTE book I am writing with Bill Bass. This is a great learning experience.  The book is on Digital Literacy: What's Essential? and it is really helping me think through what I understand about literacy and the ways tools are changing things.

I'll be teaching a few Choice Literacy Online Workshops (The Tech Savvy Literacy Teacher and Text Complexity in Grades 3-5). I just started these last year and I love the online learning format.  I love how groups come together online to learn around a topic and I love thinking about these topics with other educators.  

Word for 2014

So, I have always been fascinated by people who have a word for the year.  I haven't really had one of those as I could never think of the right one.  But I think I have one for 2014.  I was looking for one and have been pondering my need to "get things done", plan ahead, etc.  I never seem to just enjoy what I am doing as I am always worried about or thinking about what's next or what I don't have done or how behind I am.

Nerdlution has been good for me. Even though I have been on a 10 day nerdlution-vacation.  It helped me see that I do need breaks and balance.  And that I have to be careful not to think too far ahead.  Mary Lee posted this link to the #nerdlution Twitter group this week and it said a lot to me.  So my word for 2014 is going to be TODAY.  I am going to try really really really hard to not stress about all that is coming my way and enjoy each day whether it is a day full of work, rest, friends, exercise, whatever.  I love my days but so often I get caught up on what's next or what I didn't get done, that I don't enjoy the day or what I am currently doing as much as I should.  Each day is different and TODAY seems like a good word for me for 2014.

Birthday
And I will turn 50 in 2014.  I have been telling everyone and saying I'm 50 for a while so as not to be too shocked when it actually happens.  (See why TODAY is such a good word for me!)

Thankful For the Public Library!

The first thing you notice when you walk into my room is the books -- six shelves there (with tubs across the tops of all of them), a homemade cinderblock and plank shelf there, two tall ones there, two short ones under the chalk tray there, the one behind the small table that serves as my desk...books are everywhere.

And yet, as I worked on the details of how I would approach the nonfiction unit we were set to start this week, the details about what other kinds of learning I was going to aim for beyond the standards that guided our planning, I realized I didn't have enough nonfiction books.

Praise be for the ability to place reserves online!

Praise be for TWO library cards -- a citizen card plus an educator card!

I have 17 different volumes in the Scientists in the Field series checked out. I want to explore with my students what kind of stamina it takes to read longer nonfiction. (No, these aren't the only longer nonfiction choices they'll have, but what a great place to start, eh?)

I have 22 books by Steve Jenkins checked out. These books support a range of readers. And they are already noticing what I hoped they would -- the very narrow and creative topic choices Jenkins makes. I want him to be a mentor for their topic selection when we get deeper into the writing portion of this unit.

I have 9 books by Don Brown checked out (this is his newest ...with a name like Don Brown, it's hard to do an author search on Amazon!). He's coming to the Dublin Literacy Conference in February! He writes more literary nonfiction, without the internal text features we often see in nonfiction and with more of a story arc as the structure. He has great "stepping stone" books that might get a reader interested in a topic that they will explore further. This is another sub-goal I have for this nonfiction unit.

(If it feels like I'm stopping this post without fully explaining everything -- like I did with my word study choice time post yesterday -- blame #nerdlution. This is my 30 minutes to write and if I don't stop now, I won't get showered and a lunch made and to school on time! At least this one is better edited than yesterday's [I hope]. I'm planning to update the word study choice post with information that answers some of the questions in the comments. What else are you wondering about our nonfiction study?)

#nerdcampbc-An Amazing Day!!

There are a few professional days each year that I live for.  Conferences that I look forward to as anchors to my year--where I go to learn, reconnect with friends, and re-energize. I can't imagine being a teacher without these few events each year. NCTE, the Dublin Literacy Conference, the Literacy Connection, All Write. They have become part of who I am.  This week, I added a new anchor to my list--#nerdcampbc.  For those of you that missed out on #nerdcampbc, this is the brainchild of Colby Sharp and you can learn more about it on the nerdcamp site.

Thank goodness Sherry told me about #nerdcamp!

Most of you know that I have pretty much been tethered to my house for the last few months due to a concussion and that #nerdcampbc was my first big professional outing.  I had a few hesitations this week as I realized how much I have to do to get ready for school in the fall and I feel pretty behind having had to take so much time off.  And then there were the bigger issues of wearing something other than yoga pants and putting on make-up and earrings :-).  But I could not pass up the chance to be part of this event.  Seeing all of my tweeps and learning together was something I had been looking forward to since Sherry had mentioned it to me. And I am so glad I attended! What a great day!

Colby and Donalyn at dinner Wednesday night.

From the moment I got in the car with my Car PD girls--Cathy Mere, Karen Terlecky, Stephanie Shouldis, and Katie Strawser, I knew it was going to be a fabulous two days. Although we were not so talented at directions, I learned so much just talking and learning from them on the trip. So much great informal talk.  Even through a few possible tornado warnings, we arrived in Battle Creek in time for dinner with a great group of people. It was great to connect with old friends and to meet new ones. Laughing together and talking books started right away.

Alaina explains the board!

Colby, Alaina and the #nerdcamp team started the camp bright and early Thursday morning. Most of us had never been to an Edcamp which I thought was a huge tribute to the planning team.  We attended because we trusted them.  We had no idea what we were attending but we loved the team and jumped on board because we knew they would plan something amazing.

We built the sessions that morning and it was such a hard decision as to which sessions to attend. Travis at 100 Scope Notes has a great post on how the day worked if you've never attended an Edcamp. I must say, the energy in the room was amazing. It was just a huge party of excitement about how it would turn out. It felt like a big game show, with Colby as our host. I loved watching the process as new sessions were added to the board and the program came together. And I love that Colby had this Literacy Edcamp idea at all--the idea of Edcamp with a Literacy focus made it all the more fun to watch unfold.

I attended four great sessions. I learned more about Evernote for record keeping and lesson planning from Cathy Mere, Karen Terlecky Alaina Sharp in Session A2.  I learned about Motivating Reading and Writing Through Technology from Donalyn Miller and Suzanne Gibbs in Session B2. In Session 3 I learned about Sister Classrooms from Brian Wyzlic and Jillian Heise. (We also continued the #hatback conversation here..). And in Session 4, I learned about Battle of the Books and One Book, One School from Sherry Gick  and Kathy Burnette.

A great thing about #nerdcamp is that all the sessions had a notetaker so you can access the notes of sessions you attended or sessions you could not attend right from the Google Doc/Idea Board. I'm pretty sure I'll be exploring the thinking for weeks.  It was a truly great set up for continuing the conversation and it is a great resource for those who could not attend #nerdcamp.

The Twitter hashtag is another great way to join in on the conversation that is still going on (#nerdcampbc).


And then there were prizes!! Such a great way to end a great day!

\

The Real Boy!!

Finally,  it was time to say goodbye to Old Friends and New Friends! No one seemed tired as everyone was so happy and energized and already looking forward to next year's #nerdcamp!

#Nerdcampbc is definitely an event I will try to plan my future summers around because I never want to miss it.  It was a day that made me happy.  So many great new friends. So much great learning. A perfect summer day in my opinion.

THANK YOU, #nerdcampbc Team!

Thank You, #nerdcampbc Team!

Vicki Vinton on Conferencing at #dublit13

I don't know about you, but I can NEVER get too many tips on effective reading conferences.

I was thrilled when Vicki Vinton (check out her amazing blog, To Make A Prairie) gave us 5 quick DOs and DON'Ts in her C session at the Dublin Literacy Conference. I've given these a try in the last two weeks and they work like charms!

(First of all, Vinton's metaphor for a reading conference was brilliant. She likened it to "parachuting into a text" and having to find your way around.)

DO focus on the reader's thinking about the book.
DON'T focus on the plot. 

(Do you know how hard it is not to sit down by a kid and say, "What's your book about?" Do you know how much more thinking the child will have to do if you don't give them this easy way out? Read on for the question that will stop them in their tracks and make them T-H-I-N-K think.)

DO begin by asking the reader what they're working on as a reader. (What are you wondering about, trying to figure out…)
DON'T open the door to a retelling of the book. Don't even let them get started with it!

DO ask the student to read a little right where he left off.
DON'T ask the student to re-read something they've already processed. (In one of the first conferences I did when I put this into place, I was thrilled that the reader anticipated the times when she would need to stop and explain things to me! Is that comprehension, or what?!?)

DO read a few paragraphs or page alongside the student.
DON'T take a running record as the student reads.

• As you read alongside the student draft your own understanding:
• What have you been able to comprehend? 
• What did you have to do to do that (infer, connect details, make a connection, etc)?
• Have you picked up any clues about possible themes or big ideas? 

DO ask the student to SUMMARIZE what you just read together.
DON'T ask the student to summarize or retell the whole story. After all, you want the conference to last about 5 minutes so that you can get to 3 or 4 more students that day and every child in the room every week!

Vicki Vinton is the co-author of

What Readers Really Do: Teaching the Process of Meaning Making
by Dorothy Barnhouse and Vicki Vinton
Heinemann, 2012

(I'm thinking I need to re-read this book.)

February Mosaic

This month's photos are documentary: Poetry Friday poem observations; book purchases; the quote wall by my classroom door (future blog post); Louise Borden, Ralph Fletcher and Vicki Vinton at the Dublin Literacy Conference (future blog post); English Shepherd mom with her English/German Shepherd pups that we temperament tested.

**click**

That click in the title is the sound of us pressing the "pause" button on our blog.

We'll be back in a week.

We just need some time to THINK and REFLECT on yesterday's Dublin Literacy Conference, and some time to READ and WRITE ABOUT all these books that are piling up around us!

Poetry Friday -- Lit Conference Preso

Maria (Teaching in the 21st Century) and I are going to be presenting about Poetry Friday at the Dublin Literacy Conference tomorrow. If your ears are burning, now you'll know why!

Sheri has the round up at Sheri Doyle: reading, writing, reflecting on children's literature.

#DubLit13

It's almost time for the Dublin Literacy Conference!

Hope to see you there!

Watch for tweets all day Saturday at #DubLit13.

Coming Soon: February

Last month, I started a monthly series on upcoming books I am excited about.  I am not sure where January went but it seems that it is time for February's list already! I have read so little this month that I was afraid to look ahead --the last thing I need right now is to add more books to my TBR pile!  But, there are some books that you just MUST have! These are upcoming books that are MUST-HAVES for me in February!

One of my very favorite professional books of all times has a new edition coming out.  WHAT A WRITER NEEDS by Ralph Fletcher is one of the books that changed my teaching.  It is one of the staple books that helped me learn to teach writing and it was the first book by Ralph Fletcher that I read. This 2nd edition of this book is coming out in February. Just looking at the Table of Contents makes me happy--reminds me how much I learned when I read this book and how many times I've gone back to the book in the past 20 years. (And Ralph Fletcher will be the keynote at the Dublin Literacy Conference on February 23. If you haven't registered, you should check it out!)

Follow Follow: A Book of Reverso Poems by Marilyn Singer is a follow-up to one of my favorite books, Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse. Both of these books are filled with Fairy Tale "reverso" poems.  They are fun reads and I continue to be amazed at what the process of writing reversos is. So excited about this second round of reversos from Singer!

Lisa Graff is one of my favorite middle grade authors. I was thrilled to discover that she has a new book coming out in February called A Tangle of Knots. If you don't know Lisa Graff, you will definitely want to read The Thing About Georgie, Umbrella Summer and The Life and Crimes of Bernetta Wallflower.

I can't seem to find enough sports nonfiction to keep my students happy! So I was thrilled to see
Becoming Babe Ruth coming in February. I love author, Matt Tavares and from what I've read this is a great and well-researched story.

I am always paying attention to good, upcoming YA (even though I don't get a chance to read nearly as much as I'd like to!).  But the book I have on my list to remember about in February is Pivot Point. Love the whole concept and the issues around the choices we make.

And finally, a March 1 release (but close enough to February that I thought I'd include it here is Grumbles from the Forest: Fairy-Tale Voices with a Twist by Jane Yolen and Rebecca Kai Dotlich.  I love anything fairy tale but this one looks especially fun.  First of all, I am excited that Jane Yolen and Rebecaa Kai Dotlich worked together on this one. Love those two! Secondly, I love the idea of hearing the voices of fairy tale characters in poem form.  I am VERY excited about this one!

Newbery Surprises

Franki and I had a little email conversation late last week. It went something like this:

She: "Are we ignoring the Newbery this year?"
Me: "Kinda. I'll do a 'Newbery Surprises' post on Tuesday because all the winners will be new to me.

And then the biggest surprise of all:

I've read it three times (self, aloud to fourth graders, aloud to fifth graders).

And right there on my picture book shelf were the Caldecott and several honor books!

There's a Coretta Scott King Author Honor book on my chalktray...

...and we just confirmed the Coretta Scott King Illustrator, Bryan Collier for the 2014 Dublin Literacy Conference.

I listened to the Odyssey Award winning audio book.

This Stonewall honor book is being passed through my two fifth grade classes like wildfire...

...and this one needs to be read by every high school and college student.


Pete the Cat, with his attitude ("Did he cry? Goodness NO!") and his Zen-like reminder that "Buttons come and buttons go," made the Geisel Honor list.

So the biggest surprise that came with this year's ALA Youth Media Awards? How many I know, and own, and love!

For all the winners, check out ALA's Official Press Release.