Meme: Passion Quilt

Monica, from Educating Alice, tagged us for the Passion Quilt Meme.

Here are the rules:

• Think about what you are passionate about teaching your students.
• Post a picture from a source like FlickrCC or Flickr Creative Commons or make/take your own that captures what YOU are most passionate about for kids to learn about…and give your picture a short title.
• Title your blog post “Meme: Passion Quilt” and link back to this blog entry.
• Include links to 5 folks in your professional learning network or whom you follow on Twitter/Pownce

For us, just like for Monica and Doug, at Borderland, it's a struggle to untangle our passion from the passions of our students, and on top of that, to find a photo that represents it all.

The best we can come up with is this one. In a Choice Literacy article, Franki wrote about creating Revision Toolbags for her students -- big ziplocks filled with all the fun tools for revision that she uses when she writes: highlighters, sticky notes of all sizes, scissors and tape, gel pens with colored ink, staplers and staple removers. Knowing that our children have only been writers for a couple of years, really, and that they are still children, after all, her idea was to let children play with revision, let them experiment with revision and all the tools writers might use. I read the article and it made such good sense that I stopped at Staples after school that very day and spend a wad on revision tools. And sure enough, when I introduced the revision toolbags, revision's popularity soared. Suddenly, revision was fun.

So here's a picture that shows Franki's idea and the way one of my students put her idea into action. It's a picture that exemplifies the ways we share professionally and "borrow" each other's ideas either flat out or with a new spin. It shows how our students try on our passions (reading and writing) and make them their own.


We'll tag Karen and Bill at Literate Lives, Katie at Creative Literacy, Megan at Read, Read, Read, and Meredith at Learning Together. We know that one of you is in Chile (last we heard) and two of you are up to your ears with report cards. Do this when you get around to it. Can't wait to see what you come up with! (I did a blog search of Meme: Passion Quilt and there are hundreds of entries. It would make interesting reading, but alas, report cards are calling my name, too. Actually, I need to finish grading...sigh...NOT my passion!)

The Spotlight...

...is on US over at 7 Impossible Things Before Breakfast!!!

Jules and Eisha, thank you for the fabulous interview (love the images you found!!), and Liz, Jen, Sarah, and Susan, thank you for your kind words!

Great Characters!

I always look for books that can become children's favorite characters. I look for characters that are featured in more than one book so students can look forward to the next book about the character and can think about what might be next for their favorite characters. Here are a few that I recently picked up.

LaRUE FOR MAYOR: LETTERS FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL
For those of you who love LaRue from his last few books (Dear Mrs. LaRue), you'll love this new one about this amusing dog. This time LaRue is writing letters to his owner as he decides to run for mayor. The other candidate wants to take away dogs' freedom! fun book and also one that can be used to explain elections in a way that could make some sense to young children.


BIG CHICKENS FLY THE COOP by Leslie Helakoski
The four chickens from BIG CHICKENS are back. This time they leave the safety of their chicken coop to find the farmhouse. But things aren't that simple. I think the illustrations of these 4 chickens are the best--their personalities definitely come through. The story line and the repeated text are predictable and fun. Makes you look forward to a third book about these chickens!



MONKEY WITH A TOOL BELT by Chris Monroe
I am including this one even though there is only one book about this Monkey. I am including it because I am hoping that there are more to come. I picked it up after reading Fuse #8's review and the post at Schu's Blog of Lit and More. The illustration of the monkey totally sold me. I'm not sure what it is about this book but I LOVE it. The monkey totally cracks me up and he grows on you more and more as the book goes on. What a concept!

NonFiction Monday

As part of our writing workshop, we are doing a study of Literary Nonfiction. When I think about what that means, I think it is quality nonfiction writing --the nonfiction writing that has the qualities of good writing. It is different from encyclopedia or traditional report writing.

Knowing that this is a big focus for our grade level standards, I have been trying to pick up some good mentor texts--nonfiction books that students can learn from. I am amazed by how many great nonfiction books are out there these days. These are some of the newer ones I've picked up.

POOP: A Natural History of the Unmentionable by Nicola Davies
The version of this that I purchased is a very tiny book (3" X 5") which makes it quite fun! The illustrations are amusing and the writing has a great deal of humor embedded in it. A topic that kids love to read about and they can certainly learn from the casualness of the writing.




THE BROOK BOOK: EXPLORING SMALL STREAMS by Jim Arnosky is full of great information about brooks. The illustrations are soft and the colors work. Many features of nonfiction text (labels, question headings, etc.) are embedded throughout and there is variety in the page layouts. The language is perfect when looking at quality nonfiction writing. One page says, "As a brook tumbles and runs downhill, the moving water shapes te land it flows over." Every line seems packed with information and the writing is quality nonfiction. The author's note lets readers know that the book is set up to help you get the most out of a visit to a local brook!


A DICTIONARY OF DANCE by Liz Murphy is a fun dictionary of dance vocabulary. Each letter of the alphabet is accompanied by a dance specific word such as improvisation or kick. The pronunciation and definition are included. The illustrations give readers a visual to further explain the word.



I GET WET by Vicki Cobb is an older book (2002) that I just discovered. I purchased this one because of the writing and the page layouts. Cobb often places the words in a wave coming out of a faucet or something similar. The key is that the writing in those spaces is well-written. My students often have fun with font and word placement but forget about the quality of writing when doing so. This will show them how to tie those things together.

FROGS by Nic Bishop
The photographs in this book were what drew me to it in the first place. The writing is as spectacular as the photos. The book is packed with information and organized in paragraphs about different things. One paragraph lead says, "Some people are confused about the difference between a frog and a toad, but you do not have to be." Love that! A great index and glossary are found at the end of this book.



HOW STRONG IS IT? by Ben Hillman
I heard about this book from Karen at Literate Lives. HOW BIG IS IT? by the same author is a class favorite. This is a great second book. The illustrations are fascinating--showing strong things like lasers, sharks, and wood. The photos draw you into the text and the text goes on to tell you the information you want to know. The writing is tight--one column per photo. It is organized by paragraphs and well written. Each page can be studied by nonfiction writers and they will learn lots about organization, choice of details, and more.

HOORAY FOR INVENTORS! by Marcia Williams
I would consider this book to be a graphic novel of sorts, but not really. Each page stands alone and has the feel of a comic book. Some boxes hold isolated information while other spreads connect a story about a famous inventor. Facts are found in every white space on the page so there is lots to look at and discover. The organization is an interesting component. The index helps readers find the information they are looking for.



Nonfiction Monday roundup is at Picture Book of the Day.

Weekend Reading

The February Carnival of Children's Literature is up --Leap In!

The February issue of The Edge of the Forest is up -- thank goodness for that extra February day so that it could be published in February (with 29 minutes to spare)!

Lester Laminack Visit

Lester Laminack visited Dublin this week. On Thursday, he was the author visit at our school. If you are looking for a good author for an author visit, he is one of the best I've heard. He is a teacher, author, writer and quite the entertainer. He talked about his writing process and shared lots of insights about his books. He has written 5 children's books (THE SUNSETS OF MISS OLIVIA WIGGINS, SATURDAYS AND TEACAKES, TREVOR'S WIGGLY-WOBBLY TOOTH, JAKE'S 100TH DAY OF SCHOOL, and SNOW DAY) with more on the way.

On Friday, Lester was part of the Literacy's Connection's yearlong workshop. The Literacy Connection puts on a workshop each year. In the fall, we all get together and get copies of the book we will be studying throughout the year. Then in the spring (this weekend), the author of the book visits and spends Friday teaching demonstration lessons in classrooms for us to watch and discuss. On Saturday there is a follow-up with a full day workshop. This year we read one of Lester's newer professional books, READING ALOUD ACROSS THE CURRICULUM. This is a companion book to LIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE.

Quite a variety of things and Lester was amazing at all of them. His rapport with the kids during the author visit was instant. Kids had trouble leaving the room because they wanted to stay to hear more. Teachers felt the same way--many of us were laughing so hard, we were crying! And he was just as amazing with the teacher groups on Friday and Saturday. He reminded us about so much that we seem to have lost in the last 5 years of teaching. He reminded us of the power of books in the classroom and our need to get back to using our own common sense when teaching.

If you are looking for an author visit or a teacher visit, Lester was a huge hit!

Better Than Leveled Books

I definitely understand the place of leveled books in primary classrooms. Kids need books they can read to move forward as readers. But, I think that as a nation, we have forgotten that there are so many great books--quality children's literature--that supports new readers in the same way that leveled books do. So, I have been adding to my collection of books that are perfect for new readers--books to have in the classroom that serve the same purpose as leveled books; books that young readers can read on their own because the supports are there for them.

I've picked up 3 new books in the last few weeks that fit this category.

WHAT WILL FAT CAT SIT ON? by Jan Thomas is definitely one o my new favorites. The text is very predictable as readers watch as the cat decides where to sit (Will Fat Cat sit on...the CHICKEN?) The illustrations are perfect. The facial expressions on all of the animals add to the story and the colors are quite fun. This is one of those books that I can't keep close to me--everyone I show it to keeps it or passes it along to someone else. Every class that has heard it has quickly determined it is a class favorite. A definite must for Pre-K-1 classrooms. I must say that reading it aloud to kids has that same feel that DON'T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS! has. It is fun for kids and fun for the adult reader too!

Today, I picked up Emily Gravett's new book MONKEY AND ME. I am becoming a huge Gravett fan so this was an easy decision. She is brilliant. This book consists of very simple texts that repeats, great picture support and great possibilities for predictions.

NEVER TAKE A SHARK TO THE DENTIST ( AND OTHER THINGS NOT TO DO) by Judi Barrett. You know Judi Barret from CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS and ANIMALS SHOULD DEFINITELY NOT WEAR CLOTHING. This book is just as fun! There is only one line of text per page and each one tells the reader about something they should never do. For example, one page tells you to "Never hold hands with a lobster." The thing I like best about this book for new readers is that the illustration next to the text provides the "why" for the statement. If the reader is not sure why the statement would cause problems, the illustration explains the reasons. (For example, in the picture accompanying the lobster statement, you see many animals who HAVE done this and now have hands wrapped in bandages, swollen paws, etc. The simple predictable text and picture support is perfect for young readers.

I think that it is CRITICAL that we get over this leveled book craze that has gone too far and get real books back into the hands of our children. These are three that fit this mission!

New Contest at Two Writing Teachers!

Ruth and Stacey at Two Writing Teachers have announced a great new March contest--"The Slice of Life" Challenge. They are challenging bloggers to post and link Slice of Life Stories. On March 31, they will have a drawing for the winner. They suggest having your students write Slice of Life stories. They have great ideas, forms, etc. posted on their blog if you are interested in challenging your students. But I found it to be the perfect excuse to write our own Slice of Life Stories--those things we never take the time to write about. I already have a few ideas. I am pretty sure I won't win the contest but I am so excited to join in by adding a few of my own personal pieces. Stay tuned and join in the fun!

Poetry Friday -- Riveted

RIVETED
by Robyn Sarah from A Day's Grace: Poems 1997-2002.

It is possible that things will not get better
than they are now, or have been known to be.
*
*
*
...But it is probable
that we will stay seated in our narrow seats
all through the tedious dénouement
to the unsurprising end — riveted, as it were;
spellbound by our own imperfect lives
because they are lives,
and because they are ours.


Read the whole poem here.


It's been awhile since one of Garrison Keillor's poems on The Writer's Almanac spoke directly to my heart. It happened yesterday. I read those first two lines and they said so much:

• Age happens.
  
• Bodies fall apart.
• Public education.
• Global warming.

The middle of the poem made me slump down in my chair. But then the ending. The truth of the ending. The glory that makes us cling to life even when our bodies betray us. Even when current events seem to be going somewhere in a hand basket.

I'm listening to The Amber Spyglass by Phillip Pullman right now. Lyra and Will are in the Land of the Dead. I dedicate this poem to them, to the force of life, to all of the amazing things we each will do with our lives.



Kelly Fineman has the roundup today.

Snow

I got an email this week with the subject, "Are you snowed in?"

The answer is no, we're not snowed IN, we're snowed UNDER. We'll be back just as soon as one or the other of us can get our head above the drifts.