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I know, I know! I haven't posted in 3 DAYS!!! I feel horrendously guilty over this and thought about it daily... here's what I've accomplished in all my "slacker" time since I wrote last:
1) Read The Help by Kathryn Stockett (awesome fictional Civil Rights story about black maids in Jackson, Mississippi - 444 pages!). Yep, read the whole thing over a weekend for homework!
2) Finished Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire. Holy cow! I think that may be the toughest book that I ever really read (didn't even skip any). Very complex, but it was also REALLY good.
3) Planned a unit that I will present tomorrow in class about how we're going to use our Writer's Notebook this fall (or late summer, really... less than 2 months now!). I have found some wicked cool ideas for our front cover!! Curious? Google "altered text" or "altered books" and "junk art" and you'll kind of get a little sneak peak.
So, my laundry is piled high in a crumpled heap on the dryer; my desk is a disaster (I'm sure that is no surprise at all); and I haven't blogged like I promised. BUT I have fed my brain well.
I hope everyone has had a lovely, lovely June. My class ends this week, so I'll actually have some free time. Might have to hang out at Barnes and Nobel...
Happy Tired Tuesday!
Ms. Hagen
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Making our Writing Matter
Good Morning! It's still a bit dark this morning as I write this. I'm hopeful that it will turn out to be a pretty, sunny day so the kids and I can head over to the Humane Society today for a carnival fund-raiser.
The idea of helping animals is nothing new to me. Fourteen years ago, I picked out Maude, my little kitten who would drink orange juice and eat yellow rice and beans from the table when my back was turned, and Shakespeare, who was nestled a pile of sleeping puppies, from the Humane Society in Tampa. This has carried through to this year with our adoptions of Sasha, Domino and Sally. I know I've given them a home, but it's hard to really feel that I'm helping them when they bring so much joy to our lives. They're just our pets and we love them.
The critical literacy class I'm taking (which is done next Thursday) has opened my eyes to so many other needs in our world. We have spent many an afternoon looking at issues of education, poverty, power, and the consumer society we live in. On Thursday we took a field trip to St. Francis House, a hospitality house that helps men who are homeless. We watched a video on Dorothy Day and the Catholic Workers, people who dedicate their lives to helping others. Right now we're reading a book called The Help by Kathryn Stockett. The main character is just out of college back in her hometown of Jackson, Mississippi in the early 1960s. She is a writer and takes on a very dangerous project of interviewing black maids to tell their stories of working with white families. It's very risky, but she feels that maybe she can change attitudes by giving these women a voice.
That is the heart of writing - giving voices to people. Last year we focused on finding our own voices, telling our stories. I wonder how this might grow, how we can find the stories that need telling so that we too might help others through our words.
Happy Saturday!
Ms. Hagen
The idea of helping animals is nothing new to me. Fourteen years ago, I picked out Maude, my little kitten who would drink orange juice and eat yellow rice and beans from the table when my back was turned, and Shakespeare, who was nestled a pile of sleeping puppies, from the Humane Society in Tampa. This has carried through to this year with our adoptions of Sasha, Domino and Sally. I know I've given them a home, but it's hard to really feel that I'm helping them when they bring so much joy to our lives. They're just our pets and we love them.
The critical literacy class I'm taking (which is done next Thursday) has opened my eyes to so many other needs in our world. We have spent many an afternoon looking at issues of education, poverty, power, and the consumer society we live in. On Thursday we took a field trip to St. Francis House, a hospitality house that helps men who are homeless. We watched a video on Dorothy Day and the Catholic Workers, people who dedicate their lives to helping others. Right now we're reading a book called The Help by Kathryn Stockett. The main character is just out of college back in her hometown of Jackson, Mississippi in the early 1960s. She is a writer and takes on a very dangerous project of interviewing black maids to tell their stories of working with white families. It's very risky, but she feels that maybe she can change attitudes by giving these women a voice.
That is the heart of writing - giving voices to people. Last year we focused on finding our own voices, telling our stories. I wonder how this might grow, how we can find the stories that need telling so that we too might help others through our words.
Happy Saturday!
Ms. Hagen
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Writer's Notebook Cover
Writer's Notebook is on my brain!! Right now, I'm thinking about the cover. Remember last year how I required you to have a 3-ring binder with a clear, plastic cover and then we personalized our covers? This year, I want to do something similar except I want you to have more ownership over it. So, like I said yesterday, you get to choose what kind of notebook works for you (once school supplies are out in July, I'll go on a little exploring mission and give you a preview of what's available). Then we'll personalize the front cover. So far, I'm thinking about photos, words that mean something to you, stickers, that kind of thing. But what if we branched out further and took cameras out around the school and took pictures of each other for our notebooks or things we liked; or what if we created poems to put on the cover? My brain is whirring, trying to push beyond my first thoughts, so that we can create some really cool covers that we're proud of!
I think I'll get the people in my class to create their own covers so that we have lots of samples to look at! Feel free to send me your ideas!
Happy Creative Thinking Wednesday!
Ms. Hagen
I think I'll get the people in my class to create their own covers so that we have lots of samples to look at! Feel free to send me your ideas!
Happy Creative Thinking Wednesday!
Ms. Hagen
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Writer's Notebook
Yes, it will return this fall. Our Writer's Notebooks will be back - filled with our noticings about ourselves and our noticings about the world, and, most importantly, it will also be filled with what we notice that we believe should be different than it is now, and what we might do about that.
Next week, my final project is due for my class. I must admit that I'm nervous because besides a lot of thinking, I have not started my project. A week is not a lot of time, so today I'm committing to some serious planning. My project, I decided yesterday, will focus on our Writer's Notebook. It will start with daily writing, just like last year, but it will also be a tool to review our thinking and discover what matters to us, a springboard for bigger writing - stories, poems, essays, pamphlets, and other pieces. It will be a place to capture and examine our thoughts before talking to others about what matters to us. Ultimately, it will help us connect our lives to our world and to make plans to do something to make our world a better place.
The style of your notebook is totally your choice this year. Lat year we tried the binder, so that you'd only have one thing to bring to class. I'm not sold that it is the ultimate Writer's Notebook for all of us. If you liked the binder, go for it! Keep your Writer's Notebook (TOGETHER) in there. If you didn't, find something else that works for you - something mobile, useful, and something that you love. Maybe you find a fat, 5-subject notebook in lime green that calls your name. Maybe it's a black and white marbled composition book. Maybe it's one with Hello Kitty or a Transformer on the front! Your choice.
I know it's only June, so do you really have to start thinking about your Writer's Notebook yet? No. Live your lives fully this summer. Notice the world around you. Make it your habit to be awake, thinking people who LIVE in this fascinating world of ours!
Happy Tuesday!
Ms. Hagen
Next week, my final project is due for my class. I must admit that I'm nervous because besides a lot of thinking, I have not started my project. A week is not a lot of time, so today I'm committing to some serious planning. My project, I decided yesterday, will focus on our Writer's Notebook. It will start with daily writing, just like last year, but it will also be a tool to review our thinking and discover what matters to us, a springboard for bigger writing - stories, poems, essays, pamphlets, and other pieces. It will be a place to capture and examine our thoughts before talking to others about what matters to us. Ultimately, it will help us connect our lives to our world and to make plans to do something to make our world a better place.
The style of your notebook is totally your choice this year. Lat year we tried the binder, so that you'd only have one thing to bring to class. I'm not sold that it is the ultimate Writer's Notebook for all of us. If you liked the binder, go for it! Keep your Writer's Notebook (TOGETHER) in there. If you didn't, find something else that works for you - something mobile, useful, and something that you love. Maybe you find a fat, 5-subject notebook in lime green that calls your name. Maybe it's a black and white marbled composition book. Maybe it's one with Hello Kitty or a Transformer on the front! Your choice.
I know it's only June, so do you really have to start thinking about your Writer's Notebook yet? No. Live your lives fully this summer. Notice the world around you. Make it your habit to be awake, thinking people who LIVE in this fascinating world of ours!
Happy Tuesday!
Ms. Hagen
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Simplify!
Happy Saturday Morning to Everyone!
As I sit here this morning in my little office space, I realize that somehow I've accumulated a lot of stuff again. It looks crowded and cluttered, which makes me feel crowded and cluttered. So, I'm going to spend some time today getting rid of some more stuff! What fun! The past two days I've simplified my schedule, slowed down so I'm not rushing around; I've tried to focus on one thing at a time. Today's I need to do the same!
Here's what my simplified focus brought me...
1. I finished the adult novel I was reading for my book club. It was not my typical read, but I found a lot of value in it. I'm not going to blog about it because it isn't something I want you to pick up out of curiosity! The next book club book is all for you!
2. I found that going over to school and sitting at the hallway table by the big window allows me to finish my homework for class in 2 hours, not the 3 1/2 it has been taking me at home (as I let the dogs in and out ... several times, answer phone calls, check email, check Facebook, get a cup of coffee, get a snack...). Single tasking with homework has made a huge difference!
3. I snuck in a little nap which made me feel refreshed and energetic so...
4. I vacuumed the whole house!
Now I'm off to single-task on the most important job I have - being a mom. The cherubs should be up soon!
Ms. Hagen
As I sit here this morning in my little office space, I realize that somehow I've accumulated a lot of stuff again. It looks crowded and cluttered, which makes me feel crowded and cluttered. So, I'm going to spend some time today getting rid of some more stuff! What fun! The past two days I've simplified my schedule, slowed down so I'm not rushing around; I've tried to focus on one thing at a time. Today's I need to do the same!
Here's what my simplified focus brought me...
1. I finished the adult novel I was reading for my book club. It was not my typical read, but I found a lot of value in it. I'm not going to blog about it because it isn't something I want you to pick up out of curiosity! The next book club book is all for you!
2. I found that going over to school and sitting at the hallway table by the big window allows me to finish my homework for class in 2 hours, not the 3 1/2 it has been taking me at home (as I let the dogs in and out ... several times, answer phone calls, check email, check Facebook, get a cup of coffee, get a snack...). Single tasking with homework has made a huge difference!
3. I snuck in a little nap which made me feel refreshed and energetic so...
4. I vacuumed the whole house!
Now I'm off to single-task on the most important job I have - being a mom. The cherubs should be up soon!
Ms. Hagen
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Sleepy, rainy morning
I awoke this morning from a dream that my basement was flooding and that my attic (which I don't have) was leaking buckets of water. I had also bought a baby leopard, which I was informed a bit too late, was really beyond the safe age to own a baby leopard, and that I should probably sell it quickly. As my sleepy brain came out of its haze, I realized that it was thundering, and that Sally was whining in her kennel. I looked enviously at Shakespeare who in his doggy-old-age has become blissfully hard of hearing. He was deeply asleep, unaware of an approaching storm, a howling puppy or anything else around him.
I often have the bad habit of filling my life with too much to do. I like to be busy and on the go. But days like today, when nature rolls her soft clouds into the sky and douses the world with rain, I think about the value of less to do and going slow. When I do less, I have space to ponder, to play with ideas, to listen to the thoughts in my head. I get to sit back and live the details of my life instead of watching them zoom past.
Last night we went downtown to Flat Branch Park. My kids were fascinated with the catfish and gar brought in by the conservation department. They stood and stared in wonder. They felt the smooth, wet skin of the twitching fish as the man held it in the air. They asked, "What is that?" about every detail on that fish. The same happened as we looked at a snake, frogs and the pelts of a fox and an otter. Slowed-down curious brains, soaking in the world around them.
Today instead of rushing to get as much done as I can, I vow to slow down, to revel in a long, summer day, to focus on each task purposefully. I'll watch the rain and all my little leopards playing so that I don't suddenly discover that they too are grown and now it's too late; I missed it.
Happy slowed-down Thursday!
Ms. Hagen
I often have the bad habit of filling my life with too much to do. I like to be busy and on the go. But days like today, when nature rolls her soft clouds into the sky and douses the world with rain, I think about the value of less to do and going slow. When I do less, I have space to ponder, to play with ideas, to listen to the thoughts in my head. I get to sit back and live the details of my life instead of watching them zoom past.
Last night we went downtown to Flat Branch Park. My kids were fascinated with the catfish and gar brought in by the conservation department. They stood and stared in wonder. They felt the smooth, wet skin of the twitching fish as the man held it in the air. They asked, "What is that?" about every detail on that fish. The same happened as we looked at a snake, frogs and the pelts of a fox and an otter. Slowed-down curious brains, soaking in the world around them.
Today instead of rushing to get as much done as I can, I vow to slow down, to revel in a long, summer day, to focus on each task purposefully. I'll watch the rain and all my little leopards playing so that I don't suddenly discover that they too are grown and now it's too late; I missed it.
Happy slowed-down Thursday!
Ms. Hagen
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Class
Good Morning!
I realize I've gotten into an every other day pattern... that may continue for a while! I'm taking a class at the University, and I am doing a lot of reading daily (3+ hours). All my morning free-time isn't happening so much. I know, it all sounds like excuses! At least I didn't say the dog ate something, which around here, with two playful puppies and a mischievous cat, that is a real possibility!
So, what is all this reading I'm doing for class? The class is called Critical Literacy, which means we are studying ways reading and writing (education as a whole) should prepare students to be fully human beings, not just people who can do a job. We talked briefly about the purpose of education in our Civil Rights Unit, but I have learned so much more about what it means to be a fully alive, fully human person, who is a thinking, acting being. We've read articles and books about how to make classrooms a place of true learning for teaches and students; we've read about people who are powerful and make lots of decisions, and we've read about those who have no power, no voice in this world. And we've questioned everything - why are there so many poor people in a world that is so rich? Why don't some people have access to the same education as others in our country? Why are there standardized tests? Why do so many kids drop out of school? And so much more.
This is making me plan some interesting units of study for 7th grade. What if we did book groups that studied other countries? What if we looked at immigration into our country? What if we looked at the material/consumer culture that we live in (the culture of buying stuff)? We could also use our writing as action - poetry and stories to express what we're learning; letters to people; newspaper articles.
I want our classroom to be a real place where we all are engaged (yes, reading and writing lots) with real-world issues - we can find them in novels, articles, stories and poetry. And we can write them ourselves. Our Civil Rights Unit was just a small taste!
OK, off to read about No Child Left Behind ... now, that's excitement! HA!
Happy Tuesday!
Ms. Hagen
I realize I've gotten into an every other day pattern... that may continue for a while! I'm taking a class at the University, and I am doing a lot of reading daily (3+ hours). All my morning free-time isn't happening so much. I know, it all sounds like excuses! At least I didn't say the dog ate something, which around here, with two playful puppies and a mischievous cat, that is a real possibility!
So, what is all this reading I'm doing for class? The class is called Critical Literacy, which means we are studying ways reading and writing (education as a whole) should prepare students to be fully human beings, not just people who can do a job. We talked briefly about the purpose of education in our Civil Rights Unit, but I have learned so much more about what it means to be a fully alive, fully human person, who is a thinking, acting being. We've read articles and books about how to make classrooms a place of true learning for teaches and students; we've read about people who are powerful and make lots of decisions, and we've read about those who have no power, no voice in this world. And we've questioned everything - why are there so many poor people in a world that is so rich? Why don't some people have access to the same education as others in our country? Why are there standardized tests? Why do so many kids drop out of school? And so much more.
This is making me plan some interesting units of study for 7th grade. What if we did book groups that studied other countries? What if we looked at immigration into our country? What if we looked at the material/consumer culture that we live in (the culture of buying stuff)? We could also use our writing as action - poetry and stories to express what we're learning; letters to people; newspaper articles.
I want our classroom to be a real place where we all are engaged (yes, reading and writing lots) with real-world issues - we can find them in novels, articles, stories and poetry. And we can write them ourselves. Our Civil Rights Unit was just a small taste!
OK, off to read about No Child Left Behind ... now, that's excitement! HA!
Happy Tuesday!
Ms. Hagen
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