January 2012
1 post
More Conversations Needed →
I struggle, as most writing teachers do, with the tension between wanting to help young people become confident, strong writers and the necessity of helping them produce the required school stuff.
I am not implying that learning how to organize an analytical, focused essay is unnecessary. My concern is that we tend to ask students to do this before they have acquired writing habits, before they...
December 2011
3 posts
Drifting Away →
As I change my focus from anything/everything education to creating a writing studio, I find myself making incremental shifts in habits. For example:
I haven’t tweeted since, oh let me see:…
Be Willing to Change the Game →
About a year ago, I pasted a quote into Evernote by Chris Lehmann (probably from Educon 2011):
If we want our students to grow, we must do that ourselves. This weekend we believe…
edcampISVA rocked →
Today was magic. I am sitting on my couch, feet up, and fire going. The rest of the world is heading down to the Fredericksburg Christmas Parade, but I am relaxing, basking in the good…
November 2011
1 post
Things I’m Thinking About →
I love my new running shoes that have inspired me to get going again. I can’t believe those half-marathons were two years ago.
I so appreciate my Second Journey group, women who share the belief…
September 2011
2 posts
What Matters? →
This came across my RSS feed, and I nodded, agreeing with the report that many students who have been targeted for remedial work in community college may have not been prepared for the kind of…
Falling Upward, the Second Journey →
As I approach 60 (coming soon), I am beginning to look backward, wondering how in the world I’ve ended up where I am.
Today I read this in Falling Upward by Richard Rohr:
Basically the…
July 2011
5 posts
Symmetry of Life →
Symmetry from Everynone on Vimeo.
A Book? A Movie? →
Oh my….take a look
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore iPad App Trailer from Moonbot Studios on Vimeo.
Social Media Ennui, And Yet…. →
Do you ever get tired of connecting? Every once in a while, I have to step away.
I’ve never liked Facebook (PLP’s Sheryl Nussbaum Beach was giving me a hard time because I said I don’t…
“The greatest day in your life and mine is when we take total responsibility for...”
Is Boredom the Answer? →
Cross-posted on the PLP blog
My contract with AT&T is up in a few days, and, because of all the dropped calls I seem to have in my house, I swore I would switch back to Verizon as soon…
June 2011
2 posts
Money and Time: Can we get around these? →
Often teachers say the biggest barriers to getting sound professional development are money and time. First, let’s change the phrase “professional development” to “professional learning.”…
Love This Tagline →
For Intelligent Optimists
I mean, who wouldn’t buy this magazine? I did.
The section on Good News makes me smile.
May 2011
2 posts
Collisions Can Be Meaningful →
My worlds collided this morning when Michael Wesch, who was speaking at the University of Mary Washington Faculty Academy, referenced three different people from random areas and interests of my…
Let Passion Rule →
Photo from the recent #purposedpsi
CC BY-NC-SA ianguest
Quotation taken from Damian Bariexca’s #500words post: http://purposed.org.uk/2011/02/500words-damian-bariexca
April 2011
1 post
Tuning In →
Sometimes I forget how much I love music. Sounds crazy, doesn’t it?
My husband has been working from home most Fridays. While I sit in the quiet living room so I can see our backyard…
March 2011
3 posts
Asking the Right Questions →
Are you someone who likes to ponder? Think about both sides of an issue? Wonder why something has occurred? Don’t we all?
Then why don’t we ask this of our students? Why do we tend…
The C Word →
Cookie.
No, not really. Though I do want one. And warm bread. And muffins, the Morning Glory muffins from Hyperion.
No, I’m talking about change again. I think about change a lot. Why…
What Do We Need to Remember? →
I am taking a class at the gym called “Boot Camp.” We gather each morning at 6am to let Emily wear us down and build us back up.
Lately, one of the participants has been bringing his son,…
February 2011
1 post
There’s So Much Truth Here →
photo © 2008 Horia Varlan | more info (via: Wylio)
It’s often the wrong question:
G.K. Chesterton, one of the most influential English writers of the 20th…
January 2011
7 posts
Is it true? Am I programming forgetfulness? →
photo © 2008 dierk schaefer | more info (via: Wylio)
I am listening to Opening to Our Lives with Jon Kabat-Zinn, a podcast about mindfulness tweeted by…
Where are you looking? →
photo © 2008 Look Into My Eyes | more info (via: Wylio)
The UPS truck slowed down in front of my house today. I listened for the ”Knock, knock.”
My books had…
Mind Over Matter →
That phrase has been around for a while. I believe it, and this research helps cement that.
I’m trying to take care of myself this year–focus on good eating, exercise, and…
Don’t You Love Book Recommendations? →
One of the best parts of this collective learning is hearing from others about “good reads.” Frankly, there are just too many books about learning and schools these days, and I don’t have time time…
What are you afraid of? →
I’m not a rule-breaker. I wish I were.
But at 58, I don’t think I’ll be changing.
So I’ve had to learn to live with my fear, occasionally challenging myself to break the mold, let go,…
Invite: to increase the likelihood of →
photo © 2006 Zakwitnij!pl Ejdzej & Iric | more info (via: Wylio)
Some of us used FB recently to share our One Little Word of the year.
Mine is Invite.
Our…
First Night in Fredericksburg →
Last night we walked around downtown Fredericksburg for the city’s version of First Night. Now that our children are grown, we find we head to the music venues rather than the street vendors…
December 2010
3 posts
Finding Kindred Spirits →
We don’t need to convince large numbers of people to change; instead, we need to connect with kindred spirits. Through these relationships, we will develop the new knowledge, practices, courage,…
Words that make me …. →
Have you ever noticed how certain words elicit feelings in you? Have you ever tried to find a theme?
I’ve been paying attention to how I respond to words. Wisdom, reflection, curiosity, peace, joy….
The Moments Matter →
photo © 2010 Deepa Photography | more info (via: Wylio)
From Radical Learners this morning.
If we take care of the moments, the years will take care of…
July 2010
11 posts
Richard St. John Talks About Success →
Worth watching →
I ran across this video today on Brad Ovenell-Carter’s blog and wanted to give it more play than my vodpod collection. Well done and worth watching:
and the research says… →
The Zotero group started by Wendy Drexler is often where I look for research regarding issues that interest me. Today, I had a focused discussion with a friend on whether teachers’ personalities…
Yep, revolution…. →
Re-reading Edutopia’s interview with Alvin Toffler:
Alvin Toffler’s School of Tomorrow
These are the fundamentals of the futurist’s vision for education in the 21st century:
Open 24…
Spending money →
Working from home means spending more time on the computer.
It also means spending more money: a huge monitor, a fancy, shmancy office chair, and bifocals. Ok, getting old. What can I say?
2004 was a long time ago…. →
Reading my old posts from six years ago....
found a “new magazine” Edutopia!
first read about Dennis Littky
and tech “addiction” before Twitter.
Trying to share with my…
There has to be a metaphor here →
No Watch for Me →
I had to laugh when the keynote speaker at ISTE said all of us over 40 were wearing watches. I haven’t worn mine in years. (I wish people would stop generalizing about the perceived generational…
Connecting the dots →
I finally caught up with another EdTech podcast w/ Alex, Arvind, and Vinnie on this morning’s run. My classes always seemed to conflict with the live podcasts, and lately I’ve had running…
Testing video from posterous →
Posted via email from Susan’s posterous
From posterous →
Love Janine Underhill’s drawings here:
Posted via email from Susan’s posterous
June 2010
1 post
The message →
For years, I’ve been telling my students I don’t grade for effort.
“It doesn’t matter how hard you work,” I’d say, “if the end result isn’t up to speed.”
This I would say this after my…
January 2010
2 posts
Preparing for what’s next →
The beginning of the year means a new semester for me.
And more than ever, I want to move away from the traditional approach I’ve used in the classroom for way too many years. My literature is set…
Looking ahead…. →
I love the first day of the new year. Everything looks better. And I look ahead with anticipation, hope, and an optimism that doesn’t come as easily on other days.
This year I look…
December 2009
7 posts
Stress, really? Yes. →
Day after day, one of my eighth-graders walks into my room near tears.
“I can’t take it,” she’ll say. “I can’t do this anymore.”
What she is referring to is life–studying, playing…
Thinking About… →
“Good teaching is more a giving of right questions than a giving of right answers.” Josef Albers
Apps for the iPhone →
I just tried Google Search using the voice search-easy and fast!
ICTAC MEMO iPhone Apps for Education
“‘We don’t have to make human beings smart. They are born smart. All...”
– Twitter / @scmorgan/starttheday