Final In House Day of Summer Institute

This morning we read Because Writing Matters, emphasizing the importance of teaching writing! It is always great to be reminded of why we do what we do!

Today was a celebration of our work. We shared our e-portfolios with our writing groups, cake and ice cream with Shasta for her birthday, and our National Day of Writing Videos!

Tommorw we will celebrate some more at Table Rock!

Morning Reflection of Summer Institute Experience

During my experience with the Upstate Writing Project’s Summer Institute I have grown both as a teacher of writing and as a writer myself. Through support of my mentor and classmates I developed a research based teaching demonstration on using onomatopoeia to add descriptive details to writing. I successfully completed my first professional presentation with this teaching demonstration. I then converted this demonstration into a lesson plan to publish on the Upstate Writing Project’s website. After more revision I plan to publish this lesson plan on readwritethink.org as well.

I have also grown in my technological abilities during the Summer Institute as well. I have used Photo Story, a program I had previously been exposed to, in a more enhanced manner. I plan to use Photo Story in my classroom as a publishing tool. I will probably begin with me demonstrating how to use the program and eventually progress towards my students creating their own. I have learned how to podcast my voice, and I can’t wait to use it as a publishing tool for my classroom as well. I have perfected the use of hyper linking, and I have had some exposure with Movie Maker.

As a writer, I have regained the passion for writing that dwindled years ago. I have gained more confidence in my writing by sharing with my writing group, my classmates, and nationally on the National Writing Project’s E-Anthology. I know this passion for writing will transfer into my teaching and into my students writing. I plan to write on a regular basis in order to maintain this passion.

Writing Marathon in Downtown Greenville

The writing marathon in Downtown Greenville was a lot of fun. We began with our morning journal. I was inspired by this tree pictured at the left. This is the poem I wrote...

Mr. Old Tree, tall and leaning,

with the weight of a lifetime on your shoulders,

How did your life begin?

Were you put here by a person with a purpose,

or did God's hand place you in your home?

You are a happy tree.

Your life is full of memories.

Lone artists sit in your shade creating their masterpieces,

Your sturdy trunk is a resting place for a tired traveler,

or a hiding place for young love to steal a kiss.

Your long arms embrace the tiny birds,

Your canopy, their refuge.

You lend your leaves to warm the ground,

during the cold months of winter.

Although you are old you still have lots of life to live,

and lots of gifts to share,

As you stand tall and leaning,

with the weight of a lifetime on your shoulders.

During the marathon we traveled to many places as a writing group. We first went to the art museum. This location inspired much writing. I completed five pieces here! Next we moved to the Mast General Store. It was an interesting place to visit but no writing was inspired here. Then we ate lunch at Trio. During lunch we wrote a group poem, and I was also inspired to write three other pieces. Finally we moved to Coffee Underground where we shared our writing we had completed that day. It was a wonderful experience to allow everyday experiences to inspire creations.

Summer Institute Reflection Day 4 Week 4

Thursday during Summer Institute we opened our morning with a focus on our professional writing pieces. We collaborated in our groups to share format clarification and any suggestions to help complete this important piece.

We enjoyed two demos that I will definitely be using in my classroom this coming school year. Jennifer shared a teaching demo on creating good leads, including three different types. This is something I did not teach as well as I would have liked last year. I think providing students with only three choices at the age I teach would eliminate some frustration. I also think providing them with published literature that doesn't have the best leads allows them to identify with the author and encourages them in their writing. Kevin's demo encourages the excellent character trait of appreciation. It allows students to focus on what they are thankful for that someone else has done for them. Writing a letter to this person and also creating a poem for them demonstrates how rewarding showing appreciation can be.

Summer Institute Reflection Day 3 Week 4

Today was a very packed day! We had the privilege to meet some of the participants in the young writers camp. Pasty and I shared our writing with the children, and they shared their writing with us. I was amazed at the quality of writing these students were creating. It was inspiring to see such driven young writers.

Amanda's demo was fun! We were able to put ourselves in someones shoes. It was a great strategy to teach perspective. I can't wait to use this strategy with my students.

The time to writing today was definitely needed and well spent. I am having trouble bringing my pieces to a resting place. I know you are never truly finished with writing, but I struggle leaving mine alone. I am enjoying the time to write! I'm ready to see what tomorrow brings.

In-service Opportunities

My first reaction to presenting my demo again is sheer nerves, but after thinking for a few minutes about how I successfully presented to my demo to my close peer group, I know I am capable of presenting to a greater audience. The places I see myself presenting are in conferences, graduate courses, and after-school professional development. I can picture myself presenting at in all of these areas because I know my audience will be eager to learn what I have to share.
I can picture myself presenting at conferences the easiest. I have attended two UWP conferences both as a student and as a teacher. I know how eager I was to learn new strategies and how excited I was leaving the conference with new ideas.
I also picture myself presenting for graduate courses because I have only been out of student mode for a year. I understand the demands students face and I believe my demo would be, not only useful, but also entertaining.
I picture myself presenting in after-school professional development as I have already shared some of the strategies I have learned with some faculty members at the school I am moving to. I have even been asked to aid the instructional coach in the first faculty meeting using the jazzing the text and found poetry strategy I learned from Shasta.
Being a new teacher I don’t feel like I can give a tremendous amount of time outside of my new school and classroom, but I do feel like my demo would be helpful as well as entertaining to teachers.

Summer Institute Reflection Day 2 Week 4

Today was a wonderful day with the Upstate Writing Project's Summer Institute. I cannot wait to use both strategies presented in the teaching demos today in my own classroom. Anna's demo on scenic sound can greatly enhance my lesson on onomatopoeia, further adding description to writing. Mindy's demo on evoking emotion will greatly enhance my social studies instruction as well as other subject areas. Using role play evokes emotion and makes writing more authentic, especially in young children.

The reading group session was interesting today as well. I enjoyed getting to meet with peers that are reading different texts and teaching different grade levels. It was great to make the connection that no matter what grade level we teach, we still have many things in common.

The tech session today has been my favorite thus far. Podcasting is incredibly easy! I cannot wait to use this strategy to publish in my classroom, enhance my presentations, build classroom community, and all the many uses podcasting lends to. I also enjoyed viewing the footage my writing gathered for our National Day of Writing awareness video. I can't wait to see what new footage has been gathered this evening.

Podcasting

My First Podcast!

A poem titled: The Things I Carry

https://sites.google.com/a/upstatewritingproject.org/si2009/dashboard/podcasting/ICarry.mp3?attredirects=0

Summer Institute Reflection Day 1 Week 4

Today began as a true Monday, but it ended successfully. The teaching demos presented today were both very interesting. Donna's catered to my interest in science, and Linda's catered to my desire to learn more about teaching special needs children.

The debriefing session on my teaching demo went well. I am even more confident to present it again in the future, and I am looking forward to using the strategy again in my classroom as I have developed it further.

As a writing group we have finalized our plan for our National Day of Writing Video, and we have begun filming. I can't wait to see what the finished product will be. Hopefully it will inspire writing.

Summer Institute Reflection Day 1 Week 4-Morning

This morning we wrote in our journals about what areas we would be interested in for continuing with the Upstate Writing Project. Here is my journal entry.

The areas I am interested in to become more involved with the Upstate Writing Project as a teacher consultant are New Teacher Initiative and the Young Writers Tech Camp.

I am interested in the New Teacher Initiative because I want to encourage new teachers to participate with the Upstate Writing Project. I was hesitant to join the Upstate Writing Project’s Summer Institute because I am a new teacher, but I am glad I decided to take on the challenge. I have learned so many techniques and practices that I will be able to offer my students and colleges, and I have rekindled the love and passion for writing that I use to have before adult life consumed me. I know this renewed passion will transfer into my teaching, making me a better teacher.

I am interested in the Young Writers Tech Camp because I love the use of technology in the classroom. I would find it rewarding to teach students about technology in a technology focused atmosphere. I think taking part in the camp would also help me become a better teacher of technology in my classroom.

Summer Institute Reflection Day 5 Week 3

It was great being back in Clemson for the field trip on Friday. The botanical gardens are so peaceful and beautiful. The reading Dawn shared and the sounds of the nearby water running inspired this piece.

A river...a creation often thought of in reference to beauty. It holds reflections of nature and happy smiling faces in its depths. So many take refuge in this glass like fortress, a home to protect and to provide. It sings songs of relaxation and peace, calling to come near and embrace its beauty.

A river...the symbol of fear and death. It captures the life of those who enter this place. Its power takes hold, relentless. A prison. A punishment for disturbing its peaceful state, requiring you to become one with the river.

The excerpt from One Foot in Eden was captivating. I can't wait to read this book. I read the section from Billy, the husband's, point of view, but I wrote a journal entry from Amy, the wife's, point of view.

Oh the aches I feel in my soul. Trying to relieve on ache with another has caused even another! What have I done? Taking a life that gave a life, my poor husband's soul. How did I drive him to this? Will I ever be able to enjoy this baby that grows inside of me, or will it always remind me of all the aching?

Summer Institute Reflection Day 4 Week 3

Whew! Yeah! Yahoo! My demo presentation is complete! I am very happy to have completed my first professional presentation successfully. I look forward to presenting my demo again. I know it will be better the next time I present it.

I enjoyed tech today. I love using Photo Story! It was fun to see it used in an educational perspective. This has been a goal of mine that I want to conquer next year, using more myself and to teach it to my students. I enjoyed hearing from another teacher about what worked for her and what she learned about teaching Photo Story to her students.

I also enjoyed meeting with my reading group because we haven't met yet. I discovered we are a very compatible group. It was great to personally share the research behind our demos using a common text and then collaborate on the similarities we possessed.

Summer Institute Reflection Day 3 Week 3

I love the days we are given time to simply write for an hour or longer. This time allows my soul to breath and to release all that it is holding onto. I missed most of this time today because I was reviewing my demo I will present tomorrow. I did find some time to revisit some works I have already begun. This was just as liberating as writing a new meaningful piece because it was just that, a meaningful piece added to an existing piece. Rebecca's demo began this revision process for me. I am so excited to have a strategy to teach revision to my students. It is such an important step that I have previously struggled with teaching. I am also excited to use the dialogue strategy I learned from Ann's demo. Dialogue is something else I struggled with teaching as a new teacher. The strategy she showed today will help my students better understand this concept. I am looking forward to presenting tomorrow and devoting my time to my writing and not teaching writing.

Summer Institute Reflection Day 3 Week 3- Morning

Arriving late to Summer Institute caused me to miss the guidance and inspiration for this morning's work. The following is an attempt to capture the imagery I heard in other's shared writing.


The thick green grass swished beneath her sandaled feet and wide legged trousers. The laughter of children sang in her ears above the persistent thumping of her anxious heart. The warm wind tossed her golden locks as she walked towards the double glass doors, gripping her pink quilted bag so tightly her tiny fingers turned a creamy white. That was the only thing familiar about this place. A collage of emotions flooded her soul: excitement, fear, joy, passion, doubt, and hope. As she drew nearer to the transparent curtain separating her from her stage, she felt the warmth of her determination began to consume her, crawling into her toes and sliding through each curve of her body. She knew she would fall in love again. She didn’t know how soon, but she could see a glimpse. As the crystal curtain parted, she met a smile.

Summer Institute Reflection Day 2 Week 3

The two demos today were fantastic. I will definitely use these in my classroom. Generating ideas and providing descriptive writing are problems I frequently experience in my classroom. I am so excited to have remedies for these!

Tech today was so much better than last week. I enjoy technology, and the pace at which the tech session was conducted today allowed me to assist my peers and still understand any new material. I am very excited about creating our group's video about daily writing.

Each day in the Summer Institute gets better and better! I'm ready to see what tomorrow will hold.

Summer Institute Reflection Day 2 Week 3-Morning

This morning we developed our goals we want to achieve during the Summer Institute. My goals are as follows...

• To learn better teaching practices and techniques to use in my classroom
• To better understand myself as a teacher of writing in order to develop more confidence
• To share with others on the NWP website and through a personal blog
• To share the techniques and practices I have to offer with other teachers by creating an online lesson plan on readwritethink.org

Summer Institute Reflection Day 1 Week 3

Today I feel as if I am beginning to understand the flow of the writing institute. I still feel I need clarification on some elements but overall I am feeling more comfortable.

The morning writing was a great reflection on where we have come from as writers. My rough first draft is as follows...

My Journey as a Writer

My love for writing began at a very young age. I remember sitting at the oak desk in the family room, playing school with my imaginary students, and asking Mom how to spell my name. Once I conquered the pattern once, I insistently wrote it over and over again. I loved the feeling of my pencil smoothly gliding over the soft paper, and I love that people could actually read what I was writing. I loved this because I so desperately wanted to be able to write like an adult, to sign the checks and write the notes that I had seen my parents create numerous times daily.
From the repetitive writing of my name grew a love for writing pieces with substance and meaning. My sister and I used to write our own riddle-games and songs, and then we’d share them with anyone who would lend us even a second to listen. As an elementary student my love for writing continued to grow. I craved the creation of stories of magical characters in mysterious places, loosing myself in this world much more interesting that my classroom. The love for sharing my writing continued through my middle school and high school years as well. During these years my craving shifted to poetry, a deep form of writing that would express to others my emotions at that current state, a type of writing that allowed me to disguise my shyness and embrace my talent. My passion for writing spilled over into the lives of my teachers as I was published through those years in both school publications and broader works. My best friend Colby and I even created a poem together during Homecoming Week our senior year of high school as we decorate our hall that touched our principal so much he asked us to share it at graduation.
As a college student my love for writing dwindled. The talent still existed as I effortlessly wrote essay after essay, procrastinating each one because of the ease I felt with the task. The desire and passion for writing no longer existed. It was a chore; there was no time to share my thoughts. I was too frequently required to reflect on others words and not allowed to share my own life experiences. There were those few times I was allowed my own opinion, and I could feel a glimmer of the joy light my soul as writing had previously made me feel.
As a teacher I am gradually embracing my love of writing once more. Reading my student’s work excites me and taking the time to write and share with my students excites me just as much. I want to rekindle this passion for writing in order to instill this same passion in my students.

I plan to continue developing this piece.

I learned to day that I am sensitive to others comments on my writing as I received the first two comments on my poem on NWP. This could also be because the piece was so personal, but I did gain some insight on how I can improve upon this piece and create new piece from within this one.

I greatly enjoyed the demos presented by Kathy and Laura today. With each demo I am inspired to become a better teacher of writing, as well as a better writer myself. I hope I can inspire the group with my demo as well.

Summer Institute Day 3 Reflection-First Field Trip

I really enjoyed our time at the Carl Sandburg home. I visited his home as a child many years ago while taking part in a student writing camp. As a child the home seemed enormous. I remember being so enthralled by the size of the house.

My experience at the Carl Sandburg home as a adult was much different. The beginning of the trip was the biggest release for me. I enjoyed sitting and observing nature, an activity I never take the opportunity to do. It was relaxing to allow the tranquility of the moment consume me. Touring the house this time I was not focused on the size of the house but with the personal elements in the home. I was able to relate different elements in the home to my family members. I was also able to empathize with the stories of tragedy in Mr. Sandburg's life. I have a greater appreciation for this author.

A Cool Summer Morning

A cool summer morning,

Calms me as I sit,

Admiring the golden sprinkles of sun,

As she peeks through the tress,

The crisp green leaves part like a curtain,

to welcome the golden glory.

The crystal dew drops,

Shine like diamonds,

Adorning the lush curtain.

The soft brown soil below,

A blanket to protect,

the fortress of those curtains.

A cool summer morning,

Calms me as I walk.

The short wet grass,

Paints my barefeet a glistening silver.

The wind caresses my face,

Whispers in my ear,

And dances with the locks of my hair.

The waterfall sings to me,

Removing my anxieties of this world,

And the flock of geese

Guide me onward to a place of tranquility.

Summer Institute Day 2 Reflection

It was another successful day at Summer Institute 2009! I greatly enjoyed the first two demos we saw today. We wrote scripts and created a video from these scripts. We also embraced the importance of finding a closure in our writing. I also enjoyed tech today. It is great to learn about new technology in a nonthreatening environment, laughing at our mistakes and the crazy turns technology likes to take. I'm looking forward to our field trip tomorrow!

Summer Institute Day 2- WORDLE!

Experiencing wordle for the first time was fun! I posted a stanza from the poem we wrote yesterday with Dr. Kaminski.

Summer Institute Day 1 Reflection

I enjoyed this day of the Summer Institute more than the Summer Pre-institute days because of the more relaxed environment. I especially enjoyed the extended time we were given to write. I enjoyed Dr. Kaminski's teaching demo, and I look forward to using this strategy at the beginning of the school year to learn about my students and to build a sense of community. I enjoyed the topic so much, I used my writing time to elaborate on my "I am From" poem. It was enjoyable to revisit the carefree days of childhood because it provided me with an escape from the hectic schedule I now keep.

Carl Sandburg's Craft

Listening to Carl Sandburg’s writing as an adult is quite a different experience than the stories I remember as a child. As a child I would become consumed in his stories, in the imaginative elements that he describes. I could so easily picture the crazy characters and places he paints with his words. I enjoyed getting lost in this imaginary time and place so different than the dull world surrounding me.

To my dismay listening to the excerpt of Carl Sandburg’s writing as an adult and a teacher was a completely different experience. I was too caught up in the nontraditional grammar usage and word choice to enjoy the story behind them. I was focused on correcting the story and not embracing the story. This saddens me because I let mechanics inhibit my love and understanding of the story as I sometimes do with my students. I hope to embrace my inner child as I read more of his writing, to simply listen to and enjoy the story and not to critique it.