Literacy Learning Zone

Image from Unsplash: Photo Credit Kimberly Farmer March 13th Before the world closed the doors indefinitely I made a quick stop at our library grabbed stacks (and stacks) of books and a few movies to entertain the family during the unknown months ahead. The pile waited -- I imagined enjoying my time at home, spending hours upon hours just reading with my feet up, living in a new book a day. But, for me, I couldn't focus. Fall into a book. Feel lost in another world. All my attention online had my brain dinging like a pinball machine. The pile waited -- The extended lease is up on all the library materials in 5 days. Now I am frantically trying to read and read and read in an attempt to move my to-be-read books to the finished, completed,  happily read and ready to return to the library pile. The pile patiently waited.  Some books will be pleasantly devoured. Some books will be a quick read.  Others will be returned with  a desperate plea to be checked out again. June...

#cyberPD Book Selections For a decade, #cyberPD has been an anticipated summer event to connect educators near and far in collaborative professional conversation. Through blogs, Twitter, and various digital media, participants share thinking around a common professional title featured for discussion. Though the main event is in July of each year, the conversations and connections carry across the year. Since #cyberPD's first event, we've grown from a group of less than 15 to a community of over 150 educators.   We have found this community to be powerful and the conversations have helped us grow in our journey as educators. These conversations have pushed us, made us uncomfortable, and allowed us the chance to see things from different perspectives. It’s amazing to think that #cyberPD was a pioneer for online book clubs and this community made it possible!   Yet, here we are today. When we got ready to “share our bookstacks,” COVID was in full swing and teachers we...

Image from Unsplash: Photo Credit Jordan McQueen Right now, we {should have} been ... Enjoying the Hawaiian Islands A trip of a lifetime with family Celebrating 50 years of marriage and family Soaking up the sun on the beautiful beaches Sight seeing and observing island life Relaxing, laughing, sipping something good Flipping through the tourist books Balancing the busy hustle and the resting calm Making memories and taking lots of photos All this will happen. Just not this year. Not right now.  But Summer 2021. Watch out. We are coming for you. For right now, we are home. Dreaming about what {should have} been.

Right now ... I am at a loss for words. My fingers are empty. The white page taunts me and I return the blank stare. And then I was reminded to just write. Just write. Just write. Write now ... The sun radiates the bright blue sky without a cloud in sight. The warm breeze sending leaves dancing and cotton puffs floating. The house is peacefully quiet, except the tick-tock tick-tock of the clock, a lawn mower in the far distance cutting healthy green blades of grass, And the girls voices traveling down the hall from their upstairs bathroom together creating special art with their hair.

The world is flipped upside down. Trying to wrap my brain around it. Staying silent to listen To hear the cries. Hard to focus and concentrate Or think about anything else. Staying silent to listen To hear the power of words. Reading, sorting, gathering Resources, videos, book titles, blog posts. Staying silent to listen To hear the stories. To really, really l.i.s.t.e.n. Trying to hear all sides of a  very complicated issue and timeline. Staying silent to listen To open my eyes. Wanting to teach my daughters What is true and right and just. Staying silent to listen To hear what I can do. Capturing the essence of what I need to do in my classroom. Staying silent to listen To hear and deeply understand. Trying to wrap my brain around  this world that is flipped upside down.

It's been a loooong last few months of school this year. I'm looking forward to saying goodbye. Closing this short chapter and moving forward. Hello Summer! Time to just be in the moment and to read what I want without so many distractions of having to be online. I know there is so much more going on in the world right now. But we need to stay strong together. To learn and grow. To help our country move forward. To change. To be the change. Books can help us on that journey ... Our #cyberPD group is back yet again for a summer of reading and learning together. The book selected is always one of my favorite PD books that opens the door to conversations to help me grow as a person and educator. Here are the books we have read together over the last nine years: Join us for Year 10 of #cyberPD! Step 1: Share a photo or a virtual book stack of what you hope to read this summer. Share on Twitter (adding #cyberPD) or in our #cyberPD MeWe community. Step 2: Be sure to join our #cyberP...