Literacy Learning Zone

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.

This summer a  really BIG! group of educators   are reading and learning together online.  I am participating and  co-hosting this year's sixth annual #cyberPD event  with my online colleagues  Cathy Mere  and  Laura Komos .  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * New this summer!  Weekly Twitter chats about the scheduled reading.   The next chat is  Thursday, July 21st  @ 9 AM CST/10 AM EST  using the  #cyberPD  hashtag. Our final Twitter Chat is scheduled for WEDNESDAY, JULY 27th at 8 PM est/7 PM cst Kate Roberts and Maggie Beattie Roberts  will be joining in the #cyberPD chat!   *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ...

This summer a  really BIG! group of educators   are reading and learning together online.  I am participating and co-hosting this year's #cyberPD event about digital reading and creating digital readers in our classrooms  with  Cathy Mere  and  Laura Komos .  Don't forget! Next Tuesday, July 28th @ 7 pm CST, we will be participating in a #cyberPD Twitter chat with authors   Franki Sibberson   and   Bill Bass . Digital Reading: What's Essential in Grades 3-8  by William L. Bass II and Franki Sibberson Paperback or ebook can be purchased from NCTE *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * My Thoughts and Reflections Chapter 6: Assessment: Keeping Our Eye on the Literacy "Assessment needs to be the vehicle that moves us beyond defining our reade...

This is our fifth annual #cyberPD summer learning event and we are more excited than ever!   Our #cyberPD group has a new meeting place --  #cyberPD Google Community   --  and  Cathy Mere ,   Laura Komos , and I are anticipating  YOU  joining our community and conversations. _______________________________________________________________ It's almost that time of year.  School is quickly coming to a close.  A little extra free time is in the near future.  There will be time for sleeping in.  There will be time for vacations and get-a-ways.  There will be time to just sit and chat.  There will be time to slow down life.   And there will be lots of time to read.    Early in the morning.  The whole afternoon.  Late into the night.   Whether it's picture books, MG books, YA books, or even a PD book or two.   Uninterrupted time to just read.     I know you. ...

Slice of Life  hosted  at the Two Writing Teachers Join in and share a slice of your life. After the school bells rings, I quickly get organized and I'm off to start my other full time job of being a mom.  I can honestly say there are not too many nights that I get out or do what I want to do.  However, last night I took the evening off. I didn't even hesitate when I received the invitation.  I checked the calendar and then signed up.  Put the date in our shared family calendar with the note:   Jon pick up girls! Even after a long day of teaching, I was ready to go and learn and laugh with a teacher of writing legend.  I attended a local Illinois Reading Council conference featuring Ral...

This summer I am excited to be joining in the #cyberPD learning once again.  Over the previous three summers of #cyberPD , I have read and shared my thinking and learning right alongside educators across the globe. This year I am thrilled to be joining in as a guest co-host with Cathy Mere and Laura Komos .  I think it's phenomenal how this event continues to grow each year with more and more educators participating. Will you be joining in #cyberPD  event this year?  You are still not sure yet? Here's why I think  YOU should join in! Three Stages of #cyberPD Learning Reading a professional development book by myself is enlightening.  I read, ponder, and think about the possibilities in my resource classroom.  Adding the additional layer of reflecting, compiling, and composing my thinking into a blog post to share with YOU adds value to my learning.  Putting my jumbled thoughts into words clarifies and verifies my educational bel...

This summer I am participating in the  #cyberPD  conversations about the book by  Alan November   titled  Who Owns The Learning? Preparing Students for Success in the Digital Age. As always, thanks for taking the time to read and share YOUR voice! You can visit the conversations this week: Chapters 5 & 6 at Laura's blog:  Ruminate and Invigorate   A compilation of all the #cyberPD posts at  Jog the Web: Who Owns the Learning? #cyberPD 2013 More sharing on the #cyberPD2013 Pinterest board *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * "I think the process of education is collaboration. The idea of school should be collaboration and communication with people that are different from you and see the world with different eyes "  Alan November quoting Garth Holman (p.87) My Thoughts and Reflections Can I be honest with you?  I'm am SO reli...