The Lit Maven

Its all in the Jeans

noreply@blogger.com (Brandi Clark) — Mon, 04 Nov 2019 13:39:00 +0000

This week I can wear jeans all week to work. This means I can feel like I am working from home, even though I am not. But let's be real, if I was at home, I'd be wearing... "not to be seen in public" sweats. Still, it's the little things that get you through the day.

Here are some famous quotes about jeans.

I want to die with my blue jeans on.

-Andy Warhol

I grew up with my cousins, who were as close as brothers, and frankly, I didn't like what girls were expected to do. I liked horseback riding, playing football, going to rodeos. I wanted to be in jeans all the time, and I couldn't figure out why I was supposed to conform to a certain standard, so I didn't.
- S. E. Hinton

I feel sexy in my jeans and wearing my boyfriend's T-shirt.
-Jennifer Aniston

Have a great day everyone!

The Secret to Getting Things Done

noreply@blogger.com (Brandi Clark) — Thu, 28 Dec 2017 01:56:00 +0000

I came across this phrase yesterday..."half the battle".

Here are some definitions of Half the Battle.

1. to be the most difficult part of a process so that once you have finished this part, you have almost succeeded (Cambridge dictionary)2. a significant part of an effort. (McGraw-Hill Dictionary)

This got me to thinking...

The difference between starting and finishing is this formula:

Half the Battle + 1 = Finished

This means that if you can get the first half done (whatever the hard part is) and a "scootch" more...then it is smooth sailing to the finish.

So essentially, if you can figure out a system, an easy routine, a habit for the first half (plus 1) of what you want to accomplish you can...finish what you start.

What does this look like? I actually haven't thought that far yet...but it gets me wondering. I will check back soon.

How about you? What is half your battle to accomplishing great things?

Until Next Time,
Lit Maven Out!

Boxing Day! I Celebrate In-Boxing Day with new Google Alerts!

noreply@blogger.com (Brandi Clark) — Tue, 26 Dec 2017 23:16:00 +0000

ALERT!!!

Sounds so extreme...so dangerous...but let's be serious..

Can you be serious, Lit Maven?

No...

But seriously, I love alerts!

Love as in, I can have cool things sent to my inbox without much effort.

Like a little personal shopper Minion combs the internet while you sleep, collecting articles for your enjoyment.

"Oh! The Lit Maven will love this..." it says...

Anyway...

Imagine my high levels of already high impact nerd behavior, I discovered that in addition to Google Alerts sent to my Gmail, I can have Google Scholar Alerts sent to my gmail.

What a an inbox surprise, or make that an In-Boxing Day surprise to find several academic articles in my inbox this morning.

This one I found to be really interesting...on Student Blogging .

I don't think students blog enough. Did they stop? Did they even start? Google has this tool for a reason. It cannot be replaced by Google Sites, Classroom or Docs. This is perhaps another post, for another day.

To set a Google Scholar Alert, select the three bars or pancake stack, as it is called in my circles, and you will see the option to select "Alerts." Then select create an alert. It is that easy

Enjoy!
Until Next Time,
The Lit Maven

Live Binders! J.K. Rowling says YES!

noreply@blogger.com (Brandi Clark) — Mon, 25 Dec 2017 23:39:00 +0000

Well, maybe...

We all know about the Hogwarts' textbooks...ahem...Fantastical Beasts and Where to Find Them.

Here's the thing...back in the 2014 I blogged all the time about LiveBinders. These are, if you didn't know, digital binders...just like real binders...without the ring pinches!

I just went back to mine and discovered something pretty cool.

If you click the square along the top left side of the banner, the binder outline appears.

And here is where it gets exciting...

Really? Lit Maven?

Yes!

If you were to write a nonfiction book, you would be collecting research. If you built a LiveBinder to collect your research, naturally adjusting tabs (left to right) and ordering subtabs (left to right) in the end you would have your desired structure. This may be obvious..or not. But what I love is that when you click on the outline view, the outline of the LiveBinder is completely revealed, in a very obvious way...the order of chapters for your book. In addition you can see where things might be out of order or need more research.

Cool! Lit Maven?

Right!!

I know it's not a huge deal but for me it is the little things. If I go back to visit all of my LiveBinders, the outlines reveal something new to me and help to focus my thinking.

Although, I have not made a LiveBinder in awhile, I'm back now! And there have been changes.

One of the new changes, as you know my journey is Google right now...it is suggested that you can now send your Live Binder link into a Google Classroom. This has huge implications for teaching, especially if a digital textbook is something that you wanted to build.

J.K. might like this idea for a new class at Hogwarts...or not...but here it is for you.

Well, that's enough info to blow your mind today....

Until Next Time,

The Lit Maven!

Home is Where the Start Is!

noreply@blogger.com (Brandi Clark) — Sun, 24 Dec 2017 22:43:00 +0000

Last week, in the staff room...or as they call it on TV...the Teacher's Lounge..this conversation happened.

Co-worker: Who uses Google Sheets? I can't find a use for it.

Me: I use it at home to organize my library.

Then I paused, how much of my nerdiness should be shared at work?

Now to the point, I am sharing this story with you as it relates to my belief in trying most new things.

When trying something new, try it with content that you already know and love.

Why?

Because when you are learning something new, it takes a lot of focus and energy. If you are working with new content and new tools, it can be overwhelming.

I know my books. I love my books. I have this unhealthy need to purchase many books. Thus the need for a tool to organize my books.

I looked at Google Sheets and thought, yes, this will help me organize my books. I created a spreadsheet with sections for author (first and last name) - title and genre to describe the book.Here are my genre selections....

Creativity-Entrepreneurship-Fiction Tips-Non Fiction-Productivity-Publishing-Revision-Social Media-Spirituality-Word Play-Writer's Life-Writing Exercises-Oversize.

So using this love of books and combining it with a new tool, Google Sheets, I could focus on the tool because I knew the content and thus I was not overwhelmed by the process.

So the learning here is...before trying these tools at school, try them at home.

What could YOU do with Google Sheets?

Until Next Time,

The Lit Maven

Getting Your Feet Wet with Google Apps for Education

noreply@blogger.com (Brandi Clark) — Sat, 23 Dec 2017 13:35:00 +0000

Getting your feet wet means to edge slowly into something. It means that you are playing with the possibilities.

I was introduced to Google docs, spreadsheets, slides, classroom and calendar last fall. It might have been earlier. But like all things new it's hard to remember exactly when, unless of course you are keeping a Google journal. Which now, I am.

Blogger, I have known since 2010 and Gmail a bit later. Both feel like second skin. How do you get to that feeling with anything.? Well you try it out...casually. It's like you are saying, "Hey, you...just going try this...don't be alarmed...just playing." When you act casually, whatever goes, goes. The need to be the expert goes out the door. It's like using crayons to color a place mat at a restaurant. You aren't coloring to create a masterpiece, no you are just trying it out. Something magical might happen, something might not. You are not tied to the outcome. It takes the pressure off and the inner critic stays locked away.

One of my first experiments was Google docs. Two things I love are the anytime, anywhere possibilities of Google docs. Back in the day, as a Language Arts consultant, even just a 10 years ago, I had to carry my presentation in a wheeled cart. I needed a laptop, extension cord, speakers, projector, back up projector, paper handouts...the works!

Now...I need a link. A link...a digital link to the documents, to the presentation. No cart. I don't even need a bag, not even a tiny bag. Well, there are the books. But that is whole other post.

TRY it out at home!
Something simple I have tried this holiday season is to keep an Xmas present list on Google Docs. I have used it on my iPhone and on all my other devices to add a keep track of purchases. Updating the list, even as I leave the store. I have liked that is synced everywhere, on all my devices, unlike notes.
Also, it is not a cumbersome piece of paper that I need to remember to bring.

TRY it out at work!
As a learning coach, I used to create a schedule in word and then send it out as an attachment. Now, I create a schedule that teachers fill up. It is a collaborative. The link is live, no need for updates. This has saved so much time.

So that is it, a little bit of my journey. The message I am trying to get across is to try a Google app with something that you already do. Ask yourself, does it improve your lifestyle? Save time or increase access to information. If so, repeat...if not...try again.

Let me know how it goes...

Yours truly,

The Lit Maven

I Am Back!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Brandi Clark) — Fri, 22 Dec 2017 19:09:00 +0000

Yes, it has been a few years. I have been off doing other things.

Now though, I am a Google Ninja! This means that I am in the process of earning my Level One and Level Two Google Certification. I will be using this blog to share my journey.

So many years ago...I was the Lit Maven and in so many ways I still am. My journey includes a change from a district Language Arts Consultant to a Learning Coach to a Learning Coach/Junior High Art Teacher...in a brand new Pre K to grade 9 school.

Pop culture is still very much who I am. I have ventured into watching Stranger Things and Riverdale. Now that my daughter is a teenager we enjoy these shows together.

So...stay tuned as the Lit Maven begins to share more...literacy, technology, pop culture...OH MY!

Yours Truly,

The Lit Maven

The Lit Maven is Putting on Her Big Girl Pants!

noreply@blogger.com (Brandi Clark) — Sun, 23 Mar 2014 03:10:00 +0000

So the Lit Maven is moving over to a new domain...

www.brandijclark.com

Please come visit me over there!

Part Five: Twitter for Educators...Organizing Your Tweets

noreply@blogger.com (Brandi Clark) — Thu, 26 Dec 2013 19:27:00 +0000

This is the Fifth post in the twitter series...Twitter for Educators: The Only Guide You Will Need. Please see the end of this post for the series' links.

Last time we talked about adding hashtags to make your tweets easier to find. You search for a hashtag(#) in the twitter search feature, as identified by the magnifying glass.

You can find a number of posts related to that hashtag. For example #oilers:

This is a great browsing feature but it becomes time consuming to check all your hashtags this way. There is actually another way to view and save hashtags. I use Hootsuite. Hootsuite is a third party application that can used to organize your hashtags into their own columns or as Hootsuite refers to them as streams.

Here is a screenshot of three of my streams on my ipad.

The Benefits of Streams

1. Streams make it easier to participate in "chats". (I will blog about this next)
2. Streams function as curator for likeminded conversations. Grouping conversations by hashtags into streams gives you a chance to see the big picture of what people are talking about over time.
3. Streams help to keep you informed about what is going on in your city. I set up streams to follow the city I am in #yeg, the traffic in my city #yegtraffic and what is going on in my school district #ecsd.
4. Streams add to your professional development. I have set up streams to follow conferences that I am attending #ira2013 and not attending #ira2014.
4. I set up streams that are aligned with my interests such as #writing or #nanowrimo.

Here is a helpful video to get you started.

Other Posts in the Series
Part 1: Getting Started With Twitter
Part 2: Responding To Your Twitter Feed
Part 3: Composing a Tweet
Part 4: Using Hashtags

Until Next Time,
Lit Maven Out!

Stop the Presses! You Can't Make a Living Writing!...Katy Perry Disagrees

noreply@blogger.com (Brandi Clark) — Sun, 17 Nov 2013 18:27:00 +0000

The Lit Maven has been learning up a storm! But better than that, she has been earning her Great Work MBA.

The most amazing online conference ever! Hosted by Michael Bungay-Stanier, it is for anyone who wants to do Great Work.

What is great work?

I am encouraged that I am approaching the great work of my life. Recently I heard back about an article I submitted.

I am a contender!

I will let you know how that pans out in January.

I have proof I am approaching Great Work! I announced to a colleague about my plans to pursue writing as a serious possibility.

This was the face I got.

and the response:

"YOU CAN'T MAKE MONEY DOING THAT!"
(Note: All writers in the world are screaming...it's not about the money!)

Was the Lit Maven crushed?

NO!

Lit Maven ...seriously?

No! I am serious. Instead, I was thinking yes! I must be on the right path for me.

My friend doesn't get it.

But her response to me, made me want to try even harder. Why? Because my journey is towards Great Work, and writing is a huge part of that.

Jonathan Acuff addresses family and friends in his book Start: Punch Fear in the Face, Escape Average and Do Work that Matters

"How can we carry dreams in our heart for years, maybe even decades, and then expect our friends and family members to understand them perfectly? They won't. Don't be surprised by that. Don't be devastated by that. Don't think it's because you've failed to explain it the right way. There's going to be some degree of disconnect. It's your dream, not theirs. Give them the gift of patience. Give them time to understand your dream." (p. 181)

Until then, consider signing up for your Great Work MBA.

Katy Perry? Lit Maven?

Oh yes...My new theme song of course.

I am ready to Roar...how 'bout you?

Until Next Time,
Lit Maven Out!

Part Four: Twitter for Educators...The Only Guide You'll Need

noreply@blogger.com (Brandi Clark) — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 15:04:00 +0000

So far...in the last three parts, you have signed up on Twitter, found some people to follow, replied, retweeted and perhaps composed a message or two.

Today we are going to learn about hashtags.

Egads...I know...you have been wondering about those. Well, it's your lucky day.

Hashtags are comprised of a pound sign (#) followed by some words, letters and/or numbers.
Hashtags make ideas/topics/conversations easier to find.
Hashtags are a special type of tag.

So How Does This Work?

Let's look at an example. Here is the tweet from last post.

Hey! What is up with the Oilers? Are they still rebuilding? http://goo.gl/8J2lI9

Here it is with the hashtag.

Hey! What is up with the #Oilers? Are they still rebuilding? http://goo.gl/8J2lI9

Now this tweet is more searchable for other users on Twitter.

Fun Facts about Hashtags

There is no limit to the amount of hashtags in a tweet other than the 140 character limit.
Major cities often use airport codes to identify themselves. Edmonton's airport code is Yeg so the hashtag for Edmonton is #Yeg.
Here is fun list of all the NHL team hashtags and Twitter accounts.

Let's add #Yeg to our tweet.

Hey! What is up with the #Yeg #Oilers? Are they still rebuilding? http://goo.gl/8J2lI9

On your twitter home page you find a section on the lower left side labeled "Trends" There will be a list of hastags that are currently trending. If you select one, a list of tweets will pop up. You might find some interesting information or some new people to follow.

Next post...we will look at organizing our Tweets.

Twitter Series
Part One
Part Two
Part Three

Until Next Time,

Lit Maven Out!

Part Three: Twitter for Educators...The Only Guide You'll Need

noreply@blogger.com (Brandi Clark) — Thu, 15 Aug 2013 15:48:00 +0000

In the last few posts, you have signed up on Twitter and you have found some followers.

If you have been extra wonderful, you have also tried to reply or retweet.

Now you are ready for the next adventure...composing your own TWEETS!

How to Compose Tweets Even John Tesh Would Love

1. There is one rule:

A tweet can only be 140 characters or less. It includes letters, numbers, symbols, spaces, weblinks and elipses...I love elipses...

2. Things to tweet about.
a) profession related
b) hobby related
c) life related

You do need to consider your followers and their interests otherwise write your tweets in a diary.

3. Basic Tweet - Just Words

Hey! What is up with the Oilers? Are they still rebuilding?

Note: This tweet is straight up tweeting...no fancy smancy.

4. Adding a Link to a Tweet

The process can be as simple as...writing a tweet and copying and pasting a link on the end...but often the link is too long. See below.

Hey! What is up with the Oilers? Are they still rebuilding? http://www.jewelsfromthecrown.com/2013/7/14/4521014/realignmentpalooza-edmonton-oilers

You need to get a URL shortener to fix this.

         1. Go to http://goo.gl/
         2. Paste your link into the shortener.
         3. Copy the shortened URL and add it to your tweet....

Here is the new Tweet.

Hey! What is up with the Oilers? Are they still rebuilding? http://goo.gl/8J2lI9

Yay success!

I think that is plenty for today! Have fun adding links. Let me know if this is helping you.

Next post we will be getting into HASHTAGS...

Twitter Series
Part One
Part Two

Until Next Time,

Lit Maven Out!

Part Two: Twitter for Educators...The Only Guide You'll Need

noreply@blogger.com (Brandi Clark) — Wed, 14 Aug 2013 18:27:00 +0000

Last post we signed up and and found some friends.

Now...what to say?

I thought about this a lot last night and I think before you can understand what to say, it is important to understand how to work with what other people have already said.

Twitter is about engaging with others and not just tweeting about yourself.

HOW TO RESPOND TO YOUR TWITTER FEED - BASICS

1. Understanding your home feed.
1. Your home feed, as you view it on Twitter.com is the conversation of all your followers. This is like having all your friends talking at once, in one long stream of disjointed conversation.

It looks like this

2. Reply

If you think that something is interesting. Click on the tweet messsage. The tweet will enlarge. You will see a series of symbols.

The first symbol is the reply button.

Reply

When pressed you will get a reply box with the address of the person who sent the message. For example if you hit reply to the message about Kellogg's Tweet shop (above) you would see this:

@FastCoCreate

Following the tweet address you can fill in a response or comment.

@FastCoCreate I wish I could use social currency to buy groceries.

...or something more interesting.

Then press send. The message is sent back to the person who tweeted it and it is also viewed by of your followers.

3. Retweet
If you see a message in your feed that you think your followers (friends) would like to read press "retweet". The second symbol is the retweet button.

Retweet

When you press retweet the entire message appears in the status box with a RT (retweet) in front of the message.

Using the above "Kellogg's" tweet as an example it would look like this:

RT @FastCoCreate Kellogg's Tweet Shop Let's You Pay for Food with Social Currency trib.al/z CSZoh

The "RT" gives credit to the person who composed the original message. It is like saying...

"Hey everyone...guess what so and so said...it's brilliant. Listen up. Pay attention. He/she has the goods."

After you press "send" the RT message is sent to all of your followers.

4. Favorite
Sometimes you just love a tweet so much that you need to keep it for later. This is when you select the symbol:

When you press the favorite symbol, the tweet is saved for later, to find under your twitter profile...under favorites. When you "favorite" a tweet, the person who sent the tweet is notified that you "favorite-ed" it. (Is that even a word?)

I think this is plenty for today. Next post I would like to continue the conversation about composing your own messages to impress even John Tesh...etc.

Until Next Time,

Lit Maven Out!

Twitter Series

Part One

Part One: Twitter for Educators...The Only Guide You Will Need

noreply@blogger.com (Brandi Clark) — Tue, 13 Aug 2013 22:44:00 +0000

I work with many teachers.
They love Pinterest.
Twitter... not so much.

It got me to thinking how I could explain Twitter so that they would try it.

So here is what I came up with...when in doubt go the pop culture route! (pronounced "Rowt" in an effort to be clever and whimsical.)

SCROLL down to getting started with Twitter if you are anxious and on a timecrunch.

But for those who want the full story...here are the differences between Pinterest and Twitter...

There is a difference in effort.

Pinterest is like sitting in hot tub. (relaxing)

Twitter is like lane swimming in a pool. (invigorating with some effort)

And they look different...

Pinterest is all about the pictures.

Twitter is all about words.

And they are for different things.

Pinterest is all about Show and Tell.

Twitter is all about conversation and building a professional learning network.

It's not to say that they don't overlap. They do. But I think you do need both.

Getting Started with Twitter

1. Sign Up at Twitter.com

Think of your username as your namecard. Who are you?

Tips

Use your real name. Why? Because it's professional and because @Tootie or @Macgyver are from the 80's and you don't want to date yourself.
If your name is taken, add a middle initial, or two.

DO THIS NOW!

RECAP... you are now in a giant "cyber" room, with your name tag on, standing around self consciously like you are at a high school dance.

You need to find some friends...

2. Find some friends.

Tips

Old school ....In the search feature (see below) look up real friends. The ones you have met in ...the REAL world. GASP!
New school...Check out the "who to follow" section (bottom left of picture below). Twitter suggests friends for you.

1. Check out their profile first.

Click on the person's name (in bold).

. Press the follow button.

After you press "Follow" the usernames are added to your followers list.

RECAP...You are now in a giant "cyber" room, with a name tag on, with a small group of friends, wondering what to say...

Next Post:
Tweet Language! Composing a Tweet that would even impress John Tesh!

Until Next Time,
Lit Maven Out!

Phil Collins Can't Dance and Neither Can the Lit Maven

noreply@blogger.com (Brandi Clark) — Sun, 30 Jun 2013 17:49:00 +0000

From Rockstargames.com

It's true...the Lit Maven can't dance...

This I can do...

This I can not...

Now...here is my EDUCATIONAL point...

Oh? You have one Lit Maven....

Yes!

In yoga...we have something called Child's Pose. This is a pose that you can go into if you feel overwhelmed and to restore breathing or even your mind.

Well...I think we need a "Child's Pose" for learning in schools. When a student struggles are they allowed to "regroup" and go into a pose? I would think may times they end up asking to go to the bathroom or sharpen a pencil.

I was faced with a dance activity at work. The Lit Maven was asked to learn "Gumboot Dancing" in 10 minutes!

Oh my goodness Lit Maven!!!

I know...right!

I almost died a slow death. The Lit Maven does not dance....or slap legs in rhythm...or anything sychronized. Especially that fast! I guess the activity was fast paced...cause adults learn fast...nope...not in this case...not this one.

Needless to say...I left to get migraine pills and never returned.

Had I had an optional pose or ever a slower-scaffolded learning sequence I might have stayed.

Needless to say...adults are people too, students are definitely people too...so please let your students in on all the variations to learning and how they can be together with the group, either with more support, slower pace or even a child's pose if necessary.

Cause Phil Collin's can't dance...and no one said he had too! This comforts the Lit Maven greatly :)

Until Next Time,
Lit Maven Out!

Nonfiction...Paul Rudd says yes...kind of....

noreply@blogger.com (Brandi Clark) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:51:00 +0000

Sometimes it is hard to put in the effort!

It's that time of year when you start thinking about September...

"Next year I will...."

But the Lit Maven is not going to do that.

Nope...

I am pursuing my Nonfiction territory like...an animal control agent...with vigilance!

Here are some fantastic Nonfiction sites to inspire you!

1. I.N.K. (Interesting Nonfiction for Kids)
"Here we will meet the writers whose words are presenting nonfiction in a whole new way. Discover books that show how nonfiction writers are some of the best storytellers around."

2. Awesome Stories
"AwesomeStories chooses age-old stories, current events, and 21^st century media; researches context and presents organized relevant primary sources to fuel lessons supporting teachers in engaging students in active learning, developing critical thinking skills, and constructing knowledge"
Check out 42 - Jackie Robinson

3. Wonderopolis
"Learning is happening everywhere, all the time! We have bottled a little bit of that learning in each Wonder of the Day®. Experience a daily dose of time with your child to make the most of each and every moment together — learn something new, try out an idea, create a masterpiece, imagine possibilities. It’s easy. It’s fun. But the learning is big!"

See...aren't you excited!!!

I know....right!

Enjoy

Until Next Time,

The Lit Maven

The Stars at Night...Bieber, Pigeons and Fletcher.. a Recap of IRA 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Brandi Clark) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 16:12:00 +0000

Thanks Texas!

The Lit Maven had a great time.

Here are some highlights from the International Reading Association Conference.

1. Session 11-12, April 21, 2013: Not Just the Books They Read, But Lives They Lead: Rethink Close Reading as More Than Just Analyzing Words and See it as a Student's Tool For Leading a More Engaged Life

So...they had us do a Close reading of "Boyfriend" by Justin Bieber.

Lit Maven....seriously!!!!

True story! Kate Roberts and Chris Lehman presented a structure for close reading. To further entrench the strategy...we close read the lyrics to....

Boyfriend!

Of course I appologized to the Wisconsin teacher next to me ..."I am sorry...for that {Bieber} oh and Celine Dion too."

2. Presenting!
I presented on Getting to the "Core" Using Mentor Texts and Authentic Experiences Persuasive Writing

Pigeon Books! Yes!

We pigeon-ed like it was no ones business. If interested...check out my handout! The powerpoint should be posted shortly. The crowd was amazing! Ready and eager to share their writing talents and laugh all at the same time!

My first experience presenting internationally was truly amazing!

3. Ralph Fletcher!
He presented on Boy Writers. He left us laughing and rethinking the way we approach boys and all writers in the classroom. Here are the key ideas he left with us.

How to Engage Boy Writers!

widen the circle
give them real choice (choice and voice)
build on strengths
look for humor
take the long view (creating life long writers)
enjoy their writing!

Here is a link to his teacher beliefs!

So...I do have more to say...but hey the Stars at Night....

Until Next Time,
Lit Maven Out!

LiveBinders...Val Kilmer says Yes!

noreply@blogger.com (Brandi Clark) — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 19:15:00 +0000

Sometimes you just need to ask why?

I like Monkeys in coats.

But Monkeys and singers.....what's that about? Ahem...Bieber?

Bubbles and Michael

Not a genius move...no...not a genius move....

But what is a genius move?

This LiveBinder is....Check out the Genius Hour!

"Genius Hour is a precious time, loved by all my students. It is when they are allowed to develop their own inquiry question about whatever it is that they want to explore. They are then given about 3 one hour Genius Hour sessions and then they are usually ready to present their learning to the class." - Gallit Zvi

This intrigued me! What brilliance! Can you imagine the Lit Maven off exploring...

It would probably look something like this...

Not surprised Lit Maven!

So many decisions...where does one begin?

Well, in addition to the LiveBinder I also found a Stan Wit Wiki about it too!

Lit Maven...that does not make sense!

I beg to differ...I can create word-foolery like no one's business.

Val Kilmer?...Lit Maven?

Ah..yes..Val....a REAL GENIUS!

What????

Yep! Check it out!

Until Next time,
Lit Maven out!

Yoda Fist Pumps Jesus Jones...What We Can Learn from Star Wars Identities

noreply@blogger.com (Brandi Clark) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 20:13:00 +0000

Recently I attended Identities, the Star Wars exhibit.

It was for a better word...the coolest thing ever!

Not a surprise...Lit Maven....

I know...but the thing is...I felt ultra cool with the communication device in my ear. I thought..."I can rock this like no one's business."

If you are not familiar with the exhibit, the communication device that they lend you, picks up audio from the various video displays. It goes around one ear and has a dial for sound and language selection. It only picks up the audio if you are within range of a monitor.

So you can hop in and out of range. The rest of the exhibit is relatively quiet.

Just like this scene from Ace Ventura Pet Detective...

Can you imagine this in a school?

Jim Carrey?

No...communication devices....

Imagine....

Kids listening to information, in 3-4 minute chunks.
Kids choosing the language they listen to.
Kids choosing the level of sound.
Kids choosing the order of information.
Kids mixing, in all ages, to process the information.

Hmmm....I think it is something to ponder...

Lit Maven?...Yoda?...Jesus Jones?...

Yes...OK...so Yoda is all about..."Do or do not...there is no try."

So I was thinking..."Yoda lives in the now!"

Uh huh...ok Lit Maven....

Who else is all into the now stuff?

Jesus Jones?

Yes....and although this song is ancient...it really speaks to me.
Right here, right now...there is no time in education that I would rather be.

Enjoy!

Until Next Time,

Lit Maven Out!

FLASH! FLASH! FLASH!...There's an APP! YA! YA!

noreply@blogger.com (Brandi Clark) — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 22:29:00 +0000

You've been ipad-ing away...when all of a sudden...

YOU NEED FLASH!

First you think.... What?...I need Dawson's dad....

What...Lit Maven?

Oh...ok?!

Well...maybe not THAT Flash...but either way you are disappointed.

But WAIT!

There is a solution named ROVER!

ROVER allows you to access educational sites that run on flash.

Use it like a browser and ROVER does all the Flash-Battling for you!

A great alternative to throwing your ipad in the air and screaming like a goat.

Good point Lit Maven!

I know...right!

Now here is a little Mick Jagger...remember....to sing along FLASH!! FLASH! FLASH!!..There's an APP! YA! YA!

Until Next Time,

Lit Maven Out!

Beaker wants to know....What is with the school bells?

noreply@blogger.com (Brandi Clark) — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 14:58:00 +0000

Bells...

Why do we have them in schools?

Angel wing ceremonies?

Is this a good reason?

Well...to me...school bells feel more like this!

Perhaps we can think of other ways to gather children...

If we can herd cats without bells...we can certainly herd children....

Anyone know of some great alternatives? Gathering songs? Anything....

Until Next Time,
Lit Maven Out!

When Animals Lie...You Need Billy Joel More Than Ever!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Brandi Clark) — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 18:42:00 +0000

The Lit Maven has been recovering after a snow storm blanketed the city.

It was ugly....

But what was truly ugly...the bunny...

The bunny lied!

Lit Maven...bunnies don't lie..

Well...this one did!

Tuesday it had a full coat of brown fur...

I thought....Yay...Maybe the snow will stay away...Bunnies know nature...

or so I thought...

Bunny lied...it snowed Wednesday!

Damn sneaky mustache...

Bunnies do not celebrate Movember...

they celebrate...

NO-Vember....

Turns out...
Bunny was actually tanned...
not brown..
and on its way to Hawaii...

How can I trust again?

Sing it Billy!

Until Next Time,
Lit Maven Out!

When I Think of Halloween...I Think Of Huey Lewis

noreply@blogger.com (Brandi Clark) — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 12:31:00 +0000

Also...I think of being too tall at the age of 12....that's what I think of.

"How old are you lady?" (circa 1989)

Me thinking...."Lady? But I am just Lil - Lit Maven"

(I was not actually the Lit Maven then...but seriously...can anyone remember when I wasn't?)

Yes...back in the old days, Halloween was for young short people. Like this guy....

But I have matured and I am no longer bitter that I was 5 foot 7 at the age of 12.

Ah Lit Maven...you sound bitter...

Ok...I have some residule bitterness...but hey!... enough about me....

Here is one of MY favorite Halloween moments in film... ...not educational...entertainment only...note I switched in Jen A. for Mike J.

and a song that has nothing to do with Halloween but is filmed to reflect a halloweenish nature....

Halloween-ish ....Lit Maven?

Whatever....tall people hear words differently than short people...

Take it away Hugh!

Until Next Time,
Lit Maven Out!

LiveBinders...Gilda Radner Says Yes!

noreply@blogger.com (Brandi Clark) — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 02:35:00 +0000

So...where to begin...

It is nice to know that my last post is somehow still current...

Thanks Lindsay and Amanda!

Since the last week of August, I have put "running like Van Halen" on hold and replaced it with

HOT YOGA!!!

Yikes! Lit Maven!

I know...

I don't even want to know what rock band I resemble in my poses...

it's probably not even appropriate to say anyway.

But I am down one size!

YAY!

However the compliments I get are usually about my presentations...

Last time I was Amy Farrah-Fowler....

The newest one....

Gilda Radner....

Who Lit Maven?

Oh...Lit Maven..that's interesting...and weird too!!!

I know right...I think it was a compliment....

Lit Maven...some connection ...please...

Yes...a LiveBinder...

Check out this link, Making Your Own Newspaper Clipping...I found it in Fun Educational Stuff.... and I made this...

How cool is that?!!!

You are such a NERD Lit Maven!!!!

Thanks!

Until Next Time,
Lit Maven Out!

LiveBinders... Travis Says...When in a Byne...What Do You Have to Lohan?

noreply@blogger.com (Brandi Clark) — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 04:20:00 +0000

What is going on this summer, Randy T, Lindsay L. and Amanda B?

Clearly you are having some problems getting focused on your talents.

Newsflash!!!!

Y'all aren't drivers...nope...you are not like:

my pal Jason

my pal Ryan

or even my pals Vin and Paul.....

As for you Randy, Lindsay and Amanda

You need to start working on your art...

Start here....

To get you back on track....

I found the coolest LiveBinder...

YouTube for Artsy Kids...

Check out one of the links, Fresh Guacamole...amazing.

Hopefully....this will provide some inspiration to get back on track...note NOT the racetrack.....

Enjoy! Here they are in better times...

Until Next Time,

Lit Maven Out!