A Teacher's Tale

Please Follow Me at My New Blog

jazzymiles@hotmail.com (John Howell) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 19:07:00 +0000

7 Habits of Highly Effective People

jazzymiles@hotmail.com (John Howell) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:55:00 +0000

I am scheduled to attend Stephen Covey's Signature Professional Development Seminar called 7 Habits of Highly Effective People in a couple of weeks, and I have been given a bit of homework before the conference begins.

Here is an excerpt of the assignment:

How to Get the Most Out of Your 7 Habits Experience

Like a warm-up before a workout, this 7 Habits Warm-Up will only take you about 10–15 minutes to complete and will make a huge difference in the value you get out of the program.
To complete your Warm-Up, please do these things:
1. Read “The Promise.”
2. Answer the preparation questions.

Please bring these Warm-Up pages with you to the program.

Read “The Promise”

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Signature Program is one of the most respected and popular learning experiences available. These habits will have a significant and positive impact on your life. Below is a summary of the 7 Habits and the kind of results you can expect. Take a few moments and note which of these promises interests you most. Draw a circle around the ones you really want to focus on.

Habit 1: Be Proactive ~ The Habit of Choice
Promise

You'll find out how to take charge of your own future.
You'll increase your influence at work and in your life

Habit 2: Begin With the End in Mind ~ The Habit of Vision
Promise

You'll do things and achieve the goals you've always wanted to.
You'll have a greater sense of purpose and fulfillment in your life.

Habit 3: Put First Things First ~ The Habit of Integrity and Execution
Promise

You'll be less crisis-driven and more in control of your life and your time.
You'll enjoy more life balance and peace of mind.

Habit 4: Think Win-Win ~ The Habit of Mutual Benefit
Promise

You'll build dramatically stronger and more productive relationships
You'll discover ways to solve problems and build relationships at the same time.

Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood ~ The Habit of Mutual Understanding
Promise

You'll grow in understanding of the most important people in your life.
You'll improve your ability to communicate effectively.

Habit 6: Synergize ~ The Habit of Creative Cooperation
Promise

You'll be able to deal more productively with conflict
You'll be able to find strikingly creative solutions to problems and opportunities

Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw ~ The Habit of Renewal
Promise

You'll find yourself growing and improving, feeling better, and living a more purposeful life.
You'll have greater work and life balance.

Answer the Preparation Questions

With those promises in mind, think about the following questions and write your answers below. Please bring this page with you to the program.

1. Where would I really like to become more effective in my life (e.g., relationships, projects, goals I’m working on)?

2. What long-term contribution would I really like to make in my current role at work?

3. What is the most significant thing I could do in my work that, if done consistently, would have the most positive impact?

4. What is the most significant thing I could do in my personal life that, if done consistently, would have the most positive impact?

I have read Dr. Covey's book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People years ago but do believe it's time to dust that classic off and give it a reread. I will answer the questions above over the course of the next couple of days here at my blog. In the meantime, here is Stephen Covey speaking to Habit 1: Be Proactive .

Summer Reading Plans

jazzymiles@hotmail.com (John Howell) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 02:17:00 +0000

I just purchased my first book of the summer, Brain Rules by John Medina. I watched the video below a couple weeks ago and was left wanting to know more.

Summer Reading List

Made to Stick by Chip Heath & Dan Heath
Redefining Literacy 2.0 by David Warlick
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
Classroom Habitudes by Angela Maiers
Units of Study for Teaching Writing by Lucy Calkins
Nothing like a good ole reread of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby

What are your reading plans this summer?

Reading with Gusto

jazzymiles@hotmail.com (John Howell) — Sat, 09 May 2009 22:58:00 +0000

My amazing fifth grade students have spent about 3 weeks studying the American Revolution, and one of the lessons brought us to the computer lab where we were conducting an American Revolutionary War Treasure Hunt. I admit that this was a low level Bloom's Taxonomy lesson but I was still trying to build in context and background knowledge for most students.

However, the real excitement is what happened next. The students were finishing this Internet based treasure hunt much earlier than I had planned, and I found myself in need of a challenging task for these early finishers.

So, I stopped the class momentarily and said something like this: "Class, as you finish the treasure hunt you can then go out to Google where you will use the Advanced Search features. I would like you to filter your search results so you only get PowerPoint Presentations about the Causes of the American Revolution. I would like you to find as many errors as you can on the Power Point Presentations that are online and then raise your hand so you can share what you have found. Are there any questions?"

You would have thought there was money involved because the students, while working with their partners, were intensely focused on finding mistakes. It was like a switch had been flipped and every student was engaged in analyzing and evaluating websites, clearly a much higher level Bloom's Taxonomy task. Their conversations were rich and these fifth grade students were reading the content with gusto. Perhaps this is one example that fits Angela Maiers' following quote:

"Rich reading instruction and experience does not come from buying a program, or following a script. The lessons that matter most come from a teachers heart. Teachers can eradicate reading poverty by bringing meaning back into the process and creating experiences that will stay with students for the rest of their lives. The riches of their future lie in our hands. What kind of reader will leave your classroom?"

My only question is, "How can I engage every student of mine like this on a daily basis?"

In Need of Some Inspiration?

jazzymiles@hotmail.com (John Howell) — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 00:22:00 +0000

Let it be known,
That British liberties are not the grants of princes or Parliaments
many of our rights are inherent and essential
agreed on as maxims and established as preliminaries even before Parliament existed
we have a right to them
derived from our maker
our fore fathers have earned and fought liberty for us
at the expense of their ease, their estates, their pleasures, and their blood
liberty is not built on the doctrine that a few nobles have a right to inherit the Earth,
no, no,
it stands on this principle
that the meanest and lowest of the people are
by the unalterable, indivisible laws of God and nature
as well as entitled to the benefits of the air to breath, light to see, food to eat, and clothes to wear, as the nobles or the king
that is liberty
and Liberty Will Reign
in America

Where is thy salute?
For presenting yourselves on this battlefield I give you thanks
This is our army to join it you give homage
I give homage to Scotland
and if this is your army why does it go?
We didn't come here to fight for them
The English are too many
Sons of Scotland, I am William Wallace
William Wallace is 7 feet tall
yes I have heard, kills men by the hundreds
and if he were here he'd consume the English
with fire bolts from his eyes and bolts of lightning from his arse.
I am William Wallace and I see a whole army of my countrymen
here in defiance of tyranny.
You've come to fight as free men
and free men you are.
What will you do without freedom?
Will you fight?
Fight, against that? No, we will run and we will live
Ay! Fight and you may die. Run and you'll live,
at least awhile and dying in your beds many years from now
would you be willing to trade all the days from this day till then for once chance, just one chance to come back here and to tell our enemies that may take our lives
but they'll never take our freedom.

Anybody know what this place is?
This is Gettysburg, this is where they fought the battle of Gettysburg
50,000 men died right here on this field
fighting the same fight that we're still fighting amongst ourselves today
this green field right here was painted red
bubbling with the blood of young boys
smoke, hot lead pouring right through their bodies
listen to their souls men,
I killed my brother with malice in my heart
hatred destroyed my family
you listen and take a lesson from the dead
if we don't come together right now on this hallow ground
we too will be destroyed
just like they were
I don't care if you like each other or not
but you will respect each other
and maybe, I don't know, maybe we'll learn to play this game like men.

I was warned not come here, I was warned, they warned me.
Don't stand behind that coffin.
But why should I heed such a warning? When a heartbeat is silent and a child lies dead. Don't stand behind this coffin. That boy was as pure and as innocent as the driven snow. But I must stand here because I have not given you what you should have. Until we can walk abroad and recreate ourselves, until we can stroll along the streets like boulevards, congregate in parks free from fear, our families mingling, our children laughing, our hearts joined, until that day we have no city. You can label me a failure until that day.

The first and perhaps only great mayor was Greek. He was Pericles of Athens and he lived some 2500 years ago and he said all things good of this Earth flow into the city because of the city's greatness. Well, we were great once. Can we not be great again? Now I put that question to James Bone and there's only silence. Yet, could not something pass from this sweet youth to me? Could he not empower me to find in myself the strength to have the knowledge to summon up the courage to accomplish this seemingly insurmountable task of making a city live able, just live able?

There was a palace that was a city, it was a palace, it was a palace and it can be a palace again. A palace in which there is no king or queen or dukes or earls or princess but subjects all, subjects beholden to each other to make a better place to live. Is that too much to ask? Are we asking too much from you? Is it beyond our reach? Because of it is then we are nothing more than sheep being herded to the final slaughter house. I will not go down that way. I choose to fight back. I choose to rise not fall. I choose to live not die and I know, I know that what's within me is also within you.

That's why I ask you now to join me, join me, rise up with me, rise up on the wings of this slain angel. We'll rebuild on the soul of this little warrior. We will pick up his stand there and raise it up, carry it forward until this city, your city, our city, his city, is a palace again, is a palace again. I am with you little James, I am you.

Everyone in the world has gone to bed one night or another with fear or pain or loss or disappointment and yet each of us has awakened or risen. Somehow made our pollution seen other human beings and said, "morning how are ya?"
"Fine thanks and you?" It's amazing. Where ever that abides in the human being there is the nobleness of the human spirit despite it all. Black and white, Asian, Spanish, Native American, pretty, plain, thin, fat, vowed, or celibate, We Rise.

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
Just 'Cause I walk as if I've got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.

Just like suns and like moons,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.

Does my sassiness upset you?
Don't take it so hard
'Cause I laugh as if I have got gold mines
Diggin' in my own back yard.

You can shoot me with your words,
You can cut me with your eyes,
You can kill me with your hatefulness,
But just like life I rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance as if I've got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history's shame
I rise
Up from a past that's rooted in pain
I rise
A black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak miraculously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the hope and the dream of the slave.
and so naturally
there I go
rising

Hey, what are you doing here? Don't you have practice?
Not anymore I quit.
Since when are you the quitting kind?
I don't know I just don't see the point anymore.
So you didn't make the dress list? There are greater tragedies in the world.
I wanted to run out of that tunnel, for my dad, to prove to everyone that I...
Prove what?
That I was somebody.
Ah, You are so full of crap. You're five feet nothing. 100 and nothing and you got hardly a speck of athletic ability. And you hung in with the best college football team in the land for two years and you're also gonna walk out here with a degree from the University of Notre Dame. In this lifetime you don't have to prove nothing to nobody except yourself. And after what you've gone through if you ain't done that by now it ain't gonna never happen. Now go on back.
Sorry I never got you to see your first game.
I've seen too many games in this stadium
I thought you said you never seen a game?
I never seen a game from the stands.
You were a player?
I rode the bench for two years. Thought I wasn't being played because of my color. I got filled up with a lot of attitude. So I quit. Still not a week goes by I don't regret it and I gurantee a week won't go by in your life you won't regret walking out letting them get the best of you. You hear me clear enough?
Yeh.

What did I miss? What are some of your favorite movie scenes?

The Face of Change

jazzymiles@hotmail.com (John Howell) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 13:37:00 +0000

Bob Dylan declared in the 1960's that The Times They are a Changin' and we've probably reached a point in our contemporary history where these changes will remain constant. Change can be a challenge for many of us where we are forced out of our comfort zones and placed in very risky situations that may expose our weaknesses, biases, and fears. Change can also be exciting for many of us where we embrace the idea of being pushed to our limits and are comfortable exposing our weaknesses and willing to learn from such shortcomings.

I imagine that we would all place ourselves somewhere in the spectrum when considering the change that takes place in our own lives, both professionally and personally. However, I would like to take but a moment to point out some very exciting changes that are occurring at our school.

The first monumental change is that we have begun to craft and design a Shared Vision for our school. "What does our school stand for? What do we believe in? What do we value?" These are questions that we are beginning to answer but it certainly takes time to develop. Interestingly enough, when we all first met the Principal framed these questions within a 21st Century context and the challenges we face.

In the wake of that first conversation we did not carve out any answers, rather we were left with questions, questions that were bigger than ourselves. Despite this however, we came together and began talking about the future, talking about how we can become the best school in America, literally.

A couple weeks have gone by since that first meeting and there are still no answers, but very constructive conversations are everywhere in our building and the morale is sky high. From my observations I believe that the staff has overwhelmingly embraced this idea of change and we are willing to expose our strengths and weaknesses in an effort to construct not only a Shared Vision but the true sense of what it means to be a Learning Community.

Re-Visioning the Writing Classroom

jazzymiles@hotmail.com (John Howell) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 01:17:00 +0000

"Show me, don't tell me," a line I have no doubt lifted from the famous Lucy Calkins. In all of the writing we do in our class I am constantly asking my fifth graders to do just that, show don't tell. "If in your story you are writing about a time when you are scared then how can you show me that with your words? If the alien you are writing about is "ugly" then describe that crazy beast in a way that will create a visual and mental image in your readers mind."

We have made incredible gains over the last couple of weeks in our writing and the students work is jumping off the page. Their word choice is strategic and well planned, they're finding their voice, and becoming much more confident with the conventions of writing. Perhaps it's because spring has sprung or is it something more?

So let me dig in and reflect for but a moment.

I believe the difference is the computer lab. After our planning time and the first drafts were written on paper in class I then had the students type those rough drafts using Microsoft Word at the computer lab. Their first drafts were then sent to me through the Digital Drop Box within Blackboard where I had a chance to embed comments within their work and resend it back to the student within the Digital Drop Box.

I very quickly realized that there were immediate advantages with conferencing this way and there were immediate disadvantages as well. Ultimately, I want my writing class to be a fluid time where conversations about word choice and voice are common among all but much of that writing talk disappeared and I found the Digital Drop Box became a bottle neck during class time.

So the immediate solution was to have the students print out their work so I can sit with them and write comments and suggestions all over their papers. Then they could go back to the computers and take their time with my comments and play around with their work until they found how they liked it. It really worked for me. It was fast, very business like, and gave me a chance to see immediate progress in the writer not just the writing.

Through this process however, I was able to identify an immediate gap within my class; they really don't know how to use Microsoft Word very well. So, not only did I have mini-lessons on how to incorporate dialogue or how to use similes in their writing, but many of my mid-point lessons were about the basic skills of using Microsoft Word.

Our writing class has been at the computer lab over the last week or two and the students have discovered that Microsoft Word is a tool that can take some of the sting out of revising; they are no longer dreading having to rewrite each draft over and over by hand. Rather there has been a huge weight lifted off the shoulders of these young writers and they are free to express themselves and don't mind the hard work or the Re-Visioning of their stories.

It has been as much a learning experience for me as it has been for the students, and as Brian Crosby would say, "it's messy." The look and feel of my writing class has changed. If at any time you walk into my classroom/computer lab you will see kids conferencing with one another, other students helping out with basic tech skills, other students might be fixing a printer issue, or other students discussing some other crafty cool gadget that they discovered Microsoft Word could do. These kids are talking about changing their opening paragraphs or starting with the last paragraph and moving text around and playing with words in a way that I have never really experienced before.

It is an amazingly productive time and I am so proud of how hard these kids are working.

I will post a link to their blogs so those interested can read their final copies.

The Unspoken Gift

jazzymiles@hotmail.com (John Howell) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 00:06:00 +0000

So I get to my classroom only to find a gift; a copy of the article Characteristics of a 21st Century Classroom on my desk that was given to me by my new principal. It felt like an unspoken homework assignment had just been handed out, so I have taken the time to sift through this article very closely this evening.

The article is a quick read but I will pull out this snip:

The focus of student learning in this classroom is different. The focus is no longer on learning by memorization or recalling information but on learning how to learn. Now, students use the information they have learned and demonstrate their mastery of the content in the projects they work on. Students learn how to ask the right questions, how to conduct the appropriate investigation, how to find answers, and how to use information. The emphasis in this classroom is on creating life long learners. With this goal in mind, students move beyond the student role to learn through real world experiences.

I am fired up! My principal gets it ~ clearly he understands the bigger picture of the challenges that we are faced with and this gift that he has placed on my desk means more than he may yet know. For over two years I have been steeped in the theoretical versions of what a 21st Century Classroom looks like and for the first time I feel as though I am ready to walk the walk.

I believe the role of the teacher changes dramatically in this kind of classroom environment. I must say that it is an easy class to manage when you are giving lectures, teaching memorization or simply having student recall information. However, the management of a 21st Century Classroom can be an absolutely exhausting experience if there is not a great deal of back work done to setup procedures and routines. The snip below really spoke to me towards that end:

The teacher must know how to:
establish a safe, supportive, and positive learning environment for all students. This requires planning on the part of the teacher to avoid safety risks, to create room arrangements that support learning, and to provide accessibility to students with special needs. The teacher is skilled in managing multiple learning experiences to create a positive and productive learning environment for all the students in the classroom. Classroom procedures and policies are an important part of creating a positive learning environment. The teacher evaluates and implements effective classroom management techniques in a consistent manner. She uses routines and procedures that maximize instructional time. Students know what is expected of them, and the teacher knows how to effectively handle disruptions so there is no adverse impact on students' instructional time.

Doesn't that sound like an amazingly diverse and exciting classroom to be a part of? I have been pushing myself to create a classroom like this on a daily basis. My expectations have shifted and the way I view myself as a teacher has shifted as well and it's helped me embrace the expectations mentioned above. It's not easy! I will say that again...it's not easy to conduct business like this in a classroom but it's exhilarating when it works well. I am still a work in progress and I have miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep.

At the end of the article my principal wrote down this question: "John, another valuable comparison...Have you taken the time to celebrate the 21st Century skills, experiences, & opportunities you have given your students?"

Not yet, but I can't wait to get back in the trenches tomorrow to start celebrating.

Reading Strategies

jazzymiles@hotmail.com (John Howell) — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 04:46:00 +0000

Thank you Paul, for sharing the website UNL ~ Cognitive Strategy Instruction.

According to this website, "Strategy instruction is one of the most effective ways of improving academic performance for children with learning difficulties. This site will show you how to do it, will provide examples or strategies, and provide a forum to discuss your experiences and questions."

Take a look at the strategies they suggest for Word Identification
Dissect
SCUBA D

Here's a couple for Reading Comprehension
Active Reading
CAPS
FIST
RAP
RIDER

Even more for Textbook Reading
Multipass
PARS
POSSE
SCROL

There are really quite a few more strategies than those I have linked to here. For a complete list of what this website has to offer click HERE. Once you get to the main page click on where it says "Reading" in the left hand margin and that will take you the list of reading strategies in its entirety.

New York Public Library Card

jazzymiles@hotmail.com (John Howell) — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 01:39:00 +0000

"Calling all New Yorkers, all New Yorkers."

Do you have a New York Public Library card? If you don't I am encouraging to stop what you are doing and go to this website to register for your free card. I am telling you that the NYPL website is literally jammed packed with an amazing collection that you are given online that is absolutely free once your card is mailed to your home.

For non residents of New York there is $100 fee...sorry.

Here are a couple of examples of some spectacular resources you can use:

The Reading Teacher, a magazine that has proven to be a wonderful literacy resource for elementary teachers, is absolutely free with your New York Public Library card. You will be given full access to all articles back to 1989. This for me was reason enough to take a couple minutes and fill out the registration for my library card.

How about Tumble Books? Have you seen this website yet? Oh, it's a good one. Tumble Books is an online collection of animated ebooks for kids, and with your NYPL card you will granted full and complete access.

The list of fantabulous resources goes on and on and on. Check out the databases that you can access from the comforts of your own home, or the audio collection, or videos you will be to tap into and it's all for free.

Go to www.nypl.org and see for yourself.

Work Hard Play Hard!

Do You Still Enjoy Teaching?

jazzymiles@hotmail.com (John Howell) — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 03:01:00 +0000

When Christopher Columbus set sail there were certain circles of educated Europeans that knew the world was indeed a sphere not because of personal experience, rather this knowledge was based on their studies and intellect. However, the vast majority of the population believed the contrary.

So, in 1492 when good ole Chris headed west he took with him a worthy crew, his trusty astrolab, ample supplies and those intangibles that I am imagining were more precious than gold itself: courage, passion, faith, and a sense of direction.

What does Courage Mean to You?
As a digital immigrant, traveling through the uncharted waters of the digital landscape does indeed require a certain amount of bravery. When we as teachers step out of our comfort zones we place ourselves at risk, we are exposing our weaknesses and underbellies. We are forced into a position of humility and for a teacher this will ultimately require a shift in thinking.

Passion
Do you still teach with a sense of urgency? Do you continue to believe that ALL children can learn? Do you believe that you are making a difference in the lives of children? Do you still enjoy the "job?"

Faith
We as teachers have to get comfortable with letting go of control if we are truly going to engage and motivate all students to reach full potential. This is clearly easier said than done and goes against the grain of everything we have ever known about teaching and teachers.

Sense of Direction
What are the essential questions that underpin all the lessons we design? What is the reason for teaching a particular lesson? Please don't say because it's in your curriculum...we need to find the purpose and the direction in all that we do and then lead our students to do the same. I invite the students to ask, "Why do we have to learn this Mr. Howell?" and then help them answer that on their own.

In closing, I wonder how it became common knowledge that the world was indeed a sphere? It certainly took time and mass diligence on the part of many, but ultimately it was through Columbus' continuous efforts that led others to follow suit. I believe that as more and more schools, teachers, and students continue to navigate the uncharted territories and find their own way through the digital landscape that others will do the same. The journey will no doubt be filled with plenty of challenges but we have a worthy crew, we have the needed navigational tools, and we have ample supplies. We now need to call upon those intangibles that will help guide us to the safety of the welcome shore.

Yet Another Pebble on the Pile

jazzymiles@hotmail.com (John Howell) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:00:00 +0000

I have been reading Here Come's Everybody written by Clay Shirky and have thoroughly enjoyed the brain stretch. In an effort to Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood I have collected a bit of information on this book and Clay.

Here is Will Richardson's collective work about Clay Shirky that dates back as far as 2003.

Here's a collection of videos of Clay Shirky using the Pixsy Search Engine ~ I especially enjoyed the Colbert interview on Comedy Central.

Here are the search results using Technorati Video Search

Searching for "Clay Shirky" within Boing Boing resulted with 1,730 hits.

Clay Shirky according to wikipedia

I am going to stop there ... this is a fine example of information overload.

Oh yeah, the book - after spending a great deal of time sifting through the links above I wonder what else there is to say? If I can't say anything worth linking to maybe I shouldn't say it at all. Nah. Let's put just one more pebble on the pile ~ a line I lifted from Merlin Mann's quote found on page 94.

I read with pen in hand and write all over the pages and my copy of this book is a mess. I circle phrases that are interesting to me, circle great words and words I don't know, write questions in the margins, make connections to other texts and to myself. I am basically having a conversation with the author as I read, of course it's a one way conversation but it keeps me focused and is easier to recall powerful points that I refer to in the future.

Here are but a few of the sections I wrote over:

"We are living in the middle of the largest increase in expressive capability in the history of the human race."

"Owning a television does not give you the capability to make TV shows, but owning a computer means that you can create as well as receive many kinds of content, from the written word through sound and images. Amateur production, the result of all this new capability, means that the category of "consumer" is now a temporary behavior rather than a permanent identity."

This really reminded me of something I heard Marco Torres say: "The laptop is my stage where I can perform for the whole world."

A few more:

"A wikipedia article is not a product but a process."

"It's when a technology becomes normal, then ubiquitous, and finally so pervasive as to be invisible, that the really profound changes happen, and for young people today, our new social tools have passed normal and are heading to ubiquitous, and invisible is coming."

Reminds me of Chris Lehman when he talks about technology needs to be ubiquitous like oxygen, you don't think about until there is none.

Great words I circled while reading Clay's book.
vehement
meganiche
albeit ~ love that word
drivel
misnomer
venerated
chasm
presciently
tautological
apocryphal
prophetic

Tags: Clay Shirky, Here Comes Everybody, Will Richardson, technology

7 Things You Might Not Know About Me(me)

jazzymiles@hotmail.com (John Howell) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 02:22:00 +0000

After reading Mike Sansone's 7 Things You Didn't Know About Me(me) and being tagged by Steve Ransom I have decided to jump in and give it a try.

One
U.S. Marine most folks that know me can't believe I was a Marine but I served for half a decade honorably. Oorah!

Two
Can't Read a Note ~ a music note that is. I grew up listening to my dad play the guitar and piano and I would sit down after him and figure out what he was playing which trained my "ear to hear" the music. I did take lessons for awhile but it never worked out so ultimately I can't read a single music note. I can play the guitar, drums, piano, accordion, harmonica, bass, and the spoons.

Three
Waterski ~ I lived on Waneta Lake for much of my childhood and during that time I spent the summer months behind the boat and on top of the water. So much so, that after graduating high school I decided that I would go to waterski school so to become a "professional." I quickly realized that I was a small fish in a big pond and headed back home to New York. I did manage to ski the perimeter of Keuka Lake, a 72 miles non-stop journey, to raise money for the United Way .

Four
First Car ~ My first car was a very used 1975 Chrysler Cordoba that had the colorful word "Whiplash" painted on the back. I bought this beast for $150.00 which lasted me through my senior year in high school. Unfortunately, the heating unit broke which made those early morning winter drives to school in Upstate New York a challenge. So, I would give my friends blankets as I picked them up and I would sit on one of those heating pads farmers use when they sit on their tractors.

Five
Roller Coasters ~ can't ride 'em. Nope, won't do it and you can't make me. Long story made short: When I was 5 the largest roller coaster in the world was the Rebel Yell at Kings Dominion in Virginia and my dad convinced me to ride this monster. Of course, just before the lap gate dropped closed and locked my dad jumped out and left me in the roller coaster car. Even though my mom was still with me I was pretty well traumatized for life. What was Dad thinkin'?

Six
Bill Cosby Himself ~ Probably the funniest stand up that I have ever seen. I was 12 when I first watched this and I haven't been the same since. Here are few samples to get a flavor of this show.

Seven
Needles ~ At this point, I just joke with the nurses and let them know that before you give me that shot I should be laying down on a table because for some unknown reason I can't seem to stay awake for them.

Tag, your it!
Deb Renner Smith
Jeff Lewis
Matt Riccione
John Howell no I am not tagging myself.
Mathew Needleman
David Jakes
Brian C. Smith

If you are interested here are the obligatory rules:

Link your original tagger(s) and list these rules in your post.

* Share seven facts about yourself in the post.
* Tag seven people at the end of your post by leaving their names and the links to their blogs.
* Let them know they’ve been tagged

What If?

jazzymiles@hotmail.com (John Howell) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 22:46:00 +0000

My name is John and I am a teacher.

Questions to Ponder

What if Public Education were to become extinct by the year 2050?
What if my students did not need me to learn?
What purpose would I then serve?

In an effort to plant seeds among my fellow colleagues I frequently share interesting Web2.0 videos, articles, or blog posts via email. I have also been known to print off articles and place them on the tables in the staff room. Last week I emailed Will Richardson's blog post Meet the New Story Same as the Old Story to a colleague and below is the response I received. I asked the individual if it was OK to share and was granted permission.

In a discussion... last night we mulled over local BOE's and how long they will last. He opened my eyes by indicating that by 2050 there will probably be no public education. There may be no need to worry about boards of education and contracts because the entire industry may be eliminated due to its lack of function and ability to meet the needs of the next generation. It is not that the end is coming, it is already here in some ways. We will be absorbed, passed, or fossilized by the speed, adaptability and usefulness of a plugged IN digital native form of education. The tar is already around our ankles and rather than get out of the pit we wax poetic about the difficulties of our occupational existence and sulk about the obstacles we face. The proof he used to illustrate his point was college online courses. Nearly every University has entire curricula that can attain a degree without setting foot in a classroom. Ten years ago we were skeptical of these degrees. Today they are an expectation. Neural interface is here. By 2050 we may not be able to distinguish between the operation of a computer interface and the workings of a human brain. What if your students didn't need you to learn? What purpose do you serve?

I vote to get out of the pit!!

Charlie Rose interviews Malcolm Gladwell

jazzymiles@hotmail.com (John Howell) — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 01:46:00 +0000

Charlie interviews Malcolm Gladwell, author of Outliers, Blink, and the Tipping Point. I highlighted a few of the key points of this enlightening conversation about the elements involved for someone to achieve success.

4:15 ~ "How long does it take to be good at something?"

Expertise is only reached after 10,000 hours of practice which roughly translates to 10 years. The first in a cohort to reach 10,000 hours has a huge advantage.

6:00 ~ "Deliberate practice. Focused, intensive practice with an eye to zeroing in on your failures. Constantly thinking about what I am not doing well and why I am not doing it well."

7:52 ~ "How do we help people achieve their potential?"

You give them opportunities to work harder. Kipp Academies, charter school, extend the school day, extend the school year through the summer, have school start at 7-6 p.m., and open on Saturday's. For kids that want to work harder will be given that opportunity.

9:50 ~ "That slight is of incalculable importance... that slight is the added psychological ingredient."

11:22 ~ "...it is all because I wanted it more, I worked harder, I focused more, I sacrificed more, and more importantly I had a deep passion for the thing...they never loose it, and it is their best friend, their very best friend..."

13:00 ~ "there's a huge difference in performance between Asian kids and Western kids on Math tests. They are not genetically better at it. They work harder. Patterns of agricultural practice.

"If a culture engages in that kind of intensive work for 1500 years it doesn't go away."

26:00 ~ "Meaningful work is one of the most important things we can impart on children. Meaningful work is autonomous, that is to say where no one is looking over your shoulder. Work that is complex that occupies your mind. Work where there is a relationship between effort and reward. For everything you put in you get something out..."

What's In Your Toolbox?

jazzymiles@hotmail.com (John Howell) — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 18:44:00 +0000

Let's consider the tools for a moment.

I know there is a seemingly endless sea of Web 2.0 tools but the ones listed below are the tools that I use pretty regularly, both personally and professionally. Honestly, I find myself getting lost in it all from time to time, but I am a work in progress. Here's the thing, I think once you learn how to use one tool really well your capacity to figure out others becomes much easier. The trick for me was to figure out authentic reasons for me to use them and then determine ways to leverage it as a way to learn or stay connected.

How can I make these tools work for me instead of against me?

Because I have several ADHD qualities many of these tools are a total distraction to me while I work. I am not speaking so much during the school day but after school when I begin grading papers or planning for the next UbD Unit. I might have YouTube videos playing, chatting with family and friends, or uploading photos to my Flickr account, and it forces me to be meta-cognitive so I can make effective decisions that will maximize my time on task.

How can I use some of these tools within my classroom?

I am to the point where I know there will be a different tool designed tomorrow that will out date the ones of today and I am o.k. with that. I think that if I am to keep up that I just need to jump in at some point, get comfortable with constant change, and enjoy the ride.

So, look out below...ahhhh...splash!

Google Reader ~This for me is the first place I go to after I triage my email. Honestly, I don't really have the time to go find all the really great work that is being done out in the edublogsphere so I try to subscribe to a variety of folks that keep me up to speed with what is going on.

Delicious ~ The tool of choice for me! If you do not have a Delicious account, stop reading and go get one today, right now...see ya. It's a way to save all your bookmarks online and organize them according to tags that you assign plus a great deal more.

Twitter ~ The micro-blog that keeps me in the circle of the know...I am more of an observer of what is going on than a contributor. I do contribute from time to time by sharing links to great resources or interesting articles.

Facebook ~ This is the one tool that connects me to just about everyone I know ~ family, old friends, colleagues from work, and friends I have made online all use Facebook.

Blogmeister ~ The blog interface I use for my fifth graders.

ePals ~ my students and I have used this as a great way to make email pen pals all around the world. I have also used this on an individual basis to speak with other educators around the world to gain a deeper perspective of the educational systems outside of America.

Technorati ~ I get a bit frustrated with this tool. I am pretty sure my blog is sync'ed up with technorati but I have had some technical difficulties with this. Basically, after you get a blog up and running you would claim it within Technorati and it then becomes part of this blog search engine. There are over 1.5 million blogs registered with this service and seems to be one of the first go to places for folks when searching blogs.

Friendfeed ~ another way to stay up to date with all those you want to keep up with.

StumbleUpon ~ a neat way to spend 5-10 minutes.

LinkedIn ~ I have setup an account but that is about as far I have gone with this. Perhaps this will come in handy if I ever need it for future contacts or future professional adventures.

PBwiki and Wikispaces ~ I have never really used a wiki with others but it has proven to be a nice way for me to organize a few class projects and other professional work that I have done.

Blackboard ~ the website of choice in our District.

Flickr ~ I have a Flickr account and upload many photos there but I need to spend more time with this to be able to take advantage of all that Flickr has to offer.

Flickr Storm ~ a nice place to search through photos that can be used through a Creative Commons License.

Video 2 and Video 3 produced by David Jakes

Photobucket ~ I find photobucket much easier to use than Flickr. There are many preloaded bells and whistles like remixes and slideshows that can be made very easily.

Last fm ~ A social network for music lovers...aren't we all lovers of music? I use it but again I am not taking full advantage of all it has to offer.

YouTube/TeacherTube ~ Love it ~ I have given up television for YouTube. Music videos, how to instruction, old comedy stand ups, inspirational videos...the list for me is endless. I have an account and have started adding videos to my "Favorites." I have recently discovered "Playlist" feature. Type in John Mayer then click Playlist and you will get preloaded lists of videos of John Mayer...too cool.

GMail ~ I know GMail is loaded with features but honestly I just haven't taken the time to play around with all that it can do to fully appreciate it. I do love the chat feature built in and sometimes it's the only way my wife can get ahold of me while at work.

Google Doc's ~ I no longer have Microsoft Word and completely use Doc's. Not having Word posses a problem when I try to open a link that is a Word Doc. but otherwise Google Doc's does just fine.

Google Notebook ~ recently been working on some research for a side job I have been working on and have absolutely fallen in love with Notebook and the share feature that makes all my notes into a link to share with others. Too cool.

Google Calendar ~ calendars frustrate me...I have way too many and I have tried to consolidate and go completely digital last year and it failed miserably. This year I have a little green calendar notebook I use, the calendar loaded on my Mac, and Google Calendar. Do you know what? They don't all match either...still working on this one.

Feedburner ~ it tells me I have 7 people subscribing to this blog. If you are one, "Hello there, thanks for subscribing."

Google Maps/Earth ~ I have a couple projects on the back burner that I would like to work out with our ePals but otherwise it's just a really cool tool that my son and I love to spend time on.

Upload ~ after I create a little song using GarageBand, upload allows me to "upload" that which in turn creates a weblink to the uploaded song so I can then share with others.

iTunes ~ Love it! I download podcasts, songs, and spend a a good deal of time on iTunesU poking around for teacher related material. I have recently discovered MIT and their OpenCourseWare program and will probably be spending more time there than iTunes.

Ning ~ I have recently been asked by our ELA Committee at school to find a tool that we could use in our small group where we could share our thinking online about the book that we are reading. The Ning has fit that purpose nicely.

Skype a video conferencing program that is free and allows you to chat, send files, or use a web cam to talk with folks. A nice way to stay connected with friends and family.

UStream ~ this for me has been a way for me to save and organize my guitar licks that I discover while playing. I will pick up my guitar for 1o minutes and come up with a really cool chord progression or lick that I don't want to forget and so I fire up Ustream and record myself so I won't forget it.

Jott ~ when I have an idea or something I don't want to forget I jott myself and an email is sent with my recorded voice to help me remember. I am all about writing down To Do lists, ideas, great words, phrases, or anything that catches my attention. When I write it down my mind is now free to think of other more creative ideas and solutions to problems. Jott helps me achieve this goal.

Ultimately, I consider myself a work in progress and I am just trying to keep up, or better yet simply stay in the "circle of those who know," which I guess we are calling our Personal Learning Network.

What tools do you use?

John ~

husband, dad, teacher, learner

Slow Dancing in a Burning Room

jazzymiles@hotmail.com (John Howell) — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 12:40:00 +0000

A business man, after a long and tiring day, is sitting on the Metro ready for the lengthy southbound ride home when another gentlemen and his three young children enter and take a seat. The slow and mundane ride continues and within a few moments the three children are up and running around being incredibly loud and obnoxious. The business man, exhausted from his long day, looks at the father waiting for him to discipline his children but nothing is said.

The annoyed man restrains from saying anything to the neglectful father hoping that someone else on the Metro ride will. Several minutes pass and the children are still being disruptive and so he finally turns around in his seat and aggressively says, "excuse me sir your children are disrupting every one's ride here, could you please tell them to take their seats?" The father responds somewhat dazed and confused and gently says, "ahh, sure...you're right, I'm sorry. We've just left the hospital - their mother has just died and I guess they are not quite sure how to deal with the loss yet. To be honest, neither am I. I am not really sure what I am going to do now."

The business man turned back around in his seat and didn't say a word for the remainder of the trip.

How do you think the business man felt after finding out such news? Do you believe he had changed his way of thinking toward the father and his three motherless children?

My question is what will it take for the System of Education to experience a swift and dramatic change in thinking in order to prepare students for this Century?

After I read Will Richardson's, Meet the New Story, Same as the Old Story I let out a big sigh, and then thought of my own children. Will goes on to say:

"...is it any wonder that we've stopped dreaming of what can be? Of all the teachers I've had the privilege of speaking and working with in the last few years, I doubt that many of them can even now really dream of a different way, one that celebrates learning and connections and independence in the ways that many of those networked classrooms we see. They might be able to visualize it, but I don't think many see it as a potential reality in their classrooms, in their schools. There are too many reasons why it can't happen. Too many obstacles. Too little vision. (I would be happy to be proven wrong, btw.)"

Then Richardson goes on to quote Ira Socol:

"It is time to stop hiding and start dreaming. It is time to reject what we are doing now: hell, that's easy, we know it does not work. And it is time to reject all the "tinkering around the edges" which wastes our energy and accomplishes nothing. We have to say no to everything that is not sufficiently transformative, which does not change what education is, and put all of our energies into ideas which will transform."

I think one major obstacle that we all face is an ingrained way of thinking, and collectively we will need to experience a paradigm shift, like the business man and the motherless children, if real change will occur. There are far too many people comfortable with the status quo, far too many people that don't completely understand the magnitude of our time (myself included), and I am guessing that until the pressure on the outside becomes greater than the resistance on the inside this shift in thinking will not occur on the massive scale that is needed. Hence the grassroots movement that we are seeing within the edublogsphere and the rally call that Richardson puts out there:

"So, we'll have to continue changing one parent at a time, one teacher at a time, one classroom at a time, one school at a time, connecting the good works and finding a wider and wider audience for the conversation. And we have to continue to create that compelling new reality of what's possible, post by post, tweet by tweet. And, we have to continue to dream it."

I respect this call to duty and accept the challenge but it sounds more like Slow Dancing in a Burning Room.

Follow the Leader

jazzymiles@hotmail.com (John Howell) — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 05:08:00 +0000

Chris Lehmann, Principal for Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia, has an amazing thought provoking presentation called School 2.0: Progressive Pedagogy in the 21st Century that can be found here and here.

Run time is about an hour but take a breath, click play, and hold on because Chris passionately delivers his message succinctly without a second waisted.

Stream videos at Ustream

Progressive Pedagogy and 21st Century Tools

View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: scienceleadershipacademy school20)

Resources
Chris' Notes on his Wiki
Live Back Channel Chat
UStream of Audience Feedback

See What Others Have Said
Lisa Huff
Jill Elfering
Wes Fryer
Chris Lehmann

My Own Thoughts

Chris is our lighthouse, our fence post, and our point man as we navigate through uncharted territories. He is blazing a path for others to follow.

While watching, I was reminded of the final scenes in the movie Patriot with Mel Gibson. Chris would be the one to grab the American Flag, push his way to the top of the grassy knoll, and wave it for others to see despite the risks involved. In that scene, the troops are being beaten down badly but its only after the courage, vision, and passion of one man that turns things around.

If there is a leader among us...we will follow.

I know, I know, we are all leaders right? Sure. To some degree this is true but I think even Seth Godin would agree that within the dynamics of any group there is an individual who stands out among the rest, a visionary, an intelligent and balanced soul that ignites the passions of those around him.

Follow the Leader

Alright, that's it for me...I am going to go reread John Dewey now.

Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us

jazzymiles@hotmail.com (John Howell) — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 12:03:00 +0000

I have thoroughly enjoyed Seth Godin's book Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us.

This book is filled with a plethora of thoughtful ideas on how the world has a shortage of leaders and how we all have the power to lead. He goes on to argue that leadership is the best marketing tactic for any organization. Leaders make a rucous. Leaders can come from the bottom.

"How was your day?" He asks and explores the idea that those who like their jobs are doing the best work, making the greatest impact, and changing the most. Those that like their jobs the most are changing the way they see the world and changing the world itself by challenging the status quo. He suggests that one person, just one person can make a huge difference.

Here is a corresponding Question and Answer eBook that was designed by a group of volunteers.

Through What Lens Do You See the World?

jazzymiles@hotmail.com (John Howell) — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 00:36:00 +0000

Ok, here it is...at least the way I see it.

I would imagine that when a carpenter looks at all the world he sees a nail, and when a mathematician stops to look he may see the world in numbers, patterns, and algorithms. What lens does the elementary teacher see through?

My first hip shot reaction to such a question would be the "literacy lens." We teach students, ultimately, to be literate. Right? It is the central theme around all that we do and is integrated heavily within every single subject we teach. If students are not literate than most likely they are struggling in our building.

This is not to say that we are not teaching Math or Science or Social Studies because of course we are. However, even in Math, at least at the fifth grade level, there is a tremendous amount of "literacy" involved with problem solving and developing written responses to solutions.

So what then is the definition of "literacy?" What does it mean to be literate, especially in the 21st Century?

Literacy according to NCTE:
Twenty-first century readers and writers need to:
- Develop proficiency with the tools of technology
- Build relationships with others to pose and solve problems collaboratively and cross-culturally
- Design and share information for global communities to meet a variety of purposes
- Manage, analyze and synthesize multiple streams of simultaneous information
- Create, critique, analyze, and evaluate multi-media texts
- Attend to the ethical responsibilities required by these complex environments

"...Because technology has increased the intensity and complexity of literate environments, the twenty-first century demands that a literate person possess a wide range of abilities and competencies, many literacies. These literacies - are multiple, dynamic, and malleable."

Here lies the lens at which I see the world ~ a complex idea of literacy in our day and age.

Ever since Alan November came to our school I have delved into the world of technology. Probably more out of curiosity than anything else, but I discovered that the world outside of our classrooms are changing dramatically and maybe just maybe, if all we do is teach our kids to be able to read and write that it might not be enough.

Professional Growth

jazzymiles@hotmail.com (John Howell) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 00:00:00 +0000

It was the third and final round of interviewing for the elementary teaching position, and I wanted desperately to make a strong first impression with the Superintendent. My sweaty palms and stuffy suit did not make this any easier, but all of my Marine Corps training came flooding to my frontal lobe as I entered his office. In my mind I kept repeating, "make eye contact, speak with confidence, and don't sit until he does."

We talked. Within minutes I was relaxed and the casual conversation that he was directing was about "my story" while he was diligently taking notes and genuinely seeking to understand.

As the conversation ensued he showed me a picture of Gordon's Ladder. It was the first time I had ever seen this and I didn't really grasp the full meaning of what it meant to be Unconsciously Unskilled or Unconsciously Skilled. That was five years ago and I still to the day continue to gain a deeper understanding of what Gordon's Ladder truly means.

To frame this conversation, let's put Gordon's Ladder in the context of the professional growth of teachers. The idea of continuous improvement reminds me of Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development where we are able to achieve in part because of our more able peers. Being continuous however, suggests that we never truly reach a destination, there is never a moment where we can lean back on the two legs of our chair, hands woven behind our heads, and our feet propped up on the desk and say, "ahh, I've made it."

So let's for a moment focus on the bottom rung of Gordon's Ladder, Unconsciously Unskilled. This suggests that there are areas in our professional lives that are not improving and we do not even realize it. But through careful and diligent reflection we can begin to uncover those areas in our profession where we are unskilled.

In this moment of meta-cognition we would then shift into being Consciously Unskilled; we are now aware of that with which we do not know. We are then left with the opportunity to make changes and continue up the ladder towards being Consciously Skilled. In time, with continuous improvement being the goal, we would reach that place on Gordon's Ladder where we become Unconsciously Skilled, using the knowledge we have achieved in a manner that is fluid and dynamic and happens effortlessly.

Being Unconsciously Skilled seems to me like the psychological concept of Flow according to Csikszentmihalyi.

Compare Gordon's Ladder to the Social Technographic Ladder. Here lies yet another continuum of professional growth that requires a set of goals, reflection, and collegial support to begin to climb this ladder.

Are you aware of what you are unskilled at?
Are your students aware of what they are unskilled at?
What are you unconsciously skilled at?
What are your students unconsciously unskilled at?
Where would you place yourself on the Social Technographic Ladder?
How will you spend your available time to continue your professional growth on these ladders?
How will you empower your students to climb these ladders?

Pieces to the Puzzle

jazzymiles@hotmail.com (John Howell) — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 21:29:00 +0000

Here is my attempt at trying to piece some of the "stuff" rolling around in my head.

Point #1
Consider for a moment David Warlick's Converging Conditions.

Unpredictable Future
Info-Savvy Students
New Information Landscape

Point #2
Now take some time to ponder the National Educational Technology Standards and Performance Indicators for Teachers.

Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity.
Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments.
Model Digital-Age Work and Learning
Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility
Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership

Point #3
Let's sprinkle in a little of the NCTE Definition of 21st-CenturyLiteracies into this conversation.

Point #4
As a final component to this equation, take a moment to let this quote from Lucy Calkins work its way into your consideration:

"The problem is that if our teaching is to be an art, we need an organizing vision that brings together all of these separate components into something graceful and vital and significant. It is not the number of good ideas that turns our work into art, but the selection, balance, coherence and design of those ideas."

Calkins, Lucy. The Art of Teaching Reading. New York: Longman, 2001.

OK you 21st-Century Teachers, now take a deep breath, reread if necessary, and begin planning. Ugh!

The Birth of a Poem

jazzymiles@hotmail.com (John Howell) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 00:09:00 +0000

There I was at approximately 7:45p.m. and decided to tackle my paperwork a bit early before the kids actually made their way to bed. I carefully placed each item in its proper location on our wooden kitchen table. Laptop to the right for recording grades and twittering while I work, ungraded pile of student work directly to its left, and the completed pile just under that. Of course, my hazelnut flavored cup-o-joe was close by as well as the charging iPod.

Just as my work area was prepped and ready, my four year old son suddenly dove into the kitchen with his "Thomas the Tank Engine" Laptop and promptly joined me at the table. It wasn't long until he made his way to my welcoming lap when we read through a writing assignment one of my students had completed. The writing by the way was very good and filled with wonderful descriptive phrases that led Gavin and I down the road to great conversations.

Fast forwarding the scene a bit, Gavin felt so inspired by the writing that it led him to place his pencil to paper where he began to create his very own "Halloween poem to display at his school."

Ghosts, Witches,
and Kids
Trick or Treat
in the city
and vampires
all the kids
are trick or treating
all the kids
are
dressing up for
Halloween

This was an amazing moment for me to witness this story literally come alive. Gavin was filled with an intense sense of urgency to finish the poem despite the fact that bedtime was quickly approaching and there was simply no stopping that train.

From a teacher's perspective there is so much that I can speak to. For instance, Gavin had an authentic audience that he was writing for, his school. For this reason it drove him to do his very best work that he wanted to desperately share with others. He was able to draw from his previous experiences which allowed him to tap into his language and knew what his message was going to be. He had his topic and then knew what genre would fit his apparent need at the time, poetry.

From a parental perspective I am just so thankful to be a dad and I am touched each and everyday by this wonderful gift. Right now I am really just trying to enjoy these days that I still get to carry them to bed, and help them brush their teeth, and to be able to spin them around through the air while they are in my arms. I absolutely treasure each moment I can hold my kids in my arms because I know it won't be long before I am teaching them how to drive and help them decide on which college to choose.

This was certainly one of those defining moments for me as a dad and honestly I am still trying to find the right words that explains the fact that my eyes are filling up with tears while I am actually writing this. At any rate, if you have read this far I thank you for your time.

Memoir Monday

jazzymiles@hotmail.com (John Howell) — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:22:00 +0000

I have recently been enjoying a blog by Ruth Ayres and Stacey Shubitz called Two Writing Teachers, who have designed a section within their blog called Memoir Monday. Their challenge is to "bloggers from all backgrounds (not just teachers!) a chance to reflect on something from the past. Each writer creates a memoir-like post by writing with precision about an event or a person and how it changed them as a person."

Here is my attempt at Memoir Monday with a piece titled, Family Matters.

Thinking back through the years the only hardships I experienced was that I lived the typical routine life; a middle class boy in a middle class town in a middle class home with middle class values. My parents both developed these traditions by working themselves out of severe childhood poverty and wanted so much to give my sister and I the life they never had.

These values were first challenged the night we lost our home and all of our belongings to a tragic fire. There is something very surreal at the tender age of 12 to suddenly loose everything, to be standing at the location where your home once was, to be standing among the black ashes and rubble that use to be your bedroom.

That starless night, we came home to an endless sea of emergency lights and my first thought was that something happened to our elderly neighbor. It was only after getting closer to the scene that I suddenly realized the horrible truth. I stood at the edge of the smoldering ashes of what used to be our home, heaving tears from my eyes and wondering, “What are we going to do now?”

It was at this moment that my father, who was crying as well, held our family together in his arms and found the strength to comfort us all. “It’s OK, everything that is important is right here, right now, in my arms,” he said. Hearing those words gave different reason for my tears to fall.

Over time, we rebuilt our home and all the material things were replaced and life fell back into the typical middle class routine, but something was different. Not only did I loose my home that night but my childhood as well. I felt older and somehow more confident and comfortable knowing that no matter what happens I will always have the unconditional love of my family. To me there is nothing more important than this.

Taking a Hatchet to My Aggregator

jazzymiles@hotmail.com (John Howell) — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 22:08:00 +0000

Tonight I took a hatchet to my G-Reader and deleted many RSS feeds that I simply have not given any attention to lately. This was really long overdue. There was a slight sense of guilt that was associated with this process but then again Google Reader is part of the network that can and will change as needed. So, the guilty feeling is gone and I am now on the look out for other intermediate elementary teachers that are blogging to build the G-Reader back up.

I have recently added the following bloggers in the good ole aggregator that seem to focus heavily on intermediate elementary issues:

Lisa's Lingo by Lisa Parisi
A fifth grade teacher that I had been following on twitter for awhile but for some reason I did not have her blog or her Delicious feed in my Google Reader.

Creating Life Long Learners by Matthew Needleman
"Creating Lifelong Learners is a blog which aims to offer practical tips for elementary teachers in teaching language arts, valuing students and their cultures, appealing to different learning modalities, and integrating technology in the curriculum."

Two Writing Teachers by Ruth Ayers and Stacey Shubitz
"Good teaching is good teaching. Too often we get caught up in what’s happening in our own classroom walls or in the faculty lounge of our own school building. This blog is a place that erases all of those barriers and focuses simply on teaching kids to write and catching minds in the midst..."

Angela Maiers
"I am proud of my 20-year career in education, especially the years I spent as a classroom teacher. I am currently working as an independent consultant dedicated and committed to helping DOE’s, schools, districts and teachers reach their goals in literacy and literacy education."

The challenge with this type of social network is that I feel I take much more than I give. Anyone else feel this way too?