A Father's Head

A Father’s Head

In it, there is a library
and no librarian to keep things in order
and 1 of 11 momentous melodies that play over and over
again….

There is logic and deep discussions that carry
on without time, which is why church begins
when the timing is right – not wrong.

Smells of aged cigars and mountain air
and forget-me-knots….
or do they even smell sweetly?

Neighbourhood rugby games that end only when
the football game begins.
Or, when it snows and the first fight of winter
breaks out from behind parked cars and tiny bushes.

There is pride and shame and courage and wisdom and learning and priority and grace,

in a father’s head.

A Father's Head

A Father’s Head

In it, there is a library
and no librarian to keep things in order
and 1 of 11 momentous melodies that play over and over
again….

There is logic and deep discussions that carry
on without time, which is why church begins
when the timing is right – not wrong.

Smells of aged cigars and mountain air
and forget-me-knots….
or do they even smell sweetly?

Neighbourhood rugby games that end only when
the football game begins.
Or, when it snows and the first fight of winter
breaks out from behind parked cars and tiny bushes.

There is pride and shame and courage and wisdom and learning and priority and grace,

in a father’s head.

Closing thoughts....

Well, it's the end of the term already....and again! I cannot believe how quickly this term has passed and how quickly this class has gone. It was interesting to hear people share their fan fiction pieces - I was thouroughly impressed!!
Last week was a very good class. I really appreciated Julie Gellner coming to speak with us. I thought she had some very thoughtful ideas. I could feel myself getting so excited to teach while listening to her stories of student enthusiasm, initiatives, and ideas. It is amazing to me how one story has incorporated so much learning - in the classroom and life learning as well.
I could even feel myself getting a little teary-eyed as she shared the poems her class had written. I even have trouble beleiving that such considerate and accurate words can come from a child's thoughts. How wonderful....and inspiring.
I look forward to reading Hannah's Suitcase as I see the change and influence it has on that specific class.
Have a great week! Good luck with the unit plans and pulling together your writing portfolios.
Cayley

My fan fiction handout.....we'll see if this works!

I found the following chapters from the Sound of Music postings to be really well done. The chapter called "Regrets," was my favorite. I think the author has lots of writing experience and a very dedicated fan club! Check it out if you get a chance.
I am not sure what else I need to include, but will clarify with Jill in class today, and update this post soon!
Cayley


➢ “Back to the Beginning” (Chapter 1)
(http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2876206/1/Back_to_the_Beginning)
by SakuraCherryBlossom
➢ “Paris and Salzburg” (Chapter 1)
(http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3526702/1/Paris_and_Salzburg) by TrapperII
➢ “Regrets” (Chapter 1) (http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3121543/1/Regrets) by imnotacommittee

Fan Fiction Thoughts....and relief from the web...

It was encouraging and exciting to hear what people are writing for their fan fiction assignment. I noticed a difference in writing a book and writing a play or television episode. A book – as I have chosen to do – allows for writers to include background dialogue and important details in the script. As for play, italicized details help readers understand what is going on in the background, without including them in the actual text. Does anyone know what type of writing this is – plays and scripts?
This process of writing fanfiction, through writing conferences, time for editing, sharing pieces of our writing with the class - has been so helpful for me both in terms of being affirmed that I am on the right track, as well as in understanding the room I have for difference and creating various forms of writing.
I really appreciated the discussion we had last Tuesday about planning and organizing strategies. I found it almost freeing to know that Jill is not necessarily in full support of "the web" and it made so much sense to me that the web would be a frustrating tool for children. I loved talking about teaching organizational skills so that kids can understand that there are strategies that can be useful in writing and planning to write.....this idea is so helpful for me as well, a child who grew up "webbing" in school....and hated it!
Happy mid-term studying!!!

Reflections from September 18th

I find myself a little astounded.....I am doing my first (of many univsersity) reflection(s) on-line, for public viewing! I can feel a bizarre tension within as I type this. I do not think that this tension comes from a sense of vulnerability though, as I can write and not write whatever I choose. Perhaps typing letters which make words which make sentences which make stories which come uniquely and adventurously into this world, seems distant when inserted into a glowing screen. I find it difficult sometimes to consider how my stories are held as delicately and as secretively as cyber space will allow. This world of technologie has wonderful and huge implications for communicating with our world and with our classroom, but I feel a little simplified knowing that with an intentional, accidental, or coincidental touch of "delete," my stories and words are lost forever - and nobody even has to know.
So, here I sit - in front of the screen, reflecting upong my learning in the world of writing and specifically in Edel 408. It was wonderful to hear the stories and pieces of writing that people shared in class yesterday. I feel as though I have been introduced to my classmates in a way that has given us all a kind of backdoor into each others lives. I was in awe of how willing people were to share their writing and the level of trust each person had in placing their stories in front of them and believing that they (and we) would not be hurt in response to our reading.
When we did the excercise in class yesterday where we were asked to consider all of the writing we had done in the last 5 years, I was really amazed with how much writing I had done because I had been asked to write or because I needed to get something out of my writing (I believe this is called Transactional Language according to James Britton). Writing for enjoyment only seems to come for me in moments of stress or tension (where I need to write out my thoughts) or when I have experienced something wonderful (and I want to write it down to remember it!). Since I have been in university, the focus of the majority of my writing has been on making sure my writing is correct (correct number of sources, correct format, correct essay topic, correct citation, etc.) instead of really meaningful for me. In our textbook, on page 21, it talks about the importance of making sure that our writing is menaingful, "not just correct." Meaningful writing is significant, interesting, exciting for kids - and us students.
I have so many questions about teaching children to write. During my IPT, there was a huge variety of abilities in regards to "proper" writing, reading, and literacy in my grade 6 class. I almost felt overwhelmed just watching my mentor teacher try to "balance" the balanced literacy program that the class was involved in. The experience and background that each child entered the class with was so extreme from one end to another, that I wouldn't even know where to start.
My question is: How do you teach a community of children to write, when they all come with such diverse abilities?
My other question is: (Regarding James Britton's three ways of organizing writing) How much of each category do you encourage kids to engage in? Are the three kinds of writing split equally?

I think that's it for journal entry number 1!! I haven't yet seen anybody else's blog, so I hope this was not too long (or too short).
Have a great weekend!
Cayley

Trial Post

Hello World (and my EDEL class).....here is my first post!