Grateful

I have been reading your work and being reminded of what wonderful young people I have the privilege of teaching and collaborating with. I think of you all very often.

There looks like a decent series on the History Channel, if you get that, called Mankind: The Story of Us.

I hope you are getting out in the beautiful weather. I hope you are reading! I hope you are dancing, drawing, making music, writing, working on your stand-up comedy act. I hope you are cooking, gardening, and playing board games and card games - legal ones! I hope you are making crafts and helping out around the house.

Yesterday (11/19) was the 149th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address, and Steven Spielberg, who directed Lincoln, spoke about Lincoln at Gettysburg. Also you know it's the 149th anniversary of the holiday of Thanksgiving, which was implemented during the Civil War, because I've told you perhaps a thousand times. What is there to be thankful for during a war? What do you think?

I look forward to seeing you all next week! Please feel free to email or call if you have questions.

(I've told some of you that I have exceptionally cute dogs. Lucky is my older son, at eight years old. He is my loyal macaroon, snickerdoodle, applesauce, toasted marshmallow, sea cucumber, study buddy. Little Bear, 5, is standing below, looking off into the distance. Why? Because he feels like it. Because if you want him to look at the camera, he'll look somewhere else. That's how he is.)

Where We're Going

Well, the election happened.  I hope we all continue to be good citizens and participate in our democracy.

Here are three maps to consider as we study more about the Civil War in 8th grade. (We now know Florida went to President Obama.) Are there reverberations of the Civil War in this most recent election? Is this the way we want it? If it needs to improve, how do we do that?

What is 'Common Core?'
When we are thinking about these maps, and whether or not there's a connection, or comparing texts of speeches, or thinking about the connections between science and history, or what kinds of jobs do people have who are/were working on the campaigns and on Hurricane Sandy, or when we are preparing resumés and making goals for ourselves, we are thinking 'critically.' We are communicating, evaluating, generating ideas, planning, solving problems, designing, taking risks. We are becoming contributors rather than comply-ers and test-takers.

This is the emphasis of the new 'Common Core' standards which our state has adopted and which focus on the really important stuff (- which I have always focused on anyhoo!) So, it will NOT be important that you remember what the Wilmot Proviso was (unless you become a historian) but it is important that you understand its significance in the context of what you are learning at the time. You need to be able to 'surf-think' and to do it well.

If you engage and let me help you become a good writer and good mathematician, you will never be in the fix this girl is, no matter what job you go for - or create!

Why We Need Common Core

Election Eve

Well I hope there will be some votin' goin' on tomorrow!

I'll be voting, for sure. I know some people don't, and I'm not sure why. Maybe people think their vote doesn't matter.  It does, though, otherwise there wouldn't be winners and losers. Even if your side loses, your voice was heard, and that matters!

Others don't vote because they feel it's too complicated, and they don't feel they can get a straight answer. I always do three things: 1) I read what a proposition says, 2) I see who's supporting it, and if I like them or not, that will influence me one way or the other, and 3) I see who is putting money in, either for or against. Again, I know my vote makes a difference.

Still some don't vote because they don't like that there are so many initiatives, or there's not candidate they like who's 'perfect,' and they want to 'send a message' that they are fed up with the whole process. Still, someone else will vote, and, in a way, the person who doesn't vote gives their vote to someone who does. A stranger. Maybe someone they totally disagree with.

When it comes to voting, I don't let the 'perfect' be the enemy of the 'good.' If something seems better, that's what I want to work toward.

What happens tomorrow will matter greatly to your education. Help your families get informed and vote your heart.

P.S. Did you know women were not allowed to vote until 1919? And, no, I was not alive! But my friend Venita was 12!

Frankenstorm

In addition to having various enthusiasms about the Civil War, The Great War (WWI), space exploration, etc., I am also a bit of a weather geek. This is one of my favorite weather blogs because of the fantastic radar imagery and various maps.

I'm sending good thoughts to the folks who are affected by this mighty storm.

Sandy Haiku

Prepare, hunker down
Flashlights, batteries and snacks
Afterwards, clean-up

P.S. Keeping with the metaphor of Endeavour being the City of LA's pet...I loved a certain student's reference to it being like Clifford, the Big Red Dog.

Procrastination

It's been a long time since I've posted! Have I been procrastinating? Well, yes and no.

This past weekend I worked very hard on this big teacher reflection project I'm doing, so that was five hours in the library on Saturday, and then I was in Murrietta all day on Sunday. I shared stuff I'd written and got feedback, and guess what? I still have work to do!

I'm glad to talk about procrastination though, because I know so many of you have a hard time getting started. I understand! I worked myself up into my big day at the library for several days before. Once I finally sat down and worked though, it felt really, really good. I got into that sort of trance you do when you're really get going at expressing your ideas and thoughts in response to some question, and I just wrote and wrote. When I got home I was done for the day, but felt so different - so satisfied! I slept super well Saturday night, too. It's no coincidence.

This video reminded me that sometimes I need to build up to focusing, however. On Saturday, I really wanted to work, so that helped. But often we have to show up - even as artists - when we don't want to, and that takes discipline.

For a week, make yourself stick to a schedule, and work for extended periods of time with no break. So maybe on day one, work for 20 minutes, take a five minute break, over a period of two hours. The next day, work for 1/2 hour at a time with five minute breaks, and go for up to three hours. The next day, work for 40 minutes, then a five minute break, and keep that up for three and half hours. See if you can stay at that level of concentration for the rest of the week.

Fast Endeavour

So many people took so many great photos of the Shuttle's journey- I wonder how many? What do you grab if there's a fire? The photo albums! Do people have photo albums any more?

Here's a super cool, time-lapse video of the Endeavour's 12 mile trip. I have come to think of it as our city's pet. We have to go to the Science Center to make sure it's getting enough attention, and has water.

Endeavour

A Haiku for my LA

hauling massive rock
on Wilshire; now space shuttle
on La Tijera

We're huge.

NexGen

What do you guess 'NexGen' stands for?  If you guessed yourself, you're correct.

It's the name the LACMA (and what is that an acronym for?) has given to its free museum membership program for people 17 and under. Find out how you can become a member (and get one adult in free with your membership) here.

This place has all kinds of art - not just giant rocks! It's basically on the corner of Wilshire and Fairfax and it's open every day except Wednesday.

Last question: Why did they call this program 'NexGen' ?

New Fish and Cool Links

We have two new fish in the room. They need names. Richard now has friends.

Here's one:

THIS SATURDAY An orientation to be on the writing staff for LA Youth Monthly will happen at 11 a.m. Check out the other cool teen staffers and address and contact info of orientation here. This is not a paid position, but it will help you enormously with your writing and will be extreme fun.

WONDERFUL STORIES Here's where you can hear interviews that regular people do with their friends and loved ones. They are short and powerful, and we will be doing an interview project in our classes.

As always, feel free to email me with comments and questions.

Debate Night!

Turn on, tune in, and listen up! 6 p.m.-----the debate will be on a lot of channels, but I know for sure you can livestream it here.

Election Season

Say, there's kind of a big election happening Tuesday, November 6th.  There will be a president elected, members of congress elected, state and local legislators, and ballot propositions.  Do you know what a ballot proposition is? Proposition = "how about we address this problem this way."

By going here, you can find out who all the legislators are who represent you. Oh, what's a 'legislator?' Get out your vocabulary journal! 'legis' comes from the Latin word for 'law.'
If you know someone who might want to vote but needs to register to vote first, here is where you can do that. It's in many languages, too.

Wednesday night is the first of three presidential debates between President Obama and Mitt Romney.  It's from 9-10:30 Eastern Time so what time would that be here? The focus will be 'domestic policy.' More Latin!

Please watch at least 45 minutes of the debate, if at all possible, so we can discuss what you noticed! Whose ideas make the most sense? Did you talk about it with your family?

P.S. That 'chill' in the air from last week? Yeah, not so much. Oh well...a nice big moon, anyway.

Here's my idea: Starting now, as soon as you read this, think of yourself as a writer. 

You are a writer.  Say it to yourself -- "I'm a writer."

Continue to think of yourself as a writer until school is over at the end of May 2013. Let's just try this for the rest of the school year as an experiment. So from now on, instead of embarking on writing assignments as a student, tear into them as the writer that you are.

Over the next few weeks, let's see how thinking of yourself as a writer changes your work.

P.S. Are you noticing a chill in the evening air? Welcome, autumn!

Greetings, wonderful students!

It's Wednesday, September 26, 2012, and I'm starting a blog for you. I've never done this before, so I'm not exactly sure how I will use it.  I know I want to share suggestions and useful links. I will need you to give input on what you find interesting, fun and valuable.

Here's a good image for a launch, right? Taken from the roof of the Bellevue campus on 9/21! Huzzah!