Photo Credit: Laura Stockman Summer is a time unto itself. In our family, we draw deep boundaries around the months of June, July, and August. The rhythm of our life together changes, and while the pace never seems to slow, the content of our days becomes distinctly different. It’s a disruption I long for every year–one that seems to slow me down and wake me up simultaneously. Sometimes, this feels unsettling. Over the course of…
Wow. I guess that certainly qualified as an extended hiatus. I don’t think I’ve ever been off the grid for quite this long, and I must admit: I really enjoyed my time off. My kids really enjoyed my time off too, I’m thinking. That said, I’ve felt the effects of my absence here. Blogging regularly inspires me to pay closer to attention. It challenges me to think differently and deeply about the work that I…
I’m sure I’m not the only one who has been plowed over by all that is June. This month saw the end of the 2009-2010 season of the WNY Young Writers’ Studio, highlighted by our Celebration of Writing and the publication of our first anthology (featuring 20 of this year’s 60 writers)! It’s also the end of our school year here in Western New York, which marks all sorts of endings and new beginnings. Earlier…
Just hopping online quickly to share the images captured at last week’s Celebration of Writing! Congratulations to the fellows of the WNY Young Writers’ Studio for a year AND a day well spent. Thanks for sharing all that you’ve learned and helping make the day a success. See you soon!
I’ve been offline a great deal over the last few weeks, wrapping up my school year and gearing up for the start of our new season at the WNY Young Writers’ Studio. We have some exciting things in the works, and I’m looking forward to meeting and working with a bunch of new writers and teachers this year! This Saturday, teachers and writers and parents and administrators from across our region will be gathering at…
Just a reminder….because June 5th is rapidly approaching! The WNY Young Writers’ Studio Celebration of Writing is a free event that is open to the public. Join us on June 5th as our fellows lead informal sessions on writing strategies, ideas, and technology tools. A few highlights from the draft of the day’s events: Teachers from Alden, Lockport, and Depew will be leading sessions on the use of writer’s notebooks in the classrooms, service-learning and…
Been thinking on the question I posed at the end of this post. I’m beginning to wonder if some of the more critical “21st Century Skills” that we need to foster in our kids and in ourselves include the ability to assess and effectively respond to the stress created by some of these realities….what would you add? Overwhelming choice and opportunity–because we are bombarded by options, whether it is brands of ketchup on a supermarket…
Lots of kids in my world closing their Facebook accounts in recent weeks. I find this interesting, and I’ve been asking a lot of questions from different populations of former Facebook users. Their responses have been enlightening. Here is what I’ve been told…… In fact, many of them don’t love it. They just know they are supposed to. If they don’t have an account, they are pressured into having one by their peers and sometimes,…
The WNY Young Writers’ Studio is a community of writers and teachers of writing. We meet throughout the year to explore what good writing is and how to support one another as we work toward creating it. Fellows of our program come from different schools, universities, and organizations, and we meet throughout the year. Many of us have been a part of the community since it began in 2008. Teachers who join us may earn…
What a great week it’s been, and today was the icing on the cake. This year, I’ve been facilitating the first phase of a high school business department curriculum redesign. I am blown away by how hard these teachers have worked and by how willing they are to move far outside of their comfort zone. Together, we’ve created three distinct endorsements that high school graduates may work toward as they complete a pathway through the…