Tucson!

Hello All!
I'm so sorry to have missed your writing marathon last Thursday, so I'll tell you a bit about what I learned in Tucson. Well first, I should tell you that I learned lots. Please, please go to the WLU conference whenever you can (next year: Columbia, SC--let's go together!). It's simply fantastic! So, here are some things to remember said by today's forward thinkers in reading and writing education:

• The whole child can be defined as an historical being, comprised of his or her "fluid identities." In other words, the history that affects a child is sometimes out of his or her control, and we need to recognize all of what makes a person whole. Then, our job as teacher is to help the child recognize his or her full self, and celebrate it! (Carol Edelsky)
  
• Teachers should be wary of including action when implementing critical literacy into their curriculum. Action is huge...is key! But there are some things to remember when we think about the social action activities we use with our students. For example, social action is NOT charity work. Children have to know the reasons behind why they're doing what they're doing. They need to understand the root causes and have mutual exchanges with the people they're helping. So, start thinking about your general food drives and clothing drives a bit differently from now on. Do your students really know why they're acting? Are they aware of the root causes? Have they reflected on their actions? Are they building collaborative relationships? Does the action meet a genuine need? Are the kids passionate? (Kathy Short)
  

I could write so much more...if there's anything you're curious about, please find me. I can tell you what Brian Cambourne is up to now, a bit more into the key theories of Piaget and Vygotsky, what young kids are doing with podcasts, what I presented (lit. circles and high school kids) and more!