<body><script type="text/javascript"> function setAttributeOnload(object, attribute, val) { if(window.addEventListener) { window.addEventListener('load', function(){ object[attribute] = val; }, false); } else { window.attachEvent('onload', function(){ object[attribute] = val; }); } } </script> <div id="navbar-iframe-container"></div> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://apis.google.com/js/platform.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> gapi.load("gapi.iframes:gapi.iframes.style.bubble", function() { if (gapi.iframes && gapi.iframes.getContext) { gapi.iframes.getContext().openChild({ url: 'https://www.blogger.com/navbar.g?targetBlogID\x3d18993034\x26blogName\x3dRed+Cedar+Writing+Project\x26publishMode\x3dPUBLISH_MODE_BLOGSPOT\x26navbarType\x3dBLUE\x26layoutType\x3dCLASSIC\x26searchRoot\x3dhttps://redcedarwritingproject.blogspot.com/search\x26blogLocale\x3den_US\x26v\x3d2\x26homepageUrl\x3dhttp://redcedarwritingproject.blogspot.com/\x26vt\x3d-6814999245289139257', where: document.getElementById("navbar-iframe-container"), id: "navbar-iframe" }); } }); </script>

Monday, November 21, 2005

Goodnight Pittsburgh

Till next time, Steel City.

Also, if you're interested, I posted some of my less-professionally-oriented conference moments on my other blogger blog, which I started at an RCWP tech day earlier in 2005:

Take Me to Nobisomania!

Spoiler Alert: It includes the picture of the Holiest Dead Rat in Pittsburgh. The rest of it is nice stuff though. Like milk. You like milk.

On Jim Gee & Technology


Sticking with our tech theme, the last session I attended was on video game literacy and what it teaches us about learning.

Suffice it to say, I am very, very glad I dragged myself back downtown one more time Sunday morning.

I recorded the entire session, and will post the podcast here once I learn how to do so. I have listened to it on the iPod and will pre-warn you that yes, it's all there, but you have to turn the volume WAY up to hear most of it.

Still, it's downright fascinating stuff. And lest you write this topic off before listening to it and/or reading Gee's book, remember that as Gee put it in the session, "The most dangerous book in the world is the Bible--when it's misread, people kill each other." Point being, any and all media are dangerous, glorious, enlightening, mindnumbing, etc. The form and content are fine; it's how you read it that makes it an issue.

Video games are a new art form. Now let's see what they teach us about ourselves.

Sunday, November 20, 2005

Parting Thoughts on Pittsburgh; Planning for What’s Next

A safe ride home finds me back in Lansing, with thoughts of teaching, learning, and technology in my mind. Tonight, I sit again in my living room—with reliable wi-fi—and a head full of ideas, most of which will have to wait for me until I get a good night’s rest.

Yet, for final reflections on the conference, I wanted to take a moment… Many of the thoughts that I am reflecting on have already been shared by those who posted earlier today, so I will simply echo the comments on how well RCWP was represented, how much I appreciate Janet’s work at the national level to support and grow the RCWP/MSU Writing Center, and, most importantly the dedication, determination, and good nature of all of you who were able to come to Pittsburgh. I am so impressed by your willingness to take up podcasting and blogging, support your colleagues by attending their conference sessions, share in the excitement of author sightings, and take the time for the collegial conversations that will strengthen our site.

My thoughts tonight are that the ride home from Pittsburgh was, perhaps, one of the highlights of my trip. Aram, Cathy, and Tara are already talking about ways to extend our technology learning from this conference and I am sure that conversations in other cars and planes were similar. I believe that you all have the experience with blogs, wikis, podcasts, digital photography, and other technologies to begin thinking critically and creatively about how to share your knowledge with other teachers and I look forward to thinking about how we can do that.

While I could go on more here, I simply want to close by saying thanks to all of you. Like Janet, I feel that this has been my best conference to date, all because of you, and I am so glad that I was able to support you and share in that experience.



Nashville, here we come!

SO much to say...

Well folks. Here we are at last, the end of our journey. It's been a pleasure. I have so much to say and write and share. A few tidbits that are pending....Ninna and I had a nice 20 min. interview with a National Book Award Finalist, who also happens to be the author of one of our favorite books Feed. We've used Feed for Greenrock in the past and it's a fantastic read. Our interview and cute photograph with M.T. Anderson are awesome. This podcast will need some editing before posting. I also attended some excellent sessions. Ninna and I had the pleasure of visiting some Pittsburgh natives , seeing a great view on top of Mount Washington, and visiting the roof of the convention center where scrolling poetry lined the roof top. Great sessions on discussing hurrican Katrina, grammar in context, the stories of neighborhoods, writing biographical childrens' books, and writing in multiple genres were great.

There is much to say and celebrate. For now that means sleeping in my own bed.

Signing off,
Dawn

Six hours to go...

I'm starting this final post as we drive over the bridge on 9th street in Pittsburgh, headed out of town and away from the Westin (my hotel), the Omni (my second home), and the David L. Lawrence Convention Center (that I intend to boycott until they get wireless--who's with me?). This is my second attempt at a posting--last night, I was completely unable to condense my experiences over the past five days into a blog-based highlight reel, but I'm willing to give it a second go. (I have plenty of time, since I won't be able to publish this post until I'm home back home, unless one of the travel plazas has wirelss.) Here they are, the lessons I've learned in Pittsburgh:


  1. The best roadtrip companions are the ones who'll laugh at the same unintentionally-funny roadsigns.
  2. Even I'm bored by Ohio sometimes. (Sheesh, can I-80 be any more mind-numbingly dull?)
  3. The RCWP was very fortunate to be so well represented at the Annual Meeting, to have the access to the technologies and other resources that we have, and to be so well-thought-of by the other attendees. (I can't tell you how many people I met that either knew someone who was a member of RCWP, or knew by word of mouth how many RCWP'ers were in attendance. Towards the end of the second day, I was stunned by how many times the people I talked to mentioned have met someone else from the group earlier in the day.)
  4. I'm not the only one who thinks it would be a good idea to start tying balloons to people from your site to enable you to find them at NWP Socials (said policy to be implemented in 2006).
  5. If one wants one's students to understand the ways in which genres function, one shouldn't declare a day "Letter-Writing Day," or "Description-Writing Day"; or, as the presenter put it while discussing the context-dependent nature of genre, "You can't write a eulogy until someone dies." (This from an NWP-Strand session on genre theory that was very compelling, and at which I was given cookies.)
  6. Presenting at NCTE isn't at all as bad as I thought it would be. (Even had a decent-sized audience, too!)
  7. NWP Technology Liaisons are incredibly welcoming, incredibly dedicated, incredibly bright--they're just incredible people in general, and I was excited to spend two days attending meetings with them, and honored to be accepted by them as a colleague with something to contribute.
  8. Always ask what's in the Pittsburgh Pierogies. Always.


It was a pleasure, one and all--I've emjoyed reading and listening to your experiences via the blog, and I can't wait to hear the rest of your Pittsburgh stories in person.

Signing off from somewhere south of Cleveland (which, I'm told, in fact does not rock),

Stephanie

Initial Impressions from the Omni

Here is my first podcast from the William Penn Omni.

"I'm a big kid (podcaster) now!"


This is me creating my first podcast at the William Penn Omni Hotel.

I finally got a podcast!

Well, Janet, I did it! I overcame apprehension and fear that I would impose or irritate some unassuming subject. (Although my first attempt to secure an interview failed, as the man looked at me and said, “I don’t think so.”) After choking under pressure and watching amazing podcast opportunities go by more than once, I finally worked up the nerve to approach Jack Gantos after his presentation about memoir. To be honest, I didn’t really know who he was as he first began to talk, but once he started telling stories, I knew I stumbled on a gem that would turn out to be a highlight of the conference. I was wishing I had recorded his entire session; it was like a stand-up routine – he was SO funny. He talked about snooping through underwear drawers to find and read diaries of the people he babysat for as a teenager. He talked about the social implications for a teenage boy to keep a “diary” (the ‘Hello Kitty’ kind with a lock and key.) And, he told his true story of sailing a boat filled with marijuana from the Virgin Islands to New York, getting caught, spending a year and a half in prison, keeping a secret diary in the white spaces of a large book by Dostoevsky, transition back into society and deciding to write for kids. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to talk more to this guy.

Once I track down Troy, we’ll see about posting the podcast with unique writer.

Safe travels.

Safe Travel and Thank You

Good Monring, all my fellow RCWP'ers! This year's convention was my best ever because of you. Your excitement and enthusiasm, your wonderful adventures, and your inspiring presentations absolutely made my conference. I wish you all safe travel home.

Paul asked when we were going to get together to de-brief, and I would love to do that if you feel you're able to spare any more time. Remember I mentioned the possibility of getting together on a Saturday morning to make holiday gifts for family members with tech help available if we need it. Anyone interested in culling out some favorite family photos and music, adding some narration and making iMovies for some of the folks we love? Or publishing our own cards? Or...?

Or would a night meeting over some shared pizza work better (Cathy made me hungry with her description!)? Thank you so much for coming and for sharing your experiences with those who couldn't make the trip!
Janet

Ross Burkhardt Interviewed US!!!

This podcast shares one of the greatest moments Nicole and I have experienced: the evening Ross Burkhardt (Nicole’s author boyfriend) interviewed us for his next book. Woo-hoo!

M.R. Robinson Dinner

This podcast includes conversations with past NCTE presidents, a librarian from Colorado, and fellow Michiganians at the annual Scholastic Dinner.

Getting Ready for an Interview with Ross Burkhardt

In this podcast Nicole Lerg and I share our excitement as we get ready to present and then meet with Ross Burkhardt so that he may interview us for his next book.

Saturday, November 19, 2005

Point State Park

NOTE: This post, composed nearly 21 hours ago, is just now making it onto the blog due to poor wifi access, little time, and a need for sleep.

Friday Morning... Sunny, Chilly, and Beautiful


I write now from Point State Park, at the convergence of three rivers, industrial commerce, bustling traffic, and the spray of a magnificent fountain.


Across the Alleghany, Heinz Field glistens with its ketchup-colored logo and mustard-looking seats.

The Carnegie Science Museum, irregular in shape and sparkling in the light sits on another point near Heinz, a cone-shaped antenna (is it real?) pointed to the sky.


Across the Monongahela, a trolley carries it passengers up and down a steep incline, carved over the centuries by these three rivers. I come to find out that this is the The Duquesne Incline.


The Ohio looks out to the west, snaking under a bridge and out of my horizon. Behind me, the downtown of Pittsburgh, a place where I have barely just begun to explore, but will on my walk back to the convention center.

Why am I here now? I had the opportunity to meet with Kyoko Sato, NCTE President, and talk with her during a taxi ride from the Omni (NWP Headquarters) to the Hilton (NCTE Headquarters). These are the types of meetings and conversations that conventions allow—these captured spaces, these few moments between sessions. This is time to really talk to others, to share one’s work, to become involved on a larger level. And, now that I have had a moment to talk, I now have a moment to reflect before heading east on a five block walk to the convention center.

So, I walked out to Point State Park, moving slowly amongst all the bustle and rush about me. This is, oddly enough, a peaceful place in the middle of an urban, industrial city. Steel, in the form of bridges and buildings surrounds us. For a moment, I needed to stop, stop to see Pittsburgh for it’s natural beauty and man-made beauty, too. I got to walk in the remnants of the first fort on the point. History surrounds me, too. There is more, but no more time for now.

The pictures, taken with my iSight video camera, are grainy and do not do the area justice. But, it was all I had to capture an image, and I wanted show something of my own trip within a trip, here in Pittsburgh.

Reflections

It’s Friday night. I’m tired…nope, nope that is an understatement. I am exhausted. Yet, I am refreshing and recharging in a way that can only happen at this amazing NWP/NCTE celebration of teaching!

The past two days have been jammed packed. Topics that I’ve been processing start with my sessions on Thursday. (Detailed notes are in process.)

I attended an invigorating session on ways that writing projects support new teachers. As a new teacher myself, I easily found my place in this conversation about what our core values are and how we address those in supporting new teachers.

After the session, warm welcomes were given by fellow Writing Project folks. Lunch on Thursday resulted in a cold walk, food from the Sixth Street Grill and an amazing conversation about teaching, differentiating instruction, differences between grade levels, and parent communication.

Session two on Thursday included a conversation on teacher research and the various formats of teacher research within schools and Writing Projects.

Thursday night we went to the ELL social. It was very cool to visit with colleagues. We met Richard Sterling, the Executive Director of NWP and had a nice conversation with him. It’s podcasted in an earlier post.

There has been time to reflect and think and wow do I have more processing to do….

Today, I also attended great sessions. From discussions about the impact of disaster on our nation such as hurricane Katrina to the stories of our lives and the ways to help students develop their writing about where they are from, to grammar in context, to blogging conversations, today has been great. What wonderful conversations. What wonderful brain food.

Signing off. Still exhausted. Take care all.
Dawn

Friday, November 18, 2005

Women Who Changed the World


I read the post on our fear (or maybe it's dread) of researching, and I thought of the woman I consider my "research mother," Janet Emig. When I read THE COMPOSING PROCESSES OF TWELFTH GRADERS, I remember just leaning back in my chair and thinking, "Wow!" Talk to kids about their experiences as writers. Take careful notes. Read their papers. Read their papers again. Take notes on your reading of their papers. Talk to them again. Take notes as you talk to them. Study your notes. Think hard. Learn...to be a better teacher. Today, the recipient of one of CEE's awards stood up and explained in detail how Janet Emig's work had influenced her own. Janet Emig. What a woman!

Frist annual Jim Burke fan club meeting

My day began early and uneventfully. Dawn broke over Pittsburgh as I boarded the 6:30 am shuttle to meet up with Paul at the first timers breakfast. There, the speaker exhorted us first timers to submit proposals for Nashville. I began to think. Hmm...if I want to come next year...anyone want to present in Nashville with me? Let me know. My email is alzellner@comcast.net. Maybe we could present on 'blogging from the convention' or 'how an iPod can get you conversations with your favorite authors.'

Which brings me to my next point...what a day we had for meeting authors!!! I know I've heard a number of stories (and hopefully soon-to-be posts will elucidate them) about how we, armed with the confidence provided by a knowledge of Voice Memo on an iPod, introduced ourselves to our heroes and struck up conversations that may not have otherwise occurred.

Which brings me to Jim Burke. Early in the morning, Carlin called to say that there had been a Jim Burke sighting. This only fueled my enthusiasm and I resolved to head straight for the Heinemann booth to arrange an interview for our little blog. As Paul and I walked toward the booth, I felt an unnatural attraction to one paticular corner. There, tucked away on a three-legged stool, was Jim Burke. I beelined for him, my heart beating fast as I zeroed in on my target. I couldn't believe it! It seemed as if fate had intervened and finally, finally, I was going to meet my idol. I introduced myself, Paul, and our mission. He consented to an interview, which you can hear in the post 'I found Jim Burke!!!!', and he was soooo nice. Just as I imagined he would be. However, I was a little starstruck. In fact, Paul spoke with him more than I did, and he was the object of my admiration. But it worked out just fine in the end. Thanks to Paul's excellent conversational skills, I think we have quite a decent podcast.

The rest of today was a whirlwind. I have posted the results of my other adventures on the Red Cedar Writing Project Wiki. I loved Frank McCourt. I promised myself that I will be just as outspoken as he is when I am 60. I am never going to shut up, let me tell you. The point of this being that I would really like for all who saw Frank to add to my notes of his speech on the wiki.

That's all for now. My work here is done.

To the Bat-Wiki!

One of the presenters at a session I attended today mentioned offhand that in his class, he introduces wikis this way: "The internet is very big--there's an awful lot out there. This [wiki] is where we'll put only what we need." I like that idea--using the wiki as a funnel to direct the massive quantities of information available online into a manageable and far more useful/usable stream. To that end, I've begun building a list of the websites that have been recommended to me by fellow conference/meeting-goers over the past few days on my wiki-space: http://tinyurl.com/7u3a7 . (I've tiny-urled the link, because it was extremely long, but rest assured, the link goes to the RCWP wiki.) I've started annotating the list, and hope to finish it before I head home on Sunday. Please feel free--nay, encouraged--to add any links you've come across in your travels, or to supplement the annotations as you see fit.

I Found Jim Burke!!!!!

This is the result all of my admiration: an interview with Jim Burke. Here is the podcast of our conversation.

"We must change the way we teach." --Richard Sterling

Richard Sterling's keynote speech at the NWP general session was a call to arms for every teacher in America (and the world). New technologies are changing how we think and communicate (exhibit A: I submit this blog during the general session--btw, he gave RCWP a 'shout-out' in his speech b/c we're communicating our experiences in real time with blogs and podcasts. Go us!).

Over 12 million teenagers are actively publishing on the internet via blogs, personal webpages, and more. Students often write more outside of class than in it now. How can we adapt to meet these needs? How can new technologies impact learning?

Let's re-imagine our schools to engage students.

As he talked about the high level of engagement with video games, I wanted to stand up and yell "You should all read Steven Johnson's book!" Alas, I maintained my composure. But seriously folks, this is a great read. He analyzes how pop culture texts (TV, video games, the internet, etc.) are all actually making us smarter as a result of the mental processing that occurs in our heads. Watching "The Sopranos" is actually good for your noggin, and the same goes for video games. He still encourages moderation--7 straight hours of Grand Theft Auto isn't good for anybody--but when used appropriately, new media are actually helping us grow dendrites.
___________________
In other news, my search for a podcast interview with poet laureate Ted Kooser was met with very polite rejection. His ride was leaving. I'll try again tomorrow.

Inquiry & Inspiration

Most of my sessions thus far have revolved around the subject of teacher inquiry. It seems to me that so often when teachers hear "research" or even its friendlier synonym "inquiry," we freak out. Sounds like work. And work is, well, work. But...
"Research is a high-hat word that scares a lot of people. It needn't. It's rather simple. Essentially research is nothing but a state of mind...a friendly, welcoming attitude toward change...going out to look for change instead of waiting for it to come. Research is an efffort to do things better and not to be caught asleep at the switch. It is the problem-solving mind as contrasted with the let-well-enough-alone mind. It is the tomorrow mind instead of the yesterday mind." --Charles Kettering
Well put, Mr. Kettering. So why are so many of us scared of research when it's something that any active and reflective (and if you're here right now, you are) teacher already does? Every day?

Here's one very solid reason for engaging in teacher inquiry. Teacher research can cause change. We teachers are exceptionally guilty of complaining about political and public mandates on our jobs without actively influencing those same policy makers. But if we have our own research to pull from, WE become the experts, and WE can influence policy. Want to change test culture? Gather evidence from your own students showing the damaging effects of constant testing. It's an empowering and inspirational notion.

Keeping the Writing Central, or There’s a reason it’s not the “NTP”

Today I attended two Tech Liaison (TL) workshop sessions and two TL general sessions, and though I've been thinking about how I'd blog about this first day almost from the start of the first session, it's hard for me to separate out what I learned from each, because there were so many times that themes were repeated and expanded upon that it's difficult for me to think of them as separate experiences. Still, there were several threads that ran through the entire day--—let me try to tease them out.

Thread #1: the tech liaison is an important part of the site leadership team. This was mentioned at least once in every session I attended, and at first, I thought, Well, sure, it's an official role, it's part of the leadership team. But when I began to think more carefully about what it means that the NWP has required each site to identify a tech liaison--what that means about the way this organization thinks about technology, about collaboration, about the necessity that learning happens in a community--—well, let'’s just say I began to get a bit overwhelmed at the enormity of what this role could be.

Thread #2: the tech liaison is many things to NWP sites. This thread started with the first session I attended (for TL newbies) and continued on through each session and every conversation I had with my new colleagues, all of whom were interested in what we were doing at RCWP, and all of whom were enthusiastic about discussing their current projects and goals at their sites. (Also, all of them knew [of] Troy, though that'’s an entirely different story. I'm beginning to think I could have been upgraded to the Westin penthouse suite if I'd mentioned Troy's name at check-in.) In that initial session, the presenters had us brainstorm about the role of the TL at our sites. Here's what we came up with: the Tech Liaison is a bridge; the expander of a site's tech presence; a website developer; a provider of professional development opportunities; a developer and maintainer of internet databases and listservs; a leader of group of minds; a part of a larger tech team; someone who doesn't need to have all answers; someone who enables, empowers, inspires, facilitates, and educates; a creator of online communities for networking; a creator and facilitator of workshops; an important part of the leadership team; a maker of decisions about the site as a whole and the ways in which that site considers and employs technology; a resource for teachers to feel more secure about technology in classrooms; an email connection; a maintainer of the continuity connection; a source of pd information; the person people come to with questions about classroom technology; a catalyst; a connection; a pioneer; the one who opens doors to cyberspace, and who makes constellations in cyberspace to help Teacher Consultants begin to navigate.

Thread #3: there's much work yet to be done. This was the rallying cry today--not just from the workshop presenters, but from the participants, as well. I had conversations with colleagues from all over the country who were facing challenges at their sites. There was the woman who had just recently become her site'’s TL and who now finds herself responsible for redesigning her project'’s entire website; I met another woman, also a new TL, whose first responsibility in her new role was to rebuild the contact info database that her disgruntled predecessor had destroyed when she left. I met TLs who were concerned with how to help teachers at their sites who have plenty of enthusiasm but little access to technology, and I met TLs who were interested in strategies for helping teachers working in schools with almost unfettered access to technology but no real idea how to go about it. I heard writing teachers expound on the values of wikis, of blogs, of audio-performance, of digital video, of Inspiration, of hypertext, of PowerPoint, and then I heard a number of willing and enthusiastic TLs from a range of sites say, "Yes, but HOW?"”

The only answer we had, though we didn'’t always put it this way, was that the writing always has to remain at the center of our work. As one participant put it at the end of he day, "“It's the NWP, not the NTP--we need to keep the writing central." Another participant I was talking to said it this way: The technology should facilitate the learning, not drive it. Even though today provoked more questions than it answered, it was wonderful to spend an entire day in the company of people who could agree on that much.

Thursday, November 17, 2005

Mrs. Fisher, I'm on My Way...

I called school today to give our Red Cedar address to Greenwood's infamous school secretary, Mrs. Fisher. (I was hoping that she might pass it along so that my students might access this site). I started rambling on about our blog and podcasting, yaddah, yaddah, and got a "You're doing what?!" I love Mrs. Fisher. Maybe I'll interview her using my brand-spanking new San Disc when I return and bring her into this still somewhat foreign world to me.

Anyhow, I moved on to tell Mrs. Fisher all about the gorgeous lobby of the William Penn Omni Hotel, the location of my group's two presentations. I described the 50-foot high ceilings (yes, I'm exaggerating...but only a little), the gilded architecture and lighting, and the brilliantly illuminated Christmas tree. Her response? "Don't forget to come home." Bless her. She understood that this place is pretty darn special.

Yes, I have enjoyed my Pittsburgh experience so far. Even the talking part--somewhat. Today during my group's first break-out session of our presentation, I froze up. Troy was my partner for the small group talk, and he tried to kindly turn the floor over to me. I looked at him and thought, "Oh my goodness; this is just like talking in front of my my principal!" And I looked around the table to see at least ten technology experts (those who talk "geek speak," as one commented). Holy cow! At that point I felt too self-conscious to process the words that I needed to say in front of these worldly folks!

But I made it. I stepped up to the plate in that fantastic hotel and reminded myself that I was doing something that I ask my students to do every day...take a risk. I am so thankful for the Eleanor Roosevelt quote that Troy employs on his digital portfolio: "You must do the things you think you cannot do." How can I ask my students to respond to this philosophy unless I model a go-get-'em behavior myself? So here I am , eeking out a voice for others (and myself?) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The fancy hotel with two-ton chandeliers, a Nutcracker-esque growing, glittering Christmas tree, and gold-covered walls...well, these things are just the really great perks of a phenomenal learning weekend.

So yes, Mrs. Fisher, I'll come home. And you'll hear my voice a little louder when I do.

And the teachers shall lead them...



So, as luck would have it, my dinner provider tonight was the same young man who last night asked me whether the New Jersey English teachers were here yet. I asked him tonight if he were looking for a particular teacher, and he said yes, that his high school English teacher had always told him to ignore the chaos swirling around him and stay focused on his goals. He just wanted to let her know that he's in the 3rd best culinary arts school in the nation and pursuing his dream of becoming a chef. Ahhh...the ripples we create in the universe. I wonder whether this teacher will ever know the influence she had on another life.

Janet

Interview with NWP Staff Members

This is a podcast with the hardworking (and I am sure, underappreciated) National Writing Project staff.

Interview with Richard Sterling

We got a great interview at the ELL Social... Here is our podcast with Richard Sterling, Executive Director of NWP!

More blogging on this soon,
Renee, Dawn, Ninna, and Troy

Snapshots of Pittsburgh


I am in the lobby of the Omni hotel listening to the dulcet tones of the local piano player, sitting with executives and tourists and convention attendees. I stare at my screen as I sift through the moments I most want to capture for our little blogging community.
First of all, I feel I am under a duty to discuss my grander plan for the NCTE/NWP experience. I plan to stalk Jim Burke.
Now, for those of you who may not be members of the Burkian fan club, let me wax poetic. I begin with a history: when I was becoming a teacher, I was coming to education through an indirect route. My cohort was designed for people entering the profession as a second career. Therefore, it was sort of a crash course. Jim Burke's English Teacher's Companion became both my lifeline to effective English instruction (or at least a semblance or beginning of one) as well as the bane of my existence, as I knew I could never reach such lofty heights of pedagogy. Jim B. became both guru and guide, and he looked so darn dreamy on the cover. I recall him, leaning slightly to the left, gaze leveled directly into the camera, assuring me that I, a mere mortal, could convey all of the aspects of English to my willing and eager pupils with ease. All I needed was a well organized website (http://www.englishcompanion.com/) and a few graphic organizers from his Tools for Thought (note: all titles available through Heinemann publishers). And now, Jim Burke and I, for the first time, are in the same city! Clearly, I must get an interview. This becomes my higher purpose. Please check out our 'podcast from the car' for more of me gushing about Burke. Hopefully, at this time on Saturday, I will be posting the success of my quest to meet Jim Burke. Stay tuned for further details.

Day One. Done.

This has been a harried and hectic day, full of late starts, partial podcasts, and, yet, staggering successes. Our digital portfolio presentation came off as a seamless set of transitions as groups rotated between Aram and Becky, Cathy and Anne, and Tara and I. We were able to talk with each group at length about the digital portfolio project and we were continually reminded about the strength of our community and the innovative nature of our technology-learning model. To my group, I thank you for all the work you have done and the outstanding ways in which you represented your work today. Thank you.

Also, I was part of the team that organized the TL general session. As Stephanie noted, the day was filled with great questions, incredible connections between TLs, and, alas, no room for her (or me) at the Westin penthouse. Having been a part of planning this day for months now, I was happy to see it come to fruition and, more importantly, see that all the TLs there, especially Stephanie and Mike, enjoyed the day.

One final note for tonight. We are new at this podcasting thing and Audacity, iPods, servers, feeds, and the like are not always cooperative. Ninna, Renee, and Dawn scored big with the Richard Sterling interview and we got it out on the feed, no problem. Andrea’s podcast appears to be downloading with some trouble. Other podcasts rest on computers, yet unposted. So, tomorrow will be a day of catch-up and tech troubleshooting. More on that soon.

That’s about all for now. More from the Omni, tomorrow, when we get there early (we plan…)

You shall know them by their taxi drivers...


and their room service providers.

On my way in last night, my taxi driver was Henri who came to this country from the Dominican Republic. Henri and I had about 20 minutes to talk on our way from the airport to the Doubletree. We talked about our families and about freedom. Henri told me stories about the times he feared for his life in the Dominican Republic--while going to the dentist, going to vote, going anywhere late at night. He said he despairs that Americans often lost sight of the freedoms they have.

We then launched into a discussion of education, and particularly of English education. Henri told me about the way in which his teachers had inspired and fed his love of reading. He asked what I had brought to read, and I told him only professional books. He was horrified and asked if I would like him to take me to a bookstore before we went to the hotel. He said it would only take minutes because if I hadn't yet read it (I hadn't) I should buy One Hundred Years of Solitude--the book that had most recently changed his life. For the remainder of the trip we discussed the books that had changed both our lives and the teachers who had inspired such a love of reading and learning.


I was still thinking about that encounter when my dinner arrived. The very young man who delivered it asked if I were "with that meeting of English teachers." When I told him I was, he asked, "Do you know if the New Jersey English teachers are here yet?" Evidently he was from New Jersey and wanted to find the teachers from his hometown. I told him I didn't know, but that there would be a message board in the Convention Center and he could leave a message for them there. He said, "I just wanted to tell them thanks."

Teaching, some days, may feel like a thankless act. It's not. Across this country are people whose lives have been changed by English teachers and by the books that teachers have introduced them to. I must say, I am so proud to be a teacher and so proud to be here surrounded by so many wonderful colleagues. Conferences, for me, are in part about becoming inspired all over again with this wonderful profession.

And the fine folks who are pictured here? They're just a few of the nation's finest...and my inspiration!

Late Night, Early Morning

A late night and, now, early morning in Pittsburgh. Things went well getting here last night as Aram, Tara, Cathy, Andrea and I made our way across Ohio and into PA. The images that Mitch shared echo our experiences, too, although it was much darker and we had a little dusting of snow to make things interesting.

More importantly, we recorded an inaugural podcast in the van. Cathy will have to post it later today, so look for that coming soon. Hopefully. Wifi is spotty, and expensive, so far. I am on the free hook-up in the hotel lounge, but I don’t know of any other place for free access right now. So, podcasts and blog posts may be sporadic.

Well, we have a taxi on the way and need to get moving. Paul, Aram, Toby, and I are on our way into Pittsburgh. I am preparing for a big day with NWP Technology Liaisons. More on that later, too.

At the Omni...

Well, we are at the Omni, in the lobby, blogging, podcasting, and, to some degree, panicking. After some problems with Audacity, uploading files, and creating user accounts on Blogger, we seem to be in business, for now.

This has been, unfortunately, an eventful morning. We began by waiting for a taxi, and then a complimentary shuttle, at the Radisson, neither of which ever came. This all stems from my original reservation with the Omni being cancelled. Somehow they overbooked and sent us to the Radisson, a “mere” three miles out of town, with a free shuttle.

At 7:45, we decided to brave the Pittsburgh traffic, and with Aram navigating (as only he can – bless the man), he helped a few RCWPers and other TCs from Third Coast and Idaho get to the convention center and the Omni. Well, an hour later, we got to the Omni.I was, to say the least, late to the session that I was supposed to be facilitating. I thank Peter and Paul for helping get that session going.

At any rate, things are going, people are podcasting and blogging. File uploads and crappy internet connectivity are a problem, but we will manage. We are off to present our session in just a few moments, so more on that afterwards.

I love Pittsburgh!!!!

It's a great feeling to visit Pittsburgh for NWP/NCTE!!! NWP sessions coming soon...ready, set....sleep...go! Safe travels and see you soon.
Dawn

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Pittsburgh: Birthplace of the Ohio River

The Danger Cart (also known as Mike's van) made it to Pittsburgh as well, safe and sound, with just the right amount of adventure along the way. We even got a nice welcome to the city as Mike turned onto 10th Ave to drop me off at the Westin--the Convention Center (that's the really bright thing to the right, next to the river--and i apologize for the smeary nighttime image, but I had to take it through my hotel window) is flying a huge banner that says "Welcome to Pittsburgh, National Council of Teachers of English 2005 Annual Convention. We're glad to have you here!" I'm hoping that the Omni will have a similar (but larger, naturally) sign welcoming the National Writing Project teachers. If it doesn't, I might go down tomorrow night and "revise" the Convention Center's sign for them. Anyone with dark clothes and their own ladder is welcome to join me. :)

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to review the handouts for the workshops I'm attending tomorrow, and then I'm turning in. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow! Posted by Picasa

Road Trip, Pitt Style


Ohio.

So, so long in every direction.

But, I have finally arrived in Pittsburgh, and in searching for the Sheraton (where the wireless internet works great!), managed to see quite a bit of downtown. Nice place!

See you all soon
Mitch

See you in Pitt

I'm leaving in about an hour. I just wanted to make sure I had my blog in order before I left. Looks like I'm good to go!

Carlin

Tuesday, November 15, 2005

Welcome to the RCWP Podcasting Network.

This is an introductory podcast to test Blogger and Feedburner.

More soon.

Welcome to the Red Cedar Writing Project Blogging/Podcasting Network

Begun as a way to document and share our experience at the 2005 NWP Annual Meeting and NCTE Convention in Pittsburgh, this blog will serve as a space for teachers from the Red Cedar Writing Project to communicate with one another and other interested educators.

We plan to update the blog and perhaps add podcasts from Pittsburgh, so stay tuned!