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    In Other Words: To-Do Lists—Your Best Friend or Worst Nightmare?

     | Oct 20, 2011
    IN OTHER WORDS
    BY MRS. MIMI
    I love a good To-Do List. Most of the time, there is no better feeling than admiring my color-coded week and reveling in all that productivity. Just look at what I’m going to get done! It’s going to be amazing! I’m going to be amazing! Crossing items off my list is going to be amazing!

    Usually, when I am feeling crazy and unbalanced, list making somehow calms my nerves and reassures me that everything will be okay, that it will all get done. (This last sentence implies that there are times when I am feeling balanced, which we all know is basically an impossible feat for a teacher save for perhaps the summer. But I think you get my point.) A good list gives me a clear plan and as a teacher, a clear plan is everything.

    Friends, it pains me to type this next bit, but I have to admit it’s true. Lately, it feels as if my To-Do List has grown to such epic proportions that it has rendered me less effective and robbed me of the joy I used to feel in the classroom.

    Is it just me, or did I hear gasps from the crowd? Yes, I think that was definitely a collective gasp.

    As teachers, our plates are becoming so very full that they are more like troughs filled with responsibility, accountability and just-get-it-done-ability. Not only are we all pulling our hair out wondering how it is all going to get done, we are becoming robots. Programmed to make a dent in the Almighty To-Do List, I notice myself and others around me just getting through the day, unable to think about turning our classrooms into spaces filled with wonder, excitement, and joy.

    Let’s use the read-aloud as our example. The read-aloud is what I consider to be one of the most important parts of the day. It’s what we all fantasized about when we were naïve education majors dreaming about our future classrooms. It’s what we all remember from our own days in the classroom. It’s pretty much one of the best parts of the day. And on more than one occasion, it has been my sanity.

    Do I need to remind you how painful it can be to sit through a bad read-aloud? Just the other day, I listened to a teacher who was so determined to cross things off her list that it sounded like she was reading the instructions that come with a piece of DIY furniture rather than giving a rousing rendition of INTERRUPTING CHICKEN.

    I watched as she encouraged the class to dig deeper! Turn and talk! Stop and jot! Chart your thinking! Mark that place with a Post-it! (Talk about an interrupting chicken.)

    Despite her wonderful intentions and good instincts to actively engage her students, there wasn’t any joy left in that room. Not for the teacher and certainly not for the students. When I spoke to the teacher later, she looked at me with tears in her eyes and said simply, “Sometimes it’s all just too much.”

    It is too much. There is too much on the list. The list is no longer our friend. But we can’t throw the list away because that would be unprofessional and we are better than that. We are teachers! We walk into our classrooms every day ready to work it! We strut our educational stuff, don our superhero capes, and do more work in a day than most people can fathom.

    I may be pretty fabulous, but I can’t wave my wand and give you five extra hours in the day, or supply you with enough caffeine to put down a horse. (Besides, you probably do just fine with that last part on your own.) But I can tell you what I’ve been doing.

    When I choose a read-aloud, I pull from books that I love because they make me laugh, or make me cry or make me want to scream from all that juicy picture book goodness. I take that book and perform the living you-know-what out of it. I use voices, dramatic gestures, and facial expressions my mother tells me are going to give me serious wrinkles. I work that book until we all feel the joy.

    Then, in the true spirit of the teacher-who-must-get-it-all-done-and-do-it-the-best-way-she-knows-how, I come back to that same book another day and mark it, turn and talk it, and dig deeper. I will make sure we cross things off that list and I will relish the moment that I do just that. But first, always first, I make sure we feel the joy.

    I know some of you are shaking your heads right now and thinking, “Wow, Mrs. Mimi has finally cracked. What’s with all this joy talk? What’s next, hemp necklaces and patchouli?”

    I haven’t lost it, friends. I’ve just decided that the joy of reading and learning and investigating together needs to trump everything else. Because, honestly, all that other stuff on your To-Do List isn’t really going to get done very well in a classroom that feels like a factory.

    So go buy yourself some new list-making pens in a rainbow of colors that puts a smile on your face. (Admit it, a good pen makes every teacher smile.) Uncap your favorite color and put “Feel the Joy” at the top of your list.

    Cross that off and then we’ll worry about everything else. Because we can do it all.

    Mrs. Mimi is a pseudonymous teacher who taught both first and second grades at a public elementary school in New York City. She's the author of IT'S NOT ALL FLOWERS AND SAUSAGES: MY ADVENTURES IN SECOND GRADE, which sprung from her popular blog of the same name. Mimi also has her doctorate in education from Teachers College, Columbia University.

    © 2012 Mrs. Mimi. Please do not reproduce in any form, electronic or otherwise.


    QUIET! Teacher in Progress: Too Much of a Good Thing

    QUIET! Teacher in Progress: Focus on the 'How'
    IN OTHER WORDS BY MRS. MIMI I love a good To-Do List. Most of the time, there is no better feeling than admiring my color-coded week and reveling in all that productivity. Just look at what I’m going to get done! It’s going to be amazing! I’m...Read More
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    Children's Literature and Reading SIG Book Review Series: #3

     | Oct 20, 2011
    This third set of book reviews from the Children’s Literature and Reading Special Interest Group (CL/R SIG) includes a donkey, a dog, a slug, and a cat! All creatures share thier love of books and encourage students to enjoy reading. 

    Winter, Jeannette. (2010). Biblioburro: A True Story from Colombia. New York: Beach Lane Books.
    Biblioburro: A True Story from Colombia book coverIn simple, straightforward prose, Winter tells the true story of Luis Soriano, a book-loving teacher in rural Colombia determined to share his beloved book collection with those who have no access to books. When his books overtake his living space, Luis loads books onto one donkey and rides another into the countryside. The author’s approach is warm and inviting, showing Luis sharing a story with village children and reading a book peacefully at home. While the plot suggests the danger and challenge of the journey (a bandit threatens him at one turn, steep and treacherous terrain at another), this picture book honors the dignity of both helper and helped. Folk-art illustrations ground the reader in the Colombian setting while also providing a touch of whimsy and celebration. Winter presents Luis as a simple man sharing what he had and doing what he could to make a difference. In doing so, she quietly entreats readers to take actions of their own as well. The spare presentation leaves room for classroom dialogue; background information provided will support further exploration. 
    - Sue C. Parsons

    Yates, L. (2010). Dog loves books. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

    Dog Loves Books coverDog is a book-loving canine, the kind of reader who covets the very “smell” and “feel” of books and finds ecstasy wallowing in a good read. Like all book lovers of this magnitude, Dog cannot keep his passion to himself, so he opens a bookstore. Disappointed by a lack of enthusiasm in his first customers, he, of course, “fetched a book from the shelf and began to read” (u.p.). Yates shows Dog’s unabashed ardor for reading through brilliantly detailed body language. As he slips rapturously into the book, he is surrounded by the characters he encounters. Dinosaurs, kangaroos, and space aliens, drawn with spirit and humor, gravitate with sparkling eyes and eager grins toward the book in Dog’s hands, and the lively pastel illustrations move from pleasant and engaging to full-on celebratory. When, joy of joys, a customer enters, also craving a book, Dog knows “exactly which ones to recommend” (u.p.), and the two book lovers explore the titles together. This is a delightful book—spirited and funny—and an irresistible invitation to grab a book and read. (A humorous nudge to the coffeehouse bookstore will bring a smile to  adult readers.)
    - Sue C. Parsons

    Pearson, S. (2011). How to teach a slug to read. Illus. by D. Slonim. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish Books for Children. 
    How to Teach a Slug to Read book coverChockfull of tips for how to create a reader and how to enhance reading skills, this picture book would be useful for beginning readers, but could also serve as a ready reference for their parents and teachers who are looking for easy ways to help young readers notice print. For example, one of the tips suggests labeling the favorite things of the slug—or child, of course. By underlining some words in slug slime and featuring slugs instead of children, the positive message goes down smoothly, enhanced by illustrations that add humor while paying tribute to that often-disparaged creature, the slug. The not-so-hidden message that if a slug can read, so can I is particularly salient. 
    - Barbara A. Ward
    Pelley, K. T. (2011). Raj the bookstore tiger. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge. 
    Raj the Bookstore Tiger book coverRaj, a beautiful tiger-striped cat, loves stalking through the shelves, listening to stories, and sitting on the laps of the bookstore patrons. His human companion, Felicity, reads stories to him and calls him her tiger. But the arrival of Snowball, a disgruntled feline bully, leaves Raj discombobulated since Snowball denigrates him, telling Raj he is just a cat, after all, not a tiger. Depressed, Raj hides in the bookshelves until Felicity reads him poems written by William Blake, most notably the lines “Tyger Tyger Burning Bright” that describe the fierce and wondrous beast. Inspirational message delivered and understood, Raj licks his wounds, his self-esteem restored, and ends up befriending Snowball. Once again, literature saves a life, and the bookstore now has two happy cats, er, tigers, frolicking through its shelves. 
    - Barbara A. Ward 

    Read the first and second articles in this series. 
    This third set of book reviews from the Children’s Literature and Reading Special Interest Group (CL/R SIG) includes a donkey, a dog, a slug, and a cat! All creatures share thier love of books and encourage students to enjoy reading.  Winter,...Read More
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    Children's Literature and Reading SIG Book Review Series: #2

     | Oct 19, 2011

    We continue this series of book reviews submitted by members of the (CL/R SIG). This second installation includes more loveable books for children in grades K-3. 

    Buzzeo, T. (2010). No T.Rex in the library. Illus. by S. Yoshikawa. New York: Simon & Schuster.

    No T.Rex in the Library book coverWhen Tess misbehaves in the library, her mommy puts her in a ten-minute time out. During this time, Tess accidently opens a book, and T. Rex jumps out. Other books begin to open, and characters come alive. Knights in gleaming armor lay siege to the dinosaur. Fish and aquarium treasures spill from other books. T.  Rex is able to cannonball through all of them. Next, a swashbuckling pirate surfaces, but T.Rex escapes. A posse of cowboys and cattle stampede from the pages of another book. T. Rex piles up mounds of books to build an escape. He even begins ripping and eating books until Tess places him back into his own book for a ten-minute time out. This hilarious picture book will remind young readers that reading uses our imaginations and that books take us to different places to meet unusual characters. Primary teachers and librarians might use this picture book to teach the importance of taking care of books and being respectful in the library.
    - Deanna Day

    Hills, Tad. (2010). How Rocket learned to read.  New York: Schwartz & Wade. Unpaginated, $17.99, ISBN:978-0-375-85899-4. 
    How Rocket Learned to Read book coverA literate little yellow bird places on a tree a sign announcing the start of a new class. Rocket, a young puppy who loves to gnaw on sticks, chase leaves, and listen to birds sing, happens to take his nap below the bird’s tree. The bird is delighted to greet its first student. Since Rocket has no interest in learning to read, he moves to a different tree. Like any savvy teacher, the bird knows how to hook Rocket and begins reading a story about dog seeking its lost bone. The author describes the story’s appeal vividly: “To Rocket the story was as delicious as the earthy smells of fall” (u.p.).  Engaged in the story and motivated to read, Rocket is now ready to learn the letter names and sounds and to spell out the words he knew.  Like many of us, he has also learned the joy of listening to good stories—sometimes again and again.
    - Terrell A. Young

    Houston, G. (2011). Miss Dorothy and her bookmobile. New York: Harper Collins.
    Miss Dorothy and her Bookmobile book coverBuilding on her own experiences growing up in Appalachia, Houston offers the true story of Dorothy Thomas, who combined her predilection for books and people into a job as a librarian. Although Miss Dorothy dreamed of working in “a fine brick library” (u.p.), she ended up in rural North Carolina where there was no library. The community rallied to buy a bookmobile that Miss Dorothy determinedly piloted across the countryside, bringing books and her love of reading “into every school yard, … every farm, post office, grocery store, churchyard, and parking lot” (u.p.). Susan Lambs’ illustrations are lush and lively, with a gentle glow that suggests hope and promise. Houston’s characterization of both people and places deftly challenges pervasive stereotypes about the people of rural Appalachia. By showing Dorothy’s interactions with two young readers and following up with letters they wrote to her as adults, Houston shows clearly the profound effect that Miss Dorothy had on their lives. Through Miss Dorothy, Houston heralds the mystery of life’s twists and turns, and the transformative power of loving books and loving people.
    - Sue C. Parsons

    Numeroff, L., & Evans, N. (2010). The jellybeans: and the big book bonanza. Illus. by L. Munsinger. New York: Abrams.
    The Jellybeans book coverA group of girls call themselves the jellybeans because they are all different yet go well together. While Emily loves to dance, Nicole loves to play soccer. Bitsy loves to paint, and Anna loves to read. After their teacher announces that the class is going to have a book bonanza, Anna takes her friends to the library to help them find a book. Each girl exclaims that they would rather be dancing, playing soccer or painting than reading a book. Anna reminds her friends that like jellybeans with their various flavors, there are many types of books. The librarian helps each girl find the perfect book focusing on their unique interests. Emily finds a book on ballet, Nicole chooses one on soccer, and Bitsy checks out one about famous painters. A reminder to teachers about the importance of finding the right book for each reader, this picture book could be used as part of a mini lesson on matching the right book for every child. 
    - Deanna Day

    Click here to read the first article in this book review series.

    Click here for more information about the CL/R SIG.
    We continue this series of book reviews submitted by members of the (CL/R SIG). This second installation includes more loveable books for children in grades K-3.  Buzzeo, T. (2010). No T.Rex in the library. Illus. by S. Yoshikawa. New York: Simon...Read More
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    Book Reviews from Children’s Literature and Reading SIG

     | Oct 18, 2011

    This article is the first in a four-part series of book reviews from the Children’s Literature and Reading Special Interest Group of IRA (CL/R SIG). President Janelle Mathis says that CL/R SIG has been supporting literacy educators since 1979 through its goals of sharing high quality, contemporary children’s literature, promoting creative uses of literature in the classroom, disseminating recent research in the field, and providing a forum to explore issues in the children’s literature field. 

    CL/R SIG board photo

    "The organization accomplishes its goals through enthusiastic and informed members who organize sessions at IRA each spring, serve along with other selected members on the Notable Books for a Global Society committee who create an award list each year, contribute to its journal, The Dragon Lode, and interact around the recently created website, www.clrsig.org," she shares. 

    A visit to this site offers a more detailed look at the possibilities for involvement in the Children’s Literature SIG. Membership is open to IRA members in all areas of instruction--Pre-K through 12 teachers, librarians, teacher candidates, administrators, university professors, authors, and publishers.

    The members of the CL/R SIG who submitted this series of book reviews to Reading Today encourages us to remind ourselves of our responsibilities as teachers to foster a love of reading and writing in our students on a daily basis. It is also good to reflect on the lack of access to books many experience as well as the often well-hidden struggles many of our students face as they attempt to enter the often-confusing world of literacy. While there is a book for every reader once their tastes and interests have been ascertained, it is also important to help novice readers regard reading as a pleasurable activity rather than drudgery. The following books selected by members of the CL/R SIG celebrate the passion of literacy in several different ways.

    For Younger Readers, Grades K-3
    Amada, E. (2011). What are you doing? Illus. by M. Monroy. Toronto: Groundwood Press. 
    What Are You Doing? book coverGetting lost in a story is one of the reasons to read, but this picture book provides many other reasons for acquiring reading skills, making it a sure-bet for the opening days of school. Before his first day of school, curious Chepito walks through his neighborhood, and everywhere he goes, he notices neighbors reading. When he asks them why they are doing so, they offer various reasons, such as to find out who won the baseball game, to laugh, to find their way around, to repair a car, among other purposes. Once he heads to school, he's sold on reading, and his teacher adds to his enjoyment with a read aloud. Once Chepito returns home, he is ready to share the joy of reading with his little sister. The digital illustrations are based on color pencil and watercolor originals and have a soft, sentimental quality about them.

    - Barbara A. Ward

    Bottner, B. (2010). Miss Brooks loves books! (and I don’t). Illus. by M. Emberley.  New York: Knopf. 
    Miss Brooks Lives Books! coverMiss Brooks is passionate about reading and books. As the school librarian, she shares her love of reading by dressing up for each reading circle. One first-grade girl manages to resist Miss Brooks’ Herculean efforts to get her to read. That is until Book Week when students must each share a book they love and dress up. “Really show us why you love it!” she says (u.p.). The girl promptly goes home and asks her mother if they can move to a new town.  Her mother reminds her that there is no way to avoid librarians since every town has one. Determined that her young charge will find at least one book that she loves, Miss Brooks fills her backpack with books. When her mother chooses to read aloud William Steig’s Shrek!, the girl begs to hear it again and again. Having found the right book for her, she loves dressing up as an ogre and leading the class in a chorus of snorts. Miss Brooks is right: Even “ogres can find something funny and fantastic and appalling in the library” (u.p).

    - Terrell A. Young

    Brown, M. (2011). Waiting for the biblioburro. Illus. by J. Parra.Tricycle Press. 
    Waiting for the Biblioburro book coverAna loves to read, but she has exhausted all the books in her small Columbian village. Often, she makes up stories to share with others since there’s nothing left to read. But when she sees two burros, laden with precious cargo—books—she is delighted, and eagerly chooses enough titles to keep her busy until the next visit from this moving library on hoofs. Ana becomes quite a storyteller herself, and even contributes her own original book to the library’s collection. This picture book pays tribute to a real-life librarian, Luis Soriano, who decided to share his books with others in the rural parts of his country. The illustrations have a folk art quality to them, and are filled with warmth as well as imaginative elements.
    - Barbara A. Ward

    This series continues tomorrow with more great book reviews from the CL/R SIG. 
    Pictured above are CLR-SIG Board Members Jennifer Saunders, Jane E. Kelly, Tadayuki Suzuki, Deanna Day, Jennifer Manak, Melanie Koss, Allen Evans, Leslie Colabucci, Nancy Hadaway, Janelle Mathis, Barbara Ward, Lettie Albright, Claudia Haag, Linda T. Parsons, and Jennifer Graff. Click here for more information about the CL/R SIG.
    This article is the first in a four-part series of book reviews from the Children’s Literature and Reading Special Interest Group of IRA (CL/R SIG). President Janelle Mathis says that CL/R SIG has been supporting literacy educators since 1979...Read More
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    2011 WISE Awards Recognize Innovations in Education

     | Oct 17, 2011

    A jury appointed by The World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) has announced the winners of the 2011 WISE Awards – the third round of these awards. The following six projects have been selected under the theme “Transforming Education: Innovation, Investment and Inclusion" because they are deemed to be efficient, replicable, locally adaptable, measurable and economically sustainable.

    WISE AwardsProject: BBC Janala 
    Activity: Providing English language lessons through mobile devices 
    Country: UK
    Reach: Bangladesh 
    Project holder: Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman
    Organization: BBC World Service Trust
    Project: Connexions
    Activity: Sharing educational materials through an open source platform 
    Country: USA
    Reach: Global 
    Project holder: Richard Baraniuk
    Organization: Rice University
     
    Project: Creative Partnerships
    Activity: Developing the creative skills of young people 
    Country: UK
     Reach: UK
    Project holder: Paul Collard
    Organization: Creativity Culture and Education (CCE)

    Project: Al Jisr School-Business Partnerships 
    Activity: Involving the business sector in order to improve the quality of education 
    Country: Morocco
    Reach: Morocco 
    Project holder: Mhammed Abbad Andaloussi
    Organization: Al Jisr
    Project: SueñaLetras 
    Activity: Supporting literacy learning for children with hearing disabilities 
    Country: Chile
    Reach: Chile, Mexico, Uruguay, Costa Rica and Spain 
    Project holder: Ricardo Rene Rosas Diaz
    Organization: Center for the Development of Inclusion Technologies – CEDETI
     
    Project: Teacher Education in Sub Saharan Africa (TESSA)
    Activity: Improving teacher education in Sub-Saharan Africa 
    Country: UK
    Reach: Sub-Saharan Africa 
    Project holder: Freda Wolfenden
    Organization: The Open University

    Every year the WISE Awards give an overview of the main trends in innovative educational practices. This year’s trends include: an increased use of Information Communications Technology (ICT), multi-media approaches and a focus on open-source platforms; the spread of holistic, comprehensive learning approaches to ensure sustainability; and the emergence of inter-sectoral and multi-stakeholder strategies involving public-private partnerships. 
     
    Commenting on the winning projects, H.E. Sheikh Abdulla bin Ali Al-Thani, Chairman of WISE and Chairman of the WISE Awards Jury, says: “Innovation is crucial for continuing to improve both access to and quality of education. The WISE Awards aim to showcase inspiring projects and give them the exposure they deserve. The 2011 WISE Awards Winners have often had to overcome pre-conceived ideas and find creative solutions to break down barriers to innovation in education. They have already been rewarded by the positive results of their projects. I would like to congratulate them all for their perseverance and worthy achievements. They are genuine role models for the entire WISE community.”  

    The WISE Awards 2011 winners will be presented during a Gala Dinner on November 2nd and will receive a prize of $20,000. The winners will also have the opportunity to exhibit their projects to 1,200 leading international influencers at the WISE Summit. To find out more about the WISE Awards, please visit the website www.wise-qatar.org and the WISE Awards blog: http://awardsblog.wise-qatar.org.
    Since 2009 the WISE Awards have been identifying, showcasing, and promoting innovative educational projects from around the world. To date, 18 projects have been awarded and 98 finalists have been shortlisted from 116 countries. These “real world” initiatives are progressively building a global community of educational innovators. 
     
    WISE is dedicated to building the future of education through innovation. This global collaborative initiative was inaugurated in 2009 by Qatar Foundation under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser. Its mission is to address the challenges facing 21st century education, to expand dialogue around the world, and to implement practical and sustainable solutions. To this purpose, WISE holds an annual international summit that is a unique platform and meeting place for thought leaders and experts to share best practices in education. WISE is also a year-round initiative devoted to reaching beyond the traditional circles of the education community in order to promote innovation and implement concrete actions. The WISE 2011 Summit will take place in Doha, Qatar, 1-3 November 2011. For full details, visit www.wise-qatar.org.


    A jury appointed by The World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) has announced the winners of the 2011 WISE Awards – the third round of these awards. The following six projects have been selected under the theme “Transforming Education:...Read More
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