Thursday, July 30, 2009. Thirteen Ways of Looking at Green. A mist of pollen hugs the mountains -. Question in the inner mind. Question in the wood of green. Like the cycle of life, never-ending. Green is the first dandelion twisting its. Way up through the asphalt. Illumination for an open idea. Penned by the 2009 N IWP.

Living on the edge of a dream. Writings, musings, photographs and other artifacts. Thursday, July 30, 2009. For my personal book, I read Leaving a Trace. 1 Keep a journal for the sole reason to have a resource for future writing. Think of it as a data collection device. She suggests keeping journals for different reasons, and to keep information separate and organized.

I say this because it sounds logical, and I have no hands-on with portfolios yet. I especially like the idea of organizing it into sections and weighing the portfolio and paper grades independently. I might categorize them in the same manner but title them differently. Top 10 Reasons to Revise.

Thursday, July 30, 2009. Revise, revise, revise. There is no linear, sequential order. Teacher is facilitator not keeper of knowledge. It is about the process not the product. We need large chunks of time to write. Mini lessons guide grammar, syntax and style. Purpose, audience and form are key elements of authentic assignments. Rubrics can be used before, during and after. Publishing is paramount for validation.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009. Bird by bird; a reflection. In Bird by Bird, Anne Lamott really challenged me to rethink some of the traditions to which I held fast as a teacher and writer. For example, she advises to just begin. No fancy pre-writing rituals required. And keep writing, doing so on a regular basis. Eventually, something meaningful will emerge. Tuesday, July 28, 2009.