Do You Feel the Burn?

Do you feel the burn? I asked students this question and to then draw me their best fire image. We then sat down for a class meeting with our fire images and discussed what it means to burn. Students talked about fire and friction.  We tested out what friction was and felt the heat of our hands on our faces.

Then we transitioned the conversation to when we burn other classmates with our words. Often times I hear students say, “I burned you.” Or “That was such a good burn.” It reminded me of when my friends would say something followed by just kidding or I got you good! I asked students to think about when we say the word burn in this manner or use words like just kidding are we actually being kind.

Going further we talked about why someone might laugh when they get “burned” by a peer with words. Students used vocabulary like sad, disappointed, angry, and nervous. Others told me they might not care or think the burn is really good. One student even told me confidence is the key to solving this problem. I asked if someone burns you is that person really a good friend? This gave them something to think about.

We decided we were going to put out the fire in here. We blew on our images and ripped them up, tossing them in the recycle bin. I then asked students how they could be part of the solution.  Several said they could ignore it, so I asked if this reaction helps the feelings go away. Others talked about talking to an adult or using the bothering box.

One student wrote, “Just walk away, but first call them out and tell them what is it like to be burned.” YES! Let the other person know what it feels like! Be Bold! Be Strong!  Another student shared, “I can tell the person that it was not funny and it can really get to someone. Some are more sensitive than others.” This is what having empathy is all about.

I did have some students tell me they could get a fire extinguisher.  I do hope the burning with words in this classroom is extinguished.

Discovering Responsible Use of Technology- Make those Mistakes!

During social studies students are working on creating a timeline of an ancient culture (Mayan, Inca, or Aztec) in Google Draw. Working with 7-8 students can present a challenge, especially when they are all on the same document! I have watched these groups evolve over the course of a few social studies classes and wanted to share some of my observations of our successes and what we need to work on.

Successes

• Many students knew what a timeline was and got to work creating it.
• Students used the comment feature to communicate with one another when they felt they were not being heard.
• Students grabbed images to support their words on the timeline.

Need to Work On

• Using the comment boxes for educational purposes only. Saying, “Hey WHAZZZZZ UP!” is not an appropriate use of the comment box.
• Talking to classmates BEFORE deleting work individuals do not agree with. Students need to learn to politely discuss things when they disagree rather just simply erase it.
• Planning the work before jumping into Google Draw. This will help with time management.

Towards the end of today I heard a group breaking up into committees. Sharing the word and distributing it equally among group members is a wonderful solution to collaborative work. Once I announced this to the class I heard another group deciding who would do what. We talked as a class about how this one learning experience is teaching us all so much about being an individual member and contributing to a group.

They are also learning what our Responsible Use Policy truly means. I invite them to make these mistakes so we can discuss them. It are these moments students are discovering how to be a responsible user of technology.

We Need to Keep on Reading

Last Thursday I had the pleasure of attending an event with Jack Gantos, Jeff Kinney, Jarrett J. Krosoczka, Jon Sciesczka, and the Library of Congress National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Gene LuenYang. These talented authors spent some time talking to a group of educators and parents about how to get boys reading and keep reading. They shared that adults should be role models for this, reading with and in front of children.

Hearing how each author wrote or drew as a young child was empowering. I learned that without Judy Blume’s Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing there would be no Greg Heffley in the Wimpy Kid books. Jarrett shared a memory of having Jack come into his school to speak, and the audience felt the bromance moment as these two authors connected as a mentor and mentee. Jon told us stories of growing up, which had some influence in his writing.

I left the event feeling encouraged! Students need to read, and they can read any material. I wish I had teachers who let me choose the books I wanted to read or allowed me to read cartoons and graphic novels in elementary school. Therefore I have changed our reading homework to say READ instead of read for 20 minutes. Who am I to tell students when to read and how long to read for? This should be their choice. I hope students develop a love of reading, and choose to read a variety of books in our classroom library.

Books are food for the soul. I will never forget this evening, as I was able to laugh, live, and learn with these gentlemen. I hope boys and girls pick up books with both female and male protagonists. There is no such thing as girl or boy books. In my mind, there are just books- adventures to be shared with our young readers. Others might choose to read poetry, non-fiction, newspapers, online articles, etc. The printed word helps us grow! The message from my special evening was powerful- that we need to keep reading!

Jon, Gene, Jarrett, Jack, and Jeff are like the new Beatles for authors. 

Two literary heroes (Jarrett and Jack)

How Far Would You Walk for Water?

Two big questions drove our kick off for the Global Read Aloud literature circle work: Can a children’s book change the world? and How far would you walk for water? We spent some time hearing from Linda Sue Park, author of A Long Walk to Water. Her words captured a story of bravery, compassion, and strife beyond what many of our students hopefully will ever have to face.

Students learned about life in Sudan, being plagued by Civil Wars. Using Google Earth and Google Street View we paid a visit to Sudan. Students captured the differences in our location and Sudan using vivid words. Being able to bring the world to our classroom makes stories come alive to students.

We know there are two protagonists, Salva and Nya, whose stories are told decades apart yet connect somehow. Students discovered both characters had a long walk to get water, and once they found their drinking oasis it was not clean. They learned about why people in Sudan were fighting and had empathy for those living there.

Students were engaged from the minute we started reading. I firmly believe you hook readers with the presentation of a book. It is in the voice used for characters, background knowledge discussed, and connections made. After finishing one chapter no one wanted to stop. The groaning sound students make when told to put books away was music to my ears.

We learned it is the readers who change the world not the story. The words can inspire us to act. Students also discussed how they did not want to walk far for water. They are lucky they can walk to the fountain in our classroom or a sink in their home or get a bottle of water from a store or fill a glass from their refrigerator. How long would you be willing to walk for water?

Watch this UNICEF video to decide the answer to that question! 

Imagine You Are the Only One in the World To Do Something: Our Maiden Blogging Voyage

Students started learning about their blogging voyage during our writing block. They helped me craft the blog post below, editing and revising the writing. They discovered they could choose a topic of interest and write! Several learned about how to use word count to keep their blog succinct and insert hyperlinks into their blogs to enhance their piece. I modeled how to create a blog post based off some of our class discussions about my cousin Eric.

Imagine you are the only one in the world to do something. My cousin, Eric Freedman, knows what this feels like. He is a rare gem. He won the coveted Shipley Award, given to one gemologist in the world each year, in 1992. His work, including being past President of the American Gem Society which when founded were the elite members of Gemological Institute of America. This led him on an exciting journey.

            Eric was a jeweler in New York that was lucky enough to be the one person in the world to appraise the hope diamond. The diamond weighs 45.52 carats and is currently housed in the Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C. Though he will never tell his secrets of how much the diamond was worth, he was the man who put a price tag on the most famous diamond in the world.

            Eric was also known to go with Diane Sawyer of Primetime Live, doing segments about gems. They worked together, sometimes in disguise, to figure out if jewelers were selling synthetic gems versus genuine gems. They used a microscope and a special solution. View another video here! What you might find will shock you! Sometimes the gem’s color would disappear right before their eyes!

            Cousin Eric also worked with pearls. I learned from the video you could put the pearl in your mouth. Then you rub it against your tooth! You want to see if it feels gritty. If it is gritty this is good! Some of you might be running to your jewelry box now to check the quality of your gems. He also evaluated the entire worldwide inventory of Tiffany and appraised the 128.54 ct. Tiffany diamond. 

            I am proud of my cousin and his work. I have learned a lot about gemology from him. I do often wonder if he realizes the scope of being the only person in the world to do something. He even set a world’s record for the distance traveled in a water filled cave (no air pockets), diving 15,680 feet in 11 hours underwater with friend of his. He is a shining example of what happens when you follow your passions.