Poetry Friday: RIP, Mary Oliver

Thank you to Tricia at The Miss Rumphius Effect for hosting Poetry Friday this week.

I don’t know about you, but my heart was saddened to hear the news of Mary Oliver’s passing today.

One of my treasured gifts last June was FELICITY by Mary Oliver. A recorded interview about the book can be founded HERE.

Besides the natural world that she has explored so often, in FELICITY Oliver explores the mysteries of the heart.

There are so many lines to consider in this book:

“I have refused to live
locked in the orderly house of
reasons and proofs.” (The World I Live In)

“All the important ideas must include the trees,
the mountains, and the rivers.

To understand many things you must reach out
of your condition.” (Leaves and Blossoms Along the Way)

“Do you bow your head when you pray or do you look
up at the blue space?

…Rumi said, “There is no proof of the soul.
But isn’t the return of spring and how it
springs up in our hearts a pretty good hint?” (Whistling Swans)

And finally this:

Humility

Poems arrive ready to begin.
Poets are only the transportation.

Thank you, Mary Oliver, for transporting poems to the world all these years. You will be missed. Your voice will remain.

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Digital Literacy Sunday: NCCE Reflection

It’s Digital Literacy Sunday.  Margaret links all the posts HERE.

This is a meme that I want to be more regular in participating.  My job is in the midst of morphing into more digital literacy.  This is a great place to reflect on how my job is changing.

This past week I attended the Northwest Council of Computer Education conference in Portland, Oregon.  For five years, they have had a Teacher-Librarian Summit,  I have attended two.  It made my head spin.  Here’s my take-aways:

Twitter: About 90 minutes was about creating a Twitter account and using it.  Maybe it’s because I use it, I kept wondering how this would improve my day to day teaching.  I totally find it useful to find articles and such but I wanted more about the operations in the new brave world of being a Library Information Technology Teacher. (LITT).

Finding Your Voice:  Nikki D. Robertson presentation on Finding Your Voice had some meaningful things to consider. Most importantly is creating a MakerSpace for the library, a place to have kids be creative. Dang, I wish I hadn’t rid myself of all the Legos I had in the library. I can do this and I found some great post conference resources: Library Voice and All the Reasons Why.

One Note:  I plan exploring this as a way to keep my lessons in a digital binder.  Richard Snyder raved about it.

Infographics:  I need to learn how to use these with fifth graders.

Google Classroom:  Our district is exploring a LMS and Goggle Classroom is one that is being piloted.  The presentation on GC was one of the best I heard for this reason:  Technology needs to be in the background and the content is the foreground.  Technology needs to be simple to use.   Thanks to Jason for this presentation.

I think chewing on these five concepts will give me lots to consider.

Celebrate: Five Star Things About This Week

Thanks to Ruth Ayres Writes for providing a place to share all the goodness in our lives. And we need to celebrate the goodness.

ONE
Middle and youngest Grandgirls were here for last weekend. So good to see them. As you can see they love to put on shows.

TWO
Receiving these New Year postcards from everywhere. I also sent them out to the group who expressed interest in sharing.

THREE
Having lunch with the top readers for November.

FOUR
Time for research in the library. Learning that sometimes we need to shift our topics if the materials aren’t available.

FIVE
Selecting my One Little Word for this year: OPEN.

Celebrate: Five Star Things About the Week

Saturday is a day to reflect on all the good in past week. Read more at Ruth Ayres Writes.

ONE
Remember how I shared about the donation of muffins from a local church last week. Well, on Monday, they treated he staff to cookies and coffee when we arrived. And hand made cards thanking us for all we do for your students. It was such a great way to begin a week.

TWO

Some one had her first birthday in the double digits. We ate at this fabulous Italian restaurant.

THREE
Gathering with other teacher librarians to talk about technology. Each of our schools are getting Chrome Books on the journey toward 1:1 devices for all students. There’s so many changes a foot in our district and it’s happening so fast.

FOUR
Getting poetry books for review in the mail. Being on the CYBILS means that books not available from the library arrive for some publishers. It’s so exciting receiving the books and reading them. So many good choices!

FIVE

This in the library today. Fifth graders enjoying a magazine. I am working to create more reading spaces in the library.

What are you celebrating?

Celebrate: Five Star Things About the Week

It’s Saturday. Time to celebrate the week at Ruth Ayres Writes. I love this ritual of each week reflecting on the good in my world.

ONE

Watching oldest grandgirl each week. She’s developing confidence and skills. Today she made three great serves.

TWO
The generosity of a neighboring church to donate eleven dozen muffins for our “Muffins and Moms” event at the book fair on Monday. It’s so wonderful that there’s more outreach between church’s, the police departments and other community agencies with schools. This church has given us lunch buddies, supplies, and time.

THREE
We had a two hour late start due to a little snow and freezing cold weather. This is what the kindergartners said: “Elsa did it because it was ice not snow and it’s not winter yet.” Gotta love them!

FOUR
Weather! We finally had our first frost on Tuesday morning. After a horribly warm October, I am loving the cold temps of this month. Plus the sun! And the anticipation of snow Wednesday night was the best (even though there wasn’t really any where I live but it did snow during Thursday).

FIVE
Writing Group. We met Monday evening. What I love is their honesty and suggestions. The bonus was having Tuesday to write.

What are you celebrating?

Celebrate: Five Star Things About the Week

Welcome to Saturday. It’s time to celebrate the week at Ruth Ayres Writes.

ONE
The book fair. It supports our library and bringing an author to Silver Star. We had several events this week including “Donuts with Dads.”

TWO
Patience. With all the rapid fire technology changes in our district being patient and letting go has been a focus this week. I now am the “go to” person for technology issues in the building AND I am being trained on the job. Sometime I have to stop and breathe.

THREE
Discovery. Yesterday I read a book about a Navajo family and the Codetalkers. I discovered that one of my students is part Navajo. So I was able to share some of my books with her from when I spent time on the Navajo Resevation in 1971.

FOUR
Volunteers. In order to have a successful book fair, volunteers are needed. There have been lots of great volunteers this week.

FIVE
This:

What are you celebrating?

Celebrate: Five Star Things About the Week

It’s Saturday and time to reflect on the week. Thanks to Ruth Ayres Writes for a place to share our celebration.

ONE
Listening to Laura Ingalls Wilder’s The Little House in the Big Woods.. It’s been a long while since I read the books. I am reminded why I liked her books as a child. There’s so much in the simplicity of her writing that’s yet so descriptive. As I listen, I am thinking what a way for readers to learn about prairie life.

TWO

Fall Leaves.

THREE
Kindergarteners. I was explains that I hope I don't need to use my "cranky pants" voice. A kinder said, "You don't have a cranky pants voice, you are telling us how to take care of the books."

FOUR
I’m celebrating commitment. Last May, I applied to the Darcy Pattison Retreat this coming January. It’s getting time to share our manuscripts with my critique group. I need to finish the polishing and remember it IS a revision retreat. It’s a bit scary to know that in two months we will gather to revise and dig deep. Plus I now have a query letter and synopsis to write as well.

FIVE
Yesterday. Our school had their second annual PE/Music Dash. This year we had a Superheroes theme. And for the first time in many years we were allowed to be really festive. I went with my superheroes being spiders (Grandgirls call me Grandma Spider due to my love of spiders). No pics of my cape so instead I leave you with the following:

What are you celebrating?

Celebrate: Five Star Things About the Week

It’s Saturday and time to celebrate at Ruth Ayres Writes.

ONE

Celebrating the marriage of my “adopted” niece.

TWO
The annual district in-service day. The new deputy superintendent sat in our library media. As we move to a district with 1:1 devices, our roles are changing. And for the first time in a long time, I feel teacher librarians are being taken seriously.

THREE
Monday I met with my writing group. What I love about my group is the camaraderie and their feedback.

FOUR

Family Library Night, the first one of the year. Bingo and Books is always well attended.

FIVE
Smaller kindergarten classes. This was the first week with the smaller classes. Now instead of twenty-five, each class has eighteen. It’s so much better. Even the students noticed the change.

What are you celebrating?

Celebrate: Five Star Things About This Week

It’s Saturday. Time to reflect on the week and it’s goodness. Thank Ruth for providing that space at Ruth Ayres Writes.

ONE
Recovery from shoulder surgery. This coming Monday marks a month since surgery. Still a long road but so far it’s going well.

TWO
Summer Poetry Swap. This week I received a poem in the mail from Linda Baie as part of the summer poetry swap. Her poem reminded me of my childhood. It was as if she had played in the same neighborhood.

THREE
Reading. I love to read but I am also very active. My surgery has made it so I have more sitting time(which is difficult). I have tackled my pile of middle grade novels. REVOLUTION by Deborah Wiles is my current read.

FOUR
Time with my friend of forty plus years. We are like sisters. During the last three years she has spent more time as a snow bird in Arizona. These past few weeks we have had a lot of time together. Today’s her’s daughter’s wedding shower, so the celebration continues.

FIVE
The new CYBILS website. The season of the CYBILS is upon us. The call for panelists and judges goes out on Monday.
Also the eight annual Kidlit Con is coming up in October in Sacramento, CA. It’s a really great way to meet other bloggers. The theme is diversity and Mitali Perkins is presenting the keynote.

What are you celebrating?

Celebrate: Five Star Things About the Week

It’s Saturday. Time to celebrate all the goodness of the week at Ruth Ayres Writes.

ONE

Summer vacation has begun as of today!  Our last day of school was yesterday. While bittersweet with eight people leaving us, it was a joyous day. So much love to be shared by students, staff, and parents.

TWO

Last weekend I was at my brother’s graduation from the Southern California Health Institute.  Forty years ago this month I graduated from Lewis and Clark College.  This weekend is our fortieth reunion.  Good to catch up with people.

THREE

Kindergartners who brought me cards for reading to them all year.  Singing “Metamorphosis” with the minders…it’s a song about change.

FOUR

I was accepted into the Darcy Pattison Revision Retreat along with 19 other people. In January 2015 (six months away).

FIVE

Getting my first summer poem in the mail for the Summer Poetry Swap from Diane Mayr.  Thanks, Diane.

 
What are you celebrating?
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