This morning as I was checking my email accounts, and visiting my blog”spots,”  I happened upon this vimeo presentation by the great Wendell Berry

and realized that, by posting it here, in the waning days of summer, I could give my soon-to-be eighth graders a glimpse of what their last year at Brielle Elementary School may hold.  This poem is one of my favorites and I usually pair it with the TED talk also featured here.

While November finds these as part of our curriculum, this time of year, when mornings dawn cloudless, blue, and sunny, may be a perfect time to embrace with joy what is right with the world.  So, here they are:  Peace, gratitude are always in season.

Kid President asks you to share what you would put in a graduation speech, so…what would you say?

GO BE AWESOME!

During two of the days I was away, I asked the students to write two different blog posts.  The first was to discuss a text that they were reading, or had just finished reading.  The requirements were to include at least two hyperlinks that expanded the readers’ knowledge about the book in some way.  In addition, students were to speak about SIGNIFICANCE, so if they included a re-telling of an event, they had to discuss why it was important.  Significance should have been at the heart of the writing!  The second post was to tell, “The Story of My Speech.”  It was a reflection at its heart and had several goals, among them to introduce the context, to share research resources, and to discuss rhetorical strategies that they used successfully.

After reading many of the posts, I urge you to check out a few in particular.  First  is Maddie’s Marvelous Blog.  She uses such great language in both posts.  I particularly love how specific she is in referring to Mr. Jahnson’s visit and her use of “Grand Entrance” to explain her opening.  The post about her text connects to a real-world problem, another terrific piece of writing.  Jenna’s blog is another example of terrific writing and following directions.  I love how she refers to the speeches we listened to in class as being helpful to her process.  These are only two you may discover as you peruse the blogs.  Happy READING!

O, Thumb, the one,

we see your sign of

approval, sometimes doubled.

And you, Number Two, Index

ET extends his–

it glows, throbbing;

the touch of home.

The Middle,

you sometimes-rude one, but strong,

with your wafting digit, smell arrives.

O Ring, the fourth,

as a too-large metal band slides

free and strikes the floor,

sings.

Last and little, the pinkie

dips delicately into frosting

or guacamole, to sample

to taste.

I salute you,

the FIVE.

Here’s a sample of one of the features at our poetry cafe.  YOURS will be so much better, (but I’m a bit proud that I pulled this together).  The “Photos for Class” widget is one of the most useful tools ever—not to mention Animoto