Yesterday I invited my students to enter a Discussion Forum. During class it was a simple thread asking that they post a bit about themselves and then respond to other posts. Last night for homework, they posted and responded to another thread called Myself as a Reader, in which they described their reading life. Also during… Continue reading Discussion Forums and Chats.
Author: Ruth Ayres
Unhurried. Finding the magic in the middle of living. Capturing a life of ridiculous grace + raw stories.
Swarming Thoughts
Since I returned from San Antonio late Monday night, I've had two days with my students as I embrace my shifted paradigm of using technology. I really didn't realize that I needed to shift my thinking in regards to using technology in the classroom, but I did. And I wish I could pinpoint the one session… Continue reading Swarming Thoughts
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Ruth’s Day in a Sentence.
I'm thankful that my very favorite holiday season is upon us.
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Reflecting on Digi-Storytelling
Last night, Stacey & I put together our first digital story. Although it is quite rough, a bit cheesy, and borderline ridiculous -- the benefits far outweigh the potential embarrassing consequences of posting it. Between then and now, I've thought about the process that we engaged in while creating our digital story, as well as… Continue reading Reflecting on Digi-Storytelling
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day one.
Today I began teaching "English 9 A." As we squeezed into a skinny oblong ring, I could already sense a community being formed. The simple act of sharing names and bits about ourselves molded a community. The simple act of reading aloud molded a community. The simple act of asking and trusting molded a community.… Continue reading day one.
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More Penny Inspiration.
I've been wanting to write a "Where I'm From" poem for many years now. Originally inspired by George Ella Lyon's poem, shared in a workshop by Georgia Heard, then by Stacey, and most recently by Penny Kittle. I finally bit the bullet, because I want to share it with my high school class next week… Continue reading More Penny Inspiration.
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Check these out!
My friend and colleague, Karla Hayden, shared the following. Lookybook.com -- Check out the hundreds of titles that are read aloud! (This is great for SmartBoards.) Storyline Online (Screen Actors Guild) -- There's only about 20 titles, but the read alouds I have viewed are excellently performed.
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A Slice + Some.
Today I had the privilege of listening to Bill Meyer tell his powerful story. He is a survivor of the Holocaust. He is the fourth Holocaust survivor I have heard speak in person. Although I have studied the Holocaust in depth, am widely read on the subject, and have passionately taught about the Holocaust, with the focus of standing… Continue reading A Slice + Some.
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Am I making it too hard?
I've been wondering lately, am I making this -- writing workshop, reading workshop, teaching -- too hard? With my quest to zero in on good instruction, wise conferring, and powerful shares have I lost the magic? As I strive to take advantage of every moment, have I become too controlling? Too contriving? Too sequential? I am… Continue reading Am I making it too hard?
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Fixing Up and Fancying Up
Tonight I asked my first grade daughter, "What did you do in writing workshop today?" She beamed -- literally beamed up at me with her toothless grin and said, "Oh Mom, it was great -- I learned how to fix up and fancy up my writing! A celebration is coming!" And here you have it… Continue reading Fixing Up and Fancying Up
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Correcting vs. Revising
I've been thinking about this post for a few weeks now. I've heard teachers ask students to "fix" their writing when asking them to revise. For some reason, this word -- fix -- hits me like a knife in my gut. What do they mean fix? And if the writing is so bad that it… Continue reading Correcting vs. Revising
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Ruth’s SOLS: Vote!
Imagine my surprise as I stood in line at 6:15 behind more than 40 others waiting to vote. I quickly began calculating . . . two booths . . . 3 minutes per person . . . I'm going to be here for awhile. As I waited in line, my first reaction was that of… Continue reading Ruth’s SOLS: Vote!
