The term "perfect storm" commonly refers to a worst-case scenario caused by the combination of significant phenomena.
In this case, the contributing elements are all good, and the perfect storm is a best-case scenario.
Emma Durflinger is a 12-year-old student at Van Meter School, in Van Meter, Iowa. We first met when I became co-advisor to Club Click, the school's photography club; now we're Twitter friends and Skype contacts.
Emma is comfortable with all those 21st century skills that the education community values: collaboration, communication, critical thinking, creation. She has participated in conference presentations, most recently the Iowa 1:1 Conference.
These accomplishments didn't just "happen." One component is, of course Emma herself, a bright and articulate young lady. But she might not have blossomed so early, if it hadn't been for a few key factors:
Emma attends a school that values and promotes integrated technology
Emma's family (her father, Deron Durflinger is the secondary principal at Van Meter) encourages her online activities and offers guidance as well as support
Emma isn't merely posting chaty Twitter updates. She is using her connectivity to stretch her wings and expand her horizons but with adult supervision and parental permission.
Emma is learning to ride the winds of change.
"I'm not afraid of storms, for I'm learning to sail my ship." -Aeschylus
My friend, Buffy Hamilton, was updating a topical display in her library when
"I began thinking about what I might feature in addition to student created poems, quotes about poetry, and images of favorite poetry books...it occurred to me it might be fun to combine favorite lines of poetry or short poems with a carefully selected photograph to unpack a feeling, idea, or image I associated with the lines of poetry or short poem."
Buffy's exquisite slideshow, "Using Photographs to Dwell in Poetry," is embedded here, but you should read her entire posting to see where she and a collaborating teacher plan to take this project.
I have matched photos and poems before, but usually the image came first. Inspired by Buffy's example, I selected fourteen poems, then searched my own Flickr photostream and Creative Commons for appropriate pairings - which is not as easy as it might sound! This is my version, "Poetry in Words and Images."
While this type of activity is suitable for all ages, I would suggest that younger students be encouraged to choose poems that are concrete rather than abstract. A discussion of symbolism might be appropriate; knowing how to use and refine search terms and keywords is, well, key.
Final products could take the form of a collaborative slideshow, digital album, posters, or trading cards. Creating a VoiceThread or Animoto would provide the option of an additional performance component.
Of course, the enjoyment of poetry should not be limited to a single month.
"We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for." -Dead Poet's Society
Thursday, April 14, was National Poem in Your Pocket Day, an annual celebration which invites people of all ages to "select a poem you love during National Poetry Month then carry it with you to share with co-workers, family, and friends."
While this event was not designed exclusively as a library or school event, it certainly lends itself beautifully to those venues. Lacking students of my own, I was delighted to "borrow" some from my virtual colleagues.
John Schumacher started the ball rolling by inviting me, Shannon Miller, Jennifer Malphy, Kathy Schmidt, all school librarians, and teachers Donna Kouri and Stephen Gagnon, to collaborate in a Google Document, where we set up a schedule for Skyping throughout the day. For my part, I shared a few poems, read - and sang - a rhymed story, and listened to students recite their selections, some original.
Benefits for the students:
exposure to poetry
public speaking practice
the "cool factor" of connecting with adults and children in five states
Benefits for teachers:
having an audience made the experience more authentic for students
connections were made for future projects, possibly one involving photography and poetry
Our Skype interaction was the perfect example of using a tool to enhance and extend learning experiences. It was certainly not the only activity in which these students participated for Poem in Your Pocket Day, but it was a memorable one for all of us.
Poets make pets of pretty, docile words: I love smooth words, like gold-enamelled fish Which circle slowly with a silken swish, And tender ones, like downy-feathered birds: Words shy and dappled, deep-eyed deer in herds, Come to my hand, and playful if I wish, Or purring softly at a silver dish, Blue Persian kittens fed on cream and curds.
I love bright words, words up and singing early; Words that are luminous in the dark, and sing; Warm lazy words, white cattle under trees; I love words opalescent, cool, and pearly, Like midsummer moths, and honied words like bees, Gilded and sticky, with a little sting.
While my husband painted en plein air today, I took the opportunity to wander with my camera.
We've been to this location before, a marshy section of Glen Lake, NY, bisected by the Warren County Bikeway. It's a lovely setting, but I was impatient for the wildflowers to make their appearance - snow and bare branches have lost their charm as photographic subjects.
An acquaintance and her hiking companion stopped to chat when they saw Tim's easel. Since they carried binoculars and cameras, I asked what they had seen on their walk. Luckily for me, both women are very knowledgeable about native plants; they were happy to "show" me a variety of shrubs and trees that I had barely glanced at before.
I take great pride in noticing details, but, without knowing what might be growing in that habitat, I had no foundation on which to build. After I photograph flowers, I use my research skills to identify and label them. Maybe I need to try a new approach and study the probabilities and possibilities before setting out.
Sue, one of the friendly experts, shared her favorite quote from Michelangelo: "I am still learning."
Obviously, so am I.
You can see my photoset of the Glen Lake Marsh here
April is National Poetry Month, so I'll start off the celebration with one of my (many) favorites from Pulitzer Prize winner, Mary Oliver:
The Journey
One day you finally knew what you had to do, and began, though the voices around you kept shouting their bad advice -- though the whole house began to tremble and you felt the old tug at your ankles. "Mend my life!" each voice cried. But you didn't stop. You knew what you had to do, though the wind pried with its stiff fingers at the very foundations, though their melancholy was terrible. It was already late enough, and a wild night, and the road full of fallen branches and stones. But little by little, as you left their voices behind, the stars began to burn through the sheets of clouds, and there was a new voice which you slowly recognized as your own, that kept you company as you strode deeper and deeper into the world, determined to do the only thing you could do -- determined to save the only life you could save.
Photography continues to simultaneously expand and focus my vision, frequently bringing insights that are applicable to other areas of interest.
Yesterday, my husband and I spent an hour or so near - but not on - frozen Lake George, NY. We both needed some fresh air and exercise, and I wanted a subject for my 365 project.
Some of the most engaging shots I found were on the edges: a transition from sunlight to shadow, the line where ice became water became shore.
Contrast, change, the tension between opposing concepts, all present the opportunity for perceptual growth.
At the edge, there is challenge, sometimes even danger. But that is where the excitement lies, and that is where new understandings originate...in photography, and in life.
"Come to the edge, he said. They said: We are afraid. Come to the edge, he said. They came. He pushed them and they flew." -Guillaume Apollinaire
This event is scheduled for Monday, June 27, 2011 - 12:45pm–1:45pm More information can be found on the TLSmackdown wiki ; the survey itself is here.
Even if you're not able to attend the conference or session in person, please take a few minutes to make your opinions known (submissions close on Friday, June 17).
“It is in playing, and only in playing, that the individual child or adult is able to be creative and to use the whole personality, and it is only in being creative that the individual discovers the self.” -D.W. Winnicott
Here are some random experiences and reflections from our recent trip to Puerto Rico:
Jane Stern Dorado Community Library
As I did last year, I visited the Jane Stern Dorado Community Library. While my sister-in-law registered as a seasonal borrower, I took the opportunity to chat with some of the staff members. I learned that the collection was begun by American professionals, relocated to Dorado for their jobs in pharmaceutical companies, who donated their personal libraries to the town when they returned to the States - hence the preponderance of English-language books.
Young people throughout Puerto Rico receive a bi-lingual education, but the library is currently building its stock of recreational reading materials for older, Spanish-speaking, users. There is a computer room, with a nominal fee for Internet access. Members of the Community Library are given passwords which enable them to use personal laptops within the building, free of charge.
Interesting sounds lured me to a pre-school mother/child session, where tiny tots were happily banging away on an assortment of musical instruments. The mom in charge assured me that I'd be a welcome volunteer for story time, if I happen to return again next year.
Dorado Academy
Before leaving home, I had contacted Mrs. Nancy Escabi, Headmaster/Director of Dorado Academy. At her invitation, I spent some time touring the school and learning a bit about education in Puerto Rico.
Dorado Academy is a private institution, originally founded by American ex-pats ("continentals"), but now maintained and supported largely by local families. Since the school is totally funded by tuition, the budget crisis plaguing the U.S. is not a factor here. All core subjects are taught in English, with some leeway allowed in "specials" like art and physical education. The only mandatory non-English courses are Spanish Language, and the History of Puerto Rico.
Students wear uniforms (as do all children that we saw, whether in public or private schools), in this case navy skirts or slacks, white polo shirts, and black shoes. More casual attire is allowed for gym classes and special dress-down days. Although the school is not air-conditioned (electricity is very expensive), an interior courtyard and louvered windows, help maintain a comfortable temperature. The gymnasium is constructed like a garage, with doors that can be raised to allow air circulation.
Mrs. Escabi, a native of New York City, is of Pueto Rican heritage. When I described where in NYS I lived, she reminisced about taking a ride on the Lake George steamboat, Minne-Ha-Ha, which docks just a few miles from my home! She is very attuned to current trends in education, and hopes to acquire eReaders for her two libraries. As with the public library, the school library collections are mainly in English: families recognize that their children's future depends on language fluency and the academy responds accordingly. The students I met in the hall were friendly and well-behaved, a credit to their school and their community.
Again, should I return to Dorado, I have an open invitation to volunteer. Perhaps there will be opportunities to connect online, as well.
Kites and Whales
Sometimes the best vacation memories are unplanned. While on a visit to El Morro, in Old San Juan, we saw hundreds of children flying home-made kites. The steady, strong breezes off the ocean were perfect for this outdoor activity.
Then, at the local Saturday beach party, someone alerted us that whales were jumping offshore, a rare occurrence for Dorado. Although I wasn't able to capture the event with my camera, it was a thrilling experience to see the huge splashes, knowing what they represented.
People, Language, Culture
Once again, we were warmly welcomed by the year-round residents of Dorado. They invited my husband to watch boxing matches on a projection TV screen, outside, under the stars. We sampled local food and agreed that rum and coke is a proper beverage for tropical climates. There was the traditional Friday night poker game, passionate domino competitions, and stunning sunsets to share.
I don't speak Spanish, but I'd love to learn how. It seems to be a language made for conversation and laughter. It suits our Puerto Rican friends. I will miss them.
"Reflections by the Sea" by dmcordell "Popular fiction, Jane R. Stern Community Library" by dmcordell "Courtyard sculpture, Dorado Academy" by dmcordell "Flying kites" by dmcordell "Playing on the beach" by dmcordell
The Young Warrior: Traveling in uniform, upgraded to First Class as a courtesy, recognized and applauded by airline staff and passengers.
The Old Warrior: Humiliated, by being selected for a random body pat down, angered that his combat service in Viet Nam did not ensure dignity and personal freedom in his retirement years.
What is the price we are willing to pay for "security"?
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way--in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only." -Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities
The sound of the ocean is twofold, the splash of waves on the shore, with a powerful, constant background roar.
Is there a parallel in education? Does reform more closely resemble the steady energy of the roar, or the flow and ebb of the splashing tide? Is the normal wearing action of the waves enough or is a tsunami necessary, to sweep away old systems so that we can begin again?
That was then:
NYS-certified School Library Media Specialist;
online facilitator and research consultant for CyberSmart Education Company; photographer and author.
This is now: retired; world traveler; proud Nonna!
