I was working with our fifth grade this week on a really fun project in Tech Connect. They had been given an assignment by their writing teacher to write a paragraph describing what they thought Christmas meant to them. This was then going to be made into a Wordle that they would create in Tech’. It was fascinating to see their paragraphs go from a ‘blow by blow’ description of what happened during the holiday in their family, to a much more descriptive and insightful paragraph. Once they realized what they were writing would have a profound effect on how their wordle would look they had a whole new approach. I could really hear and see each student start to look critically and therefore think critically at their own work. Some of the fun things they talked about and made sure that their wordle showed were words like, Santa, Santa Claus, Christ, Jesus, Born, Christmas Tree, Family, brother, sister, Mom, Dad, Aunt, Grandma, Best, taste, caroling, and Church. Some of the descriptive words I saw were things like, delicious, scrumptious, excitement, excited, and believe. We had two boys incorporate their own name a few times more than anything else so that their own name showed up the biggest. You see, in wordle the more you use a word the bigger it becomes. It was such a simple idea and a really good way to have the students look at their work in a critical way. Here is the wordle for this post!

http://www.wordle.net/.

I have opened a twitter account today and I feel as though I am almost opening a can of worms? Am I?

It has been a while since I last wrote anything. Time passes by very quickly, it hardly seems possible that I was just talking about my sister being cast in her first Broadway Show ‘Billy Elliot’. The Show has now opened in case you haven’t heard and it is a big hit! My parents went up to NY to the opening night. It was a standing ovation even at the intermission. They became totally star struck hanging around all kinds of famous people (I won’t drop names). They managed to take one or two photos at the party after the show although they were just from the back. I asked why they didn’t have an good photos of these new friends of theirs and they said that ‘you just don’t do that sort of thing’! I guess when you are there officially you can’t look like a groupie. It was also a wonderful time for Pierre, Liz’s husband who opened his play ‘Perdita’

http://www.facebook.com/n/?event.php&eid=44811157801

It also had rave reviews and I know it has to be a wonderful and rewarding time for them both. We are all so very proud.

I have barely dabbled in second life and I am very curious. I have set myself a goal to see this summer if I really think I can apply it and use it in school. I teach Drama in a private elementary school and we are what you might say “hip” or at least tech savvy, forward thinkers and always learning. It really is a wonderful environment to be in and this past year I have been lucky enough to work together with two colleagues in our ‘Tech Connect’ room (computer lab), so that we fully integrate technology and drama into the curriculum. It has been quite rewarding most of the time and I feel I have at least sewn some seeds for next year so that we can totally integrate with the curriculum.
So this leads me to the question is it really worth the time to learn and apply second life where I can in school? Is it a safe medium to be using with kids – K-12?  I am putting the question out there and I will continue to research to see if I can answer at least my curiosity? Please let me know your opinions or thoughts on this area. I hope to start a conversation with this while I learn.

This might seem to be a strange way to start my blog but not for me. You see my baby sister Liz has just been given a role in the upcoming New Broadway Show Billy Elliot. Of course I taught her everything she knows! No really she is very talented and very well trained. A graduate of CCM College Conservatory of Music at Cincinnati University.  She grew up both in England and Florida leaving England when she was about 14yrs and finished High School at Douglas Anderson School of The Arts right here in Jacksonville Florida.

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