Killer Rain

How Would You Survive?

Dear Readers,

There are not many books that I have read that have actually made me feel a little "nervous". I have read books that make me gasp at the end because I never saw it coming or reflect on the future and what our world might look like. I am a vivacious reader who loves to get get lost in the past, thrown into the future or dumped into a crime that needs to be solved.

Recently, I read the Young Adult novel H2O by Virginia Bergin and was left pondering the clouds as I looked outside, listening to the rain a little differently as I heard it against the windows and considered puddles as I walked outside.

I have read about science and technology, zombies and aliens, apocalypses and totalitarian governments. I have read about scientists manipulating the environment and trying to rebuild the human form. H2O really made me think like no book has in a long time.

As my colleagues and I were going through the Dystopian Book Clubs by TCRWP (part of the Reading Units of Study) we kept going back to that plot line and central idea. It really helped facilitate some great discussion and thinking.

If you love science fiction, I would highly recommend it! See below for other titles from the sci-fi genre that I have enjoyed. Of course there are so many options! Happy Reading!

Warmly,

Teresa

Divergent Series

Hunger Games Series

Maze Runner Series

Uglies Series

Matched Series

The Selection Series

Life as We Knew It

Fuzzy Mud

5 to 1

Legend

Under Their Skin, In Over Their Heads

Children of Exile, Children of Refuge

H2O, The Storm

5th Wave Series

The Eleventh Plague

Turn on Your "Thinker" and "Doodle Maker"

Courtesy of Carrie Baughcum & Family

Dear Readers,

I LOVE creating Anchor Charts. Being a Literacy teacher, I am provided unlimited opportunities to make my thinking visible to students. However, over the past year or so I have fallen in love with sketchnoting. 

While I am "self-taught" for the most part, most of mine included language, including quotes. I rarely added pictures to my charts. Here are a few from the beginning. I focused mainly on Twitter chats and informational books, particularly the Pirate Collection from @burgessdave and @burgess_shelley. 

Then I ventured outside chats and books and tried a few fiction pieces, including one by @Jonharper70bd.

Then I started to make them more personal! This mission statement still hangs in my classroom today.

I decided to take on a topic close to my heart. Mental health awareness and suicide prevention are extremely important to me. I tried to capture the seriousness of it while providing life saving information.

It was during #DitchSummit 2017 that I met Carrie Baughcum (@heckawesome) as I was sketching my way through the sessions.

Carrie sent me a DM and did what I love most......challenged me to add icons to my drawings! Of course, I took it on and even surpassed what she originally told me to try. Immediately a friendship was born! We started communicating via voxer and DM. I wanted to take this into my classroom.

I thought I was teaching my students how to sketchnote, but in reality I was throwing them in the deep end of the pool with no instruction. Instead of teaching them HOW to sketchnote I was showing them final products with no scaffolding. Ironically, this is not my philosophy or teaching style at all. I realized I did not know how to instruct them, I just did it. 

Carrie's video, A Beginner's Guide to Sketchnoting has tremendously helped my students and I. I love how Carrie uses the term "Thinker" and her daughter uses "Doodle Maker". See link below.

A Beginner's Guide to Sketchnoting

I showed it to a few of my classes, including 8th grade Language & Literature. It really made an impact on their understanding. A student was even talking about them using the language! (ex. containers)

Carrie also suggested making an "icon library". This chart is a sample of doodles or images I frequently include and would pertain to school.

I would highly recommend doing this. My hope is, now that they have a general understanding, they will add to our icon library. Carrie was also kind enough to allow me to duplicate her main points in her video. It was been incredibly helpful to have the language and examples right in front of us.

I attempted to sketchnote the episode on icons since that is what I was working on!

Using Icons to Enhance Learning

I want to sincerely thank Carrie and her daughters for the inspiration and encouragement! If you have not checked out their videos, you are missing out.

Also, check out their January #IdeaFlood challenge. It is a great "kick-start" into the world of sketchnotes! 

Happy doodling!

Warmly,

Teresa

A Football Community Celebrates

What Can We Learn From Buffalo Bills' Fans?

Dear Readers,

If you have not watched any of the videos that have surfaced this week regarding the Bills' win last weekend, check out the link here:

Buffalo Bills Fans Celebrate

I grew up in a football family. We lived and breathed football whether it was high school, college or the NFL. I remember watching the Bills when I was younger, but never really felt a connection to them.

However, when I moved to Rochester about 17 years ago, I was integrated into a community like none I had experienced. Bills fans are loyal through the good and the bad, the ups and the downs, the wins and the losses. Their passion for their team truly is limitless. 

I have learned to ask people, "Are you going to the game Sunday?" instead of, "Are you watching the game Sunday?" When we have "jersey day" during spirit week or throughout the year, you can be sure people will be wearing their beloved Bills. 

A video caught my eye earlier this week. It showed adults reminiscing about past wins and games. There were also parents who commented on the joy they felt about being able to watch a play-off game with their son or daughter and create new memories. The plane that brought the Bills home was greeted by many fans standing out in the snow and cold to greet their hometown heroes. The excitement in the homes and restaurants shown on the video made you want to jump up and down and scream too, whether you are a fan or not.

What can we learn from this loyal community?

• They come together to celebrate their team regardless of whether it is at the stadium, in a restaurant or at someone's home. 
• They support and encourage their team both when they are doing well and when having difficulty. 
• Year after year they come back. They never "write them off" because of a losing season or players' mistakes.
• They form traditions around the games with their families and friends.

I wonder, what if educators felt this way about the school community and their colleagues? There is much to learn from these devoted fans.

I wish you the best of luck today Buffalo Bills!

Warmly,

Teresa