NYSEC Wikis

Here are the wikis I created, and plan to update with more notes and thoughts from the seminars:

All NIGHT in a Day and Enchantment in the Classroom

Check out the website, particularly Nicole Sear's on the "Night" wiki; there are SO many resources she had made available!! (You'll have to go there; I'm not putting a link up!)

Note: Information on both of these wikis are from handouts and/or notes I took during the seminar.

Hopefully I'll be able to get a wiki up next week on my part of the seminar on YA Lit!! Be advised!

More Inspiration from Albany

Since there were multiple seminars to chose from at the conference, and only the opportunity to attend three, I thought I would expound a bit on what I saw, learned, and internalized.

After listening to the keynote speaker, Carol Jago, I attended a workshop on integrating fairy tales into the classroom. Nora Feingold was the presenter on "Writing for a Real Audience: The Fairy Tale Project: Enchantment in the Classroom."

A brief outline from her presentation included:
-Immersing students in the genre of fairy tales, starting with the traditional Western versions, and progressing through alternative adaptations from other areas of the world.
-Literary analysis, comparison of the elements of the genre, and learning to listen with a "writer's ear" were integral to the process.
-Focus on revision (content, style, and mechanics).
-Students reflected and evaluated their work.
-Publication included a bound, hardcover book (publishing company: Nationwide Learning).
-Authentic audience: reading to elementary students in the same district.

For more information, I will be creating a wiki on the seminars I attended last Thursday...

The second seminar I attended was presented by Betsy MacNamee and Barbara Searle on "Tidbits, Tips, and Tricks for the Novice Teacher." This seminar focused primarily on classroom management, creating a safe environment for students to learn, establishing a concrete syllabus/expectations for students, first day activities for community building, student empowerment through choice (on exams, quizzes, etc.), documentation of correspondences with parents for the future, and a five-week reflection letter that is emailed to students.

After a great lunch, I attended the *best* seminar presented by Nicole Sears and Daniel Sullivan entitled "All Night in a Day." Since I plan to create a wiki about this (and only want to do it once) I will tell you that these two teachers were able to immerse their students in a classroom museum on the Holocaust, and then proceeded to read the book Night all in one day. The resources from this seminar are boundless. I'll share more when my wiki is in-progress.

Changed

I know this is going to sound absolutely off the wall, but after the conference yesterday, I actually FEEL differently. I am changed, and for the better. It seems there is such a distinct different between the -before and the after- that I am stunned it could happen in a short period of time...

What I'm trying to say is that the experience I had at the NYSEC conference, and maybe others felt it too, is one of profound awareness and professional mingling that made me feel empowered. Besides acquiring boatloads (yes, I said boatloads) of "stuff" to do in the classroom, I *finally* feel like I get it: why I want to do this, why there are so many others out there, why it is an amazing experience to witness the eagerness of long-time and short-time teachers who want to know more about the lit kids WANT to read, why it is so great to share ideas as a professional group...I could go on forever.

I think that being a presenter, with Karen, Jack, James, Chrissy, Dave, and Matt, will go down in my life experiences as a Top Ten...I know, I know, I'm not that old to be able to be absolutely certain about my key experiences, but I think that this conference has convinced me about the greatness of the teaching profession where the teacher ed program has failed, or often times, let me down. It has taught me that we are all learning to teach e v e r y d a y and that teaching is t r i a l a n d e r r o r.

I guess, what I'm trying to say, even though I lamented each step of the way, almost dreading the presentation just because I didn't KNOW what to expect, I am profoundly aware of the honor it was to be able to do 12-minute seminars and talk with teachers from all over the state who are so enthusiastic and who absorb the lists of titles to give to their students...

I guess one part of the presentation that each of us exhibited was a distinct PASSION for what we were discussing (here are the topics we did: Matt (graphic novels), Dave (sci fi), Jack (body image), Chrissy (Middle Easter Lit), James (N.A. Lit), and me (Fantasy), and this passion was almost tangible as we discussed these novels and these genres...

Chrissy, Matt, and I discussed on the way home going to the NYSEC and NCTE conferences in NYC next year as presenters... anyone else feel like they NEED to join us (especially after such a great testimony?)?

Besides, the lunch was great, and who can resist good food?