Nebraska Writing Project

Holocaust and Inspiration EQUIPS today. Very much information. Thank you for the thoughtful and engaging EQUIPS!

We’re almost done. Here’s what you should have ready to go by tomorrow:

1. Learning letter (see the cherry sheet)
2. Final Portfolio to share
3. E-Anthology (4/12)
4. Piece for your final read around.

Remember, lunch will be at Yia Yia’s. I hope you can all make it and stay for social time. It’s been a fantastic summer.

Thanks!

Welcome to July! I just want you all to relax. We’re going to make it. Two more days.

Thanks for the EQUIPS today. I felt challenged and exposed by Sarah’s powerful presentation. I enjoyed Candy’s ideas for book presentations, and I really hope everyone will share their favorite books here so we can see these titles and authors when we have a chance to settle down and read. Comment! Try it!

Thanks to the leaders of the Inquiry Groups for bearing with this blog set up. It’s been a work in progress, but I really think what you’re doing is pretty cool. After everyone gets it figured out, it will make future blog presentations go much more smoothly. Thank you for helping out!

For tomorrow and the rest of the week:

1. Erin’s homework
2. Anthology pieces sent to Jennifer (soon, but no rush) selt332002@yahoo.com
3. Inquiry posts by midnight tonight
4. Portfolios (for Thursday)
5. E-Anthology (4-12)
6. Last Small Group Writing
7. Learning Letter (with portfolio)

Yia Yia’s on Thursday for lunch. Plan on staying later tomorrow for instructions on Inquiry Responses.

Thanks for your patience!

It’s the last day of June. I’m not sure if this is significant or not. Thank you Diane for giving us so many new ideas for what it means to publish student writing! And thank you Erika and Robin for taking us behind the scenes to your classrooms. It was enlightening. I liked the CLOZE exercise because although I have been in a group with Scott for 3 weeks, I still learned things that I didn’t know. That would be a fun intro exercise!

For tomorrow:

1. Overnight Responses

2. New writing for small groups (two left!!!)

3. Inquiry projects due Tuesday by Midnight.

4. Portfolios, anthology pieces, and read around ideas.

5. And don’t forget a book to sell for Candy’s EQUIP.

I hope that’s all. I can’t take much more!!!

Who am I kidding? It’s actually Sunday.

On Friday, I came home after a golfing in Lincoln to find that Omaha had been hit by one of the worst wind storms it has seen in a long time. I listened to KFAB announcers relaying damage reports as I fearfully drove into the dark clouds on east I-80.

When I got into town, traffic was at a standstill. Electricity was out and each intersection was a 4-way stop in rush hour traffic. Trees and branches were down. At about 98th and Center, a utility pole had been snapped in half and it was now barricading the street.

I wove my way through branch littered side streets to get to my apartment complex. Everything was still here. Somehow a board had become dislodged inside of my closed garage, but other than that, all was well. However, I didn’t have electricity. I guess I didn’t realize how exhausted I was until I tried to read and felt my eyes closing. I decided to take a nap at about 6 p.m. I didn’t wake up again until the next morning.

Anyway, that’s why this blog update is so late. Saturday was a wash.

We’re heading into our last week! I hope you’re as excited and as busy as I am. Thank you Tyler and Stephanie for providing us with food for thought as we headed to the weekend. Again, I saw connections between your EQUIPS. We’re all just trying to get our students to write from their own expertise and to feel confident and engaged in what they are writing. Persona? Voice? Soul? It’s all a mystery.

For this week:

1. New writing for Monday for your small group.

2. Two copies of a piece of writing for take home exchange.

3. Inquiry blogs should be updated and ready to share by Tuesday night.

4. Finish the E-Anthology by Thursday (4 pieces and 12 responses).

5. Bring a book to promote for Candy’s EQUIP on Tuesday.

6. Be thinking about what you will share for the final read around on Thursday.

7. Tomorrow, dress for success. Photos for the anthology. Also talk to your group about your page.

8. Short days on Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday, plan on staying after lunch to respond to Inquiry Groups.

I think that’s enough things to ponder. I know my head is spinning! And I didn’t even mention your final portfolio and learning letter.

Have a great Sunday night! I’ll be writing.

Check out all the fun photos from today!

Ugly green fluorescent lighting is no match for our combined awesomeness!!!

From Beverly:
You did a great job on pictures! Thanks!

I’m bumping this up because some people didn’t see.

To see the pictures, click on the title of the BLOG up above.