30 Day Photography Challenge

Courtesy of White Peach Photography

I really enjoyed and learned so much from doing the 365 day photo challenge last year.  I only chose not to do it this year so I could give myself some time to do some online courses in photography. But I have missed the daily challenge of catching a photo to represent my day.

Yesterday, I saw a posting in my facebook feed for a 30 day photography challenge.  Apparently, the challenge originated from a photographer who was looking to take some time for herself to capture some images that weren't for her job.  Her original post became extremely popular, so even though the first challenge start day has passed many others are joining in when they can and completing the 30 days from their start.  A new facebook page was started for the project and it is saying that the next start date will be Monday, June 20th.  My first instinct was, "I'm in!"

So, what do you think?  Does this interest you?  Would you like to join in and share photos for the challenge?  I'd love to meet some new photography lovers and also see lots of photos from people I know.  You don't have to have a DSLR camera.  You can even use your iphone if you like!  Here's what you need to do after you take your photo each day:

Add your photo to this flickr group (join flickr).

Label your photo with the Day # and topic.

Look at other photos in the group and comment on a few.

Have fun and get as creative or as literal as you like!

Help us build the ARC!

The majority of our at-risk students at Chets Creek Elementary come from one specific impoverished community nearby. In order to meet the needs of these students outside the school day, last year we launched an Academic Resource Center inside the community. My co-worker, dayle timmons, best describes the center here. 

As we approach the first year anniversary of our center, we are looking for ways to fund more opportunities for children and families at the center.  We decided to apply for a grant from Community First Credit Union.  Here is the digital story I created to help let people know how important this work is:





I'm asking you to take a moment to help us.  Please "like" our submission on facebook, to help us win.  The "like" button is below the entry. 

Do you have something similiar you are doing in your school?  How is it funded?  I would love to hear your ideas!  Thanks friends!

Speedgeeking...The Sequel

One of the most popular technology trainings we have ever done at our school was Speedgeeking.  Speedgeeking is a great way to showcase several different technology tools in a short amount of time.  It is also one of the most entertaining trainings we do.  You can revisit my post from last year's session to get the break down on how we set it up because it worked so well we used the exact same format. 

Last year, my technology team and I focused on tools for teachers to use with students.   This year we wanted to focus more on tools teachers could use themselves.  We have had so many people ask us about this training, we tried to capture as much of it as we could for you to see.  Nothing fancy, just real teachers having fun, learning and sharing with the peers in an imaginative way.

Introduction:  Done in the media center where we explain format and split up in groups.

Speedgeeking Intro from Melissa Ross on Vimeo.

Sessions:  Where they rotate to the rooms where the tools are taught
JAMENDO

Jamendo from Melissa Ross on Vimeo.

WYLIO



BIG HUGE LABS

Big Huge Labs from Melissa Ross on Vimeo.

SYMBALOO


SKYPE

Skype from Melanie Holtsman on Vimeo.

My technology team really owned this for the second year in a row.  These are full time classroom teachers that only meet with me one morning a month and then endure my emails the rest of the time. :)  A big thank you goes to them for teaching the sessions, planning and organizing and this year...FILMING so you could learn from them as well.

Our review from the faculty was done in the same cheeky way as last year.  You can see the results here.
We would love to hear what you think and to get your ideas for topics we could possibly use for next year....speedgeeking, the trilogy!

My 2010/365 project

When I first heard of the 365 photo project, which consists of taking a photo each day and posting it, I thought it was interesting.  I enjoyed looking at the photos being shared on twitter and enjoyed perusing the 365 groups on flickr.  As a mom with young children, there are many times I wished I had a camera ready to snap a cute moment.  So in 2009 I gave the project a try ...and fizzled out. 

But what I discovered from looking at my colleagues pictures on flickr is that I really enjoyed looking at how moments were captured; composition, lighting and expressions.  I found myself continuing to keep a camera with me at all times and photographing moments and images I never had before.  I decided to trade my point and shoot camera for a DSLR and a love affair with photography truly began.  I couldn't wait to begin the next year with a new 365 project. 

So here I am proudly sharing my first completed 365 project. You can look at them all individually here where I have written a little description for most of them, but what I really looked forward to doing was putting my completed project into a video like my friend Dean does. What I noticed while putting them together is that my photos really do tell the story of my year.  They show my life as a mother, aunt, teacher, friend, reader, shopper, Floridian, Disney fan and most of all, photographer.  I hope you enjoy watching. :)

Melanie's 365/2010 project from Melanie Holtsman on Vimeo.

Thankfulness

Ok, this is exactly why I needed the blog challenge.  I need a post to be burning under my feet to get written.  Even if I'm running late getting it up I am thinking about it constantly and crafting it in my head.  (Over a MONTH late!) So, on that note, better late than never....here are my thoughts on thankfulness.

I am thankful most of all for all of the things I should be thankful for, my beautiful family, God, my job, friends, etc.  I don't mean to belittle those things, because they are BIG things, but this year I tried to think a little further about things I take for granted.

The first thing that came to mind was simple:  health.  For the past 2 months I have watched my mother undergo radiation and chemotherapy for throat cancer.  We have been blessed that they found it early enough to treat and she has a good prognosis for recovery.  But during the treatment it has been difficult.  I have been reminded to be thankful for small things we take for granted with our health... being able to swallow easy, a sense of taste, energy to get up in the morning, healthy skin and having the luxury of hair on our head. 

I have also been reminded to be thankful for having a mother still walking on this earth.

Day by Day: Refining Writing Workshop Through 180 Days of Reflective Practice

When Stenhouse Publishers recently contacted me to be a part of their new blog tour, I was thrilled to find out the authors of the new book were Stacey Shubitz and Ruth Ayres because I am a big fan of their blog! Their ideas are simply yet thought provoking as they focus on what they are thinking about and learning daily as teachers of young writers.

Reading their new book:  Day by Day:  Refining Writing Workshop Through 180 Days of Reflective Practice did not disappoint.  It incorporates their same easy to follow style of writing in a format that makes it possible for teachers to pick up and use those lessons the next day as well as learn to improve on their lessons based on the reflections Stacey and Ruth have made following each lesson.  

One of my favorite things about the book is that so many of the lessons include strategies for writing that really double as strategies for differentiation.  One such strategy is the Plan Box.  Before students even left the gathering area from the lesson for work session, they were to draw a plan box which basically consisted of the steps they needed to complete when returning to their desk.  This helped students stay on task and helped students internalize mini goals for that day.

In the book, Ruth and Stacey have this quote from my favorite fiction author, Jodi Picoult:

I think we have stories because they help us understand who we are. 

Often I have felt like that is an important, yet challenge goal of Writers' Workshop.  Kids may be egocentric but they don't really understand who they are.  Ruth and Stacey have a great strategy they call collecting bits of life called ephemera.  Ephemera is artifacts from your life.  Ticket stubs, doodle notes, drawings, candy wrappers...basically anything that represents who you are as a person.  After reading about ephemera I have been noticing the little artifacts of my life.  So many things that I have been tossing in the trash could be "seeds" for new writing ideas.  I love that strategy!

There are so many things in the book that I have underlined and highlighted to try in a lesson, but you can preview the book online yourself here.  This is a must read book for writing teachers that will be a great resource for you to return to year after year as you plan for your young writers. 

In planning for my interview with Ruth I wanted to find out what the readers of my blog wanted to know about Writers' Workshop.  I solicited questions from a few of my colleagues here at Chets Creek Elementary where I work and our friends at International School of Bangkok.  Ruth was kind enough to agree to meet with me "virtually" on skype to answer these questions.  (We had a little weather delay as a snow storm scrapped our first meeting time!  Sorry for the delay in posting!) I enjoyed chatting with her and getting to know her better as well as hearing her thoughts in person.  I hope you will enjoy this as well.


A Conversation with Ruth Ayres from Melanie Holtsman on Vimeo.


Check out the previous stops on the Blog Tour:
A Year of Reading
Raising Readers and Writers
Write Brained Teacher

My Life as a Writer

I never really considered myself a writer.  I struggle with it even now, staring at the same sentence for five minutes, erasing what I just wrote and staring into space trying to gather my thoughts.  I think it is because of the way I think.  I'm not a sequential thinker.  If you know me well enough for me to just randomly tell you what I'm thinking you might think I'm ADD.  My thoughts and ideas jump all over the place.  If I need to follow a thought or idea through I really need to make myself a list and keep myself on task for it to get done.  And that is probably why I'm not a fluent writer.  I don't write down a plan.  I try to muddle though my thoughts in the post and many times end up thinking my writing sounds just like chit chat.  I know that may be okay, but the chit chat has to stay on topic!

My life as a writer has had a complete metamorphosis in the last several years.  Basically, the only writing I do on paper is a to-do list for the day.  It keeps me focused, sitting on my desk next to my elbow.  I have tried to replace it with online to-do lists.  They just don't cut it for me.  Other than that, my writing is done on this blog, on twitter, on my ipad, in email and on facebook. 

It has occurred to me that my children probably wouldn't even recognize my handwriting if they had to identify it.  That really bothers me, because I treasure the letters I have from my grandmother and father who have since passed away.  I would recognize their script anywhere and it brings comfort to me to get out those old letters from time to time.  I really need to sit down and take the time to put pen to paper. 

What is your Life as a Writer like?

Catch up with other posts in the Fall Blog Challenge.

The Small Moment that Made a World of Difference

Photo by hira3 on flickr

There are many small moments with my kids that I wish I could capture and remember for posterity.  I don't mean the award ceremonies, dance recitals and birthdays, although those are really special memories.  I mean the really small moments.  Where they ask questions or share ideas.  Or just surprise you with what they do.

Recently, my son looked across the kitchen table at me and said, "Mommy, do people on the other side of the world stand upside down?" I just had to laugh. 

His class just finished studying the author, Mem Fox and learning about Australia.  They even skyped a teacher from Australia!  I remember specifically talking to him about how it was midnight for her and we just finished breakfast.  I guess there is still room for misconception in there, but I'm struggling a little with how to make him understand. 

Any suggestions?