If—
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If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
Read MoreDictionary Divers
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Choose a word or select one at random, and read and research its definition across 2-3 cited sources, discussing and diagramming all of its parts and pieces of the whole.
When and where? Greek? Medieval Latin? What were these places like? How did these words sound and who used them where and for what?
Whole stories built from single words!
Word stories can be randomly selected for inclusion in our Classroom Blog and Newsletter.
Read MoreBridging the Gap, Day 7—Writer's Workshop: Bridging Ideas
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Today we will explore, describe and articulate what our own fantasy realms might look, feel, smell, taste and sound like. Who will be there and what adventures will we embark upon? What quests and monsters will we tackle? How will we transport to and from our fantasy realm? What bridges our reality with our fantasy?
Read MoreBridging the Gap, Day 7—Reader's Workshop
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5—Film Studies
Compare/contrast with Wizard of Oz and The NeverEnding Story (and MirrorMask?) with Bridge to Terabithia.
Explore elements of Fantasy/Reality.
Recall our myths from last week.
Temple
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Temple.
Our temporal tabernacles—where our brains reside.
We touch our temples not only to communicate "10-4" and "Roger," not only to focus our thought and energy, not only to pause a beat and take a breath—but also to remind us of the sanctuary that rests upon all our shoulders. [...]
Sign language is a powerful tool to help engage brains and bodies while reinforcing communication and understanding throughout the group, empowering kids to agree, disagree and express need for clarity casually and consistently.
Read MoreTo Beat The Devil, Kris Kristofferson
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And you still can hear me singin' to the people who don't listen,
To the things that I am sayin', prayin' someone's gonna hear.
And I guess I'll die explaining how the things that they complain about,
Are things they could be changin', hopin' someone's gonna care.
I was born a lonely singer, and I'm bound to die the same,
But I've got to feed the hunger in my soul.
And if I never have a nickel, I won't ever die ashamed.
'Cos I don't believe that no-one wants to know.
Restorative Writing
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Thoughts become words become action become habit become future.
Study after study, science supports it.
"When you get to that confrontation of truth with what matters to you, it creates the greatest opportunity for change." —Dr. Gropple.
Read Moremeadow
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Field Notes
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These are our personal journals—our Field Notes. In here we note what we see in the wild, patterns we suspect and detect, challenges and maps to solutions...Questions, ideas, thoughts we want to explore, small celebrations and gratitudes throughout the day—this is what we scientists do; observe and note curiosities and patterns and things that grab our attention. I say "we" because I, too, participate and benefit from this exercise.
Read MoreUsing Our Space
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Ours is a world of shared space.
We share neighborhoods, classrooms, offices, Earth.
It's imperative that we learn to co-habitate, collaborate and leave things better than we found them.
Our Learning Lair is, in this way and so many others, our place to practice being the Earthlings, the Superheroes, that we aspire to become.
Read MoreWhere Good Ideas Come From
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"Chance favors the connected mind."
What means "connected?" Connect how?
Ideas cross-pollinate and bear fruit just like flowers. Ideas live in minds and books/words/stories are the bees that transmit them from flower to fertile flower.
How do we promote that in the classroom?
Read MoreCitizens United Newsletter
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We understand the importance of communication, the sharing of ideas, experiences and curiosities, the intellectual coffee houses of the Enlightenment—and we practice these daily between ourselves, each other and our collective crew in our Field Notes, Learning Logs and C3.
We document and archive our journeys so that other future adventurers *might* benefit from our adventures and experiences.
And we also understand the importance of reaching beyond our own immediate circle and extending our reach out into our community, to send letters of our adventures to our families back home.
And we do this in the form of publishing—a real world practice through real-world, professional tools. Crew members get to see their work in the wild and observe it from a distance and in the public realm. As a part of this public service/practice, crew members will also cite their resources to empower future readers to dig deeper and see for themselves.
Read More