Living Life Twice

The world is what you make it. So is Twitter. I am a willing participant in the world of twitter. I use it to be informed and to share information. I have shaped the feed I receive to include those voices that will grow my understanding of life and learning -well mostly. I use it as a conduit for thinking. The reading I do informs my writing. It is a place I go to to gather a little treasure among the trite and the tasteless. A boy once asked his father, 'What is Twitter? The father responded, 'Well you know how annoying it is when the neighbour's dog starts barking in the morning, well Twitter's like that, except it goes all day and all night.'  Some educators I meet perceive Twitter in this way and as a result have no part of it. Others dabble occasionally. There are also many who, like me, have jumped right in. I  see Twitter as a tool for learning, a resource for reading and learning. Opportunities exist for information sharing invaluable to my literate...

Writing Under The Influence As teachers of writing we frequently gravitate to the words of authors we admire. We then take their observations about the writing process and apply them to our own writing efforts. However, when we find ourselves reading published works- novels, picture books, news articles, or poems the process that has delivered them is largely hidden. We begin to speculate about what has taken place in order for these profound words to appear before our eyes. We begin to search for answers. We want to empower ourselves in order to be able to empower our student writers. We begin to grow our own understandings in order to develop strategies we can teach our students. This is an exciting development in our teaching. When we move in this space, our teaching is full of possibility. The writing moves of writers we hold in high regard begin to inform our teaching.  We start to consider the impact a particular writing move might make for the developm...

I have recently returned from three weeks holiday in Bali. The reason I share this fact with you is not to gloat, but rather to reveal how this sweet vacation enabled me to claim reading and writing time. Naturally, the time away provided fun and relaxation with family and friends. Following the coldest winter in 26 years in Melbourne, I was keen to warm my winter bones. Notebook and reading options on the beach  There were the usual holiday activities, and I eagerly embraced them, but something I noticed was how easy it was to both read and write across my days in the sun. Once the fog of work ebbed from my mind, I easily settled into the routine of reading and writing in a host of locations. Whether I was on the beach, relaxing in our accommodation, or cruising through cafes in search of a coffee or a cool drink, I was able to also feed the reader and writer within. Quarantining time for these joyful tasks was quite easy to achieve in such an environment. Oft...

Natalie Goldberg’s book, ‘Writing Down The Bones' provides so much sound advice on the writing life and the teaching of writing. It’s a mine full of treasure for anyone wishing to better understand and appreciate the how and why questions surrounding writing. I first read this book about ten years ago. It immediately identified itself as a keeper. I keep it within easy reach on my study shelf. Last Thursday I delved back in to soak up Natalie’s words once more. I had a medical appointment that day, so I took a friend to keep me company while I sat waiting for my appointed consultation. Here are some of the words that sang in my head as I waited… ‘Writers are great lovers. They fall in love with other writers. That’s how they learn to write.’ *This is all part of learning to read like a writer and finding suitable mentors. ‘Talk is the exercise ground of writing. Talk is a way to warm up for the big game- the hours you write alone with your pen and...

In this National Year of Reading in Australia , I find myself constantly marvelling at the impact of books on my life. As a life long learner, books provide the necessary spark for progressively chipping away at my ignorance. All across Australia , celebrations of our literate lives are taking place. A warming well spring of activities is occurring in towns and cities the breadth of Australia in 2012 and it serves to remind us of the significant contribution reading makes to our lives. I love it when I see heads bowed in pursuit of understanding as readers of all ages lose themselves in a book. I love the privacy of reading and the public sharing that often follows. I love the notion of books as travelling companions and guides. I love that a book can make me ambitious. A book has the capacity to be transformative. A book can help me escape and take me to new worlds and offer new ideas, propositions and understandings. A book can challenge my current beliefs and prejudices. I d...

Today, I presented at a conference for Graduate Teachers in Melbourne. The conference title was ‘Surviving and Thriving in the Early Years of Teaching.’ Among the many things I shared with participants, was the importance of being joyfully literate, and the critical nature of sharing our reading and writing lives with the students in our care. When it comes to teaching, you must in the stream with your students,. You can’t stand on the bank imploring them to swim faster! Your efforts must intially go into helping keep them afloat. When you share aspects of your reading and writing self, it adds extra depth to your humanity and strengthen the connection to what you are demanding of them. It makes you credible… These remarks led me to thinking about my personal situation as both reader and writer, and I recalled reading recently that one of favourite educators, Richard Allington, speaking at a conference in Colorado had restated his belief that unless you know a ...

I am working my way through a host of books across the summer… I started out with Natalie Goldberg’s ‘Old Friend from Far Away’ which is adding to my knowledge of memoir writing. Natalie Goldbeg says to memoir we must know how to remember and to assist the reader to improve memory she provides timed and associative exercises to guide writing development around memoir. A great book if you are considering committing part of your life story to paper. I am also reading ‘Beyond Roses Are Red, Violets Are Blue' by Benjamin Green. Again, this is a practical guide to assisting students to write free verse. Green writes with a comfortable voice and guides the reader through a series of exercises aimed at helping students create high quality poems. I see this as a teacher resource book where ideas could be adopted, modified and presented. I am always a little wary of books that present a step by step process for writing, -poetry in particular, but the structure provides does provide su...

The following links come to you via my wonderful twitter contacts. The first one comes from Choice Literacy and focuses on a six week framework in Word Study and how our work in this important area supports student writing. Check it out at: http://www.choiceliteracy.com/public/465.cfm The second is a podcast by Ralph Fletcher and Franki Sibberson discussing how we reinvent language every time we write. You will find it at:   http://www.choiceliteracy.com/public/1574.cfm The final link is to Trevor Cairney's excellent blog and his entry on Why Kids Reread Books. Find it at: http://trevorcairney.blogspot.com/2010/02/why-kids-re-read-books.html