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As guest host, it’s been a pleasure to find as I check my email(regularly) lots of Boiled Days and Weeks from writers I know well and others I am getting to know.

Thanks to all who joined on this week. Hope you make this a weekly habit and maybe join in as a host one week.

Bonnie

Here we go:

Julie Cash is an elementary teacher in Kingston, NY and a recent Hudson Valley Writing Project TC from 2007. She was the first one to send her sentence and has been experimenting with the web 2.0 offerings. She’s getting used to her recent purchase of an Apple MacBook. Yes! You can read some of Julie’s work on her blog: http://jcash.edublogs.org and our SI’07 blog: http://hvwpsi07.edublogs.or

I am coming to the end of my first doctoral level course in Literacy, and have gone from sheer panic and almost dropping the course, to getting A’s on my papers (I just have to boast!) and loving the connection with other passionate educators, and greater world of educational research and theory.

Larry Ferlazzo, a teacher of ELLs and native English speakers at Luther Burbank High School in Sacramento, California, has a great blog to check out:http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org
In fact, it’s been nominated for an edublog award this year for Best Resource Sharing Blog. So if you get a chance, you can cast your vote at http://edublogawards.com/2007/

He could be our next guest host.

As a former community organizer turned teacher, I’ve been reminded this week of the old organizer adage that taking shortcuts will bring you to detours, which in turn will lead you to dead-ends.

Amy Kenyon is an elementary (3rd grade) teacher at North Shore Country Day School in Winnetka, IL. As I take time to get to know Amy by reading through her blog, I’m struck by how reflective her posts are. Even though she has a big family in her other life, she takes time to really explore the web 2.0. Teachers everywhere can get to know Amy: http://amykenyon.edublogs.org

I have had two colleagues who have lost parents in the past two weeks, so the mood here has been somewhat melancholy. I look forward to the cheer of holiday songs, lights, foods, and get togethers in the weeks to come.

Melba Lucio, from Brownsville, Texas is someone deeply connected to the HVWP site. She has joined us for two summer institutes as a visiting scholar. Her work with ELL students is as inspiring as is her personal journey as a writer. You can find her work on our SI blog
and even though she is not one to jump into the web with great joy, she recognizes the need to get comfortable with the new technologies and she’s here. BRAVO Melba!

Now that Thanksgiving is overwith, I can get on with my favorite time of the year, Christmas; tomorrow, I will make tamales first time in my life—learning from several abuelitas!

Bud Hunt has a great blog to explore. I have been reading it for a long time now and when Kevin and I put out a call for techies to join us in creating digital stories for our ABC movie project, Bud didn’t hesitate to take on three letters even though he was entering the project new to digital storytelling. You can view his pieces at: http://techstories.edublogs.org/ It was cool to finally meet him at a weekend conference in Amherst last April. Even though Bud seems to composing fewer posts these days given that he has a new baby and a new job, he still offers great reflections on his work and the state of the web. I’m sure Christmas will be a trip!

And so begins December – six months of two children, as well as new job. I am thankful – and tired.

Tom Meyer, my good friend and director with me, at the Hudson Valley Writing, is passionate about everything connected to our site. He is also an assistant professor at SUNY New Paltz in the education department. He totally supports our site’s growing technology integration and worked hard on our recent tech conference to spread the word. He has been dipping into the web and his blog showcases some of his writing that can also be found in NWP journals.

I’m fighting a cold this week while trying to figure out how to gracefully land my courses at the college so that there is a sense of coherence and constructive learning before we part next month.

Eric Savelson is also someone I have worked closely with since he began as a TC at our site in 2003. He teaches elementary school in New Paltz and for the last few years he’s been on leave to raise his newest daughter. He has been able to devote more time to our inservice program and next week he begins coordinating at a new school for us. I am hoping that he starts to share his writing and reflections on a blog soon. New Paltz is a perfect place for Eric to live because he loves rock climbing and the Gunks is just perfection!

My excitement for HVWP’s upcoming inservice has an edge of anxiety fed by doubt; doubt of what I have to offer; doubt of my election to pursue this tract when I could be climbing!

Lynne Culp teaches high school in LA and is very involved in the new technologies. We were connected at the hip during our Tech Matters Institute during the summer of 2006 in Chico, CA and even though we live on opposite coasts, when we connect face-to-face it feels like we are back in Chico. Lynne presented a collaborative workshop at the NWP conference with Kevin and there’s much more in her future even though she has a fit of nerves, don’t we all? And if you want to see some of Lynne’s fantastic photos from the recent NWP conference in NYC click here: http://techliaison.ning.com/

BTW, it’s not cheating to write two sentences, Lynn. This batch of sentences seems to be much shorter than usual. I often create the longest run-ons ever.

UCLA’s Saturday Chancellor’s conference springs into its annual wonder tomorrow morning so listen to my head pounding, “Why did I ever agree to do a presentation during my craziest time of the year?” (I’m going to go to 2 sentences.) I want to do something fun to see if I can encourage demand for a Digital Storytelling workshop next summer. Wish me luck. (Naturally, there’s no Internet at the much beloved Faculty Dining Room-conference center.) I’m breaking the rules for a sentence a day, but please forgive.

Nancy Brodsky(Cavillones)  Thanks to Nancy’s very cool blog, I just learned some interesting things about her. She’s recently married, she teaches high school English and she’s connected to the NYC writing project and that’s fantastic. We at the HVWP are interested in building our own bridges with a site so close to us. So Nancy, get ready.

We came back from Thanksgiving break to bad news and a funeral on Wednesday, but we’ve carried on as the march towards ELA regents continues.

Gail Desler, has been a classroom teacher for 20+ years and she is currently a tech support specialist for the Elk Grove School District. She’s is the first NWP techie who supported me as I began my road on the blogging highway by means of the phone. In April we spent a great weekend at a web presence retreat in Amherst and at the NWP I did get to see Gail for a short time as we both enjoyed the digital media workshop led by Kevin H. who presented our ABC collaboration, a perfect place for us to connect face-to-face after pouring over her digital stories. Today I’ve been wandering through Gail’s blog as I present each voice and it’s worth a look: http://blogwalker.edublogs.org

I am still trying to recover from the worst head cold ever, which hit me the day before Thanksgiving and is still going strong, so I can do some clear-headed reflections on the NYC NWP and NCTE conferences.

Steve Masson, a HVWP TC from the 2006 SI, is a high school English teacher in Highland, New York with a deep passion for his students and their media excitement. He has been at center of our site’s tech team and just as we were preparing for our first tech conference and the NCTE conference , Steve ready with his wikis, was hit by a car as he walked to get his mail. Two days later, laid up in the hospital and miraculously alive, he was calling me to let me know that he might not be able to be there for the conferences. What dedication and good luck for Steve, his family and rest of us! There’s always next year.

One month and four days after my accident,I returned to school today and could not fully express how blessed I feel to be back in action so fast, but it sure felt good trying

Troy Hicks, an NWP TL from the Michigan Writing Project, offered great gifts at the Tech Matters Institute at Chico and like many other tech facilitators, their support continued way beyond that short summer week. We have spent hours skyping, exploring new technologies. Troy’s blogs offer his continual reflections on his work and a sharing of what he finds from others. I am always learning something from him. And congratulations to Troy on his doctorate and his new job!

.Sorry, I know if is phrased in the form of a question, but I hope this counts… (Of course it counts)

“If the semester were to end right now, and all the grading were to disappear, what would I do with two weeks of freedom?”

Liz Gumbinner, daughter of my good friend Nancy Letts, is a great writer and blogger. She focuses her blog:http://mom-101.blogspot.com/ on being a mom with two young daughters, but her posts and the community that she’s created fits perfectly with the web 2.0 rich collaborative spirit. I don’t have kids, but I can relate to the universal issues Liz raises. Welcome Liz.

My days, like my nights, are sadly, frustratingly, agonizingly, sleepless, which could be easily remedied with less work and a more accommodating six month-old.

Delaine Zody, a teacher from California writes about a teacher’s very hectic life, something we can all relate to. Just remember, vacation is coming, Delaine.

How many meetings, field trips, performances, and school dances can you cram into one week before collapsing in an exhausted heap on Saturday morning?

Grace Bellamy, HVWP TC, Returning Fellow, elementary teacher and fairly new mom, still has some time to share a sentence from her week. I am sure that her house will be filled with the Christmas spirit. It’s always a pleasure to reconnect with Grace. Here’s a taste from her blog: http://gbellamy76.edublogs.org/

After nine months and three days as a mother, I realize that today I will never accomplish all the things on my to do list, but I will find joy in the little things I will get to celebrate.

Matthew Needleman a teacher, a literacy coach, and a tech specialist is all about creating lifelong learners, working to integrate technology in grades K-5. His blog is filled with very valuable resources.

I find myself doing presentations for teachers every day this week and working technology in whether it’s a technology workshop or not.

Linda Marc-Aurele from our SI ‘05 teaches in Red Hook, New York, and although she will be moving the New Orleans she wants to continue her writing project connections there. She is a dedicated teacher and continues to ask the probing questions.

Interesting how one can be so thankful for family and at the same time be so frustrated and perplexed by the behavior of that same family on the day you are giving thanks for them, Thanksgiving is ironic.

Stacey Meyer is from the Prairie Lands Writing Project. I’m wondering if Stacey is related to our buddy, Mary the TL from that site? Stacey can say a lot in a few words, don’t you think?

Too fast! Too fast!!

Susan Biggs from the Western Mass Writing Project is filled with great energy and enthusiasm. She was a great force of support at the web presence retreat sponsored at her site. I saw her for a moment in NYC and it was a great one, for sure. Her blog is filled with wonderful book reviews and reflections focused on her work at her site. I look forward to our next meeting.

This week I made a “To Do” list, and I feel so much better.

Karen McComas teaches at Marshal University and is currently working on her doctorate at the same time and somehow she make time for early morning IM chats with me. She has been the head of the NWP’s TL network from its earliest days. Lynne Culp, Mary Meyer and I were very lucky to have had Karen as our TM 06 facilitator at Chico. It was good to see her at the NWP conference in November and I didn’t leave out her sentence.
Get up, drink coffee, work, go home, go to bed so I can do it all again.

Last, but no way, least, Kevin Hodgson, Mr. Meandering Mind continues to offer lots of new challenges. Finally, I feel like I can keep up with him, but that’s probably an illusion. If there’s anyone out there who hasn’t yet checked out his blog, get to it. You won’t be sorry.

His work with his Youth Radio podcasting blog is up for an edublogs award and we can all vote painlessly http://edublogawards.com/2007/best-educational-use-of-audio-2007/

It’s too bad that he has to write the sentence below:

After a year of recording with my rock and roll band — The Sofa Kings — it’s back to square one as one of our lead singers — who is also our keyboard player and one of our songwriters — announced that he has left us to pursue a solo musical project on his own, leaving me to go through the steps of the grieving process that began with anger.

And here’s mine just to put some nice closure to this great day of connecting with all of you.

Kevin, when can I host this again?

After Thanksgiving I’m finally working on a digital project waiting impatiently for me to get to and at the same time I am gearing up for the fury of emails back and forth as we work on our HVWP grant, so this peace that I’m feeling is short lived, oh well.

Bonnie Kaplan, movie lover, over and out.