in a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.

Thanks for adding me as your friend!

Hi,
Sorry to drop of the face of the earth. End of the year, suddenly terminally ill cat, mother in law in hospital, and 80 final fairy tale costumes to complete. But I"m done!!! I love my job. It's the very best. I just didn't take a break at all last summer because I produced, directed, and performed in a community musical to raise money for kids with cancer, and so my weariness is two school years old. Phew! Break a leg with your new job prospects. My husband has a job interview today as well. So I'll do happy hopeful dances for both of you.
As for working together. I don't have any kind of formal plan. I can just see it as a real possibility. First of all, I would love it. Sometimes I just put the possiblitity out there, and wait to see what happens. At the time I didn't even know what state you lived in. So, I don't have a plan by ,say, next week, but maybe if you keep throwing out topics that you'd like to do kinesthetically, and we figure them out, then we'll end up showing this to your school system, or another one... I really don't know. Sounds like fun, whether we show it to anyone or not. My immediate life goal is to get enough rest to get back on the 20 hour a day horse. This morning I was laying in bed, trying to sleep in (It was 7 am, a full two hours later than I usually get up) and my 2 year old dog, a lab named Bear, heard the weather man say " A perfect day to walk your dog!" She heard that and went berserk. It made me laugh so hard, I got up! Enjoy those beautiful daughters. I'm only on my gourth day of real break and I'm at a conference next week. Let me know about your job!

That is really sweet. You are not emotionally unstable, just a loving Dad. Now nice! Hope you and your family have a nice Mother's Day weekend.

Your daughters are absolutely adorable! ~Adrienne

First, I agree with Barry. I love reading everything you write. Souce cards... what needs to go on them? Specifically, for your grade, for you.
Also, MLA citations.... translate please. Once I know what it is, I can usually come up with something. My first instinct on source cards is to play Swoosh. It's in the ingredient games in my book. If you don't have it, let me know. I'm leaving town in about ten minutes, so i can't go into it now. Then, after it's clear where everything goes... hand out parts of it... the title, the author, the website, the page numbers, the isbn number, etc. Have the kids make a GIANT puzzle/statue in the room BEING the source card. I'm sure i"m not being clear, but have them create a giant source for a classroom sized card, and have them stand in proper relationship to each other, based on what needs to go where. Also,if you need more structure to start, use chalk outside to make squares and rectangles, first and have them fill it in. OR, use a cheap shower curtain liner and draw squares on that and put it on your floor. After they do one with you, have them trade the source information around, or get a new one, and do it. You could have two groups and they could race..... Let me know if this sounds like babbling. I have to run.

Jason, I have enjoyed reading your posts, discussions, etc. I'm going to do the Tao of writing in my notebook first, and then reply to where it lead me. I love the idea for our Summer Writing Institute. I noticed that you are a TC. I'm from the PA Writing and Literature Project. My profile picture is from San Antonio and the NWP and NCTE conference. Do you attend? It might be interesting to get a bunch of us "ningers" together in PHILA this year at the NCTE/NWP conference. Could you tell me a bit about your Writing Project site and how you do demonstrations? Our site is in the process of rethinking our demos. Thanks.

Thanks Jason. Having you here is a real treat for us too. You are a real world class Ninger. Love all your comments and posts. Very sharp and insightful.

Hi Jason,
Sorry I forgot to include the time in my last reply. It is from 12:00 -3:00 but we would understand if you need to leave early for your daughter's ball game. Just let me know. I need a count for the cater, Blues BQ.
Thanks,
Pat

Hi Jason,
Cute photos of your daughters! Barbara has invited all TC's to join Barry's writing community too. Enjoying this week of spring break might even do some writing :)
Please mark you calendar and come to the CWVWP Reunion Picnic May 30 at Little Creek Park in So. Chas. Your family is invited and encouraged to come along.
Pat

Hi Jason! Nice hearing your voice too. I'll write more later...off to school right now. Have a wonderful day,
Gretchen

Jason,
Oddly, I'd have to say that I think this way, kinesthetically. Probably like cooks are always connecting tastes and foods to new dishes, I've connected kinesthetically for so long that that brain pathway is pretty strong. I do believe you can act anything out. Sometimes the tricky part is coming up with the structure to keep the chaos at bay. Once that's set up, then the students can see there are still rules to follow, and also places to have fun, move and express themselves. For many this helps focus them.... ahhh while it sounds like I'm preaching, I'm really just putting off a trip to the grocery store. I will get that kinesthetic club going...asap. In the meantime, give me a lesson that you're having trouble doing with movement and I'll give you my first instincts.
Carol

thanks Jason! :)

I see you are into music. Check out my website for more music stuff.
WWW.onkidwriting.com Cheers.

Guru. You make me smile. I had 60 students perform three Bolivian folktales last night as part of a cultural festival, and right now I'm sitting at my computer in a post March Daze. In my house March Madness does not refer to basketball only! Projects, grants, taxes, oh my! My husband has challenged me to not do one creative thing today, to rest! Don't know if I can do it! Barry has suggested that I open a kinesthetic club on this network. I plan to, as soon as I have a minute. My next projects are bullying with 1st graders and The Civil War with 8th graders. Time to go be a car cleaning guru. I'd leave it, but I can't see out of any of the windows. Too many Bolivian Mountains in the back!

Jason,

I'm a huge outdoor person! I'll definitely have to read The Dharma Bums. Have you read Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild? I was completley intrigued by the story of Chris McCandless and how he was influenced (unsure if this is the right word here...especially if you've read the book) by Leo Tolstoy & Jack London.

Also read Rozwell's Walking My Dog Jane. Great outdoor autobiography about hiking the Trans-Alaskan pipeline with his dog.