Querido Mi Hermano (Dear Brother)

Querido Mi Hermano (Dear Brother),

Hello brother of mine! How goes everything in sunny California? Boy! I have been thinking a lot of you and Janie. Why? Glad you asked. While searching through the huge box of family photos, I came across pictures of us when we were little people and lived on 6th Street in Illinois! Yeah! Do you remember? Funny memories, right? Well, do you by chance remember how onery you were? Probably not. Let's see if I can jog your memory Antonio!

The story begins. Think back to yesteryear to a neighborhood youth baseball game at Alpiner's park. Yep! Right across from our house on 6th Street. Okay...are you getting the picture yet? Here we, the whole family, are sitting in the bleachers watching YOURRR game. "Batting now is ..., on deck batting fourth, is Tony ...." We all started cheering and of course I yelled, "Hey, remember Dairy Queen!" That's all I could think about. After all, you did tell me the next homerun you hit meant I would get a giant ice cream cone! Well, Bedo did hit a ground ball and made it to first base safely, which meant you were up next. My mouth started tasting the ice cream already--French vanilla double dipped in rich chocolaty chocolate...mmmm. As you slowly stepped into the batter's box, you glanced over your right shoulder up at us while pointing your bat to left-center field.

"What a show-off!" I whispered to Dad. Well, sure enough you connected to send that ball over the fence! You definitely took your time running around those bases though. And of course, all the team was waiting for you at home plate. Are you beginning to flashback to that scene??? Okay, now forward a bit to what happened after the game. Dad and everyone else walked ahead to go home, but I stayed. Moments later you walked out, and we began walking. Immediately, my questions came rolling out.

"Hey Tony, how many homeruns did you hit during the game? How many DQ cards did your coach give you?

Just like a big brother, you said, "Calm down Sis. I remember promising you a large ice cream cone. Wait for me on the front porch, and I will be back in a flash with that giiii-ant ice cream." And so...I waited...and waited.

Hoping soon an image of you would appear returnng on your bike, riding with no hands, holding up a huge ice cream in both hands, I kept glancing down the street. No sign. "What is taking him so long?" I wondered. And pretty soon, here came a faint sound of someone whistling. It was you! Wow! I leaped off the front porch and thought yelling out, "Finally, ice cream! Except, the closer you got, I noticed something was very wrong.

"Tony, what happened to the ice cream on top of the cones?" I asked.

You answered. "Oh, Sis, when I was riding over the railroad tracks, I hit that big bump. You've seen it. Well, the ice cream fell off from the tops. Sorry Sis." You know brother dear, I almost believed you, but then I noticed something white around your mouth.

"Tony, what is that while stuff around your mouth? You didn't hit a bump. You ate the ice cream didn't you???" Well, I guess it didn't turn out too bad though. I mean just at that moment, Dad walked out on the porch and suggested that you give me the rest of both cones. Now, wasn't that nice? :)

You know big brother, I never did ask you what you thought about that little time in our lives. So, now it is your turn to tell me. And when you email me back...a gift certificate will be 2nd-day aired to you...to go...to the Dairy Queen of your choice.

Amo usted, mi hermano

(I love you, my brother)

Duval's Presentation: "Thriving as Writers in a Test-Writer Environment"

How do you succcessfully prepare your students for state assessment? The research is in, and if teachers follow the advice of Higgins, Miller, and Wegman authors of "Teaching to the test...Not!", students will experience positive results in their state assessments as well as communicate clearly and creatively in their writing. The main goal of the article is to impress upon teachers to focus on three instructional areas that will produce 'life-long learners' and not test takers. Thank you, Emily Duval, presentor of this research, who also provided engaged modeled activities supporting those key instructional areas.

I believe teachers appreciate being well-informed of research practices that support the processes of learning and not just the product. Duval also pointed out if proven researchers: Atwell, Moffett, Graves, Calkins, and others alike are connected to any such research, then teachers can be confident that these strategies will be successful. The 'write one word' activity was:engaging, thought-provoking, addressed social nature of language, student-centered and simple; it was activities like this that convinced me any grade level of students would achieve positive results in writing literacy. How smart is that! Why would a teacher not trust: the theory that supports sound instructional practices, proven strategies that help students write with success, or improve a learning environment of outstanding teaching? This is the equation that I choose to drive my instruction...and I am sure my colleagues agree. I applaud the messenger as well as the message.

Revision: "What I Learned"

Understanding the new school of thought about ‘revision’ is like opening up a new chapter of discovering ways to hook students to want to write and even write more! I feel like Encyclopedia Brown uncovering clues to a never ending story while unlocking effective teaching strategies based on quality research. Actually, I, myself, am beginning to feel more confident and looking forward to showing how these strategies will help my students experience writing success. Already, I feel empowered and jazzed about gaining this knowledge. Most importantly, I am learning so many new ways to help students understand how ‘revision’ plays a key role to bringing their writing to life! And that is what writing is all about; understanding what revision tools that will first help diagnose whatever the writing ailment is and what revision tools or strategies that will allow students to become critical readers of their own writing. My students will soon understand how wonderfully exciting the adventure of writing can be; we are all on the same team yearning for our stories to be told and understood.

And the Oscar goes to…exactly. Individuals like: Barry Lane, Nancy Atwell, Donald Graves, Ralph Fletcher, on and on should indeed receive the writing Oscar award or better yet a Writing Heisman Award for finding creative solutions of using ‘revision’ strategies towards improving our students' writing skills. Other noted educators have tested these strategies and found success in their own classrooms. And now it is up to us as teachers to do our part. And I really do agree with Lucy when she says, “And that’s what writing is all about Charlie Brown…revision.”

Linda Rief: "What's Right with Writing"

All students, regardless of their level of academic performance, need affirmation of how or why the quality of their work is received. I do understand that receiving a paper returned with a graded mark and no comments as to why or other leaves one with the feeling if the effort fulfilled the criteria requirement; all students, I believe, desire to do their best or seeking ways to improve. Rief is making a statement outloud that teachers need to understand may result with zero positive gain.
If we, as teachers, pursue a better understanding of what it means to teach meaningful purposeful writing, then we are expected to be both, teacher and researcher. Rief is correct by questioning, "How do I shape those beliefs into sound practices in the classroom?" Students invisibly demand our acceptance; our understanding, our thoughts have an immense impact on how students may decide to continue to interact in the academic environment. If students are to demonstrate understanding of a concept through writing, then educators must respect their efforts.
Rief states, "Writing is thinking" which is a way of communicating everything about ourself, and what we know. With that said, "unique" is what Rief is meaning. Writers are unique as their writing. However, in order for anyone to improve as a writer, we must read. Writers need to know what areas of their writing needs improvement, without the necessary feedback from the teacher, improvement is limited.
Ending with a punch, Rief recommends teachers to comment with feedback on what the writer did well and to highlight the needed tools to strengthen the writer's writing. In the quotable quotes, Rief includes a comment by Donald Graves, "If you provide frequent occasions for writing, then the students start to think about writing when they are not doing it. I call it a state of constant composition." What do you think?

Calkins: "Conferring" and "Learning to Confer" (Ch. 13-14)

Getting students to take another look at their own writing for the purpose of improving their writing is an on-going challenge for all teachers. Lucy Calkins does a great job describing how she uses experienced thinking to get her students to look again at their own writing--understanding that revision can mean improvement and put life in their writing. But, what Calkins does do is give teachers insightful ways of transferring the idea of empowerment to students. Here, students learn how to become helpful to each other as well as begin their own journey to independent writing; students are quick to learn how to ask 'questions' that excites the student-writer's answers to paper!
"I'm done." A common response of students in the classroom says Calkins. True. Again, Calkins guides teachers to look beyond the writing and listen to the writer. Calkins continues to remind teachers when you conferr with students to keep "only one thing in mind... allowing our students to become critical readers."
Calkins goes on to explain that at times we as teachers need only to respond. Perhaps, listening first with a sincere sense of what the writer is trying to express, keeping in mind to be respectful of their feelings and if the time is right, offer a suggestion.
The types of conferences: content, design, process, and evaluation all have a place and time to use with students. The result of using the varying conferences while carefully paying attention to how teachers use these conferences with student-writers will increase their confidence as writers and the purpose of their writing.

Harper: "Writer's Toolbox"

Laura Harper is matter-of-fact when she questions the effectiveness of writing workshop with her students. Generally speaking, teachers take great care to make sure all the materials are needed for the students ready to use during the lesson. Harper was just as careful to equip her students with those materials, so she thought. In this case, Harper discovered when it came to helping students understand how to make changes in their writing, it would take a step-out-of-the-box experience. Harper expressed her heartfelt challenges of getting 'all' of her students to understand that changing their writing to be more meaningful meant more than just changing words and neater writing.
What I respect of Harper and other authors alike was the attitude she took when seeking researched guidance practice; Barry Lane, author "After the End" provided the toolbox of engaging tools she needed for her students to use for demonstrating their understanding of what writing revision sounded and looked like. I agree! After witnessing the effectiveness of using these five tools of revision in our NIWP class, it is a win-win for students to get hooked on writing!
Not only does Harper credit Lane, but includes established colleagues of this thinking philosophy such as: Nancy Atwell, Sharon Creech, Janet Emig as well as other authors Gary Soto and Gary Paulsen. What is incredible about individuals like Lane and others is what the research reveals; success for the students and the teachers.

Warne articles: "Writing Steps" and "Teaching Conventions"

How do the sophomore students continue to improve on their ISAT scores in Language Arts and still manage to proficiently demonstrate effective writing? For that matter, how does a teacher keep students focused on the goal of passing their ISAT in addition to keeping students motivated in learning how their writing is just as important? English high school teacher, Bonnie Mary Warne managed to do just that!
Freewriting on the first day of school, Warne recognized immediately that her students needed improvement in their writing skills. Warne's thought was her students should be writing on grade level. Additionally, Warne was so opened when she expressed how she allowed the state mandated assessment to drive what she taught. I am sure many educators feel that way and continue to grapple with the idea of finding how to find a resolution to best fits the needs of their students. Thank you Warne for being persistent in seeking ways to enrich your students' writing skills and allowing your students to take ownership of this value as well. Warne balances the equation of teaching strategies plus student purpose to achieve the outcome learning goals of her students. I am sure the students who pass through Warne's classroom leave with gained confidence and a new sense of respectful awareness in the important role of using writing to tell their stories effectively,
Lastly, I deeply appreciate Warne's dedication and high standard of research practices in the area of how to teach students to write and find their voice.

I Am From

I am from the mocajete,
from my mother's family kitchen used to grind
the fresh red and green peppers to delicately flavor the dinner salsa
and zested with lime and cilantro from the family garden.

I am from a vibrant and culture of wonder.
(voice of the mariachi, artisans abound.)

I am from the lands of Segovia and Guadalajara,
although miles apart
connected together with a cultural heart, I recall
the story quietly whispered as my eyes close when little.

I'm from the avocado and the Spanish guitar,
from Leonardo and Maria.
I'm from the running of the bulls
and the Pancho Villas,
from grathias and gracias.
I'm from the Most Holy, my Savior of my soul
with a peace of only His knowing
and a book of unlimited value...a gift for you and myself.

I'm from an ocean and a Gulf,
empadas and tortillas.
I am from the countries my parents loved
to a new land seeding new life
my father and my mother embraced.

At the foot of my bed lived a special doll,
smiling, always smiling,
a new set of clothes I awoke to daily,
but hoping I would awake to a special dress
(a crisp white dress and a special hat with a black stripe...just like my mothers)

I am from those special-special moments
of past, present, and the future... mi familia-
Yo soy de los momentos especiales..
Yo soy de mi familia especial.