Finally, it's done

After quite a bit of hemming and hawing and second-guessing, I made what could be argued was the best decision of my life in moving our family back to Nevada County a little over a month ago.

You can't blame me for all of the deliberation: after all, Daniel and I had it pretty well made in Chico. But that was before I knew how well we would have it here. And my job is only one part of this scenario, just as it's only one part of my life. Anyone who knows me knows I love to work. I do. But I also love to eat and be merry with my family after school. I love to play yahtzee. And watch movies (when I can stay up that late). And read.

Shock and Awe

I'm as shocked as the next teacher that summer is quickly drawing to a close. Granted, the surprise factor should eventually diminish--this does happen every year, after all--but it never does cease to shock me into action. And thank goodness for that, because it's going to take a lot of action to get Daniel and I ready for the new school year.

There are only a million ways I need to catch up before August 14th, the first official day of school. Luckily, one of them is not in the home. I have no housework left to do. The garage is pristine, the yard impeccable. Not a weed in sight. And if you believe that, I've got some oceanfront property for you, yada, yada.

Daniel has been with his dad for a number of days now and this time away has felt so different. This summer as a whole has been completely different. I tentatively started work on my very own book rather than doing extra assignment for the district. I worked hard in my yard, but not the hardest. I inadvertently blew volleyball completely off for the summer and while this in itself is a little shocking, it doesn't actually upset me, which is (you guessed it) shocking.

Library News Can Sometimes Be Exhilarating

This morning Daniel and I read that the county library has just been allocated an additional 195,000 for 2008. This news makes me think that the universe sometimes makes a whole lot of sense. Because as the article suggests, there were approx. 100 Friends of the library in attendance, and as motley as we are, library supporters have one thing in common--they have a passion for their libraries. It seems that the Board took all things into consideration and made an excellent decision. How I love reporting this.

Kudos to Derek Wolfgram and the Friends of the Libraries for organizing such support, and kudos to the Board of Supervisors for doing the right thing. I can't describe how good it feels for having been a small part of this decision-making process. I figure it's a good idea to write the Board a thank you note, then we'll be off to the library.

In other news, Wimbledon is on rain delay. Big surprise.

Software and Implementation: Oh, My.

I love our age of hyper-technology, I really and truly do. I love talking with people about technology. I love looking closely at new technologies and wondering how quickly I might be able to use them if I had one in my possession.

I even love the problems that are an inherent part of getting from purchase to implementation and even better, actual use by mortals. I really do. I love troubleshooting. I love checking my email during the summer--several times a day. Sure. I do. I actually do.

Technology makes me feel connected and even enabled me to behave like a real citizen this past Tuesday. Technology allowed me to write a good-looking letter of support for the Butte Co. Library system. It enabled me to quickly learn the whereabouts of the Board of Supervisors meeting and the designated meeting time. I was even able to pull up a digital map and have some confidence about my destination. At the meeting, technology allowed the Chief Administative Assistant (is there an oxymoron in there, somewhere?) to make a glowing .ppt that really did look pretty darn good and digestable for just about anyone in attendance.

Note to self: technology is good.

But there is something else that we need to hold on to, here, and tightly, and that's common sense. Nothing in the techno realm resembles common sense, not even a little bit. Students are not famous for being great evaluators of web information, for one example, and many adults aren't all that much savvier.

And because so much technology is so new, you naturally have in any given microcosm a great disparity between the techno-philes and -phobes. And with developments at the speed of DSL the chasm grows in what can be for some a scary-fast way.

But the only response is to paddle as fast as we can and grab a little flotsam along the way, even if we don't nail the buoy on the first try.

It's about time we had a countdown

Special Topics in Calamity Physics

Please, please read this book. I need someone to talk to. If you have read this book, please email me.

It's Almost As If I'm Calmer

It is truly amazing what a few days off can do for a librarian who really did need them (and her devoted fam of one son).

Reading feels great these days, and gardening feels even better, go figure. Lots to discuss with friends, including a potential relocation that shocked the living hell out of everyone I knew, including me.

See, there was this cherry position in Orinda, CA (and if you are a librarian living in the area, by all means you should apply because this position is going to ROCK). But the commute scene is not for me, and despite the fact that I was graciously offered said position, I was not prepared to return to coin laundry for the sake of any job, however much deep learning I might have done there. And for the record, it would have been deep. Here's the scenario: one library connected to one tech lab. Two aides, 25 hours in each location/week. Awe-inspiring and I so wanted to be the one to take it on, but again, could not see a place for Daniel and I to land that could in any way compare to the quality of life that we enjoy here in Chico.

Yes, it's hot here. Yes, there are some garden-variety rednecks in the vicinity (need proof? How about the pickup truck with 12" letters that spelled "WHITE BOY" (caps not mine). How about the pickup trucks (spotting a trend, here?) that continue to sport the confederate flag rather than a front license plate? Who in the hell are these people? And what in the hell are they thinking?

As for a book review, I'll get to that, I really will. Read Theodosia as soon as you can, though, I see her in the running for the book of the year next year. And if I haven't posted my deep and abiding love for Rick Riordan's work here, please see my review of Titan's Curse here:

The School Year Does in Fact Draw to a Close

The school year ends--should Daniel and I go to the end-of-year party or the fair? Or both? Such difficult decisions!

The end of the year also means decisions in the library: what are the most important projects to finish, which ones can wait until August, and in my case, nevermind because the laptop is 99 percent dead and unless the local heroes can resurrect it, there'll be no culminating projects for me!

But there will continue to be reading, summer reading to be particular, and I want all the kids to be doing as much as they can this summer. I still believe Trelease when he says that talking about a book is the way to go. I wonder whether there would be a way to stay in touch with a blog or something. We've been working on getting a Google group together for the district group and it keeps having glitches. Bet the kids could work around it. I am going to talk to a principal or two and get a sense.

In the meantime, I have to tell you about The One about the Kid Who Nearly Fell to His Death and Landed in California. Junior High content but quite excellent.


Jill

Too Rad

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Teaching with Technology

One thing I have learned is that learning can be controversial, at least it's difficult for all of us educators to agree on what exactly precipitates "getting our learn on."

See this video about technology in the classroom: http://t4.jordan.k12.ut.us/t4/content/view/221/35/. Not everyone on the listserv loved it, and there was some good debate about using technology for technology's sake. My take is that this is probably a great time to err on the side of too much rather than not enough, and it'll still be less than the students would prefer.

The learning curve is not always comfortable for us teachers but we have an obligation to meet our digital kids a good part of the way. Yes, it's fair to say that it's tough to teach kids with a game boy attention span. What doesn't make sense to me is believing that somehow this might change and we'll be back to our pre-game boy selves, here, soon. I am going to do better, I am.

On an up note, you gotta see Mrs. Burk rap about measurement on TeacherTube: http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=9e471f4d180b08d62b00

Lucy Rose Here's the Thing About Me (by Katy Kelly)

Great book, one-day read, cute as can be. Lucy Rose is a little older than Junie B. and a little wiser, too.

Just look at the way she works the guinea pig angle with her teacher, Mr. Welsh. Break after break, she watches the pig travel to her classmates' homes rather than her own. Finally, a well-written letter does the trick and Jake travels to his rightful (if temporary) home.

But don't expect a whole lot of fluff with Lucy Rose. She's dealing with some seriously tough stuff, not the least of which her parents' seperation, which means a cross-country move away from her father. Lucky for Lucy Rose, she has a fabulous extended family waiting in Washington D.C., complete with an agony aunt for a grandmother.

Illustrations by Adam Rex were certainly a welcome surprise. There are very few books that have captivated me for the length of time that Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich has. That man has more talent in human form than seems rightfully fair.

This book managed to fully cheer me up today after a freak accident with a butcher knife which translated into two hours in prompt care with five stitches on my heel (not delicious).

That in itself should be review enough.

The KidLit Blogosphere

Let's just say it's a bit busy. And I feel behind. Constantly. And a little ADD while I'm at it, reading review after review, popping titles into orders, watching videos (I think Mr. Rogers from Fuse8 was the real reason I started this bloomin' thing, anyway, thanks go to both parties).

But the Kidlit Blogosphere is also a beautiful land, a land where it's implied that children are an important subset of this rather challenged society of ours--an important group of people (albeit a bit small in stature) that can actually help us all along if we would only give them some neat tools to do so. I'm seeing some awfully smart people who are reading an awful lot of text out here, despite all those freaky end-of-the-printed-word warnings we've been hearing on and off since the introduction of the printing press. I'm pretty comforted by this fact.

Books help children help us, of this much I am sure. I feel like there is nothing more beautiful feeling (aside from smelling flowers, maybe, I'm a huge fan of flowers) than reading to a child or having a child read to you--or best yet, having a child read a book and be moved enough to discuss it with you, or--control my dopamine--with another child.

Oprah that book, says Trelease, and you've got it made. Kids do what feels good, adults are no different. Give them books that feel good to read and they will naturally return for more. You'll see a lot of Jim Trelease in this blog now and in the future--he has had such an effect on my practice that I was willing to have several mini-strokes in bringing him to Chico this past January. Listening to him speak to three audiences for a combined 5 hours certainly made it worth the effort. Listening to teachers report back with changes in their classroom as a result of his visit obviously undoes any mental damage done. I even have one school site that has installed raingutters as a direct result of Jim's visit. See what I'm talking about here: http://www.trelease-on-reading.com/rah_chpt6_p4.html#rain-gutter.

Off to school at this point. I can easily see how this blogging thing can get a touch addictive.

Quite a Shock, really

I find it awe-inspiring that an ordinary Jill such as myself can go ahead and create a blogger account and, well, start.

Here I am, starting.

And hoping that I can make someone read more this year, even if it's only me.

Cheers to readers everywhere, especially readers who read to children in a loving way.

You're going to heaven!