Summer Camp The "Write Way" by Kathy Halsey

 

Welcome to nErdcamp!

As you look at your summer schedule, you might want to add camping to your bucket list for fun. Not just any camp . . .nErdcamp! Nerd camps have been around for quite a few years now, and they're a great way to connect with librarians, educators, other authors and illustrators in a more relaxed manner. After all you might run into a bear like we did last year at the inaugural nErdDCamp Ohio!

nErDcampOH features friendly bears!

From the officlal NerdCamp site, these “free professional development and literacy events” are held virtually or in-person. They’re “organized independently and they are hosted all over the country.” For authors they are a great way to soft launch a new presentation one might be tweaking, or a way to mingle and connect with dedicated educators and even pick up few school visits.

 

Perhaps one of the longest running nErdcamps is in Parma, Michigan. My partner in all things kid lit, Lindsay Bonilla and I have attended both the last camp in Michigan and Ohio’s first camp last summer. More established events attract hundreds of literati (We met Jason Reynolds, CeCe Bell, Josh Funk, Miranda and Baptiste Paul) while newer camps may suit first-timers better. Sadly, nErDcampMI disbanded but the crowds and energy were palpable! ( Shoutout to Colby Sharp and Donalyn Miller, the founders of  the MI event! Thank you for all the years!) All staff are volunteers and camps are usually located in larger school districts in the summer.

The Last nErDcamp MI

Besides the bear, Lindsay remembers “a special synergy that happens when so many people who love children AND books come together! Like a conference, there are many different sessions happening concurrently. But, at nErD camp, if you start in one session and discover it’s not a good fit for you or if there are two sessions happening simultaneously that you really wanted to attend, you are encouraged to leave, and no one is offended. There are usually SO many great sessions happening that this is very freeing!

Kathy and Lindsay & Photobomber Bear

Attendees Recall the Benefits of Nerd Camps

Patricia Newman remembers attending a Vermont nErdcamp where the participants voted on the topics in the morning. She says, “The sessions were informal - no slides, no panels - and all attendees contributed. I'd call each session more of a discussion than a presentation. For most of the sessions, we sat in a circle. I liked the whole vibe of a mutual sharing of ideas.”

Sherry Hyberger Howard shared her experiences, recalling,”a guaranteed audience of people interested in books and authors. Unlike, say, a bookstore event where you may get only a few people not even super interested. The enthusiasm is palpable with Nerd Camp—you’re with soulmates who love you.”

Ohio author Keila Dawson has presented at virtual nErDCamps in different states, but she plans to attend Ohio’s in-person this summer.  For virtual camps, Keila says, “ I've never received feedback from viewers, so there's no way to tell if educators found panels informative. However, organizers always send their appreciation! I do recall one of the camps shared a survey of topics educators were interested in before the event and that was very helpful for me as an author when assembling a panel.”

Nancy Churnin’s attended Pennsylvania's camp a couple of times and will be doing two panels for nErDCampPA July 14 (both online). She enjoyed nErDCampLI ( Long Island) in person, remembering “lots of fun, lots of camaraderie, a chance to bond and connect with educators and fellow kidlit creators in a relaxed and informal way!”

Have you attended a Nerd Camp yet? Or will you this year? Name the camp and share your experience in the comments below!

Smithsonian Learning Lab ~ by Christy Mihaly

Did you know you can gain access to more than one million images, recordings, and texts from the collections of the world's largest museum, education, and research complex? Whether you're a writer, an educator, a curious mind, or just looking for some fascinating procrastination . . . check out  the Smithsonian Learning Lab. 

You don't have to live near Washington, D.C. to browse the extensive collections of the Smithsonian Institution. This national resource is open to anyone with an internet connection. A visit to the Smithsonian's web pages enables you to see material from 19 museums and galleries, 9 major research centers, and the National Zoo -- woo! 

But if you want to really play with these national collections, sign up for the Learning Lab. Joining Learning Lab is a two-step process but it doesn't take long, and the reward is that you'll be able not only to delve into the Smithsonian's vaults, but also to organize your own online collections of images and resources. The Learning Lab, according to the Smithsonian, is a toolkit that facilitates users' finding, customizing, and sharing digital museum resources. 

As a demo project, I input "Halloween" in the search box on the Learning Lab site. Such a search will generally retrieve images of various artifacts, articles, and videos relevant to the queried topic. My search identified not only a myriad of resources, but also two Learning Lab collections related to Halloween that had already been created. The first, by a Smithsonian employee, curated 46 "spooky delights and dark treasures" from the vaults including vintage Halloween greeting cards, postage stamps, and spooky artwork. The other collection, created by a member, focused on "Frankenstein." Specifically, it included a series of images of Frankenstein's "creature" over time, showing how our conception of the monster has evolved. Cool!

Then I created my own collection. Making your own a collection could be useful in keeping track of research for a book or other research project. It can also be tons of fun. My Halloween collection included photographs from the 1940s of children's Halloween parties. I was intrigued by the kids' costumes (think witches, gypsies, and vagabonds -- no superheroes). I also perused an array of Halloween-themed articles from Smithsonian Magazine, covering topics from tips on science-themed costume ideas to a description of President Gerald Ford's 1975 "Halloween Massacre." (The latter, for those too young to remember, involved little blood but much reshuffling of White House personnel.)

The Learning Lab, launched in the summer of 2016, seeks both to help educators utilize the Smithsonian's resources in their lesson plans, and to facilitate online collaboration. About 100 teachers helped develop the toolkit. Members sign up to post and share collections, quizzes, and assignments. From the home page, a member has three options: Discover (to search the archives); Create (to put together customized collections, lesson plans, and notes); and Share (to post collections, invite students to participate in quizzes, etc.) Check it out!

Special thanks to super-educator, Susan Koch, for pointing me in the direction of the Smithsonian Learning Lab. I invite GROG readers to sign on at the Learning Lab and share in the comments what you discover there. Enjoy!

Learning While Uncomfortable: Teacher and Explorer Susan Koch Shares Insights from the Arctic Circle ~ by Christy Mihaly

Welcome back! It's August, and thus our thoughts turn to the eternal question:

What did you do on your summer vacation?

First Grade Teacher Susan Koch on the icy sea in Svalbard, Norway

As writers, educators, artists, and librarians, GROG readers know it's important to s-t-r-e-t-c-h . . . to find fresh inspiration, especially over the summer months.

Today we'll talk with an educator who went outside of her comfort zone this summer—way outside. First grade teacher Susan Koch—Vermont's 2016 Teacher of the Year—traveled to the Arctic! She participated in the National Geographic Society's Grosvenor Teacher Fellow Program, which sponsored her voyage aboard the National Geographic Explorer to Svalbard, Norway, "Land of the Ice Bears."

Susan and I sat down to chat about her amazing, all-expenses-paid adventure.

What Susan Saw!

CM: Congratulations, Susi, on being a Grosvenor Fellow! What does the program involve?

SK: Thanks! The Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship is a two-year experience. Each year, 35 educators (from an applicant pool of about 500) are named to participate in a Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic voyage. Then, we bring what we learn out there back into the classroom. The Grosvenor program is a gift from Sven Lindblad, the owner of the expedition company, to honor a long-time educator and leader of the National Geographic Society, Gil Grosvenor. Two or three Fellows sail on select voyages, along with paying guests and staff. The Fellows participate in the onshore hikes, onboard programs, meals, and every aspect of the expedition.

Susan Koch's map, marked to show her route aboard the Explorer

CM: Which expedition did you sail on?

Susan Koch (right) in Svalbard with
her Grosvenor Fellow colleague Caitlin MacLeod-Bluver

SK: I was assigned to travel on the National Geographic Explorer for ten days in June. We journeyed around Svalbard, a group of islands in the Arctic Ocean. We spent eleven days north of the Arctic Circle; one day we sailed past the 80th parallel north, almost to the North Pole.

My roommate on the trip, Caitlin, is a teacher of recent immigrants in Boston. We were a good pair.

CM: What kind of training did you receive?

Walrus in Svalbard

SK: In March, this year's group met at the National Geographic headquarters in Washington, D.C. to learn about the program and ideas about following up the experience with classroom lessons and public presentations. We met staff from Nat Geo and Lindblad, including Nat Geo photographers, shared tips on cold-weather gear, trip preparation, and photography, and connected with other Fellows.

CM: What are some memorable aspects of your voyage to the Arctic?

SK: It's actually hard to find the words to describe the experience, and the vastness of that landscape. But I've been trying.

Here are some highlights:

Polar Bear on the Ice (eating seal blubber)

Polar bears. The ship sailed really close to bears hunting on the ice. The ice floats on the ocean, and we could watch the bears jumping between sheets of ice. In one day, we saw 13 adult bears and 4 cubs. We saw bears eating  the blubber from seals they'd killed. At the same time, we were learning from the trip naturalists about the bears' lives and the food chain, and how threatened the bears are by climate change. It brings it all home when you're seeing them on the melting ice. We actually saw a dead, starved bear on the beach—if bears come ashore, it means they're lacking a food source. That was a powerful image, reminding us how precarious their situation is.

View from the Porthole of Susan's Cabin onboard the Explorer

Light. We had 24 hours of sunlight. It's weird how disorienting that is. The combination of the light and the excitement of being on the ship and hearing the captain announcing another wildlife sighting made it very hard to sleep, or keep a regular schedule. In fact, on June 21, the ship's chef, who is Swedish, prepared a special traditional midsummer dinner, but it was hard to convince people to come in from the ship's deck to eat, because there were so many animals to see. Even the staff was super excited to see the bears, the walruses, and the seals.

Susan with her Kindness Rock in Montpelier

Kindness rocks. As part of the Grosvenor program, some teachers bring tokens from home, to connect their adventure with their classrooms and students. My community, Montpelier, had participated in the Kindness Rocks Project, painting stones with inspirational messages and distributing them around town. I brought a painted rock on my voyage, and I asked guests to pose with it in various places during the trip. It was fun to see how both kids and adults were excited to hold the rock and participate in the project.

A young guest (traveling with his grandparents) 
shows off the Kindness Rock

CM: Okay, I have to ask: How the heck did you get so lucky as to go on this trip?

SK: It all started about two years ago, when I was nominated as Teacher of the Year. Initially I hesitated to go through the TOTY application process. I basically think all teachers should be recognized, and one shouldn't be raised up above others. But then my mother reminded me that she'd listened to me say that teachers don't have a voice in public debates. "This is a chance to speak up for teachers," she reminded me. I realized she was right.

Svalbard Ice

I'm so glad I took that leap, because being named Vermont's 2016 Teacher of the Year led to amazing, eye-opening opportunities. I met passionate, engaged teachers from all over the country. It was inspiring to find this community of people who love teaching as much as I do. We participated in educational programs—NASA Space Camp was awesome—and shared ideas and resources. And of course, a highlight of the year was meeting President Obama at the White House.

What a Thrill:
Vermont TOTY Susan Koch and President Obama at the White House

That TOTY recognition made me realize how much we grow when we seek out new experiences, and put me on the path of seeking out challenges. It also expanded my horizons, taught me about the educational opportunities available, and sparked my interest in a global connection. So, when I read on my Twitter feed about the Grosvenor Fellow program, I wanted to apply right away. I love getting kids outside to learn in nature and I've worked hard to develop and sustain an outdoor education program in the Montpelier public schools. The National Geographic Fellowship fits in with those interests, and promotes geographic literacy.

Ice Bear in Svalbard

I'd encourage other interested teachers to apply. Just check out the website, here, for information. (Note that starting this year, applicants must be "National Geographic Certified Educators." We're planning a separate post about that next month on GROG.)

CM: Okay, now for the wrap-up, Susi: What new insights did you bring back from the Arctic?

SK: I've been thinking about two things:

Svalbard Reindeer

The first is that the best learning happens when we’re a little bit uncomfortable. It’s not easy for us to do, but it's important to leave your comfort zone and appreciate a different perspective.

Bear on Ice

The second is that the trip has made global warming feel more immediate and real to me. We observed glaciers that had shrunk by as much as seven miles in recent years. When you're in the Arctic Circle, it's just so clear that we need to take action to address climate change. If we do nothing, nothing will improve. As I tell my students, each of us can (and must) do something.



CM: Thanks so much for sharing your experience and lessons learned with GROG, Susi.
And teachers: I hope you'll check out the Grosvenor Teacher Fellow program! (More on that in GROG's September 14 post.)

Kindness Rock and lichen of Svalbard

ReFoReMo ~By Suzy Leopold

Calling all picture book writers! Grab your writer's toolbox, a journal to take notes and your favorite pen. It's time for some picture book research. 

ReFoReMo

WHO? Picture Book Writers 

Fiction and Nonfiction

WHAT? Reading For Research Month

A writing challenge to help you reform your writing and learn how to use mentor texts. 

WHEN? March 1st through March 31st 

Registration opens February 15, 2015

To kick off the event prior to registration and be eligible for some prizes consider spreading the news through social media. To find out how to do so and enter for prizes go to ReFoReMo.

WHERE? Your choice for a favorite place to read and write.

WHY? Whether you are an experienced published author or a writer who is honing the craft of writing, you will find that studying and researching the newest picture books on the market is an excellent tool to have in your writer's toolbox.

HOW? Reading and researching mentor texts. Both fiction and nonfiction picture books. Recently published, highly recommended picture books will be studied.

A Tall Stack of Mentor Texts

Authors, educators, and librarians will share daily posts along with recommendations for five quality picture books. Inspiration, tips and excellent book recommendations will be made.

Read more about this upcoming event at ReFoReMo and find out who the twenty-eight guests are. Wow! What a line up!

Mark your calendars for this upcoming event! You won't want to miss it. Thank you, Carrie! 

Carrie Charley Brown

Writing Marathon Part 1 by Marcie Flinchum Atkins

What is a Writing Marathon?

A running marathon is just a smidge over 26 miles. I got the idea of doing a writing marathon at school with my students while listening to a podcast about NaNoWriMo. I don't usually participate in NaNoWriMo, but I do participate in PiBoIdMo, where I devote the whole month to brainstorming picture book ideas. Several years in a row, I also participated in the PictureBook Marathon during the month of February. The goal was to do write 26 picture book drafts (no matter how bad they were) in 28 days, with two days of rest.

Pushing yourself through a challenge can really make you realize that you can do more than you ever thought possible.

So I put all of these ideas together and tweaked it to make it applicable to fourth and fifth grade students. I wanted them to get a sense of accomplishment that comes with pushing yourself in an area that sometimes can be challenging.

One of the things we noticed as teachers is that students lacked fluency and stamina in writing. For instance, it's hard to get them to persevere for longer than 10-15 minutes in writing.

I knew that from my own writing, in the beginning, when you start to make writing a habit, some days it's hard to get more than a paragraph out. But as you write each and every day, it gets easier and easier to get more words out. It builds your writing muscle.

Creating a Writing Marathon for Students

Who Participates?

I created the writing marathon for fourth and fifth grade students, but you could do this with younger kids or adult writers. In fact, if you are a writer, I challenge you to try this out for yourself.

If you are a teacher who wants to do this at your school, you need to do this WITH your students. It will help you see just how hard it is to push through every day for 26 days. You will become more empathetic when kids are struggling to write, and at the end, you will also accomplish something for yourself.

When is the Marathon?

I set it up in February because it's a short month, and nowhere near the beginning-of-school-craziness, the holiday madness, or the end-of-the-year testing nightmare. February is quiet. And it's a great way to get through one the worst days of winter.

I set ours up before school. School begins at 8:00am, but doors open for students at 7:30am. If students wanted to participate at school with a group, then I met them in the library every morning and wrote with them.

Students could also do it at home, but with so many after school activities, sports, and homework, this sometimes made students get bogged down with other things.

There is something special about writing while still a bit sleepy.

How to Create an Atmosphere

My principal purchased granola bars for our writing marathon. Students came in, grabbed a granola bar, if they wanted one, and a computer. I had soft classical music playing. I highly recommend soft music. It minimizes and sometimes eliminates socializing, and it provides a soothing atmosphere.

Sometimes, as writers we need cues to start. Much like knowing when to come out for your part in the play, you need to know "this is when I write." The music is on, I have something to eat, let's get busy.

How do you create an atmosphere conducive to writing for yourself or your students? Leave a comment below.

This series was originally posted on Marcie Atkins' website. It is the first in a 3-part series.

Wednesday's post will feature writing marathon resources.

Friday's post will feature impact on writers.