The Creature from the Black Lagoon

Tears hide at the eye's sharp corners.

Sorrow reveals the creases, buried

in skin, between the ground and mourners.

Gathered like weeds, submerged and ferried.

The current ties the sodden stalks 'tween

ankles, flipping memories: black lagoon

creature with opal eyes and fins of green

mohawk feathers.  Death swims naked in moon

shadows, brushing my thighs with whispery

nails.

Leaving reminders, scratches, contam-

inated,with trace 'neath finger nails, matches

the DNA of sin from Adam's slam

against his Eve.  The clumps, soil detaching

marks creation's fall.  Leaving tears in veils,

drowning death daily, with rusty red nails.

More thoughts on talking to a Paraglider from NY

The dreams were free at night.  I'd launch my 5 year old body(?) off gray shingles that left silvers in my bottom when I'd slide myself down the roof.  Below the peak of the barn roof was a haystack half as tall as the peak.  I'd soar off that roof and try to touch the clouds.  I would do swirls, twirls, somersaults and cartwheel through the air.  It was easy, and it was freeing.  I remember feeling the pure joy of flying, not in the black night of dreams but in the cerulean blue of hot Kansas skies.

The dreams were so real to me I actually thought I did fly at night while I was sleeping.  The dreams occurred with regularity and became something I always looked forward to at night.  I was never scared, and I never fell to the ground.

I don't remember how old I was when the dreams stopped.  Life just kind of got in the way and anchored me to the earth.  Daddy got sick.  We moved off the farm to Lincoln, KS.  Daddy died.  We moved to Salina, KS.  With each year the chains of gravity kept me grounded, and I forgot all about the dreams of flying.

It wasn't until after I was married and started having children that an aunt of Pat's talked to me about her dreams of flying.  Estelle, also had dreams of flying when she was young in Iowa.  We compared stories, and once again I remembered the thrill of soaring through the air and the wonder of the earth below.

I often wonder what those dreams symbolized for me.  Estell really believed she flew.  Did I?  It was so real and so natural in my dreams.  It was a time in my life where sorrow had not touched me.

This year I attended a dinner for the paragliders racing in the Woodrat Paragliding race at Fiasco Winery in Ruch.  Sitting next to me was a man from New York who had flown Paragliders all over the world.  He encouraged me to try a tandem flight.  I mentioned to him my dreams of flight as a child.  He told me that people who have those dreams usually wind up paragliding.

HUMMMM.

That got me to thinking. I thought of flying.  I thought of the symbolism ripe in the act of flying with a paraglider.  I thought of turkey vultures and how they use the thermals to kettle.  I wondered how paragliders got from Woodrat to Grants Pass and back again.  I was intrigued by the whole idea of comparing and contrasting my childhood flights with the act of paragliding  today.

I tried my hand at a sonnet because I've also been thinking about William Wordsworth.  I combined my thoughts of flying with the craft of writing a sonnet.  Sonnets are HARD work!  It's like Sudoku for my brain!  I'm not too fond of my results, but I like the difficulty and challenge of writing in iambic pentameter and rhyming.

I'm currently working on a free verse with the same theme.  Maybe someday I will take the venture and do a tandem paragliding ride.  I think I should in honor of that happy, free spirit of a child I was back on the barn roof, launching my body skyward!

On Talking to a Paraglider from New York in form

In nights of dreams, the clouds fly high above

barn steeples, grazing hay, and toeing trees,

as westward blades of windmills list, shove

the wisps amongst the limbs.  The lee

of slope running on shingles gray with age.

The step I take : a foot launch, lifts the wing.

I kettle up the core, Vario gage

beeping .  Dew creates bases. Arms I fling

to catch my cloud quay.  Unstable as Geier

in flight.  I fear not dreams of flying high

to heaven.  Gravity of dust, flyer

in hell of air foil collapsing. I die 

of trees and rooted rock, awake and bound

once more, in beds of iron, and chains of ground.

My Hero, Southern Oregon Subaru

I forgot to mention on the freeway when I was stuck I also got a visit from the State police.  Officer Freeman was quite the hoot and could do Standup comedy if he wanted too!  I was well cared for stuck on that freeway!

Today I got my car back.  They said the hose camps had slipped off and sprayed all my transmission fluid out.  Nothing was damaged.  Thank God.  They fixed it all, no charge and detailed my car.  Wow, Southern Oregon Subaru came through with flying colors!  Shannon, my service person, was awesome! She is my Super hero!

  A happy ending for my car adventure.

Me and My Car

Car Troubles and the single woman part 2:

Last week I was on a mission with my car. I've been dreading it because I feel so inadequate around car maintenance stuff.  In fact, I had kind of a revelation about cars, myself and my ex husband last week.

I digress here. 

 I have always felt insecure being the one to drive people around.  I usually defer to them to drive.  I realized it's because my ex had always complained about my driving. In the early part of the marriage he rarely let me drive and if he did it was white knuckled with gasps.  Later in the marriage he had to let me drive because he was drinking.  After awhile I got kind of a toughen attitude about it.  Did he want  me to drive so he could drink?  Fine, then he could just suffer through it.

Unfortunately, the boys picked up on his phobia and when they got to be teenagers they also mocked my driving.  Yes, I did slide on black ice and wind up in the ditch on Sterling Creek. (Doesn't everyone who lives up there slide on Hayes corner?) It was one time in 30 years.  Yes, I have hit a couple of deer, or they hit me I should say.  (They have a tendency to run into people's cars) But Pat hit deer too.  (Doesn't everyone on Sterling Creek hit a deer sometime?)  I could list all the times and mishaps of everyone in the family.  My mishaps were no greater than theirs. Yet I was left with the insecure feeling about my driving, so hence I let other people drive.

I will admit I did let Pat take care of the car stuff.  He reminded me to get oil changes.  He took care of tires  So when I became single I knew this area would be a challenge for me.  I've been pretty good about the oil changes.  I like the way the Subaru Service Dept treats me.  I have a woman who takes care of me so I don't feel put down by a man for my ignorance.

About a month ago I noticed a gouge in the sidewall of one of my tires. Yes I know, don't berate me, it was my doing for parking or rubbing up against some kind of barrier.  I was dreading this because I knew with a Subaru being an all wheel drive I would probably have to replace ALL 4 TIRES!  It worked out that I only had to replace one, and it was warranted so it was free!

The next item on my list was an oil change, and I thought I was due for my next maintenance.  Fortunately it was not due for another 3000, and all I needed was an oil change.  I did mention that I noticed my air conditioning wasn't blowing cold or my heater hot.

Now I'm not a total air head.  I do check my gages.  I glance out my mirrors periodically while driving. I don't answer my phone when it rings while I am driving, and I don't text while driving.  I had noticed nothing strange except for the heating and cooling system.

My radiator was dry.  I did not notice the car running hot.  So now I've added sniffing to identify radiator fluid and checking for puddles under the car to my routines.  I replaced my radiator a week ago.  You can BET I'm watching that GAGE!

Which comes to my Sunday stuck on the Freeway.

I got gas and was heading to Central Point on the Freeway to go swimming at my friend's house.  Midway between the South and North Medford exits I glanced into my rear view window and saw black smoke. CRAP.  (I know that is not good.)  I checked my gages.  Nothing.  Everything was reading normal.  I looked out again.  Yep.  Black Smoke.  About then I notice I could no longer accelerate.  I coasted for a ways to get to a safe place to pull over.  Then I called my friends the Nelson's to come get Queenie out of the heat.

The next panic was where did I put the towing information?  I knew my insurance paid for towing.  I started digging though the glove box.  I had old bills from the insurance company, but I could not remember the name of the Car Care.  

About this time I hear a knock on my window, and I look up, and there are 4 firefighters and a fire truck behind me!  I guess someone had reported my car on fire.  They were very nice and popped my hood, checked my engine, asked if I had water for the dog and myself, and if I needed any help.  I assured them I was calling the tow company and my friends were on the way.  They told me it looked like I had lost all my transmission fluid.  Great.

I called Subaru to tell them I was having my car towed there, and I asked if I could get a loaner car.  I kind of got hemmed and hawed about that.   My friends showed up and Perry, who is a jack of all trades, looked at my engine and pointed out how my hoses from the radiator to the transmission were all popped off.  (I was wondering if this might have something to do with them replacing my radiator a week ago?)

The tow truck showed up and towed me to Subaru.  I have to say as soon as we explained what happened they got me a loaner car.  Perry took pictures of the hoses, and I am really hoping that Subaru does right by me because I really want to believe they are good guys.  I am waiting for them to call me this morning.  I am hoping no other damage has been done.  I am hoping they admit fault and fix it for free.  I am hoping.

Of course at the back of my mind I am running through the scenes trying to see if I was at fault for any of this happening.  My natural tendency is to take all the blame for whatever happens to me.  I'm so used to being blamed I can not  seem to escape the condemnation.  (May I say I am so glad there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1  I just wish I could apply that in all my life naturally.)  I really don't think there was anything I could have done to prevent this from happening.  Except maybe get an auto mechanic degree? Or check my engine every time before I get in to drive.

Come on Southern Oregon Subaru be my HERO!

Bugs in the House Subtraction

Review of Bugs in the House Subtraction lesson from Bridges

Mathematical Trajectory: This is an important lesson in First Grade because it is the introduction to Subtraction. 

Math Goal:  It is possible to solve for the change unknown, start unknown, and end unknown using manipulative,( Use appropriate tools strategically), and you don't always have to subtract, take away, when subtracting.

Relevant Stands:  1:OA.A.1, 1:OA.B.4, and most importantly: 1:OA.D.8

• CCSS.Math.Content.1.OA.D.8 Determine the unknown whole number in an addition or subtraction equation relating three whole numbers. For example, determine the unknown number that makes the equation true in each of the equations 8 + ? = 11, 5 = _ – 3, 6 + 6 = _.

Sociomathematical Norms:  The posters for Mathematical Habits of Mind and Interaction will be referenced and pointed out through out the lesson. In order to make sense of the problem students will be asked to use Private Reasoning Time, they will have to Explain how they are Thinking, they will need to Listen to Understand, they will be asked and will be asking Genuine Questions, they will explore Multiple Pathways, they will Compare and contrast Logic and Ideas, they will Critique and Debate each other, ( Construct viable arguments and critique others reasoning), and Math will be the Final Authority. 
I plan to focus on students making connections between other mathematical ideas such as addition.  I will also emphasize metacognition because I anticipate  mistakes and stuck points.  This will also include some disequilibrium.  (Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.)  (Reason abstractly and quantitatively)   


Justification/Generalization:  For answer unknown I can take the minuend and split it into 2 groups to get the difference :   5 - 3 = ___.  (Attend to precision)

I can add the subtrahend to the difference to  get the minuend .  ___ - 3= 2 

Prior Knowledge: In Number Corner we have played around with addition and subtraction in the games we have played.  (We have not taught subtraction explicitly until now.)

Metacognition:  Since I am expecting mistakes and stuck points I plan to select and sequence students to share their work at the document camera.  ( Model with mathematics) I anticipate students having a difficult time getting started so I will first show the work of a student that has started.  I plan to show multiple ways the students are making sense of the problem. (Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.)  Eventually, I plan to construct a public record for each problem solved.

Instructional Focus: 
1c. Metacognition and reflection about their reasoning, conclusions, mistakes, disequilibrium, and developing understandings?

2d.  Working with Public Records of student thinking  to focus attention on mathematical ideas and questions that are important to highlight  as context for sense making and /or to record for reference later.  (Look for and make use of structure) and ( Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning)

Evidence: As I observe the students working and selecting  and sequencing  their work at the document camera I will be able to see who has it and who does not.  I should be able to tell from their drawings if they have the concept of subtracting. I will also look for the students who can do multiple representations using pictures and number sentences.

Exit Task:  As an Exit Task I will have 3 problems. 

 __ - 1 = 4
5 - __ = 2
8 - 4 = __

 want to see how many get the unknown problems and how many get the basic  problem of 8 - 4 = __.  I will be curious to see if any use addition to get the subtraction problem. I want to see if they can use manipulitives to solve the problems.  I want to see if they can make any connections to the problems.  I want to see who struggled and got it and who still needs more play time with the bugs.

Reflections on "Mathematical Tasks as a Framework for Reflection" More homework!

I'm really good at the 4th wall.  Probably because I majored in theatre in college.  People can walk into my room, and I can just keep on teaching like they were never in my room.  This habit/talent has come in very handy for the math studio!  We have all sorts of people pop in our rooms- peers, administrators, instructional coaches, and visitors from other school districts.  It has become part of my practise to be open about the way I teach. I have learned to value the debriefing after some of the observations because I get kind, gentle, insightful feedback on what I do really well and what I need to reflect on in my practises.

Growth can not happen on it's own- it takes personal reflection and caring colleagues to direct the growth.  It has been especially valuable to have our grade level PLC (Planned Learning Communities) be on math this year.  It gave us devoted time to analyze our tasks and planned for success and failure!  I am looking forward to next year when I can sit down with my team and do more of the lesson planning.  I think in another 2 years we will have all of the Bridges lessons with the 1) Math goal 2) aligned to the Common Core Standards,and  3) the cognitive demand either clarified or upped.

It's all about the mathematical task and what it demands of the students and the teachers.  Research shows us the higher the cognitive demand the more learning occurs in the classroom.

" ...mathematical  tasks is built on the idea that the tasks used in the classroom form the basis for student's learning."  (Doyle, 1988)

Lower level demands include memorization and procedures without connections.  The article has a nice visual showing example of each level of demand.  Memorization:

"What are the decimal and percentage equivalencies for the fractions 1/2 and 1/4?"

1/2=0.5= 50%

Procedures without connections  are the students doing the math without understanding why they are doing it.  They plug in a formula, work it, and walk away.  

One of the pivotal changes in my classroom has been moving away from the "worksheet".  Bridges really does not have that many worksheets in the lessons.  It is always making some kind of model, whether it is manipulative based or pictorial based,  A teacher can observe and question the student to check understanding.  It feels strange to give a worksheet to a student now.  The best use of a worksheet may be as an exit test, and even then I want to be walking around the room observing  how they work.

The most difficult part I run into is explaining to parents and after school programs why I don't send home packets of worksheets for homework.  Besides the tediousness of the task, focusing on how many minutes and hours are spent on a worksheet is not "the best bang " for my buck.  Real learning comes from students being able to perform the mathematical task showing how they are connecting to it to make sense of the math.  It is not about me grading a work sheet but about me listening into students talking to make sense of the math and watching them work with uni fix cubes, or playing the math games in math stations.  Guess which one is harder work?

Higher level demand tasks demand the student be able to explain and defend their work or reflect and change their mind about their work.  One example:

"Procedures with Connections"

Using a 10 X10 grid, identify the decimal and percent equivalents of 3/5,

Even better
"Doing the Math"

Shade 6 small squares in a 4 X 10 rectangle. Using the rectangle, explain how to determine each of the following:(a) the percent of the area that is shaded. (b) the decimal part of the area that is shaded, and (c) the fractional part of the area that is shaded.

This is a great way to set up a task but also part of our teacher tool box is also thinking about student management problems, how much time is given for the task, and holding students responsible for their learning.  A good teacher has management set up and implemented, taking into account the behaviors in the classroom every year.  Time is always a problem in our schools anymore.  The constant interruptions of the office buzzing in, birthday card invitations being handed out in the hallway, or cupcakes brought in for birthdays,  pullouts for non academic reasons can strangle a lesson for certain students and frustrate a teacher when they lose 3/4 of the class's  attention with each interruption.  (In first grade that means at least 10 minutes to get them back to thinking and being on task.)

I have found it valuable in our PLC' s to line the lessons up to our first grade CCSS to determine how much time to spend on a lesson.  It is the only way to determine what gets the most class time.  I do not advocate throwing out a lesson because it is not in my first grade CCSS.  It is always important to look at the trajectory for upper grades.  For example:  Money is not included in the CCSS for First grade.  It is a standard in Second Grade. (2MD.C.8)  Therefore I do spend some time teaching money.

Using the Task analysis alone or with teams focuses the task on  the  learning for the student.  We cannot operate behind closed doors anymore.  It is risky and scary to be observed by our peers and other people.  It is a risk well worth taking because it is about the student and me becoming the best I can be in my vocation as a teacher!  Bring on the 4th wall!