Nature Journaling

My Writing Lab elective course spent thirty minutes outside this past Tuesday on a gorgeous late summer day.  Our goal was Nature Journaling--to take time to notice, draw, and describe what was going on around us in the school courtyard.  We took out our chairs and paid attention to the warm breezes, the ants, the trees, and the clouds.

After our time outside, we went back to the classroom to write a reflection on the experience.  Students wrote about how nice it was to take a break from the normal volume of their days to relax, think, and write for awhile.  We decided that we will definitely be going outside again soon and that we're going to make the courtyard our "place"!

Some direct feedback from the kids' reflections include:

•  "It was more enjoyable than just sitting in a congested classroom with no place to call your own."
• "I love to sit outside and observe everything...I hope we will do this again!"
• "Nature gave me some actual inspiration to start writing."
• "It was nice to take a break from all the talking and the noise."
• "My mind expanded even more from the calm rustling sounds of the trees and the nice cool temperatures."

Kites

My AP class read Khaled Hosseini's novel The Kite Runner over the summer and wrote about/discussed different issues related to the concepts of seeing and perspective.  Fortuitously, the Frank Mots International Kite Festival was going on in Milwaukee on the first weekend of the new school year.

American Dream Collage

I've had students make collages before on different topics relating to literature, but this was the first time I've had students make one collage as a whole class!  For the first semester of American Authors (English 11), we focus on the topic of the American Dream, so here are some pictures of our class collage in the works...

Back to School Bulletin Boards

Here are several of my bulletin boards this fall!  On the first one, I have photos and artifacts from my trip to Oxford.  My second bulletin board relates to my AP class theme of "Seeing."  Students are encouraged to bring in their own artifacts to add to the board.  The last bulletin board is for my American Authors class where the focus is the American Dream--I have included the American flag that I bought at the London Olympics.

Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?

I've decided to start our AP class this year with Paul Gaughin's painting Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? (1897).  The title of the painting asks some of the major questions that we will be seeking answers to in our reading this year.

Do You Want to Go to Oxford?

What's nice about the Oxford Summer Experience is that it's really all about the experience!  You choose a class that you're interested in and complete several reading assignments before the class.  Once you get to campus, it's all about learning in your class in the mornings and then exploring the colleges and city in the afternoons.  Then it's back to your room to dress for dinner and prepare for the evening's activities.

If you're interested in taking a class at Oxford next summer, I recommend reading more about it on their website at http://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/courses/summerschools/oxex/index.php.  The website currently has up the 2012 program information, but I received a 2013 summer program plan while I was at Oxford, so I assume their website will be updated shortly.

In terms of cost, the tuition this past year was 1135 pounds, which is about $1800.  The $1800 includes your class, three meals a day in the breath-taking dining hall, and your lodging in a dorm room at Christ Church.  I found that once I was on campus I didn't need to spend any money with the exception of six pounds for a walking tour of the city and thirty pounds for the afternoon excursion to the manor house of Basildon Park.   My plane ticket from Milwaukee to Toronto to London on Air Canada was $1283 and that included insurance.  The cost of the flight was a bit bumped up over the normal cost because of the Olympics, so I think you would need to budget about $1100 for a flight from the Midwest.  The bus ride from London to Oxford cost about $40 roundtrip.  I bought my bus tickets online ahead of time from "The Airline" bus company.  I went to Oxford two days before my class began and spent $75 a night at a bed and breakfast called the White House View Guesthouse (I booked it through www.booking.com). If you go early or stay later, it is very easy to stay within a small budget for dining in the city of Oxford.  There are many small cafes, restaurants, and stands on the street where you can get a meal for under $10, plus grocery stores like Tesco are easy to find.  There are also plenty of higher end restaurants if you would like to go that way, as well.

I thought that going to Oxford this summer was going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but now that I have been there I know that I need to go back.  So many of the people there who take courses in the summer return year after year.  I will definitely take another class there as soon as I can!

My Olympic Dream Came True!

On Saturday, August 11th, I went to the Olympic Games at Olympic Park in London!  After about an hour and a half total on the subway, I got to the park at about 4:00pm so that I could soak up the atmosphere of the whole experience, and then the Gold Medal round of Men's 10 meter platform diving started at 8:30pm.

Here is the scene entering the park.  Tears kept coming to my eyes because it meant so much for me to be here.  I was so overwhelmed and excited.

That's Olympic Stadium behind me.

The Orbiter, an observation tower.  Because the flame was inside the stadium, I think this stood in as on outdoor symbol of the Games.

The line to get into a store to buy official London 2012 merchandise.

So many British people dressed up to support Team GB!

Crazy large McDonald's. 

Beautiful gardens throughout the park

Picnicking and relaxing in the grass was very popular.  It was a perfect day in London, about 70 degrees and clear.

Water Polo Arena

Racing Wenlock

Looking back towards the Aquatic Centre

Similar to "The Bean" in Chicago

Nice view of the Orbiter and Olympic Stadium

Kids playing a bean bag toss game very similar to the one we played in our backyard the night that the local news did a feature story on our family's Olympic parties.

A tunnel of notes that British schoolchildren made to encourage the athletes.

Holding my ticket in front of the Aquatic Centre

Heading to my seat inside the Aquatic Centre

This was during practice time before the competition.  There was very much a pep rally atmosphere before the event began with music and interviews with people in the crowd.

Zooming in on the judges

The twelve divers being introduced.  They each completed six dives and within about twenty seconds of their dives, the judges' scores were posted on the scoreboard.

Handstands were scary every time.

My Olympic Guardian Angel, Ren, who sold me a ticket to this event!  Without him, I couldn't even have gotten into Olympic Park.  Thank you, Ren!

Freaking out after the USA's David Boudia took the gold!

England's Tom Daley won the bronze.  The crowd went wild for him every time!

Qui Bo of China took the silver.

Gold Medalist David Boudia

It was a powerful moment when the flag was raised and the "Star Spangled Banner" was played.

Olympic Park was beautifully lit at night.

Standing in front of the BBC press area

Heading out through a new mall created as part of the redevelopment of East London.

Definitely one of the best nights of my life!