Teaching Depth and Complexity.

Recently we had a seminar at my school about what makes someone an expert on a given topic. We discussed the theories of depth and complexity and Sandra Kaplan's 11 points that help someone become an expert on a topic. It starts as a reader or seeker looking more deeply into a text or resource...

As a reader, I already like to ponder my texts and make connections to other disciplines, so this was right up my alley. This seminar really grabbed my attention because I am already innately doing some of the things we learned about. The seminar put terms to my practices and icons and ideas to my toolbag as a teacher.

Here are her points. (Below) So before reading a book to my students I could ask, 'what are some of the different points of view (point #11: different perspectives) you hear in this story?' and it gets them thinking more deeply about the story and the characters. Here's a worksheet about it:



Or you can look more closely at the worksheet on this site:

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/4872391/Depth--Complexity-Icon-Chart

Anyway, I thought this lesson was really great and I am excited to incorporate it into my teaching.

One of the exercises we did in the seminar was to talk about areas where we consider ourselves to be experts of sorts. I talked about singing. What is an area where YOU think you're an expert?

Improv-a-ganza!! Drew Carey hosted!

Spencer texted me yesterday afternoon to see about getting to IMPROV-A-GANZA!! He'd just read that it was in LA that night!

I met Spence there, as it turned out, because traffic was... well... LA and I didnt leave early enough and at least one person from your group had to get there way ahead for reserved seats. But once we were there, it was just delightful to enjoy some dinner together in the restaurant area...

We finished up and headed down some stairs... there was Drew Carey! He was chatting with a few people. So cool! We figured we should try to get a picture. It wasn't too hard because he was really quite nice. As we asked about the picture he's like, 'I'm Drew,' and then shook Spencer's hand, then mine as I said, 'Lindsay.' Haha... I guess you forget to introduce yourself to someone you 'know,' right? Anyway, we got the picture and Spence's eyes are even open!



After this excitement we showed our tickets and were let into the theater. We had AWESOME seats! Right up at the front! There were lots of little tables so we were close to others watching which made it funny when we were all laughing so hard.

Drew Carey came out and introduced the show. It was neat to hear more from him. He was funny and energetic and looked just like I remember from TV except he's lost weight. He talked about this and that... about how it's impossible to hide a break up these days - facebook is bad enough, but for someone like him it's like, he might as well hire a marching band!! I guess he'd broken up with his GF that day.

then he introduced the cast!

The scenes they did were absolutely HILARIOUS!!! In one, two audience members were chosen to come up and make the sound effects. In another they had a long time married couple come up and talk about their first date.

Drew Carey and an actress acted it out and the real couple had to ding a bell if they got it right and toot a horn if not. SOOOO funny, because sometimes you heard the bell from one person and the horn from the other as the scene progressed.

One of my faves was a scene of two people pretending they were on the set of a soap opera. They had to randomly pull out lines written down on slips of paper by us audience members. The punch line/end was one Spence wrote... 'We're going to Disneyland!!'

We also loved it when they did 'worst professionals.' They imitated bad scuba instructors, psychologists, and teachers too-- (with things like, 'you don't need to learn this!! you dont need to learn anything!' or 'i hate kids!') I suggested 'Forensic Accountant, ' and it was so funny to see what they came up with. Drew pretended to be blind, another actor came up and counted... 'One, Two, Three, Four dead bodies...'

Hilarious!!!!! I love that Spence found this online and we made the drive and laughed away! It was fun to chat with the audience members after too (and actors a little,) because we'd learned a little about them along the way!

Love you, Spence!

Fun finds according to Kindergarteners

The other day I brought in a deck of flash cards for my students. Now they're the new hit! These aren't 'Addition' or 'Subtraction' cards. I decided to spice things up between the phonics and math lessons, and grabbed my 'Explore Landmarks' set- I just snagged them from the Target Dollar Bin without much forethought... but my students ate them up!

These pictures and the information about the landmarks has added a spark of curiosity about the world that I love to see from these fresh minds. I adore how everything I offer them is so new and exciting because they're lil Kinders! This was a reminder of that. I wont be with this group in the new year, but it was fun teaching them while I did!

The Moai Monoliths off the coast of Chile were their faves.

.... Spence and I saw replicas of these at the Easter Island exhibit in another polynesian land last year- Hawaii!

Movember

Happy Movember, everyone! I love this pic from Spence' and my wedding day- just over a year ago now!! (and every day gets happier...)

My brother is stylin' the stash this month too to raise awareness and funds for prostate cancer- the number one male cancer. His friend lost his Grandfather to prostate cancer and so they are working as a team to raise money, and my brother has received $300 in donations, almost his $500 goal.

Go to

http://ca.movember.com/mospace/2548960/

and click on 'donate to me' - the button under the current pic of him looking like Tom Selleck. ;) Every little bit helps!




Which one's my Mo Bro? Which one's Tom??

Soccer Related

So I am also a guest blogger on another site called RSL Soapbox. This is a Real Salt Lake themed blog. I've had 4 posts there so far, here's the links to them (oldest to newest):

How Should Real Salt Lake Approach the 1st Leg of the CONCACAF Quarterfinals?

A Good Surgery but Now What?

The Experience of an RSL Fan Exiled to Los Angeles

The Birth of Hellboy Wingert

Let me know what you think!

Migrating

I can hardly believe it, but I've lived in LA for 5 years! It has been a lovely place to be: great people, places, food, and . . .

you guessed it: w e a t h e r! I have to admit that nice as it is here, I have suffered from seasonal disorientation, itching to cosy into a sweater and sit by the fire with hot chocolate, at least for a day or two, but I love the beach and balm.

Ok, so yea, sometimes I still open a window in the morning expecting frosty air. But all I find is maybe some condensation on my windshield. This is because over and over, all I do is put on my sandals and pack a light sweater not because it will be super cold, but more often just in case I am in a building with over excited air conditioning.

I open my window sometimes and some un-kickable instinct in me still wonders, 'has the first winter snow finally come?' I think it took a couple years of living here to really believe that there is not much of a change in seasons here, but I still have a sense to check the weather a little before getting dressed or leaving for the day. I also get really excited when I see leaves that have changed color this time of year. Pretty much I am on weather alert so I don't get caught unprepared on a horrifically hot day, and I look outside or take a step outdoors to see, 'Oh, what a BEAUTIFUL day! (again!)' I have not ceased to be amazed with the weather down here.

So you will imagine my surprise when I looked up from my playground supervision duties the other day to see this:



???

Yes, apparently there are 'snow birds' even here in the lovely Los Angeles. Ok, so there were only like 4. Fewer than this pic, but still!?

And yes, they were headed south! But maybe it's just for their other nest in Tijuana?

Disneyland

One of the big perks about living in California is having relatively easy access to Disneyland! I have been a few times since moving out here, but starting this spring, I have been many times! My sister and her boys are set up with season passes and she asked if I could come along sometimes too if she got a pass for me! Season pass for Disneyland? In exchange for pushing a stroller while there? Yes ma'am! I'm in!