Express Yourself

Be who you are and say how you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.
--Dr. Seuss

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

When The Crayons Quit Video-Isn't Reading Fun?

I created this video for my friend Ro for her Christmas  present.  She was my secret Santa.  I found out from her list that she wanted the book called When The Crayons Quit.  I decided to create a video using Camtasia.  I asked her friends to read parts of it aloud.  Then I put all the clips together and played around with some of the features including zoom and pan.  So here it is.  Not only do you have the book, but memories that last forever on this blog!  Thanks ladies and gentleman for being totally animated in your reading!  This was so fun!  I also realized that I need to seriously have my hair colored in this video. Enjoy!


Monday, October 27, 2014

Soy De...


Young Author Interview-Meet Andrew!


When the Crayons Quit-Voice Interpretations by Many People


Interview with Amy Green


Gretchen Bernabei Interview from October 2013

Here is my interview with Gretchen Bernabei from October 2013.  Slowly but surely, I am moving my posts from Just Write Baby to Just Write Baby 123...go!


Last Year's Gretchen Bernabei Interview

The Gretchen Bernabei Interview


Gretchen Bernabei came to SBISD yesterday to share her many, many strategies and philosophy of the quality teaching of writing.  I got a chance to interview her.  Here is the interview in three parts.  It was a joy to interview her.  We really had nice conversation.  Unfortunately I didn't get all the footage because my camera kicked off before we finished some of the conversations.  Enjoy!

Estrellita-Star Gazing

I brought this one back from last September and have revised it un poco.  Hope you like it!
Translanguaging is Fun!


Estrellita-STAR GAZING
By Maureen Ucles

Twinkle, twinkle
Little star
Got me wonderin'
Estrellita
Where you are
Out in space
Light years away
Just twinkling
All the way...
to the bank?
¿Cómo no?

Hardly...
Twinkling here
Twinkling there
Twinkling
Just twinkling
for whom?
For what?
Seems all full
of nothingness
Nebulous
Ya know?

Someone said,
Hey!
If you twinkle
just a little
in the night
More will come
But alas--
Only in a field
Of dreams
My dreams
forfeited
abandoned
left with an
outstanding
balance
in red
In far right field
No man's land
dreams
unrealized
obliterated
admonished
deferred
Put on hold
I've
Thrown in the towel
Head bowed
Helpless
hopeless
for the moment,
at least

Twinkle, twinkle
Como brillas tú
Tan contenta
Little star
Estrellita
Got me wonderin'
So far—
Out there
In the distance
Oblivious to the day
That I might just
UP and WALK
Away
Wish it were
Today
Right now
This instance
Tonight
Great time to
take flight
Just might
You trippin'?
No...
Hardly

Twinkle, twinkle
It's a nova
Nebulae
Hits me
Right in my eye
In between
Primal scream
Out of
of my mind
heart and soul
Estrellita
Ayudame
por favorito
C'mon please!

Twinkle, Twinkle
You got the ansa?
to my ponderings
chalk full of wonderins'
Trying to find some meaning
Meaning
Beyond belief

Re-placed
Re-moved
Re-jected
by a twinkle, twinkle
from someone else's star
Estrellita!
all these years
sweat, blood and some tears
for what?
Some things
Some place
Some  thoughts
Worth it all?
Tal vez
Depende
¿Quién sabe?
but makes me not
so so encantada
escuchar las noticias
now I
got a fistful of thanks
from first class
into the tank
Por favorcito
going through my
hands like water
escaping through a
sieve
being vetted for
the last time
spent


So sorry... so sad
over and over
reverberating in my mind
Pink slip delivered
UPS or DHL?
tristemente
in an ugly ole brown bag
open it up
Nah!

A  little later
más tardecito
Ahorita voy
Can't bare the news
Can deal with it all
what I'm goin' through
WHATEVER
Movin' on
Vaya pues
To a theatre near you
Twinkle, Twinkle
mi Estrellita
ya no existe
Adios

My TABE Reflections

I am space for TABE.

Lynn Dorfman and Mentor Text Workshop

I am saving this space to write about my experiences with this workshop.  I have observations and photos.  Wow!

Jeff Anderson-My Reflection and New Book

I know this is a long time coming, but never late than never, right? I think it is about time that I finally posted some of my reflections about Jeff's visit back in 2014. Thrilled is how I felt when I heard that Jeff Anderson was going share his knowledge and expertise with many teachers and coaches. When some consultants visit, I can take them or leave them. Not with Jeff! Nope he is highly respected and regarded in the language arts community.  We were not disappointed in the least. He had so much to share about expository writing. Because we experienced the writing together, many of the things that he had taught us had a high stick factor. He was engaging, hilarious and nothing but fun!  Those are my kind of staff developments!

I really liked how he showed us authentic mentor expository text. We used these examples and tried them out on our own. This was very engaging.

Jeff Anderson and Maureen Ucles




In addition to that, I loved the idea of power writing. I have used this with my students. We used it the other day with our reading responses to what we read in ludic reading. They were so jazzed about and wanted to continue doing it the next day. 

Overall, the day was great. I wasn't bored one time and I took copious notes. As I was going through my photos from my phone, I found a few photos that I want to share. It was an honor having Jeff join us and to get to talk to him. He is a great guy and fantastic staff developer. His books are nothing short of fantastic. Now he is an author of a middle school novel.
Jeff Anderson's new book to released in August, 2015


 It will be out soon and I will definitely buy a copy to read and share with my students. It's pretty cool to say that I know the author! Pretty darn cool!  Thanks Jeff!

For more information about Jeff Anderson, go to the link provided:



Thursday, October 16, 2014

TABE Sessions Today

I presented two times today during the TABE Conference in McAllen, Texas.  I presented in the morning and to end the day.  Needless to say, I am so tired.  I told the participants that I would leave a link on my blog.  I organized the materials that I used in my presentations today into folder on my Box account.  Go to the link provided to download any of the handouts.  I will present tomorrow morning.  My presentations tomorrow will be on reading and writing poetry.  Then I will play around with revision and RADAR.  My final presentation will be on using grammar in context.  We will explore many invitations from Jeff Anderson's book Everyday Editing.  It will be a fun day, but exhausting day.  Here is my link to the materials:

Link to presentation materials

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

TABE and Two Thousand

Here I am at TABE in McAllen Texas!  I am loving being here tonight.  I am especially blessed to have had such great company at dinner.  It seems that my past is catching up with my present lately.  Not only did a wonderful Hondurena remember me from the Peace Corps, but I got to have dinner with a renowned bilingual professor as Dr. Josefina Tinajero from UTEP.  I studied at UTEP in the 90's and she was a my professor for two classes.  I remember the respect that she garnered among the bilingual educators. I thought that I would be nervous sitting next to her. That wasn't the case tonight.  I wasn't nervous at all.  I was completely myself.  I felt as if I was home again.  I guess being at TABE brings me back to my roots in El Paso where I first fell in love with bilingual education and teaching our beautiful bilinguals.  It brings me back to me!

In addition to that, this new blog that was born from www.justwritebaby1.blogspot.com is flourishing. This is my 2,000 page view and it could not have happened at a better time than at TABE.  I will continue to post more and more.  I hope my sessions go well tomorrow.  I am so tired, after driving 6 hours and going non stop.  I love being here and being a bilingual educator.  Shout it to the world!  Soy bilingue y orgullosa.  I want all bilinguals including students, parents and teachers to say, "Somos bilingues y orgullosos."  We count!  We have much to contribute and say in many ways.  Mucho que decir y expresar!  Ya nos vamos!

Un dia pronto

Un dia pronto
Por M Ucles
con la ayuda de Omaly Sandoval (Gracias)

Un dia
tan pronto
voy a librarme
de este lugar

Un dia 
prontito
me voy
corriendo como nunca
dejaré mis problemas
que me tienen 
encarcelada
suspendida


Un día 
pronto
¿Cuando será?
¿Quién sabe?
Yo no...
no sé nada
sin pensamientos
ningunos
no hay
remedio
ahoritita
pero…


Un día
Dios ya sabe
cuando me voy
por las montañas
adornado con estrellas
encima
llena de
arbolitos
arbustos
y arena


Un día…
pues
nadie me dice
nada
con un llanto
interminable
pero
pero
tienes que
saber algo 
de mi


Te lo prometo
De verdad
No me puedes vencer
No me puedes querer 
menos ni más
jámas
me quedo
aqui
contigo

Soy libre
de mi alma
ahoritita
mis pensamientos
creatividad
se queda
dentro de mi
pero...pero
tan lejos
de ti
tan lejos que
no se puede arrancar
mis suenos
mis talentos
mi refugio

No...no
tú no me quedas
cerca
tan lejano estás
de mi
pero
un día 
un segundo
no sabe cuando
me voy a librarme
y entonces
no se puede
hacer
más daño

adios amorcito 
no te olvides
que
un día
pronto
ya
vas a saber

Monday, October 6, 2014

Aqui me quedo-Poesia en espanol-New Day, New Post

Aquí me quedo
Por Maureen Ucles



Aquí me quedo
escuchando mucho buyo
mucho ruido
tan fuerte
¡Ay!
¡Mis oidos!
¡Me duele!


Aquí me quedo
tan triste
con un dolor
una herida
tan profundo
sufriendo tanto
adentro. . .


Aqui me queda
no puedo pensar
no puedo librar…
librarme
de este oscuridad
no sé...
como
escapar


Aqui me quedo
frustrada
limitada
de mis emociones
situaciones
no sé
como
irme
de 
aqui
para
allá
no más
me quedo...
aquí


Aquí me quedo
todo el santo dia
encarcelada
de mis problemas
situada
dentro de mi corazón
inmovil

Aquí me quedo
buscando
buscando
solucciones
para alivarme
de este ruido
dolor
tan fuerte
¡Ay!
mis oidos
¡Qué dolor!
sufro
tanto
inconsolable
aquí
me queda
pero
¿Hasta cuando?