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
Thursday, October 16, 2014
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!
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
con la ayuda de Omaly Sandoval (Gracias)
Un
dia
Un
dia
Un
día
Un
día
Un
día…
Te
lo prometo
Soy
libre
No...no
adios
amorcito
con la ayuda de Omaly Sandoval (Gracias)
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
dolor
tan fuerte
¡Ay!
mis oidos
¡Qué dolor!
sufro
tanto
inconsolable
aquí
me queda
pero
¿Hasta cuando?
Saturday, October 4, 2014
Friday, October 3, 2014
Jeff Anderson and Lynn Dorfman-- New Books
I ordered Jeff Anderson's new book from QEP today. I also ordered Lynn Dorfman's new book as well. I am so looking forward to reading them and trying out new ideas! This is going to be fun!
Disgusting Dog
I have been working with some teachers this year. We have spent some time studying the teaching of writing. In these workshops, I have shared what was going on in my life. The last time that I met with this group, I spoke about my disgusting dog named Cutie. Don't let the name confuse you. Outwardly, she is so cute. Cutie lives up to her name. She has white curly poodle fur and small body with dark eyes, black mouth and black paws. She is half poodle and half Maltese. Cutie is a
Maltepoo.
Lately, Cutie's behavior has much to be desired. She has done some quite disgusting things. When I spoke to the teachers about this the first time, I shared with them that my Cutie little ten pound doggie is a rat killer. Yes, I said it. She is a rat killer. It is either that or rats just suddenly come into my yard and croak. I choose to go with the rat killer scenario.
About two months ago, my daughter went out in the backyard to fix the air conditioner. Sometimes, out of nowhere the air conditioner stops working and then spews out hot air. When that happens, we have to go to the electric box in the flip the switch back on. It clicks off from time to time. That day Elizabeth noticed that there was a dead decomposing rat near her feet. She freaked out and ran to the house and would not leave me alone until I helped her dispose of the dead rat body. I went into the garage and scooped up a shovel and a big plastic garbage bag. She held the bag and I scooped up the smelly rat. Then I disposed of the body in the garbage can. Done. I didn't think more about it. I didn't put much thought into the fact that it died in my yard. I never thought a thing about Cutie.
I did remember Cutie was rolling in something the day before though. I watched Cutie, from my bedroom window, wallow. I thought that what she was wallowing in could be be something disgusting and smelly. But what? I wasn't sure what it could be. I never imagined that it would have been a dead rat. Disgusting! I thought. Why do dogs have to be so disgusting? I asked my daughter. Elizabeth shrugged her shoulders and sighed, I don't know Mom. Cutie is disgusting!
I shared that story with the teachers and they agreed that my dog is very disgusting. Hold the phone! I have more. Not long after the back yard incident, I came from work and it was a zillion degrees outside. The humidity was extraordinary that day. I was seeing lights and my head was throbbing something horrible. The lights are the beginnings of my migraines. When I opened the door and entered my house, my dogs went crazy because they know that when I get home, they get to go outside. I noticed immediately that the air kicked off again and it felt like an oven inside. I let the dogs out and went straight toward the electric box in my backyard. My dogs were overly excited about me joining them in the backyard. They keep barking and jumping around. After I turned the switch, I looked down at Cutie and she seemed so excited. She had something in her mouth. It was dangling from her mouth. I focused in and then I was able to make out what she was carrying around. I was horrified and disgusted at the same time. Yes, you probably have guessed. She had a black rat in her mouth. It's head was dangling from the body. I could make out its teeth. She was galumphing in the grass with a dead black and white rat in her mouth. It made me want to gag.
I was suffering from a major migraine and I had to witness my adorable dog walking around with a dead black rodent in her black mouth. She had no care in the world. She seemed to be very content to have this prize in her mouth. Not a pretty sight. Not so cute at all. Since I could do nothing about it, because by this time my migraine was raging and my head felt like it was ready to explode, I decided to run inside and lay down. I cannot deal with this now! I said. When my daughter arrived home from school, I asked her to deal with it. She didn't know what to do. Because she saw me in my condition, she tried to go out and dispose of the dead body without my help. Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on your point of view, my daughter couldn't find it. I don't know where Cutie had buried it or hid it, but my daughter could not find it. I am sure that she did not look in every nook and cranny. After all, she would have to work this crime scene without me. Thinking about this spectacle made my migraine worse because then I thought, I didn't know that we had rats in our yard. Rats? Disgusting! I know the dogs always go to my neighbor's part of the wooden fence, where we had a tree cut down. It is mostly a worn out, rotting stump now. Maybe the rats have taken up their residence there. My ferocious predator canines make a bee line for that area most days and bark up a storm.
Through this process I have learned some things about my dog Cutie. These revelations were not completely new to me. First, I now know that my dog is a serial rodent killer. She is a pathological rodent killer that shows no remorse and gladly displays the bodies for all to see. She rolls in anything dead or deeply disgusting. I need to pay attention when I see her rolling in the grass. I thought maybe her back needed scratching and that maybe that is what she was trying to do? Not anymore. She cannot jump up on the furniture either because I have seen her roll on her back on the couch. Now that I know what could possibly be on her back, there is no way she can do that. No way, no how!
Lastly, I have come to understand that even though Cutie is adorable, she is capable of some dastardly acts. I cannot trust her in the least. Never would I have thought that she would find and kill rats. I had no idea that rats were roaming in my backyard. From time to time, I see cats walking along my wooden fence and sometimes possums, but never thought I would see rats. Uggh! Disgusting!
Maltepoo.
 |
| America's Most Wanted Cutie Serial Rodent Slayer |
Lately, Cutie's behavior has much to be desired. She has done some quite disgusting things. When I spoke to the teachers about this the first time, I shared with them that my Cutie little ten pound doggie is a rat killer. Yes, I said it. She is a rat killer. It is either that or rats just suddenly come into my yard and croak. I choose to go with the rat killer scenario.
About two months ago, my daughter went out in the backyard to fix the air conditioner. Sometimes, out of nowhere the air conditioner stops working and then spews out hot air. When that happens, we have to go to the electric box in the flip the switch back on. It clicks off from time to time. That day Elizabeth noticed that there was a dead decomposing rat near her feet. She freaked out and ran to the house and would not leave me alone until I helped her dispose of the dead rat body. I went into the garage and scooped up a shovel and a big plastic garbage bag. She held the bag and I scooped up the smelly rat. Then I disposed of the body in the garbage can. Done. I didn't think more about it. I didn't put much thought into the fact that it died in my yard. I never thought a thing about Cutie.
I did remember Cutie was rolling in something the day before though. I watched Cutie, from my bedroom window, wallow. I thought that what she was wallowing in could be be something disgusting and smelly. But what? I wasn't sure what it could be. I never imagined that it would have been a dead rat. Disgusting! I thought. Why do dogs have to be so disgusting? I asked my daughter. Elizabeth shrugged her shoulders and sighed, I don't know Mom. Cutie is disgusting!
I shared that story with the teachers and they agreed that my dog is very disgusting. Hold the phone! I have more. Not long after the back yard incident, I came from work and it was a zillion degrees outside. The humidity was extraordinary that day. I was seeing lights and my head was throbbing something horrible. The lights are the beginnings of my migraines. When I opened the door and entered my house, my dogs went crazy because they know that when I get home, they get to go outside. I noticed immediately that the air kicked off again and it felt like an oven inside. I let the dogs out and went straight toward the electric box in my backyard. My dogs were overly excited about me joining them in the backyard. They keep barking and jumping around. After I turned the switch, I looked down at Cutie and she seemed so excited. She had something in her mouth. It was dangling from her mouth. I focused in and then I was able to make out what she was carrying around. I was horrified and disgusted at the same time. Yes, you probably have guessed. She had a black rat in her mouth. It's head was dangling from the body. I could make out its teeth. She was galumphing in the grass with a dead black and white rat in her mouth. It made me want to gag.
I was suffering from a major migraine and I had to witness my adorable dog walking around with a dead black rodent in her black mouth. She had no care in the world. She seemed to be very content to have this prize in her mouth. Not a pretty sight. Not so cute at all. Since I could do nothing about it, because by this time my migraine was raging and my head felt like it was ready to explode, I decided to run inside and lay down. I cannot deal with this now! I said. When my daughter arrived home from school, I asked her to deal with it. She didn't know what to do. Because she saw me in my condition, she tried to go out and dispose of the dead body without my help. Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on your point of view, my daughter couldn't find it. I don't know where Cutie had buried it or hid it, but my daughter could not find it. I am sure that she did not look in every nook and cranny. After all, she would have to work this crime scene without me. Thinking about this spectacle made my migraine worse because then I thought, I didn't know that we had rats in our yard. Rats? Disgusting! I know the dogs always go to my neighbor's part of the wooden fence, where we had a tree cut down. It is mostly a worn out, rotting stump now. Maybe the rats have taken up their residence there. My ferocious predator canines make a bee line for that area most days and bark up a storm.
Through this process I have learned some things about my dog Cutie. These revelations were not completely new to me. First, I now know that my dog is a serial rodent killer. She is a pathological rodent killer that shows no remorse and gladly displays the bodies for all to see. She rolls in anything dead or deeply disgusting. I need to pay attention when I see her rolling in the grass. I thought maybe her back needed scratching and that maybe that is what she was trying to do? Not anymore. She cannot jump up on the furniture either because I have seen her roll on her back on the couch. Now that I know what could possibly be on her back, there is no way she can do that. No way, no how!
Lastly, I have come to understand that even though Cutie is adorable, she is capable of some dastardly acts. I cannot trust her in the least. Never would I have thought that she would find and kill rats. I had no idea that rats were roaming in my backyard. From time to time, I see cats walking along my wooden fence and sometimes possums, but never thought I would see rats. Uggh! Disgusting!
Poema-Honduras
Honduras
Por Maureen Ucles
Honduras
Un país lejano
Pero no tan lejos
De mi corazón
Honduras
Un país lleno
Que sigue tu reino
De alegría y mucho más
Honduras
Así es la vida
Me dice la gente
--Si Dios quiere—
¡Nos vamos a llegar
pa’ ya!
Honduras
Un país amable
Gente humilde
Tan humilde
Y fluente
De muchas canciones
Y música
Los
Tambores, tambores, tambores
¡Tocando tan, tan, tan!
Conchas de caracol
Pura vida
Honduras
Que me encantaría
Verte
Una vez
más
¡Vaya pues!
Allá nos vamos
Disfrutaré mis días
Desde Lago de Yajoa,
Rosa de Copan,
Lluvia de peces,
Valle de Angeles,
En Triunfo de la Cruz,
Tela,
La Ceiba
Playas hermosas
Con Las Garífunas
Bailando, bailando, bailando
En la costa
Caminando medio día
--¡Pan de Coco! ¡Pan de coco!
En la tarde con
Las sopas de caracol y camarón
¡Qué rico!
Honduras
Siempre feliz
La vida buena
Tranquilo
Tranquilo como las olas de mar
Mar Caribé
Allí es donde
Quiero estar
Quiero quedar
Hoy
Siempre
Querido Honduras
Te quedaras
En mis pensamientos
y alma
Pura vida
Pura Honduras
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Family, Food and Story...Family Literacy at Edgewood Elementary
I had the great honor of doing what I love...conducting a reading and writer's workshop with bilingual parents. For years, I have been itching to do something like this. Everyone has a story and what a better way to share our stories than through a writer's workshop with parents. Love to work with writers of all ages, just love it! I addition to that, my Spanish seemed to come back to me, including all the phrases and sayings from my Honduran Peace Corps experience. All the memories came running back to me as welcome friends to a reunion.
I have been yearning to conduct workshops in the area of writing and reading for years now. Alana Morris and I shared this same desire for family literacy including reading and writing. We joined forces to begin this literacy journey with families. Vivian Pratts, the principal, welcomed us to her campus to serve her Edgewood parents and students. Sarah Salas, Omaly Sandoval, Teresa Dolan, Eliza Prati and countless teachers at Edgewood, volunteered their time and efforts to make this a complete success. Thanks to all for helping Alana and I plan and organize this event. I know there were lots of details that we ironed out, from the snacks, rooms, materials, and location, location, location. The classroom lessons were embedded with Reading and Writing connections. These were very meaningful for children from toddlers to fifth graders. I even had some middle school kids with me in my session with parents! The parents were so energetic and ready to tell their stories and then write their stories. Everyone has a story to tell, everyone. When you realize that your story must be told and recorded, then it becomes a powerful medium of empowerment. Literacy then is the means to an end!
It was an awesome gift to meet so many parents from all over the world. There were parents from Honduras, different parts of Mexico, and El Salvador to name a few. Everyone has so many stories to tell! I look forward to reading and listening to all the stories that will come out of this project. I cannot wait until the next meeting to see what stories the parents share with us and their children. The children's writing will be so great gift to all. I myself am going to be writing in my notebook and rehashing many moments of my time in the Peace Corps. For years now, I have been telling myself to sit down and get these stories together. Now, I believe is the time.
Speaking of stories, I was taken for a complete loop and brought to tears. I shared my story with the parents and part of my story is that I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Honduras. One parent stopped to talk with me after we finished our meeting. She said that she recognized me during the meeting but wasn't quite sure where she had met me before. Maybe I was a former teacher of one of her sons? No, that wasn't it. There was something so familiar to her, but she couldn't put her finger on it. She couldn't quite figure it out until...until...I started sharing my Central American experiences. I shared a poem that I wrote about Honduras. As I read it aloud, I was overcome with emotion and had to stop several times. Reading the poem brought back memories of the wonderful and caring people of Honduras. That was it! She had remembered that about 20 y pico years ago, she had met me. She described my work and it made sense. Her eyes filled with tears as she remembered that I somehow helped her in some way twenty years ago in Honduras. I was shocked and kept trying to remember her and where it would have been. She then mentioned some of the work that I did while I worked with environmental education. She kept saying, "Medio ambiente." I did work in the area of environmental education because of the deforestation problems at that time. It had been so long that I cannot remember all the details. Twenty years...twenty years and more. I couldn't believe it. I still cannot believe it. Who would have thought that after all these years that I would meet someone from Honduras who knew me way back then? Wow! This was so crazy! I guess that goes to show you that you never, ever know. I was in my twenties at that time. I wonder how old she was back then. I met lots of people in my work and I have lost contact with my Honduran family and friends. I think of them often and wonder what they are doing now. Family, food and story...wow! Writing, reading and being human brings you closer globally and otherwise! The world is not such a big place. Vaya pues!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)