fall 2013 writing on-line, FORMS, content, power of our own words

 Sept 9/2013           -from Mrs. J

Tomorrow morning! And Wednesday morning!

I get to visit with my writing students. I am excited!

We will begin our discussions called “Words inside of Me”!

We will think about and talk about our experiences and our feelings and our thoughts and the words that ‘bubble up” from all this thinking.

We will talk about the power words have to help other people know what is important inside of us. Our own experiences and feelings and thoughts and the words they generate make up our personal ‘content’, what we have to say about ourselves.

Your words, spoken and written, are very special. Our language uses certain FORMS that help us arrange our words into sentences which let other people know what we want to say.

FORMS ‘give our words the power to relate to each other…… to carry meaning.’ –Virginia Tufte

My goal-as writing teacher- is to help us all gain skill in recognizing the basic noun-verb-object FORM and how writers build on it, by studying the sentences of many authors from numerous books; imitating their example in writing practice FROM OUR OWN EXPERIENCE, deepening our own understanding of relationships among OUR OWN WORDS AND USING THEM WITH COURAGE AN POWER.

Older students, please, read and ponder quotes #1 and #6, for tomorrow, and share some thoughts-words …

All students are invited to think about-choose your favorite summer memory and begin listing all the nouns that ‘bubble up’ from that memory. Remember nouns are words that name *people, * places, *things, and *qualities (Ie. softness), and *ideas (Ie. dignity).

Yours in learning,

Mrs. J

The Learning Journey in Quotes; Ask, act, articulate, create, publish

Greetings all - food for tho't - you are invited to 

ponder and respond 

Mrs. J’s Musings   July 22, 2013

                    The Learning Journey in Quotes

ASK

“Whatever you cannot understand, you cannot possess.” –Goethe

“The educated person is someone who knows how to find out what he doesn’t know.” -Georg Simmel

“The first problem for all of us, men and women, is  not to learn, but to unlearn.” –Gloria Steinam

“It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question.” –Eugene Ionesco

“I don’t pretend to have the answers but the questions are certainly worth thinking about.” –Arthur C. Clarke

 “If we begin with certainties, we shall end in doubts; but if we begin with doubts, and are patient, we shall end in certainties.” –Francis Bacon

ACT

“We should be taught not to wait for inspiration to start a thing. Action always generates inspiration.”  -Frank Tibett

“The shrewd guess, the fertile hypothesis, the courageous leap to a tentative conclusion-these are the valuable coins of a thinker at work.” –Jerome S. Bruner

“Experience is a hard teacher. She gives the test first, the lesson afterwards.” – Anon

“The Wright brothers flew right through the smoke screen of impossibility.” – Charles Franklin Kettering

“Getting an idea should be like sitting down on a pin; it should make you jump up and do something. –E.L. Simpson

 “Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood.” –Marie Curie

ARTICULATE

“A problem adequately stated is a problem well on its way to being solved.” –Buckminster Fuller

“For me the greatest beauty always lay in the greatest clarity.” –Gatthold Ephriam Lessing

“More important than the quest for certainty is the quest for clarity.” –Francois Gautier

 CREATE

“You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” – Buckminster Fuller

“The voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” –Marcel Proust

“Discovery consists in seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought. –Albert Szent-Gyorgyi

“Your sole contribution to the sum of things is yourself.” –Frank Crane

“The sun, with all those planets around it and dependent on it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else in the universe to do.” - Galileo

PUBLISH

 “A word is not a crystal, transparent and unchanging, IT IS THE SKIN OF A LIVING THOUGHT and may vary greatly in color and content according to circumstances and time in which it is used.”

-Oliver Wendall Holmes Jr.

power of words to heal, sentence forms generate meaning

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Words are the key:

Musings of Linda Anne Judd Johnson

May 28 – June 11, 2013

Feelings become thoughts; thoughts become ideas;

Ideas become visible by turning into words;

Words put in the order prescribed by sentence FORMS

Acquire the power to generate meaning;

the Holy Ghost can verify the truth of our words

and teach us more and enlarge our understanding.

Words are a gift from a loving Heavenly Father;

we are responsible for how we use them.

"Conversion comes not through our words but through the heavenly ministrations of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes all it takes is one single phrase of our testimony or about an experience to set in motion the softening of a heart or the opening of a door that can lead others to experience sublime truths through the promptings of the Spirit." President Uchtdorf

“How sweet are thy words unto my taste! Yea, sweeter

than honey to my mouth!”

Psalm 119:103

Trust me, though, the words were on their way, and when they arrived, Liesel would hold them in her hands like the clouds, and she would wring them out like rain.”

(and)

“Once, words had rendered Liesel useless, but now, when she sat on the floor, with the mayor’s wife at her husband’s desk , she felt an innate sense of power. It happened every time she deciphered a new word or pieced together a sentence.

She was a girl.

In Nazi Germany.

How fitting that she was discovering the power of words.
― Markus Zusak, The Book Thief

“The pressure disappeared with the first word he put on paper. He thought--while his hand moved rapidly--what a power there was in words; later, for those who heard them, but first for the one who found them; a healing power, a solution, like the breaking of a barrier. He thought, perhaps the basic secret the scientists have not discovered, the first fount of life, is that which happens when a thought takes shape in words.”
― Ayn Rand, The Fountainhead

Remember the power of your own voices; best wishes, friends. Keep in touch. 403-756-3991  lajjstirling@gmail.com

I am building Egypt!

Jarom Hubbard age 5 June 11, 2013

“The options become endless when you get to the heart of your daydreams and remember why they made your heart sing in the first place.”  “Read more: http://www.careershifters.org/expert-advice/introducing-your-perfect-careers-advisor-you-aged-10#ixzz2VvyiK3JR”

RE-ignite your own learning journey by discovering the power of your own words.

Yours thoughts are welcome…..Mrs. J

learning journey, sentences, publish, FORM, content, writing skills

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May 31, 2013

Greetings all learners! Mrs. J is ‘musing’ again….

An overcast spring day; but, oh, so green!

Remember the Learning Journey?

How well do you understand your place in it?

A quick review: a learner has a question, they seek out resources that may provide an answer, they ‘play’ (work, experiment) with the answer to prove its accuracy (or error), they articulate (apply words to) what they have learned; finally, they ‘publish’ their words.

Publish?

‘Publish’ means putting the words into the sentence FORMS that communicate the learner’s desired meaning and deciding who needs to read the words and why and what place or venue this can best be accomplished.

All writing is words ordered in sentence FORMS.  FORMS are limited and learnable. Content – what is articulated in those FORMS – is individual and infinite. 

                         LEARN FORMS BEFORE CONTENT!!

We are ultimately responsible for our own words, but they are disjointed bits without the FORMS (patterns) that determine meaning. (What does a sentence look like, anyway?)

I repeat:

Learn FORMS before applying content; words contained in FORMS generate meaning. Understanding FORMS well gives you creative control over your content (words).

Meaningful content generates understanding, for yourself and your readers. Your questions can be well and thoroughly answered, by you!

Example:

What does a sentence FORM look like?

Noun  l  verb

Mom  l cooks

This is a base clause, kernel sentence or base sentence FORM.

Words can be added that develop and extend meaning.

It could become: My mom cooks hamburgers.

       And:        My busy mom cooks hamburgers at lunchtime.

Add a few more details: My busy mom usually cooks hamburgers at lunchtime, in the school cafeteria, every Tuesday.

Mom is the noun; ‘cooks’ is her action.

Challenge: Start a ‘treasure hunt’ for base sentences buried in the details of longer sentences in the stories you are reading.

George Washington Carver, novel study, hero journey,

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The Hero Journey of George Washington Carver (Feb, Mar, Apr 2013)

Summary of home school novel study class….

George was born a slave, on the Carver farm, in Diamond Missouri in 1864. He came with great gifts; including the ability to work with and heal plants of all kinds; the artistic ability to reproduce the natural world in water colors; the music ability to learn to play the piano and sing; and the power of perseverance that helped him learn and grow and serve against horrific odds; and he bought an innate faith in God. All theses gifts had to wait for opportunity to appear.

George faced harsh roadblocks from the very start. He was kidnapped, with his mother, while still a toddler. His mother was never seen again; George was found wrapped in a blanket on the chilly ground, and returned to the Carver farm. He was tiny and very ill, coughing long enough and hard enough to damage his vocal chords and impare his speech development for years to come; he remained physically small and weak throughout childhood. He had no opportunity to socialize; no clothing except cast-offs; was often the object of racist rejection, treated poorly because of the color of his skin.

Great mentors were place along his path. Mrs. Carver came first; devoted to keeping the baby alive; proud to show off his gardening skills as he grew. Mr. Jaeger of the grape vineyards recognized ‘his hands were those of a gardener’ and gave him the confidence to believe in himself; Uncle Andy and Aunt Mariah took him under wing when he started school; the Seymour’s did the same later; when he was an older student wanting to go to college; Mrs. Seymour’s nephew, Dan Brown was a significant mentor, helping George get into Seymour college; later he met a mentor professor, James Wilson, who gave him space to sleep in his office at Iowa State University; where he received his bachelor of Science and taught botany for several  years after graduation and was in charge of the greenhouses. All the while, George gives credit to God for his gifts and opportunities; his growth and preparation.

When the letter comes from Booker T. Washington at Tuskegee College. George is ready to accept the call, to step across the threshold and serve.

Washington wants him to come to Alabama and operate the agricultural part of a new college for black students only. George sends back three words, “I will come”.

Challenges are waiting and large. George must create a laboratory from scratch; equipment scrounged from cast-offs and trash. He shows the people how to care for the soil, adding nutrients and rotating crops. He leads them into a better way of life. He goes on a piano tour to raise money for the school and comes home with a realization of the desperate needs of the farmers and creates a farm demonstration wagon filled with the latest equipment that is taken out to where the knowledge is needed most.

He promotes the raising of peanuts to the farmers who know nothing but cotton. He invents several hundred products from the peanut and a hundred more from the sweet potato to convince the farmers of the value of rotating crops. He walks in the woods first thing every morning, to take his questions to “Mr. Creator”. He returns to his workbench to carry out God’s instructions.

Governments and industry notices; he is consulted for council and advice. His peanut/sweet potato powder helps keep soldiers alive during war. He is given honors (awards and degrees) and asked to speak to significant groups. He is made uncomfortable by all the attention; He remains a creative, humble and inspired servant of God all his days.

George Washington Carver died at Tuskegee in January 1946; an incredibly long life for one who suffered so much. Thousands lined up for his funeral; monuments were erected in his honor.

He served his community, a hero. A ship was christened ‘The George Washington Carver‘ in his honor. His gifts manifest themselves in his perseverance and service to his community. He is a great example of the Hero Journey we can all study and emulate with pleasure.

write 'kernal' sentences, use prepositions, try Rosie's Walk

Mrs. J’s Musings

Part 2

April 23, 2013

Try adding prepositional phrases to your own three word ‘kernal’ sentences.

Here are some prepositions to get you started:

As ,at , but, by, down, for, from , in , into, like, near, next, of, off, on, out, over, past plus, minus, since, than, to , up with, about, above, after, around, before, beside, during, through, under, until ……………………

The picture book, Rosie’s Walk, provides a perfect form for writing prepositional phrases. We tried it in one of our classes; here are some results.

Cole- Smoky, the cat, had a nap in the past, by a library, on a bed, under a car, next to the saddle dome, over the bridge, past a volcano, among some clouds, with some kittens, and woke up in time to play with me. !!

Sean- Lenny, the rooster, had a nap, by the fence, under the sun, next to the henhouse, over the brown grass, past the spruce tree, among the Rhode Island Red hens, with some red Sussex cross hens and woke up in time to eat.

*****************

Here is a delicious sentence from Tane, after another exercise where learners were provided a noun, a verb and an object and expected to put words to form and create a relationship with meaning: enjoy?

“The town has been hanging in a tree since the beginning of time.” !!

Wow! I am impressed, it sounds like the opening sentence of a fantasy!!

kernal sentences, prepositional phrases, FORM first, infinite variety of content

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Mrs. J’s Musings

April 23, 2013

Reflections from the most excellent book:

How to Write a Sentence and How to Read One

By Professor Stanley Fish

Words need syntax (forms) to give them the ability to relate to each other in a sequence that carries meaning.

Forms (relationships) are limited: noun-verb-object ( X does Y to Z …to which may be added descriptive phrases and clauses…) but the examples (possible contents) are infinite.

We practiced the three word sentence form for many weeks at the beginning of our classes to which I added specific lessons on prepositional phrases.

As a concluding activity, we turned our ‘best sentences’ (adding personal content) into illustrated ‘little’ books.

Here are those sentences, for your enjoyment.

Matthew- I like playing with my cat, after dinner, before bedtime, behind the couch, in the shadows, next to the fireplace.

Caydee- I like playing baseball with my family, at my house, in our backyard, during family home evening, before popsicle treats.

Daniel- I like playing on my I-pod, with my sister, at my house, in my room, every day, before my dad kicks me off.

Brinley- I like playing in my squirrel house, with my sissy, near the TV, on the fuzzy blankets, after a yummy breakfast of croutons that we pretend are nuts.

Natalie- I love playing with my kittens, on the patio, in the backyard, next to the cat house, by the hot tub.

Cole- I like playing piano with my sister, at my house, in the basement, during a rain storm, before spelling, beneath the kitchen, beside the TV, next to the self, along a wall, for memorization.

Sean-I like eating scones at the table in my house, with powder sugar plus maple syrup, that my dad makes at the stove, with water and sugar,  before breakfast.

Caleb-I like playing, with our dog, Ebony, in our yard, before and after school.

Peter- I like jamming on my guitar, in my room, on the highest volume, by plugging it into my amp, except for on Sunday, because my siblings get annoyed, in their room beside mine.