tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20393190372204352062024-03-05T02:53:03.194-08:00The Other SideDianne K. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972804807301141937noreply@blogger.comBlogger213125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2039319037220435206.post-42904804208172315742013-12-29T20:58:00.004-08:002013-12-29T21:11:11.915-08:00Choices<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Roads diverge in</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Yellow woods <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">All the time…the <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Power <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Is in the<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Potential.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">And Frost was right <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">When he implied that<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Both<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Would be equally pleasant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Sometimes with roads<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">It’s not so much a <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Matter of <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Which<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">But rather</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">When.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Dianne K. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972804807301141937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2039319037220435206.post-56994495226006385062013-12-20T18:33:00.000-08:002013-12-20T18:33:42.905-08:00Renaissance<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Twice blessed</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Thrice blessed<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Empowered to inhabit the <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Flip of my hair…the<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Pale of my eyes…the<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Curve of my skin.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Measuring life by the <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Length of my arms and the<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Strength of my thighs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Emboldened by the <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Swell of my lip…the<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Trip of my tongue.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Immersed in the good,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Ready to run</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">To the new.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Dianne K. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972804807301141937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2039319037220435206.post-52792619031717649572013-12-17T08:06:00.001-08:002013-12-20T21:25:02.153-08:00Gifts<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I cannot give you riches.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I cannot give you gold.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">But I can give you a heart that is true,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">And a love that will never<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Grow cold.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Gifts are fragile and tricky things.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Best when selfless and<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Without any strings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">But what if a gift is rejected?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Reflected?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Lonely and left behind?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The giver then has a choice to make.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Continue to give despite<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Heartache and loss,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">When gifts that are precious<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">End up treated as dross.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I cannot give you riches.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I cannot give you gold.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">But I will give you a heart that is true,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">And a love that will never</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Grow cold.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Dianne K. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972804807301141937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2039319037220435206.post-71699125568425383942013-12-16T16:51:00.002-08:002013-12-17T08:07:13.156-08:00This Hardship is Nothing<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Battered, bruised, bloodied, but <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unbroken.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Clinging to this lonely mountain not<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because I’ve given up, but<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rather to gather <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Strength to start again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I would walk the world for you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve walked until I could no longer stand, and<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now on my knees, I crawl.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rough, rugged, craggy, lonely mountains will not keep me<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My love is more than this mountain.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My heart’s hunger will not be denied.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am battered, bruised, bloodied, but<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unbroken.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I will find you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Love lasts longer than this world only.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Dianne K. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972804807301141937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2039319037220435206.post-83602561391601098622013-12-12T23:24:00.003-08:002013-12-16T16:51:57.880-08:00Equilibrium<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Veer to the left.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Swing wide to the right.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't have the</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whatever</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">to </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fight this fight.</span></div>
Dianne K. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972804807301141937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2039319037220435206.post-47902889191665692702013-11-25T22:00:00.003-08:002013-11-25T22:46:47.388-08:00Why I write Poetry<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I started writing poetry a long time ago. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My Grandmother (Margaret Reese) gave me a notebook she'd decorated to write my poetry in. She also gave me a rhyming dictionary. (This was for my birthday). I can't remember exactly what age I was, but I was between eight and ten. I loved it. I wrote AWFUL poetry, but I loved it nonetheless. As I got older, poetry became, for me, a voice I didn't feel I had. It was a way for me to express all of the feels I was overwhelmed with. I started getting good at it, and I liked it. I had poems published in school papers and purchased for publication. The more I wrote, the more I would find myself in what I called "writing moods"-- a mix of melancholy, moody broodiness that was palpably alleviated when I wrote out what I was feeling in free verse. I continued writing until a few years after I got married. After that, I still wrote a little bit, but it was, again, just awful. Oh well. Life goes in cycles.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lately, I've been feeling the "writing mood" again. What you've read in the last week or so is the result of this. But I find that I'm giving myself small challenges as I write. In <a href="http://dianneknelson.blogspot.com/2013/11/outburst.html" target="_blank">Outburst</a>, I wanted to play around with alliteration (I've long loved the lilt of alliteration). I wanted to be a little bit daring in <a href="http://dianneknelson.blogspot.com/2013/11/desire.html" target="_blank">Desire</a>, and <a href="http://dianneknelson.blogspot.com/2013/11/blurry.html" target="_blank">Blurry</a> was inspired by two distinctly different experiences. I'd had the phrase "There are no words for this wanting" tumbling about in my brain for some time; I paired it with my dear friend's terrible experience of losing her baby. I can't pretend I know what her experience is like or what she is feeling, but I do remember how I felt after I miscarried some twenty years ago. I chose the title "Blurry" because I'm a big believer in the idea that our Heavenly Father can clearly see the big picture of our lives, even when we can only see a blurry section of the finished product. Lastly, I wanted to write what I think of as a "Gotcha" poem in <a href="http://dianneknelson.blogspot.com/2013/11/by-numbers.html" target="_blank">By the Numbers</a>--where the reader thinks the poem is about one idea, but at the end realizes it's something completely different. Since a lot of the "two" part of the poem is lifted from my life with my husband, I can tell you he was a bit concerned by the time he got to the end of it! (I reassured him that everything was fine between us, and that he had nothing to worry about).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Which leads me to my final reasons for writing poetry: Poetry is powerful. It changes you. I taught a poetry unit to my ELD class while student teaching last spring. We did formula poems--things like "Just Because" and "Where I'm From" and I wanted them to get the idea that poetry could be a voice for them to say things that they wouldn't ordinarily feel comfortable saying. It became an experience that is hard to describe. When I started the unit, NONE of the students wanted to write poetry. As I wrapped up the unit, EVERY student begged me to continue--they wanted to write poetry more than they wanted to do anything else in their English language development. I think that in a small way, it changed their lives. I was glad, because I understood--writing poetry definitely changed my life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In my own poems, I choose each word carefully, wanting to say as much as I possible can with only a few words. It is my hope that what I write strikes a chord in my readers, and maybe helps them process their grief, or helps them find their own voice to say what they need. To help you find a palpable relief that someone understands what you are feeling.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And maybe you'll be inspired to write some of your own poetry. (Even if it's awful). </span>Dianne K. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972804807301141937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2039319037220435206.post-69175317536459786972013-11-24T01:35:00.001-08:002013-12-16T16:52:11.488-08:00By the Numbers<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Two is amazing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Two is hand-holding</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Glances, looks,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sighs full of want--</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Heavy with meaning, and the </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Buzz of mutual attraction. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Two is</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Public displays of affection that</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Catch you unawares and</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Take your breath away. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Two is heat.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Inside jokes,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wit and wonder. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Two is always moving </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A little bit closer</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Always touching however Two can. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Two is so big</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That the world, the Universe</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shrinks (and yet expands) to</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just one person. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Two is everything. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And I am not the</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One that you want. </span>Dianne K. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972804807301141937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2039319037220435206.post-1144886819229202482013-11-22T22:24:00.002-08:002013-12-16T16:52:22.408-08:00Blurry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTNF7rP-S03jTbX2fdQxfqgzQUQxtXv9LPyDQSbLNyZhwg0QoJ04oG_ZfAQxItLThaSkWY9JYn1l1AW01Jsh-fmdujNAtm0ngcILq30T_MdcPK6JaPQddkn6hCQqObfaQBNvZhkjS3oyhq/s1600/iphoneOct12+041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTNF7rP-S03jTbX2fdQxfqgzQUQxtXv9LPyDQSbLNyZhwg0QoJ04oG_ZfAQxItLThaSkWY9JYn1l1AW01Jsh-fmdujNAtm0ngcILq30T_MdcPK6JaPQddkn6hCQqObfaQBNvZhkjS3oyhq/s400/iphoneOct12+041.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">There are no words for this wanting.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Loss (Longing).</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Bereft (Alone).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Miracle Mothers</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">First-time Fathers</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A sudden shift to</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Empty arms (Empty Spaces).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Holes (Wounds, really).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hands with nothing to hold.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are no words for this wanting.</span></span>Dianne K. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972804807301141937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2039319037220435206.post-5568361258489213682013-11-18T20:54:00.007-08:002013-12-16T16:52:37.667-08:00Desire<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Lightning travels <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">When you touch me<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">My perimeter aglow with <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">St. Elmo’s fire<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I crackle and snap<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Thrumming and tingling<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Barometric pressure within rises<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Pheromones soak me to my skin<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Cloud to cloud lightning strike<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Maelstrom unleashed</span>Dianne K. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972804807301141937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2039319037220435206.post-72773797296668827132013-11-16T23:14:00.001-08:002013-12-16T16:52:50.613-08:00Outburst<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Words are</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shimmering, simmering, glimmering</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the tip of my tongue.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Effervescent</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Burbling bubbles </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ready to burst upon the blue.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some words </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spoken t</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">oo soon </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Are sour; simmering</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Makes them sweeter.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I swallow.</span>Dianne K. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972804807301141937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2039319037220435206.post-59795224132751571372012-05-08T11:16:00.000-07:002012-05-08T11:16:22.073-07:00Where I'm FromLast night, in my ED 692 class (Classroom Strategies in First and Second Language for Reading and Writing) we had a workshop presentation that included a lesson based on the work of <a href="http://www.georgeellalyon.com/index.html" target="_blank">George Ella Lyon</a>. The lesson included a chance to write a "<a href="http://www.georgeellalyon.com/where.html" target="_blank">Where I'm From</a>" poem, based on Ms. Lyon's work. It was a powerful experience, and one that I recommend to teachers everywhere. <br />
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Here's Mine (written from the perspective of my childhood):<br />
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I am from solitaire cards and chicken foot dominoes.<br />
From dryer sheets and telephones.<br />
I am from the nomadic<br />
moving again and again and again.<br />
I am from the coleus and the Christmas cactus.<br />
<br />
I'm from sleeping in Christmas morning and playing Boggle.<br />
From Kathy and "Cap'n Reese."<br />
I'm from yelling and hugs <br />
and from music.<br />
<br />
I'm from strength and keep going <br />
and Eensy Weensy Spider.<br />
I'm from Oregon<br />
My brother from Colorado<br />
My sisters from Germany, New Jersey and Washington.<br />
One sister left shortly after arriving.<br />
From slideshows and Schranks<br />
and pictures in forgotten boxes that now live at my house.<br />
<br />
<br />
Where are you from?Dianne K. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972804807301141937noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2039319037220435206.post-74074377294195952582012-05-04T09:10:00.001-07:002012-05-04T09:12:08.531-07:00Classroom MemoriesOne of my "Moodle" prompts this week for one of my online grad school classes asked us to reflect on memories we had in our ownclassroom experiences, and how that experience impacted our learning, and to describe how that experience will help us, as teachers, "create a classroom conducive to learning." Here's what I wrote:<br />
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<em>Like others have mentioned, I don't have many memories of classroom experiences in the grade I want to teach. Sort of. I remember when I took it upon myself to transplant all of my Sophomore biology teacher's classroom plants in my free time after school because they were all root-bound and suffering from neglect. I learned the hard way about cacti that actually are heat-sensitive and shoot their spines at whatever they feel is threatening them--even if that's just a hand trying to help them have a better growing experience. It was nice to look back the next year and see the proof of my handiwork--happy plants. I remember an Anatomy and Physiology class in my Junior College/freshman year where my professor simply handed me the top half of a human skull to hold while he pointed out the intracacies of the human brain. I had to get over my squeamishness at participating in cadaver anatomy VERY quickly at that point--or risk dropping the skullcap in my hand. I also remember working for weeks on a genetic experiment breeding fruitflies--only to discover that someone had tampered with my jars at the very end, the most crucial part of my experiment, by damaging the covers of my jars and allowing my fruit flies to mix and mingle with other fruit flies and destroying my data. Not fun. Luckily my professor was understanding.</em><br />
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<em>I also remember being in third grade and being treated more like a middle school or junior high. Instead of staying in one classroom, we went from room to room for different subjects. A glaring exception to the middle school model was that we didn't have lockers and had to schlep ALL of our stuff with us from room to room--so much stuff to carry that it was actually physically painful to my seven-year-old self. I truly hated school that year. I started lying about doing my work--telling my parents I didn't have homework, and telling my teachers that I'd had issues at home preventing me from doing my work--because that was easier than lugging all of my stuff around all the time. (That didn't last long).</em><br />
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<em>So--to create a classroom conducive to learning. I think that sort of classroom needs to be comfortable--but not too comfortable. There needs to be systems in place that SUPPORT learning, not detract from it. And when circumstances arise that are truly beyond a student's control, a teacher needs to be helpful and understanding.Sometimes the best way to get over apprehension and fear in learning situations is to just dive right in and do it. And live plants always make a room a little more pleasant. Unless they are spine-shooting cacti.</em><br />
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Seriously, watch out for the Cacti.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSUuiL1X8WlabqunBscmIrb6BJTg7zpOHKKMrOL1uDW0E_0je9uE3xKRQ2mZqC8Cj0lFPtc5JHt38l0CEpEgH6uFO7XCCPtEySVPm0oX1KFcdSixU7ffWaxOgNcKa7xf-UqWfK_zk6bzfL/s1600/spring+break+054_ed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSUuiL1X8WlabqunBscmIrb6BJTg7zpOHKKMrOL1uDW0E_0je9uE3xKRQ2mZqC8Cj0lFPtc5JHt38l0CEpEgH6uFO7XCCPtEySVPm0oX1KFcdSixU7ffWaxOgNcKa7xf-UqWfK_zk6bzfL/s640/spring+break+054_ed.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>Dianne K. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972804807301141937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2039319037220435206.post-3620975028210246372012-03-26T10:07:00.001-07:002012-03-26T10:07:54.752-07:00Cover Me--I'm Going In!It's Spring Break here in Oregon, and I need to use this time to clean and purge my office/craft space. As you may remember, I taught monthly classes for four years at <a href="http://www.stampincat.com/" target="_blank">Stampin'Cat Studio</a>. Before that I had an online scrapbooking store. Now, my focus will be on grad school for the next year and a half, so I need to change the focus of my workspace. I'll be doing a HUGE clean/purge/sort "Clean Sweep" kind of thing for the next few days. If you haven't heard from me by Thursday, send in someone to find me. I'll probably be buried under the <a href="http://www.basicgrey.com/scrapbook/" target="_blank">Basic Grey</a> papers. Or <a href="http://bazzillbasics.com/" target="_blank">Bazzill</a>. Or <a href="http://echoparkpaper.com/" target="_blank">Echo Park</a>. Either way, keep digging until you find me!Dianne K. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972804807301141937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2039319037220435206.post-30685256026464532382012-03-19T23:53:00.000-07:002012-03-20T00:52:14.852-07:00Bilingual Education and Technology--Looking back on my first term.<blockquote class="tr_bq">
(note: there are a LOT of fun links here. Take your time. Enjoy them all) </blockquote>
I've spent the last ten weeks being introduced to different aspects of Bilingual Education. One of my two ESOL classes this term was "<span style="color: black;">Sociopolitical Foundations of ESOL/ Bilingual Education," while the other was "Educational Technology for the ESOL/Bilingual Classroom." I must admit, when I started the ESOL endorsement, I just wanted to make myself as employable as possible. But now, I find myself a passionate advocate of Bilingual Education.</span><br />
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Many of my blog readers will remember that I've been <a href="http://screencast.com/t/CWj7hLjFr7y" target="_blank">tutoring Koreans</a> for the past four years. Part of why I thought I'd enjoy the ESOL endorsement classes was because I felt I already had some experience teaching ELLs, or English Language Learners. I have enjoyed my time with <a href="http://www.newspaper-talk.co.kr/" target="_blank">Newspaper Talk</a>, and feel it really has given me a good preparatory experience teaching ELLs. I'm looking forward to furthering my ESOL education.<br />
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I was surprised to find that I enjoyed my ESOL EdTech class so much. I must admit, I was a little nervous at first. I do not think of myself as a particulary "techie" kind of gal--I mean, I know how to work my way around my familiar programs and websites, but I've not done much beyond that. After all, that's what my IT tech loving geeky husband is for! He's MUCH MUCH better at it than I am! But I found that I really enjoyed the lessons in this class, and figured out some terrific tools to use.<br />
In my first assignment, I used some Google tools to create a <a href="https://docs.google.com/present/edit?id=0AYczNhQVhMhQZGZ2N3Zicm1fMGN0Ym1xOGRt" target="_blank">Powerpoint-style presentation</a>. Then I used SlideRocket to make my first ESOL-themed assignment. (that was fun!). <br />
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<iframe frameborder="1" height="401" scrolling="no" src="http://app.sliderocket.com:80/app/fullplayer.aspx?id=239fef9d-9c13-4745-b43c-22397114f6f8" style="border-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-style: solid solid none; border-width: 1px;" width="500"></iframe><br />
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After that, I used Jing to create a Screencast (I've hidden my ScreenCast as an Easter Egg kind of link--pay attention to my Korean tutoring if you haven't found it yet); I liked that technology so well, I used it to make another ScreenCast to help my Mom figure out Spotify (I haven't heard if she liked it, but I had fun making it!).</div>
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One of the assignments that was hard (but still enjoyable) was using Prezi to create a "digital essay" about using technology in the classrooms. One of my classmates had a quote that inspired my project. Her project referred to using digital tools and technology as the "new literacy." I felt that was so apt and appropriate, I titled my digital essay "The New Literacy." <br />
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<a href="http://prezi.com/tnjbfmflfui3/the-new-literacy/" title="The New Literacy">The New Literacy</a> on <a href="http://prezi.com/">Prezi</a></div>
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I still find the subject fascinating, and truly believe that if you are teacher who does not want to use technology in the classroom, you will be replaced by a teacher who does. I do think that it's a lot to ask for students who are surrounded by some pretty sophisticated technologies to just put it all aside and sit and listen to a lecture or read from a textbook and be expected to enjoy it. <br />
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Our last big assignment was to <a href="http://www.wix.com/dianneknelson/no-ordinary-stories" target="_blank">create a website</a>. I must say, website "plug-n-play" templates have come a long way since I toyed with the idea of creating a personal website many years ago--an idea I abandoned because it was too hard for me to do by myself. That isn't the case any more!<br />
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All in all, I have been changed in the last 10 weeks. Not only have I become a passionate advocate of bilingual education, but I've become somewhat of a technological pioneer. Granted, my pioneering journey was just for myself, but all of the assignments (with the exception of the week we were to experience blogging) took me to places I hadn't been before. I created a new digital literacy for myself, and had my eyes opened to new ways of looking at the world--and education.<br />
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Speaking of Bilingual Education, I'm including an essay I wrote about the importance of Bilingual Education in the United States. There is a LOT of prejudice out there, and I hope that some of you might see things a different way after reading it. There is room for improvement.I know that I am no longer content to be merely an observer on the sidelines in this important education issue.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Bilingual Education in the U.S. has
had a rough road. Shortly after the First World War, there was a push against
bilingualism, specifically with the German language (<a href="http://www.cal.org/resources/digest/digest_pdfs/does-the-us-needs-a-language-policy.pdf" target="_blank">Spolsky, 2011</a>). German
books were banned, German music ignored, and schools stopped teaching the
German language.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These attitudes
continued until those who were bilingual were seen as having a lack of
intelligence. Even worse, bilingualism became anti-American. In fact unless it
served the country in some way, either defensively or otherwise, there has been
a lack of bilingualism in America. The Bilingual Education Act expired in 2002,
and the No Child Left Behind act crippled bilingual education even further
(<a href="http://www.languagepolicy.net/books/AEL/Crawford_BEA_Obituary.pdf" target="_blank">Crawford, 2008</a>). Some states have even gone so far as to promote an
“English-Only” curriculum in schools. California, Arizona, and Massachusetts
have even gone so far as to pass laws requiring an “English-Only” curriculum,
citing that students’ test scores improve in an “English-Only” model and that
by teaching only in English, students would be protected from unwanted
influences and even have greater economic prosperity. Other states have tried
to pass laws, Colorado for example, but were unsuccessful (<a href="http://www.lingref.com/isb/4/020ISB4.PDF" target="_blank">Benz, 2005</a>). Thank
goodness! I think that such claims (by those that promote the “English-Only”
movement) are ridiculous! This makes me grateful to teach and live in Oregon,
one of the few states that have officially adopted an “English-Plus” policy;
this means that not only are immigrant students taught in English, but their
native languages are also protected and encouraged.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Bilingual education has
been in the court systems long before the push for “English-Only” curriculum
laws. In 1946, in California, a man named Gonzalo Mendez successfully sued the
Westminster School District for racial discrimination and segregation (<i><a href="http://www.tolerance.org/activity/tale-two-schools" target="_blank">TeachingTolerance</a> </i>n.d). Mendez was a farmer who wanted a better life for his
children. His sister took his children and her children to register them in
their local school district. Her children looked white; his did not. Her
children were allowed to register in the local school, while Mr. Mendez’s
children were told they’d have to attend the inferior Mexican school on the
other side of town. Outraged, Mr. Mendez spent a year organizing the other
Mexican families. They won the case, and the landmark case of <i>Mendez v.
Westminster</i> was successful in allowing not only Mr. Mendez’s children the
right to attend the superior schools, but 5,000 other Mexican children as well.
Many people followed this court case, including Thurgood Marshall, who
successfully argued the famous <i>Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka</i> in
1964. In 1964, the Title VI Civil Rights Act was passed. This act allowed for
equal education for all, regardless of race, color, or nationality. In 1971, in
Chinatown, in San Francisco, it was discovered that many Chinese children were
put into English-only classrooms. These children had very limited English
skills. The district felt that they had done nothing wrong—and had in fact,
been providing an equal education for all, according to Title VI. A judge
however, saw things differently, and felt that by putting these children into
classes where they could not understand the lessons made their classroom
experiences “incomprehensible” and “in no way meaningful” (Wright, 2010 p. 73).
This Supreme Court case became known as <i>Lau v. Nichols</i>, and it led the
way to implementation of bilingual education programs for students with limited
English proficiency. The Equal Education Opportunity Act (EEOA) of 1974
followed; this act help apply the Lau decision. Other court cases followed: <i>Casta</i></span><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">ñ</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">eda v. Pickard</span></i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
put into place standards for assessment for the ruling of the Lau case in 1981
and in 1982 <i>Plyer v. Doe</i> (a District Court case) stated that all
children were entitled to a fair an equal education, regardless of their legal
status. Schools are also not allowed to ask for documentation of a student’s
legal status as well, giving undocumented children access to a quality
education under the Casta</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">ñ</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">eda standards.</span></div>
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</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">English Language Learners
or ELLs are still working hard to receive an equal education in today’s
schools. They need instruction not only in their core-content areas but also in
the English language itself. Many of today’s schools use a Transitional
Bilingual Education model, or TBE. This model is used most often because the government
is willing to fund it, and because it puts the least strain on a school
district (<a href="http://wright.caslonpublishing.com/" target="_blank">Wright, 2010, p. 82</a>). The goal of a TBE model is to transition the
ELLs as fast as possible into an English-only, mainstream classroom. The most
common method of English Language Development or ELD is the “Pull-out/Push-in”
method. In this method, ELLs are “pulled out” of their classroom for their
English-language instruction, usually for about 30-45 minutes a day. If schools
are using a “push-in” model, this instruction happens in a student’s regular
classroom, during classroom hours. Another method of TBE is the Sheltered
Instruction method. Here, students are taught content in English, but these
learning activities are supported by pictures, visual aids, and other
methods—anything that would help the student understand the content of the
lesson in English. <a href="http://www.districtadministration.com/article/successful-strategies-english-language-learners" target="_blank">Pascopella</a> (2011) feels that Sheltered Instruction gives
students explicit “academic content-vocabulary instruction” in both English
and, where possible, a student’s native language. Another method schools use
for ELD is the Dual Language model. In this instance, learning instruction
occurs half in English, and half in the student’s native language (usually
Spanish). Pascopella likes this method because it gives students a chance to
“develop their first language” while achieving proficiency in English at the
same time. A lot of ELLs have academic success in this method. Finally, some
schools use the Submersion model, also referred to as the “sink-or-swim”
approach to bilingual education. This is the model preferred by those who
promote “English-Only” curriculum. In this model, students receive all of their
instruction in English, with no thoughts given to using any part of a student’s
native language.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Research has shown that if
a student is allowed to keep their native language (L1) in an additive learning
environment along with learning a new language (L2) they are more successful
academically (<a href="http://www.edweek.org/media/ell_final.pdf" target="_blank">Goldenberg, 2008</a>). <a href="http://online.wou.edu/file.php/3022/Garcia_Monoglossic_ideologies_language_policies.pdf" target="_blank">Garcia</a> (2010) also makes a strong case for keeping
an ELLs L1. Wright (2010, p. 83) states that it is “easier for students to
learn to read and write in the language they know best.” Unfortunately, many
TBE programs are subtractive, meaning that they end up removing a lot of a
student’s native language as they learn English. It is challenging to keep an
L1; instruction must be given in both languages. This is difficult for both the
student and the teacher, as the teacher must put a little more effort into
instruction, and the student will struggle at first. They will need “extra
time” –after all, they are learning academic content while learning the
language, but teaching students to read in their first language “promotes
higher levels of reading achievement in English” (Goldenberg, 2008). Still,
studies have proven again and again that if a student can read and understand
content in their native language that understanding will transfer into English.
It is slow going at first; students are processing information in both
languages, and that takes longer to accomplish, but in the end, a student who
preserves their L1 while adding an L2 is a better learner overall A recent
article in the New York Times (“<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/opinion/sunday/the-benefits-of-bilingualism.html?_r=1" target="_blank">Why Bilinguals are Smarter</a>, March 17, 2012)
also supports the idea that bilingual education makes for better learners.
Essentially, to have a successful program, ELLs need English language
instruction that doesn’t replace their native language.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">A good teacher will be
able to find ways to teach a student in such a way that they are able to keep
their native language. This kind of teacher will be creative, using Sheltered
Instruction, and above all, will respect not only a bilingual student’s native
language but also their culture. Teacher’s may encounter resistance to keeping
a student’s native language from their parents; many parents of ELLs want their
children to be taught only in English, feeling that they are able to provide
education at home in an ELLs native language. When this happens, a teacher will
need to explain the research mentioned earlier—that teaching a student in both
languages will create a student who is an exceptional learner and truly
bilingual—in literacy as well as speech. It will seem at first that a bilingual
student being taught this way will struggle; teachers will need to reassure
both the parents and the student that this kind of instruction and learning
will be worth it in the end. <a href="http://www.colorincolorado.org/" target="_blank">Websites </a>like “Color</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">í</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">n
Colorado” are helpful in promoting dual-language instruction. Teachers can also
fight back against the marginalization promoted by NCLB and insist that those
teacher performing ELD be trained and certified ESOL instructors. Often,
teacher’s assistants or teachers with minimal training are left to teach and implement
ELD instruction (<a href="http://online.wou.edu/file.php/3022/Harper.pdf" target="_blank">Harper, et al, 2007</a>). Good teachers can educate parents about
what’s necessary for good ELD instruction, and the parents can be sure to then ask
for quality instruction on behalf of their children. Another way teachers can
advocate for ELL students and families is to make the school and their
classroom a welcoming place for them. I am glad that the <a href="http://www.albany.k12.or.us/" target="_blank">Greater Albany Public School district</a> has a Welcome Center for Spanish-speaking families, as well as
interpreters available for parent-teacher conferences and other school
functions. When I read the district’s ELD plan I was happy to find out that
they also work to get interpreters in languages other than Spanish from the
International Club at OSU. All of the documents that are sent home with
schoolchildren have also been translated into Spanish, and other languages are
available if needed. I think that these kinds of activities go a long way to
helping ELL student and families feel welcome in any school district. Even with
such district support, it is my hope that I will be one of those “good
teachers” that is able to successfully teach ELLs.</span></span></div>
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(Rather than make a Reference page, I've just linked all the references within the text. If I used a reference more than once, I only linked it once. I hope that you enjoyed having all of the actual papers available for your perusal.)</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So that's it. That's a small sampling of what I've learned this first term when it comes to Bilingual Education and Technology. It was a big step for me in a lot of ways. I am so glad I took it.</span></div>Dianne K. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972804807301141937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2039319037220435206.post-43840449649363194502012-03-19T22:38:00.000-07:002012-03-19T22:38:20.236-07:00Dwain the Tub! I'm Dwowning!So here we are: finals week.<br />
<br />
It's been a blur.<br />
<br />
While I'm SO HAPPY with the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Candy-Stripers-Jr-Derby/177672652322087" target="_blank">Candy Stripers Junior Roller Derby team</a>, between it and Grad School, I've had very little time. I'm still <a href="http://screencast.com/t/CWj7hLjFr7y" target="_blank">tutoring Koreans</a> and also working at the <a href="http://www.corvalliswaldorfschool.org/" target="_blank">Corvallis Waldorf School</a> in their Extended Day/Afterschool care program. <br />
<br />
I'll say it again though, the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Candy-Stripers-Jr-Derby/177672652322087" target="_blank">Candy Stripers</a> are AWESOME!<br />
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This last term, I had 12 credits and really thought it was fine. Next term, I have my first practicum (student teaching experience) and I'll be taking two more <a href="http://www.wou.edu/education/teacher_ed/esol_bilingual/" target="_blank">ESOL endorsement</a> classes for a total of 14 credits. And I'll have the Junior Derby. And work. <br />
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Send me your best knock-knock jokes. I'm going to need them.Dianne K. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972804807301141937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2039319037220435206.post-63650217697106710622012-02-25T23:30:00.000-08:002012-02-25T23:30:12.046-08:00Together Again--For the First time!Starting Over--again.<br />
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Some of you have stuck by me for the last five years or so that I've been blogging. I've been pretty quiet the last year or so. I haven't really felt the groove. Yet at the same time, I LOVED blogging. I loved feeling like I had an audience, like I was heard. And I think that's really what it's all about. We, no matter who we are or what we are blogging for, want to feel like we are heard.<br />
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I'm currently back in school. Back in grad school, back in an MAT program--but this time at <a href="http://www.wou.edu/">Western Oregon University</a> instead of OSU. I like it a lot. It came about rather suddenly, so it's been an adjustment for me and my family. To top it off, I started a <a href="http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Candy-Stripers-Jr-Derby/177672652322087">Junior Roller Derby league</a> about the same week that school started. I'm SO GLAD I did, but it's made for a rocky start. My family's equilibrium was definitely off-kilter for a bit. I think that now, nearly two months in, we are finding solid ground again and getting the kinks worked out of our schedule. I'm grateful that my kiddoes are older. That makes it a lot easier. <br />
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One thing I'm doing differently this time is that I am working on an ESOL endorsement. ESOL, in case you didn't know, stands for "English for Speakers of Other Languages," and is essentially, in it's simplest terms, a pedagogical method to help facilitate learning for children who don't speak English as their first language. Not so simply, it's fascinating stuff! I'm surprised at how much I like it--how much I am enjoying my classes in these areas, and how much potential there is for improving my teaching in my content areas (Biology and Music, in case you didn't know). That's part of the reason I'm resurrecting my blog--one of the classes I'm taking is all about technology for ESOL teachers and how they can use them in their teaching. So far, I've really gone beyond my comfort zone and learned about Google Docs, Slide Rocket, Prezi, and more. It's kind of blown my mind. I had no idea that there was so much good FREE stuff out there! I may have even found a new favorite <a href="http://advanced.aviary.com/">photo-processing site</a>; something I'm grateful for, since my beloved <a href="http://www.picnik.com/">Picnik is shutting down</a> (well, technically they are moving to Google +, so I may not lose them totally).<br />
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Our assignment this week was to create a blog. Since I HAVE a blog, albeit a terribly neglected blog of late, I didn't creat a new one, but rather re-acquainted myself with my old one. It's a bit unfamiliar--the dashboard is different, and things are a big dusty; my knowledge of how to use all of the tools and tabs withing blogger a bit rusty, but still--here I am! I can't promise I'll continue blogging regularly, but I can tell you that I truly missed the outlet, and can tell that part of me needs to be blogging.<br />
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But how would you use blogs as a classroom teacher? I certainly wouldn't be quite as forthcoming if I were writing this blog with a teacher hat on. I believe that there should be some kind of line in the sand--that teacher's need to maintain some kind of aloofness--especially in this age of prevalent social media--in a time I've heard referred to as the "almost now." Yet I feel that blogs are a powerful tool. I think a teacher could easily stay connected with parents and students--assignments could be posted in detail in blogs. A teacher could give samples of the works he or she is expecting to receive in those assignments. Students could be assigned to write blogs--but be in character. For instance, biology students could write from the standpoint of a famous researcher; history students could be a character in history; and ESOL students could have a rich and varied language exploration right at their fingertips. <br />
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I still tutor Korean students in the mornings. Many of them attend English academies after their regular school day is done. These are a version of a "cram school," where grammer and vocabulary are learned by rote day after day, night after night. I think that there could be SO MUCH MORE to the study of the English language. Why not discover great poetry (or even bad poetry for that matter)? Write limericks? Act out plays? I think that ALL of these are better ways to learn and immerse in language study. As a singer, I've sung many songs in languages I do not speak. I still have had to learn a bit about what the song says in order to give a decent performance. Blogs can be a part of that. A student could <a href="http://aliedwards.com/2010/06/stories-of-summer-why-we-write-by-dianne-nelson.html">write stories</a>--even if it's <a href="http://dianneknelson.blogspot.com/2009/03/no-ordinary-stories.html">just their own stories</a>--and thereby learn more about the mechanics of sentence structure and vocabulary than rote memorization can provide.<br />
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Blogs connect people. And those connections are really what it's all about--whether you are connecting teacher-to-student, or teacher-to-parent, or in any other capacity.Dianne K. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972804807301141937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2039319037220435206.post-72095331379654794752011-08-05T15:16:00.000-07:002011-08-05T15:16:29.444-07:00MonetizingHas anyone in the blogosphere had any success monetizing their blog? I tried Google ads before, but that was kind of a bust. I know that niche blogs are more successful for monetization, but I'm not yet sure what my niche is. I know that bloggers exist whose only job is blogging (<a href="http://www.designmom.com/">Design Mom</a>, <a href="http://www.dooce.com/">Dooce</a>, for example) but I don't know how to start breaking into that kind of market. I'm also not sure if I can afford to be a full-time blogger, as I have other demands on my time right now. Plus, while I think I'm awesome, whether or not I am awesome enough to ask for sponsorships remains to be seen. (*wink*)<br />
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Thoughts? Any help/suggestions/real-life experience appreciated!Dianne K. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972804807301141937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2039319037220435206.post-14382690944903429762011-08-04T13:06:00.000-07:002011-08-04T13:06:12.875-07:00On Topic/Off Topic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgREZE0eZUTJ1iCC9WW2Uo2pqj9_UcVz1-3O6q7MmdhRudzTlVmVPZB5mxXw2tQoTNSHZZnS4qevMKOvEMV0iew33NxzQNbLWN3c5hwJNFMTd_n7TMM4vxAVAdlk92WIsS70gX6rRq3Gdk7/s1600/IMG_0144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgREZE0eZUTJ1iCC9WW2Uo2pqj9_UcVz1-3O6q7MmdhRudzTlVmVPZB5mxXw2tQoTNSHZZnS4qevMKOvEMV0iew33NxzQNbLWN3c5hwJNFMTd_n7TMM4vxAVAdlk92WIsS70gX6rRq3Gdk7/s320/IMG_0144.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<br />
I am kind of at a loss for words.<br />
<br />
That is a new sensation for me, I'll admit. But my priorities and how I spend my time has shifted since I started this blog so many years ago. It started as an outlet for my essays--something I still enjoy writing very much--then shifted to being about my scrapbooking and my classes for <a href="http://stampincat.com/">Stampin'Cat</a>, and then to <a href="http://diannekphotography.blogspot.com/">photography</a>. Now that I do roller derby, things are shifting in my life again.<br />
<br />
What would you like to read about? I know that niche blogs are more popular than blogs all over the place. I could do different sections like the <a href="http://www.thepioneerwoman.com/">Pioneer Woman</a>, but only if people would like to read that<br />
<br />
If you have read my blog for either a little or a long time, what do you like about it? What would you enjoy reading about? Leave a comment and chime in, otherwise Narcissism will RULE!Dianne K. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972804807301141937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2039319037220435206.post-91184358140056905262011-08-02T09:54:00.000-07:002011-08-02T09:54:47.511-07:00I'm still Here!Just a quick update: I am still alive!<br />
<br />
I will be posting a GIANT update on my life and times later this week....stay tuned!<br />
<br />
thanks for sticking around,<br />
DianneDianne K. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972804807301141937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2039319037220435206.post-68810665233203834202011-01-21T07:33:00.000-08:002011-01-21T07:33:49.470-08:00Been Scrappin'This weekend (and last weekend) I spent some time with my first hobby love: Scrapbooking. Last weekend, I went to one of the regular retreats hosted by my beloved ScrapDivas (a yahoo group that I've been a part of now for nearly 8 years). As someone who moved all the time growing up, it's lovely to have a group of friends that has been a part of my life for eight years. (To give you some perspective on the moving: we've lived in our house here in Albany for almost 9 years and that's the longest I've had an address in my entire life). I really enjoy the recharge I get from hanging out w/these ladies. This weekend, I'm spending the entire weekend scrapping w/one of my good friends as a way to celebrate her birthday. It's going to be great!<br />
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I'm contemplating taking apart and reorganizing my albums. A few years ago, I thought it would make sense to separate each kids' activities and scrapbooking layouts into their individual albums. I haven' really kept up with that, so now I think I want to re-incorporate those layouts into my big family chronological albums. Anyone else do a complete album reorganization? Was it worth the hassle?<br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Derby Progress: I went to my first practice in well over a week. I was sick on Monday, and out of town scrapbooking (plus practices were canceled due to slippery floors in our warehouse practice space) so I was a little apprehensive and worried I would have lost a lot. Not so much! It was a great practice. I slept better, woke up better and feel better than I have in about a week. I feel like I can really do a t-stop now; I just need to keep practicing to make it better and more consistent. I also might not be the slowest in the group (for awhile at least) since we had a bunch of new girls join this week. I do need to push myself more; I tend to give myself permission to take a rest or go slower, and I need to change this mental attitude. I have to admit that at this time, I don't really have the fire for competitive derby--I want to learn derby skills, and I'm hoping that the goal of a Sick Town recreational league will someday be a reality. Maybe this will change--I don't know. I DO know that I LOVE this, and that I want to be better every time I go to practice.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz9voxi320ZNrtvbpB9POSYUmc7QI0w3WhljEQKGkL4Qpng817VOgtTNrcDCBGVHuAM0HMJdcbYUltRg1vnLXW0IHqk57Zj0BBUoFWJnSqj49Tu5T_-YBpxjrMLpxWxzRm2BiK2SyWTQil/s1600/IMG_6945_ed2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="414" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz9voxi320ZNrtvbpB9POSYUmc7QI0w3WhljEQKGkL4Qpng817VOgtTNrcDCBGVHuAM0HMJdcbYUltRg1vnLXW0IHqk57Zj0BBUoFWJnSqj49Tu5T_-YBpxjrMLpxWxzRm2BiK2SyWTQil/s640/IMG_6945_ed2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>current family picture...love these guys!</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Dianne K. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972804807301141937noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2039319037220435206.post-24425175964955622482011-01-11T19:59:00.000-08:002011-01-11T19:59:44.732-08:00Derby ProgressMy goal with roller derby is simple: Be better every time I put on skates than I was the last time I put on skates. <br />
<br />
Oh! I didn't tell you I joined the Roller Derby team highlighted in <a href="http://dianneknelson.blogspot.com/2010/07/so-flippin-excited.html">this video I posted about in August</a>? Well, I did. I'm on the beginner team (Team Skabies--think "skate babies") and for a few months I was really more of a remedial beginner. I've been skating with them since August 11, 2010. My progress is v e r y s l o w. But that's okay, 'cause I am having a BLAST!<br />
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I need a place to record my improvements though. At each practice, I try to find at least 3 things I'm improving on or that I couldn't even do before. I don't want a lot of files or Facebook posts, so I'll just do a quick record here after each practice I attend.<br />
<br />
Last night I:<br />
<ul><li>started figuring out the toe-stop turn-around (thanks to a tip from skater Smackdapus)</li>
<li>managed to average 3 laps a minute in one of our relay challenges--and found I probably could have pushed harder and skated faster (will do that next time)</li>
<li>created a baseline of skills in another relay</li>
<li>did some pack skating like never before</li>
<li>didn't have to sit out and recover as much as earlier practices</li>
<li>managed to stay low nearly the entire time while skating.</li>
</ul>Thanks! I attend practices a minimum of twice a week (my goal for 2011), so this might get repetitive. Feel free to wait around for my usual blog posts.Dianne K. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972804807301141937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2039319037220435206.post-45585802428724305722011-01-06T06:56:00.000-08:002011-01-06T06:56:14.950-08:00GratefulImagine my surprise to get a phone call at 6am. I was awake (I tutor Korean students in English in the wee small hours of the morning) but I rarely have phone calls. I didn't recognize the number on the caller id (they were calling my cell phone) so I ignored it. Then the same number called the home phone. At that point, I figured it was someone who really wanted to talk to me, so I answered it. It was my daughter, calling from a cell phone in her swim team practice carpool telling me they'd just driven past a house on fire in our neighborhood. Later, I found out that she'd even seen the flames from her bedroom window as she'd gotten ready for practice that morning. This was scary and exciting and scary and impossible and mostly scary.<br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Of course, as soon as my work was finished, I ventured down the street to see it for myself. The road was blocked off by official cars and people were working hard to put the fire out. I didn't stay long--I didn't want to be in the way, and I didn't want anyone assuming the frumpy housewife taking pictures in her fuzzy slippers was the arsonist. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjriDNkzhSwTaXzf4TntFjL0DRSUwxI_gaby-S5eGYo3Kc2xRnRxbllSuh543ne4_L6mmgLMCI3eUOt62eR2qR1tWstIpoBom0YJj1PbZRtVs_RP6WPdgl8Xe0w32dXKOqVf2bp87HXne3Q/s1600/IMG_6737.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjriDNkzhSwTaXzf4TntFjL0DRSUwxI_gaby-S5eGYo3Kc2xRnRxbllSuh543ne4_L6mmgLMCI3eUOt62eR2qR1tWstIpoBom0YJj1PbZRtVs_RP6WPdgl8Xe0w32dXKOqVf2bp87HXne3Q/s640/IMG_6737.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggLloiGSwksCxhwC5HdzidqiUKVNIZnyN7Dy9ybbNeaO2OGox8NIx9re9uyv40usmf_hSJdDwkC48F9Im4a0RlZ_JN2bsLRyKabaEBIk_x0H7ZIn7tiPQDXZ8aICJL1WYYJtSpJ_w3hnIV/s1600/IMG_6740.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggLloiGSwksCxhwC5HdzidqiUKVNIZnyN7Dy9ybbNeaO2OGox8NIx9re9uyv40usmf_hSJdDwkC48F9Im4a0RlZ_JN2bsLRyKabaEBIk_x0H7ZIn7tiPQDXZ8aICJL1WYYJtSpJ_w3hnIV/s640/IMG_6740.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQln22JKuP9icMu4vMv4CuEEMIUvOpsEOICcfvusatXeOsT8cPgT97qMcAFh0fldjhe2rTh439W6CRXo1fa9HaoJueAqQscuJgiZndBBxMT_A2Hf23OpvlVj4zuMfMzgXnj6YXEnOApRj_/s1600/IMG_6751.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQln22JKuP9icMu4vMv4CuEEMIUvOpsEOICcfvusatXeOsT8cPgT97qMcAFh0fldjhe2rTh439W6CRXo1fa9HaoJueAqQscuJgiZndBBxMT_A2Hf23OpvlVj4zuMfMzgXnj6YXEnOApRj_/s640/IMG_6751.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><em>pictures taken from the backside of the house, in a nearby cul-de-sac</em></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The stretch of road that this house was on was closed for the next 24 hours or so, while investigators did their work. There was a big mobile communications truck, and lots of people milling about. I've never seen so many people walking around out neighborhood before--mostly regular citizens wanting to see what was happening. I felt like they were treating this fire as an arson fire until they knew for sure what had caused the fire.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">You see, our little city of Albany has a serial arsonist. You can read more about it in the local paper <a href="http://www.democratherald.com/news/local/article_a4a347ac-19e6-50b9-a768-12379a259c61.html">here</a> and <a href="http://www.democratherald.com/news/opinion/mailbag/article_bb8c503c-12a0-11e0-ad3c-001cc4c03286.html">here</a>. So far, the targets were empty or abandoned buildings. Some were homes that were in the process of being remodeled. One was an empty restaurant on one of the main streets into our town from I-5. This fire was well underway by the time the neighbors realized what was happening and called the authorities.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">What really makes this fire different and scary was that this was the first home that was occupied. Luckily, no one was hurt. But the devastation, the loss, was complete. The woman who lives here literally has <em><strong>nothing</strong></em> left. It hurts to drive by it. I find myself taking the alternate route home more and more, so I don't have to see it. When I see this terrible aftermath, I can't help but think of how easily that could have been me. It's very humbling. It makes me grateful that my family is safe. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfAyBsRDzt89ghazEqbqVxjAcW9Frqs8kFBqa1QfnF5mR8I1jpfnU40OekYx_s9AnDKAuEJeK7vJoxb8TcrrP3qcTQJNwQpHyJ3xY3jeFk2iwtGwQFGScoSGFYe2kTgeF7Bmz0nuDFYghE/s1600/IMG_6845.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfAyBsRDzt89ghazEqbqVxjAcW9Frqs8kFBqa1QfnF5mR8I1jpfnU40OekYx_s9AnDKAuEJeK7vJoxb8TcrrP3qcTQJNwQpHyJ3xY3jeFk2iwtGwQFGScoSGFYe2kTgeF7Bmz0nuDFYghE/s640/IMG_6845.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikY6Z_v3PnslXJ1yE3rOAx3vRzSFlOirD3rbUxVBt5UZphSnKA3PQjK4vVh_XBHcHvkeuMzWL4GQAM-WZ_8yfkSTPjs9UURsuhLibiTL2IXPLKAQZllWqFTefgPuhKinqK47tlOdY63AHV/s1600/IMG_6847.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikY6Z_v3PnslXJ1yE3rOAx3vRzSFlOirD3rbUxVBt5UZphSnKA3PQjK4vVh_XBHcHvkeuMzWL4GQAM-WZ_8yfkSTPjs9UURsuhLibiTL2IXPLKAQZllWqFTefgPuhKinqK47tlOdY63AHV/s640/IMG_6847.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV0Qr8nVUkGE4kfmGSbjw4Jt6V3zYoda8GHOl8J1Rl1AYf9V6cZSmnOv6WMYCEdIL3qJS7VKW0iloinQYQYw1eKT_-TTF3uW5PWaBaDWUIZFf-uqWRYW-MTunjigeiQk4vciHv-gA7PeJO/s1600/IMG_6854.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="418" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV0Qr8nVUkGE4kfmGSbjw4Jt6V3zYoda8GHOl8J1Rl1AYf9V6cZSmnOv6WMYCEdIL3qJS7VKW0iloinQYQYw1eKT_-TTF3uW5PWaBaDWUIZFf-uqWRYW-MTunjigeiQk4vciHv-gA7PeJO/s640/IMG_6854.JPG" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfVLZ9yykEKbAm2JVGQsX2pnSD7n7IPoCf5bgoe_epdhAXm89PayeXqZcQqpCNK0YhgRwLbMMwLREQxq9Q0kEv4u9Q9J74zPyo5cGXtlISQ2yfBO-WE3s_af5u-J971gcbiuVGcEQ-cWlg/s1600/IMG_6853.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfVLZ9yykEKbAm2JVGQsX2pnSD7n7IPoCf5bgoe_epdhAXm89PayeXqZcQqpCNK0YhgRwLbMMwLREQxq9Q0kEv4u9Q9J74zPyo5cGXtlISQ2yfBO-WE3s_af5u-J971gcbiuVGcEQ-cWlg/s640/IMG_6853.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">I have no idea what goes through a person's mind when they decide to commit a crime of this magnitude. To me, it is immensely selfish. I hope that this fire means he'll (or she'll) move on, away from my neighborhood, so that no one else close to me suffers. I actually hope that they'll be caught and punished, that appropriate consequences will be enforced. This is a terrible, terrible thing. I hope that there is a satisfactory end to all of it, <strong><em>especially</em></strong> for the owner of this house (and the other buildings that were burned).</div>Dianne K. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972804807301141937noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2039319037220435206.post-16733403841198266622011-01-03T06:44:00.000-08:002011-01-03T06:44:58.271-08:00New Year--Goals for 2011<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFcPFToC8_HBTkJyhPruOUhYxy7FtZNrhFf-ungD4v3DnHjJgaMnLCs3zObfGPYJ1k9rbUQTES5AxkF6dwp9sclYf9prul84HSH5AxFgi4_ujOK6V4JvSsnZrVwJBURiNxXetSbRZLr2Z6/s1600/IMG_6860.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFcPFToC8_HBTkJyhPruOUhYxy7FtZNrhFf-ungD4v3DnHjJgaMnLCs3zObfGPYJ1k9rbUQTES5AxkF6dwp9sclYf9prul84HSH5AxFgi4_ujOK6V4JvSsnZrVwJBURiNxXetSbRZLr2Z6/s640/IMG_6860.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div align="center"><em>trying for a family pic before church yesterday...H was talking...sigh...</em></div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="left">I love New Year's! I love that feeling of a clean slate and a fresh start. I love looking ahead to my year and thinking about what I would like to accomplish. In 2010, <a href="http://dianneknelson.blogspot.com/2010/04/countdown-begins.html">my New Year's goals centered around my "40 before 40" list--and that was good</a>. I DID think about what I wanted to do after I turned 40, but the rest of that year was caught up in a maelstrom of busy that left me little time to do much of anything--even blog (as you noticed, from my 4 month absence). This is influencing my goals this year.</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">Another thing that influences my year is part of <a href="http://aliedwards.com/2010/12/one-little-word-2011.html">Ali Edwards' "One Little World" philosopy</a>. For me, my word is two-fold: my main word is "Balance," because when I get as busy as I was in 2010, I lose my balance. The second part is "Slow," because I need to slow things down. It's become a habit to live my life scheduled not by the day or the week, but by the hour--and that's not healthy or happy. I need to take a step back and slow down; I need to not cram so much into my life. </div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">So "Balance" combined with "Slow" are my first two goals of the year. Other goals include attending roller derby practices a minimum of twice a week, eating more raw snacks (meaning fruits and veggies), clean/organize/overhaul my home--especially my craft area/office (it's a DISASTER!), take more pictures and continue to move towards photography as a side business, learn to juggle (literally--it's something I've always wanted to be able to do) and take more naps. (*smile*)</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">What are your goals for 2011? What would be your "One Little Word?" </div>Dianne K. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972804807301141937noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2039319037220435206.post-85329191951807639482010-12-28T06:50:00.000-08:002010-12-28T06:54:51.759-08:00Still Alive!Oh my blogger friends! If you are reading this, thanks for keeping my blog on your horizons, especially since I have neglected it for so longs To be fair, it's been an incredibly busy four months--even for me, where busy is my normal state of life. Here's a quick recap:<br />
<ul><li>I went back to work in the after-school program at the local Waldorf school.</li>
<li>I started directing a church youth musical play, (that I also wrote). This meant managing a group of 40 youth, ranging in age from 12-17, as well as overseeing all of the aspects of creating a play--scenery, costumes, music, etc. We only had about 6 weeks to put on this play AND it was a competition with 9 other church youth groups.</li>
<li>I went back to teaching music at a local preschool (the <a href="http://www.albanymethodist.org/#/early-learning-center">ELC</a>). Combined with my Korean tutoring, I'm working between 25-30 hrs a week.</li>
<li>I sang the National Anthem at the <a href="http://sicktownderbydames.com/">Sick Town Derby Dames</a> September bout.</li>
<li>In October, I did some subbing at the ELC, and started shadowing the Kindergarten teacher in preparation for taking over her class in November. For two weeks, I worked about 50 hrs a week while still having play practices and mom stuff and roller derby stuff.</li>
<li>H turned 12 at the beginning of October.</li>
<li>Our play (Roadshow, for those that know the lingo) was performed twice in one day, on October 23.</li>
<li>I took over the Kindergarten class at the ELC the first week of November. I gave notice at Waldorf mid-October (I'm still on the substitute list there) because I couldn't keep up with it all.</li>
<li>We found out at theRoadshow awards ceremony for the that not only did our little musical play win Best Script, Best Set/Scenery, Best Presentation, and Best Director awards, we also won the Grand Champion award! J shared the Best Actress award with another girl in our stake (a stake is a unit of organization for our <a href="http://www.lds.org/">church</a>) but two other youth in our play won Best Vocalist (male and female) awards. I was very proud of the youth and how hard they worked.</li>
<li>December rolled in with it's many concerts. Given that we have two children in band, one in choir, and the fact that I'm not only teaching music at the ELC but also our church choir director, it's really not a surprise that from the 12th of December to the 19th of December our family was involved in 7 concerts. I also sang/directed at a Christmas Eve service.</li>
<li>Joel and I celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary on December 12th. (yay us!)</li>
<li>My daughter J turned 16 in the first week of December.</li>
<li>J joined the high school swim team.</li>
<li>I started attending regular roller derby practices the second week of August and LOVE IT! I'm still not very good (I literally started with NO skating skills and had to completely learn how to skate), but I keep trying. I don't know if I'll be participating in a bout (or even a scrimmage) any time soon, but I'm definitely keeping up with this. My goal right now is to be better each time I put on skates than the last time I put on skates. I'm on the newbie team (Team Skabies) for the local Albany-Corvallis league, the <a href="http://sicktownderbydames.com/">Sick Town Derby Dames</a>. I do have a derby name picked out, but am going to keep that to myself for a bit.</li>
</ul>So that's it in a nutshell. We are still reasonably healthy and very very blessed. All in all, 2010 was a pretty successful year for the Nelson family, and we are looking forward to the challenges and joys of 2011.<br />
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Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!Dianne K. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972804807301141937noreply@blogger.com2