Words from the Heart

This post is a recognition of some very special people, the idea for which came partly through an email from a friend and partly from a post from a cyber-friend. My garden includes a rose garden, which my beloved Roger created for me. Each year, it surprises us with the most amazing blossoms. This past winter was very trying for both flora and fauna. I thought for sure that my precious roses had been killed by the cold and frost. But, tenacious as ever, the roses have found the strength to produce even more blossoms than in years past. Each rose has a name which I equate with qualities that are admirable. So, for each rose, an individual with similar qualities will be recognized. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This beauty is HUGE! I actually do not know the given name of this rose...it was a gift that had no tag. I have named it Pretty in Pink, because it has pink-on-pink colored petals. Its fragrance is also spectacular, filling the yard with a wonderful...

( Apologies to John Irving ) I got into creating this blog thanks to one of the faculty members of my concentration in the graduate program I am currently in at UMass Amherst. I knew there was no way I could go to a TESOL conference; it looked interesting; I've taken online classes; love the freedom they allow; and , it was something new. What I have learned in the past two weeks is phenomenal! Besides creating this blog, I have learned how to use yahoo groups, chat on line in a group conference, chat with individuals around the world, use wiki (well, sort of), posted on Frapper, and keep track of 50 to 100 emails a day! Whew! No wonder I feel tired! Publicly, I would like to thank the Blogging for Beginners team. What a great job you all have done coordinating all of this. My head spins when I think of the work and effort that had gone into making all of this happen for so many people around our tiny planet! This leads me to the "spiritual" connection in all this. Just l...

I admit, I am a dinosaur when it comes to computers. I started back in the day of binary codes, reams of paper and little cards punched full of holes. The first computer I worked on took up an entire room in the doctor's office I worked in. If we did a 'run' we had to leave it on over night and hope it did crash in the wee hours. I remember thinking it was so fast! Now, here I am some thirty years later immerged in Blogging for Beginners (B4B)! I feel like Alice and I just fell down the rabbit hole! Technology is wonderful! But, watch out for the Mad Hatter! ("No time! No time!") Looking at the blogs of other educators, I see how nicely this tool incorporates into a classroom. Obviously it takes lots of work, but what a gift to give our students! I can see blogs in elementary classrooms as a way for students to write and share without feeling the discomfort of standing in front of the class. I can also see it as a great tool for the bilingual student who needs ext...