The Summer Goals Meme

I was tagged a few times for a Summer Goals Meme (that started over at A Year of Reading, I believe, and then made its way to Two Writing Teachers, and beyond) and it does seem to be a good time to think about the weeks ahead. Summer is certainly here, weather-wise, in New England. We’ve had some real scorching days out there.

Here are my five goals:

  • Figure out ways to have meaningful technology at our Western Massachusetts Writing Project even though it seems as if our computer lab may be off-limits due to renovations to the building. I worry that the promise of technology instruction will not be realized this year;
  • Help middle school kids create some fun movies at the Claymation Movie Camp that I am co-leading this summer (with my friends, Tina). This is the second year of offering the venture and I believe the camp was filled up early with eager kids;
  • Find time to write for myself — poems, quickfiction, etc. — in a meaningful way. I would like to keep exploring hypertextual space as a way to write;
  • We joined a community swimming pool this year and we hope to use it a lot this summer. It’s not far from our house and will be a nice way to cool off this summer. And we want all of our kids to have swimming lessons;
  • Read Harry Potter, the last, which has been sitting on the floor next to my bed since last summer when the rest of my family read it without me.
  • Bonus: I want to take home one of our school’s new Mac Computers and dig a little deeper into its software. In particular, I want to know the ins and outs of Garage Band for making student podcast projects. (Anybody have a good web resource that I can use?)

(from a Mac-based Comic Life lesson the other day)

Instead of tagging other people, why don’t I just open up this comments area for your goals, if you have time.

What are your plans for the next few weeks (I won’t say Summer, since not everyone who stops by here is in my hemisphere).

Peace (in plans),
Kevin

6 Comments
  1. Hey Kevin, I like your goals — especially learning about Garage Band and the Mac. Maybe I’ll finally get my little black Mac and we can learn some stuff together! ~ T-Dawg

  2. NIce, Can’t wait to see what you can do with comic life. Great guys created this software. Do you have to newest version? Comic Life Magic?

    Bonnie

  3. My Summer Plans:
    1. SI’08, can it be the SI yet? Can I enjoy the experience even more? Maybe less driving, more exercise, less food, more sleep.

    2. Making connections with Western Mass SI08. Sending telegrams?

    3. Exploring new challenges with literacy and technology at BOCES

    4. A trip to Maine in August with Tuvia for my birthday.

    5. Finish 2 digital pieces before SI08 begins.

    6. Kicking off a new ELLTECH project at our site

    7. Reading with my Kindle

    8. Always MOVIES. MOVIES, MOVIES…

  4. Tina,
    I think you and I will be having some tech talks this summer.

    Bonnie,
    Thanks for your list. You have two digital stories getting finished? What are they? That sounds neat.
    And what is ELLTECH?
    Sounds interesting, too.

    Kevin

  5. I love this idea. I had to look on Wikipedia to see what a Meme is. Even better. Here is my list:
    1. Clear the clutter – physical, mental, all of it. As much of it as I can find, including the mini-storage.
    2. Eat locally – nothing from further than 100 miles away.
    3. Write, make prayer beads, work in my yard. Some or all of these each day.
    4. Learn some new digital tools I can use in school:: VoiceThread, Garage Band and iMovie.
    FInd the PC equivalents of these for the school computers. Get my PowerBook cleaned up so it s fast again. (More clutter clearing!)
    5. Exercise every day.

  6. I have some cool things to get going on:

    I have my DS for the NWP/TESOL conference I documented. Lynn just above me here, was one of the presenters/facilitators.

    I have an annual DS to share for this year’s SI08 Log and

    I am working collaboratively on a tech-literacy grant at the BOCES, where you presented with us and that’s cool.

    And the ELL/Tech grant work, I will send you the plan.

    Lots of cool things coming up.

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