Category Archives: Homepage

The Release of the Days

by dogtrax

As I began to gather up this week’s Days in a Sentence, I realized that I had not written my own (which I usually do with my call for words). So, here is my Day in a Sentence:

I’m seeing the world in frames and punchlines this week as I develop and continue to tweek my new comic strip adventure about teaching, technology and kids in a digital age.

And without further ado, here are your words:

My friend, George, with whom I have followed on a few projects (including the Darfur and the Space initiatives), shares not only a sentence, but also a picture as he writes, “Taking care of Marisa’s brain-injured father.” — See the picture (our thoughts are with you and your family, George)

Janice went looking for books, but found a few empty spaces on the shelves. It must have been those library elves again. “My (voluntarily undertaken) paperback fiction inventory is almost complete and depressingly, hundreds of books are missing from the middle school library collection of the school I start working at in September.”

Bonnie had another jam-packed week of teaching and family, and still, she finds a way to balance it all with joyfulness. The sun always shines on Bonnie. “We officially ended the third week of our Summer Institute with flowers, stipend checks and the sun and I begin a weekend of family celebration: our first wedding from the next generation and the sun is still shining.”

Mike is digging deep into video editing (always a fun but slow process, in my opinion) and at least thinking of getting into shape. Or maybe he already is in shape. That’s the problem with virtual community — I can’t see him. :)   “Most of my week was spent editing a wedding video that I shot last week, and I also bought a new weight set off Craigslist, which is pretty fun.”

Michaele is back in the classroom this week. She wrote down her sentence in the short time when kids were going home for lunch. As you see, she has some mixed emotions about her new position. “Returning to the classroom this week after a one-year hiatus has been fulfilling, social, busy, and deeply reflective due to my employment circumstances: I’m replacing a teacher whose husband was killed in the war overseas last spring.” (Good luck — we are sure you will do great)

sara smiles (cue music from hall & oates). i can tell. she writes, “i love summer, when my greatest concern is balancing out the wicked farmer’s tan i’m getting from my nursery job!” (sara is determined to keep everything lower case in her online persona, so i am following her suit here)

Gail D. continues her various quests for knowledge and new ideas and now she returns back home to reflect on the experience. “I’m back home in California after an amazing two weeks in New York City, during which most days included a stroll through Strawberry Fields – Imagine!“

I think I saw Jenny yawn. Time to pull the shades and take that cat nap. “Not enough hours in the day; I need at least 8 hrs more to get that much needed sleep.“

Amy sees some light and some clearance. Possibly.  She certainly gets more than the allotted sentence. “The sun breaks though the clouds as my master’s project nears completion. –Maybe. My project advisor approved the project, but after a brief look my grad advisor thinks it needs more writing. Hopefully, she will change her mind before my committee meeting next week. ;-)“

Nina poses the question that has long plagued the minds of every teacher everywhere. “Back to work a week from today–why is it that no matter how long one’s vacation is, it is never long enough???“

Tina teaches, but she also golfs, and she is great at both. “I didn’t win the Club Championship, but had way too much fun trying — and celebrating afterwards with my pals!“

Jane provided me with plenty of purposeful alliteration and, bonus, she created a comic for her Day in a Sentence (see it over at her blog). “The Petal Pounding Presentation at the Garden Walk proved to be a great success as all the people proclaimed that the petals they pounded provided the perfect past time.“

Lynn is overseas, in England, taking pictures and breathing in the history. “10-day AP Lit tour of England concludes—Alas. 700 pix to sort—egads. London, Canterbury, Bath, Oxford, Stratford, Howarth, and Lake Country. Students were great, guide—delightful. Pace just challenging enough. Will post Flickr links when pictures are sorted and duds removed.“

Vacation is almost a memory for Karen. Sorry about that. “One more week visiting family out of state, then one more week of summer vacation; where did it go?“

Mother Nature reared her beautiful head for Delaine. And for us, too, in New England. “After days of gloomy overcast, the sun finally made an appearance this morning, although slowly, over the Bay Bridge.“

I want to welcome Gail P., who teaches kindergarten at my school and who submits her sentence for the first time (but hopefully, not the last). As always, her focus is on kids. “The four year old twin boys are bouncing, racing, riding, laughing, sneaking, sometimes whining, and often testing their old aunt as we freewheel our way through the adventures of summer.“

Rick revels in the sun and in being with the energetic kids of his clan. “The best day of summer was filled with playing whiffle ball, running through the sprinkler, and stepping on each other’s shadows. Grandkids keep me young.“

Susan has been thinking and writing about “power” these days. “Reflecting on my work last week, I can’t stop thinking about the barriers schools put up between secondary teachers by separating content areas in a system of hierarchy; when we’re battling each other for power there’s little time or energy left for collaboration and change.” She invites you to add your thoughts to this discussion over at her blog.

And Stacey, who will be our guest host this coming week, has been knee-deep in planning a session for the fall conference. “I’m ready to spend hours working hard, and having fun, with Ruth preparing for NCTE.“

Thanks to everyone who submitted a sentence this week and thanks to those of you who are just reading the words and thinking, I should do that, too. You should. And you are welcome with open arms to participate in this Day in a Sentence.

Peace (in community),
Kevin

Reflecting on Creating a Comic

by dogtrax
boolean by you.

I’ve been fully immersed in creating my new comic, Outerworld Web, and I thank everyone who has been giving me some feedback. It’s been mostly positive, which indicates to me that I am on the right track with my characters and my angle. Even my older son liked it, although he commented that he thought it could be funnier and that most comics have original art. Sure, kid.

On a whim, I wrote to the local newspaper and asked if they would be interested in an original comic strip from an area teacher (me) and I got a response back yesterday from the top editor, saying he was intrigued but would need to speak to the online editors. He also voiced concern that it might be difficult to keep a comic stip going over the long haul. I told him that I already have more than 20 of the Outerweb World comics done (it’s true), so we’ll see what happens.

As a writer, it has been interesting process. Three frames are barely enough space to get a character set up, a story moving and then the punch line that should come at the end. While I seem to have a lot of ideas, how to narrow and condense down into the structure of the comic strip genre has been a challenge — and quite enjoyable, actually. I think working with Six Word Stories and Day in a Sentence has been helpful, as those two activities force the writer to focus on the essentials.

At first, I thought that Mr. Teach would be a very central character, but he is not. Boolean and Urth are the centerpins of the comic, so far. I also thought that I would be Mr. Teach, and that is the case to some degree, but I am finding myself thinking more like Boolean and identifying with his urge to tinker and mess things up. I’m finding myself channeling parts of my personality through the characters in an interesting way. Mr. Teach allows me to introduce a concept, but Boolean allows me to poke holes in ideas and voice an off-kilter view of the world. I like that. Urth is Boolean’s friend, and literary foil, and his odd take on things helps spice up the story.

I am purposely narrowing down the cast of characters at this point, but I suspect that if I keep it up, I’ll have to bring in some blood to liven up the strip. I think I can do more with Boolean’s pet, Funk, but I haven’t figured it out yet.

Finally, I am liking the minimal nature of the comic art design, but I wonder if others think there is not enough going on. Since I am viewing the comic primarily as a writer, I am focusing in on what is being said, and not said. Art has never been “my thing” and I would love to find an artist who could do the artwork for the comic strip (know anybody? Let me know). I even put out a call on Classroom 2.0, but nobody responded to the post.

Anyway, here is another installment of Outerworld Web (and you can always go to my home site). This may be the last one until I figure out what might or might not happen with the newspaper, as I am not sure if they will republish comics that I have already put on the Web.

Peace (in three frames),
Kevin

Comics and Bears for PhotoFriday

by dogtrax

It’s time for PhotoFriday (the collective Flickr photo sharing group started up by Bonnie) and I am sharing out two photos this week.

The first photo is related to my Slice of Life story the other day, as I captures a bear going through my trash:

The second one is another installment of my new comic series called Outerworld Web. (You can also catch up on the series at my new Google Sites home of the comic):

Peace (in pictures),
Kevin

Making My Own Comic: Outerworld Web

by dogtrax

I am beginning a foray into the world of comics, somewhat inspired by a friend in the National Writing Project who does create his own comic strip for his local newspaper. I am no artist, so I have turned to a site called StripGenerator, which I like for its relative simplicity and strangeness.

My comic is called Outerworld Web and it features a kid character named Boolean, who is a student. The stories will be based loosely on my own teaching experiences and stories that I have gathered from others here and there. A theme will be technology in the classroom, but that won’t be exclusive. I am also hoping to create a Google Site to collect all of my comics as they come to fruition.

As a writer, I am hoping this experience will allow me to create some lesson plans for both comic creation and comic publishing.

Here is my introductory comic:

(click here or on the comic to go to large view of the comic)

And the first installment of Outerworld Web:

(click here or on the comic to go to the larger view of the comic)

If you have stories or ideas that you want to share with my newly created comic mind, please let me know. Also, any feedback on the comic would be most appreciated, as I am in new terrain here.

Peace (in frames),

Kevin

Looking, Searching, Calling for Days

by dogtrax

The Day in a Sentence is back and we are hoping for your words. If you have been a reader here or just a casual passerby, please consider joining us this week at Day in a Sentence. (See the archives)

(Go here to see a bigger version of the comic)

As the comic dog says, the hurdle to participation in Day in a Sentence is small:

  • Reflect on a day of your week or your entire week
  • Boil it down into a sentence
  • Share it as a comment on this blog post
  • I collect them all and then publish as a writing community over the weekend
  • We celebrate!

I hope to see your words!

Peace (in reflection),
Kevin

Slice of Life, Chapter 17

by dogtrax

Slice of Life, Weekly Challenge, Chapter 15

(This is part of a weekly feature called Slice of Life Project)

I was heading out to the mailbox to get the newspaper. On the corner, near the driveway, sat our trash cans and recycling containers, awaiting the Monday pickup. I noticed that the trash can was knocked over and thought about the vicious thunderstorm the night before. It must have been the wind, I thought.

But then I saw something black, moving near the trash can. A fuzzy butt poked out from behind the container. Oh, I thought, it must be out neighbor’s dog. No, wait a minute, our neighbor’s dog — a big black furry thing — died last year.

Uh Oh. Bear.

Sure enough, there was this medium-sized bear rummaging through our trash like some FBI agent, ripping open bags and digging in. It had a collar, so it was clearly being tracked by the local environmental folks as it perused a path through the neighborhoods. Bears are very common in the place I live, and over the years I have seen all sorts of creatures: deer, fischer cats, and even two moose wandering around our stretch of suburbia. But it still takes me by surprise.

I yelled at the bear. It looked at me and kept right on munching. I went inside to show my son and my wife whistled at the bear. Nothing. I went out and honked the horn on the van. Not interested, the bear seemed to indicate, turning its back on us. My wife finally started up the van and backed down the driveway and the bear jumped up with a start and then lumbered away, moving towards a neighbor’s house.

It’s funny how a brush with nature can remind you that we inhabit this world with others, even if we don’t often act that way.

Peace (in the wild),
Kevin

PS — I have a picture that I will try to share with PhotoFridays this week.

Memoir Mondays: Rain, Rain, Go Away

by dogtrax

I used to be afraid of the rain. Terrified, really. I barely remember it, but I know it to be true. The fear is no longer there. I love the rain, although I get sick of too many days of it, just like anyone else. But I now know the rain cannot harm me or my things. I didn’t know that as during this phase of childhood.

I don’t remember what began this short-lived childhood paranoia of rain. Perhaps it was simply the strange and unexplained phenomenon of things falling from the sky. And then, these things falling from the sky are hitting my head (hmmm, see earlier Hammer and Tree Fort memory for more falling objects on my head). Or maybe it was the connection of rain to the thunder, which always seemed unsettling to my childhood ears.

Yesterday, I was watching a neighbor build a little plastic tricycle for his son and it somehow brought back memories of this childhood anxiety. The connection is the vehicle. I used to have a little metal push-pedal go-cart that I adored  and loved. I remember one day, as I was cruising around the parking lot of our apartment building, it started to rain and I just completely lost it. Freaking out is a better way of saying it. I screamed. I yelled. I couldn’t move. And what kept me in this state of panic was both a desire to get out of the way of these falling watery objects and to protect my go-cart. I could not do both at the same time and as a result, I didn’t do either. Thus, the vocal chords were in full bloom.

I finally made it home but I left my go-cart outside in my desire to get the heck out of the rain. This abandonment had me screaming even louder. I was sure my go-cart was doomed. My mom finally had enough (my voice was ringing through every corner of our apartment complex) and after unsuccessfully telling me that if I wanted my go-cart, then I should get it (no way), she sent my brother out to get it. He did so reluctantly, shaking his head at the folly of his foolish younger brother. But he did it.

Somehow, I eventually got over this fear. I even remember running barefoot in thunderstorms with a neighbor of ours and how joyful it felt and how free it felt, even as our moms were shouting to us to get our butts back inside before the lightning started in and we’d get ourselves zapped. There is some real irony here as to who was now doing the shouting at whom. Suffice it to say that my friend and I took our sweet time, mouths open, filling up with water from the heavens before shuffling back.

And my go cart, you’ll be happy to know, was tucked safely at home.

Peace (in rainy days),
Kevin

Days in a Sentence

by dogtrax

(I created this header with a cool site called Spell with Flickr)

It was another fantastic week of receiving your sentences and words through Days in a Sentence and we continue to have a trickle of new writers in the group. I love the sense of slow growth that happens in this sort of project. So, welcome to anyone new to the project this week and if you are just lurking, please consider joining us next week or sometime in the future. Your words are welcome!

Here are your days in a sentence:

Bonnie has been busy with work at the Hudson Valley Writing Project, which is in the midst of its Summer Institute (same here in Western Massachusetts).

“A second exhilarating and exhausting week of our summer institute 2008 and I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else, it’s a great ride!”

Tracy is finding beauty in the quiet things of life, which is a nice reminder to all of us to “see” the world through such eyes.

“Grateful for my present setting: the sun and the garden, my dog teasing the ball at my side while I listen to music, read, and play all day long.”

Ken had what he called “a day of love” with his daughters and once again tapped into his poetic talents (of which he has many) to compose a sort of poem in a day in a sentence.

“Look for the simple thing, that’s where it’s at -
On one brief syllable so much depends -
Value its presence; know the sign off pat -
Each joy is a jewel and sadness ends.”

Mr. Mansour (a new friend) seemed to be juggling many different things, including family and connections with his neighbors.

“After filming a wedding and reception all day Saturday, I spent the rest of this week uploading all the footage and figuring out how to mix SD and HD video while also taking care of my 13 month old daughter, putting together a new website for a presentation to some teachers in training, and attending a neighborhood meeting on energy conservation.”

Lynn J. confronts the past in the clean-up routine as material goods spark something deeper.

“Clearing the clutter takes me deep into sorting through old memories before I can take the clothes to the Salvation Army, donate the hardback books to the public library and turn in the paperbacks for used bookstore credit.”

Ben D‘s plate has been full with the Writing Project work (see reference to Bonnie above).

“This week has been spent digesting the pedagogical casserole I just finished (a.k.a. the Red Mountain Writing Project).”

Jane S. has found beauty in the pounding of nature.

“The process of releasing the natural pigments found in flower petals, leaves and even grass to fabric or paper by pounding with a hammer creates a fun floral project but it also provides an outlet for those crazy days when all you want to do is hit something.”

Janice has caught her breath. Finally.

“It has taken until now for me to relax, and realize I have the opportunity to completely waste away hours, if I so desire.”

Susan had an eye-opening experience in a retreat with the Writing Project.

“Returning from a week engaged in collaborative learning with NWP colleagues, I keep thinking: It’s all about POWER!”

Nancy, the new mom, has already discovered one aspect of her new life. Sometimes, it feels like Groundhog Day.

“My week: sleep, feed, change dirty diapers. Repeat. )“

David says, and I agree, that a beer sounds good right about now.

“Crushing deadline, aching limbs, need more water, could do with a few beers…”

Matt is finding time with loved ones to be beneficial.

“Enjoying a week spent with visiting family.

Illya sent the kids packing and now eager awaits their return. Just like a mom.

“I’m sitting on an anthill waiting for my boys to return home from 2 weeks of camp. One is back, now just two more to go.”

Stacey went for a hike, but in the wrong shoes. It must have been one of those days.

“I cannot figure out why I ruined a perfectly good pedicure by walking over three miles in dressy sandals.”

Kristi (welcome!) has some advice that might be used for kindergarteners, but can I say that it works well with sixth graders, too? (And maybe some adults)

“I teach kindergarten and my Day in a Sentence (or even my year in a sentence) is most often “If it’s wet, and it’s not yours, don’t touch it.”

Deb has a sentence that is short, but powerful.

“Don’t take family love for granted!”

Elona has gratefully found some time to gaze skyward and in good company, too.

“This week my granddaughter and I spent time doing things like lying on the grass at the Credit River and looking at clouds and finding one that looked like a hippopotamus. )“

Talk about meandering minds! Sara fills us in.

“working at my local plant nursery is the perfect summer teacher’s job – the plants stay where i put them, no one supervises my watering, there’s an utter lack of lesson plans (yippee!!), and my mind wanders down any path it cares to, getting lost in tasks like deadheading petunia baskets for hours.”

Break is over for Anne but I bet new adventures await her and her students.

“This week has been rather a crazy, hectic and time-consuming week, as our school settles in to the first week back after a two week break.”

Mary (who I believe another newcomer and so, I welcome her, too) has some mixed emotions this week.

“Happy thoughts of new faces and smiles. Sad thoughts of summer ending.”

Peace (to all of you),
Kevin

Bound by Law: Copyright Comic

by dogtrax

This was an interesting find and very helpful. It came out of a discussion going on in a listserv that I am part of with the National Writing Project around fair use of material and the copyright law, which I find rather onerous (even as someone who writes and publishes in a variety of ways) and not at all in sync with the flexible era that we now live in.

Some professors at Duke University put together a very engaging comic explanation of how the copyright laws work, and why they are in place. Also, the short book advocates for some changes to make the fair use aspect of materials more manageable for artists in any medium (including the use of Creative Common licensing).

CSPD Comics

Cover of comic, superhero with video camera and creative commons shield

The comic unfolds around the story of a documentary filmmaker trying to determine which footage that she shot of New York City might be troublesome for her movie and along the way, the book gives very good examples of how other movies have run afoul of the copyright laws. For example, there are situations where corporations try to extort (my word) $10,000 from a young filmmaker who accidentally captures a snippet of a copyrighted song in the background of some footage. Ridiculous.

The book was published by Duke’s Center for the Study of the Public Domain and is available for relatively cheap and it is even cheaper if you purchase class sets (four bucks a piece). More information about buying the book is here.  Or, in the spirit of this whole endeavor, you can get a free digital download of the book in any variety of styles (flash version, html, pdf, etc) by going here. They even provide a way to remix the book, if that strikes your fancy.

This comic is worth a look if you work with students still trying to get a grasp on why you can’t just take any thing in the world and remix it and put it on YouTube. Or why some songs are just off limits for some projects. And if you are like me and believe in your heart that all art (music, paintings, books, etc.) should be free and accessible to anyone (even though you acknowledge this is not reality — people want to get paid for their creative time), it is still valuable to know the law and this comic gives a great overview of the legal aspects of copyright protection.

Peace (in trademarked symbols),
Kevin