Celebrate Kansas Voices

I had the privilege of attending the Celebrate Kansas Voices workshop held at K-State the past 2 1/2 days. It was an amazing experience facilitated by Wesley Fryer and co-facilitated by Cyndi Danner-Kuhn. The purpose of this professional development experience is to empower teachers to create digital histories that tell the stories of members of Kansas communities. Today was our 'show and tell' day, and what powerful, powerful stories were presented. Many of us who were participating were utilizing different digital tools than we were familiar with, or we were using tools we had used before but in different ways. Following each presentation, we discussed how important each story was, and how we were all richer for having seen the images and listened to the stories that went along with them. There is something so moving and important about hearing someone tell their story in his or her own voice.

I feel that what I learned from this workshop blends seamlessly with the philosophy and practice of the Flint Hills Writing Project. In our Summer Institutes we encourage teacher consultants to tell their own stories through teacher lore and narrative inquiry. By encouraging teachers to capture the voices that go with the stories, a layer of understanding and perspective is added. Wesley and I also talked about the Senior Project with Ann Parr that Rhonda Gierhan's Geek Squad facilitated. What a wonderful thing it was to hear those seniors read their stories. Capturing those stories on audio and video adds another layer of preservation.

I am looking forward to having my students interview community members and digitally record the stories of our families and communities. This workshop was a great inspiration for the start of a brand new school year. The previous video is my project from the workshop telling about my connection to and the history of the Wakefield Public Library. There is some revising I would like to do, but I was happy with what I could create in the 2 1/2 day workshop.

A Window to the Rest of the World

The Silent Governess

Summer reading is a delight beyond that of other reading throughout the year. I don't know why. Maybe it is because I'm transported back to all the summers afternoons I spent reading in the living room with my mom, all the trips we made to the public library, or the time spent sitting in a hot dusty truck in a wheat field waiting for the combine to rumble up.

This evening I finished The Silent Governess by Julie Klassen. I read about this book on a blog post by Tamera Alexander, one of my favorite authors. When I commented on her post, she sent me a copy of the book. I've not been able to put it down! The story is set in nineteenth century England. The main character, Olivia Keene, finds herself fleeing her hometown after witnessing what she assumes is an act of family violence. She finds herself, after several mishaps, imprisoned and wounded. When her would-be accuser becomes her rescuer, she finds herself employed as a governess in Brightwell Court. Olivia has such a heart for the children in her charge, as well as others in the household for whom she longs to open the doors of learning. The mystery that Klassen has woven into the plot and the wonderful characters she has brought to life made this book a delight from the first to the last page. The Silent Governess was the winner of the 2010 Christy Award for Historical Romance.

While at the Wakefield Public Library, I checked out another Klassen title: The Apothecary's Daughter. That's at the top of my bookstack.