Here I raise my Ebenezer.

 I finished school, that's the big news. It's been 5 years in the making, this section of it. This fall will be the first one in 19 years that I won't be going to school (that includes JK, which wasn't full-time school, but I was in school, so I'm counting it). At this point in time, I have been in school for approximately 83% of my life. And now that's done. It's weird, it's awesome, it's incomprehensible. "Hither by Thy help I've come." More on that next week.  

I was thinking the other day (dangerous, I know) - this time last year, I was still in Paris. I can't believe that was only a year ago, so much has happened this year that Paris, my life there, the people I met, and the places I visited all seem so far away. The longer I'm away, the more I miss it, the more I miss the people, and the traveling. About a month ago in church we were singing a song that I remembered we sang at 72 rue de Sèvres fairly often, and I realized that I couldn't remember the words in French. My heart sunk. I miss worshiping in French with the church family there. 

So now I'm back living at home. I am looking for a job. Fun times. I'm doing my best to enjoy the time I have right now, as I don't currently need to be running around like a chicken with its head cut off. I'm thankful for that. However, I was talking with someone the other day and they put words to a large part of my frustration: It's a lack of purpose and direction. Every other year that I've come home, I've looked for a summer job, and looked forward to school again in the fall. Right now I don't have school to look forward to, I don't have a job to look forward to (yet). It's frustrating. But like I said, I'm trying to enjoy my time living at home (not living in a basement), having a river basically in my front yard, and a beautiful backyard. 

How have I been enjoying this?

1. Reading books - I know I love books, but I don't read much during the school year, and for some reason I start putting my computer before books. Bad choice. So this week I've been reading novels, and absolutely loving it. Also, reading outside on a beautiful day is just plain awesome!

2. Photography - My parents shared some inheritance money they received after Oma died in January, and I bought myself a new camera. I have been slowly getting to know it, and we're beginning to be friends. I have a lot more to learn, but it's a start. Between the camera and some editing software, I have lots of learning to do. I thought I'd share some photos from this week.

Love lilacs so much!

Calm, foggy morning on the river.

These ships are a regular sighting here, but the fog & reflection made it extra-cool!

Loving the bleeding hearts!

So this is a new part of "this becoming" - I'm becoming increasingly interested in photography, and I look forward to continuing to explore this new hobby.

Connections.

I've been working on a project (a visual journal) for my Teaching Language Arts class. One of the entries is a chapter extension, so taking a chapter from the textbook and extending my learning or discovery of the topic in whatever way that I choose. We were introduced to the wonderful world of Wordle (www.wordle.net) in class, and I decided to use it for this particular entry. 

I have chosen Chapter 6: Expanding Academic Vocabulary from our textbook, Literacy in the Middle Grades by Gail E. Tompkins. It explains all sorts of things to do with vocabulary: its use and how to help students grow their vocabularies; it describes word-study concepts such as synonyms, antonyms, homonyms, root words and affixes, and etymologies. I found this particularly interesting, especially in relation to French language-learning. Why is it that we separate our subjects so much when so much overlap is possible? We talk about the fact that repetition helps with memory, so why not repeat concepts between classes? English has antonyms; French has antonyms. What? Really? Woah. Same concept, two classes. Crazy, right? Maybe, maybe not. But I'd be interested in seeing what would happen if the French class and the Language Arts class ran a little more parallel than they do now.

And now...my Wordle image.

Below is the paragraph that I stuck into Wordle to make this image.

I look at Chapter 6 and I wonder if the same principles can be used in a Language Arts classroom and a French classroom.

I wonder if maybe the two can help each other with vocabulary acquisition. French and English. Language Arts. I believe that they are connected. Foundations in Latin; similar root words and etymologies.

Students need to learn synonyms, antonyms, and homonyms in each language; why not study the same concepts in each class at the same time? Cross-curricular learning. Students gain connections in their learning, which helps to build connections and nerve passageways for concepts within the brain.

Language-learning needs to make sense to students; it needs to have a purpose.

French is taught with the idea that it is an island, not connected to any other learning that students do. Language Arts is taught as a means to an end, making students read and write with seemingly little purpose. Neither subject is taught with much passion.

What would happen if teachers became passionate about what they were teaching? What if they made connections between the disciplines that they teach? Would students become more passionate? More excited? Would curiosity arise? Would imagination be sparked? Would they be in awe of the design of language? Would they find differences amusing? Would they stand in amazement of their ability to communicate in a multitude of ways? Would they marvel at the beauty of language?

Play around with Wordle, if you'd like; it's fun, free, and fantastic!

~Lynette