NCTE, I Love

NCTE, I love

I love a lot of things, a whole lot of things.

Like when my friend Lee lands, back in the States from Japan and we're at different airports doing the same things. So we text and send stickers and pictures while we wait on bags and arrange shuttle transportation and it feels like elementary school but with an electronic playground and we are laughing and jumping and waving and hugging.

Let me tell you, I love how Lee laughs. In person and in writing she makes people feel cared for and smart and cute too. Honey, that Lee makes me feel so lucky to call her friend. 

The day  was long for Lee, not so much me, Lee stayed awake so many, many hours and ate lots of meals and still had good hair and  energy to explore.  The hotel and convention center is on the water. There is a marina and a Ferris wheel and the cold air sparkles blue. 

Inside there are Christmas trees too and a glass walled atrium. From the lobby we can see rows of twinkle light trees, guardians of the magic that is NCTE. Honey, let me tell you, I love a twinkle-y tree and NCTE. 

I love laughing while learning at NCTE. Lester Laminack's amazing sequence of hilarity that juggled ginger, bourbon, and poles while pointing to read aloud's utmost importance. Brilliant. Honey, I loved listening (and drawing and noting and tweeting and seeing and sharing).

NCTE, I loved the first day.

Here are a few of the things folks said that I will be holding tight for a while:

"If you already know the answer it's not authentic--it's not real'"- Kylene Beers

"Talk that checks for understanding (Monologic) versus talk that creates understanding (dialogue)." - Kylene Beers

"I think she had a bedazzler at home, she always chose to make a trifold." -Donalyn Miller sharing anecdotes for each of Tomlinson's points of differentiation (content, process, product, learning environment).

"Students read 50-60% more in classrooms with adequate libraries." -Donalyn Miller (Allingon, 2008; Morrow, 2007; Neumann, 1999)

"It's got nothing to do with everyone or anyone or all or nothing." - Bob Probst

"Read with the zeal of a street performer! Do it with the attitude of a drug dealer!"-Leater Laminack 

"We may not have much money, but there is nothing my children will lack if we have a library card." - Gary's mother from Kylene Beer's story of her first trip to D.C.

"Segregation in this country by intellectual rigor is just as shameful as segregation by color; every time we focus on skill and will, we are keeping kids impoverished." - Kylene Beers