Comments for The Imaginary Front Porch http://trinityweblog.org/dpile Pull up a chair...stop, look, listen...and reflect Thu, 24 Apr 2008 01:28:14 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 Comment on Earth Hour and ADD…Hmmmm by Callie http://trinityweblog.org/dpile/2008/04/06/earth-hour-and-addhmmmm/comment-page-1/#comment-16 Callie Thu, 24 Apr 2008 01:28:14 +0000 http://trinityweblog.org/dpile/2008/04/06/earth-hour-and-addhmmmm/#comment-16 I must say, I am impressed that you were actually looking forward to the prospect of living an hour of your life in darkness. Quiet, lurking, tranquil darkness. Our family, as much as I am embarrassed to admit, was much more dreading the fact that we would not be able to read or pursue our normal evening routine. When you describe yourself contemplating over whether or not to light a lantern, or to use candles, I had a flashback of myself frantically running around our house, thrusting down a candle and hurriedly lighting it at 8:58. The thought never occurred to me that I might possibly be able to actually enjoy a light-free night. Because of reading this, I will now remember to (every once in awhile) sit down, take a deep breath, and look and think about all the wonderful things around me. I did not think your post would end on the note it did, but when it did, a wave of kindness and empathy swept over me. The kindness and empathy you have to be able to understand children who struggle with focus. Wonderful writing. *Callie I must say, I am impressed that you were actually looking forward to the prospect of living an hour of your life in darkness. Quiet, lurking, tranquil darkness. Our family, as much as I am embarrassed to admit, was much more dreading the fact that we would not be able to read or pursue our normal evening routine. When you describe yourself contemplating over whether or not to light a lantern, or to use candles, I had a flashback of myself frantically running around our house, thrusting down a candle and hurriedly lighting it at 8:58. The thought never occurred to me that I might possibly be able to actually enjoy a light-free night. Because of reading this, I will now remember to (every once in awhile) sit down, take a deep breath, and look and think about all the wonderful things around me.

I did not think your post would end on the note it did, but when it did, a wave of kindness and empathy swept over me. The kindness and empathy you have to be able to understand children who struggle with focus.
Wonderful writing.
*Callie

]]> Comment on The Orchids Reminded Me by Linda Nichols http://trinityweblog.org/dpile/2008/01/14/the-orchids-reminded-me/comment-page-1/#comment-15 Linda Nichols Fri, 29 Feb 2008 01:26:23 +0000 http://trinityweblog.org/dpile/2008/01/14/the-orchids-reminded-me/#comment-15 Thank you, Dawn. I often feel they same way. Then I have to remind myself that the world doesn't need to be "perfect". If it were we wouldn't need each other so...It was made that way on purpose. Today my son asked me what would happen if everybody in the world died. (He is really into learning about God). I didn't really have an answer so I asked him the same question. His answer was "God would make more people, I guess." I thought it was an interesting answer. Mine was I guess animals would take over the world! I LOVE those conversations with my five year old as I love your blog! Thank you, Dawn. I often feel they same way. Then I have to remind myself that the world doesn’t need to be “perfect”. If it were we wouldn’t need each other so…It was made that way on purpose.

Today my son asked me what would happen if everybody in the world died. (He is really into learning about God). I didn’t really have an answer so I asked him the same question. His answer was “God would make more people, I guess.” I thought it was an interesting answer. Mine was I guess animals would take over the world!

I LOVE those conversations with my five year old as I love your blog!

]]> Comment on Footsteps by Sharmaine Mitchell http://trinityweblog.org/dpile/2008/02/10/footsteps/comment-page-1/#comment-14 Sharmaine Mitchell Tue, 26 Feb 2008 03:39:32 +0000 http://trinityweblog.org/dpile/2008/02/10/footsteps/#comment-14 Wow! That is extremely thought-provoking! If we really stop to think about it, we are always walking in someone else's footsteps. It is because of someone else's footsteps that we are where we are. I believe this is true on so many levels, regardless of age, race, socio-economic status, religion, etc. Wow! That is extremely thought-provoking! If we really stop to think about it, we are always walking in someone else’s footsteps. It is because of someone else’s footsteps that we are where we are. I believe this is true on so many levels, regardless of age, race, socio-economic status, religion, etc.

]]> Comment on The Orchids Reminded Me by Barbara Wheaton http://trinityweblog.org/dpile/2008/01/14/the-orchids-reminded-me/comment-page-1/#comment-13 Barbara Wheaton Tue, 29 Jan 2008 19:34:14 +0000 http://trinityweblog.org/dpile/2008/01/14/the-orchids-reminded-me/#comment-13 You write beautifully. I love the analogy and the truth that lies in it. Above all, it was short, sweet, and totally memorable. Thank you, Barbara You write beautifully. I love the analogy and the truth that lies in it. Above all, it was short, sweet, and totally memorable. Thank you, Barbara

]]> Comment on The Gas Station by M.Berry http://trinityweblog.org/dpile/2007/12/11/the-gas-station/comment-page-1/#comment-12 M.Berry Wed, 12 Dec 2007 02:50:08 +0000 http://trinityweblog.org/dpile/2007/12/11/the-gas-station/#comment-12 One of the reasons I love recess duty is that I can watch imaginary play in Discovery Playground. Elaborate games and activities flow from the minds of young creators who have only their interests, the environment, and creativity to spur them on to genius! Collaboration, energy, and pure joy erupt. It is magical. One of the reasons I love recess duty is that I can watch imaginary play in Discovery Playground. Elaborate games and activities flow from the minds of young creators who have only their interests, the environment, and creativity to spur them on to genius! Collaboration, energy, and pure joy erupt. It is magical.

]]> Comment on The Gas Station by wkjellstrom http://trinityweblog.org/dpile/2007/12/11/the-gas-station/comment-page-1/#comment-11 wkjellstrom Tue, 11 Dec 2007 22:22:16 +0000 http://trinityweblog.org/dpile/2007/12/11/the-gas-station/#comment-11 Great points. One of my greatest passions from childhood through high school was drawing. Being able to dream-up what I thought was the next masterpiece, whether it was abstract or realistic, really excited my natural imagination. It might not have been the imaginary play that you and your daughter enjoyed, but it was imaginative in its own unique way. Quick question: Are you contrasting imaginative play with the constant bombardment of media inputs (listening to music, watching TV, browsing YouTube, going to movies, playing video games) or "technology" in general? Great points. One of my greatest passions from childhood through high school was drawing. Being able to dream-up what I thought was the next masterpiece, whether it was abstract or realistic, really excited my natural imagination. It might not have been the imaginary play that you and your daughter enjoyed, but it was imaginative in its own unique way.

Quick question: Are you contrasting imaginative play with the constant bombardment of media inputs (listening to music, watching TV, browsing YouTube, going to movies, playing video games) or “technology” in general?

]]> Comment on The Rose Bead by Miss Carole http://trinityweblog.org/dpile/2007/11/01/the-rose-bead/comment-page-1/#comment-10 Miss Carole Wed, 14 Nov 2007 19:51:25 +0000 http://trinityweblog.org/dpile/2007/11/01/the-rose-bead/#comment-10 Wow........as the mother of two rose beads.....(out of 3 children).....I need to read this daily.........so that I can remember to let them be rose colored, and thererfor themselves....and not the perfect "soes" that I and the outside world sometimes expect them to be! Wow……..as the mother of two rose beads…..(out of 3 children)…..I need to read this daily………so that I can remember to let them be rose colored, and thererfor themselves….and not the perfect “soes” that I and the outside world sometimes expect them to be!

]]> Comment on Apple Pie Moments by Mrs. Steinberg http://trinityweblog.org/dpile/2007/11/09/apple-pie-moments/comment-page-1/#comment-9 Mrs. Steinberg Mon, 12 Nov 2007 00:52:16 +0000 http://trinityweblog.org/dpile/2007/11/09/apple-pie-moments/#comment-9 Hi Dawn, I love reading your blog, and this post reminds me of the handwritten letters that I used to send back and forth to my grandfather before he died. He didn't live close by (like my other grandparents did) so we wrote letters to keep in touch. He would start his letters at the top of the paper and wind it around the edges of the page, going aorund and around until he reached the middle of the paper and had to stop writing because he had run out of room! I think I was about 10, and I thought it was the funniest thing. I had to keep turning the letter around and around to read it. These days, the only time I ever write handwritten letters is when I need to write a thank you note. In response to your thoughts about civility, I suggest you read Linzy and Alex's recent posts about not being passive. I think you will be surprised that some of our sixth graders also think that as a society we have lost some of our consideration towards others! Samantha Hi Dawn,
I love reading your blog, and this post reminds me of the handwritten letters that I used to send back and forth to my grandfather before he died. He didn’t live close by (like my other grandparents did) so we wrote letters to keep in touch. He would start his letters at the top of the paper and wind it around the edges of the page, going aorund and around until he reached the middle of the paper and had to stop writing because he had run out of room! I think I was about 10, and I thought it was the funniest thing. I had to keep turning the letter around and around to read it. These days, the only time I ever write handwritten letters is when I need to write a thank you note.

In response to your thoughts about civility, I suggest you read Linzy and Alex’s recent posts about not being passive. I think you will be surprised that some of our sixth graders also think that as a society we have lost some of our consideration towards others!

Samantha

]]> Comment on The Rose Bead by skennedy http://trinityweblog.org/dpile/2007/11/01/the-rose-bead/comment-page-1/#comment-8 skennedy Sat, 10 Nov 2007 01:20:27 +0000 http://trinityweblog.org/dpile/2007/11/01/the-rose-bead/#comment-8 I have to admit that I agree with the many posts here -- but I am not surprised at your eloquence. You speak beautifully, think beautifully, and you have an amazing dedication to children -- how could you not craft gracious prose that reveals the depth of your insight. The "odd man out" reminds me of a favorite book you may have read: "Totto Chan." Totto Chan was a little girl in Japan who never quite fit in -- until she found a special school where each child's individual spirit was not just accepted - it was celebrated. Because of her education there, this quirky little girl was able to become herself, and grow up to become a generous and important entertainer and politician loved deeply throughout Japan. She took her strangeness, and made it part of her genius and her talent. So - thank you for a stunning piece of writing that reminds us all: it is our strange little quirk that can be the seed -- or the bead -- of our budding and successful selves. I have to admit that I agree with the many posts here — but I am not surprised at your eloquence. You speak beautifully, think beautifully, and you have an amazing dedication to children — how could you not craft gracious prose that reveals the depth of your insight.

The “odd man out” reminds me of a favorite book you may have read: “Totto Chan.” Totto Chan was a little girl in Japan who never quite fit in — until she found a special school where each child’s individual spirit was not just accepted – it was celebrated. Because of her education there, this quirky little girl was able to become herself, and grow up to become a generous and important entertainer and politician loved deeply throughout Japan. She took her strangeness, and made it part of her genius and her talent.

So – thank you for a stunning piece of writing that reminds us all: it is our strange little quirk that can be the seed — or the bead — of our budding and successful selves.

]]> Comment on The Rose Bead by Sixth Grade Teachers » Blog Archive » Reflections on Powerful Writing http://trinityweblog.org/dpile/2007/11/01/the-rose-bead/comment-page-1/#comment-7 Sixth Grade Teachers » Blog Archive » Reflections on Powerful Writing Thu, 08 Nov 2007 18:45:03 +0000 http://trinityweblog.org/dpile/2007/11/01/the-rose-bead/#comment-7 [...] one of the titles caught my eye.  Ms. Pile, our ELD coordinator, recently wrote a post called The Rose Bead.  The title caught my eye because it was not about blogs or wikis or an academic subject, and [...] [...] one of the titles caught my eye.  Ms. Pile, our ELD coordinator, recently wrote a post called The Rose Bead.  The title caught my eye because it was not about blogs or wikis or an academic subject, and [...]

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