#writetolearn

Trail running has become an addiction for me. If I spot a new mountain trail, I start wondering about how to unlock that puzzle. The climbs, the turns, the forks, all present choices on how to position my body. When I run, I position my feet, knees, and hips in the direction I need to go. The roots and rocks give my runs complexity. Trails offer strength.

In early August, 2016, I decided to tackle a trail I had navigated before but explore it further. I traversed my way up the narrow, wooded trail to Lake Blanche, a popular destination, then found the series of small trails that branch off a grove of white trunked aspens. I made my way around large boulders and small banks of pine trees till I found myself on a gradually ascending trail on a very steep grassy, mountain slope. I know most canyons in the area end in a V with a trail leading over into a neighboring finger canyon.

I had my frog green waterpack around my waist, running food, an extra t-shirt, and determination. As I progressed, the trail was marked by several stacked cairns. Precariously stacked rock cairns signal it is a trail others have traveled on. However the narrow trail, covered in black shale, kept going and going. I couldn’t see a way up and out. 20-30 feet above me were big reddish boulders and half a mile below me stretched a narrow grassy meadow with a small lake snaking down the center. I neared the back of the canyon and began climbing across loose scree (rocks fallen from the boulders above me). The trail seemed to disappear. And scree is not safe to run on. Rock slides and hidden snakes are strong possibilities. My experience helped me to step carefully. But the concentration it takes to pick my way over loose rock is exhausting. The way became impassable. I decided to try to climb up the rock face above me. I needed to see if I could get into the finger canyon to my left.

Boldly, I made my way up the loose rocks to the solid rocks cementing the mountainside. The dark, reddish brown rocks held plenty of crevices and handholds. I have never free climbed a rock face before but figured my trail running skills would transfer to rock climbing. I felt sure I would find a narrow, dirt trail descending into a green meadow on the other side. I grabbed a rock to my left, lifted up my right foot, then grabbed a rock above to my right, and found a foothold with my left foot. I ascended for about 5 meters when a voice in my head said, “hold on tightly, it’s really scary up here.” Glancing down, the loose red rocks seemed to tumble below me into an abyss. My whole body started to shake. My mind raced forward to an image of me falling from the rocks into dead air. I gripped each outcropping more tightly, wedging my body into the shallow crevices in front of me.

“I could climb down,” I thought. Too dangerous! “I don’t want to die,” I prayed. “Hold me against these rocks,” I continued.  Climb up in zigzag type pattern! Look for the firmest hand and foot holds. After each move I made upwards, I finished by pressing my body closely into the rocks. I started to say aloud in the firmest voice I could find: “I can do this!” I forced negative voices from my head.

I ambled up another 10 meters to find the bedrock met black shale. My second attempt to grasp the rocks above me resulted in crumbling flat shards that tumbled down below me. My mind slowed; my whole body became tense. I paused to think through the possibilities. Climb up slowly, the last 10 meters or so, and climb safely into the next canyon. I searched for the least splintered shale and kept three points of contact at all times. My sense of preservation kept chanting, “Do not fall.” I stopped after each movement upwards to take a deep breath and try to force my body from shaking. I kept praying that God would protect me. Gradually, I had the sense come over me that an angel stood behind me, keeping me close to the rock face. A peaceful feeling surrounded me. I gripped the rock another 5 meters or till my head surfaced above the first peak of the jagged rock face closest to me.

I extended my legs in the footholds I had wedged into and peeked over to see the descent on the other side. Shockingly, the other side was steeper than the side I was on. It looked like I was looking over a cliff straight down to a patchwork of lighter and darker green farmland. No way down. My only option was to descend the rock face in reverse, and get back on the trail.

I prayed again, then descended slowly, keeping my left side against the rock face and finding the best hand and foot holds I could. I worked my way further to my right than I had on the ascent. Luckily I found a firm juniper growing out of the boulders. When I reached it, I wedged myself against it to sip my water bottle, chew a few bites of energy blocks, and take a few extra breaths. I continued down, off the boulders onto the loose rocks, then searched for the trail.

This post, written by WriteToLearn, gives 3 great suggestions for writing exercises.  Now that school is in full swing, we can amend them for the new season!  Take their great suggestions and use them for autumn writing projects!

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For some of you, school is right around the corner and for others it’s already started. Any guesses as to what your students did over break? Did they go on vacation? Did they visit grandma? Did they attend camp? Chances are none of them will say they spent the summer working on writing good transition sentences. If they do, count yourself lucky. If they don’t we have tips for returning teachers to help you and your students ease back into regular writing. And they thought they wouldn’t learn anything on the first day…

1. Summer is undoubtedly as fresh in their minds as it is in yours. So why fight it? Give the students some creative limitations and set them loose. Have students write about their favorite day that they spent at home, the day that they woke up latest, or the first day that really felt like summer. Sharing these stories with partners or the class can be a good first-day icebreaker.

2. Tap into some of that leftover summer creativity by partnering students up and having each student write the first sentence to a story about their summer vacation. Then have students exchange papers and finish each other’s stories. The more outrageous the better! As fun as it is, this exercise is a great way to demonstrate the effectiveness of good introductions and organization for the reader and the writer.

3. The only thing that can compete with the vivid memories of students fresh off vacation is their vivid imaginations. Write a sample summer sentence on the board, even something as simple as, “I went to the pool.” will work. Ask students to use synonyms and descriptive language to change or add as many words as they can to the sentence without losing its meaning. A little friendly classroom competition will ensure that students dust off their school-year vocabularies for this one.

We hope these ideas get you and your class in the writing mood for the rest of the year. If you have any ideas to add, tweet us at @Write_To_Learn and we’ll share them with our Twitter followers. If you’re looking for more ways to improve writing, check out WriteToLearn 8.0, which releases August 22nd. It includes all-new vocabulary exercises, along with the same great, automated essay and summary scorings tools that complete the literacy trio of reading, writing, and vocabulary.

1. https://twitter.com/Write_To_Learn

2. http://www.writetolearn.net/

This idea, shared by Tara Gimbel, incorporates two things that students really love-- technology and movement! Sounds like fun!

Description

My students come to my classroom to get intensive reading intervention. Sometimes I am finishing with one group of students and a new group will come in. To finish up with the group I am working on the students get their Mojo on. I have motion reading readiness activities to start as soon as they walk in, such as a tight-rope, creep track, sit & spin, and bouncy learning ladders. I change the track and activities to keep them entertained every month. During instruction, I use DOJO on the iPad.

Education Level(s)

Pre-K/Kindergarten, 1-2, 3-4, 5-6

Subject(s)

Reading & Literacy, Specialized Instruction

Learning Objectives

Students learn activities that teach body awareness and coordination. Students are in constant movement which stimulates the brain and develops readiness skills. Students are more able to sit and listen when it comes time to start my small group instruction. Since self-control is the biggest predictor of lifetime success, DoJo is used to reward engaged behavior by using an interactive display to reward points for engagement.

Materials

The creep track is made from note cards, vinyl strip and clear shower curtain. The tight rope is made from yardsticks, colored duct-tape and Velcro. The learning ladders are made from construction paper, markers, and the use of a large hopping stability ball. A Sit & Spin is used. I use the wireless internet and the DoJo web app on the iPad. I would love to have the iPad touch to use to be able to have students monitor their own DoJo engagement.

Other Information

My students are the most disengaged students at the school. They are asked to attend to intensive instruction for a large portion of time to learn the information that is the most difficult for them. I need rewards, gadgets, technology, and a lot of fun activities to keep them wanting to learn each day. Technology and movement are what kids like to use and do the most.

For some of you, school is right around the corner and for others it’s already started. Any guesses as to what your students did over break? Did they go on vacation? Did they visit grandma? Did they attend camp? Chances are none of them will say they spent the summer working on writing good transition sentences. If they do, count yourself lucky. If they don’t we have tips for returning teachers to help you and your students ease back into regular writing. And they thought they wouldn’t learn anything on the first day…

1. Summer is undoubtedly as fresh in their minds as it is in yours. So why fight it? Give the students some creative limitations and set them loose. Have students write about their favorite day that they spent at home, the day that they woke up latest, or the first day that really felt like summer. Sharing these stories with partners or the class can be a good first-day icebreaker.

2. Tap into some of that leftover summer creativity by partnering students up and having each student write the first sentence to a story about their summer vacation. Then have students exchange papers and finish each other’s stories. The more outrageous the better! As fun as it is, this exercise is a great way to demonstrate the effectiveness of good introductions and organization for the reader and the writer.

3. The only thing that can compete with the vivid memories of students fresh off vacation is their vivid imaginations. Write a sample summer sentence on the board, even something as simple as, “I went to the pool.” will work. Ask students to use synonyms and descriptive language to change or add as many words as they can to the sentence without losing its meaning. A little friendly classroom competition will ensure that students dust off their school-year vocabularies for this one.

We hope these ideas get you and your class in the writing mood for the rest of the year. If you have any ideas to add, tweet us at @Write_To_Learn and we’ll share them with our Twitter followers. If you’re looking for more ways to improve writing, check out WriteToLearn 8.0, which releases August 22nd. It includes all-new vocabulary exercises, along with the same great, automated essay and summary scorings tools that complete the literacy trio of reading, writing, and vocabulary.

1. https://twitter.com/Write_To_Learn