Working together 2 make a difference
Educators working collaboratively
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Kristin Marie Smith
- Female
- Lockport, NY
- United States
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Kristin Marie Smith's Groups
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The Global Poetry Project
31 members
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Take the 25 Days to Make…
13 members
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Service Learning
6 members
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Use Your Words
7 members
Kristin Marie Smith's Page
Latest Activity
Thanks to everyone who particiapted in our classroom survey -
The kids were excited that we received responses from all over, but even more impressive was the discussions we had ... discussions about people and community, how they would help their…
Starting to post student work over the next few days .... As you peruse, notice the diversity in their thoughts and connections - Erin and I were extremely proud of the thought they put into this work!
Hello all ...
My eighth graders and I have recently read a portion of The People of Sparks, by Jeanne DuPrau.
The selection that we read led to some discussion (well, actually HOT DEBATE - just among the small group of us) about exactly who we con…
Encouraging them to share their reflections here is a powerful way to expand your sphere of influence and theirs as well. I can't wait to learn more about what they are thinking and how they are growing. This is the sort of writing that provokes con…
As I have been grading their response works, I am amazed at the connections they are making to their own lives as well as to the world around them .... many of the students have made connections to historical figures who began a chain reactions "jus…
As the students are preparing their reflections and writing responses to Three Cups of Tea, I have found it to be very interesting the connections they have made. The text to world, text to self and text to text connections are unique and personaliz…
Congratulations Erik!
The things you chose to do made a huge difference for the people in your life and probably put a smile on their faces and in their hearts!
What would happen if everybody (in the whole world) decided to do something thoughtful f…
I'm looking forward to reading the student's posts Kristin. Please let them know their words are valued here.
Greg Mortenson began a positive chain reaction of events when he met the poeple of Korphe, Pakistan by chance as a result of almost perishing on the mountainside of K2. Never heard of Korphe? Try using Google Earth to find it and the program tells y…
I have , in fact, dropped in multiple times to check out what the students are doing, thinking, writing, etc..... yes, I wholeheartedly agree that the quality of their work impresses me the most. I am proud of so many students who have taken the cha…
Checked out the Charter for Compassion website ... talk about timing. We are wrapping up our reading of the Three Cups of Tea book, which has presented some spectacular opportunities for discussion .................. through the book, we have discus…
Kristin Marie Smith's Blog
How much are you willing to give up?
Hello all ...
My eighth graders and I have recently read a portion of The People of Sparks, by Jeanne DuPrau.
The selection that we read led to some discussion (well, actually HOT DEBATE - just among the small group of us) about exactly who we consider to be part of our own "community" and how far we should extend our help to those less fortunate than ourselves.
Being part of a global community, I am interested in multiple viewpoints to some of the questions we generated and discussed as a sm… Continue
My eighth graders and I have recently read a portion of The People of Sparks, by Jeanne DuPrau.
The selection that we read led to some discussion (well, actually HOT DEBATE - just among the small group of us) about exactly who we consider to be part of our own "community" and how far we should extend our help to those less fortunate than ourselves.
Being part of a global community, I am interested in multiple viewpoints to some of the questions we generated and discussed as a sm… Continue
Posted on December 11, 2009 at 12:36pm — 1 Comment
Reflecting on Three Cups of Tea
Greg Mortenson began a positive chain reaction of events when he met the poeple of Korphe, Pakistan by chance as a result of almost perishing on the mountainside of K2. Never heard of Korphe? Try using Google Earth to find it and the program tells you it does not exist. K2? Well, it's only the second tallest peak in the world, challenging the most experienced climbers, admitting only a precious few to its elite club of successful scalers.
While Greg failed to realize his dream of honoring his s… Continue
While Greg failed to realize his dream of honoring his s… Continue
Posted on November 22, 2009 at 12:00am — 5 Comments
Comment Wall (8 comments)
- At 9:14am on November 12, 2009,
Mrs. Leach said…
- I like reading about different ways of living. It makes me feel better about not living the "ideal" way in my social group. Sometimes looking through my Pottery Barn catalog makes me wonder where I went wrong in life... The reminder of the many ways to be happy and the many ways to be a family or a community is important.
- At 2:29pm on November 11, 2009,
- I will put that book on my "to read" list. You might like Fatima Mernissi's Dreams of Trespass: Tales of a Harem Girlhood. It is a really beautiful memoir set in 1940's Morocco. The focus is boundaries and family structure and the book challenges the dominant idea of what a harem is and what being part of a harem means/meant. I liked it a lot.
- At 10:45pm on September 28, 2009,
NinaD said… - Hi,
I love your idea of encouraging your students to record 'how they will touch the world'. I teach very young students, but I know they would love this idea. I'll give this a try and see how they respond. Next week when school resumes we're going to take the challenge of '25 days to make a difference'. I'll invite the other Prep grades to join me. Thanks for sharing!
- At 1:26pm on September 24, 2009,
Angela said…
- That's great, Kristin! I knew you'd have something great to share here. Hope you guys can hang out with us this year a bit : ))
- At 12:56pm on September 24, 2009,
Jenny Luca said…
- It's also fantastic, Spelling! Hit those keys too fast sometimes!
- At 12:55pm on September 24, 2009,
Jenny Luca said…
- That's fanastic Kristin. Looking forward to seeing if you can get your students in here. We want to see connections form and there are people here willing to make that happen.
Jenny : )
- At 10:41am on September 24, 2009,
Jenny Luca said…
- Hi Kristin,
Welcome to our community. I can see that angela knows you well. This is an easy entry point space for teachers and students to learn about the power of a global connections while doing something that helps others. There are some very committed educators here who are sharing what it is they are doing; take a look around and get comfortable. We are very happy to have students join the space. It is monitored very closely by myself, Angela and Mike.
Really nice to have you here.
Jenny Luca. : )
- At 7:27am on September 24, 2009,
Angela said…
- Hi Kristin!! It's so great to see you here : )) If your kids are interested in doing something to give back at Alden this year, feel free to share what you are up to in this space. There are no requirements or anything like that---it's just a place for kids and teachers to share ideas and connect to others. I know that Mike Poluk (another teacher here) is interested in collaborating with a class through this space. If that's something that interests you, feel free to reach out to him. I've thrown some groups together too, and Laura is doing a 25 Days Challenge. Participate however you are comfortable. Might be a neat way to introduce your kids to ning : ) See you soon--
A
About
Latest Activity
Thanks to everyone who particiapted in our classroom survey -
The kids were excited that we received responses from all over, but even more impressive was the discussions we had ... discussions about people and community, how they would help their…
It's so inspiring to read this Nina. I know how hard you work at your craft and you can see the effect you have had with this wonderful effort from your student. It is amazing how much kids take in when we don't 'dumb down' the curriculum. They are…
I was wondering if that was the word being used there! That's such a tough word for kids of that age--what a great example of how our use of language helps them adopt it earlier than they might. I just had this conversation with a teacher last week.…
I have a whole class of wonderful young writers. One comment this child wrote was about being balanced. As a PYP candidate school balanced is one of our values. This child understood this concept. Balancing life & being a balanced person. Our learne…
Wow! I think I need to take some time to absorb how selfless this young child is. This is truly one of the most spectacular and inspirational pieces of writing that I have ever seen from a young student, especially a 6 year old! Thanks for sharing t…
Carolyn, this is an incredible story that I will be sharing with my students tomorrow! A food drive is a concept that students of all ages can understand and connect to, so it's a wonderful idea as an in-school service project. Congratulations to yo…
Congratulations on a job well done! I'd love to hear from other schools who did drives like this....wouldn't it be something to keep track of the collective "good" that was done through food drives inside of schools this year? It's always wonderful…
"I would like Santa to look after the people..." Wow. That pulls my heartstrings! Such an engaging assignment for them Nina, and it's also a beautiful way to assess their developing writing skills too.
Can First Graders work to make a difference? I've seen it! In our school (50% free/reduced lunch population), my 20 first graders overwhelmed the Deck the Halls for the Hungry project at our school.
How did this happen? Just a few sentences a day a…
This child wrote quietly for 40 minutes. It hasn't been edited yet and will be by the child. I was blown away by the content. I sure this child will grow up to make a difference! Cheers Nina
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