One bite at a time. So that's how I'll approach today's blog entry. One item at a time... knowing that if I keep plugging away, all the important information will get covered.
Announcements at the end. But first, one short commercial announcement from our sponsor...
10 Events; 10 Winners
1 Champion
3 Days to GO!
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Prizes to be won and announcements to be made!
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Virtual Highlowaha
Dinner Party
Friday, August 8, 2008
8:00 p.m.
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Eat Chinese food, watch the opening of the Olympic Games
AND
participate in the unveiling of...
Highlowaha's
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Now onto today's whack. You know what I love about this blog? There's no resting on your laurels. No sitting back and eating bon bons. No break to be taken. You keep me on my toes. One hundred ten posts for Virtual Tug of War and 20 for honoring teachers around the country... (using magic markers, to boot)! You know what it says to me? It says... "Claudia, get out from behind that MacBook and get to know your audience."
The stakes are high here. I need 100 stories to go with the 100 packages of markers, so that we may surprise 100 teachers with a dose of inspiration. Work with von Oech to help me - Claudia - get a clue about how to better reach and mobilize our readers... friends of our readers... friends of friends of our readers.. and so on and so on. You get the picture. Clearly I shouldn't have tried taking this on without consulting all of you from the get go. Lesson learned.
Here's von Oech's whack...
Do the Unexpected: In 1334, Hochosterwitz Castle was besieged by the Duchess of Tyrol. As time wore on, the defenders became desperate: their last food was an ox. The Duchess's situation also was severe: her troops had become unruly, and she had urgent matters elsewhere. Then, the castle's commander had an idea that must have seemed utter folly to his men. He had the last ox thrown over the wall in from of the enemy. The Duchess interpreted this scornful message to mean that the defenders had so much food that they could waste it. At this, the discouraged Duchess quit her siege. Because the commander did the opposite of what the Duchess expected, he made her believe that her siege wasn't working. What surprising tactic can you use to reach your objective?
I've already given it a shot, so now I'll turn the fate of this project over to you for some brainstorming.
Announcements:
- Julie and Kat: You'll be happy to know your luggage tags are done and in my hot little hands. I will be out of town the rest of today, but will be sure to mail them Thursday morning. The rest of you can lament over how you wish you had a set. It's never too soon to place your holiday orders.
- Memory Keeper: Speaking of fun holiday treats... check out Peggy's website. She recently mailed me THE CUTEST memory keeper. I already have some ideas about how we, the readers, could use these to embark on a joint project. Don't feel like waiting for me? Contact Peggy via her fun website. http://prdesigns.blogspot.com
- Christmas Project: Sue, Maureen, and Brian will soon make their first post about the Highlowaha Holiday Service Project. Keep your eyes peeled.
- Reading Raynbow: Check today's comment section to make sure you don't miss out on Round One of Highlowaha's Book Club.
Now, last, but DEFINITELY not least...
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
TASTE OF USA TRIP DETAILS...
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Saturday, September 6, 2008
10:30-4:00
Location TBA
We want as many of you from PA and surrounding states to attend this
fun-filled day of activity.
So grab a friend and start making your plans.
PRIZES*FRIENDS*FUN
You won't want to miss it!
Elephant eaten. I'm full. Signing off until tomorrow...
Posts
22 comments:
MAUREEN - Thank you for letting everyone in the HLA community know you're getting our first book!
CHERYL AND PEGGY - Thank you for visiting readingraynbow.blogspot.com! I'm getting lonely over there.
TO EVERYONE ELSE - Please stop by
readingraynbow.blogspot.com and say hi. Let me know that you're out there and excited about our first book.
Discussion questions / thoughts will be up by Friday evening. Stop by then to leave your thoughts on the first section of RANDY PAUSCH'S THE LAST LECTURE and then stop by again later in the week to hear what other people are saying :)
Come visit!
Dr. B - Maybe readership was low yesterday for no other reason than a lot of people had "stuff" come up on the same day. I didn't get to the blog until late afternoon. I know Tera and Treye are in the midst of moving from Erie to Cleveland (packing, apt hunting, tying up loose ends, starting other loose ends ...). And cpsgradstudent is in the midst of training. I have no doubt in my mind that you will get 100+ letters from readers and friends, family, and co-workers of readers! No doubt at all.
Julie is right...lots happening yesterday kept me from responding...though my brain was turning with great stories to share and great teachers to honor. You can definitely count me in for one great story and I'll possibly do another.
As far as the contest coming up...I'M EXCITED!!!! You know I'm competitive so this gets me pumped.
Good morning!
A thought I had last night was focused around my mom's post that she could not think of a teacher to write to. What if mothers/fathers could write about past teachers of their children? What if a parent has seen the work of a particular teacher playing out in their child's life years later and wanted to inspire another teacher with their work?
If we decide to hit that angle too, I challenge my mother...haha!
3 children, 12 years of teachers for all 3, that's at least 25 teachers (taking out repeats- we did have some of the same teachers)! Mom, I challenge you to pick one of our past teachers and write about them! Maybe Mrs. Meyerrose for making me cry and not letting me out of her English program? Just putting it out there!
My instinct initially was to reject the idea of parents writing on behalf of their children, because I thought a first hand account, in the first person, would be the most meaningful.
If readers really can't think of a single teacher from their past (Sue, you and I are just a few years a apart) then yes, by all means write on behalf of your student. Or even still... how about encouraging you student to write an account himself/herself?
Gearing up for Friday's chinese takeout...just wondering what everyone will be ordering...
For me it will be veggie lo mein, Bal will have his default Chicken Fried Rice.
What about everyone else? I'm excited for our virtual dinner party...I'll log onto the website as well if anyone wants to post thoughts of the opening ceremonies.
Hi! As Julie mentioned, I've been CRAZY busy with this whole moving thing. Just found out yesterday that I need to be out of my current apartment by this weekend...yes, this weekend! Thankfully my boss has been kind enough to let me store all of my "stuff" in an empty apartment on campus and then I'll just stay at my parents (yay) and commute to work next week. I drove up to Cleveland yesterday and did a quick apartment search...thankfully we think we've found something!
As far as the teacher thing goes...I'll be sure to work on something. Claudia, keep on me about this. I'm going to try and get it done this weekend, so if you don't have an email from me by Monday, kindly remind me :)
Heather - I'll be eating a little bit of chicken lo mein and some general tso's chicken. Treye will have white rice and general tso's I'm assuming. Yum! I can't wait for Chinese food.
Also - I've got Sept. 6 on my calendar. I've actually never been to Philly so I'm really looking forward to the trip. Obviously it all depends on what is going with a job, but hopefully I'll be able to make it.
Let's see...I'm reclaiming the remote on Friday night from the two monsters that live with me. JB and I will probably have some Fried Rice of some sort and Drew... well, who knows what he'll eat- that's a nightly battle.
Do we need to be training for these 10 events?
I'm still trying to decide which teacher to tell you about but I will get you my story before the deadline. :)
I think that as far as comments go for yesterday... you can't compare honoring teachers to Tug-o-war because we, the readers didn't have to really think about Tug-o-war. You gave us the answers and we could make a decision and go with it. Honoring a teacher from the past takes more effort and more time. (And for some of us, a memory pill.) We're all still out here, right? Right, lurkers?
So, how do we ensure that we the readers write about our teachers and send it to Claudia?
Well... let me go rush the coffee off my teeth and think about that.
I'm not going to rush. I'm going to brush. :sigh:
Note fully taken on the parents thing...I agree that everyone should have at least one teacher they have memories of, but was just thinking of alternate options for those who think they don't.
Also, on the 6th of September...I'm not trying to be a naysayer, but with that only being the 2nd full weekend after classes have started, we'll have to see! I'll chat more with my supervisor, but I was really hoping for the later Sept. date! Keeping my fingers crossed!
I brushed my teeth a long time ago now and nothing earth shaking has come to me between that time and now. I can only hope that we're out there and we're thinking about our teachers and getting our letters ready for Claudia. I find this challenge a little harder than some because I did not have "THAT ONE" teacher that I can remember changing my life. So, I went back to yesterday's post. It's just has to be a teacher that had a positive influence in your life. So what I don't have "THAT ONE"- I have a dozen or more that were positive influences! So, simplify and send Claudia your teacher story.
Now, as far as PA goes... Come on Tera and Katie and everyone else that is within driving distance (or flying if you have miles and want to join us!!) I know it's a long haul for some. And, I know we're all busy. You CAN make it! Repeat after me, "I can make that. And, won't it be fun!"
And it will be FUN! Heather drove 5 hours one way to just touch the arch in St. Louis. You'll have more fun than just touching the arch when you come to the Highlowaha.com Party!
Come to Philly with us!! Just picture when highlowaha is a household name, you can say, "I was there!" :)
So you're coming to Philly!! Will clear my calendar. Looking forward to seeing you.
Although this was is reference to yesterdays blog I wanted to post it anyway. Figured today was better late than never.
I was a fashion design major in college and was moved to do a men's collection based on a man's role during his partner's pregnancy.
My first collection was maternity based on the three trimesters of a womans pregnancy. Since I was unsure how well this other concept would go over and be accepted I was a bit shy about sharing my idea with anyone. I did share my concept with my professor, Kathy (cannot remember her last name) and she was "over the moon" about it and so excited which was very contagious and gave me the motivation to sketch, drape, pattern and sew my men's maternity collection. Needless to say it was very well accepted and received as it went down the runway on some very handsome, tall and masculine models! This was really the highlight of my college career, even more so than graduation!
Kathy's gently nudge for me to design and create this avante garde men's collection gave me the confidence and encouragement I needed to get it on that runway 10 years ago! This has encouraged me as I design my jewelry line which has some unusual pieces.
Dear Shell-
Please contact whomever you got to send me my package last week from KY... they will be receiving a card from me, since you were sneaky and put someone elses address on the return address spot... they might not understand my card to you, I mean, them!
You must be a swapper or scrapbooker of sorts ... thank you for this weeks K & C pink paper and and the EK stickers ... you know how to put my address in the to and from on the package, just in case postage if off a bit! I think my shell's name begins with a C...
2 Cassies
Claudia
Cheryl
Chaotic
CSPgradstudent
Thank you for being sneaky... I appreciate you!
Oh too! Thanks for peaking at my blog... I'm always creating! Leave comments too, it boosts my ego!
Peggy,
It's not me!
The girls are writing their little teacher story now. They hate me for making them write... You know after all it is summer!!!!! I told them Claudia will have it no other way.... Looking forward to all the fun things coming up.
Claudia... can you believe I have faithfully written in my kids journal each night without fail???? I keep them right on my desk so I dont forget and I see them every time I come to check the computer out. I thought you would be proud!!!
Peggy ... perhaps our shells are in ca-hoots (spelling??) together ... I've been getting things from all over the states.
To my shell: THANK YOU for all the the fabulous goodies that you are spoiling me with!
I, too, have NO idea who my shell is but I like what they've been sending! Awesome envelopes...I loved them and NEED to know how you do it!
Wow... I just got back into town after spending the day doing some training with some very fun campus ministers. It seems I've missed so much. A couple of quick thoughts...
Ditto everything Cheryl said... and with an exclamation point.
Maureen... I am proud of you for writing in your journal, but REMEMBER... no pressure. A couple of entries a month is still more than you were doing even just a week ago. It is essential we don't let ourselves fall into an "all or nothing" mentality. ...Easy to do for over achievers like you, Maureen.
I love teacher stories. Remember, if you want it to be included in Project Make Your Mark, you must mail me your statement with $5.00. The money will cover the markers, the envelope, and the postage.
Peanuts and Shells... I am thrilled that the exchanges are working and that people's days are being brightened. Gotta love when a plan works.
Katie... Hate to say it, but September 6 it is... though it would have been fun to hold it close to September 23... YOUR BIRTHDAY!!!!!
I'd just like to say how much I LOVE my luggage tags! They look amazing and I can't wait to get them in the mail :) Thank you, Nan!
Nevertheless, Sept. 6 will be close to my birthday and it will be FUN HLA people! I am meeting with my supervisor tomorrow and will ask her about it then. Hopefully she gives the okay! Then, it will be all about finding folks who want to come with me!!!!
Seeking Time Over Talent
Fuxia
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