National Middle School Conference

I'm off to Baltimore in the morning, where I will be presenting a "Nudging the Imagination" workshop at the National Middle School Conference on Thursday.

Looking forward to offering suggestions for motivating middle school writers and showing teachers ways in which they can easily incorporate writing across the curriculum at my 75-minute session. Hopefully I'll have a decent gathering at my session!

I'll also have a booth in the exhibit hall, giving me a chance to meet and talk with more educators.

Little Rock, Arkansas, Visit -- Baseball, Books and Gorilla Suit!

The magic of Skype transported me today from the office in my home in East Greenwich, RI, to the computer lab at The Cathedral School in Little Rock, Arkansas, to visit with 5th Graders.

They were aware I had been a sports writer, covering the Boston Red Sox for 22 years before retiring in September, 2008, and they knew that I had written children's books, including several non-fiction baseball books, such as "Play Ball Like the Pros."

They also, thanks to a visit to my website, knew that I owned a gorilla suit.

And they asked me all about baseball, books and the gorilla suit in our 45-minute virtual visit.

So I told them how I became a writer, that I used to read a lot when I was a kid, especially Matt Christopher sports books. And I also read bedtime stories to my younger sister, planting a seed in my brain that some day I wanted to write my own children's books.

Their questions led me to tell them that I hadn't grown up wanting to be a sports writer. I wanted to be a professional baseball player, but, despite being a three-year starter at Columbia, becoming co-captain my senior year, when I was voted the team's MVP, I wasn't good enough for the pros. But, as I told them, because I knew how to write (sports editor of the Columbia Daily Spectator), I managed to find a career in which the Providence (RI) Journal newspaper paid me to watch games for 33 years.

I also was able to show them replicas of artifacts I have from the Baseball Hall of Fame because I'm on the Hall's Education Advisory Council. I showed them a 1940s catcher's mitt and a 1950's fielder's glove. They were most impressed, however, by Ozzie Smith's St. Louis Cardinals jersey and hat, especially since they happen to be The Cathedral School Cardinals!

So it was a nice visit. I hope they got something out of my stories and talk of writing in general.

Oh, and the gorilla suit. One young woman asked me about it because there is a picture of me in the hairy suit on my website. She wanted to know what was up with that.

Well, I always have had a fondness for monkeys and gorillas. Maybe I was one in a past life! Anyway, as I type this there are 11 stuffed monkeys and gorillas sitting in my office, looking over my shoulder.

The suit is something I was known for in the neighborhood when our kids were younger.  Around Halloween, everyone knew the gorilla taking his kids trick or treating. One woman used to offer me a banana every year!

Halloween is one of all-time favorite nights of the year. And you can be sure that this coming Halloween night I will be standing at my door, handing out candy to the 100 or so kids who will come by. I'll have my mask on, but over the years I haven't decided if I scare more kids with my mask on or when I take my mask off!!

Thank you Ms O'Quin, the fifth grade teacher; Peggy Pierce, the librarian, Janice Rogers, technical support, and the 5th Grade students for making my first "visit" to Arkansas a pleasant one.

Professional Development Via Skype

The other day I made a virtual visit to the Coulson-Tough School in The Woodlands, TX, to conduct a Professional Development workshop with K-6 teachers via Skype.

I have conducted many of these "Nudging the Imagination" sessions for teachers at various conferences around the country, but this was my first one where I wasn't physically in the room with the education professionals. So I was curious to see how well it would work.

I was pleasantly surprised at how interactive we could be! The placement of the camera made it difficult for me to see everyone, but I could hear just fine and it was no problem from my end to offer them suggestions as to how they can motivate and "nudge" their students along the path to becoming independent and enthusiastic writers while still being able to integrate the curriculum and address any testing issues.

There are some modifications to be made, but the feedback was good, with teachers telling me that I had given them strategies they could take into the classroom the next day. I hope they'll keep me in the loop and let me know things go from my suggestions.

So Professional Development via Skype can be effective.

Has anyone else out there either conducted or been an attendee at such a workshop? How did it go?

Barrington, IL; Barrington, RI -- What a Coincidental Mix-up!

What a strange Barrington coincidence today!

An elementary school in Barrington, RI, was interested in talking to me about doing some of my "Nudging the Imagination" writing workshops. I called the woman who was interested, but she wasn't available, so I left a message.

About 10 minutes later I received a phone call. The woman on the other end of the line said she was from Barrington and was calling on behalf of someone else. She said they were interested in writing and wanted to know if I could do Professional Development, which I certainly can do and have done around the country.

I thought that this was someone from the Barrington, RI, school even though I didn't recognize the name. It wasn't the woman for whom I had left a message only 10 minutes earlier.

But, assuming I was speaking to someone in my home state of RI, I made a few Rhode Island references, such as having conducted workshops in the neighboring town of Bristol, RI, and having worked as a sports writer at the Providence (RI) Journal for 33 years.

She didn't say much about all of that. And later I found out why.

When she gave me her mailing address, it was Barrington, IL, not Barrington, RI!

I explained about the coincidence and the mix-up. She seemed amused, my explanation answering her unspoken questions of why I was talking about Bristol and the Providence Journal!

Hopefully, I'll be called upon to do writing workshops in Barrington, RI, and Professional Development sessions in Barrington, IL!

The Purim Mystery!

Today we started to create a Purim Mystery Dinner Theater Script with Ms Susan Oclassen's 6th Graders at Temple Sinai in Cranston, RI.

It's going to take place during a re-enactment of the Purim story at a costume party at a mansion owned by Mordecai, a doctor.

There also will be an auction! The world's first gragger (noise-maker), which features diamonds, rubies and gold, will be put up for auction, carrying out the Purim theme of charity for this holiday. Guess what will be stolen?

Okay, I'll give that part away. It will be the gragger. But who did it? Was it Haman? Or Esther? Or one of the King's guards? Who knows? We don't know yet, either. That will be decided by Ms Oclassen's class as the script-writing continues over the next four Sundays!

I'll keep you posted on the progress!!