Madness in March and My Man, Alexander: Cockledoodle doo it's spring! @kwamealexander @writingproject

On Wednesday I sneezed. It was a single 'hatchoo,' but I knew it was the Mucinex Monster moving in - I avoided him all winter. Yesterday, too, when I woke up, that green goblin moved  a few of his cousins in with him, but I had a full agenda. No time to be sick.

When I arrived to my office, I learned that 100 copies of Kwame Alexander's The Crossover arrived - a text I am using with middle school teachers and students at Hill Central in preparation of their poetry slam, a month of verse exploration, and best practices for teaching language. Naturally, I was stoked when Kyle Koncz, Director of Basketball Operations, did a shout out to the Stags and Malcolm Gilbert stepped it up with his 7'2 wingspan. He successfully shelved three more copies of the book on his arms than I (Kwame Alexander thinks he might be able to support twelve books, but I've yet to see it, cough cough).

And since it's March madness, it is a good time to share my Final Four reasons why Alexander's The Crossover is a must-have text for libraries, schools and homes (heck, in all sports complexes across the United States).

1. Earlier this week, the NYTimes reported what urban educators like me have known for at least three decades: there's a tremendous lack of minority characters in children's and young adult literature. Some students, as a result, have very few experiences for seeing themselves in school texts and rarely have opportunities to explore contexts of their own lives in school. The Crossover, however, is a step towards filling this cultural gap. The book is more representative of, in poetic verse, the lives lived by many 21st century youth in schools today - especially those who love the game of basketball.
2. I've said for years, "Someone needs to write the book that unites hooping with young adult literature in a new and exciting way." Keith Williams and DeShawn Fowler of Louisville, used to hear me dream every time we entered Papa John's Stadium to see the Cards play. "Seriously," I'd contemplate with them, knowing my inner capitalist was triggered "Whenever I see so many people congregated in one space, I want to write the book they'd all want to read. I would hit a gold mine." I'm happy to say, albeit in with green envy, that Kwame Alexander achieved this dream for me. Student athletes have greater g.p.a's, higher graduate rates, and are better equipped to transition from high school into college. Athletes have grit and it is logical to introduce them to stories they can relate to. Books about athletic characters are always inspiring.
3. In a time of Common Core State Standards, I continue to worry about how our nation's love for testing ($$$) will continue to destroy creativity, the arts, and the power of prose in American schools. Whether they like to or not, teachers are forced and monitored to teach to state examinations, and sadly the objectives of the new standards give little attention to poetry, craft, and originality. In fact, they define language arts as robotic, trite, and dry (a throwback to the thinking of the 1950s). For this reason, The Crossover is much needed. I, for one, know exactly where I'd fit it into my curriculum. Alexander's zest for words (and vocabulary), coupled with his playfulness and narrative talents, will allow me plenty of opportunities to discuss language and narrative pace with students and teachers. I will use the text to encourage students and teachers to be writers, themselves....the National Writing Project model, at work.
4. Finally, Josh and Jordan Bell are young men who learn to stand for integrity. Their mother, a school administrator, pushes the importance of academic success and strong vocabulary on her sons. Their father, a role model who once played professional basketball, invests in his sons with  respect, purpose, and pride. The Bell family, as a whole, will help educators like myself to discuss skills for life: focus, sense of humor, self-esteem, self-awareness, responsibility, Ubuntu, integrity, and responsibility (skills I  learned from Community of Unity and Hoops4Hope). With Alexander's reflective, poetic narration, several conversations around these skills can occur, especially on dialogue for what it takes to achieve in and out of school. 

My personal wingspan is 10 books, yet mine doesn't matter. What matters is the larger lifespan of The Crossover within youth communities, libraries, and schools across the United States. 

Obviously, I'm a huge fan and have already purchased several copies for the work I'm doing in New Haven, Connecticut. I've already found myself struggling to keep the copies of the texts to one school alone. Just yesterday, in fact, several young men were walking home from school in my neighborhood, and I saw them dribbling a basketball between them. They were wearing warm-up gear and looked as if they were coming from a practice. I wanted to stop my car, open the trunk, and show them the bounty of The Crossover books I have. I wanted to ask each, "What's your wingspan? I have a book you must read!" 

Literacy, I advocate, is surely one way to fly.

I'm Shouting Out to @KwameAlexander, As In, Running a Workshop for 8th Graders Who Read THE CROSSOVER

Today, I will be working with several 8^th graders from southern Connecticut who have read Kwame Alexander’s The Crossover and who are coming for a college tour at Fairfield University (What? You haven’t read The Crossover? What are you doing on my blog? You’re better off getting a copy of his book right away. Reading it, rather than the foolishness I imprint here).

With this noted, as part of the events for today I opted to allude to Alexander's great text through writing my own "As In" poem to as away to introduce myself to the students who have read his book. I want to be just like Josh, as in hip with language, full of pep, and on top of his game. I have to admit, however, that I got this great idea from Kaitlyn Kelly, Gina Forberg, and Attallah Sheppard who assisted their young writers this summer as they read The Crossover during the Young Adult Literacy Labs.

So, here is my introductory poem for the workshop (breaking out of my typical style and rhythm into a style that I admire from The Rooster). Cockledoodledoo.

As In, I am Just Bryan

I am Bryan,

a professor at Fairfield U...

    As in, I read a lot of books,

    a few thousand books,

     & keep my nose behind computers

         to learn more about my world….

I am Bryan, a reader...

    As in I am a library nerd

    who is totally proud of losing himself in 

         words (those brain turds) & the worlds

         that flutter before me like birds
          across the universe and sky, 
          while I rehearse my ways of knowing,
          always willing to fly.

I am Bryan, a son of a Butch,

   upstate New Yawker

   and middle child of three.

      As in, I have two sisters,

       and got blamed

   for leaving the toilet seat up,

       and for torturing Barbie Dolls.

      As in, I got grounded and

   my sisters stuck their tongues

    out at me, simply because I

     stand up when I pee.

I am Bryan, a madman

   who empties the ocean

with a fork,

As in, face it, I know that I’m a dork

      and like Sisyphus, I must

       push that boulder up a hill.

I am Bryan, a teacher,

   who has taught for twenty years…

     As in these gray hairs

      contain history, culture, and

      the stories of a 1000 kids.

    As in, I don’t mind chalk,

       or giving homework,

       or being a jerk in order

       to help others succeed….

       supporting an intellectual journey

       is all I’ll ever need.

I am Bryan, a doer, who doesn’t mind doing,

   as long as something is getting done…

   As in I support relocated youth,

   refugees, and believe in their American future…

As in, I run 5K in New Haven every February
   to raise awareness of global realities…

   As in, no matter how stressed out I am,

   I know that others struggle more…

   As in, for every minute I spend in self-pity,

   I lose 60-seconds of making this world

      a better place.

I am Bryan,

 a crazy man,

 a looney-tune,

 and a big baboon who laughs

   his way through life….

    As in, I don’t mind dressing up as

    Dr. Clueless, even with autographed

    Missy Elliot Adidas sneakers around my neck…

    As in, I have more toys than ToysRUs,

    and never pass a gum-ball machine,

    without putting in a quarter (or two)

I am Bryan, a poet,

   who plays with language when

   finger tapping a piano keyboard

in search of better perspectives

   than the limitations set forth by my eyes…

   As in, the thesaurus is my friend…

   and I keep word journals and

   love to listen to the ways people speak.

   As in, I stink at basketball, but

   do mean crossovers with ideas.

   As in, you are a poem,

   and it is my hope to read you.

I am Bryan, an advocate for 

   writing our lives…

      As in, I will go to my grave

      fighting for better teachers

      and opportunities for young

       people like you to achieve…

         As in, I don’t matter nearly

           as much as

        YOU DO…

       and nothing makes me happier

      than seeing YOU and YOUR teachers

      shouting out what you need to say

       to anyone and everyone

       willing to listen.

      As in, it’s your time to scream

        to the galaxies above.

        

        

Wins! Sport! Lacrosse! Relocated youth! Not bad for a mid-week reflection @kwamealexander.

It was cold. The picture is deceiving. Yet, it was also warm.
Hello March.

Last night, after work, I took Chitunga for a final driving lesson before his big test and invited Glody Tumba, Central High School, to join us - another young man with roots from Congo who attends Bridgeport City Schools. With Fairfield University's winning lacrosse record and my student, Jacob Knostman, getting much playing time on the team, I knew it was a great way to welcome spring on a Tuesday afternoon (a couple of days early).

A highlight of the time spent together, however, was when Kwame Alexander called to celebrate the release of The Crossover and to tap my thinking about other ways to promote the book this March during its madness. I have a few ideas up my sleeve, but the best part of the conversation was when Kwame hung up (no offense, Rooster). Chitunga, Glody, and I began talking about the need for more good books that appeal to young men like them and we brainstormed a few possibilities for their own creations. I made a deal with them: get A's in school and I guarantee I can set up a time for the two of them to meet Kwame. He can write their books!

Here's the other deal: Many of our urban youth are positioned as non-readers, when in truth they love to read books that appeal to their interests. Most books assigned to school represent elite, esoteric texts chosen to condition high school graduates for entrance into a college-tracked world. Each of these young men left my library today with copies of texts that mattered to their lives and worlds. My point? More books like Kwame Alexander's The Crossover are needed in our schools (although they don't have The Crossover...yet). Here are two young men looking for their way in school with a mission for themselves. They want to read, "just not that much in school."

The same is true with writing.

Imagine a Common Core curriculum that represented heterogeneous populations of our American schools with the curiosity, questions, passions, and dreams that they have!

Jazzing it up at Hill Central and checking literacy wingspans. @kwamealexander @writingproject #TheCrossover

Kwame Alexander's Acoustic Rooster,
illustrations by Tim Bowers

For the last two years, CWP-Fairfield has collaborated with teachers at Hill Central, K-8, to coordinate best practices for writing instruction while emphasizing the teachers teaching teachers model. This year, with a NWP 2013-2014 High Needs School Supporting Effective Educator Development grant, teachers have been looking at supporting a community around literacy, improving argumentative writing, designing cross-curriculur instruction, aligning school goals through vertical teaming, and promoting student work - including a poetry SLAM to be hosted later this week.

The rockstar that made this jazz possible has been author Kwame Alexander, whose books Acoustic Rooster and His Barnyard Band and The Crossover were used in classrooms and with teachers to initiate multiple conversations about finding a personal song (with thanks to Erik Komoroff of Community of Unity for his powerful contributions). Teachers have also been writing narratives and using Troy Hicks' Crafting Digital Writing to embark on the art of digital storytelling (professional development that they requested last year to Principal Glen Worthy - the captain at the helm of an incredible ship).

Today, Hill Central's literacy team welcomes Kwame Alexander as he brings to life the books students and teachers have been reading.
A shout-out is also due to Tim Bowers for his illustrations (students have been doing the same in art classes). Between the art, the historical references to the Harlem Renaissance, and the craft and brilliance of the author, Hill Central is totally in line to celebrate National Poetry and National Jazz Month.

My creative path did a 'crossover' with Kwame Alexander in Liverpool, New York, almost two years ago and I continue to be humbled and honored to have his friendship. His writing has helped me to carry forth excellence in supporting effective educator development.


Not only will the students and teachers be making jazz today, they will also be hooping it up in an afternoon in a basketball game between students and staff. It is a great day for Hill Central School, CWP-Fairfield, and New Haven, Connecticut, as we celebrate Kwame Alexander's tremendous contributions to young and adolescent writers/readers/thinkers/ and do-ers.

Congresswomen Rose DeLauro also deserves a round of applause for her tremendous support of the National Writing Project and her continued advocacy for youth in her district.

We gotta write. A'ight? 

And we also got to read. That is why Kwame Alexander is exactly what we need.

Here's to the National Writing Project for making this possible! And for the author, there are not enough words to thank you for being a part of this work!

What's Your Literacy Wingspan? Huh, Mr. Worthy? #The Crossover @kwamealxander @writingproject

Tomorrow, Monday, beckons the literacy event for the young people of Hill Central in New Haven, Connecticut, when Kwame Alexander, author of Acoustic Rooster and His Barnyard Band and The Crossover travels to Connecticut for a day of presentation, empowerment, and meeting the author who has been central to yearlong professional development. The work was made possible through collaboration between Hill Central and CWP-Fairfield who successfully competed for a NWP 2013-2014 High Needs grant to provide interdisciplinary teamwork for literacy with the K-8 teachers at the school.

All students have learned from the Harlem Renaissance children's book (and promotion of creative jazz) and 7th and 8th graders have benefited from the breakout debut of the poetic storytelling in Alexander's new young adult novel.

Together, the literate community has begun to make connections between all subject areas in recognition of the benefits of supporting youth to be stronger readers, writers, and thinkers. The teachers, too, are in final phases of writing for digital production of their own narratives to promote the 'songs' they sing from their own classrooms - a community of unity.

It will be awesome to pick up my friend today and to introduce him to downtown New Haven all in preparation for Monday's literacy celebration (and yes, we agreed to participate in the basketball team's challenge to play the Hill Central staff. Kwame said, "Crandall, you know I always say yes." He may say yes, but those who know me best recognize I'm a better fan of the sport than player.

And after a night of Final Four gameplay, the real game for CWP-Fairfield takes place during the school day on Monday.

 A loss is inevitable

 like snow in winter.

True champions

 learn

to dance

 through

 the storm.

 The day will be 'dunkalicious' indeed. I can't wait! The Rooster and Frog are at it again. We just need our Diva to join us.

And They're In The Mail. That's a Wrap. It's Saturday, and Now I Need to Catch Up. Work Zone the Next 48 Hours

200 copies of POW! The Anthology (Ed. 2) were packaged and sent out yesterday after I ran a session with 8th graders who read Kwame Alexander's The Crossover.  The work from this summer's teachers and students was phenomenal, and I am really proud of how the text came together...so proud, in fact, I wanted to drive it directly to each and everyone's home.

The redesign of Young Adult Literacy Labs were the result of my teaching in Louisville, Kentucky, my knowledge of the National Writing Project, and research conducted at Syracuse University. Coincidentally, just yesterday, a publication was announced by the formative experiment in Central New York that influenced CWP-Fairfield's summer alterations:

Reading & Language Arts professor and chair Kelly Chandler-Olcott, RLA doctoral student Janine Nieroda, and RLA alumnus and Fairfield assistant professor Bryan Ripley Crandall have published “Co-planning and Co-teaching in a Summer Writing Institute: A Formative Experiment” in Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education. The full-text article is available at http://scholarworks.wmich.edu/wte/vol3/iss2/3/.

It's been a busy, but wonderful week, even if it was too full of meetings. Meetings meetings meetings meetings until 5 p.m. on a Friday. But, when it was time to depart, I decided I was just going to leave and I did. I left for a cheeseburger and, yes, I ate the bun this time!

So, today, it's Saturday and I'm going to make up for lost time. The goal is to nerd out for 48 hours so I'm ready to leave for D.C. next Wednesday (I have two book chapters that need to be finalized already). There's always so much to do, but I think I'm almost ready for the frantic three weeks ahead. Need to read more, plan more, organize more, and write more. Yep Yep Yep

I have no problem hunkering down to get this work done. It is work that I believe in.

Proud of Hill Central and the Magic They Created With @KwameAlexander #TheCrossover

I have a lot of energy. That might be my Achilles heal.

Yet, the energy (and enthusiasm, excitement, synergy, and passion) of author Kwame Alexander, the K-8 students at Hill Central, and the outstanding faculty at the school, made me look like a lethargic snail.

Kwame and Hill Central simply rocked.

There are too many wonderful moments from yesterday's literacy bonanza to capture in one post, but my favorite of the day was in Ms. O'Neill's 1st grade classroom. Kwame came to them in the afternoon and, like a pro, read from his book, Indigo Bloom, about a young woman wanting to start a city garden on her rooftop. Kwame made the kids guess what the prize would be that she won for her commitment to going green and one young man guessed a bike. When he found out he guessed right, Kwame gave him a copy of the book. He stood up immediately and did a victory dance with it. The classmates loved it and so did the author.

The other highlight occurred when after Kwame Alexander debuted The Crossover, several middle school students stayed behind and asked if they could recite their spoken word pieces for him. One by one, the hands went up and the kids performed their work. The teachers  were in awe as many of the volunteers were not the academic all-stars or individuals who normally set out to impress adults around them. "I fought back tears," admitted the music teacher at the school. "I never saw this side of the students. They had so much to say."

I am feeling proud of the day's event (although I'm exhausted) and know I am fortunate to have the irreplaceable opportunity to work with Kwame Alexander, Hill Central, and the National Writing Project on this collaboration.

Yes, I know. I know. There was a Final Four last night between UCONN and UK, but the real winners were the teachers and students at Hill Central. They were dunkalicious indeed.

This Summer, Bringing Out of The Box Crandall Thinking to @CWPFairfield and Young Adult Literacy Labs @FairfieldU

At the end of the day, yesterday, I walked into the graphic novel lab and found that one of the students drew this on the whiteboard. I thought to myself, "Man, they have unravelled the essence of me in just two days."

See, I've always worried about boxing myself in with the rules and traditions of writing instruction, and I've always desired more creative, innovative ways to communicate what it is we witness in this world. Text somewhat limits the ways we express because there are so many other ways we communicate to the world. American-born and Western-educated, I learned from my studies that written language privileges particular groups of people because the traditions that follow English are often trapped within the hierarchy of social structures that benefit some populations over others.

This is why I wanted to partner Ubuntu Academy for immigrant youth with the graphic novel lab at CWP-Fairfield. There are more ways to 'say what we want to say' than simply limiting ourselves to written language alone. Language is meant to be played with, performed, drawn, spoken, and inhabited.

At one point yesterday, I saw a young man from El Salvador drawing new knowledge as his class discussed Kwame Alexander's The Crossover and soon after, I witnessed several young people designing superhero costumes to accompany their graphic novels. I couldn't be happier. All were moving beyond the page to make their understanding of language more visual and physical.

If anything, this summer, I want the young people we are working with to fall in love with asking questions about their world and finding a voice to express what they know in ways they are most comfortable. It is Wednesday, week four for teachers and week three for young people. We are 1 teacher institute in and four literacy labs down.

In the words of my administrative assistant, "CWP-Fairfield is totally rocking this summer." With a high five to her, I couldn't agree more.