Missing May

Reflection CCT

When I first saw this little book, 89 pages, I was a little disappointed.  How on earth are we going to talk about this book for a whole semester?  Obviously we managed quite well.  I made a committment not to read ahead and that really made a difference.  Like others, I go so much more out of the text than I would have with the quick read I normally would have done.  I think children would really enjoy working with the weblog because they simply adore getting mail!  The contact with other people would balance out the tedious side of this assignment for elementary age students.

It struck me a devine intervention that this book would be about death as I personally struggled with life-threatening medical problems with both Bill and Coulter. I really hope I will never loose a student as a classroom teacher, but I am sure I would use this little text in my classroom if it did happen.

Reflection -BW

The process of this project has been an interesting journey. I found the process of weblogging to be fun and interesting in the beginning and a burden at the end. Having said that, I feel that I know more about this book than I would have if I just read it all in one sitting. Having to analyze the characters, the setting, and the motives made me know and understand the book better. That is where I see a benefit for children. Children will understand the books meaning much more if they have to be accountable to their group members for an appropriate response. I understand the importance of the project now.

Reflection-SBC

At first I wasn't too thrilled about this semester long project. In the beginning, for a brief moment, it was fun. Then the process of completing it became more than tedious. I would strongly suggest orchestrating it very differently with future cohorts. It wasn't until today that I saw the benefits of the project's existence. Although I personally hope to never hear the word weblog again, I must say that this experience has been one that strengthened my teaching abilities. Thanks!

Can't Say GoodBye Chap 11-12 CCT

Summer says, "I used to think it was because people fear death. But now I think it is because people can't bear saying good-bye." (page 79)  I think Summer is right. I think back to the people I have known who seemed struggle against death in the midst of terrible pain. I think of those who live in the Christian faith and really believe in a better place on the other side. It really doesn't make sense that they would fight so hard to stay here, unless Summer is right, and they just can't bear to say good-bye. 

At the end of chapter 11, the flapping of a startled owl ushers in a flood of tears and finally an exhaused but peaceful sleep. Then Summer hears the voice of their beloved May, reassuring them that love conquers all. A second passage from the end of this story speaks to the theme of this beautiful little book, "So the Lord let us get old so we'd have plenty cause to need you and you'd feel free to need us right back. We wanted a family so bad, all of us. And we just grabbed onto each another and made us one. Simple as that." (page 87).

Cletus - Chapter 11- BW

I loved how the character Cletus finally gets acknowledged as an important character and not just an annoyance to Summer. In chapter 11, the story shows Cletus' character as someone who helps bring Summer and Ob closer to understanding their grief over May. The character Cletus helps Ob and Summer by being there for them. In the beginning of the story, Cletus was such an annoyance to Summer. By the end of the story, I think she was glad he was there. I think this character would help students empathize with the "odd" student better. I think this story would be a great opportunity to talk to students about our differences. This character is easily relatable to students.

Reflection-MG

This experience with Edublogs was one that thought would never end. I felt that the process was too long, especially for one book. I do think that Edublogs could be put to good use in a classroom. I would use them after the students had experienced literature circles inside of the classroom several times. With careful planning, Edublogs could be a great success in the classroom.

Wind-Chapter12-MG

When I read the last sentence of the book, I thought about my experiences at funerals. At the end of the burial ceremony, the wind blows heavily. While attending funerals, I always wait to see if the wind is going to blow after the burial ceremony. This has happened everytime, but one.

Do you think that the blowing of the wind represents closure for the dead?

Owl-Chapter 11-MG

The owl mentioned in Chapter 11 was so significant to May and Summer. It is first mentioned by Summer on page 83. She says that when the owl passed her, she knew then that she would never see May on earth again. I did not truly see the significance until May mentions the owl on page 86. May tells Summer that when they saw the owl that night, she would bring good things. I think that the owl represented a new beginning.

Chapter 11-12 Can't Say Goodbye

Summer says, "I used to think it was because people fear death. But now I think it is because people can't bear saying good-bye." (page 79)  I think Summer is right. I think back to the people I have known who seemed struggle against death in the midst of terrible pain. I think of those who live in the Christian faith and really believe in a better place on the other side. It really doesn't make sense that they would fight so hard to stay here, unless Summer is right, and they just can't bear to say good-bye. 

At the end of chapter 11, the flapping of a startled owl ushers in a flood of tears and finally an exhaused but peaceful sleep. Then Summer hears the voice of their beloved May, reassuring them that love conquers all. A second passage from the end of this story speaks to the theme of this beautiful little book, "So the Lord let us get old so we'd have plenty cause to need you and you'd feel free to need us right back. We wanted a family so bad, all of us. And we just grabbed onto each another and made us one. Simple as that." (page 87).