[Reading-hall-of-fame] [Fwd: Donald Graves]

[jturbill]

Hi all
I owe much to Don for his friendship, insights and support and my  
professional career. I first heard Don speak when he came to Australia  
for the 1980 IFTE Conference held in Sydney. It was the first time I  
also met Yetta and Ken. My colleague Bob Walshe had told me that Don  
was doing great things with writing in Kindergartens and told me that  
I MUST attend his session. At the time I was the Literacy Consultant  
for the NSW Department of Education and our District was focusing on  
the teaching of writing. So I talked my boss, The Director of the  
District and several Principals to also come along. I will never  
forget that session - it was one of those times in life that is indeed  
life-changing. My boss Eric Flood was so inspired that he suggested I  
run a project in our Sydney kindergartens and he made sure the funding  
was available to release teachers and run the PD. That Project - the  
St George Writing Project began in 1981 and was based on Don's work.  
When I wrote to Don to seek support for the project and permission to  
use his work, he wrote back (in long hand which I still have and  
cherish), telling how thrilled he was about the project and offering  
all the help he could give. Don responded to my questions, read the  
teachers comments and writings and sent me drafts of papers that might  
help guide us. This wonderful support continued for over a year. Two  
little books were written from this project, No Better Way to Teach  
Writing (1982) and Now We Want to Write (1983) published by the  
Primary English Teaching Association (PETA) in Australia and then in  
the US by Heinemann. These experiences changed my professional life  
and brought me to the US. PETA brought Don back to Australia in 1981  
and published a series of his papers in a little book called Donald  
Graves in Australia. Don came back at least one other time to work  
with us down under. Many of us in Australia feel that just a small  
part of Don became an Aussie as we feel he is ours too! So many  
Australian teachers have been inspired by his work, his presentations,  
his faith in young children's capacity to learn and his friendship. He  
gave so much. We have lost a great person - but his legacy will live  
on. The last time I saw Don was at the San Antonio IRA Conference. I  
heard his chuckle before I saw him and Betty having lunch. We hugged  
and reminisced about the Aussie trips. It was a short but wonderful  
reunion. My thoughts are with Betty and his family today.
Jan


On Sep 30, 2010, at 12:49 AM, Yetta Goodman wrote:

> I received this note from Lois Bridges.
> I want to celebrate and support Don's contributions to education for
> children by highlighting the progressive curriculum he envisioned for
> all children.
> Enough with testing and standards!!   Let's celebrate a curriculum  
> that
> engages children in their own learning, discovering their own
> imagination and posing and answering their own questions.
>   Yetta Goodman
>
> Dear Friends,
>
> I just talked with Betty Graves... our beloved Don passed away  
> peacefully yesterday afternoon from pneumonia at home with family by  
> his side.
> A memorial service is planned Saturday, October 16th, at a public  
> school in Portland, ME. with a beautiful view of the ocean (but  
> those details may change...
> I'll let you know of shifting plans as I learn of them).
>
> Betty sounded strong... she's surrounded by their five children and  
> extended family.
>
> You can write:
>
> Betty Graves
> Ocean View
> 39 Blueberry Lane - C42
> Falmouth, ME. 04105
>
>
>
>
> This message and any attachment are intended solely for the  
> addressee and may contain confidential information. If you have  
> received this message in error, please send it back to me, and  
> immediately delete it.   Please do not use, copy or disclose the  
> information contained in this message or in any attachment.  Any  
> views or opinions expressed by the author of this email do not  
> necessarily reflect the views of the University of Nottingham.
>
> This message has been checked for viruses but the contents of an  
> attachment
> may still contain software viruses which could damage your computer  
> system:
> you are advised to perform your own checks. Email communications  
> with the
> University of Nottingham may be monitored as permitted by UK  
> legislation.
>
>
> From: Lois Bridges <loisbridges at EARTHLINK.NET>
> Date: September 29, 2010 10:30:10 PM GMT+10:00
> To: "celt-l at COE.MISSOURI.EDU" <celt-l at COE.MISSOURI.EDU>
> Subject: Donald Graves
> Reply-To: COE celt-l List <celt-l at COE.MISSOURI.EDU>
>
>
> Dear Friends,
>
> I just talked with Betty Graves... our beloved Don passed away  
> peacefully yesterday afternoon from pneumonia at home with family by  
> his side. A memorial service is planned Saturday, October 16th, at a  
> public school in Portland, ME. with a beautiful view of the ocean  
> (but those details may change... I'll let you know of shifting plans  
> as I learn of them).
>
> Betty sounded strong... she's surrounded by their five children and  
> extended family.
>
> You can write:
>
> Betty Graves
> Ocean View
> 39 Blueberry Lane - C42
> Falmouth, ME. 04105
>
>
>
>
> <ATT00001.txt>