tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2015064410387223894.post2917042111303830936..comments2024-03-27T08:55:55.505-04:00Comments on Paranormal Romantics: Imagination by Diane BurtonUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2015064410387223894.post-14094533087972585972017-09-18T09:09:33.932-04:002017-09-18T09:09:33.932-04:00Nancy, my daughter limits "screen" time ...Nancy, my daughter limits "screen" time with her kids, including time with me. LOL No playing on my phone or iPad (can you hear the groans?). Playing with Legos can be a great conversation starter. I remember those days of 4 TV channels. When it went to 6 (we got a Canadian station, too), we were thrilled. So, yes, that limited TV watching and we were "forced" to invent our own games.Diane Burtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03754105332297068271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2015064410387223894.post-54437065590423274592017-09-18T09:05:00.686-04:002017-09-18T09:05:00.686-04:00Francesca, what wonderful experiences you shared w...Francesca, what wonderful experiences you shared with your children. I'm going to remember the detective game when I take the grandkids out for lunch. They'll have a blast.Diane Burtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03754105332297068271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2015064410387223894.post-30441202564955538002017-09-14T18:25:27.491-04:002017-09-14T18:25:27.491-04:00I always encouraged imaginative play with my guys ...I always encouraged imaginative play with my guys who loved to play outside or build their own creations and worlds with Legos. When Grandguy comes over, we limit game and TV times to play games and Imagination is something that grows on you from that first tiny seed and those seeds need to be scattered freely. I'm thankful we didn't have a lot of TV stations and toys growing up so we had to invent our own play. Skills I still use today!!Nancy Gideonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07493107610530282642noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2015064410387223894.post-66819776296378455972017-09-14T15:49:57.173-04:002017-09-14T15:49:57.173-04:00Thanks for the great post, Diane. I used to make ...Thanks for the great post, Diane. I used to make up characters for my three children when I'd be flying solo as a parent. We spent many a lunch or dinner with me taking on the persona of a private detective, a fabulous chef, even an Egyptian "Mommy" replete with to towel wrapped head and sheet bound body. I had a ball entertaining them and they seemed to have survived my penchant for drama. One's a Lawyer, one received his doctorate in Computer Science from Notre Dame where he works and the youngest is a Telemetry Technician. Not a bad brood! Thanks for reminding me of the power of imagination and the fun of using it! Francesca Quartohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01593858027963099369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2015064410387223894.post-15529160492921497732017-09-14T08:35:02.257-04:002017-09-14T08:35:02.257-04:00Sheena-kay, you are so right. Kids will use their ...Sheena-kay, you are so right. Kids will use their imagination until its discouraged. Too often, people (parents, teachers, etc.) want kids to live in the real world, not make-believe. They do live in the real world. How much more fun is it to use the imagination? Diane Burtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03754105332297068271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2015064410387223894.post-4700902968562554402017-09-14T05:48:19.963-04:002017-09-14T05:48:19.963-04:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14643343580580335873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2015064410387223894.post-21366626117616328052017-09-13T18:47:12.598-04:002017-09-13T18:47:12.598-04:00Agreed. It seems some adults just complain and don...Agreed. It seems some adults just complain and don't try to encourage kids to do anything. Any kid will use their imagination if they feel the urge or drive to. More so when encouraged and given the opportunity to decide for themselves.Sheena-kay Grahamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17712661419116636671noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2015064410387223894.post-74851147134425448372017-09-13T15:34:01.004-04:002017-09-13T15:34:01.004-04:00Sandy, what creative exercises! Thanks so much for...Sandy, what creative exercises! Thanks so much for sharing. The fact that they didn't have to write anything took out their fear and freed their imagination. Guiding their imagination helps those who never let it loose before and look how they soar. That's what I did in a small way with my grandkids. (You just can't take the teacher out of us.) BTW, that one sentence prompt? We did that as part of my writing chapter's program. Mine turned into a romantic suspense called One Red Shoe. Diane Burtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03754105332297068271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2015064410387223894.post-86835359124031991752017-09-13T15:27:16.020-04:002017-09-13T15:27:16.020-04:00Liz, I appreciate your input. I didn't know ab...Liz, I appreciate your input. I didn't know about the Lego layoff. Middle school is such an awful time for kids. They don't want to be different. I never thought about the fear of not doing something "right." But I can see that. A "safe place" to be creative sounds like a real need.Diane Burtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03754105332297068271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2015064410387223894.post-73919171996916164542017-09-13T15:23:58.538-04:002017-09-13T15:23:58.538-04:00CJ, I think you're right about some who need e...CJ, I think you're right about some who need encouragement/help to explore their creativity. Thanks for your comment.Diane Burtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03754105332297068271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2015064410387223894.post-30363267027438710592017-09-13T13:58:57.225-04:002017-09-13T13:58:57.225-04:00I did a writing exercise with my 8th grade class o...I did a writing exercise with my 8th grade class one time. I gave them a 1 sentence prompt (it was something spooky about three figures around a campfire). The class as a whole composed a story and I typed it as they went and displayed it on the overhead screen. Each class did this. At the end I printed them and handed them out. <br />This was a lower income area and I got the typical questions, like can there be violence, can someone die,can the story involve a gang. My rule was anything goes but everything you write must advance the plot.(We reviewed story structure and definitions beforehand). <br />The stories were amazing. Kids got 10 points for each contribution. And because they could speak instead of writing, students who struggle with writing were very vocal.<br />I was delighted with the results.<br />I was a substitute teacher for 7 years, often a long term SUB for a whole semester, so I may have had more leeway than the regular teacher.<br />Same classes, when it came time to start the massive Heroes Journey study, I kicked it off by bringing students into a dark classroom lit only by electric candles in the Windows. We talked about rituals that day. Of course they immediately thought "evil" but ended up identifying quite a few in their everyday life, such as church sacraments, quincinera (majority Hispanic population). We also watched Star Wars and id'd each part of the heroes journey.<br />I think the journey into imagination has to be participative, even guided, at first, because our kids are out of practice. But it comes back quickly, especially with visual and tactile prompting.<br /><br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08359790908564218108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2015064410387223894.post-12346457737744914552017-09-13T11:51:15.550-04:002017-09-13T11:51:15.550-04:00Great post, Mom.
Did you see that Lego announced...Great post, Mom. <br /><br />Did you see that Lego announced this month that they are laying off 200 workers? Is this because those imaginative building games are being superseded by video games or devices with screens? When I told our kids this summer that I was banning fidget spinners, the 7.5 year old built one out of Legos. (He's apparently perfecting the model because he doesn't think it spins well enough.) <br /><br />As a teacher of older kids, I see the imagination stymied as middle schoolers, and it's only worse for high schoolers. They are so afraid of being "wrong" or "not doing it right" that they freeze when given the opportunity to express their creativity. Perhaps we need to include safe spaces for that crazy, imaginative play as they grow too.<br /><br />Liz Carrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08070438942917046385noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2015064410387223894.post-37427160484295175372017-09-13T11:08:23.641-04:002017-09-13T11:08:23.641-04:00You're so right, Diane - imagination has to be...You're so right, Diane - imagination has to be encouraged! I think some people are naturally inclined, but others need all the help they can get. :)CJ Burrighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17137817042365817799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2015064410387223894.post-67577246822587920742017-09-13T10:53:46.522-04:002017-09-13T10:53:46.522-04:00What a fantastic game. Watching Mr. Rogers or Dani...What a fantastic game. Watching Mr. Rogers or Daniel Tiger through the eyes of a 2-yr-old is a wonderful experience.Diane Burtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03754105332297068271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2015064410387223894.post-50406976985231860372017-09-13T10:40:38.954-04:002017-09-13T10:40:38.954-04:00Great post! I couldn't agree more- reading is ...Great post! I couldn't agree more- reading is essential and encouraging the use of imagination. When the girls were small and we went to the beach we'd sit on a bench on the boardwalk in the evening and as people passed we'd take turns picking a random person and say, "What's their story?" The stories the girls made up amazed me and they had fun playing the game. <br />P.S. I loved Mr. Rogers neighborhood! Maureenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18344104136273015426noreply@blogger.com