The Big Fresh February 23, 2013 What’s Your Password?

When I made the decision to improve my financial literacy, I set up several new accounts online. Instead of entering my typical username and password, I decided to get creative and deliberately repeat a positive affirmation relating to my desired relationship with money. As smart$ch1ck (smart money chick), my password was “I@mprosperous.” (I am prosperous). In the beginning I didn’t feel like a smart money chick; I felt more like a blundering know-nothing. Prosperous thoughts weren’t first on my mind. I was worried about the economy, my kids’ college funds, and paying off debt.

With time and hard work, I began to smile when I’d type smart$ch1ck and see the results of my savings slowly accumulating. Logging in with I@mprosperous reminded me to breath and be grateful for all the small, ordinary ways that I am healthy and wealthy. It turns out that when I delved into the genre of finance and became more money fit, I had daily opportunities to affirm my positive intentions through usernames and passwords.

In my work life I’m also constantly setting up accounts. The password I use most for any coaching accounts is “listenX3” to remind me to “listen, listen, listen.” So what would your password be? What do you want to affirm and reaffirm when you touch the keyboard? If you are aiming to amp up humor in your life, what password would cause you to chuckle when you sign in? Perhaps you are looking to increase your compassion? Maybe “ch00sek!nd” (“choose kind” from Wonder by RJ Palacio) would work for you. “Inomypasswd” (I know my password) might be just the thing for someone set on improving his/her memory.

This week we’re unlocking the secrets of how to help students learn words. Plus more as always — enjoy!

[For sneak peeks at our upcoming features, quotes and extra links,  follow Choice Literacy on Twitter: @ChoiceLiteracy or Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ChoiceLiteracy or Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/choiceliteracy/]

If you have one, and only one, iPad in your classroom, how might students use it? Jonathan Wylie compiles helpful suggestions from many teachers, with tips on everything from free apps to creating a set of class rules for handling the device:

http://jonathanwylie.com/2012/11/05/revisiting-the-1-ipad-classroom/ 

Maria Caplin describes how she integrates word study into writing workshops with intermediate students:

http://www.choiceliteracy.com/articles-detail-view.php?id=1503