Hello again, Please read my new BLOG at http://denisecalvettimichaels.blogspot.com/ for more information about service learning, teaching and writing poetry. (3/9/08)

Hello to all,

Here's an image that let's you know I'm a writer as well as a teacher and value working with the community to develop service learning projects.
Somehow it all fits together--writing, teaching and community service--and I'll add more some time soon.

Saturday morning:
Been thinking about what I wrote yesterday, (above) when Misty Wheeler helped me and Bethany in the Service Learning Office to post and link some of our service learning activities to 18000Campus Way.

First, thank you to Misty, Cascadia student who wears many hats such as: AmeriCorps Students in Service member, service-learning course student, Work Study staff for the TLA (Teaching and Learning Academy) and member of Cascadia Student Government PRO (Peer Research Officer).

In addition Misty helps unite our campus community through 18000Campus Way, this dynamic website that supports interactions among faculty, students and community partners.
Last November Misty participated in Dialogue for Democracy, a civic enagement event funded by Cascadia's Learn and Serve grant. Misty was one of six Cacadia students who accompanied four Cascadia faculty (David Ortiz, Lindsay Custer, Erin Richards and Denise Michaels) with Dean of Student Learning, Margaret Turcott and Bethany Such, to dialoge for a day at Seattle Town Hall. Dialogue sessions provided time to discuss ways to foster civic engagement and develop action plans to improve civic engagement and communication with our larger community.

I view Misty's imaginative efforts to build this highly interactive website as evidence that when we listen as a community and take time for authentic dialoge with reflection, the result can be purposeful, meaningful and relevant action such as this burgeoning website that is a gift, if we'll receive it, and will have a life of its own.

So here's how this ties to my opening statement yesterday: Writing, service and teaching are one--and go beyond the notion of interconnection or integration. Poet Diana DiPrima says this in Rant, a poem you'll find in Pieces of a Song: there is no part of yourself you can separate out/saying, this is memory, this is sensation/this is the work I care about, this is how I/make a living//it is whole, it is a whole, it always was whole/you do not "make" it so/there is nothing to integrate, you are a presence/your are an appendage for the work, the work stems from/hangs from the heaven you create//

more later--and you may find poems by Denise Calvetti Michaels online at: King County Poetry on Buses; Centrifugel Eye; Crosscurrents; Wetlands Review; City Works Press; RockSaltPlum and In Praise of Fertile Land.