Wonder Lead Ambassador

Carol Varsalona

Joined 3 years ago

I have been a lifelong learner and wonderer my entire life. As a child, curiosity allowed my mind to wander to imaginative places and seek answers. My mother and grandmother whose creative talents were boundless fostered my flights into the world of creativity. Appreciating the gifts of reading, writing, art, and learning at a very young age, led me to creative outlets and a long teaching and administrative career in the field of literacy. I continue to notice and wonder about life, learning, and literacy; write with passion and an observant eye; ardently champion voice as a means to be creatively expressive, and passionately promote positivity during my unretirement days as an ELA Consultant. Being one of Wonderopolis’ Wonder Lead Ambassadors is an honor and will provide the opportunity to continue to impact teaching and learning in a broader sense. Besides being an educator, I am: -Co-moderator of #NYEDChat, the voice of New York State educators and beyond where I continually invite educators and colleagues from across the globe to join in timely discussions -Writer/creator of the "Reflect With Me Galleries of Artistic Expressions" that connect literacy, the arts, and technology, bringing a sense of voice through poetry and photography to the public eye -Blogger and member of the following social media communities: Celebrate This Week, DigiLit Sunday, Poetry Friday, Slice of Life, Spiritual Journey Thursday -Presenter at local, regional, state, and national conferences -Executive Board Member and Editor of the Long Island Language Arts Council -Member of the following literary associations: International Literacy Council, Nassau Reading Council, National Council of Teachers of English, New York State English Council

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Seaside Walk Into the Fog

It only took one spontaneous moment to jump in the car and drive to a favorite Long Island seaside destination, the City by the Sea/Long Beach with ...

Feb 20, 2019

The Potent Winter Cold

It's that time of year again when the winter cold spreads from one to another. Yes, it happens every January in my house but this year it did not ...

Jan 12, 2019

National Milk Day

White, fluffy snow came down in buckets when I was little. The entire backyard was covered in drifts that prevented the local milk truck from ...

Dec 15, 2018

Holiday Haiku

It's that magical time of the year when the night sky sits in stillness, the neighborhood quiets down, and wait for the sounds of jingle bells and ho ...

Oct 11, 2018

What's The Art of Summering?

My concept of summering started many years ago as a young girl. I grew to love the summer season that always allowed me to relax, reflect, and ...

Oct 1, 2018

Summer Wonder Poetry

Have you ever experienced the feeling of sparks flying in your brain? I have. Today, I am in the creative zone, am energized, and eager to notice, ...

Aug 9, 2018

"Summering"

Each summer day and evening brings a surprise, a gift from nature, if we just pause to look. On Long Island, New York where I live, "There's nothing ...

Aug 4, 2018

National Watermelon Day

"Nothing quite says “summer" like a big slice of watermelon on a hot day." (Wonderopolis, Wonder of the Day #330) Today is National Watermelon ...

Jul 22, 2018

Did You Know?

Did you know the following? If you click on RSS at my Wonder Ground page, you can access all of the blog posts from my blog site, Beyond ...

May 17, 2019

It started as a cloudy-spotted sky with slight drops of rain. As we traveled from Long Island, over the Tappan Zee Bridge, and up Route 17, the rain ...

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May 10, 2019

National Poetry Month may be over but for me, poetry is a year-round exploration of words that dance within the images they create. I have gone back ...

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May 4, 2019

A spring-inspired world surrounded me as I drove to the northern edge of Long Island for a professional development workshop yesterday. Signs of ...

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May 2, 2019

Spring is upon us. Welcome to Spiritual Journey first Thursday. I am delighted to be the host for this month's gathering. The topic I chose for ...

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May 1, 2019

After an inspiring night of sweet as honey conversation with my poet friends and #NYEDChat colleagues, I sit still to relax. One half-hour of quick ...

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Apr 26, 2019

Welcome to the Poetry Friday Roundup! I am hosting the last Poetry Friday community gathering of National Poetry Month. The birds are ...

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Apr 24, 2019

Alexa, good morning!Good morning, it is World Book Day! It is an annual event organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural ...

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Apr 19, 2019

Easter is just days away. My kitchen fills with the sights and smells of Holy Week baking just like my mother and grandmother's kitchens before ...

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Apr 17, 2019

The sun peeked out from behind grayish clouds and for that moment, I felt giddy and adventurous. "Let's go to the boardwalk!" With that quick morning ...

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