Wonder Lead Ambassador

Carol Varsalona

Joined 5 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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Engaging Families and Communities in Student Learning

Stress and harmonic imbalance at home can decrease student's ability to enjoy school and perform to the best of their abilities. So what can we, as ...

Sep 16, 2017

Make Your Mark on International Dot Day 2017

It's International Dot Day 2017, "a global celebration of creativity, courage and collaboration". Dots are filling Twitter like confetti from the ...

Sep 12, 2017

9/11 and 9-1-1

Sixteen years have gone by but there is still a sadness as the the fallen heroes of 911 are remembered around the world today. It is September 11th, ...

Sep 7, 2017

Student-Inspired Poetry Creations

Are you delighted by the feel of sand between your toes, the smell of salt air, and the warmth of a summer day? I am and wanted to share the ...

Sep 6, 2017

End-of-Summer Thoughts

It is now two days after Labor Day. Summer life changes to back-to-school life for educators and children. The temperature also changes to more ...

Apr 9, 2021

Sometimes, nature takes an unexpected turn. We saw that many times this year. I decided to take two seasonal images and place them side by side to ...

Beyond LiteracyLink

Apr 6, 2021

Pre-Easter Fun I sit here at the end of another long day thankful for being able to celebrate Easter with my little granddaughters and family. In ...

Beyond LiteracyLink

Apr 3, 2021

Today is Good Friday and I am reminded of the trials of the past year. Not just my long life move journey but the travails of so many others are ...

Beyond LiteracyLink

Apr 2, 2021

There is a newness to life. I pause admiring the splendor of earth as I walk alongside my little granddaughters. There is much to be thankful for: a ...

Beyond LiteracyLink

Apr 1, 2021

It is almost 11:00 PM. I hoped that I would be able to write in a quiet space but two different games are being watched in two separate rooms. The ...

Beyond LiteracyLink

Mar 31, 2021

Where did the month go? Some days, I thought the month was lingering in slow motion. Other times there was so much to do for the moving out of Long ...

Beyond LiteracyLink

Mar 30, 2021

To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow. -Audrey Hepburn New house, new garden: to plant a new life of blessed tomorrows. This is not ...

Beyond LiteracyLink

Mar 29, 2021

“An early morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.” -Henry David Thoreau Yesterday, the family met for a walk up Bull Run Mountain. Not ...

Beyond LiteracyLink

Mar 28, 2021

She wakes with a smile on her face as bright as the sunshine outdoors. "Grandma, I love you." These words melt my heart. All the stress of our ...

Beyond LiteracyLink