November 26--Tech(not)logy

Technology is so important in our world today. As you may have noticed today, I am a novice when it comes to navigating through the sea of technology, but I still feel it is important for me to step into the water and swim with my students. After all, if I don't, all I will be able to do is stand on the shore and wave as my students sail by. I will also be producing a book trailer with you. I will be eager to learn how to use technology to "hook" a kid on a book.

On the blog for this month I would like you to tell us how things are going with your book club/book trailers. I would also like for you to tell us about the technology you are using in your classrooms. Tonight I went back to HotChalk, and I was able to pull up an interview with a former slave. It was powerful! Please try HotChalk again. Let us know if you take you kids on a Google Earth trip.

Thanks for letting me show you my NCTE pictures. Speaking of audience...my husband and sons were not so interested in seeing all my literacy friends...Thank you for at least acting interested.

Have a wonderful December. I'll be coming to see each of you in December.

November 12 Class Meeting and Assigned Reading

I am so happy that you all are excited about your books you selected for book clubs. How did it make you feel to be able to select your own books? I can't believe that some of you have read or are almost finished with your books already.

Talk to me about "The Importance of Purpose and Audience" chapter. What are the implications for your classroom? How will teaching students these strategies help them evaluate the world around them? Did this chapter change how you think about the assignments you give your students?

PS
I met Kelly Gallagher in New York this past weekend!!!!

October 30, 2007--Jim Trelease

What did you learn from spending time with Jim Trelease? Tell us what you found most interesting or enlightening.

If you would like to know more, I have a copy of his Read Aloud Handbook.

October 22 Meeting

I enjoyed exploring(jigsawing) Jim Trelease's information/ideas/reasearch on silent sustained reading with you all. I believe some great ideas came out of our discussion of this chapter. If you want to know more about what Jim Trelease has to say before or after we go to see him on Oct. 30, you may borrow The Read-Aloud Handbook from me.
If you would like me to help you set up a jigsaw in your class, I would love to help you with that also.

Please don't forget to do the DATA Warehouse Survey!

October 8 Meeting

The survey was a little more complicated than I had anticipated. The overall reason for having you all take it was to help you think about what you believe and see how that translates into practice for you. Have you thought any more about the survey you took?

I've already had some exciting conversations with some of you about ways to use a gallery walk with your classes. Please invite me or let me help you if you decide to do a gallery walk. I also want you to know that if you would like to try out some of the strategies in our textbook, I would be glad to come help you.

September 24 Meeting

Wow! We covered a lot of ground in a short period of time...

• Britton's Continuum
• Hayakawa's Abstraction Ladder
• Situational Learning

Thank you sticking with me through all the theory "stuff".

As you reflect this week, please give some thought to how all these theories can help us become better educators.

If you would like to share how you changed your writing after the theories were presented, I'd love to hear about that. Don't forget your students would benefit from hearing your writing too.

What about "Overcoming the Neglected 'R'"? If you use any ideas from this chapter please share how that worked with your kids.

P. S. I really did not mean to cross out GOD!!!

September 10, 2007 Meeting

You all blew me away with the quality work you did on your 9/11 Memorials in just a short amount of time. It was easy for me to do this engagement with adults. The real test for me came today as I went into Ms. Zion's US History and Global Studies classes. I am happy to report that...IT WORKED! The kids became engrossed with information in the magazines, books, and newspapers. Go by her room and take a look at their memorials. The kids did a beautiful job. I hope you don't mind that I used your posters as models.

Take some more time to think about Cambourne's Conditions for Learning and tell me what you are thinking about in terms of ways you are setting up those conditions for your students (for administrators for your teachers).

After reading "Running with the Literacy Stampede," how are you feeling about the amount of writing we ask our students to do? What about the "writing wrongs"? Do they apply to our district/school? Did reading chapter one cause you to think differently?
Is there anything else you'd like to address concerning our reading or discussions in class?

My apologies for the USC registration date change. Thank you all for getting that taken care of two days early. We are all registered, and USC will let us know if there are any problems.

Our First Meeting

Welcome to our blog site! I hope you are all ready to begin our time of learning together.

This first class meeting focused on assessment and informal evaluations. As you think about our time together, are there any new ideas or thoughts you had after you left our class? Would you be willing to share how you felt as you wrote about your "Roxaboxen"?

Now that you have read "Learning Through Engagement," what are you thinking? What do you think about the statement "...that content by itself is powerless"? Tell us what you think about this reading assignment.