November 2nd is an online week. Here is your overview:
Writing Differently in Schools
This week, we want to think not just about writing in schools, but was that writing can look different within them. On this page, you will find a series of quests to complete that will help you think differently about how this can be accomplished.
Quest #1: How is Writing Taught in School?
Directions: Fill in one row on the table below. Think about how writing is taught in school. This could be: (a) how you teach writing, (b) how you experienced writing taught to you as a student, or (c) how you observe others in your school teaching writing.
XP: 300
Due: 12:00 PM 11/9
Name
How Is Writing Taught in School?
Heidi
Modeling / Writers Workshop
Anna
a) Modeling/ 6 Traits of Writing/Students practice mini lesson on worksheet and by incorporating and adding that trait into their writing.
Cara
Lucy Calkins writer's workshop model and students practice lesson in independent center rotations
Jordan
Writer's Workshop/ Model/ Use Storyboard and Graphic Organizers/ Mini- Lessons
Whitney
Lucy Calkins' writing workshop model (encouraged but not required), writing about reading (especially with mCLASS), journaling
Matt
Writing is usually taught using organizers for pre-writing, followed by drafting, peer reviews, and editing.
Quest #2:Confessions of a Writing Teacher
In "First Do No Harm," Jago talks about how she used to "dutifully correct" every student's paper. However, her consistent (and constant) corrections never seemed to result in significant changes. Jago then moves into explaining some things she has learned about teaching writing since then.
Directions: What is something you have or are doing that you thought would help your students improve as writers but seems to get little results? What is something you have done that appears to be helping?
XP: 600
Due: 12:00 PM 11/9
Name
One Thing That Isn't Helping
One Thing That Is Helping
Heidi
Closely looking at workstations and marking incorrect capitalization.
Writers Workshop (I think/hope, I am just in the beginning stages.)
Anna
Marking incorrect capitalization and adding punctuation
Individual conferences: Mini lesson with each child on their strengths and areas they can improve.
Cara
Students independently choosing when to go to the next stage in writing
Working in groups to complete different types of writing assignments.
Jordan
Using the same graphic organizer
Not modeling enough examples of compound sentences, using details, and dialogue or inner thoughts
Writing warm-ups, Individual conferences, Mini-Lessons for showing not telling lesson, Explicit model examples and instruction for each student, Peer feedback and guided practice example using the "CUPS" editing checklist.
Whitney
working in partners to proofread and edit
writing reading logs for homework each night.
Matt
Providing detailed feedback doesn't seem to help as much as I'd expect; often students don't read my notes.
Peer-reviews seem to help a lot more. Students not only take their peers' feedback into consideration, but they gain ideas from reading their peers' writing.
Quest #3: List Articles & Flash Fiction
This week, you read about how to incorporate list articles and flash fiction into your writing instruction. For this quest, you have two options. Do one, do both, or do none. Your choice. It does not matter how you go about accomplishing these options.
Option #1: Have your students write a list article and/or a piece of flash fiction. Share your experience and include samples of student work.
XP = 2000
Do both the list article & the flash fiction and receive 5000; if you do both you only need to create one document where you share what happened. The document can take on any format.
Due: 12:00 PM 11/9
Option #2: Write your own list article and/or piece of flash fiction. Engaging in the process itself can help you better understand how to teach it. If you are going to do both options, you might want to do this one first so that it informs your teaching. As with Option #1, create one document where you share with us and include the piece (or pieces) of writing you did. You only have to create one document. The document can take on any format.
XP= 2000 for one piece of writing and then sharing. Do both pieces and share and earn 5000.
Due: 12:00 PM 11/9
Class Tweeters
Since we are online this week, we can have up to three classroom tweeters. If you sign up for this role, you are committed for the week and do so with the following understanding:
Your job starts at 5:00 pm on 11/2 and ends the evening of 11/9
You should be tweeting regularly throughout the week. This means that you should have 3-5 tweets at a minimum during a day. You can do more if you wish.
If you have elected your tweets to remain private, I will request to follow you. If you do not allow me to follow you, I cannot see your tweets and you will get no credit. there will be no exceptions to this, and I will not go back later on after the week has passed to view the account
you can tweet about anything related to literacy instruction and what you are learning as a result of this class
use the assigned hashtag plus any additional hashtags you think are necessary
Note: If you are not a tweeter, I encourage you to read what others are tweeting and consider interacting with them during the week.
Class Tweeter: (#exploreliteracy) Class Tweeter: (#exploreliteracy) Class Tweeter: (#exploreliteracy)
Post of the Week
Jordan is signed up for POW. She will be uploading a video to PI by 5:00 pm on 11/2.
Writing Differently in Schools
This week, we want to think not just about writing in schools, but was that writing can look different within them. On this page, you will find a series of quests to complete that will help you think differently about how this can be accomplished.
Quest #1: How is Writing Taught in School?
Directions: Fill in one row on the table below. Think about how writing is taught in school. This could be: (a) how you teach writing, (b) how you experienced writing taught to you as a student, or (c) how you observe others in your school teaching writing.
XP: 300
Due: 12:00 PM 11/9
Quest #2: Confessions of a Writing Teacher
In "First Do No Harm," Jago talks about how she used to "dutifully correct" every student's paper. However, her consistent (and constant) corrections never seemed to result in significant changes. Jago then moves into explaining some things she has learned about teaching writing since then.
Directions: What is something you have or are doing that you thought would help your students improve as writers but seems to get little results? What is something you have done that appears to be helping?
XP: 600
Due: 12:00 PM 11/9
Not modeling enough examples of compound sentences, using details, and dialogue or inner thoughts
Quest #3: List Articles & Flash Fiction
This week, you read about how to incorporate list articles and flash fiction into your writing instruction. For this quest, you have two options. Do one, do both, or do none. Your choice. It does not matter how you go about accomplishing these options.
Option #1: Have your students write a list article and/or a piece of flash fiction. Share your experience and include samples of student work.
XP = 2000
Do both the list article & the flash fiction and receive 5000; if you do both you only need to create one document where you share what happened. The document can take on any format.
Due: 12:00 PM 11/9
Option #2: Write your own list article and/or piece of flash fiction. Engaging in the process itself can help you better understand how to teach it. If you are going to do both options, you might want to do this one first so that it informs your teaching. As with Option #1, create one document where you share with us and include the piece (or pieces) of writing you did. You only have to create one document. The document can take on any format.
XP= 2000 for one piece of writing and then sharing. Do both pieces and share and earn 5000.
Due: 12:00 PM 11/9
Class Tweeters
Since we are online this week, we can have up to three classroom tweeters. If you sign up for this role, you are committed for the week and do so with the following understanding:
Note: If you are not a tweeter, I encourage you to read what others are tweeting and consider interacting with them during the week.
Class Tweeter: (#exploreliteracy)
Class Tweeter: (#exploreliteracy)
Class Tweeter: (#exploreliteracy)
Post of the Week
Jordan is signed up for POW. She will be uploading a video to PI by 5:00 pm on 11/2.