The Twitter Essay
From this point on, each F2F class will begin with a twitter essay. What is a twitter essay?
You can read all the details here and here.
When you come to class, the rules will be as followed:
1. I will post an opening question or statement for you to respond to.
2. I will always tell you what the question is here (on wikispaces),and I will give you the hashtag(s) I have used and expect you to use. Don't use the hashtags? That's how I check attendance/timeliness. The hashtags are how I find you.
3. Your essay does not need to be exactly 140 characters, but it must be exactly one tweet (no Part 1/Part 2/etc...)
4. Conduct a peer review. Identify at least two tweets from a classmate and respond to them (retweet them if you like but not required).
Make sure you the required hashtags and @ symbols are included in your reply (these will always be provided for you in the directions and could change so always double check)
This week's twitter essay question is: What is good writing?
Answer the above question (following the four steps listed above it). Use the following hashtag: #twitteressay and any other hashtags you think are relevant. You will have 10 minutes (5:00-5:10) today to compose your tweet and conduct your peer review.
Post of the Week Class Tweeter: (#exploreliteracy) Heidi Class Tweeter: (#exploreliteracy) Anjali
Our post of the week discussion will be led by Cara. The post of the week will discuss the use of technology in our classrooms. We will discuss the overarching question: Will technology replace teachers?
Here are some more articles (not required to read and they are not from a literacy related blog). Each has a different view on technology use in the classroom.
Do you feel you are being replaced with technology?
What are the similarities and differences to your technology use as a grade school student?
Describe the positive results of technology in the classroom.
Describe the negative results of technology in the classroom.
How would you describe the technology structure in your classroom?
How do your students engage with technology? Do they see it as learning or playing/gaming?
What critical skills are used with your technology?
Explore Project: Getting Feedback Class Tweeter: (#exploreliteracy) Heidi Class Tweeter: (#exploreliteracy) Anjali
Each time we meet F2F, you are expected to share where you are with your Explore Project. This can be done any number of ways, and any way you want to do it is fine. Examples include:
Telling us what you have learned or are working on
Asking for specific feedback
Have us look at specific documents and give you input
This week, you will have up to five minutes of time to share/get feedback on your Explore project. You can use those five minutes however you would like. However, when time is up, time is up. No one may go over five minutes. What is Good Writing? Class Tweeter: (#exploreliteracy) Cara Class Tweeter: (#exploreliteracy) Heidi You started off class by exploring this question through your twitter essay. With a partner, do the following:
Go back and review what was written in response to the #twitteressay that began class.
Do a quick (5 minutes) search on twitter or anything else to see what else might offer insight into the question, "What is good writing?"
Craft a definition (no more than four sentences) that answers the question, "What is good writing?"
- You have 15 minutes to do the above.
- You will receive 300 XP for completing the above.
Next, we will explore the process of writing. We will start with questions you have about helping students engage in the writing process.
Table 1: I have a question about helping students engage in the writing process:
Name
Question
Matt
How do we get students to recognize writing as art?
Whitney
How often should student writing be edited by a teacher?
Anna
How do you teach steps in the writing process when it should be seen as a natural flow?
Carrie
Can teacher editing hinder the creative process by making kids dependent on what their teacher expects?
I will ask you to nominate a question for discussion that interests you but that is not your own.
Worth 200 XP (one question only)
We will watch two videos during class. Both focus on developing students' writing abilities. The first features young students, and the second features high school. However, the larger ideas presented in both videos cut across age levels. The only thing you would change is how the ideas presented are enacted.
The first video shows how a teacher works with young students to help them set goals for themselves as writers on a daily basis. The idea is to promote a growth mindset and to break down the writing process for the students. Here is the link for the video.
After watching the video, we will consider:
how can you see yourself implementing the ideas from this video?
what benefits do you think this type of instruction would have for your students?
what challenges would you or your students face in doing this work?
what resources would you or your students need to be successful?
See the lesson plan for the video here.
After the video, we will consider the following:
what was your reaction to the critical friends feedback technique?
would you implement this? why/why not?
what would be challenging in implementing this technique?
BonusRound!
In Table 2, include one technique you use to teach the writing process that has worked well for you and your students. If we have time, we can discuss some of these.
Worth 200 XP (only one technique will received XP)
Name
Technique
Anna
Heidi
I use graphic organizers to teach ideas and organization for a draft.
I use a smart board with the writing process on it and my kids move their name when they get to each step.
Jenn
I use "self talk" during shared writing to model the writing process.
Cara
I model the ideas, we think-pair-share our topics and then go and write. Students have to share out partner topics.
The Twitter Essay
From this point on, each F2F class will begin with a twitter essay. What is a twitter essay?
You can read all the details here and here.
When you come to class, the rules will be as followed:
1. I will post an opening question or statement for you to respond to.
2. I will always tell you what the question is here (on wikispaces),and I will give you the hashtag(s) I have used and expect you to use. Don't use the hashtags? That's how I check attendance/timeliness. The hashtags are how I find you.
3. Your essay does not need to be exactly 140 characters, but it must be exactly one tweet (no Part 1/Part 2/etc...)
4. Conduct a peer review. Identify at least two tweets from a classmate and respond to them (retweet them if you like but not required).
This week's twitter essay question is:
What is good writing?
Answer the above question (following the four steps listed above it). Use the following hashtag: #twitteressay and any other hashtags you think are relevant. You will have 10 minutes (5:00-5:10) today to compose your tweet and conduct your peer review.
Post of the Week
Class Tweeter: (#exploreliteracy) Heidi
Class Tweeter: (#exploreliteracy) Anjali
Our post of the week discussion will be led by Cara.
The post of the week will discuss the use of technology in our classrooms. We will discuss the overarching question: Will technology replace teachers?
*Discussion Questions:
Explore Project: Getting Feedback
Class Tweeter: (#exploreliteracy) Heidi
Class Tweeter: (#exploreliteracy) Anjali
Each time we meet F2F, you are expected to share where you are with your Explore Project. This can be done any number of ways, and any way you want to do it is fine. Examples include:
This week, you will have up to five minutes of time to share/get feedback on your Explore project. You can use those five minutes however you would like. However, when time is up, time is up. No one may go over five minutes.
What is Good Writing?
Class Tweeter: (#exploreliteracy) Cara
Class Tweeter: (#exploreliteracy) Heidi
You started off class by exploring this question through your twitter essay. With a partner, do the following:
- You have 15 minutes to do the above.
- You will receive 300 XP for completing the above.
Next, we will explore the process of writing. We will start with questions you have about helping students engage in the writing process.
Table 1: I have a question about helping students engage in the writing process:
I will ask you to nominate a question for discussion that interests you but that is not your own.
Worth 200 XP (one question only)
We will watch two videos during class. Both focus on developing students' writing abilities. The first features young students, and the second features high school. However, the larger ideas presented in both videos cut across age levels. The only thing you would change is how the ideas presented are enacted.
The first video shows how a teacher works with young students to help them set goals for themselves as writers on a daily basis. The idea is to promote a growth mindset and to break down the writing process for the students.
Here is the link for the video.
After watching the video, we will consider:
Get additional resources from the video here.
Now, we will watch the second video. The second video focuses on helping students learn to give feedback. Before we watch the video, we will consider:
Here is the link for the video.
See the lesson plan for the video here.
After the video, we will consider the following:
Bonus Round!
In Table 2, include one technique you use to teach the writing process that has worked well for you and your students. If we have time, we can discuss some of these.
Worth 200 XP (only one technique will received XP)
Heidi
I use a smart board with the writing process on it and my kids move their name when they get to each step.