Creating a Path for Learning in the 21st Century

January 28, 2009

“I think my writing is going great! I enjoy writing in class. The teachers let us write freely. We can write a poem, story, or anything we want. This class allows free thinking.” From student QB on an exit slip today.

“This class allows free thinking..” What an amazing thing for a sixth grader to say. This was not an agenda item for today’s lesson and I am not sure where free thinking fits into a standards based curriculum. But writing made me very happy.

Students once again took a look at the writing by Jack Prelutsky and showed them how Prelutsky to the narrative and found a poem inside of it. I gave them each copies of the poem and had them underline powerful phrases and words. They use those words or lines to for their quick write today.

The big focus today was writing workshop. In the mini lesson I talked about all the writing we have done and all the writing they have done now holds ideas for them. There task is now find something to write a narrative or a poem about. I told them about the “Snicker’s Club”— for member ship one must find a narrative and poem to publish.

I had to sneak out early but they were wrestles as they were moving to the draft of a story mode. I was blown away by their comments in their exit slips.

“Today I wrote about the war in my backyard. The idea came from Draw it Out, Let it Bubble.”

“My writing is going great because I love to write about something I like or I do.”

“Today I made up a poem and I made it up about my brother. It is a so funny that everyone would want to read it. I want to know more.”

“Today we started our writing workshop. What I thought that the lesson was very interesting. It made me understand other ways to write.”

“I like the part in the lesson where you let us write what every we want.”

“Can I write more?”