Creating a Path for Learning in the 21st Century

Today was a short class because we are on activity period. They spent most of the class time publishing their work using a laptop. They were engaged. After class today, I read through their writing folder and I was very impressed with the writing they had done from quick writes and other writings they have done. One child wrote about how he wanted to be a chemist when he grows up and wanted to invent a cure for cancer. I am impressed at the writer’s voice that these fifteen sixth graders have. I see them as writers.  Sometimes we need to take time to listen and hear the voices in our classroom. I believe writing is a way to listen and hear.

I am reading Never Work Harder than Your Students by Robyn R. Jackson. During reader’s moment I read to them the anecdotal story about the difficult student Keisha that starts on page 27. Students love stories and this one story is one they can really connect with. Keisha a difficult student that drove Mr. Jackson nuts learns a valuable lesson from a more seasoned teacher. My sixth graders found connection with Keisha and the teacher because they each find themselves in classrooms with Keisha’s or fills the role of Keisha in the classroom. I was amazed that this story held their attention.

I look forward until tomorrow as students finish publishing their story and poem. This class so far is awesome, and we are surprised by our own enthusiasm since planning comes from the hip the day before the class.

Picture Attribution at http://shop.ascd.org/images/109001.jpg

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January 29, 2009, Thursday

” I wished more people could pay more attention to me and not see me as a weird child that does not talk much.”

Writing brings out voices that need to be heard. Today this came through very clearly with one writer in the class. She chooses to write herself and let her voice be heard. As writers, we know these voices surface and today a voice came out with a cry for help and understanding. The above statement was quoted from one exit slip that sums up the narrative she wrote about herself today. When one chooses to teach writing or one chooses to write, we must be ready to deal with the voices that surface. As a teacher, you must be prepared to nurture and support not on the words on the paper but the writer as a person. Some days writers may not know where their pen will take them. Sometimes I have even surprised myself and wondered where my own thought and words came from. That is the mystical aspect of being a writer.

Today technology seeped into the classroom. As students finished writing their drafts they were able to go to a laptop to type their narrative or poem. I have access to five flip cameras and I am trying to figure out how to use those cameras in this classroom. How can I put them in the kids hands and have them record their experiences as a writer and reader?

As the wrote, Pam and I circulated around the room and got permission to read their drafts. We read for content and praised them for their efforts. We asked questions to make them think. I am pleased they each have such a positive attitude about their writing. We want to build that with each of them.

The main goal this week has been to think like a writer and to read like a writer. We have to do more of the later to move them where I want them to be as learners.

Pam and I met with the director of the Coastal Area Writing Project Dr. Files. She helped us think through using anchor charts in the classroom. Yes, this is so important. I noticed seeing these charts around SLA in Philly over the weekend. We need focus charts for our mini-lessons we teach daily.

Today the mini-lesson was helping student notice white space in poems and how white space is used. Typical young writers have a difficult time with white space and spacing in writing poems. They seem to see writing poems linearly like they write narratives. Mostly these kids have not experiences writing like readers or reading like writers. Until they have that experience they don’t grasp it.

I continue to echo the need for strong writing instruction in a reading classroom. It has to happen to make learner understand the real rules of reading and writing.ReaR

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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?”

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January 22, 2009, Thursday

Day 3 Reading and Writing Enrichment Class

Our sixth graders came in and drew a topic from the basket and took their note card and their writer’s folder to their desk. The timer was set shortly before the tardy bell rang for five minutes. Seconds later everyone was fully engaged including Pam and I. I drew the topic “my missing basket.”

For reader’s moment, I read the article Obama retakes oath of office after Roberts’ mistake from cnn.com. I had their ears.

Next, I quickly repeated the mini-lesson on what is a quick write. Then we did a quickwrite using the book When I Was Young in the Mountains by Cynthia Rylant.  I read the book and I asked students to use the line of repetition from the book “When I was young, I..” as the starting point of writing. Students had three minutes to write and as I observed they wrote. I shared and invited them to share and they would not. Student one allowed me to read her writing to the group. It will take more time to develop this young community.

Pam read them a short narrative that Jack Prelutsky wrote titled My Father’s Underwear. This came from Prelutsky’s book Pizza, Pigs, and Poetry. Then she gave them each a copy of this short narrative and a highlighter. They were asked to reread the narrative and highlight five sentences or phrases that caught their attention. I used the document camera to project the story as I read and underlined. Everyone was engaged except one student.

We intended to show students how Prelutsky used this short narrative to write a poem. We ran out of time. Therefore this narrative and their underlined sentences or phrases will be jumping off points for students to quickwrite.  We want our students to see how we get ideas from other people’s writing.

Student Bravo has been engaged since we started the class three days ago. The first day he was not a happy camper. Bravo has had behavior problems in other classes but has been well behaved in our class. He did display a terrible attitude on Tuesday. He has kept to himself and today I did see him write something.

Time came to an end quickly and Pam explained the exit slip. Our students are familiar with exit slips since they are used their other classes. There exit slips consisted of a short summary of what we did today, but one student wrote that she liked what we were doing so far. That fact give me hope. I would like to push the exit slip to maybe a guiding question(s), three pluses and a wish, or some other idea. We need to put some more thought on this part so we get the bang we need to happen.

January 23, 2009, Friday by Pam F. (I was in Philly)

We went through the routine–We shared a couple Draw It Outs (two or three volunteered to share) and I read mine.

For the Readable Moment, I read Obama’s letter to his daughters, and they appeared to listen and think about it. We did stop and discuss several points/questions.

The mini-lesson was How to Choose the Right Book. I introduced the word “MNEMONIC” and after quickly reviewing Roy G Biv and My Mother Just Served Us . . . . ., I gave them FIT and BLIPA for choosing the right book. F (Find), I (Investigate), T (Try/Trade) and B (Blurb), L (Length -as well as size of type), I (Interests you), P (Pictures –as well as illustrations), A (Ask someone). We talked about each component and used books for examples. I wanted to talk about the five finger rule, but I forgot (even though I had written it on the board).

The Quick Write was either “How do you choose a book” or “What makes a book good”–Their choice of prompt.

Then we went to the library for book talks by Heather and to check out books. I told them that we will be reading Monday and to bring their books with them. Actually we ran out of time, but several had books selected, and Heather is holding them for them to check out later today. Heather did a great job on the talks–all students seemed engaged.

Of course, we ran over and were late getting to the library. We didn’t get to exit slips. Sorry.

I just found out that these same students are in an ELA class, have Mrs. Whaley’s class, and are with us. And, several have no PE at all during the day. We may need to incorporate some active activities or strategies. Thoughts, comments?????

Rosie will do the class on Tuesday. She dropped by very briefly at the beginning of class today. I told her I’d get with her later today, but that we did want to make sure we followed the routine we have established for the beginning of class.

January 26, 2009

Students entered the classroom and started Draw it out, let it bubble. After about five minutes I put the students in two lines facing each other and they took turns sharing with each other. One line moved and went through four rotations of sharing what was on their card. I tried to listen but had to watch and manage two kids to keep them on task.

For readers moments I share the story Kelly, the flying angel from Chicken Soup for the Kids Soul. The story was engaging about a pony, an angel, divorce, a psychological drama. I had their attention and we moved on to the quickwrite.

We used Prelutsky’s story My Father’s Underwear for the Quickwrite. They took a line they had highlighted from Thursday and used it as a starting point. I took some to me to review their writing folder and they did a pretty good job in giving it a try. I was impressed that they adapted to the strategy.

Next I had each to count off from 1-7, then the ones met and twos and so forth. They took turns sharing what they had written before they went back to their seats.

The next twenty minutes the students read silently. All were really engaged except for three boys. I prompted them and did not have much luck and I let it be since they were not disturbing anyone. Student Y actually did more today than ever.

In place of exit slip I gave them paper, colored pencils and crayon and told them to draw their stories. Cool Stuff! Tomorrow Pam and I will be gone and maybe on Wednesday we let them quick write about the pictures they drew today.

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