One workshop that would work for me was “Wanted: Rock-Packing-Trouble-Makers” because the activities were simple and insightful. I felt like I could immediately go to my classroom and do any of the activities we practiced during this session. One workshop that would challenge me would be “Everything I learned about teaching mathematics, I learned from my English teacher” because most of the information I received was just that – information. Albeit good information, but not practical, “turnaround-and-use-it-in-my-class-tomorrow” information.
One workshop that would work for me would be the "Igniting the Inner Reader" because I love the idea of finding out the personal reading/writing narrative of each of my students. I feel I can implement this immediately, given that I was supplied with the set of questions we practiced during the workshop and it is practical and doable for each and every kid. The workshop that would be a challenge for me to use would be "Embedded Grammar Instruction" because the idea of teaching other forms of usage based on dialects from other parts of the country or world is daunting when my students struggle with learning the grammar and usage we use in this area. ~Megan Frison
Barry Hoonan’s workshops were definitely inspiring. I came away with many ideas for activities that I would be able to implement immediately. Beginning a discussion with the question, “What do you notice?”, asking students to jot down or share their thoughts with a partner are effective strategies. The challenging part is to create a learning environment where students are enabled to be responsible and independent learners. It was obvious Barry spends a lot of thought, effort, and teaching in creating this environment. I think it would be challenging, worth it, but challenging to replicate.
Megan Cuellar’s workshop “Teaching 6 traits with Picture Books” presented lesson ideas I could see myself using in the classroom. As a 2nd grade teacher, picture books are abundant in our classroom. Students have a great amount of background knowledge regarding the attributes of picture books, thus I believe I could easily draw their attention to specific writing traits in some of our best loved stories. This workshop presented a wide variety of example picture books that will certainly aid me in easily incorporating picture books into writing lessons. The workshop “Motivating Struggling Writers: Writer’s Workshop in the Elementary Resource Room Setting” would be challenging for me to use immediately. I would like to try many of the projects she proposed, however it will take time to accomplish a workshop that best meets the needs of my classroom.
One of the workshops that I could use in my classroom would be “Teaching 6-traits with Picture Books”. I enjoyed how Megan Cuellar took children’s books and integrated discovering the 6-traits through these reads. It helped me put an example of what these 6 traits mean to a fun an easy way to learn. A workshop that would be a challenge to use would be the “Glogging ePals Digital Communication In School”. The reason this would be tough to put into an elementary school classroom is the lack of computer availability. This would be a great thing to have in the classroom but a struggle to accomplish.
Being a teacher of Creative Writing, I found that all of the workshops I attended had something I could use in that class. However, when it comes to teaching English I and IV, the possibilities were narrowed. The workshop that will be most useful to me throughout all of my classes was “Igniting the Inner Reader: Write Your Way to a Reading Culture” because I can use the reading narrative questions to find out about how my students feel about their literacy. I am going to implement these in my second semester Creative Writing class this year, and I am going to use them at the beginning of next year with my other two classes; then, again, at the end of the semester/year to see how they have grown as readers.
On the other hand, the workshop that I will be least likely to use new information from in all of my classes was “Embedded Grammar Instruction.” Although I thought this workshop was interesting, it is difficult to go beyond the Grammar A, which I already use, into the Grammar B and C when there is such a focus on standardized testing, especially at the English I level. Yet, I do plan on implementing a couple of the ideas from Grammar B into both my English IV and Creative Writing classes as these students usually have a better grasp on the basics. Unfortunately, though, with the always-present issue of “time”, I do not think I will get to much of it—maybe a lesson or two.
I was inspired and energized by the workshops I attended. Cheryl Forster’s, "Music as a Springboard for Writing," was extremely helpful. She encouraged the use of music in order to connect learning. I believe that music can be incredibly useful in getting students writing!
One workshop that would be a challenge for me was Dr. Bonnie Warne’s, "Glogging ePals." Her information was useful and I will hang onto my notes. However, to use these safe blogs and walls each student would need time and access to a computer during the school day which can be very hard to accommodate.
I personally thought the Poetic Fluency was extremely helpful. I love poetry and think it is a valuable tool to increase fluency. I liked the variety of ideas that were presented. I enjoyed the Everything I about Mathematics I learned from my English Teacher, however, I did not feel like it really addressed the subject of Mathematics or English. It was more about what it takes to be an effective teacher. Although I found this information valuable, I'm not sure it was relevant to this seminar.
The "Teaching 6-Trait Writing with Picture Books" workshop was a very useful tool for my toolbox. I hope to teach either 1st or 2nd grade. The use of read-alouds at this age is a great way to introduce literature and writing concepts (and they are fun). This was a great refresher for me on the 6-traits as well, and I hope to use the tools provided regularly in my classroom.
A challenge for me has always been (and probably always will be) is math. I took the workshop provided by John Pattis hoping to learn some techniques that may help. I found that John focused more on the philosophy of teaching math rather than specific strategies. I have a hard time buying into a 'content-centered' approach to teaching. I did however, find some of his resources useful.
One workshop I found very practical was Sherry Sander's, "It's All About the Words". The strategies can be easily implemented across the curriculum. Word sorts, graphic organizers, vocabulary cards and word walls are as appropriate to Writing as they are to Social Studies and Science.
The workshop I found most challenging was, "The Writing Brain in Your Classroom". The lesson on metaphor and transmediation was very appealing to me, but as an elementary teacher, I believe it may be difficult to implement to a large group of young children. Metaphor is the concept of understanding one thing in terms of another; love is a rose. Figurative language is abstract, therefore confusing to many learners, especially young, struggling students. Though you may get some responses that sound good, it is my concern of the depth of the understanding. The powerful, higher level thinking associated with metaphor and transmediation could only successfully be achieved with careful teaching and plenty of dedicated time.
The workshop that would challenge me the most is the Poetic Fluency. I have not had very much experience in the lower grades, so poetry is a bit foreign to me. It would take some extra imagination for me to place it into my social studies class. I think I could though and it would be fun using it in my class. Barry Hoonan’s method would work well for me because I could incorporate the I-chart into both my social studies classes and my math classes for better procedure understanding. I am planning to use Barry’s idea of using a power point to enter pictures of a given place in order for my students to obtain some background knowledge on the particular place or time period.
505 Response 1: In reading through the comments, two workshops I did not get to attend stand out to me. The first is “Teaching 6-Trait Writing with Picture Books” which I chose not to attend because it was geared toward elementary teachers. However, from what I have read, it sounds like the ideas presented would still be an excellent tool for teaching my freshmen how to go farther in-depth in their writing. I am not sure what was “handed out”, but if anyone could pass that information along to me, or if anyone is planning a lesson around the ideas, I would love to see them. Please email me at sleonetti@sd273.com. The second workshop I wish I would have got to attend was “The Writing Brain in Your Classroom.” It sounds like the information presented might have been a little difficult for the younger students but would have worked well for my Creative Writing set. I would also appreciate any information that could be passed along about this as well.
There are several Ideas from Barry Hoonan’s workshop that will work for me. One of which is using the post-its on a big chart for a KWL Chart –or at least the KW part. Using the moveable notes would be an easy way to see what parts of a particular topic students were interested in or curious about. Using the notes on the white board or chalk board at the front of the room also gets the students up and moving for a brief period of time, giving them a chance to get the wiggles out. A brief share of one idea keeps the writing- the jotting it down” to a minimum. Each child may feel that they have shared with the rest even those who are somewhat shy about sharing their ideas in front of the whole class. Even though my teaching partner and I are planning on doing a poetry unit soon, Warren Akins’ traditional Haiku challenges me. Partially because I do not consider myself much of a poet and I think my third grade student need more structure and more concrete ideas. It is challenging for them to count syllable and to generate ideas. All year we have been working on complete sentence instead of phrase so this method of syllable count may be a bit confusing. I am anxious to try his method to see what happens.
I’m all about using technology as a teacher, so Dr. Bonnie Warne’s “Glogging ePals: Digital Communication in School” workshop was right up my alley. We experienced some technical issues during the class because the provided WiFi was too slow, but Bonnie had a presentation prepared that described her strategies for using NiceNet, ePals, and Glogster. I especially liked the concept of using the NiceNet forum as a method for class discussion, giving each student an equal voice.
“The NWP’s Analytic Writing Continuum: Assessment and Beyond” was the most challenging workshop for me. The presentation felt more like a commercial than a workshop, and I left with no new teaching tools for my classroom.
@Ashley Sacksteder “It helped me put an example of what these 6 traits mean to a fun an easy way to learn.”
I could hear your workshop next to ours, and I felt jealous at how much fun you were having.
@Kary Amburn “Her information was useful and I will hang onto my notes. However, to use these safe blogs and walls each student would need time and access to a computer during the school day which can be very hard to accommodate.”
I agree that getting access to computers can be a challenge. With spring ISATs coming, I’m crossing my fingers that I’ll be able to squeeze in some lab time to try out some of Bonnie’s ideas. I already have some small groups preparing historical theater presentations using Glogster. I’m interested to see what they produce since they received only basic instructions from the librarian and me about using Glogster.
The workshop that would work for me would be "Vocabulary Support for Content Area Learning." I really enjoyed this workshop and felt that when I walked out the door I had many ideas that I could start using in my classroom.
The workshop that would challenge me would be "Music as a Springboard for Writing." I enjoy music very much and loved some of the ideas that Ms. Forster gave us, but it would really be a challenge to find the time to add these activities in.
I noticed you posted that "Poetic Fluency" might be challenging for you to incorporate into your classroom. As someone who enjoys poetry and has to work to be motivated in a social studies class, I think it could really be helpful to try and adjust some of the ideas from the poetry workshop to hit students like me-whose favorite subject might not be social studies. Good luck to you :)
"Bridging the Gap, Connceting ATIVE Comprehension Strategies together with Reading and Writing" by: Barry Hoonan.I choose this workshop because it really works for me. I can apply these styles, strategies and ACTIVE methods in my classroom. Bridging the gap between the writer of the story and the students that reads it. Then they write about the story and discuss it to make sense of what they read. The ideas I mention above, I use in my classroom setting. "Embedded Grammar Instruction" by: Dr. Duane Pitts. This workshop is a challenge for me because English is my second language. Even though this is a difficult task, I could improve, use and apply the strategy I learned from the workshop. In the classroom setting I can introduce a text material that includes reading and writing in my lesson plan that will encourage students to think and make a connection to their classmate.
“Music as a Springboard for Writing,” by Cheryl Forster This is a workshop I'm using! In this workshop we got ideas for creating lyrics by writing replacements for “Row, row, row your boat” as a way of starting this process. Then the parody song like Weird Al Yankovitch does. Her example was a spoof of Star Wars sung to the tune of “American Pie” by Don McLean. Those were cool ideas for the reluctant writers, and in the case of the McLean (longer piece) a group. One piece we did was Gustav Holst’s “The Planets” and she had us do “Mars, The Bringer of War.” She suggested we could use all different movements. I liked the writing opportunity where she had the painting “Isle of the Dead” on the projector and the song Sergei Rachmaninoff wrote to go with it. This will definitely be something I do with my students whom I have in a class the counselor called: Language Arts Writing. We’ll be writing the heck out of music! The big challenge for me will be doing the Senior Project. The ladies from Nezperce HS gave us good material. I hope to get a whole committee together in my school and get it going.
505 Response to elenz I too appreciated Barry Hoonan's energy and ideas. I've talked to some of my fellow teachers about "I Charts" for the students to work toward their own success in such behaviors as coming to class on time INDEPENDENTLY! What a concept. I have also gotten the camera out in the classroom already! I have a poster: How do you find a good book? I made it the first day back from workshop. The students are picking this quarter's independent reading book.
I found Barry Hoonan's 'I' charts interesting. He kind of kept apologizing for it being more of 'behavorial' tool. But, it is truly 'writing beyong the desk.' His kids were using writing to reflect and correct their own behavior. I like the list-making aspect of the I chart and how it could be used for any subject.
Sorry, I don't really have a workshop that was more challenging than another. I walked away from each one with a strategy that could be emplemented.
It appears that several of you were inspired by Barry Hoonan's use of charts in his classroom. I loved when he shared what he said when finding a student off track... "I know it must feel horrible not being independent. Go make yourself an I chart." These charts seem to be an amazing tool for successful, independent behavior. I like the idea of building the success criteria together, but asking the student to complete his or her own unique chart. By using their charts they can assess and evaluate their own behavior. And when they are caught demonstrating successful behavior photograph it. They can see what it looks like and be held accountable.
Teaching the six traits of writing with picture books would come very easy for me, for I feel I have a very good understanding of how these traits are used within writing. I know my personal writing skills still need development, but I have such a passion for literature that I find myself always looking for ways to incorporate it into lessons across the curriculum. For being a pre-service teacher, I’ve been given a number of opportunities to read with students, and I can see how teaching these six traits through reading could enrich the students’ experiences while building their foundation of writing elements. Even if the school I teach at hasn’t adopted this school-wide initiative, I will definitely use this in my classroom.
Using music in the classroom to inspire writing would definitely challenge me but in a fun way! I haven’t had enough experience with music to see other ways in which I could use it in my future classroom, beside the examples given by Cheryl. I see the need for an alternative approach to writing, such as this, for as Cheryl commented, it utilizes the multiple intelligences model. If I can gain more ideas revolving around music for younger students, I can see myself using this fun approach.
In my original post, I mentioned the challenge of creating the type of learning environment that Barry described. Several of you commented on the "I" chart which I also was very intrigued by. Since then I have purchased and read "The Daily 5 - Fostering Literacy in The Elementary Grades" written by "The Sisters". Barry referenced them several times during his workshops. The book describes in depth how to implement the "I" Chart. For any of you interested, it would be a great resource and reference book. It is set in an elementary classroom and the activities are geared more towards primary but I think the underlying principles could be applied to any educational situation.
505 Response: To Katie Thank you for your post on Megan Cuellars workshop for teaching the 6 traits of Writing through picture books. I chose not to take this workshop because I thought it was geared toward the elementary classroom, but after reading your post, and others, I see that I could use it at the secondary level as well. I agree that most kids have a solid background in picture books...and many have not done much with books other than that, so it could be a fun way to reinforce the 6 traits to high school level kids. I have researched the idea and have come up with some fun ideas to incorporate this into my high school curriculum.
505 Response to elenz Barry Hoonah’s session were both inspiring to me also. I think his ideas have a lot of experience behind them My goal is to develop more independence in my classroom this year, but to begin next year with photos of what a task looks like when some student is doing it the correct way. Third graders are somewhat independent, but I think begin the year in a more structured and visual manner would definitely improve their independence. I myself am very visual and know how much these visual clue help me. I also liked the “what did you notice?” idea? I often use “what do you think?’ in my class and “what did you notice?” is another tool to use. I am excited to use the I chart also. I want to use the partner share more also. I think His session were so jammed packed, it will take a while to sift through all of these ideas. He should write a book!
I recently tried a few ideas from Barry’s session. We are having a discussion about planets in the classroom. Students have previously chosen a partner and a planet to do research and end with a finished project. I used his ideas about a KWL and Post-it note and knowing your audience. I asked student to “jot down” one thing they already knew about a planet and one thing they wanted to know about a planet, each on a separate Post-it. We used our white board, divided into two parts- one for know and one for want to know. I read them all and then the student gathered the notes pertaining to their planet of study from the board. They will use the notes to do more research and writing.
I'd like to repsond to M. Tanberg's post. I, too, have already implemented the use of the "I" chart and found great success with it. My students have really taken ownership of their responsibilities on the different charts. I have also started to use the camera idea. The kids love it. I even let the kids use the camera so they can catch their peers working independently.
505 Response: I agree with many of the posts regarding the practicality of the workshop “Everything I learned about Teaching Mathematics I Learned from My English Teacher.” I feel there was some valuable information presented; however the implementation of the information was not made obvious. The idea of writing a math autobiography did seem manageable and worth the time. Asking students to write about their math background provides a wealth of knowledge in teaching to their particular needs and interests. Often it seems students don’t have enough time to really process how they are interacting with math, thus I think math journaling would also be a simple way to get students thinking about their own math reasoning. Overall, I believe Mr. Prattis wanted to convey that mathematics should not be taught in a vacuum-it is as interconnected as reading and writing in our lives. The implication seems to be that by incorporating writing in the math curriculum students will be more aware of the concepts presented in math.
March 19 assignment: I left the conference with many go to activities. Loved Barry's idea for the uninterested writer, and it is one that could be used for any student at any level. Draw a diagram of something you know well. Share your diagram with your neighbor or with the class. Now write what it is you did and what it is you know. What a simple strategy to break through writer's block. I also loved the semantic map which was introduced in, "It's All About the Words". I could see how this map could be used to teach vocabulary, but also could be used as a study tool. For example, take a broad topic such as the Revolutionary War, then break it into significant events, then details. A great way to sort and organize thoughts for test taking. I also loved Audrey White's idea of a poetry museum. Take found objects and display them. Objects can be held and observed, thoughts can be jotted down. Teaching and witing metaphors was another good idea. Pick a topic, brainstorm every aspect using a variety of sense words. Brainstorm other words that share common characteristics with the topic and put it together in a poem... Love is warm. Happiness and sunshine and laughter are warm.....
This lesson encompasses poetry, art and computer word processing. It will take about three to four one hour session to complete. This is designed for third grade students. Lesson Objectives: • Students will write a comparison haiku and a contrast haiku (in modern form). • Students will publish the poems on the computer. • Students will paint a watercolor wash background on which the published poems will be displayed. Materials: • Books and examples of Haiku poetry • Paper, pencils, clipboards • Computer lab • Watercolors, watercolor paper, brushes, water, paper towels Instructions: Poetry 1. Teacher will read and show examples of many forms of Haiku poems. 2. Teacher will display, discuss, and compare the rules of Haiku (according to Jane Reichhold and traditional rules from Haiku for People). 3. Teacher will demonstrate a comparison and contrast Haiku. 4. Teacher will provide inspirations from nature for the poetry- either in photo format or by going on a nature walk – weather dependent. 5. Students will spend time (20 -30 minutes) writing both forms of poetry. 6. Share poetry- either in group, turn and share, in private meeting with teacher. 7. Student will pick best of each form, edit, then go to lab and publish. 8. Students will glue poems on watercolor background for public display. Watercolor Wash background 1. Teacher will demonstrate dry and wet watercolor wash techniques, brush loading, brush care, clean up techniques to students. Use of photos showing correct technique place around the room leads to greater student independence in clean-up and brush care. 2. Students paint a wash on water color paper, considering each of their poems when choosing colors. 3. Students clean brushes and place work on drying rack. 4. Students glue published poems on artwork when dry. Teacher displays completed work on public display in school. Extension include writing Haiku in traditional form (5, 7, 5 syllable lines) for gifted or older students. Learning disable students could use a scribe to record poems. Older students could also create a more detailed background for their poems and hand letter the poem using ink and brush (traditional oriental art form) on the
#3 505 Response to terrytrainerwright I liked your ideas and information about engaging the uninterested writer using Barry’s visual clues- make a drawing of something you know well, then share it then write it. I have several struggling readers/writers who could do well with this as a beginning. It seems easier for them to start with a visual. His ideas seem so simple yet thoughtful. Response to Jared I like the camera idea, but have not started using it yet- don’t really know what I am waiting for. I liked the idea of having the kids take the pictures. What age /grade kids are you working with?
I don't see the KWL charts much anymore and I am glad you are using it. Back in the early days of my teaching we actually used to ask kids what they wanted to learn. This is a great tool to activate backround knowledge. You may be surprised what your kids already know or DON'T! By asking them what they want to learn will now give them a purpose for participating. Also, this will allow your students to expand their ideas beyond assigned texts. And you now know what will keep their interests and can plan projects and assignments accordingly. I wish all teachers had more time to be this authentic. Good job!
One workshop that would work for me was “Wanted: Rock-Packing-Trouble-Makers” because the activities were simple and insightful. I felt like I could immediately go to my classroom and do any of the activities we practiced during this session. One workshop that would challenge me would be “Everything I learned about teaching mathematics, I learned from my English teacher” because most of the information I received was just that – information. Albeit good information, but not practical, “turnaround-and-use-it-in-my-class-tomorrow” information.
ReplyDeleteOne workshop that would work for me would be the "Igniting the Inner Reader" because I love the idea of finding out the personal reading/writing narrative of each of my students. I feel I can implement this immediately, given that I was supplied with the set of questions we practiced during the workshop and it is practical and doable for each and every kid. The workshop that would be a challenge for me to use would be "Embedded Grammar Instruction" because the idea of teaching other forms of usage based on dialects from other parts of the country or world is daunting when my students struggle with learning the grammar and usage we use in this area.
ReplyDelete~Megan Frison
Barry Hoonan’s workshops were definitely inspiring. I came away with many ideas for activities that I would be able to implement immediately. Beginning a discussion with the question, “What do you notice?”, asking students to jot down or share their thoughts with a partner are effective strategies. The challenging part is to create a learning environment where students are enabled to be responsible and independent learners. It was obvious Barry spends a lot of thought, effort, and teaching in creating this environment. I think it would be challenging, worth it, but challenging to replicate.
ReplyDeleteMegan Cuellar’s workshop “Teaching 6 traits with Picture Books” presented lesson ideas I could see myself using in the classroom. As a 2nd grade teacher, picture books are abundant in our classroom. Students have a great amount of background knowledge regarding the attributes of picture books, thus I believe I could easily draw their attention to specific writing traits in some of our best loved stories. This workshop presented a wide variety of example picture books that will certainly aid me in easily incorporating picture books into writing lessons.
ReplyDeleteThe workshop “Motivating Struggling Writers: Writer’s Workshop in the Elementary Resource Room Setting” would be challenging for me to use immediately. I would like to try many of the projects she proposed, however it will take time to accomplish a workshop that best meets the needs of my classroom.
One of the workshops that I could use in my classroom would be “Teaching 6-traits with Picture Books”. I enjoyed how Megan Cuellar took children’s books and integrated discovering the 6-traits through these reads. It helped me put an example of what these 6 traits mean to a fun an easy way to learn.
ReplyDeleteA workshop that would be a challenge to use would be the “Glogging ePals Digital Communication In School”. The reason this would be tough to put into an elementary school classroom is the lack of computer availability. This would be a great thing to have in the classroom but a struggle to accomplish.
Being a teacher of Creative Writing, I found that all of the workshops I attended had something I could use in that class. However, when it comes to teaching English I and IV, the possibilities were narrowed. The workshop that will be most useful to me throughout all of my classes was “Igniting the Inner Reader: Write Your Way to a Reading Culture” because I can use the reading narrative questions to find out about how my students feel about their literacy. I am going to implement these in my second semester Creative Writing class this year, and I am going to use them at the beginning of next year with my other two classes; then, again, at the end of the semester/year to see how they have grown as readers.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, the workshop that I will be least likely to use new information from in all of my classes was “Embedded Grammar Instruction.” Although I thought this workshop was interesting, it is difficult to go beyond the Grammar A, which I already use, into the Grammar B and C when there is such a focus on standardized testing, especially at the English I level. Yet, I do plan on implementing a couple of the ideas from Grammar B into both my English IV and Creative Writing classes as these students usually have a better grasp on the basics. Unfortunately, though, with the always-present issue of “time”, I do not think I will get to much of it—maybe a lesson or two.
I was inspired and energized by the workshops I attended. Cheryl Forster’s, "Music as a Springboard for Writing," was extremely helpful. She encouraged the use of music in order to connect learning. I believe that music can be incredibly useful in getting students writing!
ReplyDeleteOne workshop that would be a challenge for me was Dr. Bonnie Warne’s, "Glogging ePals." Her information was useful and I will hang onto my notes. However, to use these safe blogs and walls each student would need time and access to a computer during the school day which can be very hard to accommodate.
I personally thought the Poetic Fluency was extremely helpful. I love poetry and think it is a valuable tool to increase fluency. I liked the variety of ideas that were presented.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the Everything I about Mathematics I learned from my English Teacher, however, I did not feel like it really addressed the subject of Mathematics or English. It was more about what it takes to be an effective teacher. Although I found this information valuable, I'm not sure it was relevant to this seminar.
The "Teaching 6-Trait Writing with Picture Books" workshop was a very useful tool for my toolbox. I hope to teach either 1st or 2nd grade. The use of read-alouds at this age is a great way to introduce literature and writing concepts (and they are fun). This was a great refresher for me on the 6-traits as well, and I hope to use the tools provided regularly in my classroom.
ReplyDeleteA challenge for me has always been (and probably always will be) is math. I took the workshop provided by John Pattis hoping to learn some techniques that may help. I found that John focused more on the philosophy of teaching math rather than specific strategies. I have a hard time buying into a 'content-centered' approach to teaching. I did however, find some of his resources useful.
One workshop I found very practical was Sherry Sander's, "It's All About the Words". The strategies can be easily implemented across the curriculum. Word sorts, graphic organizers, vocabulary cards and word walls are as appropriate to Writing as they are to Social Studies and Science.
ReplyDeleteThe workshop I found most challenging was, "The Writing Brain in Your Classroom". The lesson on metaphor and transmediation was very appealing to me, but as an elementary teacher, I believe it may be difficult to implement to a large group of young children. Metaphor is the concept of understanding one thing in terms of another; love is a rose. Figurative language is abstract, therefore confusing to many learners, especially young, struggling students. Though you may get some responses that sound good, it is my concern of the depth of the understanding. The powerful, higher level thinking associated with metaphor and transmediation could only successfully be achieved with careful teaching and plenty of dedicated time.
Beth Artner
ReplyDeleteLesson 2
EDCI 405
March 14, 2011
The workshop that would challenge me the most is the Poetic Fluency. I have not had very much experience in the lower grades, so poetry is a bit foreign to me. It would take some extra imagination for me to place it into my social studies class. I think I could though and it would be fun using it in my class.
Barry Hoonan’s method would work well for me because I could incorporate the I-chart into both my social studies classes and my math classes for better procedure understanding. I am planning to use Barry’s idea of using a power point to enter pictures of a given place in order for my students to obtain some background knowledge on the particular place or time period.
505 Response 1: In reading through the comments, two workshops I did not get to attend stand out to me. The first is “Teaching 6-Trait Writing with Picture Books” which I chose not to attend because it was geared toward elementary teachers. However, from what I have read, it sounds like the ideas presented would still be an excellent tool for teaching my freshmen how to go farther in-depth in their writing. I am not sure what was “handed out”, but if anyone could pass that information along to me, or if anyone is planning a lesson around the ideas, I would love to see them. Please email me at sleonetti@sd273.com. The second workshop I wish I would have got to attend was “The Writing Brain in Your Classroom.” It sounds like the information presented might have been a little difficult for the younger students but would have worked well for my Creative Writing set. I would also appreciate any information that could be passed along about this as well.
ReplyDeleteThere are several Ideas from Barry Hoonan’s workshop that will work for me. One of which is using the post-its on a big chart for a KWL Chart –or at least the KW part. Using the moveable notes would be an easy way to see what parts of a particular topic students were interested in or curious about. Using the notes on the white board or chalk board at the front of the room also gets the students up and moving for a brief period of time, giving them a chance to get the wiggles out. A brief share of one idea keeps the writing- the jotting it down” to a minimum. Each child may feel that they have shared with the rest even those who are somewhat shy about sharing their ideas in front of the whole class.
ReplyDeleteEven though my teaching partner and I are planning on doing a poetry unit soon, Warren Akins’ traditional Haiku challenges me. Partially because I do not consider myself much of a poet and I think my third grade student need more structure and more concrete ideas. It is challenging for them to count syllable and to generate ideas. All year we have been working on complete sentence instead of phrase so this method of syllable count may be a bit confusing. I am anxious to try his method to see what happens.
I’m all about using technology as a teacher, so Dr. Bonnie Warne’s “Glogging ePals: Digital Communication in School” workshop was right up my alley. We experienced some technical issues during the class because the provided WiFi was too slow, but Bonnie had a presentation prepared that described her strategies for using NiceNet, ePals, and Glogster. I especially liked the concept of using the NiceNet forum as a method for class discussion, giving each student an equal voice.
ReplyDelete“The NWP’s Analytic Writing Continuum: Assessment and Beyond” was the most challenging workshop for me. The presentation felt more like a commercial than a workshop, and I left with no new teaching tools for my classroom.
@Ashley Sacksteder
ReplyDelete“It helped me put an example of what these 6 traits mean to a fun an easy way to learn.”
I could hear your workshop next to ours, and I felt jealous at how much fun you were having.
@Kary Amburn
“Her information was useful and I will hang onto my notes. However, to use these safe blogs and walls each student would need time and access to a computer during the school day which can be very hard to accommodate.”
I agree that getting access to computers can be a challenge. With spring ISATs coming, I’m crossing my fingers that I’ll be able to squeeze in some lab time to try out some of Bonnie’s ideas. I already have some small groups preparing historical theater presentations using Glogster. I’m interested to see what they produce since they received only basic instructions from the librarian and me about using Glogster.
The workshop that would work for me would be "Vocabulary Support for Content Area Learning." I really enjoyed this workshop and felt that when I walked out the door I had many ideas that I could start using in my classroom.
ReplyDeleteThe workshop that would challenge me would be "Music as a Springboard for Writing." I enjoy music very much and loved some of the ideas that Ms. Forster gave us, but it would really be a challenge to find the time to add these activities in.
505 Respond to Beth...
ReplyDeleteBeth,
I noticed you posted that "Poetic Fluency" might be challenging for you to incorporate into your classroom. As someone who enjoys poetry and has to work to be motivated in a social studies class, I think it could really be helpful to try and adjust some of the ideas from the poetry workshop to hit students like me-whose favorite subject might not be social studies. Good luck to you :)
"Bridging the Gap, Connceting ATIVE Comprehension Strategies together with Reading and Writing" by: Barry Hoonan.I choose this workshop because it really works for me. I can apply these styles, strategies and ACTIVE methods in my classroom. Bridging the gap between the writer of the story and the students that reads it. Then they write about the story and discuss it to make sense of what they read. The ideas I mention above, I use in my classroom setting.
ReplyDelete"Embedded Grammar Instruction" by: Dr. Duane Pitts. This workshop is a challenge for me because English is my second language. Even though this is a difficult task, I could improve, use and apply the strategy I learned from the workshop. In the classroom setting I can introduce a text material that includes reading and writing in my lesson plan that will encourage students to think and make a connection to their classmate.
“Music as a Springboard for Writing,” by Cheryl Forster
ReplyDeleteThis is a workshop I'm using!
In this workshop we got ideas for creating lyrics by writing replacements for “Row, row, row your boat” as a way of starting this process. Then the parody song like Weird Al Yankovitch does. Her example was a spoof of Star Wars sung to the tune of “American Pie” by Don McLean. Those were cool ideas for the reluctant writers, and in the case of the McLean (longer piece) a group.
One piece we did was Gustav Holst’s “The Planets” and she had us do “Mars, The Bringer of War.” She suggested we could use all different movements. I liked the writing opportunity where she had the painting “Isle of the Dead” on the projector and the song Sergei Rachmaninoff wrote to go with it. This will definitely be something I do with my students whom I have in a class the counselor called: Language Arts Writing. We’ll be writing the heck out of music!
The big challenge for me will be doing the Senior Project. The ladies from Nezperce HS gave us good material. I hope to get a whole committee together in my school and get it going.
505 Response to elenz
ReplyDeleteI too appreciated Barry Hoonan's energy and ideas. I've talked to some of my fellow teachers about "I Charts" for the students to work toward their own success in such behaviors as coming to class on time INDEPENDENTLY! What a concept. I have also gotten the camera out in the classroom already! I have a poster: How do you find a good book? I made it the first day back from workshop. The students are picking this quarter's independent reading book.
I found Barry Hoonan's 'I' charts interesting.
ReplyDeleteHe kind of kept apologizing for it being more of 'behavorial' tool. But, it is truly 'writing beyong the desk.' His kids were using writing to reflect and correct their own behavior. I like the list-making aspect of the I chart and how it could be used for any subject.
Sorry, I don't really have a workshop that was more challenging than another. I walked away from each one with a strategy that could be emplemented.
...........or implemented!*% ugh!
ReplyDelete505 response:
ReplyDeleteIt appears that several of you were inspired by Barry Hoonan's use of charts in his classroom. I loved when he shared what he said when finding a student off track... "I know it must feel horrible not being independent. Go make yourself an I chart." These charts seem to be an amazing tool for successful, independent behavior. I like the idea of building the success criteria together, but asking the student to complete his or her own unique chart. By using their charts they can assess and evaluate their own behavior. And when they are caught demonstrating successful behavior photograph it. They can see what it looks like and be held accountable.
Teaching the six traits of writing with picture books would come very easy for me, for I feel I have a very good understanding of how these traits are used within writing. I know my personal writing skills still need development, but I have such a passion for literature that I find myself always looking for ways to incorporate it into lessons across the curriculum. For being a pre-service teacher, I’ve been given a number of opportunities to read with students, and I can see how teaching these six traits through reading could enrich the students’ experiences while building their foundation of writing elements. Even if the school I teach at hasn’t adopted this school-wide initiative, I will definitely use this in my classroom.
ReplyDeleteUsing music in the classroom to inspire writing would definitely challenge me but in a fun way! I haven’t had enough experience with music to see other ways in which I could use it in my future classroom, beside the examples given by Cheryl. I see the need for an alternative approach to writing, such as this, for as Cheryl commented, it utilizes the multiple intelligences model. If I can gain more ideas revolving around music for younger students, I can see myself using this fun approach.
505 Response...
ReplyDeleteIn my original post, I mentioned the challenge of creating the type of learning environment that Barry described. Several of you commented on the "I" chart which I also was very intrigued by. Since then I have purchased and read "The Daily 5 - Fostering Literacy in The Elementary Grades" written by "The Sisters". Barry referenced them several times during his workshops. The book describes in depth how to implement the "I" Chart. For any of you interested, it would be a great resource and reference book. It is set in an elementary classroom and the activities are geared more towards primary but I think the underlying principles could be applied to any educational situation.
505 Response: To Katie
ReplyDeleteThank you for your post on Megan Cuellars workshop for teaching the 6 traits of Writing through picture books. I chose not to take this workshop because I thought it was geared toward the elementary classroom, but after reading your post, and others, I see that I could use it at the secondary level as well. I agree that most kids have a solid background in picture books...and many have not done much with books other than that, so it could be a fun way to reinforce the 6 traits to high school level kids. I have researched the idea and have come up with some fun ideas to incorporate this into my high school curriculum.
505 Response to elenz
ReplyDeleteBarry Hoonah’s session were both inspiring to me also. I think his ideas have a lot of experience behind them My goal is to develop more independence in my classroom this year, but to begin next year with photos of what a task looks like when some student is doing it the correct way. Third graders are somewhat independent, but I think begin the year in a more structured and visual manner would definitely improve their independence. I myself am very visual and know how much these visual clue help me. I also liked the “what did you notice?” idea? I often use “what do you think?’ in my class and “what did you notice?” is another tool to use. I am excited to use the I chart also. I want to use the partner share more also. I think His session were so jammed packed, it will take a while to sift through all of these ideas. He should write a book!
I recently tried a few ideas from Barry’s session. We are having a discussion about planets in the classroom. Students have previously chosen a partner and a planet to do research and end with a finished project. I used his ideas about a KWL and Post-it note and knowing your audience. I asked student to “jot down” one thing they already knew about a planet and one thing they wanted to know about a planet, each on a separate Post-it. We used our white board, divided into two parts- one for know and one for want to know. I read them all and then the student gathered the notes pertaining to their planet of study from the board. They will use the notes to do more research and writing.
ReplyDeleteLesson 2 response:
ReplyDeleteI'd like to repsond to M. Tanberg's post. I, too, have already implemented the use of the "I" chart and found great success with it. My students have really taken ownership of their responsibilities on the different charts. I have also started to use the camera idea. The kids love it. I even let the kids use the camera so they can catch their peers working independently.
505 Response:
ReplyDeleteI agree with many of the posts regarding the practicality of the workshop “Everything I learned about Teaching Mathematics I Learned from My English Teacher.” I feel there was some valuable information presented; however the implementation of the information was not made obvious. The idea of writing a math autobiography did seem manageable and worth the time. Asking students to write about their math background provides a wealth of knowledge in teaching to their particular needs and interests. Often it seems students don’t have enough time to really process how they are interacting with math, thus I think math journaling would also be a simple way to get students thinking about their own math reasoning. Overall, I believe Mr. Prattis wanted to convey that mathematics should not be taught in a vacuum-it is as interconnected as reading and writing in our lives. The implication seems to be that by incorporating writing in the math curriculum students will be more aware of the concepts presented in math.
March 19 assignment:
ReplyDeleteI left the conference with many go to activities. Loved Barry's idea for the uninterested writer, and it is one that could be used for any student at any level. Draw a diagram of something you know well. Share your diagram with your neighbor or with the class. Now write what it is you did and what it is you know. What a simple strategy to break through writer's block. I also loved the semantic map which was introduced in, "It's All About the Words". I could see how this map could be used to teach vocabulary, but also could be used as a study tool. For example, take a broad topic such as the Revolutionary War, then break it into significant events, then details. A great way to sort and organize thoughts for test taking. I also loved Audrey White's idea of a poetry museum. Take found objects and display them. Objects can be held and observed, thoughts can be jotted down. Teaching and witing metaphors was another good idea. Pick a topic, brainstorm every aspect using a variety of sense words. Brainstorm other words that share common characteristics with the topic and put it together in a poem... Love is warm. Happiness and sunshine and laughter are warm.....
Debbie Dawes
ReplyDeleteHaiku Lesson Plan
March 22, 2011
This lesson encompasses poetry, art and computer word processing. It will take about three to four one hour session to complete. This is designed for third grade students.
Lesson Objectives:
• Students will write a comparison haiku and a contrast haiku (in modern form).
• Students will publish the poems on the computer.
• Students will paint a watercolor wash background on which the published poems will be displayed.
Materials:
• Books and examples of Haiku poetry
• Paper, pencils, clipboards
• Computer lab
• Watercolors, watercolor paper, brushes, water, paper towels
Instructions:
Poetry
1. Teacher will read and show examples of many forms of Haiku poems.
2. Teacher will display, discuss, and compare the rules of Haiku (according to Jane Reichhold and traditional rules from Haiku for People).
3. Teacher will demonstrate a comparison and contrast Haiku.
4. Teacher will provide inspirations from nature for the poetry- either in photo format or by going on a nature walk – weather dependent.
5. Students will spend time (20 -30 minutes) writing both forms of poetry.
6. Share poetry- either in group, turn and share, in private meeting with teacher.
7. Student will pick best of each form, edit, then go to lab and publish.
8. Students will glue poems on watercolor background for public display.
Watercolor Wash background
1. Teacher will demonstrate dry and wet watercolor wash techniques, brush loading, brush care, clean up techniques to students. Use of photos showing correct technique place around the room leads to greater student independence in clean-up and brush care.
2. Students paint a wash on water color paper, considering each of their poems when choosing colors.
3. Students clean brushes and place work on drying rack.
4. Students glue published poems on artwork when dry.
Teacher displays completed work on public display in school.
Extension include writing Haiku in traditional form (5, 7, 5 syllable lines) for gifted or older students. Learning disable students could use a scribe to record poems. Older students could also create a more detailed background for their poems and hand letter the poem using ink and brush (traditional oriental art form) on the
#3 505 Response to terrytrainerwright
ReplyDeleteI liked your ideas and information about engaging the uninterested writer using Barry’s visual clues- make a drawing of something you know well, then share it then write it. I have several struggling readers/writers who could do well with this as a beginning. It seems easier for them to start with a visual. His ideas seem so simple yet thoughtful.
Response to Jared
I like the camera idea, but have not started using it yet- don’t really know what I am waiting for. I liked the idea of having the kids take the pictures. What age /grade kids are you working with?
505 response to Debbie Dawes:
ReplyDeleteI don't see the KWL charts much anymore and I am glad you are using it. Back in the early days of my teaching we actually used to ask kids what they wanted to learn. This is a great tool to activate backround knowledge. You may be surprised what your kids already know or DON'T! By asking them what they want to learn will now give them a purpose for participating. Also, this will allow your students to expand their ideas beyond assigned texts. And you now know what will keep their interests and can plan projects and assignments accordingly. I wish all teachers had more time to be this authentic. Good job!