Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Comprehension: These are a Few of my Favorite Resources...
I have this crazy group of girlfriends who love to re-write song lyrics for special occasions. So, when I started drafting this post in my head, I intended to re-write the lyrics to The Sound Of Music's famous number... only to quickly realize that this post would never be published. I can't re-write song lyrics (at least, not when I'm on a time table). So instead, I'll just give you some of my favorite resources for teaching comprehension:
A Word About Persistence...
I learned a little bit more about persistence from my three year old. When she is awake, my husband and I barely have opportunities to talk to one another. She has this wonderful way of making noise that is one or two decibels louder than our conversation. It's cute for about two nano-seconds...
On a recent work day morning, Luke and I were conversing with one another when Shea came into our bedroom saying, "Daddy, I want more books." (As if the stack of books that she was already having trouble managing wasn't enough...that's a post for another day). He quickly acknowledged her request by responding, "Shea, I'll get you more books as soon as Momma and I are done talking." His acknowledgement was met with, "Daddy, I want more books." After the 5th or 6th request was not fulfilled, she grabbed his face between her two little palms, looked him straight in the eyes and said, "I'm not giving up. You don't understand...I want more books!"
What's the lesson in this? When something is worth fighting for...fight for it!
Let's apply this principle to the classroom. When it comes to teaching and learning...what are you willing to fight for? What are you willing to stand up and insist on? In conversations that I have with teachers, I often hear that there is not enough time to fit it all in. Well, that's true. It has always been true. It will always be true. You can't add minutes to the clock. So...instead of thinking about what you don't have time for, start to consider what you DO have time for. Then, decide what you will MAKE time for.
On the top of my list is reading books! Persistence for getting her hands on more books worked for Shea. Will it work for you? MAKE time to read to your students everyday...MAKE time for them to read too!
On a recent work day morning, Luke and I were conversing with one another when Shea came into our bedroom saying, "Daddy, I want more books." (As if the stack of books that she was already having trouble managing wasn't enough...that's a post for another day). He quickly acknowledged her request by responding, "Shea, I'll get you more books as soon as Momma and I are done talking." His acknowledgement was met with, "Daddy, I want more books." After the 5th or 6th request was not fulfilled, she grabbed his face between her two little palms, looked him straight in the eyes and said, "I'm not giving up. You don't understand...I want more books!"
What's the lesson in this? When something is worth fighting for...fight for it!
Let's apply this principle to the classroom. When it comes to teaching and learning...what are you willing to fight for? What are you willing to stand up and insist on? In conversations that I have with teachers, I often hear that there is not enough time to fit it all in. Well, that's true. It has always been true. It will always be true. You can't add minutes to the clock. So...instead of thinking about what you don't have time for, start to consider what you DO have time for. Then, decide what you will MAKE time for.
On the top of my list is reading books! Persistence for getting her hands on more books worked for Shea. Will it work for you? MAKE time to read to your students everyday...MAKE time for them to read too!
Saturday, February 16, 2013
You know you're a literacy professional when...
In 2009, my husband and I found out we were expecting our first child. What a feeling! We decided early on that we did not want to find out our baby's gender until delivery day. For some expecting parents this may pose the following problem: How will I be able to create the perfect nursery? For me, the answer was simple. The alphabet is gender neutral, right? And what else would you expect from a literacy specialist anyway?
So, we decided to keep the room green (before becoming the nursery, it was our office). First, we painted big white polka dots on the wall. We have really high ceilings in the bedrooms of our home so we needed scaffolding to reach the top. (Thank goodness my dad is a contractor!)
After that, we selected letters and colors. We decided not to put the letters in the order of the alphabet. Instead we chose random letters and fonts. Some uppercase, some lowercase...you get the point.
Before we were even expecting, Luke and I had settled on our names. If our baby was a girl, we would name her Shealagh (pronounced Shay-la). If our baby was a boy, we would name him Cameron. About halfway through the design project, we decided to hide the baby names in the letters on the wall. S-H-E-A for Shealagh and C-A-M for Cam. See if you can find them in the picture below.
If we were talking about this project during the summer of 2009, this would be the end of my story...but that would be kind of boring, don't you think?
Fast forward to the spring of 2010. I'm happily sitting in my daughter's nursery rocking her to sleep, when I notice something about the letters of the two hidden names. I do a double take, a triple take. Then, I laugh to myself. How could I not have noticed this? I couldn't have planned it on purpose if I tried! The letters in the names 'Shea' and 'Cam' spell the word 'schema'.
Can't you just picture this on the cover of a future book that I might write? I am so passionate about building student background knowledge and I've done quite a bit of professional reading on the schema theory. It only makes sense that my first child's room would literally have this important literacy topic painted on her wall!
You know you're a literacy professional when your work invades your personal life, without even meaning to! I guess it makes the point that I strive to profess in my work...literacy is vital and it's everywhere. Even in babies nurseries!
After that, we selected letters and colors. We decided not to put the letters in the order of the alphabet. Instead we chose random letters and fonts. Some uppercase, some lowercase...you get the point.
Before we were even expecting, Luke and I had settled on our names. If our baby was a girl, we would name her Shealagh (pronounced Shay-la). If our baby was a boy, we would name him Cameron. About halfway through the design project, we decided to hide the baby names in the letters on the wall. S-H-E-A for Shealagh and C-A-M for Cam. See if you can find them in the picture below.
If we were talking about this project during the summer of 2009, this would be the end of my story...but that would be kind of boring, don't you think?
Fast forward to the spring of 2010. I'm happily sitting in my daughter's nursery rocking her to sleep, when I notice something about the letters of the two hidden names. I do a double take, a triple take. Then, I laugh to myself. How could I not have noticed this? I couldn't have planned it on purpose if I tried! The letters in the names 'Shea' and 'Cam' spell the word 'schema'.
Can't you just picture this on the cover of a future book that I might write? I am so passionate about building student background knowledge and I've done quite a bit of professional reading on the schema theory. It only makes sense that my first child's room would literally have this important literacy topic painted on her wall!
You know you're a literacy professional when your work invades your personal life, without even meaning to! I guess it makes the point that I strive to profess in my work...literacy is vital and it's everywhere. Even in babies nurseries!
Guided Reading Survey
The kindergarten teachers in my district are just starting to implement Guided Reading in their classrooms. As a way to support them during the implementation process, I created a survey using Google Forms. Once all of the teachers have completed the survey, the results will be compiled on a Google Spreadsheet. What a simple and efficient way of gathering important professional development information. See below for a copy of the form. You can also click on this link... http://tinyurl.com/KindergartenGuidedReading
The Power of Screencasting
I am currently enrolled in a graduate level technology class that is being offered in the district where I work. Each week, we are introduced to a new digital application. In an effort to help us understand how the applications work, we have various assignments related to them. This post is all about screencasting.
So, what is screencasting you might ask? Well, I just learned about it myself! Here is a description provided by my instructor Beth Holland:
Screencasts are typically short video recordings of what is taking place on the screen of your computer, laptop, iPad or other device. Though initially intended as tutorials on how to use specific programs or software applications, they provide us with a dynamic way to make thinking visual as they take the viewer through a process.
The fundamental advantages of screencasting are that it allows educators to provide an easily created video resource for their students that essentially acts like a private tutor, and it gives students a way to explain themselves through drawing, typing, voice narration, and video. It is important to note that screencasts are NOT PowerPoints. While the could certainly be used in that manner, the power of a screencast is in how it lets you, as the educator, demonstrate a process, concept or skill, and how it allows students to do the same.
Educreations is a FREE, web-based screencasting tool that provides you with a blank whiteboard on which you can type, draw, insert images, record audio, and create a video. It works on any computer and with any browser- though Chrome and FireFox seem to do best. As a teacher, you can organize your screencasts into courses, assign students to courses without needing an email account, make screencasts private or public, and browse hundreds of other educator's videos.
There is also a FREE iPad app for Educreations that allows students and teachers to create from their mobile device and save directly to the teacher's online Educreations account.
I found that using this application on an iPad was much easier than using my laptop. Here is my first screencast. It is a lesson focused on teaching the Latin root 'ped'. It's a fairly simple, no frills attempt at using this application...but, it was my first time!
Using this tool in your classroom has many potential benefits. I've been thinking that it would be a way for students to access your lessons from home (if they were sick or needed extra practice). You can also prepare lessons for days that you will be out of the classroom. Wouldn't it be much easier to leave a 'clone' of yourself for the sub, rather than writing lesson specific subplans. I'm sure you'll come up with lots of other creative ways to use screencasting in your classroom. Leave your ideas in the comment box!
So, what is screencasting you might ask? Well, I just learned about it myself! Here is a description provided by my instructor Beth Holland:
Screencasts are typically short video recordings of what is taking place on the screen of your computer, laptop, iPad or other device. Though initially intended as tutorials on how to use specific programs or software applications, they provide us with a dynamic way to make thinking visual as they take the viewer through a process.
The fundamental advantages of screencasting are that it allows educators to provide an easily created video resource for their students that essentially acts like a private tutor, and it gives students a way to explain themselves through drawing, typing, voice narration, and video. It is important to note that screencasts are NOT PowerPoints. While the could certainly be used in that manner, the power of a screencast is in how it lets you, as the educator, demonstrate a process, concept or skill, and how it allows students to do the same.
Educreations is a FREE, web-based screencasting tool that provides you with a blank whiteboard on which you can type, draw, insert images, record audio, and create a video. It works on any computer and with any browser- though Chrome and FireFox seem to do best. As a teacher, you can organize your screencasts into courses, assign students to courses without needing an email account, make screencasts private or public, and browse hundreds of other educator's videos.
There is also a FREE iPad app for Educreations that allows students and teachers to create from their mobile device and save directly to the teacher's online Educreations account.
I found that using this application on an iPad was much easier than using my laptop. Here is my first screencast. It is a lesson focused on teaching the Latin root 'ped'. It's a fairly simple, no frills attempt at using this application...but, it was my first time!
Using this tool in your classroom has many potential benefits. I've been thinking that it would be a way for students to access your lessons from home (if they were sick or needed extra practice). You can also prepare lessons for days that you will be out of the classroom. Wouldn't it be much easier to leave a 'clone' of yourself for the sub, rather than writing lesson specific subplans. I'm sure you'll come up with lots of other creative ways to use screencasting in your classroom. Leave your ideas in the comment box!
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