Book Give Away

The blog http://writebrainedteacher.blogspot.com is giving away a book on conferring in a drawing. To qualify you have to leave a comment on the blog. She has several ways to enter and you can enter more than once. This book is available on line at Stenhouse for a preview. It looks interesting and I would sure love to win it, so I shall be making several comments on the blog. This is one of the ways to get entered.

Is Anyone Reading This?

Does anyone else check the Time Out for Trainers or is it just me hoping to read your thoughts and hear of the woes of the road (so I can know I am not alone). If no one comments then I will know I am the only one checking in every once in a while and I will stop rattling on.

But until that happens I would like to share some websites that you might find helpful or at least interesting. First, if you do not know of the Two Writing Teachers, you should check them out. They have a website http://www.twowritingteachers.com/ but it is their blog that has great ideas, thoughts, musings every day. You will find it at http://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com/
Check out Monday, Oct. 12 for a great You Tube video about one of the teacher's writer's notebook. I don't know how to move it here to show you, but it is good.

Also, here is another writing blogger you may be interested in http://writebrainedteacher.blogspot.com/ She is in Kansas City and often refers to the MAP test. Read back posts, they have some good stuff too.

Have you ever been to http://www.writingfix.com/ ?There are some good lessons and other things there.

Can you tell I have been reading lots of writing blogs and sites. Do you know of any that are good?

I'd like to hear from you!

Wedding slide show

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Here is a little slide show of the weekend. Sorry about the ads, but it is a free program. Be sure to have speakers on, there is music.

test

This is a test from my current storytelling class.

Dr. Pepper - Put it Inya

Pictures?

Finally, I did something right, but not quite sure how I did it.
This is where the ceremony took place. It was so beautiful and fitting for the bride and groom. They are both geology students. So a wedding in the mountains is perfect.

Getting Back to Working

Here I sit, my wedding(you know it is my son's) is over.(I have been trying to figure out how to get a picture here, but not having any luck. So, maybe a picture will follow on another post.) The hype and anticipation for the event grows and grows and then it is gone and what do I have left? Pictures and memories of good times that I will revisit many times. We have returned to populated areas but the kids have remained in the mountains to camp for a few more days. They will return and I will get to spend two days with my new granddaughter, Maddie while David and Allie work. Fun times are still ahead.



So, as I sit here (in southern California), I am thinking about this next year. Challenges lie ahead for us all. Time will be a precious commodity to each and everyone. But let's try to make a commitment to post on the blog about what is happening in our schools, achievements or challenges. This is such a great forum and I learn so much from each and everyone of you. New (or even old) processing activities, lessons to model, the next greatest book you've discovered are all topics I'd love to hear about.



Let's keep the blog rolling!

Hailey Time, Summer School, and Movie Making...and Missing You!

I had great plans for finding peace and quiet this summer - daily meditation and yoga, healthy eating and walking the dogs, time at the pool with Hailey, diving into the stack of books I still haven't read, daily writing...say an hour a day...Oh, where does the time go?

Instead, I accepted a last minute plea to teach summer school, but I'm glad I did. For one thing, it's amazing how easy it can begin to look from the "trainer end" of the room, and I think I'm getting a taste of the same kind of students I may have next year. (This has been a great wake up for my reentry...lots of community building, transition/movement, conferencing...) On the down side, though, I know that I need to be spending my time right now building awesome units of study...looking for riveting "read alouds" and expanding my own portfolio.

This leads me to my other diversion right now, digital storytelling. I still haven't edited the literacy camp video, and I'm hoping to get to that once summer school is over next week. (Still haven't edited out the horrifying footage I took of my neck...) I did, though, put together a Father's Day video (above), and I'm also working on a WWII short slide show (selfishly because it's pics of my folks, and I can use it as an example of one way for students to tell stories or to share research). I have pictures uploaded already, music, too, but I haven't gotten the audio equipment to add a voice thread for the narration. I also need to add a map of the route Dad's 94th Infantry took. I also need help! This is definitely still in the building process.



I hope all of you are well...and rested! I hope you'll let me know when Liz's Tiki Hut opens again!
Take Care!
Barb

handwriting

Thanks to everyone who was interested yesterday. It is like "preaching to the choir", when in front of a group of such wisdom. I didn't have the words to express my true feelings of being with the initiative. Now after some sleep I do. Nine years ago, MRI came to my school. The first year I remember being absolutely swamped, tired, overwhelmed and yet energized for something new. I worked with a group of teachers that I knew were one of a kind. True life long learners. Women who were doing right things, but yet longed to do more. That kind of environment is definitely contageous. So as we grew with litacy over those years, I admired the trainers who took us on that journey. I knew they were so knowledgable and steadfast in their desire to do what is best for kids. So now that I have the opportunity to actually "be" a trainer, I am honored. There are sometimes that I still have to pinch myself and say yes you are here. So next year looks extremely scary and I know that I will have moments that I will be on the edge of breaking, but I go back to the fact that I do want to be here more than anything and this is the path that I dreamed I would take long ago. Providing PD to teachers. Now that I am on that path, I have to take the sharp curves ahead!

So I did think of some other topics I wanted to discuss, but as you know got side tracked a few times with discussion. (but that's where a lot of learning takes place, so it was perfectly fine!) One big issue that I am facing is with a district who uses D'Nealian handwriting. I am attacking it very delicately because they already feel as though "everything" they were doing is changing. What I want is some research/documentation that supports more traditional print. I have been looking at some online places and found one piece on Eric that gives 6 questions teachers should ask when adopting handwriting. This is a good one, but doesn't give any documentation to really back it up.
http://www.indiana.edu/~reading/ieo/digests/d124.html

I have learned with this group they must experience, discuss, digest information before the change is effective. So I do like the questions which will give them something to think and talk about instead of me charging in and saying STOP YOUR RIDICULOUS D'NEALIAN, which is exactly what I want to say. If anyone has anything else or any thoughts that could help me I am all ears (or eyes)....LOL I hope we all put our noses in some books for pleasure other than just to stretch our brains this summer, because we'd look funny with big heads.

Love you all and thanks for taking me under your MRI wings this year :)

Video Storytelling: Taking Katie To Class!

I always wanted to take my dogs to school with me, but since I'm not the Dog Whisperer, and none of my dogs mind me, a weblog or video photo story is probably as close as we'll get. I just wanted to share Katie's recent story with you. It's still a work in progress if you have any suggestions!
~ Barb

Come One, Come All

All trainers are invited to my house Wednesday (April 22) for a spaghetti dinner. Come on over and let's have a good time!



Where has everyone been? I have had several weeks off and this week I've been trying to get my final agendas together for the end of the month. This is hard! I've been to California and we had a chance to take David (my son), Allie (my future daughter-in-law), and Maddie (future granddaughter) to Mammoth Lake for the weekend. That is where the wedding will be in July. Allie had appointments set up with the photographer, florist, cake maker, and wedding planner. It was a busy few days, but lots of arrangements were made. It will be a fun wedding and I am looking forward to it. The picture is Maddie in front of the lake where the ceremony will be. Instant grandma! Yeah! She is in kindergarten and loves to read. She was reading Amelia Bedelia to me on the way home. That's my kind of kindergartener!

Looking forward to seeing everyone next week. Love these sunny days, but it sure makes it hard to stay in and work.

Thoughts to Ponder

This week I've had a chance to dig into one of Frank Serafini's books (Around the Reading Workshop in 180 Days) and I have discovered he has given me some thoughts to ponder on my own and share/discuss with teachers. Therefore, I've decided to share them with you to do with as you wish. They may be just the spark to ignite a great discussion.

Until teachers' theories and understandings of reading and reading processes expand, any changes made in their teaching practices will be mostly cosmetic.

The quality of student learning is closely linked to the quality of classroom talk.

The types of questions teachers ask have an effect on the types of questions students ask.

Shelley Harwayne (principal at Mahattan New School) said:

Classroom practice must be based on richly understood and deeply held beliefs about how children learn to read. In other words, what teachrs say and do and how they engage children in reading acts must have theoretical underpinnings. Their practice is not based on a publisher's set of teacher directions or a handbok filled with teaching tips, but on concepts they themselves have examined carefully.

I then asked teachers to describe a belief they had regarding reading workshop and give the evidence that supports this belief in their classroom. This was hard for many and their beliefs were somewhat shallow. My goal will be to see if we can go a little deeper as we continue on this journey into balanced literacy. (This information came from Debbie Miller's book Teaching with Intention.)

Does anyone else have any thoughts along this line? We want kids to develop into reflective readers, but how often do we reflect on our own? Everyone is busy and reflecting takes time. I need to take the time. How about you?

Help Needed Quickly!

Next week I am going to see my fourth and fifth grade teachers and we need to get CUCC and MAP stems introduced and understood. Does anyone have a good processing activity for either part? We will be hilighting the elementary stems in the big packet and grouping them. Then what would be a good follow-up? CUCC has me puzzled as how to present it. So any suggestions would be welcomed. I have to get this together this weekend because I will leave on Monday. Anyone have a lifeline to toss to me?

I did come up with an activity for driving home what needs to happen during guided reading. I put phrases on cards that related to Before, During, After on Day 1 and Day 2 activities and some statements of things that should not happen during guided reading. Then I laid them all out on the table and each person had to find the phrases that went with their part. They then glued them to chart paper and we discussed them. I had them take notes on each part so they could talk for one minute with a partner, then switch, then 30 seconds, etc. If this is something you would like, email me and I will sent the sheets to you.

How great is this weather today? I am so glad we were able to get through a week without a snow day! Have a great weekend, but can anyone help?

Teambuilders and Icebreakers

Have you ever been to the site www.choiceliteracy.com? If not, check it out. It is a paid site, but they have free stuff too. One of the freebies is their newletter called The Big Fresh. They often put out some interesting things related to literacy. Look for an article in the archives called My Son, Clark Kent. It really makes you think about leveled text (and it may make you a bit sad).

This week The Big Fresh has a teambuilder site http://www.teampedia.net/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page Maybe you will be able to get some ideas from this. I did and I bookmarked it so I can return and look again.

This week I have watched some interesting versions of guided reading. Which made me wonder, did they watch me when I modeled or were they visiting with one another? I am asking myself, how can I explain it so they get it? So, once again I will go into collaboration this coming week, armed with yet another way to present small group instruction. Time is running out for this year. Where has it gone and are these teachers ready to be let loose? That is the question only time will tell.

Long Time No See; Katie and I Miss You!

My critters and I have cozied in this week,
and though I'm loath to reschedule schools
I was supposed to visit this week, my car and I
desperately needed the break in routine. Besides,
there's always going to be a little girl in me...
a girl who prefers instant gratification...that day off RIGHT NOW...I'll worry about the rest of it tomorrow.

So...I'm reminiscing about snow days past... when I've done my best painting, crafting, cooking, (sledding and snowball fights with the kids), and movie watching. I've spent the last two days working on my grandbaby's bedroom, and I have to say it might be one of my best efforts. We've converted the crib to a toddler bed, and the room itself to a shabby chic pink and white princess palace...oh, dreams can come true.

I do miss all of you...and reading you here...and posting my own ramblings...but we all need time. The demanding grind can certainly derail me and keep me from what I love...playing with baby (now big girl) Hailey, lunch at the local tea room, walks with the dogs, great books and movies, redecorating projects, visits with friends and family. I plan on getting caught up on pleasure this week...I'm wishing the same for all of you!

Performance Standard Help

Is it just my computer or has it been over a month since anyone has posted! Well I worked on something that I thought may help others. During our meeting in December, LJ talked to us about putting the MAP stems from the big 3 standards on anchor charts for classrooms to use with their reading response journals. Ok so maybe you've already done something like this, but I found that it hooked my third grade teachers. I went through and pulled out all of the elementary (sorry you other "older" teachers) level stems and put on a word document for 1.6, 3.5 and 2.4 standards. This was for my school who has smart boards and projectors. Now they can use this as an anchor chart and don't have the excuse of no time to make it! If everyone has already done this then I'm just a "late bloomer" and getting around to it, but maybe it will help someone. As I'm getting to the end of this I'm realizing that I don't see a place to add an attachment...so maybe you'll have to email me for it. I'll continue to see how I can maybe drop it in on the blog somewhere.
Hope everyone is staying warm and being safe on the road!