Learning to Fly

When we read we are followers being drawn in by the author's craft.  With skill and precision worlds are revealed to us.  We work to make meaning and strive to connect this other experience to our lived experience.  When we  write we lead by the push of our own creation.  Drawing the reader in, with an invitation to take our words and make a human connection. One that we hope, will result in something meaningful. 

An author's words come together like tiny cells interlocking to give birth to a new idea.  Our first words emerge in an empty space looking small and insignificant.   Exposed and fragile -hollow, like the bones of a small bird. If I were a bird, then my nest would be feathered with the written word. Gathered and interwoven by countless authors of stories, poems, myths, legends, and science. 

To give children words with wings, is to let their voices soar through the tap of keys or the steady mark of a freshly sharpened pencil.  How do we give them this gift?  We show them the way. Professional authors take them under their wing and show them how to fly.  We teachers are like the cheerful tour guides who coordinate the trip and point out the important sights along the way.  But, we need a flight plan.

If you are a teacher or a parent who wants children to know the joy of writing then I suggest - Writers' Workshop.  If this is new learning for you (like me) don't worry because the words of Lucy Calkins and many others will show us the way. This is a great website:  Writer's Workshop It can never be too risky to try a better way for the good of your students.  So this is what I know so far:

• Establish a Writing Philosophy - I take this to mean that intention  is key why do I want to teach writing?  What is my role in this process?   I think the preceding statement pretty well defines my views... What are yours?  Be sure you can answer that question for yourself before you click here: Tools to Build Your Philosophy

• Picture Books as Mentor Texts - Going from what is known to the unknown.  Children understand what a good story is but they may not be aware of how to write one of their own.  We as teachers must pull the best books that demonstrate the writers craft.  Then we put on the "show" they have fun listening to it because we know that emotion engages long term memory.   To me, that's the moment when you can ask: "How did the author do that?  This book made us feel something how did that happen?"  Then we unpack what it is we plan to teach.  More ideas: Teaching With Mentor Texts

• Teaching the Author's Craft - This means craft elements for writing.  These are techniques authors use to engage readers like circular endings like the story ends where it began  ( a great mentor text for that is Metzger's  When A Leaf Blew In )  Perfect for back to school.  Make it meaningful draw a circle and use pictures from the story to show the sequence.  Better yet you can pass a leaf around and do a shared reading each student getting to hold the leaf while sitting in a circle.  You can say something like some stories are built like a circle they go around and around.  A higher order question might be: "Could this story begin where it ended?  What makes you say that?  ELL students could gain  support with this concept using illustrations to support their words. What a nice way to kick off a writing project. For better advice than I can offer click here to  Ask Lester

So here are some books that I think are useful and perhaps you will too...

A special thank you to Susan Ehmann and Kellyann Gayer.  Reading this book is like having your smartest best friend in your corner telling you that you can do this! :)

This is very friendly it's laid out very well because

it's easy to understand. There are lots of nice resources

here to get started.  It's the teaching that takes practice :P

Go Ahead Be a Goose - Listen to Your Mother! Silly Is Serious Business What Mother Goose Had to Say

If father knows best then you need to know that your mother knows more.  Well at least Mother Goose knew more about what preschoolers need to hear.  Word play as in MOTHER GOOSE nursery rhymes are as important to developing children as multivitamins and sunscreen.  They need to hear those familiar short nursery rhymes:

BAA, BAA, BLACK SHEEP

Baa, baa, black sheep,

Have you any wool?

Yes, marry, have I,

Three bags full;

One for my master,

One for my dame,

But none for the little boy

Who cries in the lane.

The reason why?  Probably to numerous to mention here.  But the short answer is three fold:

• Phonemic Awareness: This can be taught implicitly like when you read or recite these rhymes to children; or explicitly, when you make children aware that spoken language is comprised of sentences, words, or individual sounds.  Children who are unable to hear rhymes in words are likely to have difficulty learning to read later on. Supporting research: Phonemic Awareness 
• Book Talk: The kinds of word choices and syntax used in nursery rhymes is more sophisticated (the formal register of language) than in everyday language (the casual register of language).  This exposes children to  academic language and builds stamina for memory Supporting research: Memory's role in reading Reading Skills IRA Handout  check out this Power Point by Beth Phillips from Florida Center for Reading Research (FCRR) on Emergent Literacy Emergent Literacy 
• Core Knowledge: Children need to have shared experiences in literacy.  They build on what they know.  This thinking is inspired by Hirsch who created the idea of cultural literacy.  He also believes that a child should acquire a broad vocabulary because it is "an index to broad knowledge, and broad knowledge, extended over time, is the key to depth of knowledge and to a general ability to learn new things"  Supporting rsearch  - Cultural Literacy 

So have some fun with your little one!

What's In A Word?

Vocabulary instruction is one of the most natural ways to give children the foundation they need for reading success! Yes, just by knowing words and using them in everyday life can enhance a child's ability to read those same words in text.

Some of you may recall my mentioning this, but it's worth saying again. Your brain houses something remarkable - the phonological processor. The typical person who uses a word twelve times renders a "phonological imprint" on this phonological processor. So that means they will be more likely to make meaning of the word in text. Moreover, are able to be flexible when making text connections to words. This does amazing things for children because the more explicit instruction they receive for word meanings the greater a child's capacity for "word consciousness". You know you are successful when a child asks "What does that mean?" They are now active learners who are engaging words to make meaning on their own.

Here is a how to teach vocabulary in a more meaningful way. This work is all based on two books by researcher, Isabel Beck: Bringing Words to Life, and Creating Robust Vocabulary, I also have to send out my thanks to Dr. Maureen Ruby from the University of Connecticut. I attended one of her fabulous workshops and if you ever have an opportunity to see her - you must go! I was fortunate enough to work directly with Dr. Ruby and presented many of these same methods that I am sharing today.

When doing a robust vocabulary lesson there is a a suggested sequence to follow.

• Introduce the word by saying it aloud and it's even more meaningful when you post the written word with a picture to go with it. This is especially important for your English Language Learners - it is an anchor for the word
• Contextualize the word in the story - go to the page read the sentence show the picture
• Give a student friendly definition
• Restate the word in a sentence using a different context
• Provide experiences with word use - in other words Act Out grimace (application level on Bloom) Turn & Talk with a partner about something that made you grimace.  Give examples and non-examples of the word grimace - a favorite toy; cleaning a messy room - children say that's a grimace face or that's not a grimace face.  This allows all children to participate without any down time - all are engaged learners all can be active.  With everyone participating it also makes it safer for those reluctant students who aren't risk takers
• Summing it Up - Using the Words All Together is where you make a up a short vignette using the words and I like to have the children insert the word into the story.  I have  the words posted on word wall strips and point to each one. Take a look...

This is a great book to do a read aloud vocabulary lesson: The Pout Pout Fish

If you want to try out a lesson - here is a planner I created with my wonderful fellow Literacy Coaches  at the South Country Central School District.   I actually did this lesson recently and it went great!

Here are other lesson resources:
 

Word Wall Cards:                                          

Pictures for Choice Activity

Sentence Stem For Turn & Talk ( write on a sentence strip or Smart Board ) 

A time I was astounded was ________because...

Ok so now you have everything you need if you want to try it out!  Teaching is the best job in the world but it's an awful lot of work.  So remember, reach out to your colleagues you are never alone there is always someone who will lend a hand if you need one.  Share your ideas too - I'd love to hear what you think. :)

Molloy Presentation - RtI

The presentation was a success today.  I think everyone came away with a deeper understanding of what Response to Intervention is all about, how to use  data to drive instruction, and learned some new strategies for differentiation.   Now here's to enjoying the rest of summer!

Response to Intervention One District's Journey...

I will be a presenter at with professional developer, Maggie Blair in a few weeks at Molloy College’s Summer 2010 Workshop & Institute.

 

My presentation will focus on Response to Intervention (RtI). For those of you who are unaware of this initiative, it is predicated on a data driven instructional model.

Click here to see my RtI Overview

Molloy College
SUMMER INSTITUTES FOR TEACHERS
Wednesday, July 28

Response to Intervention: One District’s Journey to Effectively Meet the Needs of Diverse Learners K-4 This presentation will share the challenging journey undertaken by administration, faculty and educational consultants to develop a cohesive and effective K-4 RTI Model in a culturally and economically diverse districtwhich includes three K-3 elementary schools and one 4-5 intermediate school. The first part of the presentation will focus on structuring an RTI Model based on Dr. Stanley Deno’s Five Step, Data Based Problem Solving Model. The second part of this presentation will focus on assessments, progress monitoring and effective, studentcentered interventions that are currently utilized to meet the diverse needs of students who struggle to meet current state standards Presenter: Maggie Blair has been actively involved in the area of special education since 1974 as a teacher, staff developer, and district administrator. Currently she is an instructor in the Graduate Education Program at Molloy College and has continued to share her expertise in the field of special education as a consultant to school districts. Presenting with Maggie are several literacy coaches from the South Country UFSD Mrs. Danielle .Flaumenhaft Frank P. Long Intermediate School and Mrs. Jennifer Hayhurst Verne W. Crtiz Primary School. 

If registering for workshops on an individual, in-service credit basis, use:

Course Number: ELA 5300 Section A Tuition: $130

Thursday, July 28, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.; Suffolk Center

Click Here for Molloy Summer Institute Registration Form

The Race Is On

“As human ancestors began to make complicated tools, figuring out goals might not have been good enough anymore. Hominids needed a way to register automatically what other hominids did, even if they didn't understand the intentions behind them.” This quote resonates with me as I consider the Race to the Top (RttT).   Zimmer’s New York Times essay, Children Learn by Monkey See, Monkey Do Chimps Don't (readit @ http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/13/science/13essa.html  or view the study @ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIAoJsS9Ix8 ) has particular meaning for me. Essentially, what makes human learning different from that of chimps is our affinity for imitation even when we don’t see the underlying necessity for prescribed steps. Sound familiar? Student teaching is the ultimate exercise in monkey see, monkey do! However, when we use this discovery of our innate nature as a lens for educational reforms, well you can see why these movements are often viewed as suspect and are met with skepticism by many.

We teachers want to be like those we admired. For me it was my own dad – forever the litmus test that I use to measure my own successes and failures. I am the one looking down with the curly hair.  But here’s the rub, education will never be static. I can never be like him because the world is different. There is no linear path; I can only strive to be a model to others as he was to me. Indeed, our profession has been endowed by the collective consciousness of those who went before us. This understanding is drawn from their talents, discoveries, innovations, and precious mistakes. Their mistakes are of great consequence to us because this where real learning comes to fruition.

 Growing pains that force us stretch ourselves to the next level. There would never be growth if there was not opportunity to reflect. If we are to be real innovators as our forefathers, we must continue to reexamine our practice. Sometimes we have to break away from what we know and venture out to make new tools for learning. But we do this with the understanding that educational reforms are inextricably bound to our nation’s history. And that is what draws me back to RttT. I feel I must look back before I can look forward (http://www.cloudnet.com/~edrbsass/educationhistorytimeline.html).

Teachers who practice during periods of big educational reforms are like masons laying bricks for a path to an uncertain destination. The future is ever-changing so we cannot know how our actions will go down in the history books. But we can comprehend how RttT came to be. No Child Left Behind was a huge initiative which brought about Reading First. Reading First led the charge towards Response to Intervention which is fundamental to Race to the Top.

In a nutshell, Race to the Top is a $4.35 billion reform that necessitates the following:
• Adopting standards and assessment that prepare students to succeed in college and the workplace and to compete in the global economy

• Building data systems that measure student growth and success, and inform teachers and principals about how they can improve instruction

• Recruiting, developing, rewarding, and retaining effective teachers and principals, especially where they are needed most

• Turning around our lowest-achieving schools

There were two winning states for Phase One funding. The winners were Delaware (score 454.6) and Tennessee (score 444.2). Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan said, “Both states have statewide buy-in for comprehensive plans to reform their schools” 

Our own state of New York was a finalist and is now reapplying for grant monies during Phase Two. However, there is one caveat to the initial application process. States must comply with the established regional funding parameters.

While funding is paramount because nothing can be accomplished without the almighty dollar; “buy-in” is perhaps more essential. Nothing will work unless the stakeholders (LEAs) believe in the reform itself. So for now this is how I look to the future, I want to participate because I want my voice to be imbued with my colleagues. I want to ask my questions, the most pressing has to do with alternative routes to teaching certifications, and charter schools. I question whether others would be as worthy to work in my profession if they don’t follow a standardized path for teacher certification. Insofar as charter schools, the best school system in the nation is Massachusetts. Their success lies in a comprehensive state curriculum. This is not the first time that Massachusetts set a high standard for curriculum goals.

1642 - The Massachusetts Bay School Law is passed. It requires that parents assure their children know the principles of religion and the capital laws of the commonwealth.

1647 - The Massachusetts Law of 1647, also known as the Old Deluder Satan Act, is passed. It decrees that every town of at least 50 families hire a schoolmaster who would teach the town's children to read and write and that all towns of at least 100 families should have a Latin grammar school master who will prepare students to attend Harvard College.

Massachusetts has from the birth of our nation, consistently led the way for a curriculum centered approach to educational design.  My  penchant to look back so we can move forward. We can see that it works, so I wonder why curriculum mapping is not one of the major bulleted items for RttT.

More to come on that one next time readers; but if you want to check out an incredible article get a copy of American Educator and read Diane Ravitch’s In Need of a Renaissance http://www.aft.org/pdfs/americaneducator/summer2010/ae_summer10.pdf . In the meantime, I say thank you to all members of my profession. We are are joined by our mission – to observe, to learn, to question, to create, to teach.

Go Outside & Play...

Now that it's summer children are everywhere. They are digging out tide pools at the beach; riding their bikes; frequenting 7-11 to buy those carefully planned Slurpee drinks - a layer of cherry, coconut, mango-lime. Oh freedom!  Beautiful unencumbered freedom that comes in with a warm breeze,  the gentle sway of green leaves, and the surge of white foamy surf. It's an essential time; it's a right of passage these long and winding days of summer devoted to discovery and good old fashioned fun.

People may say, don't you worry about their skills regressing over the summer?  Well in a word yes...

but summer vacation offers a myriad of opportunities to think critically for the beneift of a good time. Digging that tide pool, finding a quicker route by bike, creating the perfect sip of fosty goodness then pretending that it's the last bit of food you'll ever have because your stranded on a tropical island.  As a teacher summer offers me that time for reflection and going through my materials to make changes for Septmeber. To read and create and renew.

I grew up in a household where everyone read - it wasn't a chore, it was just the way it was.

Now I see my own children - the new children of summer. They are doing many of the same things I did. My son is keeping a small journal - a tiny marble note book. A secret stash - so he can write down a few sentences to capture his daily adventures. He is reading about hobbits and wizards - a book some would say is too difficult for a seven year old... but it peaked his interest and he is reading it with his dad.   I see it as more of a towline ushering in that next level that we teachers are so focused on (it's nice to know Richard Allington agrees with me on this one). Be a kid, write your video

game cheat sheets to share with your friends, read about magic, and play Dodge Ball.

Think back to an event that is like a watermark for all others there was a lesson there. Don't we learn the most when we are having some emotional response?  Research tells us that memory is greatly enhanced when lived experiences have an emotional tag. The amygdala plays a critical role in learning so what does that mean?  It's up to us to create sacred spaces for learning to occur.  If we try to plan everything is smacks of insincerity.  Sometimes there has to be learning that is germane to the beach, park, or backyard.  What makes it count is the time we spend talking  with our children rather than talking at them. 

Sometimes solutions are simple, let them be, but be involved.  Check out this description of Balanced Literacy.  Think about it, isn't this really what we are providing for children if we are involved?  School is not the four walls and a desk.  It is the world - and we are their guides leading them to discovery.  So have some fun with a child you love today.  Have some experiences and read and write along the way.  You'll both be better for it come September.