DDB

Unfortunately our time with Cheryl was postponed due to snow; however, I believe the plan is to rescheudule for the spring.  Joe collected our info, so he oculd share it with Cheryl.  I am hoping we will get some constructive feedback.  In the meantime, I thought this post could be a way to share some of our ideas and reflections.  Please post as an individual one of your Type 2 writings.  Discuss what worked and what did not. OR  Post one Type 2 that worked and one that did not.  Then, share what caused success in one and frustration/difficulty/etc. in the other.  OR Share what you have learned about your students and yourself through the reflection piece/types of writing.  Think back to the one I shared in our meeting.

Respond to the two questions below:

Discussion Question #1: What advantages do you see in using the gradual release of
responsibility (modeling, peer learning, and independent
experiences) for vocabulary instruction? What would/could/should this look like in the classroom?

Discussion Question #2: Could a schoolwide approach maximize the vocabulary expertise
at our school? What do you envision this might look like?

After we listen to all of the podcasts, I will post two more discussion questions. This second discussion will not be “due” until Feb. I will share the date via email or at our next meeting.

Click on Link:

If you are unfamiliar with blogging, please watch the video Blogging in Plain English (video from leelefever -commoncraft).

In what ways could we use blogging in our department? with our students? If you visit the site http://budtheteacher.blogspot.com ,you can read about the journey one teacher and his students took to implement blogs in their classroom. It introduces the potential/possibilities of weblogs.

In the book, Creating Writers Through 6-Trait Writing, Vicki Spandel states that consistent language and assessment are two of the top ten benefits of 6 Trait Writing. On page 7 of the book, the two paragraphs that discuss consistency made me think:If we are not all consistent in our thinking (what good writing is), our teaching (use of consistent/common language), and our assessing (rubrics), how do we expect our students to become better writers? I don’t think we can expect their writing to improve if we do not give them consistent instruction, an opportunity to practice and consistent feedback. I know we have been working on school wide benchmark assessments and I believe grade levels are getting better about consistency, but I don’t know if we are on the same page grades 6-8. What are your thoughts?

As I have been reading,  I am taking note as to what I need to work on, but I also am thinking about how this may impact our department and most importantly our students.   I am so glad that we are all participating in the 6 trait session; I believe this will be something we can move forward with and make recognizable progress- unlike our grammar discussions (another post on another day ). I also believe this will open up a line of discussion – one that will bring about positive change and success.  See you July 22.