Partner Writing

Good evening everyone!

     I just wanted to share with you what we worked on today. My 3rd period class completed a partner/group writing assignment we started last week. I mentioned in my last post a little bit about this lesson, but I wanted to give you more details about it.

     First, we read two passages together as a class. I explained that each passage will have 3 different writing prompts to go with it.
Next, I had students think about which passage they would want to read/write about. They wrote down the name of a the passage on a slip of paper, but did not discuss their choice with anyone.
After they made their chose on a sheet of paper, they chose a corner. In each corner of the room I had the name of the different passages.
     Once students chose a corner, they paired up with the person closest to them by getting back-to-back.One partner gathered the materials they would need, while the other partner chose a place anywhere in the room to sit.
     With their partner(s), they re-read the passage and asked each other higher order thinking questions using a laminated question card sheet (I forgot to take a picture of this, but it is from the Kagan Cooperative Learning Book). Each partner asked the other 3 HOTS questions.
After finishing the passage, the students chose a writing prompt and wrote together. The students were able to choose from an opinion, informative, or narrative writing. I gave them a checklist of things I was looking for in all of the writings. (This is a habit my students are in. I always give them a checklist so they know exactly what I'm looking for). The person whose first name is closest to the beginning of the alphabet kept track of time. (I always keep a timer on my board going so they know how much time we have left. I use Kagan Timer Tools). At the end of the lesson, the person whose name is closest to the end of the alphabet filled out an Exit Slip. The Exit Slip had the student rate how they worked together with their partner and included details they read about today.
I have an Exit Slip folder section by my door. The student who filled out the slip put it in the folder that they felt comfortable with. The folders are labeled "Got it", "Kind of", "Almost", and "Nope!". They know to put the Exit Slip in the folder that fits their understanding of the lesson. This way, I know who I need to work with or how I need to tweak my lesson in the future.

Here are some pictures of my students working today!

I allowed this class to work in groups of three. (This class is my largest class, so it made it a little easier on me).

The partners wrote one writing together. All had to contribute.

Some students chose to work alone. Before I had the students get back to back. I told the students that want to work alone to go ahead and get their supplies and find a seat.

The students read a passage titled "Advantages on the Field". This passage was about a female soccer player at tryouts. They also read "Pandora's Box". Here are the sheets that show the choices they had. The pink sheet is their checklist, and the blue sheet is the Exit Slip.

The passages come from 5th Grade Common CoreWriting to Texts. I purchased this at our local teacher store.

Here is a picture of my Exit Slip folders.

I hope this lesson is beneficial and gives you guys some great ideas! Have a great evening!

P.S. What do you think of my new blog banner and button? I really like my new avatar!

Pushing Myself and Students During Test Prep

Good morning all,

Next week starts the beginning of major test-prep for my students. We are taking the PARCC or a PARCC-like assessment in March and in May. I have been using cold read (reading comprehension) assessments from Wonders and from a few books I purchased at a teacher store. Next week we will be using Count Down to Common Core from the Wonders website and soon after that we will use the PARCC practice test online.

I have my students' best interest at heart, and I will do everything I can to prepare them for the assessment. I know my kiddos will be burnt out on testing.

Last week we had a professional development, and our administration showed this wonderful video. I wanted to share it with you all. Sometimes we need to push our students to succeed on high-stakes assignments and tests, and sometimes we need to push ourselves to be better teachers- more prepared, better examples, etc.

I hope this video encourages you during this difficult yet imperative time!

Five for Fridays!

 This week I've been enjoying my time at the beach! Yesterday I went running along the beach. It was so peaceful! We are in Ocean Springs for Treg's job. It's been really awesome getting away for a little while. 

Even though I've been on vacation, I couldn't completely leave work at home! lol I finished The Apprenticeship of Lucas Whitaker. I have to say, this book is so fantastic! I'm so glad that I found this gem! It has such great vocabulary and history! I'm currently working on a Common Core Book Study for this book. It will be for 4th-6th grade. This book is definitely (in my opinion) on par with Number the Stars (one of the other novels I'll be teaching). 

The Apprenticeship of Lucas Whitaker is a historical fiction book about a boy who loses his family to consumption (tuberculosis) and learns of a bizarre "cure". When he takes a job as apprentice to the town doctor, he learns about the scientific approach to healing, but seeing so many die, he desperately wants to help other families try the cure that might save his family.

It's so good! I highly recommend this for 5th grade classrooms!

I've been reading a lot of articles on Reddit.com this week. I'm not really a novel girl. I love to read and learn, but I prefer articles and research. If anyone has never heard of Reddit, I definitely recommend it to anyone who loves news, science, and history! They also have an education and teacher journal!

I discovered this show last night on Netflix, and I am officially obsessed! Anyone else watch this show? No spoilers please! lol I'm only on episode 3. I love crime and mystery!

So, I decided to try Plexus Slim. My dad and his wife, Becky, use it. They say that it makes them feel so much healthier and have more energy. I love health and fitness. I'm a pescatarian (A vegetarian who still eats seafood). I love working out, but since i've started a new medicine my doctor put me on, I've had a hard time maintaining my weight. I'm hoping this product will help me tone up since I'm taking it along with working out and eating healthy. Has anyone ever tried Plexus? What do you think about it? Did it work for you?

I hope you all have had a fantastic week! I look forward to reading your Five for Fridays!

Whole Brain Teaching Strategies

I am currently in Alexandria for the Whole Brain Teaching National Conference. I wanted to share the things I really like about Whole Brain Teaching. Just like most teachers, I take the pieces of trainings that will work for my style of teaching and my classroom. I use Kagan strategies, routines, and management in my classroom, but I still plan on implementing some of the WBT (Whole Brain Teaching) techniques. Below are the strategies I really like about WBT. 

1. Class-Yes!
Class-Yes is a way to get students' full attention back on you. I plan to use this as well as the Kagan strategy "Signal Please!" with the hand up.

2. Mirror Words
Mirror words is when the students repeat the words and gestures the teacher says and does.

3. Help
Students say "Help" when they need help completing a sentence or thought orally. The rest of the students quietly give them help. You can see this in the first video on number 6.

4. "You're still cool!"
When a student or teacher makes a mistake everyone else says, "You're still cool!" You can see this in the first video on number 6.

5. Classroom Rules and how to implement the 5 rules

There are 5 rules in WBT. You can see the students in the video below practicing each rule. (It is at the beginning of the video).

I plan to use these 5 rules, but I have altered them to match my rules. 
My rules include:
1) Follow directions Quickly
2) Raise a One to speak
3) Raise a Two to leave your seat
4) Raise a Three for an emergency
5) Make smart choices!
6) Make your dear teacher happy

In order to continue to practice the classroom rules here are 3 strategies to implement:

1) 3 Repeat
Example: Teacher says, "Pencils." Student says, "Pencils, Pencils, Pencils" as they take out their pencils.

2) Rule 2 Cue
Example: Teacher says, "Rule 2." Students say, "Raise a one to speak!" <- this can be used when a student forgets the rule.

3) Rule 3 Cue

Example: Teacher says, "Rule 3." Students say, "Raise a two to leave your seat!"

4) Smart/Foolish Discussion
Example: When students do something like make fun of someone, hit someone, etc. This is a good time to stop the lesson and discuss what a smart and foolish choice is and what that student could have done better.

6. WBT Oral Writing 

I really like the oral writing in order to scaffold students from a sentence to an essay. WBT writing also connects to the CCSS standard of supporting writing with evidence. Although I believe it is important to orally practice one's writing, I think that it is just as important to practice brainstorming and writing on paper. I would not use the oral writing in every writing lesson. 

Jasselle Cruz was one of my break-out session presenters. In this video, you see her 5th graders attempt to spontaneously create an oral essay on a topic they have never seen. Each student rapidly tosses in a sentence. The students also create imaginary research to support each of their main points. The imaginary research will help students know how to include a "deep citation" using real research in their actual writing. 

In this video you will also see students using the "help" gesture, Jasselle's alternative to "Class-Yes!" ("Class started from the bottom now we're here"), students using the "You're still cool" phrase, and students using the grammar "brainies". 

This is a sixth-grade science lesson using the five step plan for writing sentences. The sentences include strong evidence and are supported with examples and details.

7. Hands and Eyes

Hands and eyes is used to direct the students attention back on you. It is an alternative to the usual "class-yes" technique. This strategy is used when you have something VERY important to say. Students should fold their hands and look at the teacher.

Here is a picture form the WBT conference with some awesome teachers and administrators!

I hope you enjoyed the videos! You can find more videos here! You can also check out the WBT website.

The struggle of teaching writing- How to break the silence

     In C.s. Lewis' novel The Horse and His Boy, part of "The Chornicles of Narnia" series, an aristocratic young lady from a country called Calormen is called upon to relate her tale. Lewis describes the lady's audience as listening passionately, "For in Calormen, story-telling is a thing you're taught, just as English boys and girls are taught essay-writing. The difference is that people want to hear the stories, whereas I never heard of anyone who wanted to read the says." How depressingly true this is!

     The most difficult part of the writing process is having something to say. Writing is mostly the gathering and structuring of ideas. So the question is, how do we give our students something to say? It's difficult for students to find their voice. However, it is only after gathering enough knowledge to have an opinion, is the student really ready to write. In order to begin answering this question, we need to look into the writing process.

     Prewriting helps students sum up what they have to say, which helps them come up with some idea of how to say it. Prewriting can come in many forms-- clustering, outlining, brainstorming, or pair-discussion. Of course, prewriting only works if they have the background knowledge to back up their thoughts. For an opinion or informative essay, this means research; for a narrative, this means close reading of a text. Only then after gathering enough knowledge to have an opinion, is the student really ready to write.

     The next step is drafting. The mantra is: "Just get it down on paper. Don't worry about spelling and grammar. We can fix it later." In Anne Lamott's book Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, she makes a solid case for the shabby first draft as a necessary part of the creative process. Anne warns against perfectionism, which she dubs "the voice of the oppressor." As a writer myself, I greatly appreciate this part of the process. I am a creative writer at heart and definitely prefer to just get my thoughts on paper. The raw first draft is the bare-bones of my writing, but without it my writing would sound formulaic and too structured to ever keep a reader's attention. So when I see a student starting at a blank page, I whisper "Just get it down on paper. Don't worry about spelling and grammar. We can fix it later. Just tell me what you think."

     Next comes revision, which is the most difficult part of the writing process. Revision requires looking at one's own writing to see if the objectives have been met. Has the question been answered? Has the thesis been proven? Is there sufficient proof? In other words, is the paper clear to the reader? Many students are used to writing in a very prescriptive manner- a literature-based question neatly formulated to b answered with three main supports, hence with introduction and conclusion, the standard five-paragraph essay. This mechanized form of writing is neither exciting nor artistic. This type of writing is important, don't get me wrong. According to Andy Waddell, author of "Writing about Writing" in the American Educator, [revision] teaches students how to speak in a formal voice and provides an outline for them to check each other's papers. For example, a student can check the writing by simply asking, "Are there two specific details per body paragraph?" "Are they correctly introduced?"

     Many parents are upset with the new Common Core State Standards. I am all for them! The CCSS spell out what we should have been doing all along: using writing to teach subject matter, and use subject matter to teach writing! The state standards require students to "write routinely over extended periods of time (for research, reflection, and revision) as well as shorter periods of time (single sitting or a couple days) for a range of purposes and audiences." This standards doesn't just apply to English, but to all subjects. Furthermore, standards such as "Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to manage the complexity of a topic," and "Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone" clearly spell out how we need to teach writing. I have high hopes for the new CCSS and I believe that they will help students become better students in college and more prepared for their careers. If a student can think and put their thoughts on paper in an organized fashion, they will be prepared for the work place. Writing teaches students how to disagree politely and speak in a formal style.

     Practicing writing is key. Students can't meet the standards without practice. Students come to class feeling like they don't have the ideas or skill to write. We must demystify the writing process. To do this, I read a short story to the students that is highly engaging and the transformation of the character is so clear that writing the essay is simple. First, I ask for words to describe the character and ask the students to find two quotes that describe him. I have the students mark the quotes in the story and then share with the person next to them. Each pair reads  the best quote aloud until we have four or five to choose from.

     Next, I ask for descriptions of the character at the end of the story. They repeat the process of finding good evidence form the text. We discuss which words are more effective in describing the character. Once I have their words, we can create a thesis together. Besides telling them we need to mention the author and title at the beginning of their essay, I remind them that every word must come from them. It cannot be copied directly from the story. Then we discuss what our body paragraph is going to be about. (What the character is like in the beginning.) We add in the concrete details and repeat.

     When it comes time for them to write their own, I can show them the essay we wrote together. By using their words, I prove to them that they already have enough ideas and skill to meet the new high expectation of CCSS. Andy Waddell says, "Students have enough insight, not just to retell the story, but to speak about what the author accomplished and the effect he or she created." Andy goes on to say that after he has taught them how to write all he can hear is the "scritch-scratch of pen on paper. Their brows are furrowed. [The students] are struggling. Of course they are; they're writing."

     So, how do we give our students something to say? We give them a voice by teaching them how to research or closely read a text. We provide a safe setting and instill confidence in their writing by practicing an essay together. We show them that they do in fact have enough skill and insight to write. They do have opinions. We also must remember that it is okay for students to struggle. Writing is in fact "a struggle against silence" (Carlos Fuentes).

Need help teaching nonfiction texts and citing text evidence? Part II

Part II Teaching Nonfiction and Citing Text Evidence

Alright guys, I promised you that I'd deliver a Part II of my previous post. This time I'm going to share a lesson with you that I learned in a workshop. This lesson uses nonfiction text to teach students how to cite text evidence and utilize cooperative learning. This lesson should be taught after teaching the first three mini lessons in Part I (summarizing, drawing conclusions, and generating questions). First, I will show you the steps for the students during this lesson. Then, I will go through the entire lesson.

Steps:

1) Students choose an article

2) Students predict what the article will be about, scan the article, and talk to their face partner or shoulder partner about their predictions.

3) Independently read the article.

4) Students re-read the article taking notes with sticky notes--summarizing each paragraph

5) Students write down a summery on a large index card. At the bottom of the card, the student should write their conclusion (i.e. What did he/she learn? What is the main idea?)

6) On the back of the index card, the student should write a question to ask a classmate.

7) Students will participate in Stand-Up, Hand-Up, Pair-Up Kagan Structure. (See Kagan.com). The students will take turns asking each other their questions, reading their summaries, and giving their conclusions. The partner must answer their question after hearing the summary.

Monkey Business Lesson

First, the teacher should show this video titled Monkey Business Illusion from YouTube to hook the students. Ask the students to watch the white team pass the ball and count how many times they pass the ball.

After the video, ask the students if they saw the gorilla or the curtains change colors. Explain that the brain has a limited capacity to focus when given a task.

After the video read the article "We are Blind to Our Blindness" from delanceyplace.com.

Model to students how to summarize each paragraph using sticky notes. (See Part I for instructions).

After summarizing, model with the students how to take those sticky nots and write a summary on an index card and a conclusion. Finally, model how to generate a question (See Part I for instructions).

Last, students will complete the process independently using the steps above. 

This lesson hits on a lot of Common Core tasks: students get a choice in the article they want to read, students create high order questions to ask each other, students are cooperatively working together, and students are summarizing.

RI.5.2, RI.5.7, SL.5.1, SL.5.2

* This lesson came from a workshop titled Where's the Evidence by Suzanne Flores and Julie Scruggs.

I hope this lesson helps some of you!

Need help teaching nonfiction texts and citing text evidence?

Part I Teaching Nonfiction and Citing Text Evidence

We all know that with the switch to Common Core 50% of elementary and 70% of secondary reading instruction needs to be nonfiction texts. This also applies to math, social studies, and science curriculum. So in order to reach this, teachers need to have creative lessons that involve nonfiction text. The Common Core standards also require students to cite text evidence. That's easier said than done. How can teachers achieve this standard and teach it at a level their students need? Well, I have a few suggestions for you!

First, here are three great websites with nonfiction articles of high interest.
www.delanceyplace.com
www.nowiknow.com
www.todayifoundout.com

Before requiring your students to cite evidence, you (as the teacher) need to teach students how to summarize, draw conclusions, and formulate questions. Here are some suggestions for teaching these three mini-lessons.

1) When teaching summarizing, especially if you are in a lower elementary class, it's all about modeling! Read a non-fiction article to the students. The, re-read the article paragraph by paragraph. After you read the first paragraph, ask students what it was about. Remember to take away the article when asking this question. After students give you their answer, take their answers and formulate a sentence that summarizes the paragraph on a sticky note. Continue to model this with each paragraph. (See image below). 

Students often have a difficult time putting text into their own words. Many students are taught to look for key words. This can be a great strategy when answering a comprehension question from a text. However, this is a horrible technique to use when attempt to write an essay in their own words based on a  text. Instead, have students read an article all the way through. Then have students verbally say what they read. This is their summary. 

2) Before teaching students how to draw conclusions, you need to first teach them how to summarize. After they are able to generate a summary, they can then tackle drawing conclusions. Students need to be able to give reasons that support their conclusions. (This is what the summary is for). 

To model drawing conclusions, first you will need to draw a graphic organizer on the board consisting of several squares connected with arrow to a larger rectangle. In order to draw a conclusions (point to the rectangle), you need to make sure to have plenty of support (the squares). Once you have modeled this a few times, allow students to choose a nonfiction text that you've already discussed to make this process easier. Help them to use the graphic organizer to draw conclusions from the text. Once they are familiar with the process, have them repeat with an unfamiliar text.

3) Now for the kicker. Teaching students how to formulate their own questions after reading is one of the hardest tasks required by Common Core, especially for elementary students. A great way to teach students how to generate questions is to use 5 Domains of Higher Order Thinking Questions. Create a large poster with the 5 domains: Recall, Apply, Compare, Infer, and Evaluate. Add question starter templates under each category (See images below). Explain to the students that each domain increases in difficulty. 

Create Index cards with a different domain listed on a card. Have students draw a card and practice generating a question in that domain. 

Check back soon for Part II!