Saturday, January 24, 2009
Writer's Notebook ch.3&4 group a 650pm
View the first sample chapters (available on line) Using the Writer's Notebook in Grades 3-8: A Teacher's Guide at (http://www1.ncte.org/library/files/Store/Books/Sample/35006chap1-2_x.pdf) and begin your writers notebook then post entries on Class Blog. Engage in an online discussion group on our class blog. Please read designated chapters and 1)propose “meaty” fat questions to discuss, 2) make connections to your teaching and work with students, and 3) make connections to your work as a writer (ie Keep your own notebook and share your response to it), 4)Please respond to two of your classmates’s entries in your study group, 4) Consider how what you have learned from this book might support the work of your integrated language arts unit.
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6 comments:
Does keeping a writer’s notebook require one to be a certain type of thinker? The part of these chapters that struck me the most was the opening quote of chapter 3. Lucy Calkins (whose work I love) says “We can’t give our children rich lives, but we can give them the lens to appreciate the richness that is already there in their lives. Notebooks validate a child’s existence.” I love this quote, and find it to be so true. We cannot give our students the lives that we wish they had; but we can help them to better appreciate the good things that are in their lives. However, it did make me wonder: Do you have to be a “stop and smell the roses” type of person to keep a writer’s notebook? What if someone just isn’t that type of person? Can you fill a writers’ notebook with math equations and still have it be a valuable experience?
In my own writing, I find this part difficult. I find myself always searching for something that will sound good…something that will seem deep and observant and meaningful. I hear other people talk about how they start with a to-do list and it evolves into something so much deeper and more important to them. Yet I feel like my notebook never evolves and instead just stays as a to-do list. I know that I need to stop judging my work, and just let it be what it is, but I just can’t seem to stop. I go back and reread and feel embarrassed about what I wrote. I am going to start using some of the ideas in chapter 3 to help me find more meaningful topics to write about.
I did learn from the idea of a writing seed. I use Lucy Calkin’s Unit of Study in my first grade classroom, and one of the things my students struggle with is what to write. I tell them to write about things that have happened in their own life. I know the idea is that beauty can be found in every day things. Yet I have found that six-year olds, without any other instruction, are not so good at finding moments in their life worth writing about. I have read more stories about buying bread and cereal at Stop & Shop than I like to admit. This idea of a writing seed…of giving students instruction in how to find things that are meaningful and important to them, and not just things that they have done, will help me better encourage this kind of writing with my students. Also, as the author states, finding a topic that interests the writer is half the battle when teaching reluctant writers.
As far as work with my integrated unit, I found that the ideas in chapter 4 will be very helpful when I plan. It talks about appreciating nature and writing about observations. I can see students use this as we work with nonfiction. Just as it is important to observe when we write, it is also important to be observant when we are learning about other things. I think I will be using some of the idea gathering techniques given in my unit, as well as having students focus on the five senses when looking at something new.
At the start of the chapter, the author discusses "planting a seed" in order to find a meaningful topic. I agree with this concept at any grade level, however in the primary grades I know some students require additional support to be successful. Through modeling and discussion the students are able to brainstorm possible meaningful topics they can focus on. I found this quote to be very powerful and what I am often wondering. “When writing becomes personal and meaningful, half the battle is won with reluctant writers.” My problem is that I thought the students were supposed to have the freedom to write what they want in the notebook. How do I still support the lower level students who need that extra support, but allow them to have the freedom they need in the notebook?
I tried the web activity in my class; have you found any of the other activities to be successful at a first grade level?
Joy, in response to your question, because of the freedom of the notebook any type of student can show success just at various levels. I understand this even more after reading these two chapters and learning the various activities you can use with the notebook.
My Classroom Connections-
In first grade, we use the writer's workshop model, which allows the students to work on a small moment unit, which are short stories about their own true lives. I feel this unit enables the students to understand the focus and need for a writer's notebook later in the year.
I am always using cute names to help the students remember
This week I tried the “Web” idea where I gave my class a concept and they wrote ideas related to the central theme. I found this to be an effective activity, especially for my lower level students who tend to procrastinate when it comes to writing. I noticed the web allowed my students to visualize the amount of ideas they had about the concept, by brainstorming prior to writing. Each student had the independence to choose the idea that was meaningful to them before writing. Due to the amount of participation along with the success of the activity, I will try it again this week with a new topic.
My Writer’s Notebook-
I have used my notebook this week as a source to let go a great deal of questions, curiosity and anger. I like that I have a place to write, draw or sketch my thoughts because I feel it sometimes helps me to relax and really deepen my understanding of how to solve a particular problem. I like that it is a place I can use writing to reflect on my life in any particular way.
My Integrated Unit-
I am brainstorming a way I can integrate the web activity into my unit. I feel it will be an interesting way to develop concepts about the life cycle. I also am intrigued with the list idea so am wondering how I could develop this activity as part of my unit. As Joy stated, I will also be using some concepts from Chapter 4, as I feel they tie in nicely with the observations my students will need to make during the unit.
Chapter 3 and 4:
Planting Seeds: What a wonderful title! I love the author’s choice of words as she begins to discuss the importance of beginning to write and the root of writing. I also use this metaphor with my students as I often say, “our ideas are like seeds and we need to write all our ideas down in order to create something beautiful.”
Observing Our World: Another great title that supports the value of our five senses if life and in writing!
I enjoyed reading both chapters and found myself making many connections to my life, my teaching, and my notebook. I have also started to ask questions about how I can effectively use this model in my integrated language arts unit.
MY QUESTIONS:
Chapter 3:
Once students decide what they are going to “write” about, how do we get them to enrich their writing? (Add details)
Chapter 4: I love all the discussion about having students observe (but also being careful, as there are some things we don’t want kids to see or hear).
Again, I love how students can write down all their thoughts (seeds), but how do we get all students to create elaborative stories? I guess this is one of my weaknesses, as my all my students have an increased interested when they are writing their ideas; however, lose momentum when they have to take one seed that they planted and turn it into a written piece. Any suggestions?
My connections to teaching:
While reading chapter 3 I had several connections to my personal teaching and the value of writing in my classroom. Based on Lucy Calkins, Small Moments, (Kim and Joy, we do think alike!) I share with students that their lives are meaningful and their experiences are worth writing. Much like the quote by Frank McCourt, “Nothing is significant until we make it significant,” I agree that we (as teachers) need to teach students to value their lives. I often have my students use their personal experiences to create truthful stories, as I agree with Elliot, in that, telling the truth can create meaningful stories. Students use their experiences and explain them in writing. Some students write about their trip to their grandma’s house while others write about going to the gas station to get a gallon of milk. As Joy said, I too, sometimes feel that students have difficulties finding meaning moments in their lives. But who’s to say that going to the grocery store cannot be a meaningful moment. Either way, students are sharing their story and becoming transforming into writers.
I love the honesty of Elliot, as she shares realistic experiences that make me nod my head as I read, as I too, have similar experiences with my students. For instance, my school is located in an urban district near a water department and a grocery store. Even though we do have a playground and field (thankfully) the grass area usually has liter scattered over it from the night before and there are inappropriate language scripted all over the slides. Our custodian tries to keep the area clean for our students, however, with nightly visitors; our playground is often a site for loitering. Even though our area may not be a quiet country field covered with blooming daffodils, I encourage my students to look beyond the human-destructiveness and see the beauty all around them, much like Elliot mentioned. I demonstrate this by telling students what I see, hear, smell, and feel as we take a quiet walk around our school. Using the five senses has been a great tool for me and helping my students develop their writing skills. Through the five senses, my students are able to create descriptive stories and make connections to their own lives.
After reading chapters three and four, I feel that I am making good choices for my students and using effective strategies to help them become better writers.
I also am encouraged to have students write about the liter they see, as this is part of their lives. Who knows, maybe their poem about litter on the playground or words on the playground will be a success.
My connections to my writer’s notebook:
As I continue to write in my notebook, I notice that my entries are changing as I read different ideas/suggestions in Elliot’s book. I have now started writing my own seeds and food for thought in my notebook. I have also started to write quotes and short stories based on my experiences. Reading this book alongside my writing is truly helping me see the direct correlation between reading and writing and how my reading is effecting what I write. I am beginning to see myself as a writer and I enjoy writing in my notebook as I know it is for my eyes only and no one will be grading or judging what I write … it’s a liberating feeling! Also, as Joy asked: “Does keeping a writer’s notebook require one to be a certain type of thinker? I think that one (child or adult) needs to have an interest in writing in the notebook and want to write! For instance, this past weekend I was in Vermont with a few friends. As we walked down Church Street I had my writer’s notebook in hand and my husband (along with a few friends) had a hard time understanding WHY I was writing. I simply stated that I wanted to capture the moment. So, in response to Joy, I think one must want to write, however, I don’t think there has to be a certain type of thinker to keep a writer’s notebook.
IN RESPONSE to Kim’s question: “How do we support the lower level students who need extra support…? I think that we (as educators) need to provide extra support for students, however, let them TELL us what they want to write and we can then provide assistance based on their wants. Also, I have my students who are still emerging as writers, just write or draw to express their feelings. For instance, I have one student who writes a few words and draws pictures during our writing time, while other students write several pages. I think we, as first grade teachers, need to remember that we are working with six year olds and our job should focus on having students love learning.
Integrated Language Arts Unit:
As I continue to deepen my understanding of the writer’s notebook, I think I will incorporate much more writing in my integrated language arts unit then I have originally planned. Using the suggestions in chapter 3, planting seeds, I have few ideas about how I can incorporate this into my unit. I also love the examples provided in chapter 4 and would like to use the five senses to enrich students’ writing during the unit. Using the information gathered in the chapters, I have added two additional activities to my unit.
In response to Jessica's question, I think that the writer's notebook is a time for "planting seeds" as the chapter title indicated. But the process of taking that seed and turning it into a polished piece of work should be part of your writing instruction. I think the writer's notebook is intended to place to gather ideas, but not necessarily a place for more polished work.
In response to Kim's ideas, I think that working with reluctant writers and struggling students is always a challenge for us. Yet we need to find a way to differentiate the writer's notebook just like we differentiate everything else. Maybe they focus on drawing pictures instead of writing words, or maybe they can put some labels in their pictures. I think oftentimes the biggest hurdle with struggling writers is just to get them to put something on the page. For me, I think the most important aid in accomplishing this is to celebrate whatever they do, and push when you feel they are ready. That way they gain some independence, and they are not afraid to take risks in their writing.
Thanks Joy for your insight on my question. Yes, I agree that a writer's notebook is a place for planting seeds. What are some topics that you have your first-graders writer about in their notebooks? Do you brainstorm prior to having them write or is it a more personal approach in your class? I feel that I am still guiding students to write their thoughts.
I also agree with your thoughts on struggling writers. I too, celebrate ANYTHING my students write! I think you would agree with me that everything our students do is a milestone, as each day they overcome another challenge and develop as a writer.
Jess, I like your idea about using the five senses to encourage students to add more details in their writer's notebooks. I include a whole unit on the five senses when I get into my poetry unit so why not start now!
Thanks Joy for your comment about my struggling writers question. As you said, I too think the celebration and positive reinforcent of their accomplished work is the most important part.(no matter what it looks like!)
Jess to answer your question, I do not feel every piece of work your students write need to go through the entire writing process. As I read ahead to Chapter 6, it discussed the importance of choosing one or two of the student's favorite pieces to publish and celebrate with the class.
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