Saturday, January 24, 2009
Writer's Notebook ch.5&6 group d 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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4 comments:
MEATY QUESTIONS:
1) I love the idea of using children's literature as a jumping off point for student writing. What are some texts that you have used in your class to inspire students to write?
2) I've taught in the writers' workshop many times with many successes, but for some of my Special Ed. students or reluctant writers, the minilessons seemed to confuse them more than help them. What successes have you had in your classes using the writers' workshop format? What are some ways that you have used to ensure that the minilessons are effective for all students?
CONNECTIONS TO MY TEACHING:
I have quite a bit of experience using both writers' workshop and using children's literature in the classroom. I was reminded of some great children's books in chapter five that I could use to inspire student writing. What I found new and interesting, however, is how the Elliott book organizes the books into themes/subjects for writing. For example, I love the idea of using The House on Mango street to have students explore their names.
I loved teaching writers' workshop although I haven't had the opportunity to do so in a few years. Guiding students through the writing process to a polished finished product is tremendously rewarding. I like the idea of using the writer's notebook as a springboard for ideas and having students write a discovery draft. I love that it makes them revisit their ideas by closing their notebooks, almost forcing them to reflect on what they wrote the first time.
CONNECTIONS TO MY WRITER'S NOTEBOOK
I haven't had much time to write in my notebook this week, but I have an idea that I started working on last week. It is just a seed right now, but I can see myself writing a discovery draft and having it become a substantial piece of writing. It was during CMT week, and I started to notice that all around me people were trying to understand everything in the world by quantifying it. Standardized testing supposedly tells us how well our students are learning, statistics supposedly tell us who will win every basketball game, the DOW Jones average is supposedly a barometer for how well the president is doing. It all seems a little narrow minded to me and a severely flawed way to look at the world. That's about as far as I've carried the idea right now, but I think that I'll be ready to try a discovery draft... if I ever get the time.
IMPLICATIONS FOR INTEGRATED UNIT:
The more I consider it, the more I think that I will try to use a writer's notebook in my unit. The writing piece at the end of the unit is a diary entry based on the novel "Bull Run" written from the point of view of a civil war soldier. While this part of the unit is going to be done in the students' LA class--I teach reading--I think that I can help the students to gather ideas for their diaries by using the writer's notebook format. I can definitely have them use the YA novels that they will read in the unit as jumping off points for their writing as suggested in chapter 6.
Ok. That's all for now. I can't wait to see what you both think.
Hello!
Unfortunately, I don't teach writing to my students so it's hard for me to make too many connections related to my direct teaching. Reading and writing are not combined in 6th grade, which truly makes no sense!!
Nate, your questions were great, but I can't really connect. Perhaps April will have some good insight. My questions are more geared towards gaining a better understanding of the writing process.
MEATY QUESTIONS:
1) I use children's literature a lot to model with reading lessons, but never thought about how they could be used to inspire writing ideas. Have either of you used children's literature for students, especially relucatant writers who struggle for inspriation?
2) The writer's workshop seems like it can be very successful, but finding around 60 minutes a day for students to write seems impossible!!! Can students reach the same success without a solid hour of writing time each day?
CONNECTIONS TO MY TEACHING:
I haven't taught writing, ever, so my connections will be related to what I think would work/wouldn't work if I were to ever teach it. I think using the children's literature books as a springboard for ideas is fabulous. It would be neat to have a place where the books could be available to students right in the classroom and perhaps even categorized by different topics (memories, holidays/traditios, names, special places, school, friends, pets, and feelings/moods). Students would be more likely to use these books for ideas if they were acessible to them. We need to find a way to make our students excited about their writing. When kids were younger, they used to get so excited to share their comments and experiences about childrens books that were read aloud to them. As teachers, we need to find ways to spark this same excitement in order to show them the kinds of connections and thinking they can write about.
CONNECTIONS TO MY WRITER'S NOTEBOOK:
A lot of what I write about in my writer's notebook is based on memories, experiences, feelings, emotions, etc. However, I am excited to use some of the children lit. titles (related to the above topics) to inspire some of my ideas and to make strong connections to literature. I usually write in my notebook with one persepective in mind: my own. However, it would be interesting to see if my perspective would change at all in my writing if I read about other peoples' experiences.
IMPLICATIONS FOR INTEGRATED UNIT:
The students will be using their writer's notebook to make connections to their experiences with water conservation and water pollution. They will be writing letters to loal government agencies to ask them to make them aware of the issues we are facing related to water in our environment. Perhaps I could find some children's literature that could inspire some of their thoughts and ideas for their writing throughout the unit.
Look forward to hearing more!
Finding 60 minutes a day to write is impossible at the middle level. However, I've found that middle school kids can't really handle much more than between 30-45 minutes anyway, so it isn't a huge issue.
As for modeling writing after reading, I've had kids write children's books around Black History figures, limericks after studying the form, and explore voice and point of view after reading books like Emako Blue or Seedfolks. It is a very successful way to teach writing and also works for a kind of extension/alternate assignment if you do reader's workshop. As for the reluctant writers, it sometimes helps them to have a model, but usually they are also reluctant readers so it is sometimes a curse. "You mean you want me to read this first and then WRITE like this!?!?" is a typical response. It's all about presentation and chunking it into palatable spoonfuls for those kids.
Response & Connections To My Teaching:
Sarah, I find it ironic that you do not teach writing! If we are to help make connections between reading and writing for our students, then how can we possibly that we teach them separately? Funny!! When I taught sixth grade (in the elementary school) our reading and writing blocks were also separately as well. ha! As far as your questions are concerned Nate, when I taught third grade, I tried to choose literature based on the students interests, favorite authors, and depending on the time of year I would choose texts that would help me get to know the students. We had a thematic unit in the beginning of the school year that was called "Getting Along" and this had to do with problem and solution, character education and how to get along with others. I used texts that would lend it to setting the expectations for the year. I know this does not completely answer your questions, but there were so many books we used!! They were constantly changing based on the students. I thought our book gave great suggestions about children’s literature to use in the classroom and impact readers in different ways. I wish I had this book as a resource when I was teaching!! I think 60 minutes is an appropriate amount of time for a writing block. The first 15 minutes is for a whole group/shared writing/mini-lesson and then 40 minutes to write and 5 minutes to share. I find that as with anything, once the students get used to writing and given examples through teacher modeling and guided practice they build up their writing stamina.
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