The Power of Positive Grammar

GUMS–Grammar, Usage, Mechanics, Spelling.  If there were really a way to get around teaching this business in fifth grade, I’d have found it.  Since it is un-getaroundable, I’m trying to figure out a more positive approach.  I’ve been hanging on to a DOL (daily oral language) program, because it doesn’t seem harmful and is quickly done [...]

Summer Goals Update Part 2

I’m reading the third and final professional book on my summer list.  Well, I actually have picked up a few more, but Choice Words by Peter Johnston is the last I committed to finish by summer’s end.  I wrote a bit about Peter Johnston after attending a panel last fall at the NWP/NCTE convention in NYC.  [...]

Craft Cracking

I have a rather terrible habit of assuming conscious negative intent when “higher-ups” (or their potential henchpeople) mention professional titles.  I anticipate more bolted-on, poorly supported shifts in curriculum and practices that don’t end up benefiting students as promised and promoted.  So during the last week of school, an enthusiastic literacy coach dropped the title Cracking [...]

Rereading and Highlighting

I finished Notebook Know-How: Strategies for the Writer’s Notebook by Aimee Buckner yesterday.  Some useful ideas from a teacher/writer who is clearly very thoughtful.  Sadly, I did not get the magic shortcut for the one universally perfect way to help students organize their writer’s notebooks.  But I did get some promising ideas for ways to [...]

Rethinking Writer’s Notebook Work

No, I have not finished Notebook Know-How by Aimee Buckner yet.  But I need to write about what I want to stick with me now, or it’ll just fade away.  I’ve read the first two chapters, and what I’m enjoying most is just reading the thoughts of someone as geeked about growing young writers as I [...]

Digital Storytelling

My class completed their digital stories a couple of weeks ago.  For their first attempt, they’re pretty good.  Having to collaborate on a group project and doing informational pieces made the projects extra-challenging.  I wish I could share them online, but they used lots of copyrighted images, so these particular projects will have to stay [...]

The Podcast’s the Thing

Here I am, trying to get back on the reflective blogging again!  In my class’ most recent publishing cycle, a handful of my students chose to blog their pieces–something we’ve done with great success in the past.  Another handful chose to podcast.  Though I’ve fallen down on the job of promoting their work, I plan [...]

Nonfiction Writing–WOWstyle

Hey WOWsers, welcome to my blog.
I’m happy to say that, thanks to my fellow RCWP colleague Jennifer O’Brien, I helped deliver a workshop yesterday that was okay.  The focus was on nonfiction writing, and I made a commitment to share my materials online–so here they are!
    First, I slapped together an assignment on TrackStar to [...]

Assessment That Doesn’t Suck

I’m happily plopped on a friend’s couch in Seattle, trying to enjoy the last few days of winter break, but needing to look ahead to the next six months at the same time.  I hate multitasking.  I pulled out my work bag early in the a.m. and started scoring this groovy little assessment I had [...]

Mandated Reading Program? No Sweat

So I’m in New York, and with the crazy schedule and general wacky pace of the city, this is the first opportunity I’ve had to blog about my learning at the National Writing Project’s Annual Meeting. Lots of shiny lights and distractions.
I attended a great session yesterday on getting creative with mandated curriculum. The Californians [...]