Tuesday, May 12, 2009
IES's new mission: comprehension
The IES, the research branch of the Department of Education, has just posted a "competition" to investigate comprehension in grades K-12. Read about it at EdWeek here.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Bubbl.us
Do you like Inspiration software? It's "mind-mapping" that helps students (and you) think visually. There's a web-based (free) program called Bubble.us that helps kid mind-map. And, of course, because it's web-based, you can share and collaborate. Check it out here: http://www.bubbl.us/index
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Podcasts for Encouraging Reading
NCTE's ReadWriteThink has a monthly podcast called "Text Messages" that are short book talks about high interests reads. I'm posting it because it might be a good place to get ideas for kids and because it might be a good model for a PROJECT for kids. Find examples here (under "podcasts and videos"). Here's the description at the site:
Text Messages: Recommendations for Adolescent ReadersText Messages is a
monthly podcast providing families, educators, out-of-school practitioners, and
tutors reading recommendations they can pass along to teen readers. Each episode
will feature an in-depth recommendation of one title as well as suggestions of
several other related books or films that will engage and excite teen
readers.
Common Text idea...
This from Jim Burke's Twitter page today (don't ask!)
- What would happen if kids chose their own books all year and the common text was a textbook we worked with largely in class? costs/benefits?
Lost Generation Video
You might have already seen this viral youtube video called "The Lost Generation." It came out of an AARP comptetition that asked people do define their generation. It's VERY clever. Thanks Chris, for sending me the link!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Online English Teacher Book Club
Here’s a professional development idea for you, especially if you’re a teacher of writing. I have blogged about the English Companion website (fabulous!) started by Jim Burke. He just sent me the following email about an online book club/discussion led by the authors of hip English teachery books. (Okay… he sent it to 2999 other people, too.)
Read the email in blue. If you’re interested, let me know. I’ll buy the book/s for you.
(fyi - Visit English Companion at: http://englishcompanion.ning.com)
A message to all members of English Companion
To celebrate hitting three thousand members (in only three months!), I want to announce the start of the English Companion Ning Book Club. EC Ning Book Club books will be:
- short and affordable so people can actually do the reading and participate in the discussion
- invite discussion from everyone regardless of grade level
- related to some aspect of teaching English language arts
- written by an author who is committed to leading and participating in the discussion over the course of the reading
- good reads! Interesting!
Our first book meets all these criteria and is written by someone we have all gotten to know from her many contributions to the EC Ning from its first days. Maja Wilson’s book Rethinking Rubrics in Writing Assessment, recipient of the James Britton Research Award .
How will it work?
- Maja will post something of a frame or opening posting to guide our reading of the book on April 1st.
- I will set up a Group for this and future Book Club books (I have already talked with Kelly Gallagher about making Readicide the next EC Ning Book Club selection).
- Maja will set the reading schedule for us, but the chapters are short and each invites a good discussion, so I would imagine she might suggest a chapter a week.
- Discussion will be through a Group discussion format with the possibility of a final live Chat session if we think that would be useful and fun (and doable).
Read the email in blue. If you’re interested, let me know. I’ll buy the book/s for you.
(fyi - Visit English Companion at: http://englishcompanion.ning.com)
A message to all members of English Companion
To celebrate hitting three thousand members (in only three months!), I want to announce the start of the English Companion Ning Book Club. EC Ning Book Club books will be:
- short and affordable so people can actually do the reading and participate in the discussion
- invite discussion from everyone regardless of grade level
- related to some aspect of teaching English language arts
- written by an author who is committed to leading and participating in the discussion over the course of the reading
- good reads! Interesting!
Our first book meets all these criteria and is written by someone we have all gotten to know from her many contributions to the EC Ning from its first days. Maja Wilson’s book Rethinking Rubrics in Writing Assessment, recipient of the James Britton Research Award .
How will it work?
- Maja will post something of a frame or opening posting to guide our reading of the book on April 1st.
- I will set up a Group for this and future Book Club books (I have already talked with Kelly Gallagher about making Readicide the next EC Ning Book Club selection).
- Maja will set the reading schedule for us, but the chapters are short and each invites a good discussion, so I would imagine she might suggest a chapter a week.
- Discussion will be through a Group discussion format with the possibility of a final live Chat session if we think that would be useful and fun (and doable).
Frame Assignments to Engage Students
In her chapter, "Getting ideas for Units and Making the Unit Blossom" in Both Art and Craft: Teaching Ideas That Spark Learning, Diana Mitchell outlines six different questions that she uses to frame assignments for her students:
- Can I change a point of view?
- Can I bring someone else in to speak to the class?
- Can I encourage students to think of characters in new ways?
- Can I encourage stduents to extend what is in the story?
- Can I identify new formats in which students can respond?
- Can I identify issues in stories that connect to the students' lives? (28-29)
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