Link 2 Literacy

"Warrants" vs. "Reasons" vs. "Rules:" Understanding CCSS Terms

2012-02-10T12:33:00.000-07:00

Utah has adopted the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) as the state's math and language arts core standards. Jordan School District trained all middle school language arts teachers last spring and this year those teachers are working through the ups and downs of implementation. The learning curve is definitely a bit of a challenge, and the feedback is helpful in providing continuous support and professional development.

One consistent concern deals with College and Career Writing Anchor Standard 1: "Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence."

The Question: Recently Tami E., a teacher in our district, posed this question:

We've looked through the core for 9th grade, and we are not sure where the term warrant comes from. All the papers we have been given use warrant, so I have been using that term, but Sadie [a colleague] said all the conferences she's been to do not use the term and use the term reasons; so she is using that. We are trying to write common assessments and want to make sure we use terms we are supposed to use.

The Reply: Carolyn Gough, the district's Secondary Language Arts Consultant, responded with the following explanation. I think teachers will find it very helpful in distinguishing between or among the various terms.

You and Sadie arecorrect. The word 'warrant' neverappears in the core. For that reason I have often taken issue with the manytrainings where I hear it being used. The word comes from the Toulmin model forargument which nearly everyone follows. To me it is a confusing word that Ihaven't been able to get my mind around.

A much simpler way todescribe a warrant is that it explains how the evidence supports the claim.Picking out the evidence is pretty doable, but identifying a phrase or commentthat explains how the evidence supports the claim is less obvious.

Another word you could use to explain warrant or reasoning is'rule'. I'm looking in the Hillocks book about teaching argument writing on page 18 (which readers can see by clicking on the above link):

The students aretrying to provide evidence that the lady in the scenario is lying about herhusband's cause of death.

At one point studentslist a piece of evidence in the case: Arthur still has a glass in his hand.(Yet Arthur has apparently fallen down stairs.)

So, the teacher istrying to find out from the students whythe glass in his hand is an indication that the victim didn't really fall.The kids go on to state that usually when people fall they let go ofthings. But the students add that sometimes if the items are important peopledon't drop them; so they re-think their assumptions. Finally, the kids concludethat in a surprising situation a person who's falling is going to drop thingsthat are in their hands.

The teacher asks them to write it as a rule.

Here's one student'sresponse: 'When you fall down the stairs, you drop what you're carryingunless it's really important.'
The teacher helps themclean it up to read: 'As a rule, when people fall down stairs, they dropwhat they are carrying to save themselves.'

Doesn't this seem superobvious? Yet the teacher just spent a long time helping students think outtheir assumptions about the evidence they listed. Students might have justsaid, "His wife is lying about his death being an accidental fall down thestairs because the dude was still holding a glass in his hand!" Claim andevidence, but no "warrant" or"rule" or "reason" forwhy the evidence supports the claim. It requires one more question: Why does having a glass still in his handsuggest that his wife's story is a lie? Now we have the missing link - the"duh" if you will - "Becausegenerally people who fall down stairs drop the things they were holding!"

I don't know of anykey word that will help students located the "reason" or"warrant" or "link" or whatever you call it, but it mighthelp them to recognize it by turning theevidence that supports the claim into a question:

ex. 'So, this authorstates that students' grades improved when they wore school uniforms. Why wouldgrades be better as a result of wearing some type of clothing? What is theassumption being made about behavior when that particular clothing isworn?'
Hopefully, studentscan see the assumption is that uniforms influence behavior in a way that helpskids focus so they get better grades. Yet, how often in their writing wouldthey give the claim that uniforms help in overall achievement at school (claim)and then list that grades are better (evidence) without ever connecting the twotogether. (That is a simplistic example, but I think it makes the point.)

While I hope that helps, I believe it will be an on-going point ofclarification.

Bottom line: if youdon't want to use the word 'warrant' you certainly do not have to.

How Does Inquiry Mesh with the Common Core State Standards?

2011-11-14T13:11:00.001-07:00

WoW! It has been SUPER ages since I've posted, and man, the reasons for such neglect are really good ones, but that's a story for another time and another blog! Instead, let's jump into a topic of interest to Jordan School District (JSD) teachers and possibly some other educators as well.

Once upon a time - not so long ago - Utah's English/Language Arts Core consisted of three strands: Reading, Writing, and Inquiry. With the adoption of the the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), teachers may ask how inquiry fits into CCSS or how the CCSS incorporates inquiry into its objectives.

Carolyn Gough, District English/Language Arts consultant states,

We as a district have tried to help teachers focus on the inquiry process through the use of units that start with an enduring understanding statement and an essential question. The cross-curricular essential question is intended as a compelling point from which students and teachers can study multiple materials that encourage thoughtful investigation and reflection and allow students to explore a question or topic.

To further explore these questions, I am posting some notes I jotted down during a 2-day workshop presented by Dr. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm in early October. I am also including additional research to answer questions concerning what inquiry is; why inquiry is a preferred teaching model, and how to organize inquiry-driven teaching.

What is inquiry?

Inquiry learning emphasizes active engagement with the subject matter in a way that challenges students to seek answers on their own or with their peers. Teaching, using an inquiry approach, requires a scaffolding that provides ample support for students at the beginning stages of exploration, then gradually removes support as students become more adept at independent discovery ("Engaging Students in Their Learning" 2008).

Rigorous apprenticeship into disciplinary expertise (Wilhelm 2011).

Why is inquiry important? (Organized from notes taken on Oct. 3, 2011)

It is motivational because inquiry instruction dictates working within students' zone of proximal development (Vygotsky) - learning that helps students develop competence AND confidence.

Motivation cannot be overemphasized.
It is necessary to all learning.
Motivation is defined as 'continual impulse to engage and learn.'
Students are motivated when learning is neither too easy or too hard. Students become frustrated when hard assignments are given without help or scaffolding of some kind.

Students are more likely to regard themselves as readers and writers; thus they will be more willing to read and write.
Learners will be more dedicated to democratic citizenship, work, and service.
Such experiences "rouse minds to life" (Tharp and Gallimore).
Inquiry is the only instructional model that "meets the conditions of flow" - mental state of operation in which a person involved in an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and success in the process of the activity.

How is inquiry instruction organized? (Borrowed from Dr.Wilhelm's words and works in conjunction with the JSD Curriculum Maps.)

Six Ms: The Inquiry Model ~

Motivate through essential questions and substantial front loading
Model through gradual release
Mentor - teacher does/student helps; student does/teacher helps
Monitor to support and to hold students accountable
Multiple modalities - use strengths to address weakness
Multiple measures - formative assessments

Some Suggestions ~

Start with a guided exploration of the unit's theme, enduring understanding statement, and essential questions.

Ex. 9th Grade, Unit 2

Enduring Understanding Statement: Understanding what honor is helps us interpret events and behaviors.
LA Essential Question: Is honor bestowed or inherent?
Cross-curricular Essential Question: What is honorable?
Possible related inquiry questions: Why is honor important?How can honor exist in a society where freedom is severely restricted?

Using materials such as The Giver as well as informational texts, multimedia resources, etc. that support the theme, statement, and questions ...

Proceed to student, small group inquiry about open-ended, debatable, contended issues that relate to the essential questions.
Encourage students to discover personally relevant and socially significant issues that interest them.One of the the most difficult teaching challenges is to "get students to care about problems that are not their own."
Support students in asking those personally relevant and socially significant issues.
Continue work in groups to achieve diversity of views.
Require students to predict, set goals, and define outcomes.
Guide students through research and analysis - searching for patterns.
Require documented research and justified conclusions.
Sustain instruction as it serves as a guide to help students meet their goals.
Groups/students should arrive at conclusions and share those with larger audiences.
Encourage students to take a stand; take action. .
Create a tangible artifact that addresses issues, answer questions, makes learning visible and accountable.

In the near future, I plan to post some sample lessons that exemplify incorporated inquiry. Stay tuned!

Renae

Addressing Students' Concerns about MY Access Online Writing Program

2011-05-04T11:33:00.004-06:00

Last February 3 students sent in comments via the district's website to complain about MY Access. Their number one concern was that teachers used MY Access to grade their writing. They were upset about this because they realize that the program isn't perfect in "grading" their papers. (After all, their friends said their writing was near-perfect.)

The three also feared that their teachers NEVER even read their work to see if they agreed with the MY Access scores.

Although the district could not find the students in our system, I was still asked to reply to these mystery students' valid concerns. (Think they used aliases?)

In my response, I promised that I would share their criticisms with our district's educators, and so I ask teachers who read this and who use the online writing program review this response and then reflect upon whether or not they are guilty of these practices.

So read on and tell me what you think. I'd love to hear from you!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear H, S, and S,

First I commend you for sending your concerns about the MY Access Online Writing Program to our district. Your emails were forwarded to me because I train and support teachers who use MY Access in their classrooms. Secondly, I am concerned about the valid issues each of you raise, and I hope to address those concerns and correct some of the problems that you mention.

Each message was one of three received from students, and so I hope you will understand if I address matters raised in all of them.

Your concerns are concerns of mine as well. I will bullet those concerns and my responses below.

Teachers should grade papers, not a computer.

MY Access is not intended to "grade" papers for teachers, but rather it is designed to serve as a tool to "score" papers as part of the feedback for student writers.
Because it is a student tool, teachers should train students in how to use the program to improve their writing so that writers aren't guessing or experimenting to improve writing scores.
Students should also be taught how to interpret the feedback to determine which suggestions are most helpful.
The program may "score" the papers for feedback purposes, but teachers should read and grade the papers.

No scoring machine is completely accurate but here are some reasons these machines are used.

Learning how to quickly analyze the feedback suggestions to determine whether or not the revisions should be made is an important skill.
People do most of their job-related writing on computers.
Whether it is Microsoft Word's grammar check or another type of program, writers need to know which suggestions are accurate and which are not.
Your fellow students may be qualified judges of your writing, but they may not. Whether or not their feedback is really helpful depends upon their writing experiences. Most students are still learning all the many steps and details required to write well, and so their suggestions may not be helpful.
MY Access receives and analyzes thousands of papers. From the analyses, scores are determined.
Feedback for revision can only suggest ideas and show examples, but your teacher can AND should share additional revision tips that will help improve your scores.

Online writing programs are a growing part of our computer-driven world.

The Direct Writing Assessment (DWA), required for 5th and 8th graders, "machine scores" the essays.
A reliable study conducted by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) determined that there was little to no difference between the essays that were human scored and those that were machine scored.
Future CRT tests will be changed from multiple choice to writing tests that include information from history, science, and language arts. Those online writing tests will be machine scored.
Businesses and industry use online writing programs with their employees, including the MY Access program, to assess and to support their employees in becoming better writers.
Programs for scoring machines are constantly being improved, and we see and will see better results as this continues. MY Access is listed as one of the best because of many features that other online programs do not have. Among the most important is the number of essays submitted for analysis increases the accuracy of the scores.

Because of your comments, the language arts departments plans

to generally share these student comments about MY Access with all teachers who use MY Access
train or re-train teachers as to how they should be using the program in their classroom
include specific lessons on how to help students revise their work in such a way that scores will improve
remind them that they need to read and grade required submitted papers

Although you would like to have students vote on whether or not our district should use the MY Access program, we cannot do that at this time. There are several reasons for this decision; some of which include the necessity of testing student writing, the increased rigor of the writing curriculum our state and district is adopting, and the writing demands of careers and colleges that require schools do all they can to help students improve their writing.

I hope this rather lengthy message addresses your concerns. If I have not adequately addressed your questions or concerns, please email me, and I'll try again.

Best wishes,
RBS

wRITING REASONS 3b: Writing has Power

2011-03-20T23:07:00.002-06:00

I cannot believe it's been over two months since I last posted on this blog. While I can think of dozens more writing reasons, I recently discovered that Kelly Gallagher DID list his own wRITING REASONS - but NOT book's worth. A future post will share those, but in the meantime, here are some thoughts I wrote several weeks - yes, WEEKS - ago.

I was trying to recall writing that communicated despair, and all I could think of was President Reagan's speech to the nation after the Challenger tragedy. Upon reading it, however, I realized that hope did shine through as well.

Words can reveal despair

Today is a day for mourning and remembering. Nancy and I are pained to the core by the tragedy of the shuttle Challenger. We know we share this pain with all of the people of our country. This is truly a national loss.

Nineteen years ago, almost to the day, we lost three astronauts in a terrible accident on the ground. But we've never lost an astronaut in flight. We've never had a tragedy like this.

And perhaps we've forgotten the courage it took for the crew of the shuttle. But they, the Challenger Seven, were aware of the dangers, but overcame them and did their jobs brilliantly. We mourn seven heroes: Michael Smith, Dick Scobee, Judith Resnik, Ronald McNair,Ellison Onizuka, Gregory Jarvis, and Christa McAuliffe.

We mourn their loss as a nation together. ~ President Ronald Reagan, January 28, 1986

President Reagan had prepared to share a different message that day about the State of the Union, but an unfathomable tragedy occurred that not only altered the scheduled event, it altered the way Americans viewed the space program. Since its inception, not one astronaut had been lost in flight, but this disaster not only took the lives of 7 brave individuals, it also occurred while thousands of school children watched. Christa McAuliffe was on board, and she was the first teacher in space. Up until the explosion, it had been a momentous occasion!

While President Reagan spoke to a nation in despair, he also buoyed us up as he expressed his continued belief and support of the space shuttle program. He told the children of the nation ...

I know it's hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen. It's all part of the process of exploration and discovery. It's all part of taking a chance and expanding man's horizons. The future doesn't belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave. The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future, and we'll continue to follow them.

Words give form to our deepest desires

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today! ~ Martin Luther King, August 28, 1964

How can a discussion about the power of writing fail to include the words of the great Civil Rights leader that we honor during the month of his birth? While Dr. King's desires and dreams did not come to fruition during his lifetime, the people of the United States have witnessed strides towards what he envisioned. His words bring us to a remembrance of history's heartbreaks, present's progress, and future's hopes.

wRITING REASON 2: Writing Has Power (part 1)

2011-01-06T13:29:00.462-07:00

"But words are things, and a small drop of ink,
Falling like dew, upon a thought, produces
That which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think."
~ George Gordon Byron

Using Byron's quotation, I want to introduce "wRITING REASON 2," but I worked on this post for so long that the length GREW so large that I am dividing into two parts. AND before continuing, I want to add to Byron's thoughts with one of my own: Putting thoughts to words and words to paper increases their power. This idea is closely linked to wRITING REASON 1: "Writing is an incredible tool that reaches farther than other forms of conversation do."

While researching ideas for this series of wRITING REASONS, I recently found a site that discussed how "words have the power to change things for good or ill." To make her point, the QUOTE LADY shared text samples to support the examples. With that inspiration, I decided to do the same.

In teaching students about reasons for writing, I decided the power of the written word is an important inclusion for a couple of reasons. 1) There is historical evidence of changes for good and ill that were stimulated by powerful words. 2) These examples can function as "mentor texts" to help students improve their own writing. (Of course, we would NOT choose those texts that bring about "changes for ill!" ;)

Because written words usually have a "longer 'shelf life,'" the chances to influence contemporary and future audiences increase, thus adding to their power. Plus these works serve as examples worthy of imitation. With that in mind, here are just a few samples of the millions of powerful words, spoken and written that live on.

Words can express a nation's [or a people's or an individual's] desire for freedom.

Swing low, sweet chariot,
Comin' for to carry me home

I looked over Jordan and what did I see,

Comin' for to carry me home!

A band of angels comin' after me

Comin' for to carry me home!

Swing low, sweet chariot,
Comin' for to carry me home

If you get there before I do,

Comin' for to carry me home.

Jes tell my friends that I'm acomin' too.

Comin' for to carry me home. .

Swing low, sweet chariot,
Comin' for to carry me home

I'm sometimes and up and sometimes down,

Comin' for to carry me home,

But still my soul feels heavenly bound.

Comin' for to carry me home!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

But wait a minute, you say. That's not a song about freedom. That's a "spiritual!"

Yes, it is. BUT within those lyrics about souls and heaven are words of warning and instruction to help slaves make their way north to freedom. While plantation owners and overseers listened to the surface message, Harriet Tubman and those who helped her along the Underground Railroad sang spirituals to communicate a more immediate message. That "chariot" was a carriage or wagon that carried run-away slaves from their enslavement to "home," a place of freedom like Canada!

The singer might switch to another spiritual or "coded slave song" like "Wade in the Water" to direct escapees to head towards the river or stream to throw off search parties with their hounds hunting them down. POWERFUL WORDS that rendered hope and help!

Words can offer forgiveness.

"My heart went out to whoever was driving that car — not knowing the circumstances, not really caring about the circumstances, just knowing that this was going to affect that individual." ~ Chris Williams.

Chris is NOT the only person to forgive the source of personal pain and grief, but his words and story are symbolic of the power of words that forgive. Because of his willingness to reach out to Cameron White, the 17-year-old drunk driver who crashed into the Williams' car, killing Chris' pregnant wife, 11-year-old Ben, and 9-year-old daughter, Chris was able to positively impact Cameron's life. The two work together to educate youths and adults about the dangers of driving drunk.

Cameron's parents stated, "We are so grateful for Chris Williams' forgiveness of our son. That meant so much to us, and it has taught us a huge lesson." The record of this moving story continues to touch lives four years after that fateful night in February. POWER for GOOD.

Words seek to inspire.

Even though large tracts of Europe and many old and famous States have fallen or may fall into the grip of the Gestapo and all the odious apparatus of Nazi rule, we shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender, and even if, which I do not for a moment believe, this Island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in God’s good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old. ~ Winston Churchill

It was June, 1940. Hitler had broken the French defenses, and the United States, though sympathetic, had not entered the war. Britain was on her own. In what many historians consider the most inspirational speech of all time, Winston Churchill prepared his countrymen for a possible Nazi invasion while assuring them that victory would be the outcome. And it was.

The tiny but proud country fought on alone, against extreme odds. While the Luftwaffe mercilessly bombed the island home of our British cousins, German soldiers never invaded there. Churchill's powerful words convinced members of Parliament and his fellow citizens that Britain could and should fight on!

wRITING REASON 1: Writing is a Far-Reaching Tool

2010-11-04T18:52:00.009-06:00

Wa-a-a-a-a-y back in Ma-a-a-a-a-a-y I posted a blog titled wRiting Reasons: The First of MANY Posts, and I did NOT think it would take five and a half months to get around to part 2, but it has. Nor did I think it would grow to SEVERAL postings, but it has. If not, a second part would take a week to read.

So, this is the deal, I am going to record about 10 reasons for writing - reasons we should all buy into, but hopefully, reasons that will also resonate with students. I have my own ideas, but I also checked around to see what other websters had to say about the topic.

So here goes with REASON NO. 1:

"Writing is an incredible tool that reaches farther than other forms of conversation do." ~ Liz Strauss.

Gramma Katie D. Salisbury

Let me tell you a little story about this reason to write. Sometime after my husband and I married, Gary's father gave me a letter written by his mother in 1919. It was MOST precious, and even thinking about it now makes me all teary and stuff. Living in Missouri at the time she wrote this letter, Katie reveals herself through her writing as a woman with a charming personality. Exhibiting her sense of humor, she used TOILET PAPER as stationery on which to write this epistle to her mother and sister. But do not think of Charmin Toilet Tissues here; picture instead a narrower, rougher version of Bounty, "the quicker picker-upper."

Now think about this, Katie Salisbury's conversation about life's joys and hardships in the early 20th century reaches across hundreds of miles and 9 decades of time to talk to her posterity. That means something. Over several days, she updated her sister and mother about the family, the neighbors, the chores, the wheat farm, the weather, and the celebrations - that included a parade welcoming soldiers home from The Great War.

Because she took the time to record her thoughts, I feel I know her and love her. In fact, I wrote a response to her long-ago letter and posted it on Literacy Link-Up, a wiki site I don't update much anymore.

Today, I noticed some authors I follow on Twitter responded to the meme "Tweet Your 16-year-old self." As cool as I think that is, I wish I could RECEIVE a "Tweet" of sorts from my 16-year-old self to the 62-year-old me. Yes, I can find bits and pieces of writings from those long-ago days of euphoria and despondency, jubiliation and anguish, but none are forward thinking. (But what teen looks beyond the moment?)

While I tweeted 16-year-old Renae to "dump him and never look back," I do wonder what she would have advised me. I can guess, but I don't really know because I won't ever visit 1964 again - except when I watch Mad Men.

Teachers' Questions & Concerns about Assessment Results

2010-10-02T15:11:00.006-06:00

Over the past few months Carolyn Gough, Secondary Language Arts Consultant for our school district, has crunched numbers, drawn conclusions, and shared information with middle school English and reading teachers. When she presents these various assessment results, some schools and teachers are delighted, while other are discouraged.

In her kind and professional manner, Carolyn helps educators recognize the areas for concern and then leads the group in addressing those problems by setting doable goals. Most leave her meetings feeling recommitted, but some well-meaning, hard-working teachers still feel dispirited.

In a recent message to Carolyn, one such teacher wrote: "I know I should take this as a great opportunity, but somehow I feel like I am a bad teacher. Yet, some of those classes had so many students who just didn't give a heck and would not try no matter what."

I doubt there is a teacher who has not felt this way, including Carolyn and me. Because teachers are often discouraged and overwhelmed with all that is expected, I want to share excerpts from my colleague's response to this dedicated veteran educator. Carolyn wrote the following:

I read your message and felt deeply touched by your sincerity and concern. I appreciate your willingness to share your thoughts with me and I want you to know that I completely understand how many factors go into test results. The last thing I want anyone to feel is discouraged about teaching. Teaching is demanding, hard work and I know that you and all teachers are trying to help students in all the ways you know how.

I think there are two fundamental messages I'm trying to communicate with the data I've shared:

Looking at data can help us get a general picture of where we are and where students are in the context of the school, district, and state which can help us plan for instruction.
As teachers we can and should always be asking ourselves, "What else can I do to improve student learning?" The focus really needs to shift away from whether or not we taught the material, to whether or not the students learned the material. If their scores are hinting that they aren't learning as much as we'd like them to, it's important to ask ourselves how we can help them in their learning. I maintain that there is no perfect teacher. Each one of us can always search for ways to adjust instruction to help students learn.

The hardest part about asking this question is that we have to open ourselves up and feel vulnerable as we search for the best ways to help students learn. But the more teachers reach out to one another and to others for ways to help students learn, the more they realize there is to learn, and the better teachers they become. Whether a 1st year teacher or a veteran, there is ALWAYS something else we can do to improve student learning. I'm hoping that we'll focus our efforts on those things.

As we talked Friday morning, [one of your colleagues] asked, "What else can we do?" I hope that all teachers would ask a similar question about his/her own teaching. Rather than get down about what has happened, look ahead at what else we can do to improve student learning. Some ideas for how we can accomplish this are to ...

ask for a consulting educator to come and observe you in action and to notice ways you can increase student learning;
make time to watch another teacher in action;
ask other teachers how they are teaching a particular part of the core;
participate in creating a curriculum map that matches the core so that we can understand what the core is truly asking of us and our students;
be sure you know which standard and objective your lessons are tied to in the core;
help students know what it is they are supposed to be learning from the core.

One of the things you do so well ... is that you are open to new ideas and are willing to do things differently to affect change. You are one of those veteran teachers who wants students to succeed and cares about their learning. I know that about you because you have always been an active listener who asks excellent questions in discussions. I know you are open because you were willing to send me an e-mail about your thoughts. You have a great attitude ... which is the key to refining instruction and looking closer at all the ways we can help improve student learning.

Want to Know Why You Should Join Local Council of the International Reading Association?

2010-09-17T22:17:00.006-06:00

TOP 10 Reasons to Join JCIRA

10. You really have NOTHING else to do on Monday night - except collapse from exhaustion. Why not start the process with friends at JCIRA?

9. There will be FREE food! Maybe districts have axed their food budget, but JCIRA has NOT!

8. It's your DUTY to LITERACY! Just in case you're not doing enough already!

7. You're tired of "SEX, lies, and ~~videotapes~~." (Uh, I mean DVDs and Blue Ray.) You're ready for "TRUTH, JUSTICE, and THE AMERICAN WAY! (But DON'T count on a guest appearance by the man in blue tights UNLESS he's a Utah author or a character in a book!)

6. You can EARN professional development RElicensure points AND lane change credit, IF so desired, to save up for that day when you need to recertify or lane change raises are THAWED!

5. You will rub shoulders with terrific friends and exemplary educators who LOVE literacy and still ENJOY sharing that love with students!

4. You will have the opportunity to "gather and give" - gather new ideas, knowledge, inspiration AND give of YOUR thoughts, ideas, and knowledge!

3. You can WIN FREE BOOKS! Lots and lots of books! NOVELS! PICTURE BOOKS! PRACTIONERS' BOOKS! (And we all know how much we LOVE books!)

2. You can be part of a great service project - BOARD BOOKS for BABIES! It's an easy inexpensive way to give the gift of literacy to the NEWEST generation!

1. You can grow as a teacher, reader, and WRITER because this year JCIRA members can WRITE with PROFESSIONAL writers - thanks to the kindness of several Utah authors who will present to us and work with us! ISN'T THAT A.W.E.S.O.M.E.?

PLEASE COME!!!

Be a part of a GREAT organization. We need YOU!

BIG TIME!!!

See You in September

2010-09-03T16:08:00.005-06:00

Why I love the ninth month of the year:

I feel a stronger sense of renewal in September than I do in January.
My biorhythm is in sync with the "school-year" cycle.
I love new pencils, pens, paper, tablets, folders, organizers, scissors, binders ...
EVERY student starts with an A!
I'm ready for routine.
Crisp air and colorful leaves are just around the corner.
I can pull out my sweaters - my favorite items of clothing.
I welcome the season of COMFORT foods: soups, chilli, roast and potatoes.
Great SEPTEMBER songs: My top 3 - "September" by Earth, Wind, & Fire; "See You in September" by The Temptations; and "September Morn" by Neil Diamond.

Why do YOU like September?

Do you remember, 21st night of September?
Love was changing the mind of the pretenders
While chasing clouds away. ~ Earth, Wind, & Fire

Welcome Back, Friends!!!

Final Summer of My Utah Writers: I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER

2010-08-27T23:59:00.004-06:00

I have tried some fun things on this blog, but I must say that reading and responding to some of the FAN.TAS.TIC Utah authors has been so so so enjoyable. I do NOT want to stop reading and writing about these fine novels, and so I won't. But I will post them on my writing blog: The Write Groove. Readers of this blog will still see my mini reviews on this site under "Read My List."

Now onto this most fascinating novel: I Am Not a Serial Killer by Dan Wells. First I have to say I received some funny comments when people saw me reading this book. My daughter-in-law read the title aloud and then added, "Glad to hear that, Renae. I was worried." My sons asked me if I was going to write my own versions, such as I am Not a Bad Driver or I am Not Hard of Hearing. Haha.

The most common reaction, however, was laughter out loud! Seriously, many thought this was a humorous novel, and when I told them it wasn't, they asked why then was I reading it. So here are the reasons:

1. Dan Wells, the author, hosted WRITING FOR CHARITY on August 21, 2010, and he was absolutely hilarious. Yes, he did plug his book, but it was in a charming, self-effacing way. Reassuring us that he was NOT the model for John Wayne Cleaver, he did admit to having a fascination for reading and talking about serial killers. Rather than sending him to a shrink, his friends requested that he stop talking about them and write about them.

2. Cheryl Bago, book-seller AND frequent guest blogger on Throwing Up Words, wrote about a possible up and coming/returning trend in YA: mysteries and horror novels - sort of in the Lois Duncan and R.L. Stein realm. At least she receives frequent requests for these genres. Well, I Am Not a Serial Killer fills both bills! And WHAT A PAGE TURNING TREAT IT IS.

3. I mean how many YA novels have you read where the main character possesses many of the traits of a serial killer, and yet, he is funny, likable, and sympathetic as well as irritating, scary, and courageous.

4. The plot is twisted, and I mean in a good way. SURPRISES! Interesting COMPLICATIONS that pull at your heartstrings. I'm serious!

5. The characters are intriguing. Mom and Auntie are morticians - don't know of many women funeral directors, but these 2 are good at what they do. Sister Lauren Bacall Cleaver is a moody rebel, and Max, John's one and only friend, is a loner who can be pretty funny, too. I like and trust John's psychiatrist, too, because John, who likes few people, likes and trusts him. He "gets" John. Besides the main character, Mr. Crowley is an especially compelling character. All of them are well developed with layers that demand our attention. Love it.

6. While reading, I would sometimes go, "EEE-YOOO" because John's dark thoughts would trouble me, but then I read the next paragraph and would think, "Oooooh! He's fighting so hard against being something he really doesn't want to be. Will he be all right? He will make it, won't he?" Dan keeps his readers off balance this way, and that makes reading all the better.

I know this book isn't for everyone, and I doubt that I would have picked it up if Dan hadn't charmed me and 150 other people into giving it a try, but I really enjoyed it. Creepiness and all. I just saw where Alpine School District teachers are reading it for their book club. Can't wait to see if it makes Alpine's approved book list. I'm doubting it as, you know, the district is in Utah County! It may be violent, but there is little to no swearing!

BUT it makes my approved list. Just be warned.

Summer of My Utah Writers: THE DARK DIVINE

2010-08-19T14:23:00.001-06:00

If you are a fan of the Twilight series, you will enjoy Bree DeSpain's The Dark Divine. And if you DON'T like Stephanie Meyer's vampire trilogy, you'll STILL like Divine. Bree's first published novel is a paranormal romance that EXcludes vampires, but focuses upon the other scary but alluring monster who wants to do what is right. (Isn't the cover DIVINE, too?)

Grace Divine, the pastor's daughter, is the main character who must go against her near-perfect brother in order to support Daniel, a troubled friend whom they both loved at one time. (Click HERE to read the first chapter!)

While there are similarities between Grace and Bella of Twilight fame, Bree pulls in enough twists and turns to end the comparisons. I do enjoy Bree's stronger female lead, but like all 16-year-olds, affairs of the heart can weaken the best of intentions.Sigh.

Check this out, if you don't believe me!

Family dynamics also play a big part in developing the Divine plot, and that strengthens the "normal" in paraNORMAL! All in all, the novel is a romping page-turner. Way to go, Bree!

The Lost Saint, Bree's second book, is a sequel to The Dark Divine, and it will be available in December! These books are 2 reasons paranormal romances are ALIVE and WELL!

Summer of My Utah Writers: ONCE WAS LOST

2010-08-10T16:18:00.003-06:00

I'm a BIG Sara Zarr fan. BIG. If you search this blog site to see how many times I've written about her, you'll find out how much I like this author; this person. Two reasons: 1) She is a remarkable writer; 2) she is a kind person.

When she presented at JCIRA last May, Sara talked about how she enjoys writing about family dynamics, and all three of her books testify of her expertise in so doing. Another important element she incorporates into these stories of families is a sense of hope.

While I really liked Story of a Girl and Sweethearts, I treasured Once Was Lost. It is my favorite SZ novel. Now this sort of amazes me because ofttimes authors who launch a critically acclaimed FIRST book fail to match their own success with their subsequent novels. Not so with Sara. She just gets better.

In Once Was Lost, Sara weaves together a story of lost faith, lost family ties, and lost family member. The catalyst that brings this all together is the kidnapping of a 13-year-old girl from one of the town's most respected families. But the Shaw family isn't the only ones experiencing loss.

Samara's pastor-father becomes less and less a father as he becomes more involved in shepherding his flock, comforting the grief-stricken Shaw family, and working with the exuberant youth counselor Erin.

Samara's mother slowly lost herself to the inebriated state of alcoholism. Sequestered in a rehabilitation facility, Sam's mother disappears into healing, which leaves Sam feeling even more alienated.

Sara pulls all this together with such tenderness that readers hurt for every character, but the weaknesses of each do not leave us without hope. That's what I love about this story. There is just not enough hope in families or society today. Because faith and hope prevail, the reader closes the book feeling that Samara and her family just might make it.

Make sure you pick up this book! It will touch your life.

Summer of My Utah Writers: THE LOSER'S GUIDE TO LIFE AND LOVE

2010-08-01T17:39:00.002-06:00

Last Friday evening, I lounged on our deck, periodically enjoying the view as I read the last third of A.E. Cannon's novel The Loser's Guide to Life and Love. My husband busied himself with mowing, trimming, and watering our thirsty back yard. Occasionally, he interrupted HIS yard work and MY reading with a comment: "Are you enjoying yourself?" or observation: "I hope you're not overdoing."

I ignored his sarcastic remarks because a) I know he loves to work in our yard; b) I could NEVER do it to his satisfaction; and c) I really was enjoying myself! The July evening was much like the June midsummer eve described in the novel, minus dragonflies flitting about everywhere. And every few paragraphs, I laughed out loud - you know "lol". I've read humorous books that make me smile, but not so many that prompt audible giggles, chuckles, or snorts. (Yes, I even snorted.)

Loser's Guide is a perfect YA summertime read. It has fun elements like the lazy feel attached to long, warm days, a summer job that isn't the best but beats most part-time work; and most importantly, a summer romance based upon deceit. Yes, Ed's job at a movie rental store opens the door to the romance. Because he HAS to wear a name tag that claims the wearer is "Sergio," Ed adopts the persona of a romantic Brazilian transplant when the beautiful Ellie enters the store and his life.

(I couldn't help but remember the summer I was 14 and met a cutie in Las Vegas on our trip to Southern California. I lied and said I was 16 and for 3 hours I enjoyed a summer romance with a very handsome 18-year-old who was heading for college. We even wrote each other for about hmm 3 weeks.)

Besides the complicated premise, Ann (aka A.E.) develops endearing characters: the very funny Ed; the patient and slightly satirical Scout (aka Aurora Aurelia); the handsome geek Quark; and the deeper-than-you-think Ellie. I also love Ali, and who in the world of this novel doesn't love the exotic store owner who brings mystery, charm, and a Midsummer Eve celebration where "friends and friends-to-be" are invited to party from dusk to dawn?

This is a light-hearted romp readers will truly enjoy. It was the pick-me-up I longed for after reading wonderful, but sad novels about desperate teens. I LOVED Losers! And I really like that Ann Cannon, too!

P.S. When I finished the last page, G.E. finished the yard work. He turned to me and said, "Hmm. I feel like the paid gardener hired by a rest home." Bless him.

Summer of My Utah Writers: THE MAZE RUNNER

2010-07-29T19:21:00.005-06:00

I will be the first to admit that I have NOT been a big fan of worlds-gone-wrong novels - aka dystopian genre. But last year I "had" to read a few books of this ilk as part of my job responsibilities. The first was Unwind by Neal Shusterman; the second was The Last Book in the Universe by Rodman Philbrick; and then I got hooked on the first 2 books of the The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins. (And yes, I'm counting down the days when the 3rd novel, Mockingjay, hits the book stores - 26 days until August 24th.)

This baptism into these excellent novels that delve into post-apocalyptic scenarios made a convert of me. And so when I found The Maze Runner or it found me, I was thrilled to read another page-turner in this genre. BUT I was even more excited to learn that James Dashner, the author, lives right here in the Beehive state. Granted, he grew up in another of my favorite states, Georgia, where I enjoyed teaching in the same county where James went to school, but I delegate him as a Utah writer because that is where he writes. Got it?

Now about the book. It's a GREAT book for boys, but girls will like it, too. While it doesn't have an overt romance YET, there is sure to be more of that in the upcoming sequel. But girls don't always read for romance. Well, a few teen girls don't.

During my reading, I caught glimpses of Lord of the Flies without the societal break-down, and I also felt connections to Ender's Game as well. But the "buggers" (grievers) are bigger, badder, and omnipresent! I also appreciated the sass and sarcasm exhibited by the characters without recognizable foul language. I say that because Dashner's glade/community spoke their own kind of potty-lingo, and so it wasn't as offensive. (I have an Austrian friend who has lived in the U.S. for a long time, and he claims that swearing in German just doesn't seem uncivil anymore. But I digress.)

Basically, the underlying question of Maze is what can drive intelligent young men plus one girl to solve the unsolvable before giving up? What challenges will discourage or destroy their determination? What else can such individuals accomplish if they overcome the impossible? It's VERY cool AND a GREAT RIDE. Yes, yes it is! If you doubt me, check out this awesome trailer.

P.S. This novel is the first of a trilogy, and I am just as excited to read the second book that debuts in October, thus starting yet another countdown!

Summer of My Utah Writers: EVERYTHING IS FINE

2010-07-20T13:17:00.002-06:00

After reading Ann Dee Ellis' book Everything is Fine, my husband and I discussed why people want to read sad books. Some readers have experienced sadness, and so they may reach a point where reading a book about fictional characters experiencing similar situations comforts them. But we also realized as we talked that MOST readers relate to horrific experiences because such times may not come into their own lives, but tragedy often enters into the lives of people we know.

**SPOILER ALERT **

For example, we both know individuals who committed suicide; we know people who died of cancer at way-too-young ages; we know women who have been raped; we know a friend whose nieces died of heat-exhaustion when those little girls climbed into the trunk of the family's car; we met a woman in our neighborhood who backed over her two-year-old son; and so it goes.

We are all affected indirectly when tragedy strikes - even when we read about it in the newspaper or see the story on television. If it happens in our family, neighborhood, city, or state, it usually touches us in some way. Even so, we hang around the periphery, safe from the really deep hurt. Until we pick up a book like Ann Dee's.

Oh my, the peek into the pain suffered by this fictional family was emotionally draining. I was so grateful that it was a short book. But I loved Mazzy and her karate chops and her obsession with breasts - her own developing ones and the developed chests of others; her relationship with the boy next door, and her love for her mother. Ann Dee does a marvelous job of developing this 12-year-old heroine!

I once heard Ann Dee tell a group of teens that reading House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros inspired her writing. Until then, she thought she had to fill up all the white space, but seeing and feeling Sandra's style, she decided she could write a book. And so she took a summer to do just that. This is What I Did was the result. Isn't that amazing?

I'm amazed by her determination, her persistence, and her talent!

Summer of My Utah Writers: THE CHOSEN ONE

2010-07-17T20:09:00.003-06:00

I first met Carol Lynch Williams at a poetry slam. We were both judges. While this "slam" was the third one I had judged, the experience was new to Carol. Ann Dee Ellis was another judge, and little did I know how our paths would cross again and again.

When Amy introduced us to the student performers, this is kind of how it went down:

Students, let me introduce you to today's judges. Ann Dee Ellis is the author of two young adult novels: This is What I Did, which received 3 starred reviews. Her latest novel is Everything is Fine.

Our second judge is Carol Lynch Williams who has won many writing awards and published numerous books including The Chosen One, which is being praised in the world of book critics. Her most recent book Glimpse will come out in July.

Renae Salisbury works for our school district.

It was a little humbling, but also inspiring. As is The Chosen One. I love reading, but I can put a novel down to fix dinner, wash, run to the store, etc. So when I ignored all those daily necessities so I could get Kyra out of her terrible situation, I knew all the reviews were true:

"Unsettling and COURAGEOUS ... beautiful, COMPASSIONATE, full of hope."
"An important book."
"EXTRAORDINARY ... BRAVE ... A MASTERPIECE."

If you haven't checked it out, Chosen One is about a 13-year-old girl, raised in a polygamist community. Her father and motherS are good and kind and loving, but when the misguided prophet receives revelations that designate the older men should have the young girls as wives, the polygamist situation is even more scary.

I heard Carol say this was a hard book to write. Heartbreaking doesn't really describe her research. I would love to interview her and find out more about that research because her daughter quoted author Ellen Hopkins as saying something like, "tell [your] mom not to be afraid to write the truth." Of course, this made me wonder if Carol has been hastled about being so blunt about this very complex and frightening topic.

Secondly, I like to know if she has any plans for a sequel. Once again, I have SO many questions I would love to have answered. Somehow, I don't think Carol will do that because she just has so many more stories to tell. And I can't wait to read them.

Summer of My Utah Writers - THE WAY HE LIVED

2010-07-15T08:50:00.005-06:00

As I continue my quest of reading books by some of Utah's talented authors, I must say I am proud that this state can boast that it could become a YA Author Factory. Just as BYU earned the reputation of cranking out super-star quarter backs, Utah is producing an amazing array of WonderWriters.

Among these writers is Emily Wing Smith, author of The Way He Lived. There were so many things I loved about this novel, including the format. Each chapter tells the story about Joel, an outstanding young man who sacrificed himself to save others when a Scout troop ran out of water while hiking the Grand Canyon. Although Joel brought enough water to stay hydrated in the heat, some did not. He died of heat exhaustion because he deprived himself in order to help his fellow scouts and leaders.

As we view this teen through the eyes of his sisters and friends, we learn about him AND them. Using lines from "Monday's Child" to title the sections, Emily hints at what we can learn about the sister or friend. For Example, "Wednesday's child is full of woe" establishes Miles as the wayward friend who is deeply impacted by Joel's death.

Emily also uses first and third person narratives to tell the story, even using fictional blog entries, chats, and other communications to share intimate details. Included among the details are connections to life as a Latter-day Saint, a Mormon. Because Joel and his friends live in a community where most citizens are members of that church. I appreciate her realistic portrayal of teens who embrace AND struggle with that religious culture.

When I closed the book, I knew Joel a little better, but I was left with dozens of questions, too. Some about him, but mostly, I wanted to learn more about Miles, Norah, Alden, Claire, etc. I was still worried about Joel's mom and dad, too.

Isn't it a great book that leaves you wanting more?

Summer of My Utah Writers - PRINCESS OF THE MIDNIGHT BALL

2010-07-12T22:09:00.002-06:00

A few conferences and workshops later, I have developed an awe for Utah's Young Adult authors. At least the ones I've met, and especially the ones I've read! Because these writers are A.MAZ.ING, I decided that I'd dedicate my summer reading to these talented individuals by delving into their works.

I've read two of Sara Zarr's novels, Story of a Girl and Sweethearts, plus Brandon Mull's first book in the Fablehaven series, but I have a long way to go in my quest to sample books birthed right here in the Beehive state. Thus far, I have finished Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George.

While I am not a big fantasy fan, I wish I were because there are TONZ of great fantasy novels are out there. I do think Jessica's are my kind of fantasy, however, because I love fairy tales, and some of her books retell fairy tale in a refreshing way. Princess is one of those.

The twelve dancing princesses lie at the heart of this story, but an ex-soldier turned gardner is the hero who outwits the evil king from below. Jessica not only weaves in her knowledge of Norwegian tales and legends, she also tucks in details from her love of handicrafts: sewing, knitting, crocheting, tatting, fabrics, yarns, threads, etc. Jessica tucks in a fun surprise, when we learn our gardening hero also knits, and as readers might guess, this knowledge and talent helps him save the day!

This book is pure enough for the middle grade readers - chaste romance, minimal violence.

I can't wait to read Sun, Moon, Ice and Snow, but it must wait until I've visited stories by other authors from Utah. My next mini-review will be Emily Wing Smith's novel The Way He Lived.

Later, rbs

Book Affair at Valley High School!

2010-06-25T15:03:00.006-06:00

Schools throughout the Jordan School District celebrate literacy in a number of ways. Middle schools like Elk Ridge Middle invite local authors to spend an evening with students and their parents to learn more about the joys of reading and writing. West Jordan High sponsors a very popular Poetry Slam that runs for 3 days. Valley High also holds a Slam, but for the seven or eight years, they have also promoted literacy by holding Book Affair.

According to Terry Jensen, English teacher at Valley, Book Affair was someone else's brainchild, but Terry soon took over and has chaired the annual event ever since.The purpose was to celebrate READING for LIFE and READING for PLEASURE. Organizers want students to know that reading remains a part of people's lives beyond formal schooling.

Initially, administrators and teachers, staff members and some students shared their favorite books with students. More recently, however, Terry expanded the program to feature state and community leaders as well as published authors. A few years ago, Sharon Jensen, former assistant principal at Valley, suggested a book give-away to further motivate students to read the featured books. Using a portion of Trustland funds, Valley gives away scores of favorite titles!

This year's presenters ranged from a school board member to a manager of the King's English Book store. Here are some book picks and presenter pix to share with you.

Terry Jensen, presented at least a dozen of his favorite titles and introduced Madeline Stout who shared her favorite book - The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler. Madeline enjoyed the book's humor, but even more, she appreciated that she learned the deeper meaning behind self image, and misguided ideas of perfection. The PRINTZ Honor book also talks about measuring up to family's expectations and asks teens to avoid being so hard on themselves.

J. Dale Christensen, a member and former president of JSD's Board of Education, talked about the importance of reading and then told students about the non-fiction best-seller, 1776 by David McCullough.

Principal of Valley High School, Don Link, honored J.D. Salinger by talking about the first time he read Catcher in the Rye - the quintessential and controversial "coming of age" story. As Salinger passed away in January, this was especially appropriate. Mr. Link also recommended Salinger's Nine Stories, a collection of short stories.

Vickie Bork, school psychologist talked about The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind about William Kamkwamba, a young man in Africa who "built a windmill to elevate the lives and spirits of those in his community." The book demonstrates how just one person can make a difference in the world, regardless of age.

Deseret News journalist, author of The Loser's Guide to Life and Love, and MOST IMPORTANTLY, my blogger friend Ann Cannon recalled a day spent at a book shop in a near empty mall where she stumbled onto Fellowship of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkein. That day she picked up a fantasy, even though she hated that genre; read the the prologue, which she NEVER DOES; and read a description of little people with big hairy feet. She was grateful that she overcame all those prejudices, including ones about feet, to read this classic.

Sharon Jensen's favorite book is The 4 Agreements: A Toltec Wisdom Book by Miguel Ruiz. The book suggests 4 ways of handling one's self in order to achieve personal freedom. They are as follows:

Be impeccable with your word. (Spot on) (positive)
Don't take anything personally - what people do is NOT because of you.
Don't make assumptions about others.
Always do your best - no MORE and no LESS.

Lisa Kolstad, creative writing teacher at the high school keeps 3 journals near her bedside. One is her personal journal; another is her "managing anger" journal, and the 3rd is her writing ideas journal. Because of her love of journaling, Lisa recommended The Story Sisters by Alice Hoffman. The novel is about the reuniting and reconcilation of 3 sisters whose lives have been laced with tragic chaos.

Margaret Brennan from THE KINGS ENGLISH, highly touted I Sang to the Monster, but she also recommended many other great reads, including the following with the disclaimer that not all of these titles are for young adults and include some heavy and/or adult themes.

Little Bee
Adoration of Jenna Fox
Things Fall Apart
Th1rteen R3asons Why
Reluctant Fundamentalist
Sarah's Key
Never Let Me Go
Beyond the Sky and Earth
Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust
No Shortcuts to the Top
Escape
Infidel
19 Varieties of Gazelle: Poems of the Middle East
Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Wintergirls
Escape

One of the surprising highlights was Mark and Caralyn Buehner's presentation. The husband and wife/illustrating and writing team shared their experiences in publishing their well-loved picture books, including Snowmen at Night and Dex:The Heart of a Hero. The students particularly enjoyed listening to Cara read Dex, and I heard a collective sigh from the audience when she shared the sweet ending.

The office ladies have organized their own book club and present their favorites every year at Book Affair.

Sara Zarr usually presents at B.A., but could not this year. Instead, she recommended Ann Dee Willis and Emily Wing Smith as presenters. Both young authors held the teens' attention even at the very end of the day as they talked about the influence of their favorite authors on their writing.

The simplicity of Sandra Cisernos's House on Mango Street motivated Ann Dee to dedicate a summer to writing and finishing her first book,This is What I Did. Ann Dee's first novel "received three starred reviews and was listed on Voice of Youth Advocates - 2007 Top Shelf Fiction for Middle School Readers List, American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults for 2007 and was a 2008 International Reading Association honor book. Her second book, Everything is Fine was released March 2009. Kirkus described the book as 'Impressionistic, elliptical and full of feeling' and VOYA (starred review) called it 'a story so painful you want to read it with your eyes closed. It is a stunning novel.'”

Emily Wing Smith published her first YA novel, The Way He Lived, in 2007, and her second book is due out soon. The author quoted her favorite author M.E. Kerr's observation that writing helps young adults work through tough experiences and get back to where they want and need to be. Loosely based upon an incident that happened during her high school years, Emily's novel revolves around peers' perceptions of a young many who died one summer. Seen as a martyr by some and self-destructive by others, the protagonist is all and none of what others think of him.

"The Way He Lived received accolades including a starred review in Publisher’s Weekly. It was also winner of the Utah Book Award in Young Adult Fiction. Her next YA novel, Back when You Were Easier to Love, will be released from Dutton (Penguin) early next year."

Kay Erickson and Mark Murphy, faculty members at Valley, wrapped up Book Affair by promoting their favorites: The Greatest Generation, a book Kay recommends because her dad was a WWII vet who never talked about the war. Magnificent Obsession, written by Lloyd C. Douglas and published in 1929, has been been his favorite job for 40 years. The classic nspired him to be of service to others, and Douglas' novel also touched my life some 35 years ago when I read it. It's one whose message I will never forget.

This summer my reading goal is to consume as many books by Utah authors as I can. They include Ann Dee's and Emily's, as well as Carol Lynch Williams' book The Chosen. I recently finished Jessica Day George's fairytale-fantasy Princess of the Midnight Ball, and I am anxious to start Bree DeSpain's The Dark Divine.

Oh, and I won't let summer end until I read Ann Cannon's The Loser's Guide to Life and Love and The Chihuahua Chase!

wRITING REASONS ~ The First of MANY Posts

2010-05-23T23:45:00.163-06:00

Inspired by Kelly Gallagher's Reading Reasons, I have been contemplating why we write. Using a similar format as the esteemed Mr. Gallagher, and withOUT his permission, I will share a few ideas that wake me at night and distract me by day.

THE CHALLENGE

If educators were ONLY concerned about test scores, then we would be overwrought about our students' writing results as reported by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). NAEP, considered the Nation's report card, indicates that Utah's READING scores are "pretty good," but students' WRITING scores are significantly lower than students nationwide.

Like most teachers, however, I have a difficult time standing before a classroom of students to tell them that the main reason they need to be better writers is because they have GOT to earn better scores on standardized tests. Yes, some would be motivated by this concern, but many - if not most - would not. (Starting in the 2010-11 school year, we do not even have the UBSCT writing assessment to hang over high schoolers' heads.)

On the other hand, NOT many students challenge the necessity of learning to write like they question other kinds of learning: "I'll NEVER write in the real world." Too many, however, fail to realize how much required writing or the expected high level of writing they will encounter after leaving public school - whether it's college or career-related.

The questions about writing, therefore, are similar to those posed about reading:

How do we turn around apathetic attitudes about writing?
How do we address an unwillingness to draft, revise, revise, revise, and edit?
How do light a writing fire under our students?
How do shelter fragile adolescent writers and help them grow into confident people for whom writing well matters?
How can we meaningfully and consistently reinforce the benefits of writing and writing well?
Where do we start?

BUILDING READERS

Just as educators need to explicitly teach READING REASONS to students, teachers must also EXPLICITLY teach WRITING REASONS to their pupils. By the time adolescents are in middle school and/or high school, we assume that most of them understand the importance of writing. As a result, we assign the essay or the reflective written response without explicit instruction that includes the reason.

Furthermore, the strong emphasis upon summative assessments, along with accompanying administrator and teacher angst, supports the less important reason for writing - scoring well on the Direct Writing Assessment or some other summative test. It is important that educators ensure that students know and understand there are much stronger reasons for learning to write effectively.

As with reading, before teachers and students discuss, discover, and develop solid and motivating writing reasons, building blocks must be in place to support young writers.

Building block 1: Students must experience many different kinds of writing, including WRITING TO LEARN and LEARNING TO WRITE a variety of genres. Among the traditional kinds of writing taught in schools, the National Common Core State Standards (NCCSS) requires students to be proficient in writing effective ARGUMENTS. This type of writing is different from creating persuasive pieces of writing but is used more in ALL disciplines.

Building block 2: Students must have ample time to compose, especially extended pieces of writing. They must be able to draft, review with peers, revise, edit, and PUBLISH.Thinking and drafting take TIME; reviewing and revising take more TIME because writers often go through this step again and again.

Building block 3: Teachers must model writing and the VALUE of writing. Composing, sharing, revising and editing with students, and thinking aloud while working through the process makes the writing process more transparent for students.

Demonstrating a positive attitude about writing is crucial! Too many teachers lack confidence in their own writing; consequently, they may AVOID teaching writing or LIMIT the number of writing assignments. Tracy Gardner, NCTE Inbox editor writes, "YOU are a WRITER when you BELIEVE that you ARE—and once PEOPLE BELIEVE they are WRITERS, they are ON THE PATH to a life-long LOVE of WRITING."

Building block 4: Teachers must STOP GRADING EVERYTHING. The paper-grading horror stories that follow English teachers not only scare away prospective language arts teachers, they also discourage educators from assigning writing. Because students hang from fluorescent lights in Utah's classrooms, grading EVERY essay, response, or narrative is especially daunting. BUT there are many ways to effectively assess student writing and learning WITHOUT grading every paper. Rather than limit writing, teachers need to PICK and CHOOSE what they will and will not grade. This can be accomplished without diminishing the value of all student writing.

Additionally, Utah Write and MY Access online writing programs are available to support student writing by providing feedback. When used correctly, these tools ASSIST teachers; they DO NOT REPLACE teachers!

Building block 5: Teachers must incorporate writing into MOST aspects of learning. WRITING to LEARN includes tools that help students process learning through writing. Some of these tools include graphic organizers, admit/exit slips, R.A.F.T., Silent Discussions, etc. A new report from the Carnegie Institute, Writing to Read: Evidence for How Writing Can Improve Reading, shares recent research that supports the importance of writing to the reading process.

Building block 6: Students must WANT to write, and they MUST see what's in it for them. Too many young people believe that writing is only important in the academic world. The second part of "wRITING REASONS" will share why we write - reasons that go beyond those connected to school.

While I have some ideas, I plan to search out more; and I would LOVE to hear YOUR ideas. Please share your thoughts with Link2Literacy, and then teachers can share them with future students.

Thanks so very much.
Renae

Sara Zarr and the Writer Within

2010-05-12T12:19:00.008-06:00

Sara Zarr - isn't that just the coolest author name? And it's NOT even a pen name! Anyway, Sara, the Utah ZARRina of realistic young adult fiction (and yes, I am fawning) spent over an hour sharing reflections about her writing life with the largest group of secondary educators to attend a JCIRA meeting in YEARS. (Okay, there were only 13, but that's an average improvement of 900% - seriously!) AND, I very much appreciate Sara's comment when I told her NOT to expect huge numbers. She wrote,

Since it sounds like it's likely to be a small group, we can keep it conversational, which is always nice. I just couldn't remember if this was a very formal in-service-y type of presentation or not. Conversational is my favorite.

Rather than summarize all her interesting observations, I'd like to paraphrase several of Sara's thoughts that were meaningful to me. Sound good?

Her genre-of-choice:

Sara is drawn to the family drama - "things happening in kitchens and cars."
When males write "domestic fiction," it's referred to as "literary fiction." (Go figure.)

Her inspiration:

Sara's teen years were influenced by her own family drama - moving around, an alcoholic father, and divorce. She added that children in these kinds of situations often fill their minds with "what if" scenarios - "What if he doesn't come home; what if he DOES and he's drunk, etc." Imagining the "what ifs" can fuel creativity.
Her teen reading was enriched by 80's YA authors, including Robert Cromier, M.E. Kerr, and others. She enjoyed reading about characters who were like her. And while her life did not include the fighting and death found in Cromier's The Chocolate War, for example, she did relate to the dysfunction that realistically penetrates every life.

Her respect for teens:

Sara empathizes with the angst that often fills teen lives. Unlike some adults, she sees their challenges as "high stakes" issues that they "don't have practice in dealing with ... ."
She observes that sometimes it's "easy to look at teens and say 'you don't know how good you have it,'" but their problems "are as real and rough and new" as those experienced by adults.
Adolescence is "a transitional time," and a teen's job is to break away from parents. When going through that, many see their parents as clueless. Sara shared the example of Ann Frank's issues with her own mother - a woman who possessed none of the attributes Ann honored during that season in her life. Had she been allowed to grow up, however, "she would have worked that out. Instead, the moment is frozen in time."
Writers mustn't see teen problems as melodramatic - the "gossip will ruin my life." Authors cannot "dismiss their pain" because if that occurs, they "dismisses what readers are feeling."

Her story goals:

Sara sees adults as "ambassadors of adulthood," saying "come on," and so she wants her books to "model the possibilities." She hopes to demonstrate to her adolescent readers that they can "navigate through" their experiences.
Her desired message is that the way "may not be perfect, but it will be okay."
She wants her books to "offer some kind of hope as long as the definition of family is wide ranging."
Realistically, she knows that her character won't have the "big triumphs" - win the popularity contest, the game, or the piano competition - but will be able to "look Dad in the eye" or have more patience with a well-meaning mom.
Sara also likes to end her stories with "forward momentum" versus the "big wrap-up." Sometimes teens are disappointed in that. Sara mentioned that her 12 to 15-year-old fans "want a happier ending." They also think that the author is writing about her own life. One group of girls Sara met with in California took one look at the visiting writer and then checked out the cover of Story of a Girl . "This ISN'T you!" they exclaimed in surprise. (Yet another disappointment!)

Her inner voice:

Once Sara realized she could be a writer, she knew that she would author young adult books because that is the voice within her. She can see through a teen's eyes. Not as an adult looking back on adolescent experiences but rather as a 15-year-old living in the moment. (I think that is remarkable. I've tried to do it, and the 62-year-old me keeps interrupting the teen me! Darn her!)
One of Sara's author-friends listens to her 6-year-old self, and so I think Ms. Zarr's advice to prospective authors is to discover who resides in their hearts and minds. Next listen and then record who is talking and what is being said. (I was listening more than writing notes at this point, and so I hope I've captured her thoughts about this subject.)

My reflection - I love to write, and I've even written a couple of chapters of a NOVEL - but I have to laugh. My main character is from England - a country I have NEVER visited, but I loudly hear her accent. I think, however, it's more Irish than British. So I started this adventure by writing in a dialect. Can you believe that?

Now I've stopped writing because the accent is growing thicker, and I'm afraid it's losing any authenticity it MAY have had. Awhile ago, I decided to rewrite the chapters and drop the dialect - but that accent is still lodged in my brain.

Dear Sara Zarr, what do you advise? HELP ME!!!

I hope that you enjoy catching a glimpse of our evening with the lovely Ms. Sara. And I plan to bring more such experiences to our JCIRA meetings in the future. I hope you readers of this blog will drop in sometime and mingle with us.

Take care,
Renae

Sara Zarr - Star of JCIRA's May Meeting!

2010-05-12T10:27:00.006-06:00

On Monday, May 10th, Sara Zarr - author extraordinaire - sat down with 13 secondary educators to chat about her writing life. What a pleasant experience that was for all of us - those who dream about authoring works and those who enjoy reading them.

Let me tell you a bit about Sara's accomplished WONDERFULNESS, and then I'll link you to a summary of what she shared with us! Sound good?

She has published 3 YA novels: Story of a Girl; Sweethearts; and Once Was Lost
Honors and Awards:

Story of a Girl

2007 National Book Award Finalist
American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults
ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers
International Reading Association Honor Book
International Reading Association Choices Book
New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age
Capitol Choices Pick
TX Tayshas Pick
Utah Book Award Finalist

Sweethearts

2008 Cybil Awards Finalist
Oprah Book Club Kids Reading List
American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults
New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age
Utah Book Award Finalist
TX Tayshas Pick
2010 International Reading Association Choices pick

Once Was Lost - Just published in October, this book was inspired by events surrounding Elizabeth Smart's kidnapping. It has already been recognized with the following honors:

An ALA Best Book for Young Adults
A Kirkus Best Book of 2009
Fall 2009 Reading the West pick – Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association

Sara has also contributed to the following collections:

Does This Book Make Me Look Fat - A collection of stories and essays by YA authors that "sound off on body image., self-esteem, diets, eating disorders, boys, fashion magazines, and why trying on jeans is a bad experience for everyone."
Geektastic - "Short stories from some of the best selling and most promising geeks in young adult literature; covers all things geeky, from Klingons and Jedi Knights to fan fiction, theater geeks, and cosplayer."
Jesus Girls - "Together this collection of essays provides a vivid and diverse portrait of life in the evangelical church, warts and all."

Sara is featured on a READWRITETHINK.org podcast.

Click HERE to learn more about this amazing young author via the podcast.
Go HERE to read more on her website.

What NOT to Assign for Summer Reading

2010-05-05T16:01:00.194-06:00

It's that time when teachers are thinking about summer reading – their own AND their students. In the not-too-distant past, a parent talked to me about books assigned to her daughter, and most of the choices were drawn from a list of the classics. Now I'm NOT talking about Young Adult classics; I'm thinking about those still-in-print books originally published between the 1700 and 1800s. Tale of Two Cities; Wuthering Heights; Jude the Obscure; Les Miserables, etc.

(Note: The cute boy in this picture is my grandson, and reading in trees is his favorite pastime!)

Please do not think I am ANTI-classics. I definitely am NOT. I also realize that students registered for AP English need a jump-start on the upcoming school year by reading some Austen and Faulkner over the summer. Additionally, I have been researching and building a case for teaching such works in the general language arts curriculum, but I question whether or not teachers should require or recommend them as summer reading. Here are a few questions at the heart of the BIG question.

What is the purpose for assigning these works for summer reading? Introducing young readers to timeless, universal themes or ruining vacations at the beach?

Can students comprehend these difficult texts without teacher's scaffolding? Will filling out the work sheets or writing up summaries or reflections really help them understand why Heathcliff is such a grouch? (Heathcliff the tortured soul, NOT Garfield's cartoon contemporary.)

Will entering into the task without sufficient support discourage their efforts to the point of giving up? How many will make it beyond "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness; it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity …"?

Will they resort to replacing the novel with Cliff Notes? Or the movie versions; ie A&E's Pride and Prejudice with hunky Collin Firth OR Kiera Knightley's 2005 portrayal of Elizabeth Bennet OR the new BBC 6-part episodes?

Will the experience create life-long despisers of classics? Will they ever trust an author over 100 again?

Carol Jago, former middle and high school teacher; president of NCTE; director of the California Reading and Literature Project, and a whole bunch of other impressive titles, writes that "we should be teaching what Lev Vygotsky calls the zone of proximal development. Vygostky explains, 'the only good kind of instruction is that which marches ahead of development and leads it'"(2009). When we assign difficult or frustration-level texts for summer reading without marching ahead of students' literary development, we may be setting up those readers for failure as well as giving them one more reason to dislike reading.

So what makes up a good summer reading list? Good question. Yesterday I talked with a high school teacher whose sophomore students are reading The Hiding Place, Corrie Ten Boom's remarkable memoir about hiding Dutch Jews during World War II. The book is listed as having a 900L Lexile level, within the range of 10th graders, but its length and complexity can make it a difficult read for many teens. That is why teachers often choose it for classroom study.

After reading The Hiding Place and studying the Holocaust during the last few weeks of school, students will be assigned to read Night by Elie Wiesel during summer. The content is tough because of the topic, but it is short and poignant. The students have the background knowledge needed to comprehend the text and the reading level is 580L.

Carol J. also believes that "if students can read a book on their own, it probably isn't the best choice for classroom study" (2009). Now there are many things to consider when determining whether or not students can read a book on their own, ranging from having the ability to comprehend the text to possessing the maturity to appreciate the content. But if teachers believe their students can, then that title might be a perfect choice for a summer reading recommendation.

My colleague/friend/supervisor Carolyn discussed this topic as well, and she shared an interesting idea. She thinks books that are short, but unique with richly layered content are great for summer reads. Two examples she mentioned were Yellow Star by Jennifer Roy or Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse. Both of these books, written in a poetic, free-verse format, are easy reads filled with thought-provoking imagery and circumstance - fodder for riveting reflections and discussions. (Monster by Walter Dean Myers is also a quick read, written in screen-play format. It is both heart-breaking and disturbing, and guys like it!)

I also think summer reading is the time for fun - yes, F.U.N. reading. A time to include graphic novels or Lois Duncan (queen of YA thrillers) or Louis L'Amour novels (I love Hondo, and Louis hooked my sons onto reading, so I love him, too); OR Hunger Games! Even better!

What do YOU think makes a good "SUMMER READ?" Send in your thoughts about the topic OR share your favorite titles. I would LOVE, LOVE LOVE to hear from you! rbs

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Note: Jordan School District's policy for summer reading lists is consistent with classroom reading guidelines: books must be approved by the appropriate literature committees. If teachers want to include UNapproved books, the compiled list must be extensive enough that students have LOTS of choices. Btw, most titles mentioned in this post have been approved, including HUNGER GAMES, a new addition!

Board Books for Babies, an Update!

2010-04-28T15:16:00.002-06:00

Over 200 new mommies who deliver babies at the Riverton IHC Hospital will receive little gifts with great potential: bags of board books to encourage reading to their little ones from the very beginning of their lives.

At the March 8th Jordan Council of the International Reading Association (JCIRA) meeting, members quickly assembled the bags that included a board book and a letter sharing research about the benefits of reading to children, starting at babyhood. In 20 minutes, approximately 20 participants folded letters, packed books, and tied bags to ready the gifts for delivery. (Pictured: Bev Griffith, R.S., Arlene Baumgardner, Becky Lind.)

On April 19th Susan Snow, Lori Huey, and I delivered many boxes filled with bags 'o books to hospital representatives. (I would have inserted a picture of that occasion if it had not turned out to be VERY out of focus. I would have also listed the names of the hospital's representatives if I had remembered to jot them down.)

Right now the labor and delivery, mom and baby care areas of the Women's Center are not operating at full capacity. Once they are, representatives indicated ABOUT 200 babies could be born each month. That means our donation will only last 30+ days!!! Consequently, we've decided to make this an ongoing project as we realize that MANY of the babies born at Riverton IHC this year will enter our schools in years to come! We want them to walk through our doors as lovers of literacy!!

The following is a "CopyPaste" version of the letter we enclosed with the books. You might find the research and the suggestions of interest.

Congratulations on the Birth of Your Baby
On behalf of the Jordan Council of the International Reading Association, our members present this board book to you and your little one because there are few gifts that outshine the gift of literacy! We know the importance of reading to your baby from the earliest possible moment, and we want you to share some of those reasons with you.
Reading to infants and toddlers can be very beneficial because it establishes a strong foundation for later literacy skills (McLane & McNamee, 1991). Little ones grow up believing that reading is fun to do as they become comfortable with the sound of language used in books. They learn to turn the pages and soon realize that printed words on pages have meaning (Rice, Burkes, & Kaplan-Sanoff).

After a few months of reading together, a baby’s face lights up when looking at favorite picture books. Before long squeals of laughter follow Mommy expressive narration, “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, what do you see?” Eventually, chubby fingers point at colorful illustrations; and by the time baby is a toddler, Mommy hears her little one share the story through imitated words and sound effects.

A parent can also help young ones make connections beyond the printed page: “Here is YOUR soft brown bear. He looks like the bear on this page, doesn’t he?” Babies bask in the sense of closeness they feel in the arms of their parents. They respond to the sound of a mommy’s voice and the comfort of being held. They learn from peeking at the pictures, listening to the sounds, and interacting with the reader.

Realizing that all children develop at different rates, parents can refer to these guidelines published by the Corporation for National Service [CNS], U.S. Department of Education, & U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for some suggestions.

Birth to Eight Months
·         Hold the baby in your lap as you share short books with bright pictures.
·         It’s normal for the child to want to handle the book and even chew on it. Use cloth, plastic, or board books that can be cleaned after each use.
·         Name pictures for the baby and respond to the baby when he/she points to the pictures.

Eight to Eighteen Months Old
·         Continue to read one-on-one. Children this age love to hear the same book again and again.
·         Follow the child’s lead. When the child brings you a book, do your best to find time to read it.
·         Relate pictures in the books to the child’s life.
·         Keep sturdy books within the children’s reach for them to explore on their own.
·         Offer books about everyday activities. Make some books yourself that include photos of the children.

Eighteen to Twenty-Four Months Old
·         Read to the children both one-on-one and in small groups, but don’t insist that the children stay in the group.
·         After hearing the same book often, the children will begin to join in and tell what happens next.
·         Point to the words as you read.
·         Encourage the children to talk about the stories. Add related props so the children can incorporate the stories into their play.

Our very best wishes to you and your new baby!
Jordan Council of the International Reading Association

Oh My! Access: One Teacher's Experience

2010-04-20T00:05:00.007-06:00

This year I've been happy to feature a few guest bloggers - Sarita Rich, Roseann Markham and Cynthia Vandermieden - today I am pleased to copy and paste this unsolicited email from Lars Erickson of Oquirrh Hills Middle School. I always appreciate feedback, and it is particularly rewarding when it is POSITIVE. Thanks, Lars, for granting permission to share your reflections about a recent experience with the MY Access,with other JSD teachers.

Having just finished my [MYAccess] District Assessment, I was curious to see how my kids did so I took a look at some of the M.A. reports. Like the District average [Renae] reported, my kids averaged 5.0. That’s more impressive since I teach the “non-Honors” L.A. students.

I fully expected the scores to go down from previous essay averages due to the restricted time allowed and the editing tools having been removed. Yet, when I compared the averages from the three persuasive essays the kids have done, I found that they were actually the same as this last assessment, hovering around 5.0. That might not sound impressive, that perhaps they have not improved, but considering the class time and preparation invested, it blows my socks off. The first essay used about seven to eight days of class time, the second essay required about five, but this last one was only TWO days of class time and was completely without any teacher-directed pre-writing, M.A. spell-checking or editing help.

With My Access’ help, my students have become “advanced proficient” writers who understand that their efforts in the arduous writing process pay off. I’ve seen so many lights go on in kids’ eyes today, it’s hard to believe. I have a handful of essentially non-writers that have decided that they can write and write well. They have learned valuable writing skills for sure (organization, word choice, mechanics, conventions, etc.), but I think by far the most valuable lesson has been that their sustained effort on a difficult task provides tangible results. In all the years I’ve taught, I have never seen this lesson learned so well and so obviously.

I credit My Access for giving me the authoritative and immediate feedback tools to help my kids learn this most valuable wisdom. ... The gains I have seen would not have happened without ... My Access.

Showers of Couplets, Cinquains, and Haiku Rain Down in April - Nat'l Poetry Month

2010-04-13T16:02:00.012-06:00

Yes, April is National Poetry Month. Established in 1996, the Academy of American Poets dedicated this month to celebrate poetry in schools, libraries, book stores, and literary organizations throughout our country.

There are so many events transpiring, and one of my favorites is following "30 Poets 30 Days." Well-known poets share some of their unpublished poems. (Cool, huh? And there are some AMAZING verses found there!) Some of our schools sponsor Pocket Poetry where EVERYONE carries poems in their pockets, and then they recite those poems at every possible chance. Other schools, like West Jordan High, hold Poetry Slams during April. (I can't wait to attend! So fun!)

Jordan Council of the International Reading Association (JCIRA) invited Brad Wilcox, author and BYU professor, to commemorate this fun occasion by speaking about the "What, Why, and How" of teaching poetry to our students. Here is a summary of what he shared with members at the April 12th meeting.

What is Poetry?

"Pretty thoughts dressed up in pretty words." ~ Val C. Wilcox, Brad's mother who knows EVERYTHING!
Poetry is orange juice CONCENTRATE; if you add the 3 cups of water, you have prose." ~ Brad Wilcox, who listens to his mom!
"A poem begins more felt than thought, and ends more thought than felt."
AND "Poetry begins with a delightful experience that becomes wisdom." ~ Robert Frost
"Poetry is music in words and music is poetry in sound." Wm. Wordsworth
"If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know it is poetry." ~ Emily Dickinson

Why Poetry?

Why Poetry Indeed?

by Alex Nobel

Why poetry? Why indeed? Why life? Why communication? Why awareness? Why growth? Why sharing? Why love? I like to think of a poet as one who understands the unversal harmony and beauty of things .... This poet-possibility resides in each of us. In me. In you. You will find your way. I will find mine. And it will be a beginning.

Why poetry?

BRAD'S practical reason: Because poems are short, teachers and students can work through the ENTIRE writing process in a short amount of time.
Renae's reason: Poetry is a GREAT way to teach word choice because each and every syllable must be carefully chosen to share the just-right message.

How to Teach Poetry?

Note: Brad shared these ideas with elementary students in mind, HOWEVER, I have used them to inspire RELUCTANT poets. While my students published traditional and fun formula poems, I also gave them opportunities to create and publish original poetry that didn't fall into any formula but their own. Remember that CHOICE is ALWAYS a great MOTIVATOR!

REMEMBER "to, with, and by!"

Read poems TO students.
Write poetry WITH them and have students work WITH writing buddies/peers.
Time to write poetry BY themselves.

Build word banks: Brainstorm "spring" words, "school" words, "color" words; "sad" words, etc. Then encourage your poets to incorporate them into their creations.

Publishing:

When Brad creates poems WITH students, he assigns groups of students to rewrite a line and create an accompanying illustration, create a cover and a title - each student completes one part of the assignment. The end result is 3-5 different books of the class-created poem.
When students work in partners or individually, each poet or pairs of poets makes copies enough for every student in the class. Then he stacks the piles across a long table or several desks. Students line up and walk by, each taking a copy from every stack. Next they staple and VOILA a class book to present to moms, grandmas, etc.
My students organized their poems into their own books. Here is a link to my personal blog, ... good times AND seasons ..., that shares some poetry from the book I created along with my students. It also includes samples of cinquain, Haiku, and concrete poetry.

Traditional Poem Ideas: I did not include Haiku or Cinquain poetry because they are familiar to most teachers. And perhaps you've also experimented with some of the following, but if not, here they are.

Couplets:

Ex. 1

Teacher: Give me 2 rhyming words.
Students: RAY and DAY
Teacher: Let's create two statements using these words at the end.
Students and teachers: In our class is a boy named RAY; he celebrates his birth this very DAY!

EX 2:

Teacher: Give me another word.
Student: HIAWATHA
Teacher: O----kay. I need one more word and then let's come up with another couplet.
Student: FRIEND
Students and teacher: HIAWATHA is our FRIEND; he'll be loyal till the end. (Note: The difficult word is at the BEGINNING of the couplet's first line.)

Literary Example: "What's with that crazy BELLA that she wants a vampire for her FELLA?"
Seasonal Example: When Halloween comes 'round, assign students to write "gravestone" couplets.

Irish Blessings: Use 4 "MAYS" along with an "AND" to create an Irish Blessing for St. Patrick's Day, why don't ye?

Here's a famous blessing for a model:

MAY the road rise up to meet you,
MAY the wind be always at your back,
MAY the sun shine warm upon your face, the rains fall soft upon your fields,
AND, until we meet again,
MAY God hold you in the palm of his hand.

Renae's not-so-famous blessing:

May your students rise to cheer you,
May your colleagues watch your back,
May the recession wane in coming days; the budget cuts be forever misplaced,
And, until school starts again,
May summer caress your weary bones and tired minds.

Free Verse; Using a thesaurus, create a PLETHORA of word strips with one word on each.

Writing WITH students -

Pull 5 from the stack of words.
Work with students to create 2 or 3 sentences using each of the 5 words.
Quickly revise and edit the sentences - eliminating and/or rearranging words.

Poetry Poker

Distribute 5 word strips to poet-partners
Allow each partnership to trade ONE strip for another still in the "dealer's" hand
Assign partners to create their own poem, using the 5 selected words.

Other Fun Ideas

ABC poem - uses all or some letters from alphabet

Definition poem - ____________________ is ______________________.

Anxiety is an alien gnawing on you from the inside out.
"Love is never having to say you're sorry." (Name that movie!)

5 W poem - Who, what, when, where, why: complete the questions in a unified structure.

Mrs. Crumple
broke her yard stick
in 6th period
on Riley's desk
to wake him up.

List poem - Pull out key chain, backpack, pockets and list contents along with a comment about each.

This key fits the lock to a house I no longer live in,
and this one goes to the PT Cruiser I named CreamPuff.
This key opens my desk drawer where I hide my chocolate covered almonds.
This key ... this key... Hmmm? Who knows what this key opens?

Phone number or zip code - Vertically list a phone number that WON'T impose on anyone's privacy, like the school's, for example. Or list a zip code.

Each number indicates the number of words needed on that line.
If zero is listed, add a 1 before it for 10 or after it to indicate ONE.

8 words:
4 words:
01 word:
8 words:
4 words:

WHEW! This post ended up being MUCH longer than I planned, but hopefully, you will find some ideas to try during National Poetry Month!

Best wishes,
Renae

UPDATE: Implementing the Nat'l Core in Utah!

2010-04-07T14:00:00.013-06:00

SEASONS ~ THEY ARE A CHANGIN'

In a year of constant change, more lie ahead! And the rumors have been flying fast and furiously for months. While decisions have been made about some national, state, and district concerns, mandates, etc., others are still being deliberated. With that in mind, I'll share what language arts representatives from throughout the state learned last Wednesday when we met with Dr. Reed Spencer, USOE Language Arts Curriculum Specialist.

National Common Core State Standards (NCCSS)

Dr. Spencer said that the proposal to adopt the NCCSS would be presented to the State Board of Education for approval in June. Speaking confidently, he added that in all likelihood, the board would adopt the standards.

He surmised that it would take about 2 years for Utah to fully implement the national core, with the exception of math, and that will take 3 years. IN THE MEANTIME, the USOE, districts, and schools will start bridging together the current and future cores. (What fun.)

Adoption allows for states to add up to 15% more content to the standards if USOE curriculum leaders feel there are holes. (As I compared the two, I saw similarities, but also noticed Greek and Latin roots are not specified as part of vocabulary and word study. Nor is inquiry a separate strand but is embedded throughout the language arts core. We'll have to wait and see if the state plugs in any additions.)

Assessments: UBSCT, CRT's,
DWA, and ????

Yes, it's true, starting next school year, UBSCT takes a leave of absence for at least 2 years, but Dr. Spencer does NOT see its return. Instead, he predicts it will be replaced with a version of the ACT that is "a grade-appropriate, curriculum-based assessment that measures what students have learned in school" (ACT News, Mar. 31, 2010).

Criterion-Reference Testing (CRT), however, is NOT going away for grades 3-11 until a national assessment that aligns with NCCSS is developed. In the meantime, the CRT will test Utah's current core.

The Direct Writing Assessment (DWA) will still be administered to 8th graders, BUT the GOOD NEWS is that those students will NOT have to undergo the agony of the Iowa Basic Skills Test! YaY!

Speaking of DWA, Margaret Young, who oversees this venture, said the student interface could NOT have gone more smoothly! And she said THAT HAPPENED BECAUSE OF WONDERFUL TEACHERS! Margaret also asked me to tell you how much she appreciated all your efforts! Some 83,201 5th and 8th graders took the writing test, and of that number, only 69 were non-scorable. Margaret was SHOCKED and THRILLED! That has not happened before.
In order to validate results, this year's essays will be computer AND hand scored. Measurement, Inc. will release those results by the end of the school year.
One last DWA topic is whether or not to change the prompt for 8th graders. Margaret is taking this under consideration, and she would like to know what 8th grade LA teachers think about that. PLEASE WEIGH IN BY REGISTERING YOUR OPINION ON THE L2L POLL, (top-left)!

The NCCSS Assessment will take at least 2 and maybe 3 years to create, according to Maureen Cunniff, State CRT Coordinator. She said that a 26-state consortium will combine efforts to created FORMATIVE and SUMMATIVE assessments. Utah, through the office of education, is one of the states that will be involved. Representatives will submit questions from their states' cores that support NCCSS. The tests will then be created from that item bank.

So what does this all mean in terms of change? There are some "interesting" aspects of all these modifications/transformations/reformations, etc. Here are just a few:

FEWER STANDARDIZED TESTS - for the time being. We have all been concerned about the time these tests take away from instruction. Now we can utilize the extra time for TEACHING!
Because of national education reforms being enacted, U-PASS, the annual report of assessments and behavior indicators and the state's accountability plan, is also defunct! Whether this is good or bad depends upon what eventually replaces it. Remember that U-PASS "scores" included CRT and DWA results, and without that report ...?
Some testing pressures may be eased, but we must still dedicate ourselves to teaching the core - including those NON-tested items - via evidence-based practices and also tend to Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) - the heart of the core.

While accountability is important, we need to show the state and federal government that student learning does occur in classrooms without the overkill of mandated standardized tests checking up on schools. Instead, let's use formative assessments to course-correct and differentiate our instruction.

Granted, this is an "interim" time, but we can do some good things while we wait for the other shoe to drop.

Best wishes,
Renae

What's up with the National Common Core State Standards Initiative?

2010-03-18T13:14:00.005-06:00

Once upon many months ago, 48 states decided to race for $4 billion in stimulus funds being offered by the Federal Government. To qualify for this "Race to the Top," competitors had to commit themselves to the following areas of reform:

Adopting standards and assessments that prepare students to succeed in college and the workplace and to compete in the global economy;
Building data systems that measure student growth and success, and inform teachers and principals about how they can improve instruction;
Recruiting, developing, rewarding, and retaining effective teachers and principals, especially where they are needed most; and
Turning around our lowest-achieving schools.

By the time the first race rolled around, 40 states - including Utah - plus the District of Columbia lunged from the starting blocks, and 16 qualified as FINALISTS. After another "heat," which is now underway, winners will be announced in April. Utah was NOT among the finalists, but another run is scheduled for June 1. Feedback from the first race should better prepare the participants for the upcoming competition.

Note: Since this writing, two state winners were announced: Tennessee and Delaware on March 31, 2010. The Salt Lake Tribune also reported that our state just missed finalist status, coming in at number 19. Whether or not Utah resubmits a revised grant application in June has not been determined.

Whether or not Utah qualifies for these stimulus funds, however, the Utah State Office of Education (USOE) is committed to ADOPT the National Common Core State Standards (NCCSS) rather than ADAPT our current state core standards to the national core standards.

For grades 6-12, the standards "define what [these] students should understand and be able to do in each grade and build toward ten College and Career Readiness Standards." The standards' framework focuses upon relevant areas of expertise for reading, writing, and speaking and listening. For example, reading standards focus upon "key ideas and details; craft and structure; integration of knowledge and ideas; range and level of text complexity.:

Writing standards include "text types and purposes; production and distribution of writing; research to build knowledge; and range of knowledge." Speaking and listening center on "comprehension and collaboration; presentation of knowledge and ideas."

Inquiry is implicitly embedded among the readiness standards rather than occupying a place of its own.

How all this plays out as far as its affect upon curriculum and assessment is yet to be announced. A USOE meeting for district English Language Arts personnel is scheduled for the end of March, and hopefully, many questions will be answered then. In the meantime, we can go forth with curriculum mapping, lesson planning, and creating common assessments based upon those Utah ELA standards that align with the NCCSS.

Oh, and by the way, Governor Herbert is scheduled to sign the bill that will eliminate UBSCT for the next two years. MY! What exciting times we live in!

Good luck to us all!
Renae

Differentiating Differentiation

2010-03-10T16:26:00.009-07:00

Hi all,

Because I just conducted a workshop on differentiating instruction, I wanted to share an epiphany I recently experienced: Differentiating instruction doesn't have to be difficult OR time consuming!

While differentiating curriculum can be overwhelming, I think the variety of differentiation strategies lie on a continuum. At one end are LESS time-intensive instructional strategies such as the ones I'm including in this post. Layered curriculum is located further along the continuum, and near the furthest end is tiered instruction, a more time-intensive differentiation.

The strategies that do not demand an inordinate amount of preparation are also simple to implement, and they support our diversified populations. For example, allowing students choice is not only motivating for adolescents, it is also a form of differentiation. Think of all the ways teachers factor choice into the curriculum; here are just a few.

Flexible grouping that includes permitting students to choose their own groups at times
Creating a "question bank" from which students can choose to answer a required number to earn needed points
Providing prompts to choose from or allowing students to write an original response
Allowing in-depth learning of a self-selected topic within unit or theme being studied
Presenting options for end-of-unit projects/products

Differentiating activities can be as simple as varying the complexity of a graphic organizer to facilitate differing abilities or readiness concerns. For example, most teachers have access to a variety of graphic organizers, ranging from sequencing to Venn diagrams. Students can read the same text but respond differently, based upon their purpose for reading.

Some groups may use a Venn diagram to compare that text to another;
another may use a sequential organizer to list the sequence of events;
a third group may use a describing organizer to enumerate the characteristics of time period

Using the JigSaw instructional strategy, students could reconfigure their groups so that each graphic organizer is represented. The resulting discussion should expose many facets of the topic being studied.

Teachers can also assign students to complete just one section of a graphic organizer and then get into JigSaw groups to collaborate in completing the rest of the parts.

Another simple way to differentiate instruction is to invite students to respond to a topic or text by using the "Silent Discussion" tool. One way to do this is to list a different statement or question on sheets of butcher paper and post them around the room. Students can rotate from one question to another and record their comments or questions on the papers. They can also respond to one another's responses as well.

I just received an email message from one of yesterday's participants, Cynthia Vandermeiden of Joel P. Jensen Middle. Today she introduced the Silent Discussion with her 8th grade students, and she was thrilled at how effective it was. Cynthia called the experience a "Silent Socratic Circle!" Here are some of her students' reflections about the experience:

“I like it because the shy kids we never hear from got to share their ideas.”

“You can read the dialogue and respond instead of forgetting what someone said.”

“I felt like it flowed instead of everyone just responding to your question.”

“The assignment was cool, but our ideas were lame.” (Then we discussed how that was out of my control, but how they could change the level of interest...which was fun to point out. ;) )

“It was difficult because people were shortening their thoughts so they didn’t have to write a lot, but then we couldn’t understand their ideas.” (Open discussion [included] ... how grammar and sentence structure is important in writing).

“I like that we have to connect with everyone’s idea, not just one person’s idea” ([We] compared it to a Socratic seminar)

“I haven’t been in the inside circle, but this gives me a good idea of what I’d need to do when I am.”

In writing this, I hope you see how much you may already incorporate differentiated instruction into your pedagogy and may have picked up an additional idea or two. In future posts, I plan to discuss layered curriculum and tiered instruction.

Best wishes,
Renae

What Ever Shall We Do with GOOD Readers?

2010-03-04T21:10:00.006-07:00

I am very very concerned with ~~struggling~~ striving readers - or whatever the politically correct term is for students who don't read because they are ...

hampered with decoding or fluency issues
UNengaged
UNmotivated

I also appreciate the focus upon adolescent reading and "the core of reading: comprehension, learning while reading, reading in the content areas, and reading in the service of secondary or higher education, of employability, of citizenship" (Snow & Biancarosa, 2006,p.1). I am grateful for the research and recommendations represented in the Reading Next report, including "The Fifteen Elements of Effective Adolescent Literacy Programs" (p.4). But I have been long concerned about those students who read AT or ABOVE grade level because I know they can lose their enthusiasm for reading and become another of those UNengaged and UNmotivated readers that populate our classrooms.

For this reason, I've been searching for a model that focuses upon students who LIKE to read and who are good at it. In 2007, while attending the Utah Council of International Reading Association (UCIRA), I stumbled onto the World Class Readers Model and liked it VERY much, but I ran into a few challenges.

The model MAY be a copyrighted gifted and talented reading framework, but I haven't been able to confirm or refute that.
WCR, as developed by Nebo District, focuses upon elementary readers - not a big problem as it can be easily adapted for secondary classrooms.
Other than what Nebo has shared with me, I cannot find any additional informations or resources about this model.

Last fall, I organized an Advanced Readers professional development class that invited secondary teachers to attend with the purpose of earning PD credit while working collaboratively to develop an advanced readers curriculum. Three teachers - Lis Thomas and Barbara Burt of Elk Ridge Middle and Pamela Spitzer of Fort Herriman Middle - stayed the course, and we created 4 unit outlines based upon the WCR model for 7th and/or 8th grade reading or language arts classes.

We poured over the JSD approved reading list to find books that could both challenge and engage readers. Two are "advanced" books - a memoir and a classic - and two are currently "HOT" reads with controversial and/or compelling content. Those books include the classic Treasure Island and the memoir of Beryl Markham - West with the Night. The two popular novels are Last Book in the Universe by Rodman Philbrick and Unwind by Neal Shusterman.

Lis Thomas of Elk Ridge Middle read and created plans for West with the Night. This book shares Markham's adventures as an aviatrix in South Africa during the 30s and 40s. Ernest Hemingway said of this book, "... she has written so well ... that I was completely ashamed of myself as a writer. I felt I was just a carpenter with words ... . But she can write rings around all of us who consider ourselves writers." ERNEST HEMINGWAY - mind you!

Barbara Burt, also from Elk Ridge Middle, organized plans for Last Book in the Universe. The Kirkus Review writes of Philbrick's futuristic novel: "Enriched by ... allusions to nearly lost literature and full of intriguing, invented slang, the skillful writing paints two pictures of what the world could look like in the future—the burned-out Urb and the pristine Eden—then shows the limits and strengths of each. Philbrick, author of Freak the Mighty (1993) has again created a compelling set of characters that engage the reader with their courage and kindness in a painful world that offers hope, if no happy endings."

Pamela Spitzer from Fort Herriman Middle created the plan ideas for Unwind, the very popular Neal Shusterman novel. This nail-biting thriller operates on the chilling premise that "life is inviolable from the moment of conception until age 13. Between 13 and 18, however, parents can have their children 'unwound'." The book also gives a new meaning to the concept of organ transplants!

I worked on the Treasure Island lesson ideas, and along the way, I fell in love with Stevenson's classic. I decided to center the learning activities on the theme of survival, especially the characteristics of a survivor. I was intrigued with how Jim Hawkins' changed because of what he did to survive his adventure and juxtaposed that with Long John Silver's ability to survive his scrapes.

While working on this project, I approached the Jordan Education Foundation to see if we could procure funds to buy the books, thus allowing a "test drive" of our lesson plans. With some luck and good timing, I was able to buy one classroom set of books for each of the participating teachers. Each teacher will use the WCR model to study the novel with their students. They will reflect upon the lessons and make changes to their plans, if necessary. After this process, we will share the plans with other teachers.

Now here is some pretty good news - NOT great news when compared to all the bad news we've been faced with, but something nice, nevertheless. With additional help from the Jordan Education Foundation, we applied for another grant through QWEST and received enough money to supply each middle school with at least one classroom set of the above novels. IF teachers aren't interested in using those books, they can choose another from the list I am creating from the JSD approved book list.

This "list within the list" will include books we hope are challenging and engaging. We'll look at old and newer classics as well as Lexile levels. I plan to check out availability, summaries and reviews of unfamiliar titles, and then I'll ask you for your opinions before publishing the final Advanced Readers Book List. Does that sound good?

To receive a classroom set of books, you'll be invited to attend an orientation about the World Class Readers Model. If teachers want a set of books off the Advanced Readers Book List, we ask that they develop a unit plan using the WCR Model. Watch here for more information and thanks for all you do for our students!

What is UTIPS, and How Can I Use It in My L.A. Classroom?

2010-02-22T21:59:00.002-07:00

Dear Colleagues,

My friend Roseann Markham is the Secondary Language Arts Instructional Specialist for Granite School District. We often work together on a variety of State or Wasatch Front committees, and I greatly respect her knowledge and expertise. I recently asked Roseann if she'd be willing to "guest-author" a post for my blog, and she kindly agreed.

Because Roseann recently trained some Granite teachers about the value of Utah Test Item Pool Service (UTIPS), I requested that she summarize that training here. I have been unable to copy and paste the included graphics, and so I created a link to this valuable information. I realized this format is better because the PDF creates a preferred printed copy.

I know UTIPS isn't a flawless resource, but it can be more helpful than most teachers realize. If you don't know much about this service; if you've never used it; or if you didn't have much success when you did use it, read over Roseann's suggestions by clicking HERE. You will be so glad you did.

And thanks to my friend for taking a great deal of time to create this helpful resource!

Best wishes,
Renae

A Couple o' Valentine Gifts for the World's Most Patient Teachers!!!!

2010-02-12T12:28:00.008-07:00

Happy Valentine's Day, My Friends!

Because of words, women can be romantic with Mr. Darcy, Heathcliff, Edward, or Jacob. And, Guys, you can be in love with ... uh, ManStuff?!?

In the spirit of V-Day, I have a couple of little gifts for you - wish they could insure job security - but, sadly, that is not the case. Sigh. Anyway, here are some ideas you might want to use in your classrooms. Gosh, students might even find them engaging!!! (One can hope!)

MAKING INFERENCES via GOOGLE SEARCH ~

I admit I only saw the 4th quarter of the SuperBowl and only a few of the advertisements, but I stumbled onto this one by Google early this morning when I was searching for something else. The minute I saw it, I thought of one of my favorite short stories that REQUIRES the reader to make inferences like no other! "Ordeal by Cheque" by Wuther Crue was first published in Vanity Fair in 1938. If you haven't "read" it, do that right now by following the above link.

The plot does not unfold through sentences or paragraphs but rather through bank checks. Readers have to examine each of the 46 checks written on The Hollywood State Bank between 1902 and 1931 to determine the conflict, characters, climax, and resolution. VERY FUN.

Google's 30 second SuperBowl advertisement uses a similar premise to create a 21st Century love story. Viewers are required to "read between the searches" to fill in story details - the music and sound bites also help the inferencing process! Take a peek and see what you think:

With both of these "text" types, teachers can add a writing element that might require students to summarize the story (a good comprehension strategy, too), create a dialogue among the characters, extend the story, etc. Anyway, I hope you can see the possibilities!

Kelly Gallagher's "Article of the Week" ~

If you have read Kelly's book Readicide: How Schools are Killing Reading and What You Can Do About It, you know that he is very concerned about the lack of background/prior knowledge students bring to their reading, writing, inquiry, etc. "They can decode the words, but the words remain meaningless without a foundation of knowledge" (Gallagher, 2010.)

To remedy that situation, Kelly assigns an "Article of the Week."

By the end of the school year I want them to have read 35 to 40 articles about what is going on in the world. It is not enough to simply teach my students to recognize theme in a given novel; if my students are to become literate, they must broaden their reading experiences into real-world text (2010).

The topics range from President Obama's educational philosophy to "thoughts regarding the disastrous earthquake in Haiti." Kelly's assignment directions require that students do the following:

Mark your confusion.
Show evidence of a close reading on the page.
Write a one-page reflection in your Writers Notebook.

I wish I could do A LOT more to lighten your day, but please know how much I appreciate and respect all that you do.

Have a great 3-day weekend, Friends.
Renae

UTIPS - a GREAT Resource for Creating Formative & Common Assessments

2010-02-09T22:50:00.011-07:00

Hi all!

On February 6, 2010, scores of teachers from core disciplines gathered at the Homestead Resort and Spa to work on revising and adding test items to the Utah Test Item Pool Services (UTIPS). (Sounds like a blast, doesn't it? By the way, USOE - NOT JSD - found money from somewhere to sponsor the event.) This test WRITING experience was actually very beneficial to us who attended as we learned a lot about analyzing standards, but it will be especially helpful to those who use this excellent resource.
I do, however, think we need further education about HOW and WHEN to use UTIPS. As I recruited teachers to help me with this request, I quickly learned how many educators are unfamiliar with its existence. Many who knew about the resource did not use it. To learn a bit more, Utah State Office of Education (USOE) created a PowerPoint presentation that presents an overview of the service, and you can click HERE to review it.

Dr. Hugh Baird of BYU organized the item writing project, and he charged the us language arts educators to create more questions for the inquiry strand of the State LA core standards. There are very few inquiry questions in the bank right now, and most of those reflect inquiry "implied" in the reading and writing standards.

The process of writing questions for UTIPS required participants to "unpack the standards," a great exercise for understanding and analyzing objectives, indicators, and intended learning outcomes. "Unpacking" demands that teachers identify key concepts and verbs found in the standards.

For example, the Inquiry objective for 10th grade reads, "Use the process of inquiry to problem solve and deepen understanding," HOW? Through application of the indicators - students must ...

Formulate essential questions that expose problems and explore issues.
Analyze information to determine relevance to essential question.
Evaluate the accuracy and relevance of information that reflects multiple points of view.

The UTIPS questions need to reflect key concepts - ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS, PROBLEMS, ISSUES, RELEVANCE, AND POINTS OF VIEW. Furthermore, the questions must also refer to actions - FORMULATING, ANALYZING, and EVALUATING.

Hopefully, the new questions will be good ones and can be used to create formative and common assessments, thus easing teachers' work just a little bit!

And now for your viewing pleasure ....

TEST-WRITERS at WORK!

Lis Thomas of Elk Ridge Middle School having SO MUCH FUN!

Rumor has it that Diet Coke turns Heidi Barker into a MEAN LADY,

but Leslie Thompson says that may NOT be a BAD thing when writing test questions!

Rosanne Markham, our friend from Granite School District,

is a GREAT editor, AND she keeps us FOCUSED!

After hours of work, we joined Kermit, the Homestead's golf pro for a round!

Speaking of GREAT Teachers ...

2010-02-02T20:12:00.003-07:00

I recently posted some poems about remembered teachers, and today I want to share a poem I received from my first, second, and third grade teacher. No, I didn't attend a one-room school house, but Mrs. Quidor told us that she just couldn't leave us, and so she moved up the grades with us until 3rd grade. I absolutely adored this woman even though she regularly sent me to the corner for talking and didn't let me dance in the PTA program. Nevertheless, she made EVERY day exciting, and I loved learning in her classroom.

When Mrs. Quidor bid us farewell at the end of third grade, we were distraught because not only were we leaving her, she was leaving our school. I couldn't imagine Lewis and Clark Elementary WITHOUT her, and I wished I could transfer to Hawthorne Elementary WITH her. I knew she'd be teaching FIRST grade, and I'd be starting FOURTH grade, but at least I could drop by her classroom to visit.

As she hugged us each goodbye, she slipped cards into our hands. Inside each was a picture of her in cap and gown, a testament that she believed in life-long learning. Not surprisingly, she penned also the enclosed poem as she often did. I've kept it all these years.

God was very kind you see,

When he gave you to me;

To love and teach from the start,

In discovering secrets of your heart,

In this never-ending field of learning.

Watching you daily unvold the beauty of God's gifts,

Was an answer to year of my soul's yearning.

Knowing the secret gained in sharing this art of giving,

Is to help others enjoy the fun of living.

Dallas Quidor

Renae's teacher from 1954-1957

It seemed like the BEST idea at the time!

2010-01-31T23:50:00.004-07:00

It's the end of January and 31 days of posting. I want to say good bye for the month by sharing my favorite photo - a teacher feature, if ever there was one! When you're discouraged, overwhelmed, frustrated, and tired, grab a hole-puncher and POUND THE HECK OUT OF IT!

"I feel MUCH better NOW!" growled Cynthia Vandermeiden as she tried to beat a hole-puncher into submission in a fruitless effort to free the overhead transparency.

Professional Learning Communities: BEST Model to Bring About Change

2010-01-30T22:33:00.005-07:00

WoW! I'd be so excited tonight about this being January 30th and my second to last post IF I still didn't need to finish two partial entries in addition to this one. BUT I am committed this to the challenge and want to finish up the month with 31 tips, ideas, or reflections. Tiring as it has been, I have enjoyed it and learned A LOT! Today was no exception!

While most of my colleagues were busy washing, cleaning, or grocery shopping on their Saturday, I joined the faculty at Majestic Elementary to learn about Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). Dr. Kerrie Naylor conducted the teachers' training, and we curriculum consultants and sprecialists observed so that we could make Dr. Naylor nervous and also assist in teaching future workshops.

Without going into the history of PLCs, it is important to understand the objectives of this model for change. Richard DuFour brought about mighty changes and incredible results when he established PLCs as superintendent of Chicago's Adelai Stevenson School District - a school so large it constitutes its own district. Briefly, I want to share the Big Ideas we studied yesterday. (Some of the included information is from a DuFour article that appeared in Educational Leadership, May 2004, "What is a 'Professional Learning Community?'")

Big Idea #1: Ensuring that students LEARN: This idea in and of itself generated a huge shift in philosophy. Educators stopped thinking that teaching students was enough and turned to the notion that we must ensure that students actually LEARN. No more excuses like, "I TAUGHT them not to split infinitives!"

To make this happen, 3 driving questions pave the way:

What do we want each student to learn?
How will we know when each student has learned it?
How will we respond when a student experiences difficulty in learning?

DuFour notes that a school's response to the last question is what separates a professional learning community from a traditional school.

Big Idea #2: A Culture of Collaboration: Many schools pay lip service to the IDEA of collaboration and some may work together to build a program centered on "discipline, technology, or social climate." PLCs centered on student learning, however, work together to analyze student work and their own instructional practices. They put aside egos and personal agendas to examine what their students need and how they can improve their practices to fulfill those needs.

Big Idea #3: A Focus on Results: "Professional learning communities judge their effectiveness on the basis of results." Instead of establishing goals like "We will adopt an audio book program," or "We will expand the number of portable computer labs," a PLC goal might state, "We will decrease the percentage of students failing science tests by 50%."

Teachers create and review formative assesments throughout the school year and then adjust instruction to improve student learning. As the team examines the students' work, they look for those who do well, and if one teacher's class performs better than the others, they discuss details of his or her instruction to determine what may have created the difference. Once that practice has been identified, the teachers incorporate it to see if that helps their students.

While PLCs are not new, they are NOT a passing trend that is likely to go away. The current demand for improved student performance, as well as the positive results demonstrated by schools using this model with fidelity are entrenching the PLC movement. And the teachers at Majestic Elementary are willing and eager to work together to support their students' learning. Here are a few fun photos from our Saturday School!

Among the BEST Teachers: 3 Poetic Dedications

2010-01-29T23:49:00.005-07:00

Oh my, but I am winding down, down, down. I still have lots 'o topics, but diminishing energy. On Fridays I like to write up something light, and so I went in search of another of my favorite "teacher" poems - one written by Bill Strong, formerly of Utah State University. Once the lines were safely framed behind glass and hung on a wall in my study, but one day something knocked against the wall and down came the favorite poem. Now scratched and covered in shining splinters, I tucked it in a safe place until I purchased another frame. I know it's in a file somewhere.

Then I thought, "Surely I can google the poet and/or poem for NEARLY anything ever written lies hidden somewhere in cyberspace. If I find just the right combination of search terms or phrases, I'll stumble upon it." I was right. BUT - and this is what I LOVE about searching the Internet - I found a couple of additional gems along the way - treasures I wouldn't have uncovered had I reframed his dedication to a teacher he once knew. And now I will share my discoveries with you!

Here is a version of William J. Strong's poem "I Knew a Teacher Once." The teacher was female in my copy, but this rendering was included in a tribute to the late Dr. Charles Mazer, former director of the East Texas Writing Project. I also believe a few other lines have been revised to better describe Bill's friend. I think I like this version better.

I knew a teacher once

With words as soft
As moths on summer screens.
Brittle bright and
Cruel was not his style.
As others barked,
His whispers touched the dark
Inside your soul
And seemed to echo there.
The way was sure.
He always took the time:
Refused the rush
Of world report for poems–
And pushed aside
The weight of dusty tomes
To scratch his nose
And pass around the mints.
He seemed alive.

You couldn't put him on.
He'd take a book
And make it yours and his
In magic ways
That made your breath come quick.
His wink was slight.
The eyes were bright and clear,
A hush of greens.
You'd watch the pause of smile,
A patient blink
That let the question hang.
His tease would make
You more than eyes and ears.
It often made
Your insides twist and think.
I guess he liked
His work enough to make
It play for us.

2. Before I found Dr. Strong's poem, I was surprised by this poem, also titled "I Knew a Teacher Once," but penned by Erin Marie Cosen. At first I thought the young poet may have plagarized my old Utah Writing Project instructor's work, but as I read the lines, I decided she used his poem as a pattern. AND I wouldn't be surprised if she composed her tribute while attending a writing project workshop! Read on, and tell me what YOU think!

I Knew A Teacher Once
I knew a teacher once
with the sweetest voice
Her always caring words
spoken in precious
melodies. Never a
harsh word did she speak,
and reflected in her
joyous eyes, was the
music of her voice. Though
her smile was quite
lopsided, that only
made it all the more
radiant. Tinkling
was her laughter, like
sleigh bells on Christmas Day.
She could have been a
Dancer, so graceful was
her every movement.

It didn't matter if
you were good or bad
She loved you just the same.
We visited the
jailhouse, and raced across
the country for a
taste of balanced breakfasts.
She sympathized and
cared then, as well as now.
And she could give out
courage and confidence
as though they came in
neatly wrapped packages.
Never will there be
another teacher like
Mrs. Dreibelbis.
Like a crystal snowflake
there is only one.

3. This last find is NOT a poem, but the prose is poetic. I can't credit the author because this is an introduction to thesis # 91 in a collection of 100 theses. I do know the author is English, and the title of this essay is "Teachers: Professionals or Parrots," but I can't locate the title of the entire collection. It is interesting that the three pieces, saved as a PDF file, could serve as blog posts, and the author's goal was to write 100 of them. And NO, I'm not going to change push MY finish line from 31 posts to 100! Here is treasure #3!

I had a teacher once ...

I had a teacher once… no oil painting he, with sagging
stomach, Roman nose and Hapsburg chin. He taught us both
‘A’ level history and English, but he was equally passionate
about cricket, medieval art and music. We never knew
what would happen in each lesson, he simply fascinated us
and sent us scampering away to ask a thousand questions.

Good night now, Friends. Hope you enjoyed reading these offerings as much as I enjoyed finding them!

BESTING Our Efforts to Improve Vocabulary

2010-01-28T23:08:00.002-07:00

May I tell you how thrilled I am that tonight is January 28th, and I am wrapping up this month of posting EVERY day for the past 31 days? As promised, I am going to share a little bit about Tim Rasinski's vocabulary building. First I want to share a video from Teacher Tube to introduce this topic. Unfortunately, this is a little like an advertisement, but it shows a mini-clip of how elementary students can benefit from learning vocabulary through learning Greek and Latin roots.

From Better to BEST

2010-01-27T23:55:00.001-07:00

Writing one sentence last night was probably a "cop-out" of sorts, but I really had a rough day. I knew it was by the number of chocolate stars I consumed. (Remember that confection, created by Brach's Candy, from the olden days? I used to think the chocolate always tasted like it had gone way beyond its shelf life, but not the ones in Amanda Hansen's candy dish! YUMMY! I grabbed 2 or 3 every time I walked by, and as afternoon neared, I traveled the long way through the office just so I had an excuse to meander past the chocolate stars!)

Now that I've thoroughly "obscured" tonight's topic, I'll try to find it again. On January 27th, eight teachers joined Leslie Thompson and me in our Inquiry professional development class. We were thrilled that the class carried and even happier that they enjoyed the fast-fleeting 2 hours.

Inquiry: BEST Way to ENGAGE Students

2010-01-26T21:57:00.004-07:00

Why does inquiry-based learning engage students?

From our infancy, inquiry is the way we make sense of the world around us. Humans are naturally curious, and as we seek answers to questions or resolutions to problems, we construct new knowledge. Successfully doing that is motivating. Furthermore, inquiry suggests there is more than one right answer which encourages risk-taking, does it not? Operating in a low-risk environment is also motivating, and when students are motivated, they are engaged.

Why is inquiry-based learning so important to students' education?

Back in the day when our economy was based upon agriculture or unskilled labor, education's purpose was to learn/memorize information. The Education Broadcasting Corporation states that today's society is

faster paced, globally networked, technologically oriented, and requires workers who can problem solve and think critically. ... Inquiry learning can turn information into useful knowledge. It stresses skill development and nurtures the development of good habits of mind. Information, lacking a useful context, often has limited applications beyond passing a test.

Inquiry is the Language Arts Core Curriculum's third standard, and it is the least understood. Today 8 teachers from our district participated in the Secondary Literacy Institute, sponsored by our partnership with BYU, Alpine, Nebo, Provo, and Wasatch School Districts. Dr. Jeff Wilhelm directs the Institute and today all attending participants shared their inquiry units with each other.

On January 27th, JSD will hold our first professional development class for teachers interested in learning more about Inquiry-based Learning. I will be assisting our instructor Leslie Thompson of Copper Hills High. Leslie earned her master's degree in IBL and uses this model to conduct all her classes - including her mythology class. We are thrilled that the class carried, and excited to facilitate the great learning that is sure to occur. In the meantime, take a peek at the good times teachers enjoyed today at our own Valley High School.

The BEST Sources: TEACHERS

2010-01-25T22:57:00.002-07:00

Hello All,

Tonight I am passing along a request from Kylene Beers, former NCTE president and author of When Kids Can't Read What Teachers Can Do, one of MY favorite resources. Kylene is researching ways that educators teach novels to struggling readers, and she wants our input. Here is her request:Please consider helping Kylene Beers and Bob Probst with research that stands to benefit us all when the results come out. Here are the details. The online survey takes only a minute:

Bob Probst and I are looking for some information on how teachers teach novels to struggling readers. We’ve created a survey on survey monkey and will keep it open through January 30. Here’s the post I put up on Twitter a few hours ago:

Beers/Probst survey for tchrs gr 4-12 re novels for struggling readers. Ends Jan 30. Survey link: http://bit.ly/55dFOE

Would you each spread the word about the survey through your own twitter accounts, Nings, Facebook page, or email distribution lists? Some of you might even actually talk face to face with teachers. That’s also an acceptable word to encourage folks to participate. Those of you with college classes of inservice teachers might encourage them to respond.

We’ll post results on my blog site (KyleneBeers.net) in a couple of weeks.

Thanks,

Kylene

You were all so great to respond to my survey about reading aloud that I felt you would be willing to respond to this request as well.

Thanks again,
Renae

It's Really BEST to Know the BRUTAL Truths

2010-01-24T23:04:00.003-07:00

Dear Colleagues,

As I researched information about the Direct Writing Assessment, I discovered a PowerPoint presentation uploaded on the USOE website. As I reviewed the slides, I saw that Education Specialist Jeannie Rowland's November presentation reiterates Mike Schmoker's keynote address at last fall's USACD conference. I like both slide shows; Mike's ties in math more than Jeannie's, but I am creating links to both for you.

I know your time is limited, but I highly recommend that you review one or both of these presentations because they emphasize what we REALLY need to do to improve our schools and better prepare our students.

Mike Schmoker's "The Opportunity: From 'Brutal Facts' to the Best Schools We've Ever Had," click HERE
Jeannie Rowland's "Practical Assessment Tools," click HERE

Some points I suggest that you review are as follows:

What are the "BRUTAL FACTS?"
What is the "TEACHER EFFECT" and how does it impact student learning?
What can we do as educators to support students in being "college ready" and/or "life successful?"
How would increasing the amount of writing throughout the school day affect college readiness? What are some examples of how we can do this?
What other kinds of writing and reading should be emphasized?
What kind of school organization can make this happen?

Please share your responses to these comments. Some are VERY pointed. What do you think?

Best wishes,
Renae

More "BEST Ideas for Preparing Students for the DWA"

2010-01-23T23:54:00.005-07:00

Dear Colleagues,

On Thursday I wrote about the long and winding road that brought our state to this juncture - an online writing assessment, scored by artificial intelligence. Because the road has been a long one, the post grew in length as well, and I didn't share some of the best ideas I've discoverd for preparing 8th graders for this journey.

I created a PowerPoint presentation - I know it's the 21st century version of a black/white board, but it helps me stay a little more focused when I'm teaching. Because the PowerPoint includes several links to some excellent resources, I thought it might be helpful for educators who drop by Link2Literacy. (Click HERE to review the PPoint.)

Before sharing some other good ideas that came out of Friday's class with about 30 eighth grade teachers, I want to reiterate that the DWA is an UNTIMED test. It's difficult, but it's important that schools allow students to complete their essay in ONE SITTING but also be allowed to work on it AS LONG AS THEY NEED TO.

Testing results are COMPROMISED if this is NOT allowed. For example, two schools in our district consist of similar student populations as far as social economic status (SES) and standardized test scores are concerned. But one school consistently scores several points higher on the DWA test. I pondered over that because I know that both schools boast of exceptional teachers as well as involved parents. When I learned that one school administered the writing test as a TIMED test, limiting it to about 45 minutes, while the other followed USOE's guidelines of setting it up as untimed, I concluded that the differences in the scores MIGHT BE attributed to the timing differences.

Furthermore, the validity and reliability of the results is compromised if some schools are timing the tests and others are not. The fact that ALL students throughout the state cannot take the test at the same time also affects test security AND test results. The test may very well be flawed, but it's all we have, and it can still provide data to inform our instruction.

Now what are some tips for making this a good experience for our kids? Here are just a few ideas gleaned from Friday's DWA workshop.

Acknowledging that writing assessments are a genre in and of themselves, we also want to stress that students will encounter writing assessments in the "real" world. Several teachers shared their experiences of writing to a prompt as part of job interviews. The most interesting was the teacher who once applied for a position in the banking industry and had to answer the question, "If you were an animal, what would you choose to be?" She wrote about being a race horse. Interesting.

We also discussed the fact that in the "Fake World" of the testing situation, students will not be able to research expert opinions and so they will have to "make up" data, direct quotes, and authorities to support their claims. As ludicrous as this is, it does serve a couple of purposes: 1) it teaches students HOW and WHERE to include this type of documentation; 2) it is engaging for students to create important sounding monikers and impressive data. We just hope they don't follow the footsteps of individuals who find this process can also be applied to doctoring up resumes.

Because any type of assessment can be stressful, let's not turn the test PREPARATION into something traumatic, too. Let's remember that writing well is a great life skill and the persuasive essay, letter, proposal, etc. requires higher order thinking and descriptive, logical, and clear writing. Some tips on building engaging instruction include ... assigning students intriguing prompts that they can relate to; requiring them to take a stand one day and refute that opinion the next; allowing them to orally debate the questions; organizing them into collaborative groups to tackle topics; giving them some choices of prompts; letting them create prompts; and providing opportunities for "authentic" persuasive writing.

Before signing off, I want to tell you that if you are worried about students' typing skills, there is a link on the PowerPoint where students can go to practice. There are also links to lesson plans, model papers, and PowerPoint presentations that can be shared with students.

Best of luck, Friends.
Renae

BEST Laugh is the LAST Laugh - right?

2010-01-22T16:12:00.002-07:00

Dear Friends,

It's Friday, and so I'm again taking the easy way out as far as a posting goes. Because I've been focusing upon the DWA this week, I want to share this "fun" YouTube video that I think exemplifies some of the craziness of testing. So, it's the end of the week - ready for the LAST LAUGH? Enjoy!

HAVE AN INCREDIBLE

WEEKEND!

Renae

BEST Ways to Prepare Students for the Direct Writing Assessment (DWA)

2010-01-21T22:22:00.004-07:00

Good Evening,

Tomorrow I am meeting with 8th grade teachers to review ideas that will help prepare students for the Direct Writing Assessment (DWA). This is an interesting situation in that Utah is doing what no other state in the union has done - ever!

"And what's THAT?" exclaims Joe the Plumber, a relative of John Q. Public, who recently lost his job due to the downturn of the housing industry. Because he's been busy filling out unemployment forms, he hasn't heard about the big change in this year's writing assessment. In fact, Joe just learned last Tuesday Jordan School District no longer includes schools on the east side of the Salt Lake Valley; so it's little wonder that he doesn't know that his 8th grade daughter's writing will be tested this year.

So what's the big deal with this DWA? No, it's not part of President Obama's stimulus package, nor is it a program resurrected from the era of the Great Depression - like the CCC or the TVA. Spawned during the NCLB climate of accountability, Merit Software provides a little background about our summative assessment of writing -

The Direct Writing Assessment (DWA) is a criterion-referenced test designed to assess the writing skills of Utah students in grades ~~six and nine~~ five and eight. This writing test is an element of the Utah Performance Assessment System for Students (U-PASS). It was first administered statewide in the spring of 2002.

The DWA is scored using an analytic rather than a holistic scoring method. The scoring rubric, which is aligned with the Utah Core Curriculum for language arts, focuses on six components of writing: ideas & content, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, and conventions.

THAT was THEN; this is NOW -

Not quite a year ago, the state legislature created a LAW that stated ...

8th grade, not 9th grade, students will write their persuasive essays online INSTEAD of by hand.

Switch to 8th grade was because law makers wanted to see a writing assessment in each level - elementary (5th), middle (8th), high school (10th)
Reason for switch: Many districts throughout Utah send 9th graders to high school, but 8th grade is in ALL middle schools.

8th graders will write to a PERSUASIVE prompt even though the Core objectives and indicators focus upon NARRATIVE writing
Students' essays will be assessed by ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE as programmed by Measurement, Inc.

THIS IS A NATION-WIDE FIRST!
THIS IS GROUND-BREAKING!
THIS IS .... interesting?

EVERYTHING had to be in place by spring of 2010!!!!

Request for proposals (RFP) to find a company to administer assessment
Review of RFPs and award to "winning" company
Development by company of ALL criteria

Formative assessment tool (Utah Writes)
Summative requirements - a TON of those!!!

So, my friends, this is how we got to where we are. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out. When the excitement is over and the dust has settled, I'll be happy to reprint any crazy stories you have to share.

GOOD LUCK!!!!
Renae

BEST Way to Start a Love for Literacy: Board Books for Babies

2010-01-20T23:00:00.004-07:00

"Board Books for Babies"

Sarita Rich of Elk Ridge Middle School

reads to her little one.

Dear Friends,

In January 2006 our sixth grandchild and third grand-daughter arrived at a hospital in Las Vegas. Our thrill quickly evaporated when we learned that she experienced life-threatening complications during the birth process. Our Mia spent her first week of life in a neo-natal intensive care unit while nurses and doctors treated her.

It was very strange to see this 7 pounds-plus baby sleeping in an isolet next to a tiny, tiny baby who weighed 2 pounds, maybe. Both babies had tubes stuck, taped, and fixed to their heads, hands, and legs. Of course, Mia's size factored into her complete recovery, while her bitty roommate's low weight was definitely a detriment.

As I watched attendants record their progress and administer to their needs, I marveled at the advances in medicine that so often save lives such as these. But the most amazing treatment I witnessed didn't come from any doctors or nurses; it came at the hands of the premature baby's mother.

As I rocked my grand-daughter, I saw this young mother stand close to her little one with a large picture book in hand, and I listened to her quietly, but enthusiastically read the words to her baby. I can't even write about this without tears welling. I'll never forget that picture and the message it delivered - "Hear my voice, Baby Dearest. Listen to your mommy read these words to you and tell you about the pictures and colors on the pages. I know you can't understand what I'm saying, but you know what I'm sharing: my love and my dreams for you."

When editing today's post, I decided to scrap the original and write about an important service project sponsored by Jordan Council of the International Reading Association (JCIRA). "Board Books for Babies" was organized to collect new board books for "literacy kits" that we're assembling to present to new mothers at the IHC Regional Hospital that just opened in Riverton.

We want very much to help young moms start their little ones on the road to literacy by giving them a book they can read to babies that very day. We'll also include a letter of congratulations that informs them of the importance of reading to their children from the minute they join their family.

Reading to young children does so much to build oral communication, print awareness, and - most importantly - a bond between the reader and the little one. Print awareness, a term not familiar to many secondary teachers or parents, teaches children "how" to read a book in our culture: from front to back, left to right; and top to bottom. Print awareness also links words to pictures and to their own limited experiences.

Whether or not you are a member of JCIRA, we invite you to donate one or more new books to our organization so that we can serve the littlest ones in our communities.

You can ~

bring the book to our next meeting FEBRUARY 8 at 4:30 P.M. in the ASB building on Redwood Road, or ...
send it to RENAE SALISBURY (me) at the district office, or ...
call or email me to PICK IT UP AT YOUR SCHOOL, and I will!

We want to wrap up this project by Valentine's Day. Thanks so much for considering this worthy cause in a year when there are so many.

Best wishes,
Renae

BEST Change: ADDING a DIFFERENT 12 grade LA Core Curriculum!

2010-01-19T16:15:00.003-07:00

Good Day, All,

Yesterday I reprinted some questions generated by Carol Booth Olson, and the first and most crucial one is this:What is missing from adolescent writing instruction? As I thought about this question, I realized my original answer is no longer a factor - at least in our state.

Until a few months ago, I would have said that technical writing is missing, but thanks to a number of individuals from several districts and colleges, Utah twelfth-graders can opt to enroll in Technical and Professional Communication: "Real Writing for the Real World."

For nearly a year, district language arts consultants and specialists researched various programs at universities and community colleges. After meeting with these instructors and professors, the group created a NEW core curriculum focused upon writing for the real world. And what does that mean? It means a VERY DIFFERENT set of standards and objectives.

Biggest difference - the Tech Communication class will NOT be literature based. That means teachers will NOT try to create a technical writing assignment connected to Pride and Prejudice. (ex. Write a memo from Bingley to Mr. Darcy informing him that he has covered Wickham's expenses for the past 3 months.)
The Tech Communication class will be "case-study based," meaning that students will read, review, and analyze this different genre to identify the problems and work out the best solutions.
Teachers who facilitate these classes MUST complete the training as designed by the higher ed instructors. Educators from Jordan's four high schools joined with other teachers from throughout the state at the initial training on January 8 and 9. Depending upon enrollment, future trainings will be scheduled.

In addition to receiving an overview of the curriculum, participants were introduced to the Tech Writing blog where teachers will find resources, post lesson plans, and collaborate in furthering the vision.

Attending teachers are enthusiastic about this cutting-edge opportunity to provide an alternative to the traditional language arts class. For those students whose interests and talents lie in the direction of technology-based learning, this change is a welcome one. It will be exciting to see how it all unfolds.

Till Later,
Renae

BEST WRITING Practices

2010-01-18T08:39:00.003-07:00

Happy MLK Day,

It's foggy out this morning, but at least we don't HAVE to drive in it, do we? YaY! I hope you are sleeping in or doing something wonderful on your day off! I'm heading for the gym and my beloved treadmill in a few minutes, but I want to leave a short post for day 18 before I take off.

I've written a lot about reading over the past 17 days, so I want to shift the focus to writing today. I received an email from The English Companion, a social network for language arts educators, asking for input on questions about writing in the secondary classroom. The purpose for the questions was to inform Carol Booth Olson, NCTE President, about educators' thoughts about this topic. These are the questions posed.

Most important question:

What is missing from adolescent writing instruction?

Other questions of concern:

What are proven and effective writing practices that should be in operation?
What should students be able to do at the end of middle school in terms of writing?
What should students be able to do at the end of high school in terms ofwriting?

As happy as I am to pass on my thoughts, I would LOVE to hear your comments concerning these issues. I am thinking about creating a short answer survey to pass onto all of you since I received such a great response from the reading-aloud survey.

In the meantime, I encourage you to visit Carol Booth Olson's Reading/Writing Connection site. Carol is best known for her research in this area and has published a best-seller on the topic. The aforementioned website includes resources from her book, and I have turned to it many times.

Additionally, we just learned that she will be a featured speaker at next fall's UCTE Conference in October.

Signing off for NOW,
Renae

Good-bye AND Thank You to One of the BEST!

2010-01-17T11:53:00.001-07:00

Good Morning, Friends,

It's Sunday morning - midway through the Martin Luther King weekend. I realized as I sat down at the computer to enter this post that I had only thought of these 3 days as a break from my professional work. (There is no break on the household front; wash waits for no one!)

I reprimanded myself for forgetting the purpose for this commemoration, but my subconscious did not fail me. After reading of Miep Gies' death Tuesday, January 12, 2010, I decided I wanted to write about her contribution to history and to the literary world. And it's only appropriate that I write about her when Americans pause to honor a man who fought for human rights just as Miep protected the rights of a Jewish family during the Holocaust.

Ask any eighth-grade English teacher who Miep Gies is, and he will know. The dramatization of Anne Frank's diary has long been included in anthologies for that age group, and so most middle school students also know of Anne's protector.

Miep's place in history is not only secured because she cared for the Frank family and others hidden in the annex, but because she saved Anne's diary. Amazon describes the journal as "a modern classic, the living testimony of a Jewish girl caught in the nightmare horror of Hitler's Final Solution. Her extraordinary story can be read in over 50 languages, and millions of copies are in print in various editions throughout the world."

I am so thankful that Miep had the forsight to save Anne's writings, and I am also grateful that the Nazis failed to take the treasure with them. I wouldn't doubt if they perused it, however, and completely overlooked its value. Oh, if they had only known the impact those reflections would have on the world!

Miep was 100 years old when she passed away, and although she shunned attention earlier in her life, claiming she didn't do all that much, she became an active voice against intolerance for the past 20 years. The tiny hero was especially important to Erin Gruell and her Freedom Writers, as they brought Mies to California to meet and honor her. She was important to all who value human rights and tolerance.

We are fortunate that Miep was so long among us, and now it's our duty to immortalize her further by respecting and exemplifying what she stood for. I often wonder what I would have done had I lived in a similar setting. Would I have had the courage to risk my life to help others. I don't have to do that today, but am I willing to inconvenience myself in order to promote tolerance and extend charity?

We have the opportunity to do that very thing as we look to Haiti and her many many needs. And once food, water, and shelter are provided, will help disappear, or are we willing to rebuild the people as well as houses and buildings?

Like Miep, we can't do it all, but we can do something.

BEST Responses! Reading Aloud to Secondary Students!

2010-01-16T23:40:00.003-07:00

Good evening, Friends,

Last Thursday morning I sent out a request for Language Arts teachers to complete a quick online survey about whether or not secondary educators read to their classes. This was in response to a request from KSL Radio host Mary Richards who wanted to chat about that topic. Since I had just written about that very subject, Carolyn directed her request to me, and I sent out the survey.

I want to thank the 70 teachers who took time to answer the 5 questions. I predicted the results would demonstrate that a majority of teachers read aloud to their students, but the numbers quite surprised me! I didn't expect the majority to be so significant.

I thought you would like to check out the numbers, too, and read over some of the comments as well. They are insightful! (Click HERE to view the summary.) Ms. Richards also appreciated the survey, and you can listen to her story - all 35 seconds of it - EARLY Tuesday morning or click onto ksl.com later that day.

Again, I thank you!
Renae

BEST Response to "Did I MISS Anything?"

2010-01-15T16:57:00.004-07:00

Hello Friends,

It's 5:00 P.M. on Friday, and I've composed 15, yes 15, posts. I'm a little tired, so I'm closing out this work week with one of my favorite "teacher" poems. It lists a number of responses to that age-old question, "Did I Miss Anything?" Enjoy.

Did I miss anything?

Nothing. When we realized you weren't here
we sat with our hands folded on our desks
in silence, for the full two hours

Everything. I gave an exam worth
40 percent of the grade for this term
and assigned some reading due today
on which I'm about to hand out a quiz
worth 50 percent.

Nothing. None of the content of this course
has value or meaning
Take as many days off as you like:
any activities we undertake as a class
I assure you will not matter either to you or me
and are without purpose

Everything. A few minutes after we began last time
a shaft of light suddenly descended and an angel
or other heavenly being appeared
and revealed to us what each woman or man must do
to attain divine wisdom in this life and
the hereafter
This is the last time the class will meet
before we disperse to bring the good news to all people
on earth

Nothing. When you are not present
how could something significant occur?

Everything. Contained in this classroom
is a microcosm of human experience
assembled for you to query and examine and ponder
This is not the only place such an opportunity has been gathered
but it was one place
And you weren't here.

by Tom Wayman, Poetry 180. Billy Collins Ed. Random House 2003

BEST Ideas: FUN with FLUENCY!

2010-01-14T22:08:00.182-07:00

Dear Friends,

Today I think I was the lone secondary educator in the Tech Atrium at Copper Hills High - until Carolyn arrived, anyway. I was SURROUNDED by elementary teachers, literacy facilitators, principals, and assistant principals.

Holding tight to a microphone, Dr. Tim Rasinski belted out, "You're a grand old flag; you're a high-flyin' flag ...". From the JumboScreen, the song's lyrics shone down upon the rows of educators, and by the 3rd line, many voices joined in singing - including mine. At the end of the song, the volume had increased, and I couldn't help but applaud and holler, "Whoot, WhOOt, WHOOT!"

Even in a room full of elementary folk, I was the only one thus inspired to cheer, and so I hastily slumped down into the plastic chair. As I thought about the incident, I realized it wasn't just the spontaneous community sing that stirred up my enthusiasm; it was interacting with a passionate, knowledgeable, AND entertaining educator/researcher! (A researcher ENTERTAINING? Sounds like an oxymoron, doesn't it?)

Dr. Rasinski is a literacy ROCK STAR who sings the REAL, REAL oldies, and who is BEST known for his work in fluency and word work. Because of the correlation between both areas to comprehension, I was especially interested to attend the meeting arranged by JSD's Kathy Wittke and Scholastic, Inc.

Peppering his presentation with the perfect balance of research information and great ideas, Dr. R. shared instructional tools that support students in building fluency AND vocabulary. Among these are singing, choral readings and poetry recitations, readers theater, word building, and word ladders.

Back in the day, teachers required students to memorize poetry . I always thought the purpose was to scare the heck out of kids, but it was probably meant to help us appreciate poetry. I don't know if another purpose was to build fluency, but it also achieves that goal!

When I taught The Outsiders, I assigned students to memorize and recite "Nothing Gold Can Stay." What I did NOT emphasize was reciting the poem with expression or prosody (a fancy "learning-to-read" word for "reading with expression.") I didn't stress that part of the assignment because I didn't realize how repeated/practiced reading and expressive recitation could help build fluency. AND I didn't know about the correlation between fluency and comprehension.

Another reason I didn't push reciting with expression is because of the students who would rather die than recite poetry in front of their peers. So what do you do?

Assign students to work and present in pairs to other pairs or small groups that include the teacher.
Turn the poem or even the TEXT BOOK PASSAGE into a CHORAL READING just by having all or groups of students recite the words in unison - either formally or informally. (Dr. Rasinksi recommends content area teachers do this, too. Primary documents, biographies of great scientists, etc. can turn into some dynamic oral presentations.)
Opt for readers theater instead or in addition. These are popular with students, BUT one cold read is the same as round robin reading. AND you know how heartily I DON'T recommend THAT!
To review how Dr. R. develops these lessons, click HERE!

Before the month is out, I will write about the word work ideas Dr. Rasinski shared. I CHEERED again when he plugged the importance of learning Greek and Latin roots, pre- and suffixes. Such study is REALLY a BARGAIN: students learn about 30 words for EACH root! So cool.

I don't want to leave without sharing a link to "From Phonics to Fluency: Effective and Engaging Instruction to Two Critical Areas of the Reading Curriculum." Please don't let the word PHONICS scare you away. Yes, there are pages that definitely target the elementary teacher audience, but Dr. Rasinski works with middle school teachers and students, too, so peruse the pages, and you will be rewarded with lots of very helpful and engaging ideas!

In the meantime, HAVE A TERRIFIC DAY today and EVERY day!
Renae

BEST Instruction, More Ways to Get at the HEART of the Core Curriculum

2010-01-13T22:55:00.155-07:00

Dear Friends,

As we are discussing Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs), the heart of the curriculum, I want to share a few more specifics about motivating students. Because we want our students to have a greater appreciation for literacy and all it entails, we need to constantly work on motivating them to develop that attitude, and not with EXtrinsic motivators as they only work for a minute.

The previous post suggested that teachers' attitudes about students, teaching, and the content are main ingredients in promoting the value of learning. Indeed, a teacher's attitude lays the groundwork. I remember that if I was the happy mom at home, hubby and kids were happy. But if I was grouchy, hubby was cantankerous, and the boys were down right vile!! I soon learned that the same situation, time 5, existed at school. That's why I fought to hang on to even a thread of a good mood - at home and school. I didn't want a bad day to get worse if I could help it.

There are, however, several specific suggestions that we can follow to motivate students. Dr. Reutzel quoted Turner and Paris' article "How Literacy Tasks Influence Children's Motivation for Literacy" in The Reading Teacher (1995) to review six components related to motivating students to read and write. Let's take a closer look at these and reflect upon whether or not the 6 Cs are part of our instruction.

CHOICE ~ Do we promote choice in reading and writing topics in our classes?

Is EVERYTHING prescribed?
"Students, you must read a book that is at least 250 pages; it must be on this topic; and you MUST create a diorama that has at least 50 of the 60 requirements listed on the rubric." THAT makes me love reading!

CHALLENGE ~ Are students allowed to "modify tasks so the difficulty and interest levels are challenging?"

"Ms. Needlenose, may I FILM a scene from the book?"
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Just do what the assignment says and DRAW it, okay?"

CONTROL ~ Do you "show students how they can control their own learning?"

That usually means modeling first, guiding them next, working with them until you can release the controls over to them.
The "I do it; WE do it, WE do it, WE do it, WE do it; YOU do it!" model!

COLLABORATION ~ Do you allow students to collaborate ...

... in groups of 2, 3, or 4?
... through flexible grouping?

CONSTRUCTING MEANING ~ Do you give students the tools they need to construct meaning from text?

Comprehension strategies
Metacognitive strategies
Writing to learn strategies

CONSEQUENCES of the TASK ~ Do you include consequences to build "responsibility, ownership, and self regulation?"

If you do ... "rockets' red glare will burst through the air!!!"
If you don't ... "the world will end as we know it."

As I read about motivating students, I see most if not all of these components, or a variation of them, listed over and over. There are more - environment, relevance of material, understandable examples, etc - but these 6 consistently make a difference.

Take care!
Renae

BEST Instruction INCLUDES the HEART of the Core Curriculum: ILOs

2010-01-12T22:59:00.046-07:00

Good Day, Friends,

One of the most rewarding experiences a teacher enjoys is hearing from former students who take a minute to say thanks. It is THE BIGGEST PAY DAY when it happens - at least for me. And I'm guessing many of you would agree. Over the years, I've experienced a few of those pay days, but never have I received a thank you note for helping a student achieve a dynamite score on a standardized test.

I'm not saying that hasn't happened to someone; it just hasn't been MY experience. I have received email messages, however, thanking me for other applications of knowledge gleaned in my language arts classes. For example, a few years ago I found an email in my in-box from a former student who told me she learned to love writing in my classroom, and that writing literally saved her life as she worked through several psychological issues. Housed in a rehabilitation center, she filled journal after journal with her thoughts, her reflections, her fears, and her hopes. Writing was therapeutic! And now writing is her career.

That is just one example of "goal accomplished," as outlined by the "over-reaching intent of language arts instruction, grades 7-12: ... to understand and investigate the self ... ."

Today we're going to look closer at the first detailed description of what students should take away from a language arts class, as found in the USOE Secondary Language Arts Core Curriculum.

Demonstrate a Positive Attitude towards Language Arts and Processes.

Develop confidence in the ability to access text.
Enjoy the processes and outcomes of reading and writing.
Develop confidence in the ability to express ideas, emotions, and experiences.

As I read over this elaboration, these questions come to mind:

How many students have positive attitudes about Language Arts and processes? If they don't, why not?
What can I do to help promote a more positive attitude about this subject I love and the processes I value?
How many students enjoy the processes and results that come from reading and writing? Why do some students find them enjoyable and some do not?
What can I do to help students better enjoy and appreciate processes and results?
What does it take to support students in developing confidence in their ability to express ideas, emotions, and experiences? Why is that important? How can I help them value the ability to do so?

While I won't answer each question separately, I do believe there are some basic answers that apply to many of these questions, starting with LIKING KIDS and possessing a PASSION for teaching. I know there are 101 buckets of problems that are dowsing the fire we try to keep kindled. I read the JEA survey results that 57% responded that morale is lower this year than last year, but losing our passion while working with students will only make the situation worse. Instead, let the interaction with students be the refuge from the bickering over budgets and the policies of politicians.

This post took a turn I didn't plan on, but I don't feel that we can get at the heart of ANYTHING if we LOSE heart.

Best wishes,
Renae

BEST Instruction: REMEMBER Intended Learning Outcomes!

2010-01-11T15:30:00.011-07:00

WoW! That title is a grabber, isn't it? Uh, no! UNLESS the reader remembers what Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) are! Now most educators depend upon a definition that reads something like this:

ILOs: Statements that describe what students should KNOW, UNDERSTAND, and be able to DO with their knowledge as well as what they FEEL and BELIEVE as a result of their LEARNING EXPERIENCES.

While most teachers focus upon the knowing, understanding, and doing, many forget the feeling and believing. Why? Because the latter part of this definition - that "touchy-feely" part is NOT tested. Understandably so. How can test-makers create a standardized, summative assessment that measures how students feel and what they believe?

After all, in this test-taking day and age, why should we worry about what WON'T be on the CRTs, the UBSCT, the ACT or SAT? As long as we teach the core and prepare the students for the season of testing, are we not doing enough?

The answer is "no." ILOs are a part of the core curriculum, and are expected to be an important part of instruction. With added capitalization, I created my own Wordle "word cloud" to quote this excerpt from the USOE Langugae Arts Core Curriculum Introduction:

The OVERARCHING INTENT of language arts instruction in grades 7-12 is for students to VALUE, APPRECIATE, and DEMONSTRATE LITERACY through EXPRESSIVE and RECEPTIVE LANGUAGE skills, and to UNDERSTAND and INVESTIGATE the SELF, OTHERS, the CULTURE, and the ENVIRONMENT. The INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES (ILOs) describe the GOALS for language arts SKILLS and ATTITUDES. They are an INTEGRAL part of the CORE, and SHOULD BE INCLUDED as part of INSTRUCTION. PROCESS SKILLS in LANGUAGE ARTS domains are CRITICAL to the development of HIGH LEVELS of LITERACY and LEAD to UNDERSTANDING and INTERNALIZING ILOs.

ILOs are sometimes described as the HEART of the Core. While the voice of the above elaboration may be rather formal, some words and phrases create the heart. For example, the verbs value, appreciate, and understand, along with the adjectives expressive and critical, as well as the adverb integral denote passion and importance. The objects of the verbs - self, others, culture, and environment - specify subjects worthy of rigorous study and deep reflection. Skills and attitudes imply physical and emotional characteristics needed to develop high levels of literacy.

As this is the time of year when goal-setting becomes a priority, it is also a good time to emphasize that ILOs describe the goals for Language Arts and that they should be included in teachers' instruction. But how long has it been since you reviewed the particulars of the core's Intended Learning Outcomes?

Over the next couple of days, let's look at a few of the ILO's descriptors. As we do, note the verbs used and the broad ramifications of those we examine.

Until tomorrow,
Renae

BEST Practices: LAST Call for Round-Robin Reading!

2010-01-10T22:58:00.008-07:00

Dear Readers,

Part 3 of this series asked the question "who killed round-robin reading?". The question rises from a similar query posed hundreds of years ago. "Who killed Cock Robin?" refers to Sir Robert Walpole, the first prime minister in Great Britain to occupy 10 Downing Street. The rhyme referred to Sir Robin's downfall, not his death, and has since been parodied to denote the demise of a plethora of programs, agendas, ambitions, etc.

In that spirit, this series has attempted to build a case AGAINST round-robin reading and BUILD a case for other options: Teacher read-alouds, think alouds/alongs, and paired partner reading. Today, we'll examine guided reading as it might look in a secondary classroom.

In the elementary classroom, balanced literacy includes guided reading. While students rotate among centers created to emphasize comprehension strategies, writing to learn, word work, etc., teachers work with groups of children as they rotate. During this time, students will read aloud from their leveled books while the teacher assesses their progress in fluency, decoding, phonics, etc.

Observers can find a similar model in secondary settings, but I'll wager that most of those circumstances center on expensive programs like Scholastic's Read 180. Some teachers, however, have tried to create their own centers so students have the opportunity to participate in small-group instruction. Such an undertaking is labor and time-intensive.

As I've contemplated this situation, I decided that incorporating a guided reading experience into a literature circle format might work without investing as much time and energy into the project.

There are so many resources to support teachers in bringing lit circles to their classrooms, but I haven't found one that incorporates guided reading. I don't think it would be all that hard. Again, lit circles require intense training in the associated protocol if we want the groups to function effectively. Once that's established, teachers should be able to move from group to group to work on the needed areas of development.

On occasion, groups could be organized according to reading level as determined by Lexile measurements. Teachers could differentiate instruction by moving among the groups to work with one group that might struggle with fluency issues and another with comprehension concerns. By the end of the hour or block, the teacher may have interacted with 3 to 6 groups.

Books could be either the same or diverse titles, and instruction would be adapted accordingly. Currently, 3 teachers in our district are helping me create lesson plans for advanced readers. While all students benefit from this model, teachers can support students' needs by varying novels or assignments.

I don't think I've ever blogged about literature circles, so perhaps I will do that during this month of 31 posts. If not, the guru of lit circles, Harvey Daniels is scheduled to present at Literacy Promise 2010 (Feb. 17-19), along with a dozen other OUTSTANDING literacy experts.

Before signing off, can you answer who killed round-robin reading? Not the sparrow or the owl; not the fly or the kite. Hopefully, the strong practices shared here will bring RRR to its end!

Best wishes,
Renae

BEST Practices: Who KILLED Round-Robin Reading?

2010-01-09T23:32:00.035-07:00

Hello there,

Are you tiring of these round-robin reading (RRR) posts? I'll wager that this will be the last of the series on this site! There is just a lot to say about this poor practice. The last post reviewed 2 instructional strategies that could AND should replace RRR: Teacher read-alouds and think-alouds/think-alongs.

After I finished posting that last installment, I started thinking about the last teacher to read aloud to me: Mrs. Hanks, my 6th grade teacher. Right after lunch, we slid into our desks, all hot and sweaty from chasing around the playground. To transition us from playing to learning, she read novels to us. I vividly remember one book was Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe, the little lady who, according to Abraham Lincoln, started the Civil War.

The other novel was a mystery set in Quebec, Canada. I can't remember the title of that book, but I remember being riveted to every word Mrs. Hanks read. I loved listening to her and was among those students who always urged her to KEEP READING!

Today's post will focus upon paired or buddy reading. Again, teachers need to decide what the purpose of this activity is. The experience provides students opportunities to practice fluency and can include timed readings where one partner reads while the other records the number of words read in the allotted time. It's also an occasion where peers can practice echo reading, although language arts and other content teachers may see these are both tasks that should take place in a reading class because it goes beyond the scope of learning content.

Paired partners/buddy reading, however, does have a place in content classes. Perhaps you have problems with students failing to read the assigned pages even when you give them time to read in class. By partnering up students and giving them "during reading" work, the chances that students will read AND understand the assignment increase.

For example, a teacher assigns 2 or 3 pages of a text book, dividing the pages into 4 to 6 sections. Students decide who will be Reader 1 and who will be Reader 2. Next, the teacher provides a list of tasks to perform after each section. Here are a few ideas:

Reciprocal Teaching:

After Reader 1 finishes his section, Reader 2 will ask any questions that came to his mind, and the two can discuss the answers.
After Reader 2 finishes reading, Reader 1 will predict what might be covered next and discuss which text clues helped him form his prediction..
When Reader 1 finishes the 3rd secion, both readers will confirm or reject the earlier prediction. Reader 2 will then clarify how he worked through any confusing sentences, words, or concepts found in the text.
When Reader 2 finishes the final section, Reader 1 will summarize what was read in that section. The 2 readers may create a summary of the entire assignment if time allows.

Question/Answer Relationship (QAR):

After Reader 1 reads, Reader 2 writes up a literal question that can be found "right there" in the text.
After Reader 2's turn, Reader 1 creates a more complex question where the complete answer is found by "thinking and searching" the text to find parts of the answer in more than one place.
When Reader 1 finishes reading her paragraphs, Reader 2 writes up a question that requires the reader to "read between the lines" or make an inference. This question is named "author and me" because students must look for clues from the author and fill in the gaps with her own background knowledge
When Reader 2 completes her assigned reading, Reader 1 writes up a question that requires the reader to think outside of the text. For example, the text may be about taking risks, and so the questions might center on what risks the reader would be willing to take to get what she wanted. This is often an opinion question, and the answer is found "on my own."

Learning activities other than these two can be incorporated into paired partner readings, or by asking buddies to address just one part of either framework rather than require all questions. Reading together, followed by conversations, pulls in those students who do not regularly participate in whole group discussions. It is important, however, to pair up the right students. Do NOT pair lowest readers with highest, as that partnership can be embarrassing for one and frustrating for the other. Assigning students to others whose reading levels are a LITTLE above the other readers' is the ideal situation. Mixing up the partnerships on occasion is a good idea, too.

Another worthy concern is about the noise level. It takes a lot of instruction and practice in "routines and procedures" to teach middle and high school students the protocol of paired partner reading. When classrooms are small and students are big AND numerous, it seems like an impossible task. I do think this practice is important enough, however, to find a way to use it. Make arrangements with the media coordinator to allow students to sit in pairs around the center with sufficient room between duos so that they won't disturb each other. Or find another roomy area to adopt on pair reading days.

Wherever the class is, the teacher must roam about, eavesdropping on conversations, even taking notes on and about the discussions. Plus, you must include some type of accountability and assessment tool - an exit slip, a template for recording their questions or answers, etc.

I know I promised this would be the last posting on this topic, but today's entry is LONG, so I feel I should end now, and write up the final idea for next time. You can pick and choose what you want to read anyway, so you don't really mind, do you?

Bye for now!

Renae - and the question remains? Who killed Round-Robin Reading?

BEST Practices: Replacing Round-Robin Reading

2010-01-08T22:16:00.005-07:00

Hi All!

It's Friday - WHEW! And most of you are hurrying down the halls and out the doors; heading for home and relief! Yesterday, I tried to "ruffle some feathers" about round-robin reading (RRR)! Seriously, this is a poor practice that needs to be replaced with better practices.

Choosing the best replacement plan depends upon your purpose for oral reading in your classrooms. To be honest, I incorporated RRR into my curriculum for classroom management purposes. Some days it didn't matter to me if my students were bored, drooling, or asleep as their peers labored over words in the paragraphs. I was just thrilled that they were quiet! NOT the best of purposes!

Part 1 of this blog mini-series also talked about a better way to assess for fluency. This post will share several practices that are better AND evidence-based.

Read-Aloud/Think-Alouds
Paired/Buddy Reading
Guided Reading

Read-Aloud/Think-Alouds ~ Both teachers and non-teachers are sometimes surprised when they learn that many teachers still read aloud to their secondary students. I read a recent article in Education Week on this very topic that touted the benefits of such a practice, along with a warning not to overuse it.

Although there is little research on teachers reading aloud to secondary students, in 2006 Lettie K. Albright of Texas Women's University "summarized research showing that the practice builds middle school students’ knowledge in content areas, helps them have positive attitudes toward reading, and helps increase their reading fluency" (Reading Research and Instruction).

Listening to a teacher read smoothly and with expression serves as a model of fluent reading that students don't often hear from their peers, and that's bound to keep them more engaged. Furthermore, when the teacher stops reading and assigns his students to continue on silently, the dynamic voice of the teacher is often the one they keep hearing in their head as they read.

Teachers often read difficult texts aloud for a couple of different reasons. One is to help students understand what's being communicated. For example, a history teacher might orally read a primary source document and explain difficult words or concepts as she goes through the paragraphs.

A second, and I think a more powerful practice, is using the "think-aloud/along" procedure to model how we as teachers and proficient readers create meaning from the difficult document, novel, text book, etc. The link embedded in this paragraph defines and details the think-along procedure, and I suggest the same cautions: don't go on and on and on, or you'll encounter the sleeping and drooling student problem; don't overwhelm students by using a million and one strategies; don't expect them to grab hold of this right away; and practice BEFORE you think-aloud in front of your student!

After a FEW MINUTES of reading and thinking aloud, teachers should then ask students to try the same procedure by reading to a partner, stopping now and then to explain what he or she is thinking in terms of working out meaning. If classes are large, thus creating havoc when partners read and discuss, students can read silently and then have a "silent discussion". (For additional information about how to use silent discussions/ written conversations, click HERE.)

Regardless of the choice, if teachers in all content areas incorporated think-alongs into their instruction and taught students how to monitor their own understanding in the same way, comprehension levels would rise. As is often the situation, kids don't always know what they don't know. Let's help them figure that out and then learn what to do to fill in the gaps.

Paired or Buddy Reading is the next topic! Until then, have a great day.

Renae

BEST Practices: NOT Round-Robin Reading

2010-01-07T22:18:00.005-07:00

Happy Friday Friends and Colleagues,

While reading the True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle years ago, I learned of a custom that sailors practiced when they had a grievance or when they were planning nefarious mischief such a staging a mutiny. The seamen signed their names on a "round robin" which looked like a wheel with spokes attached to a hub. Each signature was written on a spoke, and so the leader or the instigator was not exposed as his name was not at the top of a list.

With such an ignoble beginning, I wonder how any positive derivative of the term has survived. While a round-robin tournament is an effective way to organize a sporting event, round-robin reading is the LEAST effective strategy to organize oral reading in a classroom.

Round-robin reading is defined in The Literacy Dictionary as “the outmoded practice of calling on students to read orally one after the other” (Harris & Hodges 1995, p.222). And yet, it still occurs in far too many schools throughout our district, and from what I've read, throughout our nation.

I was talking to my elementary counter parts, and they were very surprised that round-robin reading is practiced in a secondary setting at all. They thought it was only an elementary problem. Now, please know that I have been guilty of resorting to that routine as well, and I knew better, too. But it's really time we put that pathetic practice to bed for good.

Research stresses that round-robin reading is not only ineffective, it is detrimental! And you can understand why just from your own observations because students are ...

NOT following along
texting
working on something else
bored
sleeping
drooling
embarrassed to read aloud or ...
overeager to read aloud, as in their hand is waving for yet another turn

I used to justify the practice by telling myself that I could assess their fluency when they read aloud during round-robin sessions, but there are better and more effective ways to do that - ways that don't bore the dozens of other students in the classroom.

One way is to conduct those individual reading conferences during silent reading as Dr. Reutzel suggests. This is how such a tete a tete might play out:

Teacher (in a soft voice): Hi, what are you reading today?
Student (in a too loud voice): I'M READING -
Teacher: Shhhhh. Quieter, please. I'm right here and can hear you if you speak softly in my good ear.
Student (in a softer voice): I'm reading The Road.
Teacher: Show me a paragraph you just finished reading. (Student points to 3rd paragraph on page 29.) Okay. Could you softly read that paragraph to me?

Student reads aloud.

Teacher: What's happening at this point?
Student: You know a nuclear bomb has gone off, right? Well, the father is trying to find food for his son, and he's left him and the shopping cart for a few minutes to follow some tracks he thinks might lead him to something.

Depending upon the students' responses, the teacher can decide whether or not to ask the student to read a few more lines, predict what he thinks is going to happen next, make some connections, etc.

An 8th grade teacher recently told me she conducted a similar activity with her students and was able to get around to almost all of them. "I really liked it," she said. "And I'll do it again."

Tomorrow I'll share some other ideas to use instead of dredging up the wretched stand-by round-robin reading. Boo. Hiss.

Take care, okay.
Renae

BEST Ideas: Reading DIFFERENT Texts

2010-01-06T22:12:00.007-07:00

Hello All!

This little exercise is turning into a habit! But I'm really excited to bring you today's idea because it just dropped into my lap, and I think it has very cool potential for teachers outside the wonderful world of Language Arts!

If you have attended one of the Content Literacy professional development classes over the past couple of years, you know that I share Dr. Roni Jo Draper's research about comprehending "texts" of every size, shape, and design. Dr. Draper reminds us that we "read" music; sea captains once "read" stars to navigate their way across oceans; hunters and trackers "read" signs along the trail; crime scene investigators "read" evidence. You get the point.

Today my friend and colleague Becky sent me a link to a YouTube performance of an "essay" in the making. I know you're saying, "Oh, that sounds EXCITING! Let's all watch someone write up an essay worthy of a DWA knockout score." Au contraire, my friends! Be prepared to be amazed! Unless, of course, you are one of the 4,000,000 plus who have already watched this video. Nevertheless, think of how it can engage students!

This"writer" creates her story in pictures - nothing new there, right? WRONG-O! This is NOT a story board, and her medium isn't pen and ink or colored markers. It's SAND! Okay, I know you've seen some sand art on commercials and maybe on YouTube, but this performance surpasses most others, and it crosses content lines in such a moving way that I had to pass it on.

The following is a description of the performance as described by Mr. OR Ms. Anonymous - you know those people who pass on a million or more email messages about a million or more topics, and we have absolutely NO idea who these people are, but sometimes he or she sends us something worth perusing. This is one of those! As you check this out, think of ways you can incorporate it into your curriculum.

The video shows the winner of 2009's "Ukraine's Got Talent," Kseniya Simonova, 24, drawing a series of pictures on an illuminated sand table. [Through her artistry, she tells] how ordinary people were affected by the German invasion during World War II.

The images, projected onto a large screen, moved many in the audience to tears. Kseniya begins by creating a scene showing a couple sitting and holding hands on a bench under a starry sky, but then warplanes appear, and the happy scene is obliterated. It is replaced by a woman's face, crying, but then a baby arrives and the woman smiles again.

The war returns and Miss Simonova throws the sand into chaos from which a young woman's face appears. She quickly becomes an old widow, her face wrinkled and sad, and then the image turns into a monument to an Unknown Soldier.

This outdoor scene becomes framed by a window as if the viewer is looking at the monument from within the house.

In the final scene, a mother and child appear inside and a man is standing outside, his hands pressed against the glass. He's saying good bye.

The Great Patriotic War, as it is called in Ukraine, resulted in one in four of the population being killed with 8 to 11 million deaths out of a population of 42 million.

An art critic said he finds it difficult enough to create art using paper and pencils or paintbrushes, but using sand and fingers "is beyond me." Bringing an audience to tears is the no bigger compliment, especially when the war is used as the subject matter.

Teachers of language arts, history, geography, art, and music could engage their students through this visual, audio, artistic essay about war and its effects upon countries' citizens. Students could record their reflections, supply written words to describe the images, create their own pictures in different mediums, research the time period, write a poem, tell a fictional story. The possibilities go on and on.

Let me know what you think, and SUPER-SIZE your day!,
Renae

BEST Ideas: Teaching Text Features

2010-01-05T14:52:00.008-07:00

Dear Colleagues,

How did you all survive your first Monday back to work? Did you drag ALL day and still feel a little listless? The holidays are hard to recover from, are they not? Just think, this time NEXT week you'll be in full swing, right? R -- I -- G -- H -- T!?!

The last four posts featured ideas and research from national experts, but today, we are privileged to learn from one of our own teacher/experts. Sarita Rich from Elk Ridge Middle School created a lesson plan to teach text features (TF) to her 7th grade reading classes. Sarita also credits Brenna Nelson for many of the ideas. (Brenna is Sarita's classmate in the BYU Reading Endorsement co-hort.)

I think you'll find these activities very ENGAGING and HELPFUL. Because built-in pre and post tests are included, these plans could be used for a common assessment across reading classes. Furthermore, they lay the groundwork for action research in teaching this core curriculum topic.

The following are Sarita's instructions along with links to the needed handouts.

Give students a copy of Beelzebufo featureless article and tell them they have 2 min. to read it and understand all the info for a quiz.
Give students copy of the same text with text features and discuss which is easier to comprehend and why.
Explain what text features are and why they are helpful. Have students take notes using the chart that goes with the PowerPoint. that shows images of each text feature and explains the purpose of each.
Finish ppt. notes
After students are familiar with examples of TF, you can do a review by cutting the TF cards and distributing the cards with the bold names on the left and the examples of that feature on the right. Have students walk around the room to locate their matching partner.
Have students cut apart prepared paragraphs of featureless texts and arrange them on poster board under headings/subheadings, etc. that students create. Articles about firefighters, pandas, etc. are attached, but you can do this with any text that relates to your curriculum.

Featureless article about actors
Featureless article about Sherpa
Featureless article about pandas
Featureless article about firemen

A text feature posttest, as well as a posttest answer sheet and answer key are also included.

*There is also a pretest included if you would prefer to introduce text features through that option. The pretest is an article without TF labeled. Students write their answers on the corresponding answer sheet. Then you can get into the TF ppt.

Other ideas for assessment are to create a brochure or text-book page on any topic of students' choice, or a topic related to what you are currently studying, and arrange their information using text features. You can link the application of TF to inquiry by having students locate sources to answer a question and present their answers by organizing their information with text features.

Click HERE to download the entire file. To create links with physical integrity, I had to convert the Word files into pdf files. Email me if you would like copies in Word, and I'll forward Sarita's original email to you.

Thanks again to Sarita and Brenna for sharing. If you'd like to share some of your ideas, send them on!

Enjoy this terrific day,
Renae

BEST Practices: More SSR Details from Dr, Linda Gambrell

2010-01-04T12:00:00.006-07:00

Dear Friends,

In November I shared some highlights from UCIRA, using my notes as the main source. I tried to create a detailed summary with enough information that blog readers could try the suggested strategies in their classrooms. Fortunately, I recently received copies of Dr. Linda Gambrell's PowerPoint presentations, and so I am pleased to pass them onto you as they provide additional and important points.

Dr. Gambrell, editor of Best Practices in Literacy Instruction, writes that her "current interests are in areas of reading comprehension strategy instruction, literacy motivation, and the role of discussion in teaching and learning" (p. v). As you peruse the slides of her presentation, you'll review how she uses discussion as a valuable post-silent reading tool.

Here are some important points to attend to:

How scaffolding influences motivation
The 3 principles of intellectual engagement
The benefits of social interaction
The components of Monitored Self-Selected Reading (MSSR)

Number of books students need during silent reading
Post-reading activity

(Click HERE to review Dr. Gambrell's presentation:

"Mission Possible: Reaching ALL Readers.")

Additionally, the PowerPoint details "Text Cues: An Intervention Strategy for Struggling Readers" to improve reading comprehension. This strategy requires that teachers create text clues to support struggling readers in retelling what they have read. Note, however, that a gradual release of responsibility moves that task from teacher to students over the course of time.

(Click HERE to check out this important intervention strategy.)

REMEMBER: Depending upon the text, ANY reader can be a struggling reader! Hopefully, these resources can help you help your students. AND, if things don't work out the first time, don't give up. Successful implementation takes practice.

Take care, All!
Renae

BEST Practices: Rethinking Reading Motivation

2010-01-03T22:00:00.006-07:00

Motivating students to read is ALWAYS a tough challenge, and Dr. Ray Reutzel addressed this challenge at the UCIRA November conference. To review what we know about the research, click HERE to study his summary of research findings concerning motivation in general.

Recently, I also introduced you to Dr. Ray Reutzel's research concerning the effectiveness - or lack thereof - of Sustained Silent Reading as it is REGULARLY practiced in most classrooms: students choose books; students read books or pretend to do so; teachers read books for 15 to 30 minutes. Dr. Reutzel's research resulted in recommending that teachers "scaffold" sustained silent reading in order to monitor students' progress.

Today, I want to introduce you to another of Dr. Reutzel's studies that examines specific motivational "paths" teachers use to motivate students to read. Among the most popular are tracking the number of minutes, pages, books, AR points, etc. After completing the prescribed requirements, students are usually rewarded with prizes ranging from pizza to an assembly where the principal has is head shaved.

Again, Dr. Reutzel conducted the research in elementary classrooms, but the results and recommendations are of interest to secondary teachers as many offer various extrinsic rewards to students who reach reading goals. In the past, research in this area focused upon the rewards rather than upon the paths leading to those rewards, Dr. Reutzel decided to examine the 4: number of BOOKS or PAGES, or MINUTES or GENRES read.

As you examine the details of his study, note the effect size of the results, the limitations of the study, AND the benefits of the different paths. The following is a list of questions about both sets of slides. Can you predict the answers to these questions?

What can teachers do to help motivate the UNmotivated?
What, if any, are the most motivating rewards for reaching reading goals?
Which path had the largest effect size in improving Gates-MacGinitie Reading scores? Pages? Minutes? Books? Genres?
Which path had the largest effect size in improving attitudes towards recreational reading? Pages? Minutes? Books? Genres?
Which path had the largest effect size in improving attitudes towards academic reading? Pages? Minutes? Books? Genres?
What path offers the broadest benefits for supporting readers?
What do you think were the limitations of this study?

(Click HERE to review the "Differing the Paths" study.)

Accumulation of Accelerated Reader points was not researched, but there are some studies that look at this program. Finding research that is not an INhouse study is important in determining the effectiveness of AR. Concerns that any incentive program contributes to the "Matthew Effect" - good readers get better and poor readers get worse - is a the strongest complaint.

Before I sign off, I have to tell you about South Jordan Middle School's WILDLY SUCCESSFUL incentive program implemented during first semester. Each student who reached their Accelerated Reader goals, earned a RUBBER DUCKY and had their picture taken with their little buddies. Kids LOVED the program! BUT rubber duckies cost money, and so the program is not being continued.

While incentive programs may motivate students to read more over the short term, the lasting effects are minimal. My final question to you is this: How can we promote reading, instill a respect, if not a love, for reading WITHOUT counting pages, points, books, or minutes and WITHOUT dangling donuts, pizzas, or candy bars in front of our young readers and non-readers?

Till tomorrow,
Renae

BEST Practices: Re-examining Sustained Silent Reading

2010-01-02T22:22:00.009-07:00

Dear Colleagues,

During a recent workshop, a participant who teaches special education asked the class about the value of Sustained Silent Reading in the classroom. He had recently learned that there is insufficient research to warrant its implementation. Our colleague's observation is correct, and Dr. Ray Reutzel of Utah State University and the International Reading Association (IRA) board addressed that topic last November at UCIRA.

(If you can't wait, click HERE to review the PowerPoint of Dr. R's keynote address, BUT if you want a PREVIEW before you REVIEW, read on!)

While Dr. Reutzel's research in this arena focuses on elementary students, his remarks were to k-12 teachers, and he addressed secondary concerns and needs which include the following:

Lack of sufficient research about the effectiveness of Sustained Silent Reading
National Reading Panel's determination that evidence which does exist demonstrates "insignificant or mixed effect for SSR on students' reading achievement/growth"
Lack of student motivation/engagement during SSR
Lack of accountability for students' reading during SSR
Problems associated with students' reading selections in conjunction with their reading abilities/levels

Sometimes I am concerned that we secondary teachers only pay attention to research conducted in the secondary world. Instead, we should review relevant elementary studies and ask if we don't encounter the same issues in middle and high schools. If we do, then perhaps we should examine that research and the recommendations, regardless of grade levels studied.

While studying Dr. Reutzel's PowerPoint that summarizes his research and recommendations, secondary teachers might determine which findings apply to their students and how they might incorporate the recommendations into the curriculum to fit the needs of older students.

For example, Dr. Reutzel introduces Scaffolded Sustain Silent Reading (ScSSR) which includes several structured steps that a secondary teacher could implement in the secondary classroom. One critical component of ScSSR is Individual Monitoring Conferences (IMC). Rather than reading WITH students, teachers conduct short meetings to discover important information ranging from fluency to comprehension levels.

Some teachers may feel they cannot implement the recommendations with exactness, but may want to adapt or adjust suggestions. While such changes will not support the research, teachers can conduct action research to determine whether or not the ScSSR, as they implemented the program, is more effective than traditional SSR.

The main point is that SSR is a practice lacking effectiveness for MANY students. While teachers try a variety of plans to improve the results, it is important that we start with ideas that emerge from research.

After reviewing Dr. Reutzel's PowerPoint, I would appreciate your feedback. I also hope that you will find ways to scaffold the sustained silent reading that occurs in your classroom, based on the best research currently available. : D

BEST wishes!
Renae