At a recent workshop, the facilitator challenged the educators in the room to give back to the educational community. He was pointing us towards a website where we could find all sorts of amazing lessons on a variety of topics. He then made us aware about how to contribute our own lessons to this site.
What an idea! To give back!!
Google has long been my best teacher's aide. Just ask, and with a bit of sleuthing, I could find what I need. I can reach out and take. What about giving back?
Part of the motivation of this blog is to begin to repay - all those un-met friends who have inspired me. Isn't it about time for me to share my inspirations? My ideas? What makes my program work?
It's about time! Here's to giving back!
M.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
What does good look like?
I would say that the biggest addition to my writer's workshop this year has been the Mentor Text.
In the writer's workshop, I encourage all the students to be creative and innovative. Within the framework established they must publish their writing on the MOODLE. As one of the steps of their Developing and Organizing Content, they must find a mentor text - an example of what they are writing. If they are creating a menu, then they must find an example of an excellent menu.
The mentor text provides many benefits to the writer's workshop. It gets them inspired towards excellence. They have an example of what excellence looks like! It gets them thinking about how that specific text works. If we continue with our menu example - it forces them to think about how menus work. They must think of appetizers, salads, main dishes, desserts, etc. This is what good looks like.
Too often children rely on their schema. They create based on what they think it looks like, but spend too little time actually examining what excellence looks like.
I have taken this into my assessments as well. In the writing assessments I give them, I provide for them an example of what good looks like. This really elevates the work, and gives more evidence to me. Did the child not succeed on the task because they couldn't, or did they just not know what good looks like? A clear target is much easier to hit, isn't it?
So far in the writer's workshop, I've found two main examples of mentor texts being used. The first is a completed example. This may mean a published menu from a favourite establishment. The second tends to be an instructional piece - possibly a "How to Create a Menu" article that outlines the steps to successful creation. Either way, success is attainable!
M.
In the writer's workshop, I encourage all the students to be creative and innovative. Within the framework established they must publish their writing on the MOODLE. As one of the steps of their Developing and Organizing Content, they must find a mentor text - an example of what they are writing. If they are creating a menu, then they must find an example of an excellent menu.
The mentor text provides many benefits to the writer's workshop. It gets them inspired towards excellence. They have an example of what excellence looks like! It gets them thinking about how that specific text works. If we continue with our menu example - it forces them to think about how menus work. They must think of appetizers, salads, main dishes, desserts, etc. This is what good looks like.
Too often children rely on their schema. They create based on what they think it looks like, but spend too little time actually examining what excellence looks like.
I have taken this into my assessments as well. In the writing assessments I give them, I provide for them an example of what good looks like. This really elevates the work, and gives more evidence to me. Did the child not succeed on the task because they couldn't, or did they just not know what good looks like? A clear target is much easier to hit, isn't it?
So far in the writer's workshop, I've found two main examples of mentor texts being used. The first is a completed example. This may mean a published menu from a favourite establishment. The second tends to be an instructional piece - possibly a "How to Create a Menu" article that outlines the steps to successful creation. Either way, success is attainable!
M.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Is this a calling, or is this an obsession?
It is Christmas, and with these few stolen moments, I find I'm thinking of school.
Teachers are in the business of problem solving: How can we get more computers in the room? How can I get this boy to buy in and write? How can I make this transition less crazy? I find myself thinking of school when I'm not at school. I carry it with my on my morning runs, my mind finds in when doing the dishes, vaccumming, even going to the bathroom!
Is this healthy? I know it isn't normal. I look to my other friends who have different careers or different jobs, and sometimes envy them their focus. They can be present, I return to my classroom.
Perhaps if I buy into the Hollywood myth, and continue chasing my dream of having a movie made after my life (starring Patrick Dempsey), then I will continue to obsess over my students, my marks, my teaching. This IS my strength as a teacher: I am all-in. I love what I do and love doing what I do.
The trick is balance. So, I sign off and return to my festivities.
Merry Christmas!
M.
Teachers are in the business of problem solving: How can we get more computers in the room? How can I get this boy to buy in and write? How can I make this transition less crazy? I find myself thinking of school when I'm not at school. I carry it with my on my morning runs, my mind finds in when doing the dishes, vaccumming, even going to the bathroom!
Is this healthy? I know it isn't normal. I look to my other friends who have different careers or different jobs, and sometimes envy them their focus. They can be present, I return to my classroom.
Perhaps if I buy into the Hollywood myth, and continue chasing my dream of having a movie made after my life (starring Patrick Dempsey), then I will continue to obsess over my students, my marks, my teaching. This IS my strength as a teacher: I am all-in. I love what I do and love doing what I do.
The trick is balance. So, I sign off and return to my festivities.
Merry Christmas!
M.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
What is your vision?
I'm often at odds with all that is expected and what I want to do. I have to keep reminding myself: What is your vision?
A vision is for me my greatest strength as a teacher. I know what I want, and I do it. Whenever I present at workshops, I am confronted regularly by the Eeyore teacher: But I can't do that, I only have... and the excuses range from limited computers, no access, broken pencil, ad nauseum. The Eeyore teacher only sees what they can't do. They never focus on what they can do.
Teachers are notorious for sacrificing and fighting for what they want - if it is part of the vision. How many garage sales have been raided in the hopes of more (cheap) books for a classroom library? Why? Because reading is important. Reading is part of the vision.
My vision, changing and sometimes elusive, always comes back to simple words: creative and innovative, collaborate, problem solve. These words help inform me of what I am to teach.
In my writer's workshop, I want my students to be creative and innovative. Within a framework that I establish, I get my students to be creative and innovative. They are free to come up with topics and forms, explore and create from there. This came from a technology conference I attended a few years ago. The keynote speaker was speaking about creating students who are ready for an unknown future. Instead of listing hard or soft skills, he had said that students will be successful if they are creative and innovative. Thus into the vision it goes.
I fight for what I want. I often behave unscrupulously, but the results are always for my vision. I do what I do because I believe what I do is important.
M.
A vision is for me my greatest strength as a teacher. I know what I want, and I do it. Whenever I present at workshops, I am confronted regularly by the Eeyore teacher: But I can't do that, I only have... and the excuses range from limited computers, no access, broken pencil, ad nauseum. The Eeyore teacher only sees what they can't do. They never focus on what they can do.
Teachers are notorious for sacrificing and fighting for what they want - if it is part of the vision. How many garage sales have been raided in the hopes of more (cheap) books for a classroom library? Why? Because reading is important. Reading is part of the vision.
My vision, changing and sometimes elusive, always comes back to simple words: creative and innovative, collaborate, problem solve. These words help inform me of what I am to teach.
In my writer's workshop, I want my students to be creative and innovative. Within a framework that I establish, I get my students to be creative and innovative. They are free to come up with topics and forms, explore and create from there. This came from a technology conference I attended a few years ago. The keynote speaker was speaking about creating students who are ready for an unknown future. Instead of listing hard or soft skills, he had said that students will be successful if they are creative and innovative. Thus into the vision it goes.
I fight for what I want. I often behave unscrupulously, but the results are always for my vision. I do what I do because I believe what I do is important.
M.
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