“What A Character” and “Explore the Arts” both show us more examples of how to encourage creativity and enhance writing.  While some students may initially balk at the idea of creating characters or adding art to their MGRP, I think that both can be done in an interesting, entertaining way that will motivate students to use these crafts in their writing and presentations.

          While I feel that “Show, Don’t Tell” and create-a-character may be a bit challenging for some students, I do like the idea of exploring both as a class discussions and seeing how the students react.  “Seedfolks” gives some great material for character assessment.  The class character lesson, in particular, seems like something that would be fun to do and allow for a lot of creative input.  There are so many aspects to creative writing, and these definitely give students more outlets to express themselves.  While I can see how they contribute to MGRPs, I think I would be more inclined to include these exercises in their craft writing journals, though. 

          Adding an artistic side to their presentations opens up such a huge opportunity to allow creative expression.  Once they’ve finished their research and writing, why not encourage them to add some pizzazz or "character" to their presentation?  I agree with the author that the real-world expects more than just the reading of a report, and considering that they’ve supposedly spent months learning all they can about a particular subject, the students will probably have several ideas of things they can add to the sharing of their topic.  It gives the presentation more of a show-and-tell aspect, which most students tend to be enthusiastic about. 

          All of this does bring to mind once again, though, just how much time are the students able to devote to this project?  It appears that there are many ways to add to the MGRP if time is not an issue.

Poetry and Invitations

         I rarely read other people’s blog posts before composing my own, but it was interesting to do so this week.  Most of us had similar thoughts regarding the writing of poetry before completing Chapter 4: Poetic Surprises and now realize that the creation of poetic works doesn’t have to be so scary.  I really enjoyed the examples given and feel that they allow for an easy introduction to creative expression.  I feel that it’s important to expose students to a wide range of poems, and musical lyrics are a great way to get kids, especially older ones, to realize the emotions conveyed through the use of words.  Maybe that’s just because while I can’t think of many poems that I know by heart, I can definitely recite many song lyrics that I find to be exceptional and think that kids may be able to relate to them also. 

          The “I Am A Person” poems have always been one of my favorite parts of the beginning of the school year at Templeton.  It’s amazing to read how kids define themselves and how those definitions change through the grade progressions.  A third-graders’ self-perception is nowhere near as deep as a sixth-graders’, and I find it interesting that they are so willing to not only express themselves but also do so knowing that those poems will be posted in the hallway for all to read.  The use of poetry doesn’t have to be so personal, but I believe that kids appreciate the opportunity to share intimate thoughts in this accepted manner.

          On a completely different note, I have not taken the trade books class, so I am also a bit confused about exactly what a reading invitation is.  I’ll admit, I had a very busy weekend and thought that maybe I’ve just missed something, but it was very reassuring to me to read that others are just as confused as I am.  While I guess I can appreciate the information and the reflective thought questions at the end of the article, I’m curious to find out what it is that they’re talking about!

MGRP - The Ideal and the Realistic

Reading the text book chapters regarding Multi-Genre Research Papers, I started to feel a little jaded.  While the extent of research conducted by Ms. Allen’s students is definitely commendable, I just don’t see that level of involvement being the norm in every educational situation.  Yes, there are students with families who are just dying to be fully involved with every class project, willing to go above and beyond to be sure that their student is given every opportunity to excel.  Sadly, the reality is that there are a whole lot of families that would love to be that involved but are not capable of doing so, just as there are also students who come from families that really don’t care.  Some students don’t even have a family.  So, while I truly appreciate the extensive examples given in our textbook, I can’t say that I find all of the research examples to be all that practical. 

          Reading “The Donut House” brought a bit of reality back into the picture.  Not only do I love donuts, but also I created a business plan for a donut shop as my major project for my Business Management degree years ago.  The students in the article went through many of the same steps that I did to complete my business plan.  How wonderful to give kindergarteners such an all-encompassing world view of their community and how it works!  I wonder how many high school students, or adults for that matter, know how to apply for a business loan or file a building permit.  The use of applicable writing genres that the students may use in the future seems more useful to me than having them write poems or essays about a research topic.  Not that I don’t see the importance of exposing students to more creative writing, but I definitely believe that students need to know how to communicate effectively in their personal environments. 

          The inclusion of professionals from the community also shows the students that their education is important to more than just themselves and their teacher.  I hope that, as teachers, we reach out to involve community members in our lessons just as Mrs. Davidson did.  As a Cub Scout leader, I was never turned down when requesting assistance and/or information from various businesses and individuals.  Don’t be afraid to involve as many positive role models as possible in the education of your students!

Researching for MGRP

     My initial attempts to research an interesting topic regarding language arts failed miserably!  I tried every internet search engine I could come up with, including scholar.google and the library resources link from the L549 web site, but kept coming up empty.  Really – how hard should it be to come up with information regarding Tucker Signing Strategies?  I’ve seen this program in action and felt it would be relevant to my field experience working in a first-grade classroom, but all roads led to offers to purchase the book and/or program.  No, thanks. 

          I next tried to research DOL (daily oral language) since I’ve seen this program in action, also, and was curious to read what the general professional consensus is regarding this topic.  Once again, I was running into walls, despite the additional advice received via e-mail from Dr. Wohlwend after a somewhat pathetic electronic cry for help.

          Well, I have now rationalized my failed attempts away!  A classmate in P540:Learning and Cognition in Education started talking about Vygotsky and the use of reciprocal learning in the classroom.  That’s it!  That’s why I was unable to find any pertinent information on my initial topics – I was meant to write about reciprocal learning!  This topic allows me to really write a multigenre piece since I can use the same information for both my P540 paper AND my L549 paper! 

          Thank goodness for those wasted hours of research . . .

          By the way, I have had huge success researching multiple topics by starting at www.ncte.org.  As it is now, I have way more information than probably necessary but am really enjoying reading it all.  Hope you’re all feeling comfortable, enthusiastic, and productive about your researching, too!

What? That's It?

I'm going to miss reading "Crafting Writers K-6" each week.  It is a very inspirational book in many ways, and I am a sucker for a good inspirational book!  Along with giving us great ideas on how to teach crafting, Ms. Hale has also given us many important tips on how to create a warm, welcoming, effective classroom. 

Ms. Hale once again stressed the importance of being specific, not only in teaching but also in assessing.  I’m sure we’ve all experienced the anxiety of wondering if what we’re about to turn in will meet the expectations of the instructor, and “Crafting Writers” gives some clear examples of ways to be sure that your students know what to do .  How simple is it to have them repeat back the "what and why" of the conference?  Once the students realize that you will expect this response after every conference, they will be much more motivated to be engaged! 

I really appreciated the use of other examples when pointing out a writer’s strengths.  It makes sense to me that, while you may have just praised a student and think you have clearly described why they are receiving that praise, another example of the specific craft they used can help cement that skill.  The section regarding topic choice was meaningful to me, also, since I’ve struggled myself trying to help a student choose a topic to write about.  Teaching strategies of how to come up with ideas is another simple yet awesome piece of advice that I know will help me and my future students tremendously.

As many of us have discussed, the readings for our various classes have consistently reminded us to keep building students' self-confidence to motivate them to want to be learners, and many of the teaching tips lend to that same concept.  Being specific about expectations, allowing the sharing of ideas in group conferences, decorating notebooks, allowing students to assess a sample writing using a rubric - all of these activities help the students feel more in control. 

Insights into student behavior are evident in many ways throughout the last three chapters.  Having just attended the Armstrong Panel discussion regarding classroom management, these insights were even more evident.  Once again, it’s simple things that can make a huge difference, such as allowing the privilege of choosing a reading spot, being sure that all eyes are on you during instruction, and meeting on the rug to remove distractions.   My favorite, though,  is knowing when to take an “intermission”.  Sometimes, kids just need to get up and move and talk and be kids!  It’s hard to remember, sometimes, especially when faced with the dilemmas and discourses discussed in Dr. Wohlwend’s article, but I think letting loose in the classroom every once in a while creates a more comfortable atmosphere that will lead to a more productive learning environment.

Teaching and Conferencing

This week’s reading continued to encourage us to let the student lead the learning process – reminding us to teach them from where they’re at and build upon it gradually.  Lucky for us, Ms. Hale gives some thorough and realistic examples of how to teach craft lessons and use conferencing effectively.

            I enjoyed the challenge of the guided practice for researching craft in the appendix, but wish we could have been given a little more background on each student.  While I could find positives to point out in each piece, it’s hard to know what the next steps should be when you don’t know what the previous steps were!  The idea of teaching students how to reflect on their own writing so that they can make the most out of conferencing seems like an ingenuous way to give them more ownership in their education.  I can see where a student will be less resistant to new ideas when he/she has been given the ability to be a part of the decision-making.

Ms. Hale’s advice on introducing one thing at a time seems to be common sense, but I can see where it could be tempting in some situations to try to teach too much at once.  I like the thought of allowing the students the opportunity to try out each newly-learned craft to see how it fits with their own personal writing style.  Also, having each student create a sample of each craft in their writing journal is a great way to not only reinforce the lesson but also to give the student a reference to turn to when they need a little more inspiration. 

While I’ve not had my own personal writing journal for years, I’m definitely ready to start one now!  I would hate to not have my own samples to share when I ask the students to do so.  As an added bonus, I will have written documentation to show improvements in my own writing style as I continue to do more research on crafting.   Since I don’t really have much of a creative writing background, I feel like I need to catch up and start collecting as many crafts as possible!  It might be interesting to have students review my writing as I progress and see if they can pick out strengths and learning opportunities. 

 How nice of the author to give us some additional sources to refer to, such as “Wonderous Words” by Katie Wood Ray and “How’s It Going? A Practical Guide to Conferring with Student Writers” by Carl Anderson, but the book I’m most looking forward to reading is “Do You Know Enough About Me to Teach Me?” by Stephen Peters.  His concept of “capture, inspire, teach” seems to be repeated in all of our textbooks, and I really do believe that many students just need someone to show a little faith in their abilities to motivate them to try harder.  I know that there will be times when a particular learning situation will look daunting, so it will be comforting to have this resource to fall back on to remind me of positive ways to continue to connect with students. 

One of the things I like best about “Crafting Writers K-6” is the personal tone in which it is written.  Doesn’t it seem like we’re sitting in the room with Ms. Hale while she’s explaining these crafts and techniques to us?  It’s as if we’re getting the opportunity to tour yet another classroom!  The fact that she uses the words “I would probably” several times on page 156 is so reassuring to me, showing that, although she has taught creative writing for years and even written a book about it, she’s still continuing to learn and to adapt to whatever the needs are at that very moment.  There aren’t any absolutes in this profession we’re embarking on, so we need to do what we can to try to be prepared for whatever needs arise.

Feeling Slightly Overwhelmed (but in a good way!)

Anyone else feel a little intimidated about writing about writing knowing that everyone who reads your post has just read ninety-three pages about how to write well?  There are so many fine points to comment on from this week’s reading that I’m struggling to decide which ones to write about.  The whole process of writing is such an art, with each piece representing the unique voice of its author.  The first six chapters of “Crafting Writers” really opened my eyes to the analysis of what makes each voice unique and how to inspire young writers to find their own voice.

Elizabeth Hale has compiled a great collection of examples for us to draw from and to share with our future students.   While I feel that I’m capable of recognizing writing that I find enjoyable, I’ve never actually analyzed what it is about the writing that really captures my attention.  Ms. Hale’s process of gathering craft has helped clarify how to identify those specifics that will encourage students to expand their writing capabilities.  I especially appreciate that she includes the reasoning behind each craft because I’m as a bad as any kid when it comes needing some good rationale to convince me that something’s worth doing!  Reading the examples with the “why’s” clearly shows the various nuances that different writing crafts can add to a story. 

I also like that Ms. Hale encourages us not only to help our students find their own writing voice but also for us to find our own teaching voice.  By identifying crafts and developing our own craft names, we get to take ownership of that craft, hopefully in a way that will resonate with our students.  It seems like too often in life we’re trying to find the “correct” way to do something, but Ms. Hale is showing us that, when it comes to writing, it’s not necessary to “show the student a better way to compose, just a different way, so that he or she now has more choices as a writer.” 

As I said earlier, there are so many wonderful ideas contained in what I just finished reading- ensuring that children are using words that they can identify with, introducing the creative writing process one (or two) crafts at a time, building upon each student’s individual abilities, supplying multiple examples that are meaningful to the students, using sentence lengths to add variety, etc.   I feel I could write endlessly about this topic but must move onto completing my reading for math.  Somehow, I doubt that I will find it to be quite as inspiring . . .