Feed: The Reading Workshop - AggScore: 88.0
Summary: The Reading Workshop
The Reading Workshop invites students, teachers, friends, and family to share thoughts, comments, opinions, and ideas.
Teacher as the Student
Being a student is a lot easier than it used to
be. If class gets a little boring, you can just check your
email, text someone, or surf the Internet. It's also easier
to not get bored because you can check out sites and information
the teacher discusses. At least, that's how it was for me
this week when I was a student at the Etech (Ohio
Educational Technology) Conference.
In every session I attended, participants were on their laptop,
IPad, or smart phone. I did see one or two note takers with
their legal pad, but they stuck out. A lot of sessions were
interactive and presenters made it a point to share links and
involve attendees. Sessions were obviously planned by the
presenters to encourage the use of technology.
Admittedly, as a student, I haven't always been attentive and
have been challenged with being a little too hyper to sit in
class for very long. One of my goals when I started
teaching was to shut up, keep students busy, and let
them learn through their own hard work. I have always hated
classes where the teacher stands in front of the class and talks
and talks and talks and talks.
I couldn't help but think about how different adults are treated
than kids. Maybe it's about having a captive audience with
our students. Imagine how involved they would be if
everything they did was interactive. Imagine how different
teachers would be if their students could start texting or
surfing the net when they got bored. It might not be
totally a good thing, but it would sure liven up some classes.
The best part of an opportunity like the Etech Conference is the
chance to hear about what other teachers are doing and what is
working in their classes. This year's conference had a lot
of excellent sessions and ideas for the classroom. I am
anxious to try them in the Reading Workshop classes.
Date Published: Feb 17, 2012 - 12:53 pm
Jim Basketball Jones Says . . .
Students were treated to an excellent message during an assembly
today. Jim Basketball Jones focused on applying kindness
and care to everyone around you. He encouraged students to look
for the good in classmates and to have each others' backs.
In addition, he performed an array of basketball tricks that
excited the school, and kept everyone engaged. His ability
to spin and juggle basketballs amazed everyone present.
Jones pulled a lot of students up to the front to help with his
demonstration and utilized them to help with his message of
becoming successful through hard work, responsibility, and
making good choices.
In first grade, Jim Jones was diagnosed with
dyslexia. Jim’s struggles were so great that he immediately found
himself placed in a special education program. It would take Jim
five years working with his tutors and speech therapists before
he would make it into a regular classroom.
This adversity fundamentally shaped Jim’s
view of the world, and provided him with many early life lessons
about the good of accepting help from others, overcoming
adversity, and learning to appreciate difference. These would
later become the cornerstones of his career as a public
speaker.
One of the main motivations in Jones's life was wanting to be
like his brother, Mike. This makes me wonder, what is your
motivation? What makes you like you are? Who do you
follow? What did the assembly mean to you?
Date Published: Feb 16, 2012 - 10:55 am
Reading is . . .
How do your thoughts about reading compare to your classmates?
Replace your audience response systems with Poll
Everywhere
Date Published: Feb 13, 2012 - 10:39 am
If I was the Best
Image being the best. Imagine having such an advantage that
no one could compare. Think about being so superior that
three million people watched you perform on Youtube. That
is how it is for Mamadou Ndiaye'.
Imagine for a moment, Reading Workshop students, if you had an amazing ability. And then take it even one step farther. What if you had an amazing ability and it wasn't in sports. What would your talent be? And how would you impact the world? Describe your success.
Date Published: Feb 09, 2012 - 8:54 am
If You're Happy and You Know It . . .
Some cause happiness wherever they go, others cause happiness whenever they go. Which one are you?
What are your thoughts about happiness? When someone looks at you, do they think of you as a happy person? How does being happy make your life better?
Date Published: Feb 02, 2012 - 8:49 am
Step for Reading Nonfiction
Want an easy guide to reading difficult text. Here are steps to follow.
1. Skim the entire article FIRST
2. Look at the title, headings, subheadings, and bold print
3. Does the introduction give facts or just get the reader engaged?
4. Visualize and make connections
5. Stop and think. Ask yourself, “does this make sense?”
6. Reread sentences, paragraphs, or the whole article to help you understand
7. Focus, know when you don’t know
8. Wonder, ask questions, predict and confirm
9. Look for capitalization of names and other proper nouns
10. Find the W’s (who, what, when, where, why, and how)
11. Mark out and substitute hard words
12. Cross out words that don't matter
13. Highlight only the important parts (BIKINIS ONLY)
Date Published: Jan 26, 2012 - 8:28 am
Vocabulary Games
Want to play a little Pinball? Check out these Pinball Vocabulary games from Ms. Amanda's 6th Grade Language Arts Class.
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Date Published: Jan 25, 2012 - 10:46 am
Want to See What is Going on Here?
There is nothing like a picture to show something soooooooooo if you want to see a daily picture from The Reading Workshop, just check out Ink361.com. You can also check out the photos on Flickr. If you have an Iphone, you can get on Instagram @jmcguire14 (you can download the free app) and see our daily photostream. Unfortunately Instagram is like everything else Apple and you can't access it from a PC or Droid.
Enjoy the pictures of our stars and more. :)
www.flickr.com
This is a Flickr badge showing items in a set called School 2012. Make your own badge here.
Date Published: Jan 17, 2012 - 12:43 pm
Are You Brave Enough to Dream?
What do you want to do? What do you want to be? Do you have the guts to dream? Do you have the courage to make it happen?
Reading Workshop students, your assignment is to do a picture scrapbook on your blog of what your life will be in the future.
Date Published: Jan 11, 2012 - 7:47 am
When I was a Star
One of my favorites is by Dan Gutman called Let's Go to the
Videotape. In this story, Gutman tells the tale of
himself, the skinniest, most unathletic kid in his school playing
kickball. Through shear anger and luck he manages to kick a
homerun and be a hero for the day. This moment of glory has
stuck with him throughout his lifetime.
He says:
But sometimes, when I'm lying in bed at
night before I fall asleep, I roll this mental videotape I have
of the time I kicked a basket in gym class. In my mind, I watch
myself kick that basket over and over again.
I'll bet every kid has at least one of those
moments in his life when he did something really, really great,
something really unexpected.
Close your eyes and think of that moment
from time to time. Remember it just the way it happened.
Never let that video fade away. Someday, forty years from
now, when you're lying in bed at night, you might want to replay
it.
What about it Reading Workshop students? Your assignment for
today is to tell me of a time when you had a great moment. Tell
me of a time when things went just right.
Date Published: Jan 05, 2012 - 8:31 am
The Bloggers are Back
Christmas break is over and students are getting back in the
groove. Students spent some time today working on their
blogs publishing drafts and working on new posts. Although
we were all a little fuzzy-brained yesterday, the brain cells
have awoken and quality work is coming out.
Molly
posted over the break recommending a few of her peers' blogs.
You can find links to blogs she thinks are great on her
blog, Molly's Mystery Journal, or links to all of the
students' blogs on the sidebar on the right.
Date Published: Jan 04, 2012 - 11:01 am
Reading During Christmas Break
Are you going to have a little spare time over the holidays?
Want to do something enjoyable and earn some extra credit?
All you have to do is READ!
If you complete two or more books over break, and comment on
them, you will earn extra credit!
The best part is the more you read, the more extra credit you
earn. And it will count as minutes on the next Read at Home assignment, too. A couple
of years ago, one student read over 1,400 minutes during
Christmas break. How many books will you read?
Date Published: Dec 19, 2011 - 11:30 am
The Feeling of Christmas at My House
As the holiday season approaches, family is what matters.
At my house, the Christmas breakfast is where all of the
greatness of Christmas comes together.
TheChristmas Breakfast
As the seasonapproaches
sentimentsturning to family
and theChristmas breakfast
eating together.
Steaming mugsof coffee
amid piles oftorn wrapping paper.
Thankfulnessfor all we have
and the joyof the day.
We come to the table
with warmth in the house
and in our hearts
and celebrate our lives.
The assignment for students is to pick one part of their lives
that best reflects their family and the holiday season, and write
a gift of poetry.
Date Published: Dec 12, 2011 - 8:57 am
Some Student Poetry
Here are a few samples of students' poems. To see more, just click on the links on the sidebar.
From A Daily Bailey
I Think I'm Going to Puke
I’m not really feeling well
It’s something that I ate
I think I’m about to puke
It tasted like fish bait
It’s something that I ate
I think I’m about to puke
It tasted like fish bait
Uh oh!
I’m gonna spew
I’m really, really sorry
If I get some on you
I’m gonna spew
I’m really, really sorry
If I get some on you
It’s all
over the carpetIt kind of looks like plums
Hey! What’s that thing there?
It looks like lots of thumbs
I shouldn’t have eaten that
food
It looked like an old baseball mitt
I’ll never eat it again
Not even a little bit
It looked like an old baseball mitt
I’ll never eat it again
Not even a little bit
It’s all over the room
Even on the couch
I’m sorry it got everywhere
No need to be a grouch
Even on the couch
I’m sorry it got everywhere
No need to be a grouch
Divorce, Divorce
Where do I start
It’s a course.
Divorce, Divorce
Why do our parents do that?
It makes me sad.
Divorce, Divorce
My sister and I
Inspired by Sara Holbrook
My sister is
a splinter
deep down in my skin
My sister is
a baseball game
one I can not win
My sister is
a rat
with her little mice
My sister is
a cucumber
one I want to dice
My sister is
a bug
one I want to crush
My sister is
an apple
that has turned to mush
My sister is
a bumble bee
always stinging me
My sister is
just mean
come on can’t you see
My sister is
a splinter
deep down in my skin
My sister is
a baseball game
one I can not win
My sister is
a rat
with her little mice
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| Keifer's sister is the sweet looking one on the left. Hhhhhmmm! |
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a cucumber
one I want to dice
My sister is
a bug
one I want to crush
My sister is
an apple
that has turned to mush
My sister is
a bumble bee
always stinging me
My sister is
just mean
come on can’t you see
Date Published: Dec 08, 2011 - 10:39 am
Are You Bored with School?
Reading Workshop students, what do you think of school? Are
you excited each morning to come to school? And, if not, if
you think school is boring, whose fault is it?
Do you live every day to get the most out of it? Do you
walk around thinking positive and ready to have fun?
Do you have a smile on your face? Do people look forward to
seeing you? Do you look forward to seeing people at school?
Image from http://missrosemary.net/2010/06/
Date Published: Dec 07, 2011 - 5:56 am
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