Here are some great sites for poems or poetry teaching resources! Enjoy National Poetry Month!!!
www.poets.org- National Poetry Site- where you can also find the Poem Flow iphone application, or sign up for an instant poem a day via email!
www.poemhunter.org- You can search for a poet or a specific poem.
http://famouspoetsandpoems.com
There are TONS more, but there is just a few! Enjoy!!!
The next meeting of the Literacy Team is this Thursday, April 1st, No Fooling!!
Many of the members of this team are also the same members of the Freshmen Team for next year. I have asked them to think about this question, (which is a good one for all of us to consider):
‘How will students become better readers, writers, speakers and thinkers of this content (math, science, social studies, music, business, etc) as a result of being in your class?’
How would you answer this? How can I help? Considering how our students become ‘literate’ in each content area is a different idea for most of us. My challenge to you is to consider how you develop students in your classes to become more literate in your content. Let me know how I can help you!
Ms. Schultz, Ms. Wyman, and Mr. Lindsey were all brave enough to attempt using a R.A.F.T. assignment with their students! THANK YOU!
Here are their examples:
Earth Science RAFT CO2 reduction: Ms. Schultz’ assignment
RAFT activity: Mr. Lindsey’s assignment
Special Right Triangles Assignment: Ms. Wyman’s assignment
Thank you for sharing! Please ask them if you have any questions!
Stay tuned for our next effective strategy!!!!…
Thank you to Ms. Schultz, Ms. Wyman, and Mr. Lindsey for trying out the RAFT idea in their classroom!!! Thank you also for sharing in your products and struggles as you attempted this new idea! I really appreciate anyone willing to take the risk and try something new!
I will upload their assignments shortly so all can see their hard work! I think they would agree, sometimes the hardest part is in how to grade the students’ products!
Every Monday we meet with our Writing Center Tutors-to-be so they can be a little prepared for the newcomers! I think they will amaze you with their willingness to help as well as in many other areas.
Attached are the minutes from the December meeting of the Literacy Team! Thank you for your time! (Ms. Davis, Miss Watson, Mr. Dexter, Ms. Schultz, Mr. Lindsey, Mrs. Cannon, Mrs. McLaughlin)
Please feel free to join us at any time! Our next meeting is Tuesday, Jan. 19th at 2:45 in Ms. Ruark’s office!
Our agenda:
1. Create 9th grade Literacy standards or goals for all 9th graders in all content areas.
Hello, all my Kylene Beers book readers!
We will meet again on Thursday, Jan. 28th afterschool in my room…(location for now). You are to read Chapters 6-7-8 about before, during, and after reading strategies! Consider how you might use one of her strategies in your classroom!
Happy Reading!!
Thank you all for your time at the faculty meeting! Here is the powerpoint I shared with you:
Other places to find some useful information about RAFT writing and even a scrolling menu to help you create one in Math, History or Science, go to http://www.writingfix.com/wac/RAFT.htm
Remember- I offered a prize for anyone who tries this in their classroom within the next month (before our next faculty meeting in February). Come see me if you would like me to assist you in the creation, implementation, or grading of this assignment with students! Come show me what you did and you get a prize! Now come on- we all like free stuff!!!
Hello, all!
Our next literacy team meeting is changed to Monday, Dec. 7th at 2:45 in the Library!! We will begin our work on the 9th grade curriculum for AC level. We will look at what is working and what is not and begin a new vision. Please feel free to join us!
We are hoping to start our Beers’ Book Group this Wednesday in my office, Rm. 105 at 2:45! We would love to have you join us even if you did not initially sign up to be a part of our group! I have 2 books yet unclaimed and can always ask for more!!! At this first meeting we will look over the book, set some goals for how often to meet, and how much to read each time or if we want to split the reading amongst us. Recognizing how busy we all are already, as well as how busy we will become with the holidays coming, the goal is to make this a manageable read!
Kylene Beer’s book, When kids can’t read, what teachers can do, is a wonderful resource of new literacy ideas and strategies you can try out tomorrow in your classroom. Our group will be a great place to toss out those ideas, see how you think they might work, and share our successes and failures as we attempt to incorporate some of her ideas into our teaching. It is written in a very readable format, as if you were sitting down to a conversation with Kylene herself. For more information on the book, go to Heinemann Publishers and search for her or the book itself. I still return to her book all the time and it was my ‘bible’ when I taught High School English and History.
Please come experience some comradery around a great book, and some fabulous and intriguing discussions!!
Attached are the notes from the last Literacy Team Meeting. It was exciting evening of discussion that focused on how we can more effectively reach and teach our AC level students, particularly in 9th grade. Our next meeting is Dec. 3rd. Please come join us even if you do not teach 9th grade and just want to be a part of an innovative and creative group looking at trying to become more effective teachers!