Hi everyone. I hope everyone is doing well. Things here are busy but great! It wouldn't be so bad if we just didn't have to go do the classroom stuff. That way, we wouldn't have to stay out so late. :) Lets see, we've been to so many places already I am having trouble keeping track of it all. The worst thing about the summer institutes I've been involved with is the goodbyes. Stay in touch and continue contributing to your blog here. If you need me, you know how to contact me. If you can't get ahold of me, I'm probably brainwashing prospective teacher consultants.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Sharolette's Action Plan 2008-2009
What is your plan of action in the fall? How will you use other demonstrations? Please list several demos that you saw that you will integrate into your classroom. This upcoming school year is an exciting opportunity for me. There are a number of things I would like to implement in my classroom; they include Elise and Cathy’s Grammar Writing, Katrina’s Monster Writing, Keller’s Knots on a Rope, and I want to expand and develop a lesson working with Slam Poetry.
What’s your plan for your own writing? I want to continue to write for myself. I hope to use my new experiences and my interaction with my students at Carl Junction as inspiration. I have found writing to be very therapeutic and a means of pooling my thoughts.
How will your classroom look differently daily? Weekly? Monthly? In my Reading classroom, I will incorporate daily writing journals at the start of the class. Then move into reading strategies and assignments. Students will have weekly small reading/writing groups and will write monthly reflection papers related to their experiences in the classroom.
Discuss the process of creating your demo and what you discovered through that process. How will you incorporate your demo in the fall? Creating my demo involved a lot of research reading and although I did not incorporate all of the threads of the unit I created due to time constraints, I will utilize them in my classroom. The threads of the unit will lead to future demos.
What kinds of student writing samples can you collect? There are numerous writing samples that I will collect throughout the year including poetry, journal writing, letters, essays, and reflections.
How has your writing project experience affected your plan? The writing project has helped me develop the reading program I will be implementing for ninth grade at Carl Junction. It has given me the confidence to approach the administration with the ideas, plan, and supporting research for the reading program.
Based on our brief conversations and your new knowledge of OWP programs, what areas interest you? Who would you nominate for certain areas? There are so many OWP programs that I find interesting. I was fascinated with the youth writing project at Carthage and would love the opportunity to help with that program. I would also like to develop my demo skills and possibly present at another school district or Write to Learn. Research and publishing is an interest I have too. I would nominate Cathy, Deb, Dana, Elise, and Katrina for demo presentations.
What’s your plan for your own writing? I want to continue to write for myself. I hope to use my new experiences and my interaction with my students at Carl Junction as inspiration. I have found writing to be very therapeutic and a means of pooling my thoughts.
How will your classroom look differently daily? Weekly? Monthly? In my Reading classroom, I will incorporate daily writing journals at the start of the class. Then move into reading strategies and assignments. Students will have weekly small reading/writing groups and will write monthly reflection papers related to their experiences in the classroom.
Discuss the process of creating your demo and what you discovered through that process. How will you incorporate your demo in the fall? Creating my demo involved a lot of research reading and although I did not incorporate all of the threads of the unit I created due to time constraints, I will utilize them in my classroom. The threads of the unit will lead to future demos.
What kinds of student writing samples can you collect? There are numerous writing samples that I will collect throughout the year including poetry, journal writing, letters, essays, and reflections.
How has your writing project experience affected your plan? The writing project has helped me develop the reading program I will be implementing for ninth grade at Carl Junction. It has given me the confidence to approach the administration with the ideas, plan, and supporting research for the reading program.
Based on our brief conversations and your new knowledge of OWP programs, what areas interest you? Who would you nominate for certain areas? There are so many OWP programs that I find interesting. I was fascinated with the youth writing project at Carthage and would love the opportunity to help with that program. I would also like to develop my demo skills and possibly present at another school district or Write to Learn. Research and publishing is an interest I have too. I would nominate Cathy, Deb, Dana, Elise, and Katrina for demo presentations.
Plan
My plan of action for Writing I in the fall is to implement “Writing Territories” and “Monsters in Your Closet.” For Writing II I plan on utilizing the reading process and reading strategies to complement a section on Reader Response theory. For both classes I will be using “Writing Groups: Freewriting Drafting and Responding.” Parts of other work may appear in these classes.
My plan for my own writing is to continue freewriting 30 minutes every day, and to dedicate four hours a day to writing for the rest of the summer.
I do not know how my classes will look differently.
For my demo I had to revisit the research. This was very beneficial for me as it allowed me to reassess why I utilize workshops. Actually, this question had been working in my mind for several months when a lead instructor made the comment to me that workshops were not valuable because students did not know enough to teach one another. My reaction at the time was to think that this person did not understand the significance of workshopping. My goal then was to establish how workshopping creates communities. I knew it did, but I was not prepared to present an academic argument. Now I am better prepared. As far as incorporating my demo, I am going to expand this to cover revision as well as first drafts.
I can collect their about my writing samples and their peer review sheets.
I picked up hints on how other instructors do peer reviewing and, from experience, collaborative work.
I expect to use “Writing Territories,””Monsters,” parts of “Writing Groups,” “Grammar,” and “Image Grammar.” However, there were many good demos, and I plan on going over them again to see what other things I might use.
I want to be involved in Rural Voices Radio.
My plan for my own writing is to continue freewriting 30 minutes every day, and to dedicate four hours a day to writing for the rest of the summer.
I do not know how my classes will look differently.
For my demo I had to revisit the research. This was very beneficial for me as it allowed me to reassess why I utilize workshops. Actually, this question had been working in my mind for several months when a lead instructor made the comment to me that workshops were not valuable because students did not know enough to teach one another. My reaction at the time was to think that this person did not understand the significance of workshopping. My goal then was to establish how workshopping creates communities. I knew it did, but I was not prepared to present an academic argument. Now I am better prepared. As far as incorporating my demo, I am going to expand this to cover revision as well as first drafts.
I can collect their about my writing samples and their peer review sheets.
I picked up hints on how other instructors do peer reviewing and, from experience, collaborative work.
I expect to use “Writing Territories,””Monsters,” parts of “Writing Groups,” “Grammar,” and “Image Grammar.” However, there were many good demos, and I plan on going over them again to see what other things I might use.
I want to be involved in Rural Voices Radio.
Michelle's Action Plan
What’s your plan for your own writing?
I will use my journals to find writing territories and develop pieces to share with various audiences.
How will your classroom look differently daily? Weekly? Monthly?
As I begin the school year, I will implement Casey's "I AM" poem, Author's Chair with "bless, press, and address" will be a weekly activity (from Keri), writing territories including topics, genres, and audiences with a quarterly review (from Kim), then some of the projects and demos I plan to incorporate into classroom activities include:stories of our lives from Melissa, Discovery of Personal Identity Multi-genre from Dana--use the whole thing, circular and peer dialogue journals from Genesis, Divergent Thinking from Faith--I will have students write as a new character point of view,Conscious Grammar from Elise--I will have students examine how the patterns used in writing can affect meaning, from Jenner I want to have students use clay mation to analyze a poem--have to check on technology, from Chris I will use parallel poetry and have students use models for their own poems as a jumping off spot in my poetry unit.
Discuss the process of creating your demo and what you discovered through that process. How will you incorporate your demo in the fall?
Creating my demo began with a huge decision making process. I have three different projects that I love and have great success with in the classroom. I picked the one that is the most fun and fellows can have a complete sample after my demo. I appreciated the interaction in collaborative groups and believe colleagues can adapt for their classrooms.
What kinds of student writing samples can you collect? I AM poems, Story of our lives finished product, Personal Discovery poster,Mapping our lives poster,stories created for their community piece w/index cards then pictures.
How has your writing project experience affected your plan?
How will you use other demonstrations? Please list several demos that you saw that you will integrate into your classroom. Divergent thinking,Moving beyond surface content in poetry, episodic fiction, and stories of our lives.
Based on our brief conversations and your new knowledge of OWP programs, what areas interest you? Write to Learn conference and Fall Renewal.Advanced Institute and NWP opportunities. Who would you nominate for certain areas? Write to Learn conference--Dana, Joshua, Chris, and Rachel.
I will use my journals to find writing territories and develop pieces to share with various audiences.
How will your classroom look differently daily? Weekly? Monthly?
As I begin the school year, I will implement Casey's "I AM" poem, Author's Chair with "bless, press, and address" will be a weekly activity (from Keri), writing territories including topics, genres, and audiences with a quarterly review (from Kim), then some of the projects and demos I plan to incorporate into classroom activities include:stories of our lives from Melissa, Discovery of Personal Identity Multi-genre from Dana--use the whole thing, circular and peer dialogue journals from Genesis, Divergent Thinking from Faith--I will have students write as a new character point of view,Conscious Grammar from Elise--I will have students examine how the patterns used in writing can affect meaning, from Jenner I want to have students use clay mation to analyze a poem--have to check on technology, from Chris I will use parallel poetry and have students use models for their own poems as a jumping off spot in my poetry unit.
Discuss the process of creating your demo and what you discovered through that process. How will you incorporate your demo in the fall?
Creating my demo began with a huge decision making process. I have three different projects that I love and have great success with in the classroom. I picked the one that is the most fun and fellows can have a complete sample after my demo. I appreciated the interaction in collaborative groups and believe colleagues can adapt for their classrooms.
What kinds of student writing samples can you collect? I AM poems, Story of our lives finished product, Personal Discovery poster,Mapping our lives poster,stories created for their community piece w/index cards then pictures.
How has your writing project experience affected your plan?
How will you use other demonstrations? Please list several demos that you saw that you will integrate into your classroom. Divergent thinking,Moving beyond surface content in poetry, episodic fiction, and stories of our lives.
Based on our brief conversations and your new knowledge of OWP programs, what areas interest you? Write to Learn conference and Fall Renewal.Advanced Institute and NWP opportunities. Who would you nominate for certain areas? Write to Learn conference--Dana, Joshua, Chris, and Rachel.
Action Plan 2008
OWP fellows, thank you all for an incredible experience and the plethora of ideas I will take back to my classroom this year!
My plan of action was hard to create. I plan to use so many of the new activities you all have taught me that I couldn't fit them onto the little chart Casey gave us! For the fall, however, I plan to implement a book pass at the beginning of the quarter that will help my students pick their first quarter book. From this I hope they will pick a book because they are interested in it, not just because it's short or it has a pretty cover. I also plan to implement free writing and writing response groups into my weekly lesson plan. Melissa gave me great encouragement to teach content Monday-Wednesday, then meet with writing groups Thursday, and Freewrite Friday, along with any other activities that need to be wrapped up. I think the students will enjoy the fact that I'm only teaching content three days a week. I also want to use a modified activity from Jenner's claymation demo and have each group of students respond to one stanza of the same poem, then take a picture. I'll collect all the pictures and we'll create a storyboard for the poem and respond in writing to that poem. Also, I plan to implement paper wad blogging to respond to various short stories and poems we will read in the first couple of months of class. Thank you, Genesis!
I plan to continue writing as much as possible. I would like to finish the memoir I started in Kim's demo and give it to my mom. I would also like to continue working on my professional piece and seek publication for it. Also, I want to write with my students and complete as many of the projects that I assign my students as I can.
My classroom will look completely different after this experience. I have already mentioned the change in my weekly teaching plans. Also, the students will be working together more and creating stronger bonds with their fellow students. The writing response groups will work perfectly with the cooperative learning that I have been trying for the last couple of years. I hope that my students will enjoy class more and laugh more. Maybe they'll cry, too. :) I plan to share my writing with them from this institute and what I will continue to write.
I can collect the paper wad blogs, the pictures from the clay project, and pictures and student reflections on other various activities I will use in class. I would also like to collect the students' favorite pieces of writing from their freewriting notebooks to share with you.
Other demonstrations I will use are: well, all of them! No, seriously, I have marked at least one activity from every demo that I want to use this year in one way or another. I plan to have the students write a memoir, create their writing territories, write episodic fiction, and I also plan to use Image Grammar and Conscious grammar monthly.
I was inspired by Liz's discussion of creating a program to improve her learning community. I would love to implement a support system for my school district to improve writing across the curriculum. I would like to involve my department to serve as ambassadors for writing and each member visit a different department during our PLC to support and encourage every department to use writing to improve student learning.
I think Joshua would be great to help with the publishing and technology part of the OWP. Kathy, Sharolette, Debbie, and Michelle would be wonderful coaches for future fellows. Jenner, Genesis, and Melissa would do an awesome job presenting at future conferences. Stacy, I encourage you to create a writing center at your school! You will do a great job convincing your administration and staff that it is an essential program to improve writing in your school!
I hope everyone has a great school year and I can't wait to see you all in the fall!
My plan of action was hard to create. I plan to use so many of the new activities you all have taught me that I couldn't fit them onto the little chart Casey gave us! For the fall, however, I plan to implement a book pass at the beginning of the quarter that will help my students pick their first quarter book. From this I hope they will pick a book because they are interested in it, not just because it's short or it has a pretty cover. I also plan to implement free writing and writing response groups into my weekly lesson plan. Melissa gave me great encouragement to teach content Monday-Wednesday, then meet with writing groups Thursday, and Freewrite Friday, along with any other activities that need to be wrapped up. I think the students will enjoy the fact that I'm only teaching content three days a week. I also want to use a modified activity from Jenner's claymation demo and have each group of students respond to one stanza of the same poem, then take a picture. I'll collect all the pictures and we'll create a storyboard for the poem and respond in writing to that poem. Also, I plan to implement paper wad blogging to respond to various short stories and poems we will read in the first couple of months of class. Thank you, Genesis!
I plan to continue writing as much as possible. I would like to finish the memoir I started in Kim's demo and give it to my mom. I would also like to continue working on my professional piece and seek publication for it. Also, I want to write with my students and complete as many of the projects that I assign my students as I can.
My classroom will look completely different after this experience. I have already mentioned the change in my weekly teaching plans. Also, the students will be working together more and creating stronger bonds with their fellow students. The writing response groups will work perfectly with the cooperative learning that I have been trying for the last couple of years. I hope that my students will enjoy class more and laugh more. Maybe they'll cry, too. :) I plan to share my writing with them from this institute and what I will continue to write.
I can collect the paper wad blogs, the pictures from the clay project, and pictures and student reflections on other various activities I will use in class. I would also like to collect the students' favorite pieces of writing from their freewriting notebooks to share with you.
Other demonstrations I will use are: well, all of them! No, seriously, I have marked at least one activity from every demo that I want to use this year in one way or another. I plan to have the students write a memoir, create their writing territories, write episodic fiction, and I also plan to use Image Grammar and Conscious grammar monthly.
I was inspired by Liz's discussion of creating a program to improve her learning community. I would love to implement a support system for my school district to improve writing across the curriculum. I would like to involve my department to serve as ambassadors for writing and each member visit a different department during our PLC to support and encourage every department to use writing to improve student learning.
I think Joshua would be great to help with the publishing and technology part of the OWP. Kathy, Sharolette, Debbie, and Michelle would be wonderful coaches for future fellows. Jenner, Genesis, and Melissa would do an awesome job presenting at future conferences. Stacy, I encourage you to create a writing center at your school! You will do a great job convincing your administration and staff that it is an essential program to improve writing in your school!
I hope everyone has a great school year and I can't wait to see you all in the fall!
Troxell's Action Plan 2008
Okay, I'm having a memory loss of sorts, so I have to use Casey's sign-in. :-)
As I wrote to my small writing group, I plan to write everyday at the end of the school day. The first thirty minutes after the bell rings will be mine to reflect on the day. Last year my principal wanted us to keep a reflective journal, writing in it once a week; however, most people forgot. You'd end up writing four or five entries at once. Not only will I reflect, but I will use that time to write what I want to write. Sharing my writing with my students to model, show them I write too, help create a writing community is important. Writing, writing, and more writing with my students will be shared, shared, shared.
My plan in action is to use all of these demonstrations. I have to sort through the demos I will do with my department grade level groups to inspire them. For example writing territories will be in every binder for my students and hopefully for our students as a department. Dana's and Michelle's demonstrations will probably be passed on to the freshmen teachers because they really focus on those skills then, and I shouldn't be selfish, keeping these great ideas to myself. Rachel's, Katrina's,part of Casey's (the stories for the t/f test) will be shown to the Applied Communications teacher to help those students. For my classroom, I'll remember what I learned from Keri the first time- having small writing groups and author's chair to begin and add more explicit teaching of peer review, conference and edit. Debra's demo, especially the book, The Cube will be sprinkled liberally throughout the year until I get my film and lit class, and Elise's examples will be great to show my older students the power of manipulating grammar. I'll use Genesis's and Sarah's ideas with the whole department. There are so many ideas that I wanted to keep, but again, I can't be selfish. If your name was not mentioned here, never fear, I just haven't decided where your demo will be used yet. :-)
Before school starts, I will organize my writer's workshop notebook to include the things I'll keep for myself. Building a community of writers and small writing groups is the primary focus. For the fall renewal I'll probably bring Image Grammar examples from student writing, writing territories examples, and stories as Faith had us do. That's just the beginning!!
Creating my demo, which I'll have to do in the spring, made me so much more reflective about the actual practice that it will be so much better. I am inspired to do that for my other writing assignments and units of study.
I have an idea about a writing camp/project for secondary students because I just love the little stinkers. I also have an idea to do that for struggling writers coming in from 9th grade to help boost them before they start high school. I'm also really interested in community writing. I'm thinking of presenting my demo at Write to Learn. Hmmm.... Nominations: For best actress...best phrase.... Oh, it's not that kind of nomination. Debra would be a fabulous recruiter. Everyone here has so many talents, but I'm not sure where to place them.
This has been a fabulous experience. Thanks to everyone for inspiring me to be a better teacher and a better writer. I look forward to seeing you all in the fall.
As I wrote to my small writing group, I plan to write everyday at the end of the school day. The first thirty minutes after the bell rings will be mine to reflect on the day. Last year my principal wanted us to keep a reflective journal, writing in it once a week; however, most people forgot. You'd end up writing four or five entries at once. Not only will I reflect, but I will use that time to write what I want to write. Sharing my writing with my students to model, show them I write too, help create a writing community is important. Writing, writing, and more writing with my students will be shared, shared, shared.
My plan in action is to use all of these demonstrations. I have to sort through the demos I will do with my department grade level groups to inspire them. For example writing territories will be in every binder for my students and hopefully for our students as a department. Dana's and Michelle's demonstrations will probably be passed on to the freshmen teachers because they really focus on those skills then, and I shouldn't be selfish, keeping these great ideas to myself. Rachel's, Katrina's,part of Casey's (the stories for the t/f test) will be shown to the Applied Communications teacher to help those students. For my classroom, I'll remember what I learned from Keri the first time- having small writing groups and author's chair to begin and add more explicit teaching of peer review, conference and edit. Debra's demo, especially the book, The Cube will be sprinkled liberally throughout the year until I get my film and lit class, and Elise's examples will be great to show my older students the power of manipulating grammar. I'll use Genesis's and Sarah's ideas with the whole department. There are so many ideas that I wanted to keep, but again, I can't be selfish. If your name was not mentioned here, never fear, I just haven't decided where your demo will be used yet. :-)
Before school starts, I will organize my writer's workshop notebook to include the things I'll keep for myself. Building a community of writers and small writing groups is the primary focus. For the fall renewal I'll probably bring Image Grammar examples from student writing, writing territories examples, and stories as Faith had us do. That's just the beginning!!
Creating my demo, which I'll have to do in the spring, made me so much more reflective about the actual practice that it will be so much better. I am inspired to do that for my other writing assignments and units of study.
I have an idea about a writing camp/project for secondary students because I just love the little stinkers. I also have an idea to do that for struggling writers coming in from 9th grade to help boost them before they start high school. I'm also really interested in community writing. I'm thinking of presenting my demo at Write to Learn. Hmmm.... Nominations: For best actress...best phrase.... Oh, it's not that kind of nomination. Debra would be a fabulous recruiter. Everyone here has so many talents, but I'm not sure where to place them.
This has been a fabulous experience. Thanks to everyone for inspiring me to be a better teacher and a better writer. I look forward to seeing you all in the fall.
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