Chandra Manning. 6-12 Instructional Facilitator. Asheboro City Schools. NC. USA

Monday, December 16, 2013

Close Reading Bookmarks

We are almost halfway through the 2013-2014 school year.  I have had an opportunity to address close reading in professional development with different pockets of people.  I hope that the second semester brings more people into understanding and implementing close reading, which literacy expert Dr. Douglas Fisher calls a careful, purposeful rereading of a text.

Here is a gift to help with your reading instruction:  

(Image of the close reading bookmark.  Use the link above to get a printable copy.)

Monday, December 9, 2013

Hit the Target

Students who can identify what they are learning significantly outscore those who cannot.
~ Robert Marzano

One of the most important things in getting students to take responsibility for their learning is to give them a clear vision of what they are going to be learning so they can begin to make meaning out of it. Empowering students by using LEARNING TARGETS is an effective way to motivate them. Learning Targets are usually I CAN statements that clearly outline a path for students to take to achieve mastery of concepts, skills, and knowledge essential in a particular class or discipline. 

Learning Targets should be the following:

  1. Written in student-friendly language
  2. Reflective of the skills/knowledge/concepts they are expected to learn
  3. A daily statement that is referred to at the beginning of class and revisited at the end
  4. Tied directly to assessment
Examples of Learning Targets:
I can introduce myself to another person in French.
I can explain the impact of third parties on an election outcome.
I can identify the parts of an ecosystem and explain how they relate to each other.

Resource:
Look inside >
6667
Knowing Your Learning Target

Blog post contents and resources from:
Lynn Fisher
AHS Social Studies Teacher 
AHS Literacy Leadership Team

Monday, December 2, 2013

Blogging in the Classroom

Blogging is simply the publishing of a personal website or online journal that contains opinions,
reflections or comments about a specific topic or a range of topics. With millions of traditional blogs available online, and the popularity of many micro-blogging based social networking sites like Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr and Instagram, there is a good chance that blogging, in one form or another, is something that your students are not only familiar with, but are already doing. It’s time we harness that energy in the classroom to facilitate learning, engage students, and provide an effective platform for self-reflection and collaboration among teachers. 

Blogging for Learning
Blogs provide an excellent outlet for students to demonstrate their understanding of course content and concepts. For example, students can post or link to digital research papers, current events, special interest topics, or additional resources, such as pictures and embedded or linked multimedia content. Those visual resources make blogs more appealing and help classmates with lower literacy skills.  

Blogs also lend themselves well to a divide and conquer (jigsawing) strategy of covering some topics.

Creating and maintaining a class blog over the course of the semester or year can provide a great way for students to review when it comes time for a unit test or year-end exam. Design a rotating schedule where each week, a few students are responsible for creating one or more blog posts that cover the important concepts, naturally written in kid-friendly language, learned that week. Over the course of the class, students will have easy access to a central location with all the important concepts learned throughout the course.

Blogging for Engagement
  • Freedom with visual design encourages ownership.
  • Student control over the content is an excellent way to get students excited about contributing to their blog.
  • Allow students the opportunity to align their blogs according to their interests.
  • It is a great outlet for outspoken students and the quieter ones as well.
  • Kick it up a notch and have students visit, read and leave comments on each other’s blog posts. Feeling like no one is listening can kill blogging enthusiasm, but having a thoughtful comment from someone on a post can be a catalyst for sustained involvement and improved quality. 
Blogging for Teachers
Teachers can also benefit from blogging. At blogging’s fundamental core is journaling. Teachers can create blogs as a vehicle for self-reflection. They can be used to review effective (or ineffective) strategies and resources. When finished with a post, links can be easily forwarded to colleagues who may benefit from the information. Additionally, teachers can create and maintain blogs with multiple authors and each make their own unique contributions. At a time when teamwork and collaboration are highly valued and expected, blogs offer a powerful tool for teachers to utilize.

Important/Helpful Tips
  • Blogger.com is the largest blogging site and since it is owned by Google; students within Asheboro City Schools already have access to it within their Google apps.
  • Security is an important issue to be aware of when having students post content online. Require students to not publish any identifying information in their posts or comments. Additionally, blogs can be removed from the results of search engines, meaning the only people with access would be people provided with a direct link.
  • Set expectations from the beginning about what is to be included and not included in each blog post and reply comment. Regularly check blogs and comments to verify compliance.
  • It is important to make sure students fully understand how to navigate their blog dashboard before moving forward. Some students who don’t understand will inevitably create a different blog for each one of their posts.
  • Have a central place open to all students where they can go to access their classmates’ blogs. The links provided should be to the student’s main blog page and not to a certain blog post.
  • Be organized, especially if you are creating a class blog that will have lots of content and will likely require searching. Create tags to apply to each post so that posts are grouped together within categories and can be easily found. For example, a post on the trial of Socrates gets tagged “Ancient Greece”.
  • I am not the top expert, but if you have questions, you may email me at jfaircloth@asheboro.k12.nc.us and I will do my best to help where I can. 
  • For further study on blogging in the classroom, check out this post: "Blogging Beyond One Classroom" 

Josh Faircloth
AHS Social Studies Teacher 
AHS Literacy Leadership Team Member


Image credits: http://bizgovsoc2.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/blog.gif

·

Graphic Organizers for Reading Strategies

Several people have provided good feedback on www.newsela.com, the leveled news articles website I shared a couple of weeks ago.  Please share how your are using it in your classrooms.  Let's get stronger by learning from each other.

Lee Wright, 7th grade science teacher at SAMS, recently emailed me this site with several graphic organizers:  http://pacehighschool.net/Documents/GraphicOrganizersforReading.pdf .  She is working hard to have appropriate resources to support literacy in her classroom.  Lee was excited for me to share with all of you, so please thank her for the resource!

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Power of Co-Curricular Activities

If you have ever watched the local news in the Raleigh-Durham/Triangle area (on NBC affiliate WNCN), you may have seen a familiar face.  Sean Maroney is a an anchor and reporter, but he is also a 2002 graduate of Asheboro High School.  He recently shared a link on his anchor Facebook page where he wrote about how his participation in the Mock Trial program at AHS prepared him for his current work.  It is an excellent lesson on teamwork in sync with personal accountability and responsibility.  That is also an example of 21st century learning in schools, but not confined to a classroom.  What we do makes a difference...all the time!  Please click here to read his article on ncmocktrial.org.  I urge you to share with students.

~Chandra

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

NC WiseOwl

NC WiseOwl is a great, FREE resource for students in our state.  NC WiseOwl is far safer and more scholastic than a random Google search. Today, I want to highlight the "Featured Web Sites" section.  This is located in both the Middle School and High School Zones.  This portion of the website houses links that are appropriate for the current month or season.  For example, there are sites on Native American Heritage Month and Thanksgiving.  Click below:
Middle School Zone Featured Websites
High School Zone Featured Websites
Professional Zone Archived Webinars (for educators to learn how to better use NC WiseOwl)


Wednesday, November 13, 2013

News You Can Use

A few weeks ago, I stumbled across newsela.com.  Currently in beta and free, this site posts news articles appropriate for K-12 students.  I know how many of you have been searching for nonfiction articles to fit your content area, so this is a gold mine!  The categories for the articles are War & Peace, Science, Kids, Money, Law, Health, and Art. Here is the neatest feature:  for every article, there are versions written in different Lexile levels!   I have not played around with the classroom function, but it looks like teachers can also create "classes", register individual students (no student emails required), and assign articles. Some articles have brief comprehension quizzes.  Even if you do not use all those features, it is best to register for the free account.

Below is a screenshot of a newsela.com article at an 1170 Lexile.  Note the blue bar on the right side. When on the actual site, you can simply click on a level and the article adapts in seconds to match the the Lexile you have selected.  If you prefer hardcopy versions, the printer icon is also located in that blue bar.  As you can see beneath the title, the text was originally in the Los Angeles Times, but has been adapted by the Newsela staff.

Here is the same section of the article, but with a 720 Lexile.


I shared this with a some teachers and the feedback has been good.  NAMS sixth grade teacher, Michelle Marsh, mentioned it in an email to me yesterday, which prompted me to share with everyone via the blog. The site adds about three articles daily, so the material is pretty up to date.  I hope more people check it out soon for text sets, Socratic Seminars, summarizing practice, and more...it may not be free forever!

Chandra

Monday, October 28, 2013

Caught on YouTube

Penny Crooks, assistant principal at AHS, recently shared with me her visit to a classroom where the teacher was using YouTube. I know most of you are thinking, "OK, that's nothing new."  However, this teacher was not just using a clip that she found, but it was one that she made herself!  Nicole Winsley, English teacher at AHS, is trying out the "flipped classroom"concept and has created several short instruction videos to help students with English/Language Arts concepts.  Her latest video combines grammar with her love of music.  Check out the video she created on "5 Ways to Spot a Fragment" set to the popular tune of "Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke.

Friday, October 18, 2013

Reading for His Life

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/brian-banks-woman-whose-fake-rape-claim-put-nfl-player-in-prison-forced-to-pay-061513


The article above is about an Atlanta Falcons player who was formerly jailed for rape and then had his name cleared. It indicates the falsely accused remained sane by reading as many books as he could. It is a great foundation for persuasive writing, a seminar or debate, and/or an essay on redemption.

~Kathy Saunders, AHS English Teacher 

National Day on Writing 2013

The National Day on Writing first took place on October 20, 2009.  This year, since the day falls on a Sunday, celebrations of writing will be held October 20-21.  The day, sponsored by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), asks Americans to consider the role of writing in everyday life.  Here are some ways you can get in on the celebration.  This year's theme is "Write to Connect".  Writing today is the way we most often connect--through texts, status updates, blog posts, and multimedia compositions.  Writing is also the way we connect across disciplines and connect to other writers, thinkers, and innovators.
  • Twitter chat on October 20 with Penny Kittle (@pennykittle) and Katherine Sokolowski (@katsok) at 8:00 PM ET. Use the hashtag #nctechat to follow their discussion on writing with technology (in honor of Connected Educators Month #ce13) and how to write to connect across K-20 curriculum.
  • On October 21, tweet out the ways you use writing to make connections using the hashtag #write2connect and, if space allows, #dayonwriting.
  • The conversation continues on October 21 at 7:00 PM ET with NCTE members Sarah Mulhern Gross (@thereadingzone) and Meenoo Rami (@meenoorami) and the #engchat discussion, which takes place every Monday.
Aside from the Twitter chats, the National Writing Project is encouraging everyone to share their actual writing in all forms via Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or Instagram.  

Here are some "Write to Connect" resources for educators:

Monday, October 14, 2013

Getting Rid of Round Robin

"The classroom is quiet.  All the students have the same book open on their desks.  One student is reading aloud.  Other students are counting ahead or gazing out into space.  The student who just finished reading sighs with relief when her turn is over." (Hilden and Jones, 2013)

The description above is of Round Robin Reading (RRR).  In RRR, all students are expected to follow along as individual students take turns reading, usually in a predictable order.  There are also several variations:
  • Popcorn Reading:  students read aloud in "random order"
  • Combat Reading:  students call on one another to read, trying to catch each other "off task"
  • Popsicle Reading:  teacher writes students' name on popsicle sticks and then randomly pulls the sticks to determine the reading order)
We all have done it, or it at least seen it. Although it is a popular instructional practice, there is little research to support its use.  There is no research evidence that RRR contributes to better readers, either in terms of fluency or comprehension. The drawbacks (slower reading rates, off-task behaviors, problems with comprehension, and problems with self-efficacy and motivation)  far outweigh any possible benefits.  

Here are some alternatives to Round Robin Reading:  
Partner reading
Small group reading
Choral reading (all read together)
Readers Theater
Alternating-teacher reads one paragraph aloud and students read one silently
Jigsaw

Want even more ideas? >> Click here. <<


Tuesday, October 8, 2013

NCDPI READY Initiative Video

NCDPI staff have developed an animation for educators across the state planning, meeting, and working with the READY initiative. 

  • The video works well as a "tone setter" for discussions around the new Common Core State Standards and Essential Standards, new assessments, educator effectiveness, school/district turnaround and more.
  •  It serves as an inspirational reminder about the work we do and the ultimate beneficiaries of that work — the 1.5 million students of North Carolina. 
  • It also could serve as a way to remind parents and the broader community about our accomplishments and goals and how they could help support our efforts. 

     

Monday, September 30, 2013

"Turn to your partner..."

I will close out the month with another post to encourage academic discourse in classes.  I have talked about the benefits of turn and talk, embedded a video of it in action, and provided sentence starters so you can try them in your own classes. (Shout out to Mrs. Watson and Mrs. Phillips at NAMS for making and hanging posters of the sentence starters from last week!)  Now, I want you to think about fostering an environment that promotes quality discussions.  For example, when students physically move their desks to a circle shape, they are more apt to go deeper with discussion and begin to take ownership of the talking task.  Having students sit "knees to knees" when in partner talk time does the same thing.  Here are some ideas:
  • If you are a teacher who has always had students sitting in rows, I challenge you to move the individual desks to pods of 3-4 students or at least pairs.  I know the high school has new furniture that was made for collaboration and not isolation!
  • Take some time to model what partner talk should look like.  Using a student volunteer, have the class analyze posture and position.  It will help them to really understand why you want them to sit a certain way.
Here is a video that highlights the importance of position and also shows how partner talk can help students talk difficult tasks.  The students in this video are analyzing historical documents.




Monday, September 23, 2013

Discussion Stems

Last week I posted on "the basics" for incorporating turn and talk.  Hopefully you have tried it out or at least reflected on how much you provide talk time in your classes.  Tori Mazur, ESL teacher at NAMS, brought up some great points on the benefits of talk time for English Language Learners.  In her comment, Tori noted how providing talk time:
  • helps ELLs "rehearse", which is especially good before writing down ideas.
  • provides social safety for students who feel more confident sharing with one than a large group.
  • allows for peers to "coach" one another.
Many students will not be successful with turn and talk without instruction and guidance from you.  Sentence frames and question stems are a great way to help students begin to use academic language during class discussions.  I have collected some great sentence starters and/or question stems for different content areas. 

>>Rich Questioning in Science<<

You want these to be in students' hands, not yours!  Post on the wall, tape to students desks, or provide copies for your students so they can regularly use these.  Good luck!






Monday, September 16, 2013

The Basics of Turn and Talk

One of the goals of the Common Core State Standards writers was to build natural collaboration among students.  "Turn and talk" opportunities are imperative in all classrooms.  Peer conversations give students an active role in learning.  It enables students to take their thinking and articulate it into words, which allows their brains to build and make connections that would typically not occur.  Also, the listening component allows students to hear the thinking of their peers, which helps them to clarify their own thoughts.

Here are 5 steps that will help to ensure that effective buddy talking is occurring in your classroom:

  • Plan:  Write questions ahead of time to ensure that they are higher level and build on one another.
  • Pose:  Have students sit knee to knee so they can see eye to eye.  Also give students indicators of who's talking first.
  • Wait:  Students need 10-15 seconds, or more, to formulate an answer.  During the wait time, repeat the question, as well as provide supporting quesitons and scaffolds where appropriate.
  • Monitor & Feedback:  The teacher should be listening to students as they are responding to check for understanding.  This is also a time to identify students whose thinking will benefit the entire group.
  • WRITE!:  In the final steps, students should have an opportunity to solidify their understanding by piecing together their original thoughts with their new understanding from the turn and talk session through written expression.  
Here is a clip of Turn and Talk in action.  


NS632.GR12.Taubman.Reading.Turn and Talk from Uncommon Schools on Vimeo.

Here are some things to note from the video:

  • Discussion is not about the obvious.  Students are responding to a rigorous prompt.
  • This discussion is not an ending point, but it is a starting point for their lesson.  This discussion leads somewhere.
I will add more to supplement this topic of accountable talk in future posts.

~Chandra

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

What's a ThingLink?

My September 4, 2013 "Graphic Organizers" post used a web 2.0 tool called ThingLink.  ThinkLink helps images come alive by embedding video, links, and information within an image.  It is a great way for teachers to give information to students and also a fantastic way for students to show learning by creating their own.

If you want more examples of how you can use ThingLink in your classroom, read the links below:

  1. Read "10 Innovative Ways to Use ThinkLing in the Classroom" on Edudemic
  2. Check out the tutorials and CCSS aligned samples in the ThingLink Toolkit

Friday, September 6, 2013

Smore Literacy Development Resources

Here is a Smore that contains lots of literacy resources, courtesy of Carla Shinn, Media Specialist at AHS.  Enjoy!


Thursday, September 5, 2013

The F Word

Hopefully my title got your attention.
The F word I'm referring to is not something you'll see etched in a bathroom stall.  It's FAILURE.

I just read an online article on Edutopia called "Making Friends with Failure" by Ainissa Ramirez.  In the article, Ramirez says, "Failure makes you a better, stronger, and wiser human being." I think you should take some time and read the full article to learn the author's thoughts on encouraging our students to take academic risks in order for them to become better students.  Ramirez is a proponent of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) focused tasks to help in that process.  




Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Graphic Organizers

Graphic organizers help to make abstract ideas and relationships clear.
  • Graphic organizers show students how to think about the information they are learning.
  • They make new information manageable by enabling students to chunk it to fit into their existing memory.
  • They help students build connections and explore relationships to what they already know.
  • Organizers also help students recall information more readily.
There are so many ways they can be used...here are just a few:  structure the note taking; generate ideas; record key text information; guide reading; select, sequence, restructure, and store information; organize ideas as a pre-writing tool; focus on what is important; and summarize  learning.

Hover your cursor over the the small circles within my Graphic Organizer ThingLink to discover many resources you can use.



Be sure there is an intended purpose for the graphic organizer you provide AND that the students understand that they will be using the completed organizer for a specific purpose.

Friday, August 30, 2013

When the cook tastes the soup...

"When the cook tastes the soup, that's formative.  When the guests taste the soup, that's summative." 


That quote is the best way to remember the definition and importance of formative assessment.  My last post gave some ideas for pre-assessing students, which is a form of formative assessment.  Here are some links to help you with formative assessment during a unit:  
And don't forget about NC FALCON (North Carolina's Formative Assessment Learning Community's Online Network), accessible through your NC Education Moodle account.

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Where Do I Begin?

"Assessment is today's means of modifying tomorrow's instruction."
~Carol Ann Tomlinson

Pre-assessments are not just used the first week of school.  We must regularly use pre-assessments (and other types of formative assessments) in all curricular areas:

  • to make instructional decisions about student strengths and needs
  • to determine flexible grouping patterns
  • to determine which students are ready for advance instruction

As the graphic above shows, discovering prior knowledge allows the teacher to present new information at an appropriate level for the students.  Below are some methods to pre-assess.

Carousel Brainstorm - Chart papers containing statements or issues for student consideration are posted around the classroom.  Groups of students brainstorm at one station and then rotate to the next position where they add additional comments.  When the carousel "stops", the original team prepares a summary and then presents the large group's findings.  A Carousel Brainstorm is an active, student-centered method to generate data about a group's collective prior knowledge of a variety of issues associated with a single topic.

Yes/No Cards - Students make a card with YES on one side, NO on the opposite side.  Teachers ask an introductory (or review) question.  Students who know the answer hold up the YES card; if they don't know they answer they hold the NO card.  This is an effective strategy to use when introducing vocabulary words/phrases.

Think-Ink-Pair-Share - A way to get students to reveal what they know or believe about a topic is to begin by having them commit their thoughts to writing.  To assess what the group knows, have students discuss their ideas in pairs, and then to share them with the large group.

Other Examples of Pre-Assessment Strategies:

  1. Questioning (consider using Costa's Levels of Questioning-an AVID strategy)
  2. Predictions
  3. Entrance or exit cards
  4. Interest surveys
  5. KWL charts
  6. Graphic organizers
  7. Student Interviews
  8. Self-evaluations
  9. Teacher observations/checklists
  10. Anticipation guides or journals
  11. Game activities
  12. Concept maps
  13. Writing prompts and samples
  14. Teacher prepared pre-assessments
  15. Picture interpretation


Also check out:
"6 Traits of Quality Pre-assessments" (Byrdseed):  http://www.byrdseed.com/six-traits-of-quality-pre-assessments/




Source:
NCDPI ELA Team (K-12)



Monday, August 12, 2013

ExC-ELL

Have you ever heard of ExC-ELL?  Is your first thought of spreadsheets?  Well, that is Microsoft's Excel. ExC-ELL stands for Expediting Comprehension for English Language Learners.  It is a research-based literacy model developed by Dr. Margarita Calderon that is funded by the Carnegie Corporation and the US Department of Education.  I, along with Dubraska Stines (ESL Lead Teacher) and almost 20 other ACS teachers, attended ExC-ELL training, sponsored by NCDPI, in Charlotte, NC, August 5-7.  All of the teachers were charged with coming back to our district to share ExC-ELL strategies which help students access the text with the use of vocabulary, reading, and writing tasks.  Although ExC-ELL was designed to help English Language Learners, the work can help any student to improve their reading in various content disciplines.  

We have a great team of teachers who are willing to share.  We hope to be able to snag some dedicated PD time during the year, but if you have a particular interest and would like to start the year off with new learning, contact a team member.  Matt Edwards and Chandra Collins, both from NAMS, implemented it in their classes last year and have completed advanced training.  They are great contacts! (Check us out presenting during the closing session on Day 3.)

 
Chandra M., Dubraska, and Betsy

Chandra C., Matt, Chandra M. and Dubraska

Friday, July 12, 2013

Online Text

I just spent a week with a group of hardworking Asheboro City Schools teachers who helped to find free, online text resources for English Language Arts teachers.  In the fall, we will roll out a site with links to fiction and nonfiction exemplar texts, as well as readings represented in local and published unit plans.  A good portion of our work was around evaluating text complexity, as well.  Here is a great video that explains the three considerations in evaluating text complexity:  quantitative measures, qualitative measures, and reader & task.


Introduction to Text Complexity from NYC DOE Promising Pract on Vimeo.

I also have a LiveBinder with links to sites that provided easy access to many of our text selections:

Free Online Text

Thanks to Meredith Wolfe (NAMS), Julia Dawson (SAMS), Brenda Kern (AHS), and Kathy Saunders (AHS) for all their work!

~Chandra

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Smore Reading Tips for Parents

Smore* is a Web 2.0 tool for creating and publishing web-based flyers.  I have created one with reading tips for parents of middle school students.  Be sure to scroll through for all the information, including an Animoto video.  Please share this flyer or Animoto by adding a link to your Edmodo, wiki, Google site, or letter home.


*If you would like any help with Smore or Animoto, please let me know; I will be happy to assist.

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Summer Reading

Summer reading loss refers to the decline in children's reading development that can occur during summer vacation times when students are away from the classroom and not participating in formal literacy programs (Allington & McGill-Franzen, 2003).  Researchers have uncovered evidence that summer reading loss is significant, particularly among at-risk students.

Before your students leave for the summer, talk up the importance of reading, especially while they are on summer break.  Possibly hold a book swap the last day of school.  Ask your neighbors, family, and friends for old books that you can give to your students for the summer.  Send students, especially the ones you know have economic hardships, with at least one book for the summer.  Remind students to visit the public library.  Here is a list of the 2013 Top Ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers from the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) to get them started:  http://www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists/quickpicks/2013/topten.

I hope teachers take time to read, too!  Here is a list of books suggested for educator summer reading that I compiled from Tweets and blogs:

  • Losing Our Minds by Deborah L. Ruf
  • Readicide by Kelly Gallagher
  • What Great Teachers Do Differently by Todd Whitaker
  • Brain Rules:  12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School by John Medina
  • You Haven't Taught Until They Have Learned by Swen Nater and Ronald Gallimore
  • Outliers:  The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell
  • Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire by Rafe Esquith
Do you have a book suggestion for us teachers to check out?  Leave your name, title & author, and comments.

~Chandra

Monday, May 20, 2013

Review Games

I love healthy competition. (Ask AHS math teacher, Mr. Reeder!)  If you would like to create a few review challenges for your students, I have a some sites with templates to help you out.

PowerPoint Games
http://teach.fcps.net/trt4/FETC03/fun2.htm

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire was always a hit in my class.  Click here to look at my old Middle Ages/Canterbury Tales version (you must download from the Dropbox link in order for it work properly).  I would randomly select students to answer questions.  As a class, they had the three traditional lifelines (phone a friend, poll the "class", and 50/50) to help them reach the $1,000,000.  The game could be over in one question if they were not careful.  Let me know if you need more suggestions for making it work for your class.

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Reading Practice Google Site

It is that time of year when people are starting to prep for end of semester/year testing!  With the addition of Common Exams, I figured more people may want some reading practice passages or videos for review since reading affects every subject.  I have put together a Google Site with exercises for a range of reading skills.  It is definitely a work in progress, so don’t be surprised if you see changes to the links or layout.  I tried to compile sites that allow for self-study.  Please preview all the links before assigning them to make sure the level is appropriate for your students; many of the practice items do not specify a target grade level.  Most examples are appropriate for middle school while the high school may have to hunt for what is challenging enough.

Here is the link:  https://sites.google.com/site/readingstudyhall/ 


Feel free to add to your class's Moodle or Edmodo sites!

Monday, May 6, 2013

Teacher Appreciation Week

I want to personally thank all the great teachers out there who are making a positive impact in world.  I have a couple of opportunities I would like to share.

I got this from nea.org:

Click here to get to the Picture This! Great Teaching opportunity from the Carnegie Corporation snipped above.

AND...
Big thanks to Melissa Curry (SAMS--7th grade ELA teacher) for sharing the Teacher Appreciation Week giveaway below from Chick Fil A!


Infographics Pt.2

Back in November I posted on the infographics project Sarah Beth Robbins (AHS, CTE Teacher) did with her class.  Meredith Wolfe (NAMS, 6th grade ELA teacher) sent me two really good sites of infographics for students to read.  This is great practice with reading nonfiction!

http://www.kidsdiscover.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=Infographic

http://dailyinfographic.com/

Carla Shinn (AHS, Media Specialist) also sent an infographic on information literacy that highlights how to get students to find credible information and cite it correctly.

Don't forget to refer back to Sarah Beth's work with creating infographics.


Text Features Chart

Several people said they were using the text features lesson I posted last week.  Below is an additional resource for you all--an informational text features chart.



It is a Google presentation so feel free to share the link with students.

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Text Features

Whether you teach English/Language Arts or Health Occupations, your students need to understand informational text features.  I discovered this lesson on the web (courtesy of Milton High School in Milton, FL).  It has some great resources to teach text features.

Introduction to Text Features 
(PPT with Cornell Notes Guide)

Text Features Presentation from mrsweeks

Click here for Cornell Notes to match presentation.

"A Close-up Look at the Ol' Pigskin" Lesson

Attention Grabber
Video Clip
Review
Text Features in the Real Word PPT
Application
Text Features Team Comparison Handout
After reviewing text features with the students, give them a chance to apply their knowledge.  The handout challenges students to use the provided text features to quickly find information on the teams.
Applying to Content 
Text Feature Detective Handout
This allows students to transfer reading skills to other content areas.
Assessment
Article:  "On the Offense"
The Lexile Level is 1180 (bottom of 9-10 grade band range).  Students should read the article and then be asked to identify, explain, analyze, and determine meaning for a variety of text features.




Monday, April 22, 2013

The Power of Simple Words

Most of you are probably familiar with TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) Talks.  There is subsection of videos and lessons called TED-Ed.


Check out this really brief video lesson:  "The Power of Simple Words".  When you go to the site, click on the "Think" tab on the far right to access five multiple choice and three open answer questions.

Which language anchor standard(s) can be addressed with this mini-lesson?

~Chandra

Friday, March 8, 2013

12 Power Words

Last week I shared an interactive site that covered Larry I. Bell's 12 Power Words for testing.  Here's a YouTube video where a middle school ELA teacher, Mr. Beyah, has posted a song version of those terms and definitions.  Get your students to learn the words and apply their knowledge when taking tests.


Sunday, March 3, 2013

Tests as a Genre

"When students are familiar with the tasks required by [standardized] tests, they are better able to focus their attention and energy on the content of the test and to demonstrate their abilities."  

~Dr. Frank Serafini, Assistant Professor of Literacy Education, Arizona State University


Many of us are familiar with Larry I. Bell's 12 Power Words.  If you are your students need a refresher (or initial exposure), check out the self-study interactive activity linked below:


Students can learn the definitions and then quiz themselves at the end.

Monday, February 25, 2013

2013 National African American Read In


In February 2013, you may  hold an African American Read-In event any day of the month.  Hosting a Read-In can be as simple as bringing students, colleagues, and/or friends  together to share a book(s) that feature professional African American writers.

To be counted as participants:

  • Select books, poems, speeches authored by African Americans
  • Hold your event during the month of February
  • Report your results by submitting the 2013 African American Read-In Report Card

The African American Read-In is endorsed by the International Reading Association.

Black History Month and the Common Core

Thinkfinity offers hundreds of free K-12 lessons that cover many content areas such as art, history, English, economics, geography, science, and mathematics.

Thinkfinity has teamed with EDSITEment, a top humanities resource for interactive lessons and activities, to compile a list of Black History lessons that align to ELA/Literacy Common Core Shift 1 "Building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction" and Shift 3 "Regular practice with complex text and its academic language".

The page of resources can be found  here:
http://www.thinkfinity.org/community/hub/blog/2013/02/05/black-history-month-and-the-common-core




Saturday, February 9, 2013

African-American Lives

Several years ago, PBS presented "African-American Lives," a series where African-American celebrities traced their roots.  This fascinating series, hosted by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.,  connects to so many content areas such as History, Science, and English/Language Arts.
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/aalives/2006/index.html 

When you click on the "For Educators" link, teachers can access three lesson plans:

  1. Analyzing Evidence (grades 6-8):  students develop strategies for analyzing history.
  2. My Place in History (grades 6-8):  students learn how individual stories reflect larger events or trends in history
  3. Following the Thread (grades 9-12):  students learn about genetic lineages and various DNA tests.

~Chandra

Sunday, February 3, 2013

Close Reading Practice with MLK

"Letter from a Birmingham Jail," written by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., has become a Common Core State Standards exemplar text because of it complexity and craft.  Here is a video of David Coleman, a contributing author to the CCSS, modeling a close reading of the letter.



Kathy Saunders, AHS English teacher, has shared a lesser-known persuasive piece from Dr. King, "The Other America."  It can be used to supplement reading "Letter from a Birmingham Jail," or as an alternative.  The link will take you to a video and transcript.  

Check back every week throughout the month of February for other ideas for incorporating Black History, diversity, and/or cultural awareness in your curriculum.

Determining Tier 2 Words

WordSift, mentioned in a previous post, is a Web 2.0 tool that can be helpful in determining Tier 2 words.  However, it does not replace a knowledgeable educator.  Click here to access an Academic Vocabulary rubric from NC DPI.  Please use it to think through which words are critical to teach for comprehension.

~Chandra

Monday, January 21, 2013

Word Walls


What is a word wall?  A word wall is a display area in the classroom devoted strictly to high-frequency vocabulary that will be used or is being used during the course of a particular unit of study.

What is the purpose? 

  • Students need teachers who create an interest in words.
  • In order to learn a word, students need to see, hear, and use terms in many contexts.
  • Vocabulary knowledge directly impacts reading comprehension.

What are ways to make it work?
Make Them Memorable- Use text as the context for identifying key words to place on your word wall. Remember, if the key words are any old words, they are likely to be treated as such.
Make Them Useful- The more you use the word wall the more your students will do the same.  Demonstrations and think-alouds take only a few seconds, if done frequently, will give you more bang for your buck.  It is important that you show students how to use the word wall.  Putting the words up at the beginning of the year and telling kids to use it without showing them how is setting your word wall up for failure.
Make Them Practical- Incorporate words walls into your daily instruction.  By incorporating the word wall in daily instruction, students will gain automaticity in using this classroom reference.
Make Them Space Efficient- If you lack space, use three-panel display boards.  These freestanding materials don't require any wall space, and can be moved around the room and placed on a table for greater visibility.
Make Them Your Way- There is no right or wrong way to build a word wall.  What to build, what words to add, and when to add them, all depend on what your students need.  Organize your walls in a way that is practical to students.  Be creative!

What steps can I take to make it an active words wall?
Check out this packet of activities:  http://www.curriculum.org/storage/258/1334340769/World_Walls_-_A_Support_for_Literacy_in_Secondary_School_Classrooms.pdf


~Chandra


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Monday, January 14, 2013

WordSift

OK, now we understand that all teachers are responsible for vocabulary instruction.  As mentioned in the previous post, an important aspect of vocabulary instruction is in the selection of words to teach.  I have a web tool that can help you!

I first heard about wordsift.com this summer in our English/Language Arts PLC from Donna Beck, ESL teacher at South Asheboro Middle School.  It is a neat way to identify words key terms from a text to focus on for instruction.   Please watch the 5 minute video I embedded below to see how the site can be beneficial to your planning and teaching.  The video sample uses "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a text exemplar straight from Common Core State Standards.


~Chandra


Monday, January 7, 2013

New Year, New Words

It is that time when people start to set personal goals for the new year, like losing weight, getting organized, or saving money.  I am encouraging us all to set a few professional goals as well.  I am going to highlight academic vocabulary instruction for January 2013.

When I was in high school, all of my teachers approached vocabulary in a similar way.  They gave long lists of words, made students use the back of the book or dictionaries to look up definitions, and then gave a quiz/test on those words.  That is how I thought vocabulary was supposed to be.  WRONG!

The first goal I would like to start with is tiering vocabulary.  That simply means that we must choose words that will help students comprehend the text.  That really means that vocabulary must be rooted in the text.  Here is how:

There are several teachers who are leading the pack with this.  Here are just a couple of snapshots from teachers at NAMS. Contact me if you would like me to come to you or your PLC to provide more information.



Amy Smith, 6th grade Science 
Meredith Wolfe, 6th grade ELA