I spent some time exploring the Google Educator Tool SketchUp and I think it is pretty amazing. I can see immediate uses in my dyad geometry class. Have you ever tried to draw a circle in front of a class of 8th graders? There are a series of tutorials I watched before trying out the tool for a test drive. Here is the one of the tutorials on circles to give you an idea of how easy SketchUp is to use.
I explored SketchUp using the free version that I downloaded. There is also a professional version that is available and I asked my engineer husband if any of the CAD folks in his office used the tool. He tells me that the software they typically use is pretty expensive and specific to their needs. He was blown away when I showed him a couple of the tutorials on how to use the tool for designing buildings and bridges.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Writing Conferences
I spent time on the plane to California reading Routman's chapter on student writing conferences. I wished I had read it a couple of weeks earlier as I now realize that I have been in a series of writing conferences with my son - we just did not have a name for it. He is a high school senior writing essays for his college applications. The whole application process feels very stressful and high stakes with the essays providing an opportunity to differentiate applicants. I am comfortable with content conferences, but I also got pulled into editing conferences too.
As a parent, I focused on the content of the essays. Was it interesting? (reviewers would be reading hundreds of essays). Did it sound like him? (it needs to be his voice). Did the topic he chose highlight an activity or accomplishment where he learned something? (this is not the time to be modest). Does it avoid cliche and hyperbole? (not another athlete that overcame an injury to return to triumph).
As a teacher, I think that this is where we can really help our students be successful writers with great ideas to share and communicate. I agree with Routman when she says to ignore editing concerns at first and focus on content. I think that a lot of my "parent talk" translates to "teacher talk." I suggested my son write another intro when I thought his did not provide enough of a hook. One excellent essay ended flat and I suggested he reconsider the close. In retrospect, I should have been using Routman's simple suggestion of having him reread his essay multiple times and especially each time he returned to the essays.
As a parent, the editing conferences were not comfortable for me. I do not remember all the finer points of grammar. Should it be "that or which" should it be past or past perfect (whatever that is). What sounds right to me may not be grammatically correct and that worries me with so much at stake. Luckily, my teenager seems pretty confident in all the editing. As a teacher, I am okay with punctuation and spelling, but my grammar will need to be dusted off a bit. I do like the idea of students doing most of the editing themselves or with their peers. I like Routman's tips about students becoming as independent as possible by having one on one conferences only when the students have done everything they can on their own and completed requirements.
In summary, this chapter was filled with great tips for having writing conferences with students. Routman's ideas about "frontloading" are among my favorite. She says that frontloading means "doing whatever you need to do before students write to ensure they understand the talk and expectations and are prepare to succeed. ...the payoff is huge: quality writing, right from the start, along with efficient conferences. The month of December will be filled with more college applications and essays. I am prepared to let my son know that before I read another essay that there are certain expectations that I have for him too.
As a parent, I focused on the content of the essays. Was it interesting? (reviewers would be reading hundreds of essays). Did it sound like him? (it needs to be his voice). Did the topic he chose highlight an activity or accomplishment where he learned something? (this is not the time to be modest). Does it avoid cliche and hyperbole? (not another athlete that overcame an injury to return to triumph).
As a teacher, I think that this is where we can really help our students be successful writers with great ideas to share and communicate. I agree with Routman when she says to ignore editing concerns at first and focus on content. I think that a lot of my "parent talk" translates to "teacher talk." I suggested my son write another intro when I thought his did not provide enough of a hook. One excellent essay ended flat and I suggested he reconsider the close. In retrospect, I should have been using Routman's simple suggestion of having him reread his essay multiple times and especially each time he returned to the essays.
As a parent, the editing conferences were not comfortable for me. I do not remember all the finer points of grammar. Should it be "that or which" should it be past or past perfect (whatever that is). What sounds right to me may not be grammatically correct and that worries me with so much at stake. Luckily, my teenager seems pretty confident in all the editing. As a teacher, I am okay with punctuation and spelling, but my grammar will need to be dusted off a bit. I do like the idea of students doing most of the editing themselves or with their peers. I like Routman's tips about students becoming as independent as possible by having one on one conferences only when the students have done everything they can on their own and completed requirements.
In summary, this chapter was filled with great tips for having writing conferences with students. Routman's ideas about "frontloading" are among my favorite. She says that frontloading means "doing whatever you need to do before students write to ensure they understand the talk and expectations and are prepare to succeed. ...the payoff is huge: quality writing, right from the start, along with efficient conferences. The month of December will be filled with more college applications and essays. I am prepared to let my son know that before I read another essay that there are certain expectations that I have for him too.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Whoa!! Weebly, Wikis and Widgets ....
I know that the technology classes at UW Bothell are going to help differentiate me from other school's teacher candidates. I am trying to embrace and learn technology so that it can help me be a better and more efficient teacher (and student). It feels like slow going this week!
We videotaped our read-aloud lesson and it took some help from our master teacher to get the file onto my flash drive. I smugly headed home with thoughts of getting "ahead" on an assignment. Three computers later and although I can see the video, the sound is gone. It might be just as well since the video itself has shown me that I have many lessons to learn. I am still smiling.
I chose a "virtual field trip" for a social studies assignment and got completely lost in a rich and engaging website. I was hoping for a developmental opportunity as I do not gravitate to digital resources. Next time I will either just head to a museum or I will plan for more time to mine the web for information. I am still smiling.
My home scanner would not cooperate and so I headed to my local Kinkos to scan some old photographs for my digital vignette. I missed half of one of my kid's soccer games trying to figure out how to use the scanner and get the photos onto my flash drive. I am still smiling.
I have struggled with unit plan templates from two different sources. One is a pdf file that I cannot copy or write to and another is a Word document that causes me difficulty when my lesson is longer than one page. I spent WAY too much time and ended up creating a new template. I am still smiling.
I did the Weebly tutorial as I knew that I would need remedial assistance for this assignment. I think I finally created a portfolio with a link on our Wiki. I am still smiling.
My own blog now has links to my blogging circle and I have managed to figure out how to comment on all of them. Now that I have seen a lot of different blogs, I think I need to mess around with some Widgets so that my blog is easier to read and navigate. I am still smiling.
I cannot imaging doing this week's Literacy Running Record without a recording device. That means that I will need to borrow and use more new technology. I am still smiling.
Wish me luck!
We videotaped our read-aloud lesson and it took some help from our master teacher to get the file onto my flash drive. I smugly headed home with thoughts of getting "ahead" on an assignment. Three computers later and although I can see the video, the sound is gone. It might be just as well since the video itself has shown me that I have many lessons to learn. I am still smiling.
I chose a "virtual field trip" for a social studies assignment and got completely lost in a rich and engaging website. I was hoping for a developmental opportunity as I do not gravitate to digital resources. Next time I will either just head to a museum or I will plan for more time to mine the web for information. I am still smiling.
My home scanner would not cooperate and so I headed to my local Kinkos to scan some old photographs for my digital vignette. I missed half of one of my kid's soccer games trying to figure out how to use the scanner and get the photos onto my flash drive. I am still smiling.
I have struggled with unit plan templates from two different sources. One is a pdf file that I cannot copy or write to and another is a Word document that causes me difficulty when my lesson is longer than one page. I spent WAY too much time and ended up creating a new template. I am still smiling.
I did the Weebly tutorial as I knew that I would need remedial assistance for this assignment. I think I finally created a portfolio with a link on our Wiki. I am still smiling.
My own blog now has links to my blogging circle and I have managed to figure out how to comment on all of them. Now that I have seen a lot of different blogs, I think I need to mess around with some Widgets so that my blog is easier to read and navigate. I am still smiling.
I cannot imaging doing this week's Literacy Running Record without a recording device. That means that I will need to borrow and use more new technology. I am still smiling.
Wish me luck!
Friday, November 5, 2010
Writing Vignettes
After writing (and sharing) one vignette, I find myself agonizing about the whole process. What do I want to write about that feels okay to share with my writing group and eventually the whole class? I purposely chose a topic for the first vignette that was not too personal, a remembrance of a Mary Oliver poetry reading I attended. My writing group made the obvious comment that I described the event, but never really shared what it was about her poetry that made me connect so deeply to it. Public writing, I know it will be a challenge for me.
According to Routman, teaching writing to students needs to include lots of guiding and demonstration. I feel comfortable with certain kinds of writing - reports, emails, memos and the kind of business writing that I used to do. Personal vignettes and more creative types of writing that include emotions are a different challenge. It is only one of many areas where I feel stretched and out of my comfort zone. It certainly will assist me in understanding how some of my students are likely to feel and perhaps we will work through some of the issues together.
I did love the opportunities to work with our kindergarten buddies. It is so helpful to get to explore the Emergent Literacy Profile by working with a student who is actively working through these important stages. It has often been the highlight of my week and I look forward to going back to the class in the spring to see all the progress.
According to Routman, teaching writing to students needs to include lots of guiding and demonstration. I feel comfortable with certain kinds of writing - reports, emails, memos and the kind of business writing that I used to do. Personal vignettes and more creative types of writing that include emotions are a different challenge. It is only one of many areas where I feel stretched and out of my comfort zone. It certainly will assist me in understanding how some of my students are likely to feel and perhaps we will work through some of the issues together.
I did love the opportunities to work with our kindergarten buddies. It is so helpful to get to explore the Emergent Literacy Profile by working with a student who is actively working through these important stages. It has often been the highlight of my week and I look forward to going back to the class in the spring to see all the progress.
Friday, October 29, 2010
"I Like Middle School Read-Alouds, They Are a Good Waste of Time."
Those are the words that I heard as I let out a sigh of relief after completing my read-aloud. One of the girls was whispering (ok, it was pretty loud) to her classmates as I walked past and made my way to the back of the room. I thought it was funny on the one hand, but as with a lot of humor, it felt like there was some truth to her comments as well. During the read-aloud, I asked the students if they had ever had any teachers read a-loud in middle school and only one student raised her hand. I went on to explain that on our way to becoming teachers, we were reading many articles about education. Some articles recommended that Middle School read-alouds be used in conjunction with science or social studies classes and their teacher was giving us some time at the start of class to try one out. We had used over 30 minutes of her block science class and although we were hoping to activate and engage learning, it was hard to be sure.
I know that I spent way too much time over the last couple of weeks on my middle school read-aloud - probably more thinking about it than actually working on it. I could not get comfortable with the idea of reading in one of my dyad math and science classes. At first I thought about using a math novel for the read aloud, but could not find one that seemed to fit the level and subject matter of the students. Then I considered a novel about astronomy for science class and spent time on the internet looking for book that would "match" the class. I also spoke with my cohort members and decided that a magazine article might be a good fit (thanks Elizabeth!).
Finding an article was also a challenge. I picked an article about the Big Bang Theory, but changed course when we realized that the schedule dictated we both do our read-aloud the same day. After Sandy had the inspired idea to read a Native American myth about the stars and planets, I changed my article. I would find something about how stars are formed and we could have a discussion of the different ways people make sense of what they observe in the sky. Long story short, I will still revising the lesson plan at 5 AM yesterday before heading to school. It went pretty well, lots of room for future improvement and we will have the chance next week when we teach our first lesson. I also learned from my Master teacher that he uses his librarian at school to help him select novels and other materials when he his trying to enhance content areas. I needed a librarian consultation!
Next up, my vignette first draft. I have a tendency to over analyze things (yes, I am a South) and so I am going to make a conscious effort to write more and think less - wish me luck!
I know that I spent way too much time over the last couple of weeks on my middle school read-aloud - probably more thinking about it than actually working on it. I could not get comfortable with the idea of reading in one of my dyad math and science classes. At first I thought about using a math novel for the read aloud, but could not find one that seemed to fit the level and subject matter of the students. Then I considered a novel about astronomy for science class and spent time on the internet looking for book that would "match" the class. I also spoke with my cohort members and decided that a magazine article might be a good fit (thanks Elizabeth!).
Finding an article was also a challenge. I picked an article about the Big Bang Theory, but changed course when we realized that the schedule dictated we both do our read-aloud the same day. After Sandy had the inspired idea to read a Native American myth about the stars and planets, I changed my article. I would find something about how stars are formed and we could have a discussion of the different ways people make sense of what they observe in the sky. Long story short, I will still revising the lesson plan at 5 AM yesterday before heading to school. It went pretty well, lots of room for future improvement and we will have the chance next week when we teach our first lesson. I also learned from my Master teacher that he uses his librarian at school to help him select novels and other materials when he his trying to enhance content areas. I needed a librarian consultation!
Next up, my vignette first draft. I have a tendency to over analyze things (yes, I am a South) and so I am going to make a conscious effort to write more and think less - wish me luck!
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Shitty First Drafts
I resonate with what I have read in Annie Lamott's book Bird by Bird. I particularly appreciate her chapter on shitty first drafts (sfd). I believe that is one of the hallmarks and consistent ingredients of my own writing. Although I have experienced immobilization trying to strive for perfection and I still sometimes struggle with getting started, I pretty much always produce a sfd. My personal experience has shown me that the process of getting a first draft on paper is a crucial one . I need to get something going (the down draft) and although I do not think I throw away most of the first draft, I do many revisions (the up draft). It is reassuring to read that even successful, published writers still struggle with their craft.
In a similar fashion, I appreciated Regie Routman's honesty in her Writing Essentials book. She sometimes struggles to decide what to write even as she is conducting writing workshops for adults and children. She emphasizes that it is crucial for students (adults and children) to see that struggle in order to make transparent the process and the modeling of writing. She also talks about how it is important for teachers to write in front of our students so that we understand and have empathy for what we are asking our students to do.
I agree with Routman's emphasis on celebrating our student's writing with a focus on writing authentically for a real audience. I know that I was amazed at the letter my daughter wrote over the summer when I asked her explain in writing why she thought she needed a cell phone. I told her that I need to be persuaded because I was not sure it was the right time. Her passion for the topic was evident in the abundance of ideas explaining the benefits of her owning a cell phone. And yes, she is now a texting teen.
I think that the writing strategy of going from whole to part and not part to whole makes a lot of sense. We lose too many students to boredom and apathy if we start with templates, conventions and step by step guides. I like the idea that we need to get students to feel like they are writers and then worry about the details. Routman says " if all of our students are to become successful writers, then from the day they enter school they, and we, must see the process as doable, manageable and enjoyable." Amen.
In a similar fashion, I appreciated Regie Routman's honesty in her Writing Essentials book. She sometimes struggles to decide what to write even as she is conducting writing workshops for adults and children. She emphasizes that it is crucial for students (adults and children) to see that struggle in order to make transparent the process and the modeling of writing. She also talks about how it is important for teachers to write in front of our students so that we understand and have empathy for what we are asking our students to do.
I agree with Routman's emphasis on celebrating our student's writing with a focus on writing authentically for a real audience. I know that I was amazed at the letter my daughter wrote over the summer when I asked her explain in writing why she thought she needed a cell phone. I told her that I need to be persuaded because I was not sure it was the right time. Her passion for the topic was evident in the abundance of ideas explaining the benefits of her owning a cell phone. And yes, she is now a texting teen.
I think that the writing strategy of going from whole to part and not part to whole makes a lot of sense. We lose too many students to boredom and apathy if we start with templates, conventions and step by step guides. I like the idea that we need to get students to feel like they are writers and then worry about the details. Routman says " if all of our students are to become successful writers, then from the day they enter school they, and we, must see the process as doable, manageable and enjoyable." Amen.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Digital Immigrant
I love the phrase that I am a "digital immigrant" in contrast to my children who are "digital natives". It is so apt for describing how I feel regarding many of the technologies teachers need to be comfortable using. I want to (and therefore I will) get more comfortable with technology and so I am very happy to be taking a tech class that is highly integrated with my didactic classes this quarter. Although I put my initial comments on a Word document (so yesterday), I am now trying to migrate my thoughts and ideas to a digital medium.
The "Why Blog" reading was a simple, yet effective message about the power of blogging. It is a free and easy way to become a reflective, connected and better teacher. OK, so instead of just blogging to fulfill an assignment (did I do that last spring?), I will use blogging to capture my thoughts and ideas on a regular basis. I will also be kind to myself as I try to break the habit of jotting things down in a notebook (where's that notebook?) since the great ideas and must reads always seem to get buried with all the other minutiae in my life.
The video about Web 2.0 is a lot more daunting for me to watch. I am still trying to get comfortable with Web 0.5, so I feel like I might never be able to catch up. From this quarter's classes, I realize that the Web is all about collaboration and sharing information in an effortless fashion. I am going to try to keep a couple of things in mind. The first one is that there are many tools that will allow me to become faster and more efficient and so they are worth the time investment to learn. The second one is that using all sorts of technology is critical in education today. I know that having the requisite skills is essential to securing a job in the field. Just one of the challenges (I mean opportunities) that I face this quarter.
The "Why Blog" reading was a simple, yet effective message about the power of blogging. It is a free and easy way to become a reflective, connected and better teacher. OK, so instead of just blogging to fulfill an assignment (did I do that last spring?), I will use blogging to capture my thoughts and ideas on a regular basis. I will also be kind to myself as I try to break the habit of jotting things down in a notebook (where's that notebook?) since the great ideas and must reads always seem to get buried with all the other minutiae in my life.
The video about Web 2.0 is a lot more daunting for me to watch. I am still trying to get comfortable with Web 0.5, so I feel like I might never be able to catch up. From this quarter's classes, I realize that the Web is all about collaboration and sharing information in an effortless fashion. I am going to try to keep a couple of things in mind. The first one is that there are many tools that will allow me to become faster and more efficient and so they are worth the time investment to learn. The second one is that using all sorts of technology is critical in education today. I know that having the requisite skills is essential to securing a job in the field. Just one of the challenges (I mean opportunities) that I face this quarter.
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