[MOSAIC] Your reading and writing practices and learning experiences

[Susan Cronk]

Hi Leslie
Yep modeling is the key.  Every time I think what went wrong I can trace it
back to not modeling something in the process.  I teach 6th grade LA/SS my
team mate teaches Math Science so its like being back in kindergarten again
I can always adjust something from class to class and that is really nice.
Susan

On Sun, May 4, 2008 at 3:52 PM, <Lespop4 at aol.com> wrote:

> Susan,
>
> You sound like you are doing an amazing job!  Your classroom must be  an
> inspiring place for these kids.  What grade do you teach?  Without
>  modeling,
> everything falls flat...right?
>
> Leslie
>
>
> In a message dated 5/4/2008 10:24:09 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
> slhcronk at gmail.com writes:
>
> Reading  and writing are social acts they require our students to have
> times
> of  coming together with their peers and pulling away to independent
>  reading
> and writing.  This year I feel like I have put together a  symphony of
> readers and writers in my 6th grade class.  I take my cues  from leaders
> in
> the field: Reggie Routman, Calkins and the volumes of her  work, Stehanie
> Harvey and Anne Goutvas, Carl Anderson, Cris Tovani, Ralph  Fletcher,
> Ellin
> Keene , Katie Wood Ray, certainly Best Practice, and folks  that are in
> the
> trenches with kids.  I look for people who can write  from the first hand
> experience of working with the kids. Then I take the  cues from the
> students.
> I model, model model, all year long then employ  the gradual release
> model.
> In reading I have what I call "Book Clubs" and  in writing "Writer's
> Workshop". Just labels but the content of what  transpires in them is what
> is
> so important.I monitor and filter in  strategies etc.  The literary
> debates
> that take place in their book  clubs are awesome!  When kids engage with
> emotion and debate on what  motivated a character or clear up
> misunderstandings and in some cases  decide, *ok we see this differently
> and
> that is just fine.*    When students look at a piece of mentor text and
> think
> ohhh I want to write  like that or they come up to you while reading
> independently and say *you  have to listen to how this author wrote to
> show
> how bad a situation was or  how they paint the picture of the setting
> where I
> feel I am right there or  I tried to do what Spinnelli did in Eggs listen
> to
> what I wrote etc.*   It isn't textbooks that create this atmosphere it is
> authentic literature  and writing about their lives.  If I had to teach
> from
> a basal series  you may as well put me behind a depart store counter
> selling
> perfume!   My work is hard, my work is rewarding, my work changes lives
> and
> sparks  readers and writers to go to new levels of understanding.
> Hope this  helps!
> Susan
>
> On Sat, May 3, 2008 at 9:26 PM, Renee  <phoenixone at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>
> > Best  Practices:
> >
> > - doing what children need, not what a program  says.
> > - keeping meaning/comprehension at the forefront
> > -  reading to and with children
> > - integrating writing with  reading
> > - considering alternate forms of literacy (critical  literacy,
> > mathematical literacy, visual literacy)
> > - allowing  children's needs and interests to influence instruction
> > - knowing why  you are doing what you are doing at all times
> >
> > Those are just  off the top of my head.
> >
> > I don't worry whether or not something  is "supported by research"
> > because I have little regard for most  education research
> > statistics/generalizations unless I know what the  design of the
> > research looked like in the first place.  :-)
> >
> > Renee
> >
> > On Apr 30, 2008, at 8:58 PM, Maureen  wrote:
> >
> > > I am curious how literacy teachers K-8 would  answer if they were
> asked,
> > > "What are your reading and writing  practices and learning experiences
> > > and
> > > why have you  specifically chosen these?  What do you consider best
> > >  practices
> > > that are supported by research?
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> > >
> >  >
> > "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things  that
> > matter."
> > ~ Martin Luther King,  Jr.
> >
> >
> >
> >
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