Maine
experienced a 58 percent increase in its homeless student population,
which rose from 991 to 1,564. Experts say that in any given year 7,500
Maine students will spend at least one night on the
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Can you tell where the CCSS fits in?
What does a 21st-century learner look like to you? What skill is missing?
Learn 3 strategies for a 21st-century global curriculum: http://bit.ly/1eSe8my.
#21stcentury #learning
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
As we great 2014 and increase our implementation of the CCSS, here are some effective ideas for increasing the use of nonfiction texts in the classroom. Courtesy of ASCD SmartBrief.
How one middle school naturally incorporated more nonfiction texts
The implementation of the Common Core State Standards means a greater focus on nonfiction texts in the English language arts curriculum -- a task that special-education teacher Pauline Zdonek says her middle school worked to accomplish organically. Among other things, she writes in this blog post, teachers taught nonfiction texts that read like fiction, such as the memoir "Night." Teachers also used nonfiction texts that incorporate pictures and selected one day each week to focus on those texts, she writes. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Education (12/26)
Friday, December 20, 2013
Here is one school's solution for focusing on the CCSS "subjects" and shifting towards integration. Courtesy of ASCD Smart Brief.
A Texas middle school has adopted a schedule that nearly doubles class time for core subjects -- math, science, English and social studies -- to 85 minutes from 45 minutes. Officials said the change is intended to help students better grasp core subjects and allow more time for remediation. The schedule limits students to one elective course daily to allow for the additional instructional time. Commerce Journal (Texas) (12/17)
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
As we have studied the Common Core this year, we have learned about the importance of the 3rd grade. Following are some ways other states have chosen to address preparing students for 3rd grade. Courtesy of ASCD SmartBrief.
Nationwide, about 30 states have taken steps to improve students' reading proficiency by the third grade -- considered a threshold after which it is difficult for students to catch up. Among the strategies states are taking are to improve prekindergarten enrollment, retain students in the third grade if they do not meet certain standards, and alter reading curricula to include oral language and preliteracy proficiency. Stateline (11/15)
Saturday, December 7, 2013
One of the major concerns teachers have had over the past year has been the role of handwriting in the curriculum. Here is a article about the state of affairs in Maine schools. Courtesy of ASCD Smart Brief.
Portland Press Herald (Maine) (12/2)
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
As I visit classrooms this week, I am observing writers and readers who are empowered. Following are some references from the Maine based Choice Literacy that supports this approach. BRAVO!Here are two articles from the Choice Literacy archives to help students build collaborative skills. Amanda Adrian describes the "try it on" phase of helping students learn to confer with each other, and uses fishbowl modeling to help children develop conferring skills: http://www.choiceliteracy.com/articles-detail-view.php?id=1420 Paul Hankins writes about the many benefits of pairing older and younger readers in the essay One Book/Four Hands: http://www.choiceliteracy.com/articles-detail-view.php?id=959 Christine McCartney provides suggestions for peer activities to boost interest and enjoyment of reading in Towards a Better Independent Reading Program from the Nerdy Book Club: http://bit.ly/149juD5 Pernille Ripp hears that dreaded comment from a student -- "reading sucks." She uses the comment as a catalyst for a provocative class discussion in Why Reading Sucks and It's Okay to Talk About It: http://bit.ly/15ZKOJI
"If we force books upon children and insist they follow the same path their peers are taking, or worse, the same path we took as learners, we strip the joy and refreshment out of reading. Instead, we can let our students create their own path. We can ask them to choose their exploration. "What direction do you want to take today? What are you thinking about and caring about these days? Are there people you'd like to share with? Where do you want your imagination to carry you?"
Allowing choice and trusting students to make the right reading and writing decisions for themselves will inspire them to love their literacy path. We can't force them up and back, east and west, on a boring, unsafe highway; we must give them cobbled streets, coffee shops, friends and strangers, and roads headed in all possible directions.
This week, we're focusing on student learning partnerships. Plus more as always -- enjoy!"
Jennifer Schwanke
Contributor, Choice Literacy
Jennifer Schwanke is a principal in Dublin, Ohio. She also blogs about her personal pursuits at http://jengoingbig.blogspot.com/
Here are two articles from the Choice Literacy archives to help students build collaborative skills.
Amanda Adrian describes the "try it on" phase of helping students learn to confer with each other, and uses fishbowl modeling to help children develop conferring skills:
Paul Hankins writes about the many benefits of pairing older and younger readers in the essay One Book/Four Hands:
Christine McCartney provides suggestions for peer activities to boost interest and enjoyment of reading in Towards a Better Independent Reading Program from the Nerdy Book Club:
Pernille Ripp hears that dreaded comment from a student -- "reading sucks." She uses the comment as a catalyst for a provocative class discussion in Why Reading Sucks and It's Okay to Talk About It:
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