“The question is not whether we can afford to invest in every child; it is whether we can afford not to”. Marian Wright Edelman

Chapter 13 – Best Practices in Writing Assessment:  I found this chapter interesting.  The concept of writing to learn is phenomenal.  In 3rd grade just getting the students in the mind set of…. reading to learn is challenging in itself.  But having them….writing to learn is even more interesting.  Yet,  I can see how if whatever they are doing, researching, and/or writing about is real to them…then yes I can see how their final product could be an assessment for the teacher; parent; and student.  Scaffolding on the teacher’s part is a continuing process. 

Contrasts in Writing-Based Learning – When the student’s learning becomes automatic and evident in their writing, then I agree with the author that the teacher shouldn’t have to grade each and every piece of the student’s work.   Like I stated earlier, scaffolding on the teacher’s part is a continuing process.  The situation which was given in the book referencing a 3rd grade student who wasn’t that keen on reading; he had poor decoding skills, weak vocabulary, and limited comprehension skills.  Well it turned out that the books which were available to him to read just wasn’t interesting to him. Therefore, he wasn’t reading.  Once he was asked about a professional NBA team, he perked right up with enthusiasm, he was able to elaborate, and use details as well.  I have a similar 3rd grader in my class, except in turns out that the reason he appeared to have poor decoding skills, weak vocabulary, limited comprehension skills and a non interest in reading is because I just find out that he is almost deaf in his left ear and losing hearing in his right.  Well to make a long story short.  He is now being fitted for a FM device and hearing aides.  In the classroom I am mindful where I stand and speak.  I make sure he can see my lips and there is always a student on the right side of him, and in front of him.  Now that I’ve put these strategies in place in my classroom.  He is much more attentative and he chooses to participate in classroom readings and discussions. 

chpt3-best-practices.doc  This link will take you to my thoughts, and reflections about Chapter 3.

I liked the way the author, Reese, developed a lesson plan (if you will) on story development using picture-books.  She and her students definitely reached their objectives. 

• For students to develop a sense of story ~ I think she accomplished this task by first introducing wordless books to her whole class.  By having the students as a whole group state, and agree on a complete sentence, then the teacher write the sentence down and stick it to the story is great.  This gives all students, especially the ones who would normally not participate, the opportunity to actively participate in a nonthreatening setting.  Then repeating this process with several books definitely gave all the students a chance to become comfortable with developing stories.
• To use higher level thinking skills ~ The students had the opportunity to show what they knew when they were paired up.  Having teams of skilled readers and spellers with less skilled readers and spellers is ideal.  Because students are working with wordless books, I feel that this levels the playing fields for all students; therefore the less skilled students wouldn’t feel threatened by the textbook, nor by their partner….now all students get to share in the input of the stories.  Having the students make the list of what good writers do and how to write good sentences is wonderful.  Since they have already experienced success with the teacher, when they were in whole group, now the list has become their own; so making the decision to use it will be theirs…not because the teacher told them to. 
• To develop their writing skills ~ Now that students have worked with the teacher, in a whole group setting, and worked with a partner….they are now ready and very well capable to develop their writing skills independently.    Since they have had lots of hands on training, they are ready, and they know to look though the entire book and think about the story; use sticky notes to help them brainstorm ideas and tie their words with the pictures; reread their story to make sure it makes sense, and no errors; then turn it in to the teacher. 

I really like this format Reese has laid out.  So combining her format with the previous article I just read…Wordless books, by Cassady.   I can’t wait to explore all the possibilities and try it with my students.   

WOW!! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this article about wordless books.  I enjoyed it so much that I emailed it to the principal and all the teachers in my school.  Hopefully they will share in my enthusiasm and implement some of the worthwhile ideas. 

Let’s face it…regardless of what grade level, group, or age of children you teach…they all struggle with either reading and/or writing.   Or, they have some sort difficulty recognizing the plot, characters, and/or setting.  The concept of wordless books, was not invented yesterday, and we all know that.  But you’ve got to appreciate it when educators show you growth, excitement to read and want to write, express themselves in a variety of ways, the ability to use elaborate details,  proofreading, editing, and wanting to share their work…their words!!!!  The list could go on and on.  In a nut shell, I’m excited about the possibilities of exploring wordless books with my 3rd graders as an end of year activity.  I see the possibility of learning as being endless…for me and for them.

Chapter 1- I was very surprised with the introduction of this chapter.  My 3rd  graders surely didn’t respond to knowing what multigenre writing was like the elementary students in the text.  Initially I thought they were older students, then to my surprise…..they weren’t, they were 3rd graders who had previous exposure to writing different genre style….”WOW”, that is great!  P. 3:   I’m very grateful to Camille Allen for extending the work of Romano to elementary students, so they too can be engaged in writing that is based on one topic or theme.  P. 4:  The author recommends that students be exposed to a wide variety of genres, especially those that are pervasive outside classroom walls.   What I’ve noticed is that by the time 3rd graders get to me, they have very little knowledge if any of expository (informational) text.  So, the text is true that some primary grade teachers still do value narrative over informational text.       

Chapter 2 – I understand that it is important to set up the classroom, establish routines, set examples in place, and then scaffold students in order for successful writing and students’ awareness of genres to take place.  P. 19:  Practicing within a genre - From the personal experience I’ve had with exposing my students to writing poetry, it is truly important for students to get as must exposure and practice to writing a particular genre before they are just set loose to do so.  Before my students wrote their I poems about their famous African Americans, first I shared my I poem with them.  Next I shared the format with them of what I expected.  Then we brainstormed and wrote one together.  Then they were set loose to create their own I poem from the format I had given them.  Like I said earlier, scaffolding was very important in the entire process….with my students, it is the key!

Chapter 3- I think it is interesting how this chapter starts out by letting students choose their own topics….topics that inspire them!!  Maybe it’s just with my class, but I have to model, demonstrate and continue scaffolding in order for my students to be successful.  It may be because they haven’t had any prior exposure to multigenre writing.  So what I’ve already done is told my students that they will be writing a multigenre paper on the life cycle of a plant (or seeds, or just plants….that they will decide).  I chose this topic because we have just completed a hands on experiment with our science kit on how a seed grows, all the way to a bee pollinating flowers.  A lot of the research they have already done due the interactiveness of their prior science lesson.  P. 29-30:  Investigating Multiple Texts Centered on a Single Topic – My students are already comfortable with identifying and discussing genres from a single text, due to their active engagement with their science unit.  Now I do think that introducing my students to picture books and chapter books on their topics will definitely enhance their knowledge about their topic.  P. 31-32:  The Proposal – I think it’s an excellent idea to have students complete a proposal.  Not only does it help students to organize their thoughts on their topics and genres they have selected, but it also gives the teacher a an idea in the direction they are going.  Therefore the teachers can direct or redirect them in a different direction.  (Love the template on P. 32)   P. 35-41:  This book is an excellent source for multigenre writing.  I really appreciate the, Structure of the Multigenre Project section.  It is good to know that I can introduce my students to the overall layout of the project while they are still completing their proposals.  Various parts of the project want need as much time to teach as others.  For instance the section – defenses for each piece will definitely require explicit lessons while others only need an introduction, model and an example.  Well the three to six writing pieces section will require using the writing process over again.  The students will really enjoy the visual or graphic elements section, since all of them love to illustrate.   

This article by Margaret R. “Cookie” Moulton was definitely what I needed to get me jump started on my multigenre papers.  Initially when reading the syllabus and hearing Dr. Frye discuss with us her expectations and everything that had to be done, I was very overwhelmed.  Know I understand that having students create multigenres, instead of the same old standard research papers, “gives them tools other than books, such as interviews, Internet data, and the of use different genres of writings to present different aspect of their research”.   I understand that some educators may feel that students need to know the basic skill of writing a research paper.  But creating a multigenre paper allows students to use the standard bibliography, and end-notes.  While a multigenre doesn’t include in-text citation, but the end-notes provides “an explanation of each genre that included the source for the material and how the genre had been selected or inspired”.  These end-notes are beneficial to both the writer and the reader.  It allows the reader to know and understand  the perspective from which the writer is coming from, as well as gain knowledge about there inspiration and insights gained.  Personally I am very excited to have my students write using a multigenre;  I agree with the author that it allows students to use their creative writing skills.  After all, once students get the exposure to multigenres, and see how much fun it is to create, instead of just sitting down and memorizing facts, and record factual date, I too think they will take ownership in the process and actual learn the practical skills of writing….while having creative fun doing it!          

This is one of my favorite poems.  Even though we as a people have been freed from slavery, we still find it hard to hold on to dreams.  There have been people like Martin Luther King, who believed in the American Dream.  “Now, almost a hundred years since slavery…..we’ve come a long way, but there’s still a long way to go for people of color and complete democracy”. http://www.poetryarchive.org/childrensarchive/singlePoem.do?poemId=1552

I, too, sing America.

I am the darker brother.

They send me to eat in the kitchen

When company comes,

But I laugh,

And eat well,

And grow strong.

Tomorrow,

I’ll be at the table

When company comes,

Nobody’ll dare

Say to me,

“Eat in the kitchen,”

Then,

Besides,

They’ll see how beautiful we are

And be ashamed –

I, too, am America.

  About the poet   Langston HughesLangston Hughes (1902-1967) was the first black writer in America to earn his living from writing. Born in Joplin, Missouri, he spent parts of his childhood in the American Mid-West and Mexico. At school Langston read and was influenced by the poets Carl Sandburg and Walt Whitman. He attended Columbia University from 1921-1922 but left, disillusioned by the coolness of his white peers. He traveled, first on a freighter to Africa (where the lack of political and economic freedom of the native people disturbed him) and then extensively in Europe before heading back to the USA. ‘I, Too’ was written just before his return, after he’d been denied passage on a ship because of his color, and is powerful in its expression of social injustice. The calm clear statements of the ‘I’ have an unstoppable force, like the progress the poem envisages. Langston Hughes died in 1967 in New York, having lived into the Decade of Protest and seen many of the reforms he’d fought for introduced.

I was enlightened when I read this article about “I poems”.  After reading it I went to the library and checked out, When Marian Sang, by Ryan.  I plan to use it as a read aloud to help my students understand and project their inner voice and express themselves.  As you know, February is Black History month.  Even though I celebrate authors of all ethic groups all year long, I introduce my students to several Black Americans who I feel have made great accomplishments to and for our society during this month.  I normally have each student study a biography, which I’ve already prepared, about a famous Black American, and they do a research paper on them.    But after reading Linda Kucan’s article…I’m still going to give each student the biography, but instead of just letting them do a research paper, they will write a “I poem” of their famous person first.  I’ll use When Marian Sang, as a model.  My hope for them, by creating the “I poems”, is to gain a deeper understanding of their particular African American and/or the struggles they endured.  Linda Kucan said it best by stating, “As students revisit a text, they begin to think about it in deeper ways and to notice what they overlooked at first glance.  Thus, composing becomes a context that elicits and supports students in comprehending”.  After my students complete their I poems about their African American my desire is for them to have a better understanding, “potentially in deeper and different ways”.  I teach in a rural school where the population is approximately 70% white.  Hopefully my ”students will understand and remember these ideas better since they have to transform these ideas from one form to another”.  This article tells me that, “inviting students to write from a perspective other than their own supports their imaginative entry into other ways of looking at and thinking about situations and events”.  I am really hoping that ALL my students complete their I poems and research papers this month with enthusiasm and a totally new understanding of Black History.  Instead of just going through February memorizing a few dates about Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks.

In Chapter 6 – Best Practices in Teaching Planning ~ I found this chapter to be very informative, and useful tools for assisting my third graders; especially those struggling writers with low confidence.  I really like the more general planning strategy on page 138 -139.  “The mnemonic STOP [Stop and Think Of Purpose] and LIST [List Ideas and Sequence Them] serves to remind students what they need to do with this strategy.     The mnemonic STOP reminds students to set goals or establish their purpose for writing.  The mnemonic LIST reminds students to generate and organize ideas for their paper”.    With these two, which I think are fabulous, reminders, hopefully it will unlock that tension and/or akwardness some of my struggling writers may have.  I look forward to implementing these strategies in my classroom. 

In chapter 10 – Best Practices in Promoting Motivation for Writing ~ Pg. 205 The author states, “Motivated students are realistically self-confident about their ability to use writing successfully, and this sense of competence is a condition and a source for feeling satisfied and engaged when writing”.  I have found this statement to be extremely true with my students.  I have about six to eight students who actively, eagerly, and engagingly  write.  They enjoy writing.  They enjoy the process of writing.  They automatically write their sentences correctly.  Using correct punctuation; dialogue; and onomatopoeias…and they are the first to want to share their stories with the class.  But then there is the rest of the class…who write three to four sentences quickly and say they are “done”.  They give no regard to punctuation, and they are definitely not using dialouge.  These are the same students who do not wish to share their writing with the entire class.  When I have mini conferences with some of these students they are reluctant to give supporting details to a topic. Even when I supply them with sentence starters, and/or remind them of vivacious verbs, or adjectives…they still have a difficult time constructing “good sentences”.  Obviously these students are not confident about their ability to use writing successfully.  Hopefully with continuing efforts on both of our parts…Their self-confidence will increase, therefore giving them confidence about their writing.