0 Launching the Reading Year: Details

As we plan for essential skill instruction and practice for the new school year, reading continues to take center stage at the elementary level. We notice time and again that students who read well perform well in all areas of school life. Yet, many students, including some of my own, are reluctant to read--why?

The Wayland Literacy Institute presenters, colleagues at my school, and many friends and family members I've spoken to this summer all point to the fact that an early start to reading and lots of reading exposure and practice leads to life long readers.

Developing readers starts at birth or even before birth. A steady diet of reading to and with children is essential. Yet in today's busy world, that is sometimes impossible for families for a myriad of reasons, and that's why schools have to make time for reading (I can imagine a colleague chuckling as I write since she's been repeating this message continuously--"They're finally listening," she's probably remarking.)

The time to add reading to school year schedules is the months before the school year starts.  Decide now how and when reading will fit into your daily schedule, then hold that time sacred as many specialists and program leaders come to you asking for time.

Next year in my class, I am going to include the following reading times in the schedule:

• Daily Read Aloud/Reading Focus Lesson: 15-30 minutes (a time when all students are available)
• Daily independent, partner, and/or small group guided reading: 30-45 minutes 
• Daily reading response writing, 15-30 minutes.
• Regular conferences with individuals, partners and small groups related to reading.
• RTI (response to intervention) for reading.
• Lexia: Reading Skills, 3-5 times a week, SumDog English for those done w/Lexia
• An expectation of 15 minutes or more of reading at home each school night.

The reading year focus will include the following:

• Introduction to the Comprehension Strategies: The Gold Threaded Dress
• Choosing Just Right Books, Individual Conferences
• Initial Reading Assessments: GRADE, DIBELS, attitudinal survey, reading with the teacher, observation.
• Reader's Workshop Introduction and Practice including times, routines, expectation.
• Reading Response Pattern (connected to Read Aloud/Focus Lessons)
• Specific focus on each reading comprehension strategy.
• Specific focus on genre.
• Specific focus on types of reading responses and close reading. 

What will your reading year look like?  How will you preserve time for reading in the schedule daily?  In what ways will you make reading a meaningful activity for students each day?

Reading is an essential skill on the school year menu--one that we need to focus on each day with depth and breadth. Creating a schedule and outline of your reading program prior to the start of school will help you to reach this goal. 

0 Fletcher: Breathing Life Into Words

All writers want to "breathe life into words" and Ralph Fletcher provides insight into that process in his book, Live Writing, Breathing Life Into Your Words.

Fletcher writes, ". . .every writer has a toolbox," then he proceeds to provide practical strategies to make us better writers. Below I've outlined his main strategies and used several quotes from his book. I plan to read specific chapters of the book to students as they employ his craft. Hence this post is not a replacement for buying or reading the book.

Read Like a Writer
". . .reread the writing to figure out how the author managed to pull off the effect." and learn how to "create your own kind of writing magic." (p.13)

Build Characters
Start with what you know.
Use all five senses to describe a character's physical traits.
Describe active characters with strong verbs about physical, emotional, and psychological actions.
Use dialogue and conversation.
Every character has "good" and "bad" so introduce a well rounded character, a realistic person.
Name your characters with intention--names should reveal a trait, personality, role.
"Too many characters confuse the reader," so choose a few.

Voice
". . .give the narrator a compelling voice."
Voice="a sense of the author's personality that comes through the words on the paper."
"Think of writing as chatting on paper."
"Follow your passion," "Think audience," "Be Honest with the Reader," and "Experiment with Different Kinds of Voice."

Conflict: "In a good story something happens."
"Person Against Person"
"Person Against Nature"
"Internal Conflict"

Setting: "It's important for a writer to know a place and know it well."
The setting helps you develop characters, shape the plot, and create a mood."

Time: "When you write you need to be actively involved in cutting, editing, reordering, and slowing down" time.

Leads: "A lead gives the reader important clues about what to expect in the writing that will follow."

The Last Word: "Endings matter in writing too."
"I usually try to give the reader something at the end: a memorable quote, statement, or idea that will linger in the mind."

Small Important Things: "Details are the lifeblood of writing."
"Select odd details that will stick in the reader's mind. "
"Use details to make complex ideas understandable."
"Pick out details that create vivid pictures for the reader."
"Select details that make your writing sound authentic."
Important details are often repeated in the story.
Invent details.

The Golden Line: "Golden lines. . .do at least two things: they breathe instant life into any piece of writing, and they work as a wake-up call to your reader."
"Use strong verbs."
Surprising comparisons.
Don't overwrite.

Putting it Altogether: "It's important to know when to end a piece of writing."

Magic: ". . .there's still an undeniable magic in the air when a person puts pen to paper."

As I think about teaching fourth graders, and all the wonderful strategies Fletcher shares, I wonder how I can relay this work without overwhelming them. As with any new, enlightening information, Fletcher's strategies make me reconsider the efforts I've planned for the year.

Since, I'm starting the year with a short, wonderful fourth grade read aloud, "The Gold Threaded Dress," I think I'll now use this book first to introduce reading comprehension strategies, story elements, and the culture unit, and then the students and I will reread the book, as Fletcher suggests, as writers.  When we reread the book, we'll focus on the practical strategies above and discuss how the author utilized those strategies in The Gold Threaded Dress to capture the reader's attention, understanding, and heart.

This first read and second read will serve as a wonderful vehicle for tying the reader's and writer's workshop together as a literacy studio, and for providing students with a wonderful start-of-the-year example of what it means to read like a reader and read like a writer.

As always, I open to your ideas and suggestions as I embark on embedding Fletcher's work into students' fourth grade program.


Related Document
Related Lesson Plans

0 Writer's Workshop: "Quiet. . .Authors at Work!"

Ralph Fletcher outlined the Writer's Notebook effort recently at The Wayland Literacy Institute. Now, I'm reading his book, Ralph Fletcher, Author at Work, to build background and specific strategies with regard to my own writing and student writing.


Similar to Fletcher's recent presentation, Author at Work provides us with an inside look at Ralph Fletcher's writing life. Fletcher writes, "I don't write for fame or money, either. Honestly, I do it because writing is fun."

That comment brought me back to Leo Lionni's book, Frederick, which tells the story of a young mouse who loves to write. In the book, Frederick uses his gift of writing and drawing to lighten the dark days of winter for his mouse friends. I'm going to begin the writing year by reading and discussing Frederick with my students. I'll also show wonderful videos of Lionni describing his writing life.

I don't want to clutter Writer's Workshop with too many routines, structures, and formalities. I want to give students the time to write, imagine, draw, and explore their own ideas, experiences, and stories. Fletcher remarks at the Literacy Institute and in his book support this. He writes, "I believe having so much freedom contributed greatly to my becoming an author."

At the start of the writing year, the students and I will spend a lot of time getting to know one another as well as building a strong foundation for writing. Fletcher notes, "It's common for authors to produce something autobiographical when they write their first work." Hence, we'll share stories and artifacts of our lives as we develop our writer's workshop routines and community. We'll also spend these first weeks developing "writer's eye" as Fletcher describes it--an eye for observation as we carefully observe classmates, playground activity, courtyard beauty, and the sounds, sights, tastes, touch, and smells at home.

Reader's Workshop naturally connects to writer's workshop--the two overlap again and again, and that's why mentors such as Ellin Oliver Keene call reader's and writer's workshop, literacy studio. Fletcher's world of reading increased his desire to write.  He remarks that the author "Jack London built a whole world out of words!. . .I felt jealous when I realized that--I wanted a nice fat slice of that fun for myself."  Similarly I tell the students, writer's are magicians who create pictures, movies, experiences, and emotions in the reader's mind with words--amazing!  Recently a local author, Juliette Fay, shared a New York Times article with me about the positive brain effects of reading fiction. Hence, reading, as we always suspected, is good for us in many, many ways including its effect on writing.

Multiple writing tools are available to students today, so I won't let handwriting get in the way.  At the Wayland Literacy Institute, Fletcher pointed out that handwriting gets in the way of writers, particularly boy writers. A skilled colleague and writer, Kristin Murphy, noted that research has shown that keyboarding rather than handwriting has been proven to effectively develop writing skill and fluency. Hence, multiple tools such as keyboarding, speech-to-text, handwriting, and the use of a student or teacher "secretary" will be available during my classroom writing workshop.

Plenty of positive reenforcement will also be available as I play to students writing interests and strengths. Fletcher demonstrates the power of positive support when he tells the stories of the many relatives who encouraged his writing. Fletcher writes, "Writing at home was fun because there was no teacher around to tell me what to write about, grade it, or correct my handwriting."  Hence, there's a need for the classroom to be a "home away from home" where children feel comfortable exploring, practicing, and following their passions and interests.

Fletcher shares the strength and wonder of the writer's notebook. Similar to Fletcher, my love of writing began in high school when my wonderful English teacher, Ms. Habestro, demanded that we keep a daily notebook, one that she didn't micromanage, but instead a notebook that she responded to with positivity and encouragement. Fletcher describes the categories of writing he includes in his writer's notebook including fascinating facts, quotes, trivia, descriptions of people and places, bits of conversation, artifacts, goof around writing, projects, and feelings.  I think I'll use these descriptors to craft individual lessons for students, times when students are able to try out Fletcher's writer's notebook ideas.

As the writing days get established for my class, Team 15, I'll pause to read Fletcher's chapter 1, "My Missing Manuscript" to students as we begin to discuss editing, conferencing, and revising.  In that chapter, Fletcher describes his dismay when he notices that ". . .on every single page my editor had attached an electric-pink sticky note containing a question or suggestion about how I might make the story better, clearer, stronger."

In chapter five, Fletcher describes "Drafting" and "what works for him." As I work with students I'll regularly circle around to the question, "What works for you as a writer?" We'll discuss that as a class too as we talk about writing routines, times, clothes, and spaces."  After Fletcher lets us in on the structure of his writing life, he describes drafting as ". . .the fun part, generating ideas, learning about the story, finding its shape, fleshing it out." Unlike Fletcher's recommendations, our ELA program still requires us to focus on specific genre at specific times.  I'll separate my writer's workshop into two threads: the "free-write" thread and the focused, genre thread.  Each week we'll spend time on both threads. I plan to read "Drafting" to students as we embark on the drafting stage of our personal narrative unit, then I'll reread that chapter again when we work on fictional narratives as well as MCAS prep.

Only in my later years have I had the patience for revision. Blogging and posting on the Internet have led me there. Knowing that my work is read by many has made me much more conscious of the intent, craft, and meaning of my prose. Hence, one way to invigorate revision for students is making sure that you've chosen an audience at the start of a project, and ensuring that student work is published and read regularly by a much larger audience than the teacher and parent.  "Bottom line: revision can be a painful process, but it's necessary," Fletcher writes. Similar to "Drafting," I'll read this chapter multiple times to students as they learn about and embark on revision with each genre and the "free-writes" that they want to publish.

I have read Fig Pudding by Ralph Fletcher many times. I will read the story again as the students and I embark on the personal narrative unit. At that time, I'll read Fletcher's paragraphs, "Fig Pudding" and "A Conversation with Ralph Fletcher" to students.  The chapters are short and succinct.  Each chapter serves as a fine start to a reading/writing focus lesson.

Ralph Fletcher avails himself to budding authors young and old in his book, Ralph Fletcher, Author at Work. I recommend this book as a great mentor text for writing workshop, writer's notebook, and students' writing year.  Next, I'll read his book, Live Writing, Breathing Life Into Your Words, to support students' and my craft with greater intention and detail.  Stay tuned.

0 Consider Writers: Boys and Girls: Notes from Ralph Fletcher Presentation

Ralph Fletcher gave amazing presentations at last week's Wayland Literacy Institute.  On the first day, he reminded us of many valuable considerations as we teach young writers, especially young boy writers.

0 The Wayland Literacy Institute: 2013

The Wayland Literacy Institute, Wayland, MA

I appreciate the efforts of so many leaders and educators who made this year's Wayland Literacy Institute a wonderful learning endeavor. The keynote, Ralph Fletcher, brought a sense of humor, care, and story to his multiple presentations throughout the Institute.  Teachers from Wayland and nearby districts shared their expertise with creativity, focus, and skill.  I now have many, many new ideas that I want to incorporate into school year 2013-2014 .

Rather than write plans now, I have chosen to share the links and main ideas of my experience through a storify for today's events, and a couple of blog posts related to yesterday's learning.  I welcome your thoughts and questions with regard to this wonderful experience.

Related Posts:
Ralph Fletcher Inspiration
Why Story? My Presentation

Storify Twitter Notes (Storify takes a few seconds to upload.)

0 Why Story?

Student's Paper-Cut Design Created to Inspire Story Writing 

At the The Wayland Literacy Institute  I presented my thoughts, experiences, and "how to" with respect to digital storytelling. I synthesized many notes, experiences, and research related to the topic of story over many years.

I focused the presentation on the rationale, process, and considerations related to creating digital stories with young children.

I offer the presentation and rationale below as a guide for student/teacher digital story creation.



Rationale

What is a story? 
Dictionary.com defines story in the following ways:

Why Story?
Story is a thread that brings us together as people.  Through story we relate, connect, understand, question, and see.  We introduce ourselves to others through story, and we learn about life through story. Story is also an inviting, engaging, and brain-friendly way to begin a lesson or presentation.

What makes a good story?  
I'm sure that answer differs amongst individuals, but there are some essential elements that contribute to a story's value--elements such as a good beginning, wonderful words, beginning, middle and end, writer's craft, characters, plot, big moments, setting, and catchy content.

When do we tell stories?  
We tell stories when we meet people for the first time.  We share stories with family members and friends to deepen our relationships, remember the good times, and gain strength. We tell a story at the start of a lesson or presentation to capture the audience's attention and interest.  A story is also told to teach a lesson, learn new information, and develop understanding.

How is a story more powerful than a list, 
informational text, or document? 
A story enlists the senses. A good story awakens us with smells, sounds, tastes, sights, and touch.  When we read a good story we are taken into a new place, time, and experience. A good story is like a beautiful weave while a list is similar to a section or thread of the weave. Wonderful stories change us.

Why digital stories? 
The digital story is a powerful medium to create and partake.  When creating a digital story the author is crafting text, music, sound effects, and imagery to tell a story with care.  When listening to a digital story, the listener is immersed in a multi-modal experience of story, one he or she may listen to again and again. Further, today digital media is as accessible as books. Students are interfacing with this media regularly to gain information and learn. The experience of creating their own digital stories brings students understanding, respect, and the ability to manipulate this medium--an important skill in the tech age we live in.

In this short Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge film, author David Pilkey compares typed texts with television and film.  He states, "When we read a book there aren't any special effects.. . . . we have to fill in all the details ourselves by using our imaginations.  The simple fact is that the more we read the more we have to use our imaginations, and the more we use our imaginations, the more powerful we become." Although digital stories fall in between a typed book and film, stage, and television, his words challenge this medium, and makes one wonder if the digital story leaves enough room for the powerful development of imagination and reading skill.  This is an important consideration. Students should be exposed to film, stage, television production, digital stories, and text--they should have the chance to create, understand, and experience all the mediums that will make up their future as readers, writers, and learners.  Hence it's not one or the other, but instead how much of one medium versus how much of another as we strive for a just right balance.

Where does digital story fit into today's curriculum?  
I believe that digital story should be built into the curriculum at all grade levels.  I suggest the following efforts:

• Turn Literacy Studio or Reading Workshop into a multimedia effort making digital story and film creation options.
• Balance students' use of digital and nondigital literacy throughout the day, units, and year.
• Think carefully about how you want to fit digital literacy in--let the decision be a student/teacher decision, one that responds to the learners' needs, interests, and passions.
• Embed standards into digital story units--meet the standards through digital story design.  Digital story is an exceptionally good medium for meeting standards in reading fluency, reading/writing voice, story organization, content share, and speaking.
• Teach digital story with project/problem base learning workshops. Create a beginning to end timeline for the project with students then embark on the creative endeavor leaving room for students' creativity, personalization, and choice. 
• Partner with younger students to create digital stories.  My first classroom digital story project was a fourth grade-second grade collaboration: "The Homework Excuse Book," a take-off of a book the second graders had been reading. 

How do I create a digital story? 
There are many tools for creating digital stories today. Tools such as storybird, Kid Pix, iMovie, Garageband, Google presentation, PowerPoint, VoiceThread and more.  Specifically my class used the following process:

1. Learning Design: Review the standards and curriculum. Decide on the goals, overarching timeline, needed support, space, and project efforts.
2. Choose audience and organize. Students and teachers create the specific project time line, objectives, efforts, and focus together with backwards design.  
3. Story brainstorm and creation with multiple story starter tools such as drawing, paper-cut design, time lines, story sharing, story boards, story mountains, and modeling.
4. Story draft online or offline, with images and without.  Draft the story words and images using the writing process. 
5. Publish the story words and image. We used Google Presentation--students created online storybooks with Google.
6. Move the published story to digital.  We downloaded our Google Presentations to Powerpoint and saved as individual pictures, then we moved each picture into iMovie.
7. Create beginning, middle, and end slides for story titles and more. 
8. Record voice. We record right on iMovie by lengthening the picture time, recording, listening, and rerecording when necessary until we were satisfied. 
9. Design and add music that matches the mood and tone of the story.  Add sound effects too.
10. Add finishing touches. Publish to YouTube.
11. Share, Celebrate, Reflect, and Assess. 

Story is a classic medium, one that will never go away--it is the thread that connects us as people and learners.  I'm sure that my understanding of story will grow as I work with colleagues tomorrow.

In the meantime, what is important to you when it comes to the theme of story?  When you teach reading and writing story to young children, what do you emphasize?  How can we best effect this study as we teach and coach students today?

0 The End of the Year: Celebrate and Assess

The end of the year is a time to celebrate and assess.

We celebrate a wonderful year of friendship, learning, and growth.

We assess what worked, and what we want to work on with greater strength and effort next year.

This year was a great year for read aloud, synthesis, embedding standards into worthy project base learning, tech integration, and math.  Students' embraced the 4 C's: collaboration, communication, critical thinking skills, and creativity as they learned about culture, animal adaptation, endangered species and standard subject area content in reading, writing, and math. Students also used multiple online tools to develop skill in reading, writing, and math.  Overall it was a great year.

As I grow the program next year, I will spend more time looking deeply at classroom patterns--the patterns that provide the necessary practice and learning in all areas of the curriculum.  The better the patterns, the greater the independence, and the greater the independence, the more time there will be for individual and small group coaching on specific skills, concepts, and knowledge.

Hence, I'll once again take Ruth Charney's words from Teaching Children to Care to heart as I establish solid systems and routines during the first six weeks of school.  We will spend time learning and practicing the routines, routines that will support the class well as we develop numeracy and literacy across discipline using multiple, student-centered learning paths.  We'll carve out time each day to read, write, and study math in meaningful, child-friendly ways.

I'll continue to look for and promote new learning paths using technology, teams, and project work rather than multiple workbooks and skill sheets as the new paths of learning offer greater depth of relative and responsive learning.  Though there will still be times when a worksheet is used as no one way of learning and teaching is the best way.  Instead it is how we weave the pieces together to best meet each child's needs--that's both the challenge and joy of the job.

Celebrate and assess, that's the end of the year mantra as we say good bye to the students we cared for all year long, and hello to next year's students.  It is also the mantra of parents as they celebrate their children's milestones and look to the future.

The end of the teaching year is a bittersweet time, a time where we can't forget that as teachers and parents we're on the same learning path as our children--a path of learning and growing too as we nurture youth toward happy, positive, successful lives.

0 Moving Schools into the Future: Actions

When I read George Couros's post this morning, and then read about a number of new Chrome apps, I was reminded once again that the world is changing. We can make that change more positive if we join the evolution by moving schools into the future.

As we sat at PLC this week and talked about "executive functioning," one colleague shared a strategy of asking students to "put on their future glasses" prior to starting a new project or endeavor.  The "future glasses" will help a child visualize the end product or result.

As educators we have to put on our "future glasses" in order to move schools into the future--what is it that we want and hope for when it comes to our children's education? How will we collaborate with students to make these shifts?

With my "future glasses" on, and the best of my current knowledge about the changing landscape of education, these are the shifts I'll be making:

Explore Time: Time for children and adults to explore and apply the new tools. Explore time will include teacher-student conversations, class discussions, and project application. You cannot employ a new tool without trying that tool out with children first. Learning with children is an efficient, meaningful way to explore new tools for optimal teaching.

Standards: I will consider the standards the backbone of the program, and look for the most engaging ways to embed those standards into the daily program.  I will bundle and integrate standards and apply a menu of online/offline learning tools, strategies, and processes for each bundle.

Menus: Menus of apt tools will support most learning in the classroom. I will list the menu of online/offline tools on the class website for easy 24-7 student/family/colleague access.  The menus will continually change as new tools are added, and less useful old tools are deleted.

STEAM Space: The STEAM space, for now, might not look a lot different from the old time arts and crafts corner, but the STEAM space will hold greater significance and integration as students explore science, tech, engineering, art and math.

Multi-Media Literacy Corner: The cozy rug-covered corner with bean bags, books, computers (when we have the cart), iPads (1 for now), and iPods will continue to serve as a center of reading, thinking, writing, exploring and learning.

Digital Share Space: The desks will be moved back to make room for a new rug and digital share space in front of the giant white board.  We'll meet regularly to share and critique student work, and other digital learning resources.

Learning to Learn Focus: The year will start with multiple "learning to learn" lessons and strategies so that students understand that learning is a life-long endeavor, an endeavor that they manage.  I will also emphasize that I am there to serve their learning needs.

Communication: Almost all communication will be digital.  Newsletters and home study lists will be continually updated and accessible 24-7 highlighting classroom emphases, student expectations, and choice.  Almost all classroom materials, learning venues, and information will be included on the class website for easy access.  Twitter, the class blog, and content websites will host timely announcements, more detailed information, and student project share. Communication will be a two-way street so that all members of the learning community are using digital technologies to converse and discuss matters of importance.

The work ahead continues to center on a learning design focus--learning design that includes review, grade-level standards, and student-driven enrichment.  My job is to know the standards well--standards that at my grade level are foundation skills, knowledge, and concept.  Then, with the help of school/standard scope and sequences, I'll bundle the standards into units that include menus of exploration tools, strategies, and foci. When the year starts, we'll integrate and skip from one standards bundle/unit to another responding to students' interests, needs, questions, and adaptations.

As Couros suggests, what will I delete as we transform?  This list represents some of the changes:

• We'll replace workbooks with hands-on/digital activities for the most part.  
• The time I used to spend organizing class management structure, rules, and highly structured, teacher-led lessons will be replaced by "learning to learn" lessons and student-driven, collaborative exploration and study.  
• Long films will mostly be replaced by short, pointed digital presentations, most of which can be accessed at home for review.
• Assessment, grading, and response in many cases will be done online and through teacher-student conference meetings. 

There is much to consider as we move schools forward.  This is one attempt to structure that evolution for my classroom.  What actions will you roll out to move your students and school forward?  What will you take away? 

0 Extraordinary Edcamp Boston 2013

In so many way edcamp Boston was extraordinary.

First, how often do a number of individuals volunteer countless hours in an effort to bring people together in conversation to better the work we do?  That's what happened at edcamp Boston. Dan Callahan, Karen Janowski, Laura D'Elia, Liz Davis, Steve Guditus and Tracy Sockalosky contributed significant time, talent, and experience to run the day with ease and excellence.

Then, many organizations and individuals contributed time, money, materials and space to make the event a success. We gathered at Microsoft in Cambridge. The space was well suited for approximately 400 educators representing all levels of education. Dan introduced the day with a clever Star Wars theme. After that the edcamp Boston team led us in an ice breaker. Next we started a day of multiple choices for discussion and share.

I found myself seeking answers about forward movement in education as I engaged in conversations related to gaming, coding, Minecraft, the new science standards, and learning design.  There were many valuable takeaways from the day.

Gaming is here to stay. As explained by Shawn Rubin, gaming and coding are apples and oranges. Jason Garzone further added that making games is a terrific inroad to coding. During that discussion I was led to the following resources for coding and gaming: Scratch, StarlogoTNG, Pixel Press Game, Gamemaker, Kodu, Gamestar Mechanic, hopscotch, Learning Games Network, civilization, codable, Hakitzu, APK generators, hackasaurus, playforceorg, Bootstrap (teaches algebra) and Minecraft.

Why gaming?  Gaming is engaging. Creating games develops systems thinking, an important skill for all learners in all disciplines.  Gaming is one way to learn skill, concept, and knowledge in both independent and collaborative ways.  Games like Minecraft and others build creativity and problem solving skills. Gaming and making games create paths to an interest and a desire to code, and coding provides students with an essential literacy for today's world.  Rubin supported the notion of a scope and sequence for coding in schools today. The Learning Games Network is one place where teachers and students can access professional development in this area.

Edcamp sharing made me think a lot about the tech tools in schools today as well as access to those tools. At the end of the day, I believe that schools should support multiple tools for student learning. Schools will need to purchase and welcome (BYOD) tools that respond to testing requirements since new tests will be taken online, hence those parameters need to be met.  Tools should also include tools that are mobile, able to serve as content creation resources, and app friendly. Systems for tech access in schools should be streamlined, efficient, and responsive to students' needs.  Systems that are too cumbersome or slow will not be responsive to today's quickly changing educational landscape and students' ready attitude and ability to learn. At my level, I believe the ideal would be for two classrooms to share a class set of laptops (macbooks since that's what we have) and a class set of iPads (with keyboards).  Then I believe that we should welcome Kindles, mobile phones, Galxies, and other devices that student use regularly at home to access apps, books, and other learning resources.

During the second session of the day I was involved in a conversation about the new science standards and science education led by Sean Musselman. Musselman felt that the standards were moving in the right direction.  Others involved in the conversation expressed a hope that the MCAS test in science would turn to a hands-on type of assessment of science thought, problem solving, knowledge, and skill.  During this session we discussed the science classroom including "take apart" and maker stations, choice time, 3-d printers, inquiry based learning, letting students struggle, and science equipment such as goggles, lab coats and exploration supplies. Many commented that the Magic of Reality book and app was a must-have resource for science teachers and students at all levels. We discussed thematic science study and noted resources such as the Einstein's Workshop, The Maker Faire in New York City, and Gary Stager's Constructing Modern Knowledge Summer Institute. This conversation led me to the idea that every school system should create and/or continue to develop science student/teacher teams to investigate, explore, foster, and implement state-of-the-art STEAM (science, tech, engineering, art and math) teaching.

After a delicious lunch of deli sandwiches and cookies, we started the afternoon sessions. My colleague, STEAM savvy educator, Susan Cherwinski, and I led a discussion on learning design.  We gathered on cozy chairs in the Microsoft reception area. During the discussion, the group of educators representing all levels as well as public and private education essentially created a collective list and description of essential learning design categories including essential questions, reflection, assessment, "more of them (students), less of us," blended learning (multiple tools, processes), design thinking/process, choice, differentiation of process and product, audience, relevance and meaning.  During this session I was also introduced to 30Hands, a terrific storytelling app which I plan to explore soon.

Hallway and lunch time conversations were just as informative and enlightening as the sessions. I spent a good amount of time with my Twitter colleague, Nancy Carroll, who I look to for great 4th grade ideas and teacher/student best practice. I spoke to Shawn Rubin about his start-up, metryx, a data tracking venue that I want to explore with regard to student data, RTI, and the new evaluations system. Hillary Ornberg introduced me to her student service start-up, Switchback Education Services, and I met Eric Esteves, Lesley College's Director of Learning Design and Instructional Support.

The Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA) was also well represented. Paul Toner, President of the Massachusetts Teachers' Association, attended.  His latest letter in the MTA newspaper demonstrated his interest and support for moving education forward with technology and other student-friendly processes and strategies.  He affirmed edcamp Boston's energy and effort by saying that the NEA would love seeing all these energized teachers gathering to learn and develop their craft during a beautiful Saturday in May. Meg Secatore, Director of MTA's Professional Learning efforts also attended the event. Last summer Meg was one of the leaders who led the MTA's wonderful Summer Conference which hosted an unconference (an edcamp-like event) during the early-August gathering at Williams College.  The MTA will offer this event once again, and I highly recommend that educators take a look at the offerings and think about signing up to jump-start the new school year with ideas and innovation. Sarah Nathan from the MTA was also at the event. Sarah is leading the ED Talks event this summer, and looking for innovative educators to share their education practice, vision, and ideas. Information about the summer conference and the ED Talks can be found via this link.

Thanks to the edcamp foundation, edcamp events occur all over the world serving educators in their efforts to innovate, educate, and serve children well.  Yesterday's event was a kaleidescope of ideas, educators, and connections.  My only regret for the day was that I didn't have the time to attend all the wonderful offerings, and converse with all of the invested educators there.  Thanks edcamp Boston for a terrific day!

0 Professional Practice Priorities

Again and again I prioritize.  Why?

I prioritize because there is unlimited potential in education today, but time and energy are limited.

Hence, at this fork in the road I prune and detail the landscape around me mindful of the essential questions I posed a while back.

Where am I headed:

• Effective math teaching and test review.
• Project base learning/endangered species unit.
• Enhanced literacy studio.
• fluency 
• independent/small group reading/writing
• interactive read aloud/comprehension strategies
• Learning design study and research.
• STEAM study and learning.
• NBPTS Renewal.

My overall goal is that my study and work affects student learning in positive, engaging, and empowering ways. Once your goal list is simple and straightforward, you know you're ready for thoughtful action.  

Where are you headed at this turn in your professional path? 

0 Edcamp Boston Enthusiasm

Edcamp Boston is right around the corner. I'm really looking forward to this event as it is a chance to connect with many dedicated educators I confer with online related to educational thought, exploration, and questions.  I'm also looking forward to meeting new invested educators and hearing about their ideas.

Dan Callahan, one of the edcamp founders and team members, wrote a post about edcamp philosophy and practice. The post was a great reminder of the people-centered, idea oriented nature of edcamps.  Edcamps serve as innovation incubators, connection centers, and support meetings. Educators gather with their questions, ideas, experience and effort to engage in dynamic conversation, grow their work and intersect ideas, strategies and processes.

I like to prep a bit before attending an edcamp because the experience is an event filled with multiple learning, sharing and discussion opportunities.

I want to start the day by just taking it all in. I want to look around and notice all the educators who are there, those I know and those who are new to me.  I want to listen carefully as the edcamp Boston team introduces the day.  Then I'll take a close look at all the offerings on the session board to see what sparks my interest and curiosity.  I'm fairly open minded at this point because we've got a lot of positive efforts in the works at my school right now. We've hurdled a number of obstacles and new learning endeavors in the past year, and although there are new challenges on the horizon, I'll be attending edcamp ready to listen, learn and share.

If the board's offerings don't spark me, I have a number of topics I'm curious about right now and may start a session on one of the following topics:

• Tynker
• STEAM
• The New Science Standards
• Socrative, Evernote
• Animation Projects and Tools
• Multimedia Literacy Studios
• The intersection of music with multimedia composition and STEAM

Last year I really wanted to learn more about blended learning so I started a session.  I learned a lot and tried to follow up with a weekly chat, but that didn't work out mostly due to scheduling issues.  I also had the chance to work with a great young teacher in a session about overcoming obstacles related to new practice, and I spent a considerable amount of time chatting, thinking and writing about ed ideas.

Will you be at edcamp Boston or another edcamp soon?  If so, what do you hope to learn and how will you approach the event?  I hope to attend a number of edcamps this summer and next fall to continue the learning.  Thanks once again to the innovative edcamp founders and teams who started this invigorating, dynamic professional exchange.  

0 A New Learning Landscape: Perspective?

It's vacation week in Massachusetts. Essentially, for me, it has been a catch-up week of personal matters and school thought--a needed reprieve from daily practice.

Six days into the vacation has brought me clarity and energy.  I'm ready to embark on the end-year goals of math education, project base learning and literacy studio.  I know my students well and have many individual and collective goals at-hand for the students.

As I begin to think ahead I find myself desiring the broader view, the system-wide goals and vision.  In the old days I was content to hear this vision in the fall as learning didn't change a lot from year to year.  But today, an update in September seems too late as tools, processes and strategies are changing at a fast rate in this information age.  Children are coming to us with different skills, goals and questions due to their ready access to technology and learning at home. Plus, the potential to serve each child well in a personalized fashion is greater than ever before. We hold wonderful promise in our hands.

Yet, that promise demands that teachers hone their craft, research, and learn in order to catch-up with the quickly changing learning landscape around us. There's been a leap with regard to research, innovation and potential, and to sit by and just be satisfied seems to no longer be a plausible route to travel. Educators today need to take on the pace and direction that new learning offers because this new learning has the potential to empower and engage students in ways not possible before.

How has your vision and goal sharing changed since the onset of tech tools and innovation?  What is the best pace for the changing learning landscape?  What does this change look like? Am I impatient or am I rightly directed towards wanting to understand, create new paths, and revise our school environments, processes and efforts?  I welcome your thoughts and ideas?

0 Developing Literacy Studio

I'm taking a few minutes to observe literacy studio in action.  Students are relaxed and sitting around the room engaged in a number of literacy-related activities.  Most are listening and/or reading books of choice.  A few have chosen non-literacy activities which in some cases are okay, and in other cases signals an issue that I need to remedy.

Most of my students like to read, but a few still haven't developed the stamina and interest to sustain a lengthy period of independent reading. Most also read with fluency, but still a few need to develop that skill. As far as comprehension goes, there's still a range--a range I want to lift and address through book groups and interactive read aloud.

As I observe today, I am thinking about how I will grow literacy studio for the final leg of the year.

First, I'll start with a class meeting.  I'll list the goals of literacy studio which are to develop interest, fluency and understanding when it comes to reading.  Then I'll ask students for suggestions about how we can improve literacy studio so that we reach those goals.  I'll specifically ask about their feelings with regard book groups, partner reading, use of iPods and book selection.

Next, I'll take a close look at reading data and listen carefully to our upcoming progress monitoring PLC. I want to develop literacy studio so that all children have the chance to develop their literacy skills in advantageous ways.

Finally, after vacation, I'll introduce the new routine and explain that I've lifted the expectations and length of time to help students get ready for the fifth grade literacy expectations.  The classroom is filled with wonderful books and we're also right next door to the library.  We have RTI during a couple of literacy times during the week so there's some good support.

It's essential to stop now and then in the classroom to observe, think and make plans for change and improvement.