Thursday, December 6, 2012

Lit Team Meeting Notes

We missed Jen Gamble who had commitments with her After School Program.
Present:  Cheryl, Jenn, Valerie, Megan, Rebecca, Renee, and Jacquie

I welcome any additional info you might add under Comments.  Thanks everyone!!

Highlights:

Jack Gantos, author extraordinaire, offered a recent teacher workshop which
Valerie attended.  Valerie presented a short video of Jack Gantos discussing how valuable journals have played in his writing.  Gantos recommended "neighborhood" drawings as a way for writers to find ideas which matter deeply to them.  He offers his insights around how "mistakes" in his life (cutting of the wart) have led to some of his best writing.  Might we consider a school wide writing prompt around the topic of memoir writing about a "mistake" we made.  Keeping it light and offering teacher modeling of various topics would be key.

Thanks for sharing, Valerie!!


We reviewed the 6 Shifts in the CCS as presented by MCLP folks at the conference.  Jacquie shared a video of a Close Reading Lesson from The Teaching Channel. The Team will focus on promoting the practice of Close Reading.  Rebecca (after the meeting) has found resources for each grade level which Jacquie will seek to order for team.  Here is the title if you'd like to preview:  

Comprehension Skills: Short Passages for Close Reading (available  for each grade level). 


Jacquie will present a Literacy Moment at January and February Staff Meetings.  

Megan suggested that Grade Level Agreements be copied and placed in mailboxes as a way to keep them present.

Jacquie will update The Literacy Action Plan for the school year:  Goals will be around Close Reading and (possibly) a Spring K-8 Writing Prompt which (ideally) might be linked to the Author Visit.

Next Meeting:  January 10,  2013   3:15pm   Jacquie's Room








Wednesday, December 5, 2012

December Literacy Meeting Agenda

3:15  Meet, Greet, and Eat.

3: 20 Norms

3:25:  Val:  Jack Gantos and her visit with the author

3:35:  Reflect on Literacy Team Session at Morgan Event Center:  The Shifts and Team Decision about a goal

3:45:  The Plan 2012-2013

4:15: January Meeting Date?

Fin







Please complete the Quickwrite on this Post under Comments.  Please respond to one other person's Comment and offer your own insights, hopes, dreams, concerns,etc.

Quickwrite:  Literacy topics you hope to hear more about this year. 




Saturday, August 18, 2012

Rick Wormeli: Formative and Summative Assessment

Rick Wormeli, one of the first Nationally Board Certified teachers in America, is a national educational consultant and author. Rick has taught math, science, English, physical education, health and history for over 20 years. Wikipedia




http://bit.ly/p3jJRm

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Agenda For April 9 Book Group



1. Meet, Greet, Eat.
2. Blog: Read last week's Agenda Post together.
3. Chapters 3 & 5 Readings: Revisit, Reflect, Retell... Choose from the "Stems" on p. 8 for your discussion topic.
4. Literacy Instruction: Your unit and the Life Line of literacy strategies. Before Reading, During Reading, After Reading.
5. Share your plan.

6. Celebration: Awarding of Certificates!!

Monday, April 2, 2012

Week of April 2-8 Discussion Topic


The research around best literacy practices concludes that our students need to read, read, read! Volume Counts (Hoyt, p.10). Do a Quick Write describing a typical literacy block. Please do not Post the Quickwrite. You might include these topics:
  • How much are your students actually engaged in reading during the school day?
  • What % of your literacy time would you say students are actually reading?
  • Include those times when students engage in self-selected individual reading, choral reading, oralreading, paired/buddy reading, guided reading, silent reading?
  • How long is your literacy block?
  • Do you lose literacy time because of other programming?
  • Other?
Post Discussion: Any eye-openers about your students' literacy block and how much reading they're doing?

April 2 Meeting

April 2, 2012
Spring Book Talk


Agenda

1. Meet, Greet, Eat
2. Visit Blog: http://hancockteachertalk.blogspot.com/
3. Due: “Setting the Stage” p. 3-11 What can we do to set the stage?
Please complete a Coding Strategy sheet: 5 minutes.
Find a partner to share and compare your Codes.
4. Preview Chapter 5 “Informational Text.” Keep your Unit in mind.
5. With a Partner experiment with Planning for your Unit: see the template.
6. Our Assignment:
Carol & Rebecca, please read pp. 71-75 before next week. Read pp. 167-169.
Stephanie, Jen, Allyn, Jo, and Jacquie: Read pp. 167-169
USE THE CODING STATEGY WHILE YOU'RE READING.

Blog Discussion: Please go to blog for the topic and the Post. Comment away!!

Next Meeting: April 9, 2012.

Contact Hours awarded= 1 CH per hour 1.5 CH per group session.

Monday, March 26, 2012

Why did you join?


"I'd love to learn more literacy strategies so I can be a phenomenal instructional leader for our staff! I love to continue my own professional growth."

"I joined because I was asked to join but also to learn something new to bring to the classroom and help to improve and grow my skills."

"...interested in learning about different reading and teaching strategies."

"...eager to expand my knowledge about strategies."

"...to improve reading comprehension."

"...develop higher level thinking."

"...participated in last round and wanted to dig in a little deeper."

"...hope to gain new insights."

"...heard great things about this book."

"...opportunity to share with peers."

"Free food! LOL"

First Meeting Agenda


March 26, 2012
Spring Book Talk

Comments Welcome!

Agenda

1. Meet, Greet, Eat
2. Jot down 2-3 reasons and/or hopes for joining this book talk.
I will post these on our blog as a guide for our work during the next weeks.
3. Strategy 1: Save the Last Word (Dear Readers on p. IV).
4. Visit Blog: http://hancockteachertalk.blogspot.com/
5. Strategy 2: Read “Setting the Stage” and use Coding Strategy (p. 177).
Thoughts about this strategy?
6. Week One Homework:
  • Go to our blog and Post your quote and reason for choosing it. (Save the Last Word)
  • Finish read the chapter "Setting the Stage" and continue with the Coding Strategy.
  • If you're inclined, feel free to Comment to a Post and offer your insights, reflections, perspectives, or questions.
  • Bring a Unit or any instructional plan you teach. This could be a Unit Past, Present, or Future. Maybe it's one you're just outlining; it might be your next chapter in math, social studies, or science; it might be an informational text unit. This need not be a formally drafted unit. Just a rough idea of the unit goals, activities, and assessment. We’ll be collaborating on instructional planning and embedding of literacy strategies. Should be fun and worthwhile. Kind of a brainstorming session.

Next Meeting: April 2. We’ll end at 4:00 so folks can attend the DEEA meeting at 4:15.

Contact Hours awarded= 1 CH per hour 1.5 CH per group session.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Welcome to our Blog


Using a blog to share discussions is a differentiated approach to book discussions. Here is an opportunity for asynchronous chats about topics we encounter during our meetings and beyond our meetings. Some folks find the writing opportunity beneficial. During each week post at least once on a topic of interest from the text. Commenting is an important process too so please Comment also at least once to someone's Post.

Signing up for a Google account and Signing in is the optimal way to blog. However, you can Comment and Post, but you will need to select from the dropdown list and choose anonymous and sign your name at the end of your Posts/Comments.

Play around with your own Profile if you like. You can add a photo and write a bit about yourself. Our Blog may become part of a future MCLP sharing...