Old Blog, New Job

Ah, blog, I thought I had lost you.  But here you are waiting for me.  Lots has happened in the past two years, but instead of all that history, let's look ahead.  My new position - Blended Learning Director - is one of those evolving jobs.  Which makes it exciting and at the same time a little scary.  There is SO MUCH out there that can fall under the "blended learning" heading.  So many companies want to sell schools the software, app, program, hardware, software, etc. that will solve all of their problems.  It will definitely be an adventure.

Thinking About the daily 5 - Chapter 1

1.  On pages 4-6, the authors present two different pictures of their classrooms. In thinking about and reflecting on your own practice, how would you characterize your literacy block? Does it look more like the first or second scenario, or is it somewhere in between? How will you change it?
These three pages are what drew me into this book.  Although I have taught for 10 years, this year was my first year teaching only first grade ELA.  After renewing my acquaintance with phonics, I spent several frustrating months trying to figure out how to "do" centers to allow myself time to "do" guided reading groups.  Seems I should have figured out earlier that me doing everything really wasn't teaching my scholars to be independent.  So when I read these three pages, I had one of those "duh" moments.  How will I change?  Number 1 priority:  helping each of my scholars engage in "independent, meaningful reading practice" every day.


2.  The typical teacher is very busy having students do lots of different activities. How is what you are having students do now in your classroom creating quality readers and writers? 
Things that work:

• Reading every day
• Partner reading
• Read alouds - and discussions about what we read
• Independent reading time - although it needs more structure
• Readers' Theater
• Journal Writing
• Using graphic organizers, charts, tables, etc. to think about what we read
• Sharing Chair - for favorite books and writing

3.  What sets the Daily 5 structure apart from what you are doing in your classroom?
The intensive focus on modeling and practicing until the behaviors become habit.  Like the authors early on, I tended to think that teaching behaviors was something you could do once or twice and the scholars would know it and do it.  I am excited to see the results of very focused modeling and practice.

Linky? Yikes! Does this work?

A blog? What's that?

This page is very blank.  I'm not sure that this blog will ever turn into one of the very cute, very linked blogs I have been looking at online, BUT I want to connect with teachers out there reading and thinking and talking (blogging) about teaching so here goes.

This is obviously my first attempt at blogging.  The impetus for this blog is to participate in a book study of the daily 5 by Gail Boushey & Joan Moser.  I am supposed to link my blog with other blogs to discuss the book.  Let's see if it works.