Another Way to Launch a Review Unit

Groups collaborate to share their reasons to support their opinions. (Photo taken after the share session.)

Yesterday in Mr. Gause’s third grade class, some incredible thinking was happening. This week we launched into reviews. Earlier in the week, he asked students to test different toy cars and then select the one they thought was the best. Then they met as a group and talked about their choice.

Yesterday, during the minilesson, I taught kids:

To write reviews, we need three important things:

1. A strong opinion about a product or place.
2. Experience with the product or place.
3. Reasons (“back-up”) to support our opinions.

They realized it’s not enough of reason to say their car is the best or awesome or cool. Everyone thinks that about their choice. They needed to find reasons that set their car apart from the rest.

Then they returned to the groups they were in the previous day to think through their reasons.

Before workshop, Dan and I met and talked about the possibility of giving each group chart paper to write a review together. We weren’t sure how it would work, so we decided to watch the groups and teach into their thinking.

No more than three minutes after breaking into groups, one group (of 5 boys) asked, “Can we write a review together?”

I tried to contain my shock. I shouldn’t be surprised , but I was. “Sure,” I said, “Do you want some chart paper to write it on so you can share it with everyone else?”

“Cool!” They unanimously agreed chart paper would be the best to write their review on.

Dan gave them paper. Another group thought it looked like a good idea to have chart paper, so they asked for a sheet too. Before we knew it all groups had chart paper.

We watched them collaborate. I had goosebumps.

No group was doing the exact same thing as another group. They all, however, were talking and thinking about the reasons that would support their opinions that their toy was the best of the bunch. It was collaboration at its finest.

Mr. Gause listening in as a group collaborates.

The group above is the original group to ask for chart paper, they then wrote a review together.

A group talks together, and then each writes his/her own review.

Another group divided their paper so each person could write his/her own review. It was interesting to watch this group because they talked the entire time, yet they were each writing independently.

Students used the mentor text to help think of reasons to use in their reviews.

We left a mentor text on the Smart Board as groups collaborated. It helped lift the level of their reasons, as well as the reviews they were writing. One group realized they left off their opinion at the start of the review, so they wrote it at the bottom of their chart paper, cut it off and taped it to the top (see below). When they were ready to end their review, they consulted the mentor text again.

Notice the different handwriting in this review. The group also revised by adding a lead sentence to include their opinion.

The final group took turns writing a reason at the top of their chart paper. Then they drew a line and began to write a review together.

These are some of the first steps into persuasive writing. The majority of students in the room have never written reviews or even considered them prior to this week. In order to position them to write well in this genre, we wanted to give students lots of opportunity to talk. In fact, it is our goal to float this unit on a sea of talk.

Monday they will begin writing reviews based on their own opinions about products and places of their choosing. (They didn’t start today because they are at the circus!) To scaffold students, we first gave them this experience to learn and dabble and even play with the concept of writing opinions.

Dan and I stood in awe as we watched these young writers work together to find their voices for this genre of writing. I’m looking forward to watching how the rest of the unit progresses since they’ve had this experience.

And just a little side note…

Dan’s classroom is the fourth third grade room I’ve launched the Review Unit in. I want to note that we launched it very differently than the other rooms. I think this is important to realize. I am ever changing the way I help young writers learn the craft, genre, process, and conventions of writing. I’m always asking: What do these kids need? How can they best understand these concepts? What’s another way to help them learn?

Because I’m grounded in my beliefs about teaching writers, I can alter the activities in order to reach young writers in the most effective way possible. The why behind what we do in workshop is just as important (maybe even more important) than the what. I’m excited to share this recap of writing workshop with you because I felt the students led the way — Dan and I supported their learning and nudged them into new learning about opinion writing. It’s not the activities that are important, but the thinking behind how this happened.

A Princess Saves A Prince + A Giveaway

One of the moms I met this past year coined a phrase I love.  She says, “We do pink, but we don’t do princess.”  If you’ve read some of my other posts about princess culture in the United States (Click here or here to read them now.), then you’ll know that this other mom and I are on the same wavelength when it comes to exposing our daughters to the the princess thing.  While I’m on a mission to educate myself about the princess culture (I just pre-ordred Peggy Orenstein’s book Cinderella Ate My Daughter, which comes out later this month.), I’m also on a mission to find stories that reconstruct the notion of a princess.  Since my post about Every-Day Dress-Up was well-received, I decided to share another alternative princess story for those of you who are in the market for books like this.

Princess to the Rescue (Second Story Press, 2011) is written by Claudia Souza and illustrated by Christelle Ammirati.  This book empowers the princess in the story.  Instead of being rescued by a prince, the princess saves the prince from a warty ogress.  As a result, the princess is portrayed as a strong woman.  Therefore, I believe this book should be shared with young girls as a way to craft an alternative princess story (e.g., it can be used as a mentor text during a fairy tale unit in writing workshop).  By continuing to explore alternatives to traditional princess stories, we make it possible for girls to imagine princesses who are strong and capable, thereby empowering the characters they write about and themselves.

Here’s a peek at the first two page spreads from Princess to the Rescue:

"Second Story Press, distributed in the US by Orca Books"

"Second Story Press, distributed in the US by Orca Books"

Giveaway Information:

• Thank you to Second Story Press for agreeing to sponsor a giveaway of one copy of Princess to the Rescue.
  

• To win a copy of the book please leave a comment about this post, in the comments section of this post by Friday, February 3rd, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. EST. A random drawing will take place on Sunday, February 5th and the winner’s name will be announced in a blog post later that day.

• Please be sure to leave a valid e-mail address when you post your comment so I can contact you to obtain your mailing address and have my contact at Second Story send the book out to you.  Please note: Your e-mail address will not be published online.

Professional Development

I {heart} conferences. Do you? The thing is money is tight right now, making conferences a little more difficult to attend. So I’m excited to share with you TWO super reasonably priced conferences with incredible presenters in the field.

Click on the image for more information.

Dublin’s lineup includes:

Eric  Litwin and James Dean — You know, the team behind PETE THE CAT.

Sharon Draper — She’s published 27 books for tweens, teens, and teachers.

James Preller — The author of more than 80 books for children, including the Jigsaw Jones Mystery series.

Bob Shea — Children’s book author of NEW SOCKS, BIG PLANS and DINOSAUR VERSUS BEDTIME.

Ruth Ayres — Humbled to be on this list.

Donalyn Miller — Teacher extraordinaire and author of THE BOOK WHISPERER.

William Kist — Associate professor at Kent State University and author of NEW LITERACIES IN ACTION and THE SOCIALLY NETWORKED CLASSROOM.

Bill Bass — He works with teachers as a Technology Integration Specialist and the author of the  forthcoming book, FROM INSPIRATION TO RED CARPET: HOSTING A STUDENT FILM FESTIVAL.

It’s not too late to register! For more information, click here.

Also, the registration is up for the All Write Summer Institute.

All Write Summer Institute. June 21-22, 2012. Warsaw, IN. Click on the image for more information.

All-Write’s SEVENTH ANNUAL SUMMER INSTITUTE includes:

Katie Wood Ray

Jim Burke

Ruth Ayres

Patrick Allen

Debbie Diller

Ralph Fletcher

Donalyn Miller

Franki Sibberson

April Pulley Sayre

Check out the All Write 2012 registration – but sit down first because you’ll be shocked at the low price.

What are your plans for upcoming professional development. Will I see you at either of these conferences?

A Seminar About Conferring

I’ll be leading a seminar, “Conferring in Writing Workshop,” on Wednesday, February 22nd at Penn State – Harrisburg.  I’ll be talking about conferring basics, as well as sharing strategies for implementing peer conferring in the classroom, and information about goal setting for each of the writers in one’s class.

If you find yourself in the Hershey – Harrisburg area during Presidents’ Week, then I hope you’ll attend the event.  (NOTE: If you’re a teacher in Pennsylvania, then you’ll be able to earn ACT 48 credits for attending this seminar.)  For more information about the seminar, which is open to the Capital Area Writing Project network, the Penn State community, and the public, click here to view a flyer about the event.

SOLSC

Please link the Slice of Life Story you write today to this post by leaving a comment. Be sure to check out other bloggers' writing by clicking through the links in the comment section of this post. Finally, if you read someone else's writing, please leave a comment on their blog too.

The Book Stack: Cynthia Leitich Smith

One of our favorite reads is…

HOLLER LOUDLY by Cynthia Leitich Smith and Barry Gott. Dutton Children's Books, an imprint of Penguin Group, 2010.

The book is as great as it looks. I love the whimsical illustrations and the strong craft of the text. In fact, each time I read HOLLER LOUDLY by Cynthia Leitich Smith (and I read it multiple times each week), I find more craft moves to imitate. Right now I’m busy noticing the way the setting impacts many of the craft choices– similes, conflict, characterization. It’s all entwined. Cynthia Leitich Smith is a master at her craft. As if that’s not enough of a reason to adore her, she is also active on Twitter. When my children tweeted her after I mentioned following her on Twitter, she responded to them and made me into even more of a fan. Finally, she is also active on her blog, Cynsations, supporting, encouraging, and sharing with others.

So when I came across her latest book, DIABOLICAL, I paused when I saw her name on the cover. I was excited to find her YA series, but I wasn’t so convinced when I noticed it was paranormal, featuring a “slipped angel, hybrid werewolf, neophyte vampire, and the “slipped” angel’s girl who was watching from the Penultimate (a place people go until they make amends within themselves before passing into heaven). It sat in my stack.

And Cynthia Leitich Smith’s name kept taunting me. I admire her craft from HOLLER LOUDLY, and I wonder what I could learn from her in DIABOLICAL? Finally I opened the cover. Although I was entering the series in book 4 (something unprecedented for me as a reader–I always start at the beginning), I soon found myself engrossed in the world she created. I found the influences of Stoker’s DRACULA engaging, as well as nods to other works, which are listed in the Author’s Note at the end of the book.

DIABOLICAL (The Tantalize Series, Book 4) by Cynthia Leitich Smith, Candlewick Press, 2011.

Mostly though, I was enamored by the way she created a world and drew me in. I’m still in awe. It’s a fictitious world, and yet I found myself lost in the story. She made me care about the characters. She made me believe in the evil and trust good would triumph in the end.  Her craft is tight and I found myself rereading to see how she could pack so much power in just a few words.

I’m reminded how very good it is to read outside of our “normal” picks. I had to be alert and attuned to the story. It made me read a little more slowly. I relished the unexpected. Mostly though, I’m happy to add another author, one who reaches out to readers through blogging and tweeting, to my list of mentors.

Teach Mentor Texts hosts It's Monday! What Are You Reading? Click on the image to join the conversation.

Slice of Life Challenge — Your Thoughts

The Slice of Life Challenge is coming to a blog near you! In March, we’ll host the 5th Annual Slice of Life Challenge.

The Challenge: In the month of March share a slice of your life. Every. Single. Day.

Have you been thinking about joining us? (You should!) But don’t take my word for it! Check out the comments (ah-hem…Slicers help me out here!) for the reasons why people are glad they joined. 

Still having concerns? Leave your thoughts in the comments so we can support and encourage you.

The thing I like the very best about SOLSC is the community of writers that develops. Trust me. You won’t find a more supportive group of writers. Instantly, you will feel kinship and be empowered to keep writing.

I’m looking forward to the comments filling up with encouragement, support, and questions about Slice of Life Story Challenge. If you’ve sliced before, feel free to jot a comment. (Thanks!)

 

How much collaboration is too much?

There were a few times when I sat back at the end of a day of teaching and thought I don’t know if I’d want to be a student in my own classroom.  The reason for this horrible realization?  There was just too much group work going on, especially in mathematics.  I often felt as though my students were “working” in groups, but weren’t functioning well in them.  It sometimes seemed as though one or two kids were doing the lion’s share of the work and the rest of them were just along for the ride.  There were times I’d assign projects in writing workshop (e.g., picture book units of study or the solar system research papers of 2008) that involved a team of writers working on the same project.  While some partnerships functioned well and produced a final product where responsibility was truly shared, it often seemed as though one student did more of the work.  (Had I been a kid in my own class, I would’ve been the one stuck with doing most of the work.)  Finally, there were times when my students would discuss novels in book clubs and it seemed as if they were all saying the same thing.  As I walked around and listened into the conversations, my (conferring) teaching point often revolved around the need for everyone to have their own ideas and to share them with others rather than being a yes-man.

The cover of the Sunday Review section of The New York Times this past weekend was an article, “The Rise Of the New Groupthink.”  As a communication major from college who spent a semester taking organizational communication, I knew exactly what groupthink was.  In fact, there were a few times over the years that I had explained the concept of groupthink to my students and charged them with being engaged in it. Hence, I was extremely curious to read what Susan Cain had written about the ways our society’s obsession with collaboration has led us into groupthink situations in the workplace and in schools.  One of the many things she asserts is that “people are more creative when they enjoy privacy and freedom away from interruption.”  (Click here to read all of Cain’s article.)

When writing workshop is running properly, with a ten-minute mini lesson, extended time for independent writing, and a five – ten minute share session (plus time for one-to-one conferring), we honor our students by giving them time to create pieces of writing on their own.  I’ve worked with teachers who have told me their students were goofing off during independent writing time.  I was told they just couldn’t handle 30 – 40 minutes of independent writing time.  My response is always that students have to work up to extended independent writing time.  They have to learn how to manage their time by building up to longer stretches of independent writing time.  If young writers aren’t taught how to use independent writing time efficiently, then it doesn’t serve a purpose.  One way to know kids are maximizing independent writing time is by listening to their groans when it’s time for share time because they need more time to write.

Our writers must know how to collaborate, which is where strong writing partnerships and honest, respectful share sessions come into play.  In order to avoid the pitfalls of collaboration that Cain discusses, it’s important to remember writing workshop must be a balance of independent work time, one-to-one conferring time, peer conferring, and group share time.

Finally, groupthink can also occur during collaborative curriculum planning sessions.  I’m sure you’ve been in one of those types of sessions where everyone seems to be thinking the same way except for you.  It’s hard to speak up when everyone thinks about something in one way and you seem to be the only one who is holding out.  Gregory Berns, a neuroscientist from Emory University was quoted in Cain’s article as saying, “when we take a stance different from the group’s we activate the amygdala, a small organ in the brain associated with the fear of rejection.”  Berns calls this “the pain of independence.”  However, even as hard as it is to go against everyone else, it’s important for us to use our voices to speak up when the rest of the group is planning something that might not meet the needs of our students.

Review Mentor Texts

I’m excited to share this with you. It was one of those times when things just worked out in writing workshop. In one of the third grade classes studying reviews, we began talking about using details to support your opinion. I try to avoid the word details as much as possible. I think it’s an ambiguous word. What does it mean, exactly, to add details? Because of this, I do a lot of thinking about kinds of details. When I teach writers different kinds of details they can add, their writing is always lifted.

Since the review study is so broad, I’ve realized the kinds of details reviewers add are very dependent on the subject of the review. Reviewers use different kinds of details to support their opinions about food than they do to support their opinions about video games. The more I think about it, the more overwhelming it becomes to teach kinds of details review writers use.

So I selected several different kinds of reviews for students to read and study as they write their own reviews. A popular review topic is pets, so I selected a couple of mentor reviews on this topic. Nyla was writing a review about Shih Tzu dogs. During our conference, she said, “I wish I could read a review about animals. I smiled and gave her a copy of the mentor text. Then I said, “When I study text like what I’m writing, I read it differently. Let me show you.”

Then I read the first line, paused, and asked Nyla, “What do you notice?”

Nyla thought for a moment, then said, “It tells what they think of the dog.”

“That’s right, it tells the reviewer’s opinion.” I jotted Nyla’s noticing on the text. Then we read the next sentence and jotted our thinking.

I gave Nyla her pencil and the text, giving her the opportunity to lead the study of the text. Check out Nyla’s notes.

Animal review marked with Nyla's notes. (She observed me, then helped me, then continued independently.)

When I checked back with Nyla, not only had she finished the studying the mentor text, but she drafted her own review of Shih Tzu dogs.

Nyla's first attempt at writing a review, after studying a mentor text.

Ahh, the power of a mentor text, right? The next day I used Nyla’s examples in my minilesson to encourage students to study and use mentor texts like Nyla.

We also set up a system so students have access to the reviews. Here is a pdf of the mentor reviews we have in play in several third grade classes. It’s not exactly a pretty document, but the reviews are solid enough to be used as mentors for third graders first attempt at writing in this genre. Mentor texts, when used properly, will always lift the level of student work.

Also…I want to let you know, the idea for this unit came from the new Common Core Reading and Writing Workshop series (Heinemann). It is developed by Lucy Calkins and colleagues from the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project. They are very inexpensive ($10 per grade level, and goes from kindergarten to eighth grade for both reading and writing workshop). I’ve found them useful in giving our teachers a common ground, but there is also a lot that needs to be added to the units in order to make them possible in classrooms. For example, I did all of the leg work in finding mentor reviews. The conference, as described here, was not in the resource, nor was the lesson I described to launch the unit. The stronger your background knowledge is in writing workshop, as well as writing process, the more useful this resource will be. As with all resources, it is not an end all, be all answer to curriculum. However, it is inexpensive and provides a common ground for everyone in the district.

Get out of a Writing Rut

I keep a private, family-only blog about my daughter’s daily life.  I began keeping it about a week after she was born.  Unless we were out of town, I blogged each and every day of her life.  By the end of 2011, I was getting pretty tired of blogging.  In fact, I began to find writing the daily posts boring.  I started thinking about updating her blog weekly, but couldn’t muster the nerve it would have taken to cut back.  (Also, I didn’t want to break her grandparents’ hearts since they look forward to reading the posts and seeing the photos I take of her daily.)  However, I knew something had to change since I wanted writing about my daughter’s daily slices of life to be pleasurable again.

On January 1st, I started writing the daily blog posts to my daughter, rather than about my daughter. At first I thought I’d give it a try for a week, but over two weeks later, I’m still doing it.  I feel as though new life has been breathed into the moments I’m choosing to capture about her since I’m writing to her.  (I excerpted yesterday’s post from her private blog here.)  I envision me writing to an older Isabelle.  I’m not sure if she’ll be eight, a teenager, or a mom herself when she chooses to sit down and read the private blog I keep about her life.  However, knowing that I’m writing to her, rather than about her has helped to make her blog feel less like a chore and more like an interesting record of her days.

I’m sure some of your students are in writing ruts with regard to their writer’s notebooks.  Try encouraging them to change their audience.  Sometimes a small shift can help us find our voices (again) as writers.

SOLSC

Please link the Slice of Life Story you write today to this post by leaving a comment. Be sure to check out other bloggers' writing by clicking through the links in the comment section of this post. Finally, if you read someone else's writing, please leave a comment on their blog too.

The Book Stack: A Couple of ROCKIN’ Books

ROCK ON by Denise Vega, Little, Brown and Company (2012)

I added three more YA books to my reader’s notebook this week. I’ll be sharing another of them later, but today I only want to focus on one. The past several YA books I’ve read have left me a little disappointed. They just didn’t feel genuine. All in all, they left me feeling like the writer rushed the process.

So I was relieved to finish ROCK ON:  A STORY OF GUITARS, GIGS, GIRLS, AND A BROTHER (NOT NECESSARILY IN THAT ORDER) by Denise Vega, because the story felt right. I was satisfied at the end because it felt like everything worked together. Nothing was left nitpicking the corner of my brain.

The story was told through narrative, text messages, song lyrics, and blog posts, including comments (!). We follow Ori on his journey to Battle of the Bands. This story is about more than the Battle though, as Ori learns to be himself in the shadow of a once cool older brother who is now just a jerk. The story continues to spin, giving us glimpses of Ori’s friends, his family, and ultimately the relationship with his brother.

Unfortunately this book doesn’t come out until March, so you may want to check out FIVE FLAVORS OF DUMB by Antony John. I loved this book too, because of the characters and because of a glimpse into rock history. In FIVE FLAVORS OF DUMB, Piper is deaf and managing a rock band, Dumb. If you’ve not read FIVE FLAVORS OF DUMB, I’d definitely encourage you to add it to your list.

FIVE FLAVORS OF DUMB by Antony John Antony John. Copyright © 2010. Used with permission of Dial Books for Young Readers, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group.

I’m realizing I like it when books take me into another world. BUNHEADS did this and so does ROCK ON. Even though I don’t have a lot of background knowledge for Battle of the Bands and high school garage bands, I easily slipped into Ori’s world. It’s the small details that make this happen…and the kind of details I want to learn to include in my fiction.

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GEARING UP FOR THE SOLSC: A Call for Giveaways

In just a few weeks Ruth and I will host the 5th Annual Slice of Life Story Challenge.  It’s hard to believe it’s the fifth time we’re hosting this month-long writing challenge.  It stemmed from one of my former student’s notebook entries about his outrage with his sister for “losing” her necklace.  She made everyone look all over their apartment for it and in the end it turned out to be on her neck!  That one notebook entry was the spark that got my fourth graders started with slice of life writing in March 2008 and got readers of this blog going with the Slice of Life Story Challenge that same month. How exciting it has been to watch this Challenge grow in size from 2008.

In 2008, Ali Edwards was gracious enough to offer a prize for one person who wrote for all 31 days of the Challenge.  With each subsequent year, we’ve given away more prizes our writers.  While not everyone gets a prize, it’s nice to be able to offer small writing-related gifts to people who challenge themselves to write and comment on other people’s writing for an entire month.  That being said, this is my official call for Slice of Life Prizes.  If you would like to offer gender-neutral*, writing-related prize to one of the Challenge’s writers, then please send me an e-mail by clicking here.  Please be aware that while most of our participants live in North America, but some come from as far away as Australia and South Korea.  Therefore, if you only willing to ship a prize within the United States, then I will need to know that up-front since you are responsible for covering all shipping costs.

To take a look at past prizes, click on one of the links below:

• 2008 Prizes
• 2009 Prizes
• 2010 Prizes
• 2011 Prizes

*= While most of past Slice of Life Story Challenge participants have been women, we regularly have several men who participate in the Challenge.

Siri

Last month I finally got of my cell phone that didn’t have a qwerty keyboard and upgraded to an iPhone 4S.  It took me awhile to convert to an iPhone since I first wanted it to come with Verizon service and then I was waiting for the iPhone 5.  When the 4S came out in lieu of the 5, I knew I had to stop waiting and jump on the iPhone bandwagon.  I’m thankful I did.  While it hasn’t changed my life (as many of my friends said it would), it has certainly made a lot of things easier.  No longer to I have to seek out places with WiFi when I’m out and need to replicate my e-mail.  Now I can do it from anywhere at any time.  That, in and of itself, makes life much easier.

The thing I love most about my 4S is Siri.  Siri is the virtual assistant who wakes me up every morning (unless Isabelle beats her to it), schedules my appointments, makes my phone calls when I don’t want to search my contacts, and even finds me local delis when I tell her I’m in the mood for a corned beef sandwich.  Siri’s voice recognition can type out memos or e-mails too.  Sounds perfect, right? Not so fast.  This literacy specialist, who is fully aware Siri is still in beta, isn’t pleased with the results of all of Siri’s written missives and notes.  Siri doesn’t always understand everything I say.  For example, I got so excited about Lynne and Rose’s new website when I found out in launched, I started a blog post on my iPhone. However, as you’ll see, the dictation didn’t look too stellar since Siri didn’t capture my thoughts with precision:

There are a several problems with the text Siri transcribed from my voice. First, it's devoid of punctuation and proper capital letters. Second, Siri substituted the wrong words. For instance, she wrote "Enrose" instead of "Rose" and "tax" instead of "texts," "passbooks" instead of "past books," and "formation" instead of "information." Changes the meaning of what I wrote, doesn't it?

I could envision using this example from Siri in a class full of kids when trying to make the case for proofreading.  While not everything I write and post on this blog is always perfect, it sure looks a LOT better than this.  If I were to post what I wrote (above) on the blog, I’m sure I’d get lots of comments saying that my message wasn’t clear, that I didn’t know how to write, or worse, teachers like you wouldn’t come back and visit this blog again.

I contacted Apple Customer Care, which might be the most talented and patient group of people I’ve ever dealt with for tech support in my life, about Siri’s grammatical issues.  I prefaced my complaint about her misspellings and misuse of punctuation with the fact that I am a certified literacy specialist who blogs about the teaching of writing.  While I’m sure the tech who helped me got a chuckle from my phone call, they didn’t let on.  Instead, they encouraged me to dictate my e-mails using commands like “comma” when I want Siri to place a comma or “period” when I want Siri to end a sentence.  Take a look at a short e-mail I wrote to my husband this past weekend.  Essentially, I needed him to go to the supermarket to pick up some whole milk for our daughter.  Granted, I could’ve sent the e-mail to him the first two ways, which were dictated to Siri.

I could've sent this e-mail, that was devoid of proper spelling and punctuation. I have a feeling my husband would've picked up the milk. But I didn't.

Again, I could've sent this e-mail to my husband like this, but do I really want to misspell my name, his name, and our daughter's name? No. No, I don't.

The final e-mail, which took just a few seconds to clean up, sends a clear and correct message.

I chose to edit the second email (above) so that our names were spelled properly.  I also hit the enter return button a few times so it looked more like a letter and less like a stream of consciousness.  (NOTE:  Apple also told me there is nothing they can do to help me fix Siri’s spelling problems since she’s still in beta.  There’s no way for them to help me even get Siri to recognize my name, when I type it in an e-mail, which means I have to constantly correct the spelling of my own name before I send an e-mail to anyone.  Seeing as the spelling of my name is pretty important to me, this is a quick fix I do each and every time I send an e-mail.)  I realize some people might think my desire to correct an e-mail to my husband is ridiculous.  (Quite frankly, he might think it’s a little ridiculous too.)  But, I proofread all of the e-mails I dictate through Siri before I send them off to anyone.  It doesn’t matter if I’m e-mailing my family, my friends, or a consulting client.  As a writer, I want every e-mail to look right every time.

Siri is a wonderful tool.  Life is easier because she’s here.  (Yes, I really did refer to her as a she, as if she’s a person!)  However, like any tool, we have to remember to use it responsibly.  We want our students to proofread their writing before they turn it in.  It’s worth talking to kids about the  messages they send to others, using technological tools like Siri, and the importance of proofreading before they send off an e-mail, Tweet, or publish a blog post.  We don’t want to let them, or ourselves, become too reliant on technology that isn’t perfect (yet).

REVIEW Unit Launch

This week I launched a REVIEW UNIT in several third grade classrooms. On the first day I asked, “Have you ever heard of a review?” Heads shook.

“Okay, then, let me show you some,” I said. We spent time looking at some reviews I pulled up via the internet on the SmartBoard. We read reviews from Amazon about the Ramona books, then about this Lego City train system. We clicked over to a gaming site to read reviews on Mario Kart Wii.

After the Ramona reviews, I asked kids to talk about their theories about reviews. We began a list:

What someone thinks about a book.

A comment about a book.

Then we read the Lego City Train reviews. And they talked some more, adjusting their thinking as they read more reviews.

What someone thinks about a book or some other thing.

A comment about a book the thing they are talking about.

Something they care about and want others to get too.

The talk was abundant and about to get even more lively as I introduced them to video game reviews. We read, they talked, and we added to our growing list:

What someone thinks about a book or some other thing.

A useful comment about a book the thing they are talking about.

Something they care about and want others to get too.

Sometimes they give it a rating.

They’re short.

They were beginning to see the possibilities, so I asked, “What kinds of things do you think we could write reviews about.”

The chatter became focused, and they began making lists in their notebooks. We compiled their ideas on the SmartBoard.

Books

Movies

Toys

Clothes

Shoes

Jewelry

Horses

Vacation spots

Food

Restaurants

Songs

TV shows

Workshop was getting near the end. Everyone was still in the meeting area, but no one was off task. The talk filled the room. I liked the sound of it. Instead of sending them back to their writing spaces, I invited them to make a list in their notebooks about possible reviews they could write.

For the next ten-ish minutes, notebooks were filled. As they talked, ideas were generated, and pencils filed ideas on the page. At the end of workshop, everyone shared an idea on their list…and recorded more ideas as their classmates shared. “This is a share,” I said, “designed to help you get more ideas. The minute an idea pops into your head, put it on your list. The biggest compliment you can get during this share is if you say an idea and someone else writes it down.” We shared. They continued to talk. Workshop ended and they were itching to write reviews.

Sometimes the format of workshop shifts a little when we launch a new unit. It was okay that the minilesson blended into work time and work time morphed into sharing.  I could get a handle on what everyone was learning and understanding. I could see everyone’s notebooks, and help tweak the lists they were starting. The energy bubbled from one writer to another.

I believe this is a successful launch into the unit.

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Please link the Slice of Life Story you write today to this post by leaving a comment. Be sure to check out other bloggers' writing by clicking through the links in the comment section of this post. Finally, if you read someone else's writing, please leave a comment on their blog too.

Mentor Texts with Lynne & Rose

Last week I received an e-mail from Lynne Dorfman, co-author of Mentor Texts and Nonfiction Mentor Texts (Stenhouse).  She let me know she and Rose Cappelli set up a website over winter break.  I was anxious to check it out since I talked with the two of them about it when I saw them at NCTE two months ago.  It’s full of information about their books, their latest project, and presentations they give.  The part I’m looking forward to keeping up with in the upcoming months is their blog.  Be sure to check out the resources Lynne and Rose provide by checking out Mentor Texts with Lynne and Rose.

The Book Stack

YA Books this week:

YA Books I read last week (1.2.2012 -- 1.8.2012): THE ONE THAT I WANT by Jennifer Echols (Simon Pulse, 2012); DON'T EXPECT MAGIC by Kathy McCollough (Random House, 2012); GETTING OVER GARRETT DELANEY by Abby McDonald (Random House, 2012)

Of the three, THE ONE THAT I WANT by Jennifer Echols was my favorite. Echols is a master at creating characters that stick with you. Characters that you feel like you’ve met. Characters that keep you reading into the wee hours of the night. This book is currently available as an e-book, but will be out in paperback on February 7.

Books worth checking out…

Al Pha's Bet by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Delphine Durand (G.P. Putnam's Sons, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group, 2011) Review copy provided.

I love anything and everything by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, and AL PHA’S BET is no exception. The story of the order of the alphabet is whimsical and will have children reciting the order of the alphabet with each flip of the page.

JUST AS GOOD by Chris Crowe and Mike Benny (Candlewick Press, 2012) Review copy provided.

Oh my goodness! I hope you can get your hands on a copy of JUST AS GOOD by Chris Crowe and Mike Benny. It is the story of Larry Doby, the first African American in the American League. The story is good for your soul, which is enough of a reason to read it. However, I’d love to put this into play in writing workshop. The way the action of the baseball game is interspersed with the narrative of the story is exquisite. I always meet with young writers who are trying to write the story of a baseball game, but it ends up as a very long (and often confusing) play-by-play of the game. Instead, in JUST AS GOOD, Crowe weaves the play-by-play along with the actions of the father, mother, and boy who are listening to the game on the radio. He selects details to move the baseball game along, while at the same time connecting the reader to the characters in the story. The craft is beautiful, leaving the story lingering with me.

JUST AS GOOD is on sale on January 24, 2012.

Don’t forget today is:

Teach Mentor Texts hosts It's Monday! What Are You Reading? Hop over and join the conversation.

Over and Under the Snow – Giveaway Winner

Special thanks to Chronicle Books for sponsoring a giveaway of Kate Messner’s new book.  Laura Delgado was commenter #23, which was the random number generated (left).  Therefore, she will receive a copy of Over and Under the Snow.  If you missed the original post about this book, then click here to read it now.

Common Core + Students’ Needs

Much of my time this school year has been devoted to studying Common Core Standards, as well as keeping up with the ever-changing discussion about the PARCC assessment. I’ve been thinking about the influence these things have on our writing curriculum and the implications for writing workshop.

One thing is for certain, Common Core Standards demand more writing experiences for students. In turn, the writing experiences must build on one another from grade to grade. This means it is more important than ever for us to work together, as a team, to mold students into the kinds of writers the 21st century needs.

As I was putting together a unit of study for opinion writing in third grade, I noticed myself depending on long-ago learning. I was thinking about the main learning points and how I would string these ideas together in a series of lessons. I was developing bends in the road and teaching points in order to meet the demands of Common Core, as well as the needs of students. Prior to meeting Stacey (with her TCRWP background) I didn’t call it bends in the road or teaching points. I do now, because it makes sense.

Excerpt from my MEANINGFUL MINILESSON presentation; Citation: DAY BY DAY by Ruth Ayres and Stacey Shubitz (Stenhouse, 2010)

Stacey wrote about this idea in Day by Day: Refining Writing Workshop Through 180 Days of Reflective Practice (Stenhouse, 2010). I think it is an important understanding for us to have as we begin melding our knowledge of the writers in our classrooms with the expectations of Common Core.

Basically the bends in the road are the big ideas you expect your students to understand. The teaching points are how you are going to get to the big idea on a day to day basis. The word BY is your friend. See…

Exerpt from my MEANINGFUL MINILESSONS presentation: Develop teaching points based on a bend in the road.

Voila…teaching points for meaningful minilessons.

If we think about this for a few minutes more, we can begin to envision many teaching points for a single bend in the road. This is where the experiences of our students influence the teaching. As Common Core Standards force into our instruction, they will influence the bends in the road. However, our students influence the teaching points. The way we get to the bends in the road will be determined by the living, breathing bodies in our classrooms — not a document designed by people far removed from classrooms.

A Visual Reminder

Wellness was my one little word in 2009.  I knew I needed some sort of daily reminder to help me keep myself focused on promoting wellness in my life.  Therefore, I turned to Etsy and had someone create an image with a quote about wellness that I could frame and place on the desk in my home office.  Three years later, the frame is still sitting on my desk, reminding me to continue to take time to keep myself healthy.  I leave it displayed in my office so that I can continue to live by that one little word, even though it’s not my present focus.  (I got really good at “wellness” in 2009 by cooking more at home, getting eight hours of sleep at night, and by doing Pilates three times a week.)

I purchased this framed doodle from Homegrown Hospitality's Etsy Shop. Unfortunately, it no longer exists. Therefore, I had to search for a new designer to visually capture my OLW. Details follow below.

This image was created by Simply Fresh Designs (http://www.simplyfreshdesigns.com).

This year, I’ve chosen the word wonder as my one little word.  I think this word will really help me to see the world in new ways.  I also think that wondering more will help me to become a better writer.  Therefore, in order to help me remind myself of my OLW, I wanted to have someone create an image (Secret is out: I’m not the one behind the header on TWT; that would be Ruth.) that I could hang frame and put on my desk in my office.  Therefore, I went to Etsy.com and did a search for “one little word.”  I found quite a few graphic artists out there who were making artwork out of people’s OLWs.  The one I liked most was Simply Fresh Designs‘ Subway Art Poster that arrives a digital file.  I contacted Heather, who is the person behind Simply Fresh Designs, and she created a special file for me to post on Two Writing Teachers so you can take a look at my OLW for 2012 + a quote I found that reflects the word wonder.

Finally, if you’re not up for framed artwork, then consider something concrete.  Diana (aka: the writer of the One Literacy Coach Blog) chose thread as her one little word for 2012.  (Learn more about her word by clicking here.)  She found a mason jar and filled it with different colored spools of thread from her grandmother’s sewing box.  This jar will serve as her visual reminder to help her remember to live by her one little word this year.

How will you keep your one little word top of mind this year?

 

Ruth’s OLW: Reflection 2011 + Word 2012.

First a little reflection on OLW ’11…

Ruth's 2011 One Little Word

I chose this word because I felt like it encompassed everything in my life. The list of words in the tape along the bottom of the image, shows the connections I was interested in making. I was surprised to find the online connections I make just as integral as the connections I make in person. It was also neat to connect in person with some people that I only know online. As expected, in order to have deep connections, I have to be intentional and think of ways to connect and build relationships.

What I realized, though, at the end of the year is how all the different elements of my life are woven together. Sometimes my life feels so compartmentalized. I’m a teacher in that town, a mom in this town, a daughter over there, and a sister in another place.  I’m a teacher on this blog, a writer on that blog, a mom on another blog. I’m a reader in that group, a Sunday school teacher for this group, a writer in another group, a leader for bible study, a follower for that committee.

My word, CONNECT, taught me that I’m all of those things all of the time. I don’t have to make such an effort to compartmentalize because it’s okay being all of me all the time.

And now for OLW ’12…

Ruth's OLW for 2012: Salt.

I knew I wanted a noun this year. I toyed with STORY, but decided it is a word that is already threaded into my being. I think I have a lot to learn from SALT, making it a perfect word for me. To read more about my decision, check out my post on Ruth Ayres Writes.

A Strong Parntership

My father reads The New York Times every morning.  By the time he gets to work, I often have the link to an article in my e-mail inbox, which he thinks will pique my interest.  This morning was no different.  He sent me the link to an op-ed entitled “The Central Falls Success.”  I  liked seeing the words “Central Falls” on the same line as the word “Success” since Central Falls, which is the city I taught in when I moved to Rhode Island in 2007, has gotten its fair share of negative attention in the past few years.  From the scandal at the Wyatt Detention Center in 2008 to the high school staff shake-up of 2010 to the public library almost having to close its doors in 2011, the City of Central Falls has not had a lot to celebrate in the past few years.  As someone who worked in Central Falls and still keeps in touch with students who live there, I was pleased to see a positive piece about my former school’s reading partnership with the teachers of the Central Falls School District.

The Learning Community is a public charter school who has been in a partnership with the K-2 teachers in Central Falls since 2007.  I remember hearing about the success of the partnership when I attended staff meetings.  For the past couple of years, the news media in Rhode Island has buzzed about this collaboration.  And now, The New York Times is writing about it since cuts to the Central Falls School District’s budget threaten this incredible collaboration.  Want to learn more about the way a charter school and a public school district have overcome tensions to help kids read better?  Just click here to read Joe Nocera’s op-ed from today’s New York Times.

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Please link the Slice of Life Story you write today to this post by leaving a comment. Be sure to check out other bloggers' writing by clicking through the links in the comment section of this post. Finally, if you read someone else's writing, please leave a comment on their blog too.

Welcome 2012!

Today is the first Tuesday of the new year, which means it’s time to share your slice of life story here.  If you’ve never done so before, then jump in.  Don’t be shy!  Just follow the simple directions (to the left) and you’ll be on your way to joining our community of writers.

Please mark your calendars for March 1st, 2012, which is when the 5th Annual Slice of Life Story Challenge begins.  It’s a 31 day writing challenge.  To learn more about it, just click here.

The Book Stack

Teach Mentor Texts hosts It's Monday! What Are You Reading? Hop over and join the conversation.

The challenge this Christmas vacation was to see how many books we could read as a family. We lost track of the picture books, but below are some that we read more than once this break, as well as the chapter books.

Ayres Family Christmas Week Chapter Book Total: 14

Hannah’s Reads: MEET KAYA, American Girl Doll; DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, Jeff Kinney; MEET MARIE-GRACE American Girl Doll; SOPHIE THE SWEETHEART, Laura Berger;  FIVE SMOOTH STONES, HOPE’S DIARY, Dear America

Stephanie’s Reads: FRANKLY, FRANNIE: CHECK, PLEASE, AJ Stern; MAGIC TREE HOUSE: DOLPHINS AT DAYBREAK, Mary Pope Osborne; IVY + BEAN, Annie Barrows

Sam’s Reads: THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET, Brian Selznick (I promise a post on this when we finish!)

Karianne’s Reads: ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT (an extra credit read for her history class); LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR, Stephanie Perkins (once the extra credit reading is finished)

Andy’s Reads: DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, Jeff Kinney (based on a recommendation from Hannah)

Ruth’s Reads: ABANDON, Meg Cabot; CLEOPATRA’S MOON, Vicky Alvear Shecter ; FRANKLY, FRANNIE: CHECK, PLEASE, AJ Stern

And a few to highlight…

Frankly, Frannie: Check Please by AJ Stern and Doreen Mulryan Marts (Penguin, 2010)

Steph received Frankly, Frannie: Check Please by AJ Stern and Doreen Mulryan Marts (Penguin, 2010) in her traditional jammies, book, and an ornament Christmas eve gift. She started reading it minutes after she opened it and then demanded I read it too. I’m glad I did because in the book, Frannie is learning about writing reviews. When we return to school, I’ll be working with third graders, helping them learn to write reviews. I’ll be using excerpts from this book to help young writers discover the genre of reviews. If you study reviews in your 2nd – 3rd grade writing workshop, you may want to get your hands on a copy of this book too. Also, be sure to check out Frankly, Frannie’s website. The second grader I live with loves it!

ABANDON by Meg Cabot (Point, an imprint of Scholastic, 2011) Review copy provided.

Oh my goodness — you’ve gotta read ABANDON by Meg Cabot! Now, you must know that recommendation is coming from someone who is not big into paranormal. ABANDON is the first in a trilogy, and I can’t wait to read the rest  of the series. I was intrigue by this book because, first, I love following Meg Cabot on Twitter (@megcabot), and second, because it’s based on the myth of Persephone. I’ve been interested in books that will nudge older adolescents into reading things they may not otherwise pick up. Tweens know Meg Cabot from her PRINCESS DIARIES SERIES, so it would be natural for them to want to read this book and then do a little more research and reading into the myth of Persephone (and maybe even other myths). As I was reading, I was struck by the amount of research Cabot engaged in to write this story. Each chapter opens with a few lines from Dante’s INFERNO. I appreciated how each epigram wove Cabot’s story around Dante’s.

I was intrigued by the way I was drawn into world Cabot created. I felt like I was there, in the midst of the storms, with the characters, and even traveling to the Underworld. I look forward to rereading parts of this book to see how Cabot created this experience for the reader. I’ll pay particular attention to the setting, which is masterfully crafted and makes Is Isla Huesos, the setting for Abandon, a real island? number five on the FQA list.

And, because I’m a sucker for author’s process, check out this short video of Meg sharing a few of her notebook pages for ABANDON.

CLEOPATRA'S MOON by Vicky Alvear Shecter (Scholastic, 2011)

 CLEOPATRA’S MOON by Vicky Alvear Shecter is historical fiction for young adults. I appreciated the extra material in this book. There is a character list, outlining the main characters in Egypt, Rome, and Greek and Roman mythology. The author shares the facts behind the book, as well as the story behind her interest in Cleopatra Selene, and her writing group experiences.

I spent 30 – 60 minutes before I started reading the book, just looking through the extra material, reading facts about the time period, and trying to remember my knowledge of Cleopatra, Mark Anthony, Julius Caesar, Octavian, and Octavia. I talked with Andy about the time period, and he Googled some of our questions, as we pooled our knowledge.  As I consider sharing this book with teenagers, I would want to encourage this initial preparation for the story. It is too easy to get lost in the names and miss the enjoyment of the story.

The voice, told from Cleopatra’s daughter, Cleopatra Selene, is compelling. Even when I considered abandoning the book, I had to keep reading because the voice was so strong. For someone who normally reads quickly, I had to slow down for this story. Until I had all the characters straight in my head, I had to take my time and intentionally remember the different people and their role in history. It took about a hundred pages until I felt as though I was able to read through the story at my normal rate. In the end, I was glad I stayed with this story. The voice will stick with me, and I’m glad to have a deeper understanding of the historical events surrounding the expansion of the Roman empire. Historical fiction isn’t something I gravitate towards, but like most historical fiction, I’m glad to have read CLEOPATRA’S MOON.

I know this post is getting too long, but just a couple of picture books that are being read over and over in our house…

The Watcher: Jane Goodall's Life with Chimps by Jeanette Winter (Schwartz & Wade, a division of Random House, 2010)

Our kids just can’t get enough of this charming story. As if that’s not enough, they then wanted to learn more so went to the internet to research and have been scouring the shelves for as many books as possible about chimps. Check out THE WATCHER: JANE GOODALL’S LIFE WITH CHIMPS by Jeanette Winter (Schwartz & Wade, a division of Random House, 2010).

LOOKING CLOSELY IN THE RAIN FOREST by Frank Serafini, Kids Can Press

You know the LOOKING CLOSELY series by Frank Serafini, right? Every time I read one I think of another way to use it in the classroom. This week, as we’ve been reading and rereading this book, I’ve been struck by the art of looking at things with new eyes. Serafini masters this craft. The kids and I have been inventing new ideas for what the picture could be. It’s all about putting on a new lens and looking at something we’ve seen many times in a new way. This is good practice for writers of all ages! Check out the other books in the series from Kids Can Press.

How about you? What was in your stack for the last week of 2011?