View AND Read the first sample chapters (available on line) (Chapters 3 & 4) Using the Writer's Notebook in Grades 3-8: A Teacher's Guide at (http://www1.ncte.org/library/files/Store/Books/Sample/35006chap1-2_x.pdf) and begin your writers notebook then post entries on Class Blog
( Keep your own notebook and share your response to it AND try out an idea in your class)
Engage in an online discussion group on our class blog. Please read designated chapters and 1)propose “meaty” fat questions to discuss,2) make connections to your teaching and work with students, and 3) make connections to your work as a writer ). 4)Please respond to two of your classmates’s entries in your study group.4) Consider how what you have learned from this book might support the work of your integrated language arts unit
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This week, I began my writer's notebook. My theme for most of my writings this week was my observations of the changing autumn foliage and weather. I work with kindergarten, first and second graders so that was the theme I wove into my lesson plans this week. In one first grade classroom, the children started a writer's notebook a while ago. Friday, after I shared my writings, they listened to the thoughts I expressed and most of them wrote about the fall trees and how the leaves pile up and they can play in them. It was very cute but also an example that teachers sharing is an integral part of teaching writing to young children. Chapter 3 Planting Seeds talks about how you "plant seeds" of writing for children.I enjoyed the ideas presented in the chapter especially the idea of creating a web to share ideas and get the young writers started. I used a web on Friday afternoon when the first graders wrote about the autumn and it really worked.
ReplyDeleteI have to say that I liked how the author quoted Frank McCourt as saying," Nothing is significant until we make it significant." Frank McCourt is one of my favorite authors. He wrote a memoir about growing up as a poor Irish immigrant entitled, Angela's Ashes. My meaty question is this...What do you think that Frank McCourt meant by this statement and how does it relate to our teaching to the writer's notebook?
One more comment regarding chapter 3...I think that encouraging children of all ages to make lists is a great idea! I especially loved the list that Carol made on page 23, Figure 3.6 (Teach, Teach ,Teach, Quit teaching,Get a Better Job). I think that we can all get a laugh out of that list!
ReplyDeleteWhen I read chapter 4, I liked how the author seemed to elaborate on the lists she spoke about in chapter 3.The lists become more sensory intergreted in theory. My question is this, "How can we use the lists the children make both from their observations indoors and outdoors to create better writers in the classroom? My problem has always been that children love to rush through everything when writing. They will write a few sentences and then...I hear."I'm Done."
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading the chapters 3 &4.I agree with the author to value our childrens' feelings,thoughts and their past experiences. We as teachers have to build a trust with them so they can share with honesty. If the children will trust us they will be able to write in their notebook and at the same time they will feel good about themselves and what they write.
ReplyDeleteHere is a question, "How can a teacher help her students to develop a trust, so they can write with honesty?"In chapter 3 I really liked the web and I used it the next day after I read the chapter. I wrote the word pumpkin in the middle and students came up with so manny ideas what to do with pumpkins.
I think also the idea of the list is great. Students can come up with such a big list about things they like. Graphing was another one.Quotes are so helpful and a motivation to young writers.i like the comment author made about how helpful it is to give students a" heads up"
ReplyDeleteIn response to Altea's question on how a teacher can develop a student's trust, I feel that we need to show them that we are willing to take the same risks as we ask them to do. The chapters in the Writer's Notebook book talk about this same fact that we have to model how we write. It takes some risk taking strategies to share sometimes with our students but when they see that we are willing to write then they hopefully will be inspired to write.
ReplyDeleteI truly enjoyed reading chapters 3 and 4. They contained so many great ideas, and I wish that I was teaching above kindergarten so that I could try more of them out. I feel that many of them are not appropriate because they are not "writing" yet. Their notebooks contain pictures and labels woth single letters. My question is: Is it too early to be doing a Writer's Notebook with my kids? They really enjoy it and are busy the entire time. I started my Writer's Notebook and I have shared a few entries with my class over the past week. They just love it! They are so intrigued by it and they said "I didn't know that you had one too!" Due to the fact that many children are not able to write yet, I was limited with what I could try out. I do have some children that have a hard time coming up with what to write about, so I tried the photograph idea. Each child had to bring in some photgraphs from home that were special to them or meant something to them. Let me tell you, the kids love "writing" about thier photographs and I am learning about their families as well. I also put an emphasis on the fact that good writers always have good pictures or sketches. It is important to add details because it will make a better story. I showed them some of my sketches and they are taking more time with their pictures. For my unit, I am doing the Five Senses, so I may try to integrate some ideas from chapter 4 about the senses into my Writer's Workshop and Unit too.
ReplyDeleteCourtney: I like all of your ideas! I know that it is challenging to introduce many/some of the ideas presented in the book Using The Writer's Notebook to kindergarten students. That is my problem during the day also. I will try your idea of using pictures for that grade level to get them started. In response to your question as to when to start the writer's notebook, I feel that the earlier the introduction, the better. Just think of how they are getting such a rich print environment from what you are creating in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteI, again, enjoyed reading this book. I thought chapter 3 had many great suggestions for how to get students to use/write in their notebooks. I have mostly spent my teaching years with grades 1 and K. Because the students are young and not yet really writing all that much, especially in the beginning, I found writing to be a challenge for them.
ReplyDeleteOne of the things mentioned in chpater 3 that struck me was the quote from Lucy Calkins, "We can't give children rich lives, but we can give them the lense to appreciate the richness that is already there in thier lives. Notebooks validate a child's existence."
I think one of the biggest challenges I faced in class with our students in their lack of experiences they've had and therefore it was always hard to get them to write about something other than playing video games, watching t.v. or Chuck E. Cheese.
Writing became so frustrating! But with the various ideas presented in these chapters, I now feel like I can "plant seeds" for my students and begin an interesting dialogue about things to write.
Courtney- Having taught the same grades as you I completely understand your point of view.
ReplyDeleteBut, after having read the chapters, I feel like there are some things we could introduce to grade K students. (the idea about photgraphs that you already did is a great one to do!)
What did you think about the "Fear" Web idea? You could do this whole group or in small group, too. You and the students can orally talk about things they fear. Then, in their notebooks, they could sketch/draw about what they identified. Those who are ready could label the picture with as many letter sounds they can identify and other could write a sentence if they are ready to.
Altea and Jane: Altea, in response to your question about ensuring trust so students write honestly, I agree with Jane. If we want our students to be risk-takers then we, as teachers, need to model risks with our own writing and sharing.
ReplyDeleteI also think it's about a teacher's implementation with the notebook. Such as, valuing when a student wants to share a writing piece and when she doesn't, not being overly critical of their writing (as was described in the previous chapters), and the overall sense of community you build in your classroom. I imagine it would take some time, especially for those students who have had negative writing experiences in the past.
Jane: I think that the idea of integrating thier world or what is happening around them (your example: fall) is great! Obviously the students are most comfortable and familiar with thier world so it would be the easiest for them to write about. And in reference to the Frank McCourt quote, I think that he meant that as teachers we need to at times "create significance" for our children. Some kids may think that something is not significant, so we as teachers need to empahsize that point and make it significant for them. I am not sure if I am right, but I am just taking a guess.
ReplyDeleteCarrie: Yes! I saw the Fear web and I really liked the idea. I use webs all the time with my kids and I think that I may start using them to plant seeds/ideas for the students to write about. It would be especially great to use with the children that are really struggling to come up with an idea.
Altea: I think that trust develops over time. I also think that by having the teacher share thier notebook, the students are witnessing him/her take a risk and share and it might encourage them to take a risk as well. Some students may take more time to develop that trust though as part of their personality. It really all starts from day one and how you set the mood/tone in your classroom.
Carrie: I think the the fear web idea is great and you can use it for many different activities and different subjects in the classroom. I also think it can be used with the whole group, with small groups, groups of 2 even with 1:1 student.
ReplyDeleteI really think especially with the student 1:1 this idea may work well, because sometimes these students will do anything to get the teachers attention and to stop them having a behavior at the time a teacher can focus totally in a web idea that interest the student and get him to do his work.
I think all the planting seeds ideas can be useful in the classroom and as we get to know our students everyday we can help them through this ideas to progress and become good young writers, to understand where they are struggling and help them.I find writing is very challenging for my students but using pictures instead of words, can help them.I used the photograph idea and made a star. Each child put their favorite picture of themselves in the middle and each corner of the star they put a picture of a member of the family. They really didn't have to write the words but each of them have to share something about the member of the family they had a picture in the star. I feel that all the planting seeds ideas are so helpful and we as teachers should find a way to make them work for all our students.We can make it workable to them by teaching them the way they are able to learn.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the teacher should encourage the student to observe things in their surroundings. Its wonderful that students can use their senses to collect information about nature. How can that work for a student who is blind or hearing impaired? How can a teacher utilize the time for the children to do their observation?
ReplyDeleteI like how you build on each other's ideas and how you are trying to apply ideas where applicable.
ReplyDelete