tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14398867596984460102024-03-12T18:04:08.829-05:00Refining Our CraftA place to keep the conversation going...Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439886759698446010.post-35792228253184174162020-04-17T16:37:00.000-05:002020-04-17T19:48:08.201-05:00How Do We Stay True to What We Believe About Teaching and Learning in This New Environment?<h2>
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I finally feel like I am getting a routine down. I've found ways to make this, online learning for fourth graders manageable, for now. A question that has been guiding me since the beginning is, "How do I stay true to what I believe about teaching and learning in this new environment, in a <i>sustainable</i> way?" </div>
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So a HUGE thank you to my team, my fourth grade peeps in my building and across my district, and to my amazing PLN. I can't even begin to name you all, THANK YOU!!! I feel so supported by my district from my coach to my principal, from admin in teaching and learning to our board of education--THANK YOU!!! I have learned so much, from screencasting, in a variety of ways, to keeping it lean--surely keeping a mini-lesson mini or double mini. I have actually come to a place where I just get the teaching point out there and I am doing the modeling in my recorded read alouds and in my live read alouds. And book clubs are a place I can coach into them as well. I keep coming back to how do I keep the spirit of workshop going in this environment? </div>
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How do we keep the spirit of workshop going in this environment?</h3>
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So for that reason I knew I would need to try to do our historical fiction book clubs. This definitely brought the energy of workshop into this new learning environment. In some ways, there were benefits to doing this digitally. I'm able to really see what's going on with each group. I met with each group the first round, but this second round, thank you Pam Katchen, I am going to let them run their groups themselves. I can jump on the call and check-in, but they are running the show. Which makes sense when we think about the gradual release model. We tried it today for the first time and they ran it! I was so impressed!</div>
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These live sessions, either in book clubs or read alouds, are the best part of my day! Another highlight was that we had our first live Grand Conversation, a shared inquiry discussion around the question, "Do hard times always bring out the best in people?" I was pleased I was able to come up with a debatable question that was applicable to each book club book. There is hardship in most historical fiction. First, I had students reflect and jot their thinking to the question before we even started talking, while I put them into Zoom breakout rooms by book club. Then they went to break out rooms to begin to answer this question, looking for evidence to support their thinking from their book, for either way they might answer the question. Finally, we came back together and had a whole group discussion. I'm not going to lie, it was a bit rough, but again the best part of my day. To see students grappling with deep thinking, changing their thinking mid-stream, seeing them look in their book to find evidence to support their thinking--it was the best. We'll get there and I'll get better at listening in to the break out rooms to those who may not share as much and then reference their thinking and connect it to someone else's to get a conversation going. These, ironically, are the same issues I struggle with back in our classroom with four walls. </div>
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Is the work that students are doing meaningful?</h3>
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Another nudge I've had from my PLN peeps is to continue to ask, "Is the work that students are doing meaningful?" I can say a resounding yes for reading, as evidenced by their engagement in book clubs and live read alouds. I have definitely had to tweak things along the way. I've always been conflicted about reading logs, but in the frantic rush of our last day together Friday, March 13th, I set up a digital reading notebook template for each student. I actually envision it more as a dialogue journal where we can have conversations about their reading life. I also started a book club discussion doc for each group and linked in an <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_6VQty2U5Fey3Ygrv9Lt_3-YeVUpT5UourqSKHdVdwE/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Epic collection</a> for each time period we were reading about. The Epic collection was a hit, but I had to hound students to do the digital entries, so I'm letting go of the book club discussion doc. The online discussions show me they are reading and thinking. I'm not giving up on the individual digital reading notebooks yet though. I still think this could be a great way for me to stay connected to each student and support their reading goals. </div>
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Is there engagement? Where does the energy for the work come from?</h3>
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Right now, however, we are struggling with writing. I mentioned in a Facebook post that I think part of it comes from not having enough interaction with writing partners and the energy that comes from that. So we started writing clubs today. I feel like the first time for anything digital is always a bit of a hot mess. I've started telling myself to expect something to go wrong and that I'll have to problem solve. There's a piece of me that wanted to super control it. Go back through all the amazing resources from my PLN and pull something together, but a couple things are giving me pause. First, I don't have time. I'm tired. More than that I think I need to live the process with my students and develop what our writing clubs look like <i>with</i> them. I think it will give them ownership, a sense of agency, and make the work meaningful. I did end up creating a Google Doc with a class list and linked in their names. I thought they could record in this doc, but there wasn't time. It really just gave them access to each other's writing. So we came together in a Zoom conference. I explained that I know they are needing time to talk and get ideas from their partners and sent them off to a break out rooms. Some groups had plenty to talk about others did need more direction, but I know the time to talk brought energy to their writing projects. So we will try this again next week! </div>
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How do we honor the guided practice component of the gradual release model?</h3>
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As I do this work I also ask, "How does the component of the gradual release model fit in?" Because they surely don't fit in the way they used to! We cannot simply replicate the classroom. The beauty of the gradual release model is the opportunity for feedback, feedback from us as teachers and feedback from peers. I think it's easy, well relatively easy, to do the modeling, synchronous or asynchronous, in this learning environment. I think the tricky piece of this work is ensuring that there is guided practice. This is what I've been playing with, thinking about, and talking about as of late. Thank you to my peeps in Lamar CISD in Texas for your collaboration around this! You always inspire me! How do we find ways to ensure a place for guided practice and student-to-student connection? How do we capture the magic that responsive teaching affords us in the gradual release model?</div>
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So I think just like we do in workshop with our reading and writing lives, we live it in order to know how to best guide our students. We need to live <i>this</i> from the inside out in order to best be able to support our students in this journey. Thank you, Steph Harvey, for this reminder! And we need not be afraid to try different and new things with our students. We need not be afraid to fail and make mistakes. We are all in the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwsmicqjyFg" target="_blank">learning pit</a> right now. And while the learning pit is hard, we can learn so much there! Thank you for this reminder, Becky Gill! Let's all climb out together. (<i>I think this video I linked is my favorite for the learning pit. I love how the narrator, I'm assuming the teacher, used her kids' pictures. I think I'll use this for an SEL lesson soon!</i>)</div>
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I don't know if you've felt this way, but it's so awkward doing a live read aloud online. There isn't the same back-and-forth energy. How do I orchestrate the guided practice? So I've been using the chat feature, telling students that as I read aloud, if they have thinking to jot it in the chat. That has helped. It is also helpful to pretend they are responding, "You might be thinking..." and then, "I'm wondering too." Then here's a little way to get feedback, "Thumbs up if you agree, sideways thumb if you're thinking something else."</div>
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So here's a list of some ideas I am trying:</div>
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<li>Use the chat feature during live video discussions as a backchannel.</li>
<li>Use thumbs up, thumbs sideways, or thumbs down to assess understanding.</li>
<li>During live read alouds, use break out rooms as a turn and talk.</li>
<li>During recorded read alouds, use Padlet or Flipgrid and when you ask them to pause the video, instead of having them jot on a post-it, have them jot or record in the Padlet or Flipgrid.</li>
<li>Set up writing partners or clubs and they can meet when <i>they</i> need to during set times.</li>
<li>Use a Google doc for reading and writing to keep dialogue going about their thinking and reflection on goals. </li>
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What I know for sure is that we need each other in this. I am beginning to do this work with other teachers and students, practicing together, doing some modeling, doing some coaching modules, and problem-solving all along the way! Contact me if you would be interested in having me work with your district. Wishing you all the best! We got this.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439886759698446010.post-86628902538213525532017-03-24T15:30:00.000-05:002017-03-25T22:03:39.062-05:00The Reading Strategies Book Study - Goal #7<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;">
Supporting Comprehension in Fiction: Understanding Theme and Ideas</h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small; white-space: pre-wrap;">by Jen Burton</span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline;">This goal brings me back to my roots as a teacher and coach. Some of the first work I did with teachers as a coach was collaborating around how to teach theme. Our "go to" resource was the Comprehension Toolkit. Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis' work inspired me to teach these skills through authentic reading experiences and the importance of letting our students in on our reading process, so we can provide them with strategies in how they can too can do this work to go deeper in their thinking. I was thrilled to see that Jen referenced this work in her introduction for this strategy. </span><br />
Below are five lessons, and the prompts, that are key in supporting students in understanding theme and the big ideas in a text.<br />
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<b style="text-align: center;"><u>Lesson 7.12 Digging Deeper to Find a Story's Topic</u></b></span></h3>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline;">When thinking about theme there are a couple ways to get after it. You may be reading along and you just have a gut feeling about what the theme is for that text. THEN you go back and find evidence to support this theme. This is represented in Lesson 7.12, "Dig Deeper to Find a Story's Topics" with "Maybe it's..." in referring to the theme or topic. It's interesting to me that these are called "topics." Jen suggests that naming these topics are a great starting point, but that we should expect students to state the theme in a whole sentence. She gives the example, "You can create your own family by surrounding yourself with people who love you" instead of just, "family." This makes me wonder and want to clarify then, what is the difference between a theme and a thesis statement? In the past we've talked about a theme being one word and a thesis statement being a whole sentence or thought. Maybe the thesis statement is more tied to the specific text?</span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I think it's helpful that there is an anchor story identified for each theme/topic.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline;">Themes Harry Potter Characters Taught Us</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Can you think of one word that fits with this story? </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Think about the character's problem. If you said it in one word, what would it be? </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Check the chart of words that are common topics in books. Do any fit with this one? </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Explain your thinking. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">You might say, "I think it could be ________ (topic) because _______." </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Think about how the story ends. What's the last thing you're left thinking about.</span></span></li>
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<b style="text-align: center;"><u>Lesson 7.4 What Can Characters Teach Us?</u></b></span></h3>
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Or you may look over the evidence that you've collected, and that leads you to a theme. <b>Lesson 7.4 "What Can Characters Teach Us?"</b> gestures towards that kind of work. I like how the characters name is in the middle of the web with the evidence from the text, connected to theme words or topics, are all around. Then have students do some "long and strong" writing about the main theme. I think you could also have a theme word in the middle, and have evidence, just for that theme, around. Then students "write long and strong" about that theme. Jen also talks about how we want our students to notice multiple themes in a story, not just the dominant theme.</div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Find a spot where the characters shows a good trait.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">How would you describe how the character is acting here?</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">What can the character teach you?</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">What are you learning from this character?</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">You can try saying, "______ taught me that if ______, you should ______."</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">You can try, " _______ is acting like _______, so I'm learning _______."</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Think about that trait. What can you learn?</span></span></li>
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<b style="text-align: center;"><u>Lesson 7.2 The Difference Between Plot and Theme</u></b></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Jen gives a hat tip here to </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Strategies That Work: Teaching Comprehension for Understanding and Engagement </i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">by Harvey & Goudvis. This is basically the lesson I had done when I was first working with this strategy. This double entry journal allows you to combine both approaches from above. You may fill in the "theme" column first, as it just hits you. Or maybe you've collected evidence of the important events in the story and then you infer a theme from that evidence.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><b>Prompts:</b></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">What's happening?</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">What's most important in all you just told me?</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is your idea about what's happening?</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">What else do you think is a possible big idea from the story?</span></span></li>
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<i style="font-size: 14.6667px;">There are two other lessons that I can't leave out as we talk about helping students identify theme:</i></div>
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<b style="text-align: center;"><u>Lesson 7.1 Notice a Pattern and Give Advice</u></b></h3>
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Both of the above strategies are more aligned with higher levels of text. I like <b>lesson 7.1 Notice a Pattern and Give Advice</b> because it makes this thinking work accessible for our youngest readers. I love the visuals! It makes it soooooo simple, getting right to the heart of what theme is all about. In order for a big idea to be a theme you should be able to find a pattern of evidence to support that theme (CCSS R.1 & R.3). And it is connected to a life lesson or central lesson (CCSS R.2).</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><b>Prompts:</b></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">What does the character do over and over?</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">What's the pattern here?</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">What would you tell the character?</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Give advice.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Start with, "You should ______."</span></span></li>
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<b style="text-align: center;"><u>Lesson 7.18 Character Change Can Reveal Lessons</u></b></h3>
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We know how important it is for our students to identify how a character has changed across a story. I think connecting that work to this bigger work in <b>Lesson 7.18 "Character Change Can Reveal Lessons?"</b> makes it more meaningful. It's grounded in "What do you notice?" "Now push your thinking, what does that mean?" "Why is it important?" </div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here's a video of Jennifer Serravallo in a "Research-Decide-Teach" conference around this goal.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><b>Prompts:</b></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">What were you thinking about in the beginning of the book?</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">What were you thinking about at the end of the book?</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Who is this character as a person?</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">What did the character learn?</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Think about what has happened.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">When I am trying to look for bigger ideas, I try this, "Even though _______, you should ________."</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Are you saying ________, what kind of person would do that?</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Yes, that is an idea about you, not from the book.</span></span></li>
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The work of this goal is what I might call our end game as teachers and readers. It makes me think of the <a href="http://www.stephanieharvey.com/sites/default/files/comprehension_continuum.pdf" target="_blank">Comprehension Continuum</a>. To reach towards the loftier end of this continuum we ask, "How has what I read changed me as a reader?" and "Now that I know this, how can I change the world?" This work of inferring theme allows us to begin to answer those questions. </div>
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I also like how Jen talks about the work of this goal as using multiple skills. We are not just inferring, but also determining importance and synthesizing. It gets to the idea that it's not about one skill or strategy, but that ultimately we want our students to use strategies flexibly to get to deeper meaning in a text and impact their lives and others!</div>
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A tool we've been using to help our students go deep with their thinking and evaluate their own work are <a href="https://vimeo.com/162706681" target="_blank">micro-progressions</a> from Kate & Maggie Beattie Robert's DIY Literacy: Teaching Tools for Differentiation, Rigor, and Independence. </div>
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Here's a video from Teachers College using a <a href="https://vimeo.com/55951743" target="_blank">micro-progression with theme</a>: </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTyhA4wy6BHujOvUfwV5xRfxwhs9CyyV6HvdzIvhKEfZJu1Yq9XmFmqE_Q8E4UDU4NUmAp2jkVx-TihPFmmlEjIvXR7bSqBqocCQ9W8X0cj00gPakMHfE0TRUqg0VIXTTuRuQp3XxDBRDP/s1600/TC+Theme+Micro-Progression.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTyhA4wy6BHujOvUfwV5xRfxwhs9CyyV6HvdzIvhKEfZJu1Yq9XmFmqE_Q8E4UDU4NUmAp2jkVx-TihPFmmlEjIvXR7bSqBqocCQ9W8X0cj00gPakMHfE0TRUqg0VIXTTuRuQp3XxDBRDP/s640/TC+Theme+Micro-Progression.tiff" width="640" /></a></div>
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I was thinking that at the end of our book study we could celebrate with a Twitter Chat. We'll have a combination of a slow chat and a regular chat on April 6th, the day after our book study ends. So this means we can post all day to #TheReadingStrategiesBook. Then at 6pm CST I'll host a regular Twitter Chat. That way we can interact live. Hope you can join in! It would be great to connect.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439886759698446010.post-20531331878016021962017-02-25T18:03:00.000-06:002017-03-13T01:09:46.188-05:00Small Group & Conferring Institute DAY 4: Small Groups in Reading<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;">Evolution of Small Groups Across a Unit and Across the Year</span><span id="docs-internal-guid-4dcc0ed4-759d-ffc6-d4e9-492e9caff8a6"></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Posted by Jen Burton</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is the day I had been waiting for, Small Groups in Reading! Like I had mentioned <span id="docs-internal-guid-f8984945-7b45-5517-7a6f-b1f352f12b74"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline;">in earlier posts</span></span>, I have felt comfortable with the concept of flexible grouping in the upper grades (</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>2nd-ish through 5th</i></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">) for a while now, but what does that look like in primary? I've actually walked away with principles that apply to both primary and intermediate, as well as the nuances between them.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Across the grades, we start the year off with conferring. We know how important it is for us to get to know our students, so this time is critical </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>and</i></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> fun. Treasure those moments of discovering who your students are, what they like and dislike, their strengths and challenges. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>As we begin a unit, we typically start off with <u>table conferences</u></b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, as this allows us to make sure everyone is on track, heading in the right direction. I had posted about different grouping structures earlier, so I won't go into those now. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Once everyone is on a roll and we've built some stamina to work independently, we can begin <b><u>conferring</u></b>. Once we've <i>collected data</i> through conferring, we may notice trends, and start pulling some <u style="font-weight: bold;">strategy groups</u>. What we are teaching in the strategy groups, the teaching points, are from the units, so they are developmentally appropriate. If students are off level, then you would go back to earlier, or later, points in the progressions. Since the progressions for reading don't start until second grade, we are using the <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MyBAcg7qkL879CaKoiVVTk0F1rbl3bj-vXupJv1yLNg/edit" target="_blank">F&P Continuum of Literacy Learning</a> for our progression of reading skills for levels A-L.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>It's when</i> we notice students <a href="http://www.heinemann.com/fountasandpinnell/handouts/InstructionalLevelExpectationsForReading.pdf" target="_blank">plateauing at a level</a>, THAT is when we plan a </b><b style="font-family: arial; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: red;">SERIES OF LESSONS</span></b><span style="font-family: "arial"; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><b style="font-family: arial; white-space: pre-wrap;">or as <i>The Guide to the Reading Workshop</i> refers to them, a </b><b style="font-family: arial; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: red;">ladder of lessons</span></b><span style="font-family: "arial"; white-space: pre-wrap;">, </span><b style="font-family: arial; white-space: pre-wrap;">to help move students along to the next level of text complexity; for intermediate we consider <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4ABtGd0uHkgS2xhRXd6cmFtcm8/view" target="_blank">bands of text</a></b><span style="font-family: "arial"; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>A series of lessons is designed around the idea of the gradual release model</b>. The initial lessons with the students will start with a heavier scaffold, more support, more coaching, while the later lessons will have a lighter scaffold, less support, leaner coaching. The goal being to get them to independence at this <a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1MyBAcg7qkL879CaKoiVVTk0F1rbl3bj-vXupJv1yLNg" target="_blank">new level</a> or into the next <a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B4ABtGd0uHkgS2xhRXd6cmFtcm8" target="_blank">band of text</a>. After every lesson we ask, <i>"How close are they to this new level?"</i> and "<i>What supports do they need to be successful at this new level?" </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Before we can begin planning this series of lessons however, it is helpful to do a <b>running record and some error analysis</b> to know what kind of support, including <a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B4ABtGd0uHkgMVB4bkpDcldubGs" target="_blank">word work</a>, will best support moving the students into this next level. A series of lessons could look like this:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Day 1</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> could be <a href="http://www.readingrockets.org/content/pdfs/SharedReading.pdf" target="_blank">shared reading</a>. Select words to cover and cues to give based on error analysis & based on that F&P level. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(High Scaffold)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Day 2</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> might be strategy group. A teaching point is pulled from the F&P level descriptors and applied in their own or a shared text. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(Medium to Low Scaffold)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Day 3</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> might be a guided reading lesson. Pull a focus for meaning, structure, & visual to highlight in book intro. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(Medium to High Scaffold)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Shared reading and writing will be relied on more heavily in the primary grades than the intermediate, especially to move students up the early levels of text.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>The "aha" for me in this, was that the shared reading and strategy group sessions in a series of lessons is <u>targeted to the F&P level or band</u>, highlighting and explicitly teaching the behaviors from that level that we believe will bump them up. </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">As you wrap up the series of lessons these are possible next steps, based on what you notice about your readers:</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If students rocked it. Then next time, do another guided reading group (leaner intro) (</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Medium Scaffold</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">) or if they really rocked it a strategy group. (</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Low Scaffold</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If students still struggle. Then maybe more shared reading in books at that level (</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">High Scaffold</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">) or guided reading with more support & coaching, and an introduction. (</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">High to Medium Scaffold</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></li>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><u>You continue with small groups until you run out of data.</u></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: red; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Then</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> you </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><u>return to conferring</u></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: red; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">until</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>you have more data to form small groups again</i></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is the evolution or cycle of small groups and conferring. A</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">s we notice student behaviors, data, then we form small groups around:</span></span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>behaviors connected to the non-negotiable teaching points of the unit,</b></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>behaviors that will move students through the levels of text complexity,</b></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>behaviors connected to habits of thinking, motivation, or engagement.</b></span></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: large; vertical-align: baseline;">This is what we form small groups around in reading. So much of this is dependent on our </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: large; vertical-align: baseline;"><u>professional judgement.</u></span></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">In all of this we can't forget that what makes the <b>most impact, along with targeted, explicit instruction, is lots and lots and lots of independent reading</b>. One of our most important jobs is to get our students to <i>LOVE</i> to read. I'm so glad that Jennifer Serravallo's book, <i><a href="http://www.heinemann.com/products/E07433.aspx" target="_blank">The Reading Strategies Book</a></i>, has specific lessons to address engagement and motivation. If students aren't independent reading, it's not their fault, it's on us to use the instructional strategies at hand to support them in getting there. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Guided reading can be such a hot topic as there are so many interpretations of what it looks like. Here are some thoughts shared at the institute:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Guided Reading</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lower Grade and Upper Grade Versions</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Monitor and Fix (Foundational Skills)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Explicit teaching point at the end</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Same text (not independent level) to help get ready to move)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Need support and scaffolds</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Work to release scaffolds</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Not everyone NEEDS guided reading</span></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-4dcc0ed4-7795-80e0-1264-6ce5e0db911f" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Guided Reading in Primary</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Guided Reading up through level L is still supporting students in putting all the parts together. They are reading the same book, a text level just above independent.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You can do a mix of guided reading and shared reading, along with </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>making texts with kids (especially w/ ELs) because they’ve used what they know to make meaning</b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Stagger the pages kids are reading, so they are NOT reading the same page at the same time.</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b style="font-size: 14.6667px;">IF finding way too much prompting shift to shared reading - gives a nice bump.</b></span></li>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kdg - Sometimes in kindergarten, kids need time. Jan/Feb is a good time to start grouping.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Structure for Guided Reading at Levels A-L (10 minutes!)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Book Introduction (mini - 2-3 minutes)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Meaning: Give some background about the book </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Structure: Grammar or language structures to pre-teach</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Visual: Word study patterns to support decoding</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Coach - Get students reading quickly - stagger their reading of pages, so they are NOT reading the same page.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Below H - subvocalize - whisper read</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">H and above - read silently in their minds and ask to whisper read when you get to them.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Discuss briefly</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Give a Teaching Point for that F&P level to move them up.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Guided Reading in Intermediate</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Level L/M and up typically you don’t need a lot on monitoring words - you mostly need to support comprehension. Intermediate you really only need guided reading to move students from one </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4ABtGd0uHkgS2xhRXd6cmFtcm8/view" target="_blank">band of text</a></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> to another. :</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">M to N</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Q to R</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">T to U</span></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">W to X</span></li>
</ul>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">The best way to identify the behaviors to target is an error analysis of a running record. Then you can look for patterns and behaviors to support for comprehension or word work.</span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Structure for Guided Reading at Levels M-Z (10 min.!)</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Book or short text introduction and text level introduction (best with a series): What will be new in this band to pay closer attention to?</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Leave it there OR </span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Coach them to thinking, giving them prompts or ?s, rhetorical ?s to ask themselves, not quizzing, but prompting them to be thinking in a part of the text. So we can talk at the end of what they learned, give a teaching point to support them around.</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If they are not yet ready, reflect on how close are they now. Then we can think, “How can we support them now?”</span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As students run into trouble don’t drag out prompting, leading them on, we can tell them:</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Could the character be doing...bc of this and this and this, go back and reread and see if this is a possibly.</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If miscue Pumpkin???? Could it be pumpkin, go back and reread, triple check the word. Ya it’s pumpkin bc there’s a pumpkin and there’s the word, now keep reading.</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Try a couple of strategies, if they don’t work, give it to them so they can go.</span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: large; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Traps of Guided Reading</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We spend a long time giving a book into. If we have to spend that long, students may not be ready for that level. We want to give just enough for them to be able to read. There should be things they’re struggling with and you’re giving them a bit of support. If the text is easily read, then they don’t need guided reading</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our prompting. We want to keep the readers moving. We get trapped with one student, giving too many prompts & strategies. </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hierarchy of Prompts - From lesser Scaffolding to More</span></div>
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<ul>
<li>First prompt is always wait time</li>
<li>Shrug</li>
<li>Huh?</li>
<li>First prompt w/o pointing</li>
<li>Lean prompt - “Check that.”</li>
<li>What part are you stuck on?</li>
<li>Does that sound like a word you know?</li>
<li>You know, _______ from our word wall, could that help you? (Then confirm how the kid knows it.)</li>
<li>A couple tries - give it.</li>
<li>Could that word be “around.”</li>
<li>That word is “around.”</li>
</ul>
We wouldn't do all of these prompts at once, obviously, but knowing our students, we start with the leanest possible prompts first.<br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: large; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Other nuggets:</span></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-4dcc0ed4-77a0-a918-8970-894d2b1ea7a0"></span></div>
<ul style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Have multiple lenses as you do a read aloud. These are choices to jot about as you read aloud. Then they can practice in independent work.</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We can’t forget to support habits and thinking in conferences and small groups.</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Not everybody needs guided reading. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Guided Reading was originally designed for very early grades to help kids in how to orchestrate the reading process. </b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It has morphed and taken on the meaning of a group in which any type of guidance is provided. </span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you do guided reading all the time; they’ll always need you. </span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We do guided reading when students are just close enough to that next level or band of text and with support of the behaviors needed for that next level or band, along with pre-teaching words/features they might miss, they will be successful and move to becoming independent at this level. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Guided reading groups should be 10 minutes.</b></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Often kids are reading harder and harder texts, but not developing a depth of understanding. We just keep moving them ahead. We need to think about where text complexity intersects with student’s depth of understanding.</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kids that get pulled out should be </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">pulled OUTSIDE</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> of their class reading time. That time should be 10 min of instruction and the rest of the time more independent reading.</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Small groups & conferences can often be extensions of the mini-lesson.</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We can use a </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>hybrid of guided reading</b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> by bringing over four students and have them work in a book slightly above their just right” level, possibly giving a little introduction and letting them supporting each other, while we coach in how to be a supportive partner. You can also use an anchor chart or mini-chart, and post-its. Then every few pages put a post-it on the page and have students talk about it. </span></div>
</li>
</ul>
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<br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Primary prompts for partner work in hybrid guided reading:</span></div>
<ul style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The character is acting like…</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">....is important because…</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What does the word _____________ mean?</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The character feels ___________, so next I think ________________.</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This part fits with the part when ________________________.</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The _____________ is a symbol for ________________.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The setting her is showing the mood ________________. (Don’t just say the setting say the mood too.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Coaching Students to Talk…</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To listen, clarify, extend, and challenge each other</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">There is a lot to consider when implementing small groups in reading. If we stick to what's most important, the idea of letting our students and what we notice about them as readers guide us, then we'll be on the right track. <b>Trust your professional judgement</b> as you consider how to best support your students and plan for instruction. The closing remarks from the institute were the best. Amanda Hartman encouraged us to go out and not just try one thing, but <b>try everything and to not be afraid to fail miserably. It's suppose to be messy, that's when we do our best learning</b>. I look forward to collaborating with my colleagues as I go back and figure out together what this looks like in the classroom. They also left us with some ideas of how we can study together:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">What questions and new learning do you have about small groups in reading?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">What do you plan to go and try?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">How do you plan to collaborate in your learning?</span></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439886759698446010.post-55493008061064835092017-02-23T05:07:00.000-06:002017-02-24T07:48:11.818-06:00Small Group & Conferring Institute DAY 3: Conferring in ReadingWe started off today by comparing the many <b>similarities</b> of conferring in reading to conferring in writing:<br />
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<li>Similar structure: Research, Decide, & Teach (<span id="docs-internal-guid-377b268e-6a7d-87e7-eb50-1932e7a2c1c1"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3g9vk07JkFs" target="_blank">A conference with Jennifer Serravallo</a>)</span></span></li>
<li>A clear teaching point</li>
<li>We give a compliment that is just at the student's edge of learning, something we hope they keep doing.</li>
<li>Students have an opportunity for multiple tries</li>
<li>We use a tool to support conferring - a demonstration notebook or a mini-chart</li>
<li>We give students ambitious and purposeful work</li>
<li>We take notes to inform our instruction</li>
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My <b>new favorite way to take notes</b> is with a class list. I like having three columns per skill to record repeated practice. This allows you to hone in on the non-negotiables of the unit:</div>
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There are important conferences to have with students:</div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thinking While Reading</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Solving Tricky Words/Parts (Identifying Trouble)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Connecting and Synthesizing Parts of a Book</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Beginning and Middle and Ending of a book</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://vimeo.com/55957329" style="text-decoration: none;">Preparing to TALK with partners or clubs</a> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(GREAT Video)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is key to me that we talked about was the importance of <b>studying student work</b>. This is helpful for two reasons:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">As we study students' work we'll see <b>trends emerge</b> and allows us to see a <b>progression of learning</b>. Not only do we use that to inform our instruction, but we can create a <b>micro-progression</b> on a chart to put up in the class for students to evaluate their work. This is my big take away from this week. I need to continue to work at supporting students to be independent in applying the non-negotiable skills and strategies from our units. Here is a GREAT <b>video</b> on micro-progressions from Kate Roberts & Maggie Beattie Roberts and their book <a href="http://www.heinemann.com/products/E07816.aspx" target="_blank">DIY Literacy</a>: Teaching Tools for Differentiation, Rigor, and Independence: <a href="https://vimeo.com/162706681" target="_blank">Micro-progressions</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. Also, as we look at an individual student's work we can see possible compliments and teaching points. It was so helpful to practice doing this as a group. We watched a video of a student reading and generated this list. <b>Here's how the progression of that work went as a group</b>. (<i>By the way I just loved my small group and the fun friends I met at large group! #friendsforlife</i>)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We talked about getting ready for a conference, the research phase...</span></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-377b268e-6a8d-f05b-eea4-bdf2a01665ca"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="606" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Fo-H87xbS6gJL5c-h2jywEhcv7oLFWIMARlAcmUrdDvauSKS8kBvJhWrd2cobTz1uXDb3-ZORw6F_O3OpzC-VrOLiWbPc0kUJVSLZJRkMDNqbuxJNAgnuErvNUFBPuM2AhkZ3IHX" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="454" /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">We talked about possible q</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">uestions & lines of dialogue to ask and follow during research:</span></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-377b268e-6a8e-b5cf-ff75-cecceb6874aa"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="578" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/f7678vJST9mLzO9G8rAd9e1dXwuEJJ9FbRyQrLShjXHjCoQoIj2vLus2ysHEtelGU6T4_LwRZpoRU0G7cFmabw33LUgYsKO2lUsFrXSDQzdKMyro9yvNSQZy5xyAOeb6DRVW9LgV" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="556" /></span></span></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-377b268e-6a90-6244-a71d-bd00ac7b3176"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Then we watched a video to see what we could learn about this student as a reader and what questions do we have about her...</span></span></div>
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We generated a list of possible compliments and teaching points...</div>
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Then we prioritized them...</div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">It was so helpful to collaborate around this work and share our thinking. There were many questions about, "How do we know what to teach?" And Katrina (@katrinadavino), my amazing small group leader, had some great words of wisdom, "As we build our content knowledge of the progression of skills for both reading and writing, then we will know what to teach, but until then, teach the teaching points from the lesson/unit." Take the pressure off, use the charts you've created to support your conferring and small group work!</span></span></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-377b268e-6a96-82cf-29c4-d0043ba8673c"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="614" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/kooyCmBk8d5besZ5Zx6mIG_6isf2tjAWpSLdEOKuiRgEzpqm0iMHhEmdYZymBGDMLYsDsnbutAB9KkuZtKRcU0yPP8bJsZzNtJggo8rCXZcn61iqGGM_4LrXm8ytDmRsMdoQrAPD" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="614" /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am struck once again by the importance of collaborating around this work. It's so much easier, and more fun, to develop our content knowledge together as we talk and share our thinking about student learning and our instruction to support that. Thank you to my small group, my large group, and the fun teachers and coaches from Lisle, IL that I collaborated with this week. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">For me, I'm looking forward to tomorrow, Small Groups in Reading. I feel I am getting so much more clarity in this area for primary (K-1), but I need to be with my people and talk through some of this stuff! Can't wait!</span></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439886759698446010.post-13194912722402976022017-02-22T05:37:00.000-06:002017-02-23T04:11:35.478-06:00Small Group & Conferring Institute DAY 1 & 2<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Small Group and Conferring Institute at Teachers College is four days long and so here is the breakdown:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Day 1: Writing & Conferring</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Day 2: Writing & Small Groups</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Day 3: Reading & Conferring</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Day 4: Reading & Small Groups</span></div>
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<b>DAY 1: WRITING & CONFERRING</b><br />
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I could have spent the whole institute on Day 4: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Reading & Small Groups</i></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, but I’m reminded that conferring </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">is</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> at the heart of workshop. It gets to so many core beliefs about why we do workshop. There are two that come to mind. The first is how conferring supports </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><i>relationships</i></b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and building a community of learners. In our building we say, “It’s all about relationships.” I love that! Through conferring we can uncover a student’s intentions as a writer, which not only allows us to know a student better, but leads to the second core belief: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><i>Choice</i></b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When we work with students, letting them lead the conference, making decisions about what do work on next as a writer, we get buy-in, engagement, and motivation. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cha-ching</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">! Actually, I lied, there’s a third, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><i>accountability</i></b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. I can see & support the skill or strategy the student is working on right there, on the spot. Talk about immediate </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><i>feedback</i></b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A huge take-away for me across both of these days is that we need to be incredibly </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><i>intentional</i></b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> about the work we give students, so that it is </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><i>replicable</i></b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, that they can do it on their own, again and again. Getting students to </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>independence</b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> is our end-game. That’s why it’s so important we give them </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><i>meaningful and authentic</i></b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> work and strategies to get there. We have to have our own reading and writing lives so we know how to break down a skill or strategy into steps. in order to be able to guide students through this work. As a scaffold for us we have resources like Jennifer Serravallo’s books </span><a href="http://www.heinemann.com/products/E07822.aspx" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Writing Strategies Book</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and </span><a href="http://www.heinemann.com/products/E07433.aspx" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Reading Strategies Book</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. It's a process of incorporating these instructional practices into our repertoire of teaching moves. We need to remember that and not be so hard on ourselves. That's also why I love this work it's a journey. Enjoy the journey!</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our reading and writing workshops are all about building habits for students; helping them develop those, "go to" reading and writing moves, that move them forward in their learning. We don’t want them dependent on us for that. We want our students in charge of their own learning. And that is all wrapped up in the nuance of our teaching language. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>So conferring is key because it supports:</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Relationships</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Choice</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Accountability & Independence</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><b>Here are a few other nuggets from Day 1:</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“If you don’t have an idea to say ‘more’ about in your writing, then how about you write a bunch of short entries until you find something to say more about.” </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I think this is a great idea! It takes the pressure off and gives the student choice.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Conferring is a balance between responsive teaching (</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">based on your “research” in the conference</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">) and planning your teaching point ahead (</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">based on looking at student writing</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">).</span></div>
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<b>DAY 2: WRITING & SMALL GROUPS</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">This all lead into Day 2: Writing & Small Groups. </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Amanda Hartman talked about how so may of the things are the same about conferring and small groups. </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ultimately, small groups comes out of trends you are noticing in your conferring and makes your teaching more efficient. Here's a list of the different kinds of small groups:</span></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-b9a47b8c-658b-ced2-5a7b-44cbc3ed85d6"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kinds of Small Groups</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. Table Conference: Ways to support habits and behaviors.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Start with observing behaviors</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Confer with one student</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Complement the whole table</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Highlight one students’ strategies</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Then check in with each student</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. Start with an Individual Conference </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Notice what the student needs instruction in</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Gather a few more kids that need the same thing</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. Repertoire Small Group:</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Reminding them of something and watching them do it more. Check in with each person.</span></div>
<br /><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4. Using small groups to support partner work. </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Partners use the sign while listening to each other(one side: “Keep Going” Other side: “Oops!”) and the teacher coaches with lean coaching prompts.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>5. Inquiry</b> Using a mentor text or a piece of writing, have students notice craft moves and discuss. Coach students in their thinking and discussion about how and why this is helpful and how they can apply to their own writing.</span></span></div>
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<i style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Other nuggets from Day 2:</b></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We don’t need to look for a mentor text for every trait. We can find a handful of books that support many traits. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">First read of a mentor text, just read and let students get connected to the text.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After a key mini-lesson, </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">then</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> take more time for small group to repeat, so you can allow more time for guided practice.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The work we confer with students about should be BIG enough so they are working on it across many days in order to acquire the skill or strategy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Multiple Tries - How many times did the students actually practice? We have to set the expectation and teach students to work during small group instruction.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Most small groups don’t have a demonstration. It takes too long. We want kids WORKING and us COACHING with LEAN prompts.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Look for patterns in our teaching. What are the variety of scaffolds we use and do we differentiate? Or are we saying the same thing to each student in the small group.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When you have tools (</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">create a conferring toolkit</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">), checklist or chart at the ready and your coaching prompts it helps us to not talk so much. So kids have more time to practice. This also gives students something else to rely on besides you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Variety of Scaffolds at our Disposal</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Demonstration</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Explain and Example</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Restate the Teaching </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Give Directions or Prompts</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ask Students to Think About Their Own Work</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Point to or Offer a Tool (Chart or Mentor Text)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Use Gestures</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Goals for Small Group Instruction:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Longer and mostly practice (10 minutes-ish)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dr. Mary Howard - The one important thing to remember. “Meet with kids more frequently for less amount of time.” We don’t have to meet with all kids the same amount of time, but all kids should get equity. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Variety of Scaffolds: More or Less Scaffolds</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What are the prompts that I use</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How do I provide support and feedback in small group</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You can coach with a variety of moves</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Restate the teaching point</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Demonstrate</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Show a chart or checklist</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Did you respond to each student differently </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Did you stay on the teaching point</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Who needs more? Who needs less? </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Multiple Tries - How many times did the students actually practice?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Series of Small Group Work</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Make them as engaging as possible</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lead students to work with more independence </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>For me I definitely want to get students working during the small group, so I can see them taking multiple tries at a strategy or skill. It feels a little like whack-a-mole, but I think the more I practice the better I'll get at it. I also want to be reflective of the different kinds of prompts I'm using to coach in small group. Am I saying the same thing to each student or am I differentiating?</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What are your goals for small group instruction?</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439886759698446010.post-64240084385951530392017-02-20T04:33:00.003-06:002017-02-20T04:33:47.126-06:00The Eve of the Small Group and Conferring InstituteIt's the night before the first Small Group and Conferring Institute at Teachers College and I am lucky enough to be able to attend. And...I get to go with my good friend and coaching colleague Sharon Kranz. I am go grateful to have a thinking partner this week. That time to talk, debrief, think some more, and plan will be invaluable.<div>
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Our district is in year two of implementing the Units for Teaching Reading and an additional few more years in with the writing units. Whats has inspired me to come is the Primary Guide to the Reading Workshop. For a while now I've been thinking about flexible grouping. A number of years ago, I read a line in Reading Essentials by Regie Routman that got me thinking, "Once students have cracked the code (for reading), students should no longer be in homogeneous groups." That seemed like a very strong statement and ever since I've been doing action research on using strategy groups. Another book that prompted more thinking on this topic was, <a href="https://www.stenhouse.com/content/more-guided-reading" target="_blank">More than Guided Reading </a>by Cathy Mere. This made sense to me. We could sort student work based on strategies and skills and very specifically target instruction. Reading Jennifer Serravallo's books <a href="http://www.heinemann.com/products/E02680.aspx" target="_blank">Teaching Reading in Small Groups</a> and <a href="http://www.heinemann.com/products/E01101.aspx" target="_blank">Conferring with Readers</a> helped me put some of these practices in place in second grade and up. It was also watching Kathleen Tolan lead a strategy group, where each student had a different book, that grounded me as I moved forward in experimenting with what strategy groups could look like in intermediate. (<i>I'm saddened by <a href="http://readingandwritingproject.org/about/kathleen-tolan" target="_blank">Kathleen's passing</a> and that she won't be leading the institute. She was an amazing instructional leader, such a loss, but she has impacted so many. We are so grateful for her legacy</i>.) </div>
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I'm still learning how to take a strategy or a skill and break it down into steps in order to give students an entry point into that work, but THAT is what is fun about our profession for me. It's an experiment, we there is no one right way to do something and each student is different, requiring something different. While we look to literacy experts to guide us, ultimately we know our students best and need to trust our professional judgment. Jennifer Serravallo's new book <a href="http://www.heinemann.com/products/E07433.aspx" target="_blank">The Reading Strategies Book</a>, give us a scaffold to do this work. And Kate and Maggie Roberts book, <a href="http://www.heinemann.com/products/E07816.aspx" target="_blank">DIY Literacy: Tools for Differentiation, Rigor, and Independence</a>, give us ideas for concrete tools we can make and use in this journey as well. </div>
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I was still struggling with the idea of flexible grouping in the early primary grades, though. Then I read the Primary Guide to the Reading Workshop and I read through each small group section for the first reading unit for first grade; it became so much clearer! The most powerful quote for me was, "To be responsive, there can't just be one way to lead small groups." Why wouldn't we take advantage of all the structures available to us to support students. In K-1 we will definitely be seeing students in typical 10-minute guided reading groups, where we can coach in as we listen to students whisper read a book at their instructional level, but we may want to use shared reading or meet with students in a strategy group where they're applying this work in their own independent texts. </div>
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Last week I had the opportunity to try this out in a kindergarten classroom. We began seeing typical guided reading groups, but as we listened and coached, it became apparent there were three students who needed a bit more coaching than the others. So we were able to release the other two students in the group and over the next couple days just focus on the three. That is <i>one</i> way I see to begin implementing this work. Starting with a grouping structure, but once we see trends give ourselves permission to alter that structure to better meet our students needs. I could also see starting with just conferring. That's how most of the units start anyway, with table conferences and moving into one-on-one or partner conferences. Then as you notice trends and common areas of needs, meeting with those students. The commonality here is that we are <i>noticing</i> what our students need. That is always the key. </div>
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Right now it seems the difference for primary is that students are still in groups with other students that are reading at the same level, for the most part. I have found it to be very beneficial to occasionally, take a week or two and just meet with primary students in strategy groups, especially after we've had explicit instruction around a particular strategy. It allows me to see if they are applying this work independently, as that is our end game.</div>
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My plan is to record my journey here, to share my new learning, thinking, questions, and musings. Tonight I've been trying to capture my questions for this week and I think the big question I have is about structure. I'm beginning to get some of the theory down for small groups and conferring in early primary grades, but what does this actually look like in the classroom. A phrase that I find comforting when things get messy, is "flexibility within structure." I definitely want flexibility, so I can be responsive to student learning, but having a structure to organize and guide is important as well. I'm eager to learn more this week and even more excited that I'll be able to bring back this learning and experiment in classrooms with amazing teachers in my school and district, as well as the other districts I work with across the country.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439886759698446010.post-37367820706041863832013-12-05T04:21:00.001-06:002013-12-05T04:21:38.046-06:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<img class="CSS_LIGHTBOX_SCALED_IMAGE_IMG" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglN826Io2LbQzrUU-_wzfuqa0J1I0jKpsGyU1mT79fgdI19zB3lRlM3qkbEqYJmDVCQJeVDQgWa_RosU45dCwpuwJ2aW2sh5naZqHWfVPZz53Fofge43FtNE1aL6ZB6vkrP9y-UaBWwPI/s1600/nerdlution.PNG" style="height: 292px; width: 413px;" /> </div>
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Wow! This #nerdlution thing really got its hooks in me. It nudged me just enough to get me out of my comfort zone. I have decided what makes me happy is to commit to walking, possibly running, with the dog almost every day, not drinking diet coke any day and writing everyday.<br />
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The first two felt like cheating. I had already started them over Thanksgiving weekend (I must have felt #nerdlution in the air!), but felt I couldn't stop there. I was proud of myself for walking the dog tonight because like others mentioned, crashing for the night sounded like such a good idea. And it was a creepy, rainy, wet night.<br />
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<a href="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=0e99cc6bc1&view=fimg&th=142c216cd276ae56&attid=0.1&disp=inline&safe=1&attbid=ANGjdJ9dMg2DVxZihJ_u3FQuWgUjvUqRDg0C7_wnlRn1Bw294s9cFKC_mPzcO1HscKwvxPdiekpnArGyZqZpvDYxwb3as8Hp9cgrjw0b4UHLPSg8oaiLVDR9Pr9zucI&ats=1386238126670&rm=142c216cd276ae56&zw&sz=w1249-h451" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Displaying photo 1.JPG" border="0" class="aLF-aPX-J1-J3" height="200" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=0e99cc6bc1&view=fimg&th=142c216cd276ae56&attid=0.1&disp=inline&safe=1&attbid=ANGjdJ9dMg2DVxZihJ_u3FQuWgUjvUqRDg0C7_wnlRn1Bw294s9cFKC_mPzcO1HscKwvxPdiekpnArGyZqZpvDYxwb3as8Hp9cgrjw0b4UHLPSg8oaiLVDR9Pr9zucI&ats=1386238126670&rm=142c216cd276ae56&zw&sz=w1249-h451" width="195" /></a></div>
<br />
But then as I rounded the corner this is what I saw.<br />
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<img alt="Displaying photo 2.JPG" class="aLF-aPX-J1-J3" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=0e99cc6bc1&view=fimg&th=142c216cd276ae56&attid=0.3&disp=inline&safe=1&attbid=ANGjdJ-ni3X_Mci1KNdzGzVthh-pGEdHcxmdDlVb4Cq_t27JqjvdnoZsG3itW9Zp5CojDULUL4LMYoUw5rEi2EJjGOECNs91o0dTfQQ67BRUh_hSE1nUAWvXEDVubf8&ats=1386238126671&rm=142c216cd276ae56&zw&sz=w1249-h451" /><br />
<br />
It brought all the warmth and spirit of the season rushing right over me and knew I was meant to be here, doing this. My step became lighter and I enjoyed pushing myself the rest of the walk.<br />
<br />
I knew there was more to be done tonight though, so I decided to push myself even more, no literally push myself out of bed because I had fallen asleep putting child #2 to bed, after we played Risk. (It feels a little sacrilegious admitting I was not reading her a bedtime story, but we're obsessed with the Risk app!) Anyway, I noticed an encouraging Tweet to see my #nerdlution through and I got out of bed, rummaged through digital files and emails looking for my most recent draft. I found it 4.27.12. Had it been that long since I worked on this piece?!?<br />
<br />
Working to orient myself, looking over notes, it felt kind of like fumbling through the cupboard for the coffee machine. But once I got into it, I was brought right back into my thinking at the time. And it was like having coffee with an old friend. I don't know where this process will end up, but I know the journey and perseverance is good for me. I thrive on the community support and connections. I know I'm going to learn a lot from my PLN these next 50 days and beyond. So part of my #nerdlution is to see this writing project through and work on it a bit every day.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439886759698446010.post-77110766901572390232013-07-24T09:49:00.000-05:002013-07-24T09:49:21.062-05:00#BLC13<br />
<br />
Amazing thinking and learning going on at the Building Learning Communities Education Conference 2013 in Boston. I'll be following at #BLC13 to get in on some of that awesome pd. I have been blown away by the opportunities we have to take charge of our own professional learning through online resources!<br />
<br />
So, Yong Zhao gave a keynote and this is some of the thinking it led to for me. Here's some of his thinking from "Catching Up or Leading the Way:<br />
<br />
He believes that schools should offer a comprehensive, balanced
curriculum that includes opportunities for students to explore and
develop both left and right brain thinking. They should also help
children develop a global awareness, an appreciation for differences, an
understanding and an ability to interact with the digital world, and
the knowledge to develop a healthy mind and body. Schools must also
allow children to study what interests them, what they are passionate
about, and what they are good at. <br />
<br />
I so agree that this is what we need to do in schools in our classrooms!<br />
<br />
Another quote I read that was a popular tweet is, "Education - Make things that are meaningful to other people" by Dr. Zhao. I think this is so true because it gives our students a sense of purpose and a real audience!<br />
<br />
I also loved this <a href="http://tinyurl.com/ltogxly" target="_blank">Design Thinking Process</a> created by Tom Barrett, follow @tombarret.<br />
<br />
I look forward to following the conversations at #BLC13 <br />
<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439886759698446010.post-53855562349053531792012-09-08T13:00:00.000-05:002012-09-08T13:07:02.669-05:00Great Conversations - Student Growth! What a great day Thursday! I don't know how often you can say that about a day as an educator where you had a WHOLE day meeting about RtI, but through our discussions I'm hopeful that we will bring authenticity to the whole data analysis thing and our problem solving process.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Imagine-Day-Byron-Preiss-Book/dp/0689852193" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Imagine a Day" border="0" height="320" id="coverImage" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1176383053l/618060.jpg" width="315" /></a> It makes me think about the book <i>Imagine a Day </i>by Sarah L. Thomson. The description reads..."Imagine a day when your swing swings you higher than the highest
treetops. Imagine a day when you can ride your bike up a path of falling
leaves into the very tree they are falling from. Imagine a day when you
release a handful of blue balloons into a cloudy, gray sky to create a
postcard-perfect day. Imagine a day when the ordinary becomes the
extraordinary...a day when anything is possible." This is what we do for kids when we collaborate and keep them at the forefront of our conversations! Anything is possible - imagine a day like that! <br />
<br />
As a team we talked about how we want to bring more formative assessment data to these meetings. And I loved it that some of us stopped the meeting and said, "Wait, what does that look like?" I'm so glad we clarified this. We talked about how it means we want to bring authentic student work (or analysis of it) to the table. It's by looking at this work and our conversations with students through our conferring that we will impact student growth scores. If we <i>really </i>want to see student growth, we need to focus on these specific reading, writing, and mathematical behaviors that we identify along with the students to move them forward, not merely selecting a goal from the list of skills generated from a writ score from a MAP test. Do we use that to help guide our instruction and narrow our goal? <i>Yes</i>. But is that a "goal" for a student. <i>No</i>. There's so much more to setting goals. I guess I'm excited that the goal setting we do with students in the classroom, as my dear friend Ann Marie Corgill talks about "Growing Readers..." and "Growing Writers...", will now become part of our <i>core</i> conversations in these meetings. That's how we'll see student growth - just imagine!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439886759698446010.post-49893812445444290722012-03-31T02:28:00.000-05:002012-03-31T02:28:16.161-05:00Slice of Life #31 - I Feel Unwriterly Today<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpVzGicyqBMkupYSNade0Z8apx1KHefj0VcKSjgTyX7rOctOOVOq3w4i4gJvkfaUp3TKoEi0JxUPzC4uFL37xeVtxzP7l6CeP5GreIvJ87XhQvGDjux7RPJJNbmCv7jfiMfKRVMZe-npx3/s1600/Slice+of+Life+2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpVzGicyqBMkupYSNade0Z8apx1KHefj0VcKSjgTyX7rOctOOVOq3w4i4gJvkfaUp3TKoEi0JxUPzC4uFL37xeVtxzP7l6CeP5GreIvJ87XhQvGDjux7RPJJNbmCv7jfiMfKRVMZe-npx3/s1600/Slice+of+Life+2012.jpg" /></a></div>
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<strong>"Unwritten"</strong></div>
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<strong>by</strong></div>
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<strong>Natasha Bedingfield</strong></div>
<strong></strong><br />
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I am unwritten, can't read my mind, I'm undefined</div>
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I'm just beginning, the pen's in my hand, ending unplanned</div>
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<br /></div>
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Staring at the blank page before you</div>
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Open up the dirty window</div>
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Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find</div>
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<br /></div>
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Reaching for something in the distance</div>
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So close you can almost taste it</div>
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Release your inhibitions</div>
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Feel the rain on your skin</div>
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No one else can feel it for you</div>
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Only you can let it in</div>
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No one else, no one else</div>
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Can speak the words on your lips</div>
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Drench yourself in words unspoken</div>
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Live your life with arms wide open</div>
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Today is where your book begins</div>
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The rest is still unwritten</div>
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<br /></div>
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Oh, oh, oh</div>
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I break tradition, sometimes my tries, are outside the lines</div>
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We've been conditioned to not make mistakes, but I can't live that way</div>
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<br /></div>
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Feel the rain on your skin</div>
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No one else can feel it for you</div>
<div style="margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; text-align: center;">
Only you can let it in</div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; text-align: center;">
No one else, no one else</div>
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Can speak the words on your lips</div>
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Drench yourself in words unspoken</div>
<div style="margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; text-align: center;">
Live your life with arms wide open</div>
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Today is where your book begins</div>
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The rest is still unwritten</div>
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<br />
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Today I just didn't feel "writerly." I thought what a horrible way to end this beautiful challenge. It shouldn't be this way I thought. I should feel more "writerly" shouldn't I??? I began to think I'm just not pushing myself enough and asked, "Am I just phoning it in?" Then I heard this song as I was running today and and I ran a bit harder, it summed up how I was feeling. All I can see sometimes is that blank page, I need to trust that if I "open the window" and "feel the rain," "drench myself in words unspoken" ideas and words will come. Some days they'll be good, but most days it will be dribble. <br />
<br />
I also read some quotes about writer's block in a link posted yesterday at <a href="http://merelydaybyday.blogspot.com/2012/03/sols-30-best-things-in-life-start-with.html" target="_blank">Merely Day By Day</a> by Cathy Mere that were very encouraging!<br />
<br />
I have learned that when I write from the gut I think it's most powerful and moving. What I've also learned is that even when my writing is dribble, there is some nugget of truth in about me and when you're part of a writing community they appreciate it because they get to know you a little better. They see past the yuck and mine it for the nugget. It makes it a safe place to "have a go" at this writing thing because as we know the only way to get better is to write. My favorite quote is below. It was under the heading, "Cope with Badness."<br />
<br />
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"We can't be as good as we'd want to, so the question then becomes, how do we cope with our own badness?" by Nick Hornby</div>
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<br /> </div>
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That's how I feel today.<br />
<br />
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I've also been struggling with where to go from here. I know I want to keep up with Tuesday slices, but I can't keep up more than one blog. My original intention was for this blog, "Refining Our Craft" to be reflections of our teaching lives, but I don't think it's stretch to include writing in with the "Craft." After all, I strongly believe that to be good writing teachers we need to be writer's, so I feel I will be doing just that. <br />
</div>
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I'm also excited about April being poetry month! And have already included <a href="http://myjuicylittleuniverse.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">My Juicy Little Universe</a> by Heidi Mordhorst and <a href="http://www.nowaterriver.com/poetry-month-2012-a-preview-of-delights-to-come/" target="_blank">No Water River</a> by Renee LaTulippe on my blog roll to see what it's all about. I already had subscribed to <a href="http://www.poemfarm.amylv.com/2012/03/baby-dreams-poetry-month.html" target="_blank">The Poem Farm</a> by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater and would highly recommend it!I'm excited to continue refining my craft of writing poetry - I know I have a long way to go, but so far it's been fun! </div>
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It has been a pleasure and a priviledge joining all of you in this challenge. I have learned and been inspired by you and find your writing and your words filter into my thoughts through out my days. The beauty of your language and craft have become a part of me - know you've changed me for the better! We'll catch up on Tuesdays or more!</div>
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<br /></div>
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I did also remember a quote that talked about reflecting on your writing is not writing, so I had a go at squeezing out a poem, like Elsie talked about in her slice yesterday at <a href="http://lcinmo.wordpress.com/2012/03/30/squeezing-a-poem/" target="_blank">elsie tries writing</a>, in honor of Poetry Friday!</div>
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<strong><u>Slice</u></strong></div>
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So</div>
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comes</div>
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loveless</div>
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endings<br />
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439886759698446010.post-85523958019987084042012-03-30T00:06:00.000-05:002012-03-30T10:33:08.936-05:00Slice of Life #30 - IRC Reflections<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS6-QBxFM6jR3IDJPI3sychYXi4GT7AJzkDmDl-hk6gKpECVLZ6RRwGxTVOqMj2lFafU31Xty4PThQ80GrnbDYwv_su5Om9KMo0ySDMg7_3IF8Tw4-vEq3JaoEQXLTP-P9AbBhEitJEimd/s1600/Slice+of+Life+2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" dea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS6-QBxFM6jR3IDJPI3sychYXi4GT7AJzkDmDl-hk6gKpECVLZ6RRwGxTVOqMj2lFafU31Xty4PThQ80GrnbDYwv_su5Om9KMo0ySDMg7_3IF8Tw4-vEq3JaoEQXLTP-P9AbBhEitJEimd/s1600/Slice+of+Life+2012.jpg" /></a>A couple of weeks ago I attended the Illinois Reading Conference in Springfield, Illinois. We were lucky to be able to go as a team, all the literacy coaches in our district (except one who is on maternity leave - we missed her!). We had the privilege of listening to so many amazing authors and educators and here are some of my take aways...</div>
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1. The first session I went to was Patricia MacLachlan speaking about how she is inspired as a writer. She told the behind the scenes stories from where her books came. I have to tell you that she is one great speaker. She's hilarious and sassy! My favorite book has always been <em>All the Places to Love</em>! I'm looking forward to reading <em>Kindred Souls</em>, as she told about how this story came from her own grandfather and the sod house he had built and has strong connections for her growing up on the prairie in Cheyenne Wyoming. <span style="color: #cc0000;">It was just a great reminder and inspiring to see how you can weave together fiction stories based on your own life.</span></div>
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2. This may seem small, but it's a nuance about instruction. We were at Harvey Daniels presentation and he was sharing a video and talking with students about "What does it look like" when we are collaborating. In the video the teacher, Debbie King, was having her students help her create a chart for this. The students began by saying the typical things, "We listen." There were a few other responses then I saw her push them to be more specific. She said, "What do you do when you're listening?" They began then to share things like, "turn your head towards the person." <span style="color: blue;">It taught me to get <em>very</em> specific when listing behaviors, otherwise I don't think these charts are really helpful to students.</span></div>
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3. Another amazing author/educator/consultant we heard was Ann Grall Reichel! She has done amazing work in science and shares that thinking in her book, "Expect More: Children Can Do Remarkable Things." But now she has been expanding her work to social studies also. <span style="color: purple;">My biggest take away is the power of visual literacy and using art, along with multiple sources, specifically complex texts and original sources to dig deeper into time period in history.</span> She showed this picture below and had us make inferences. Then suggested looking to texts to confirm or revise our thinking.</div>
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<a href="https://encrypted-tbn2.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcROyr6_3PqOQmqpgpQYgJi-WGMRzoXLrR-xOsbDH2X-Io3UaUX_" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: undefined;"><img alt="" border="0" class="rg_hi" data-height="193" data-width="261" height="193" id="rg_hi" src="https://encrypted-tbn2.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcROyr6_3PqOQmqpgpQYgJi-WGMRzoXLrR-xOsbDH2X-Io3UaUX_" style="height: 193px; width: 261px;" width="261" /></a></div>
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3. We were also listening to Seymour Simon share about his amazing nonfiction or "real books" as he likes to call them, with the amazing pictures and powerful comparisons. I realized that making comparison, which I've been finding that students, even young students, are very capable of, really help a reader understand your ideas. He talks about how a blue whale's tongue is the size of a baby elephant! Wow!<span style="color: #0b5394;"> But what really struck me about his presentation was when he talked about how he was inspired to become an author. He talked about how in second grade his teacher took his papers for his story and stapled them together and they all (the class) had to listen to him. It was this power of audience that inspired him to tell stories - people listened! We've all been learning the power of audience this month too!</span></div>
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4. After seeing Chris Tovani, I couldn't help but go up to her and tell her that I felt like I was in church. I just wanted to keep saying, "Amen, sister!" She spoke so powerfully about the importance of teaching students strategies all the way through high school and not just for strategies sake, but as a way for them to unlock meaning for them with a text, there's a purpose in them. They seem to forget this in high school. <span style="color: magenta;">What struck me when she was talking though, was how she mentioned that we are always thinking when we're reading, but we are either thinking about the text or we are thinking about something else. It was the something else that I'm not sure if I've talked enough about with students.</span> For us it could be our shopping list, what we're making for dinner, emails we need to send, etc. For our students it could be playing outside, texting friends, what sport practice they have after school, essentially daydreaming. That's what <span style="color: magenta;">we want students to notice and listen to, the voice that's in their head and realize if it is about the text or something else. And if it's something else that means they need to do something to get back on track. </span></div>
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There was so much more, but those were some of the highlights. I have to say though, that the best part of the conference was being able to share and discuss new learning with my colleagues. We never have enough time for this!<br />
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Just for kicks here's a quote about Lincoln by Stephen Douglas, because you couldn't help but be in awe of this amazing leader and lover of books as you were there! This quote I think shows the power of the story:<br />
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<em>"Everyone of his stories seems like a whack across my back...Nothing else - not any of his arguments or any of his replies to my questions - disturbs me. But when he begins to tell a story, I feel that I am to be overmatched."</em> <br />
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Stephen A. Douglas about Abraham Lincoln<br />
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<img border="0" height="62" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ_25xnkSR6oUB8aK1PR76i9QztGseG-iN1neuGcIRexN4Q_tzawHzhCkx3XZ33e73Q6372LYoD2xKZ3PIVT1MLXPORl0eelwHQ-qQIKPnvxv43fhHaGjlWPh3Pd_qa2-Jqy8dcRmaPd4/s320/sols_5-colors.gif" width="320" /></div>
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Click <a href="http://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com/2012/03/17/slice-2012-17-of-31/"><span style="color: #136cf3;">here</span></a> to returen to Two Writing Teachers and other slices!</div>
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<span class="post-labels">Labels: <a href="http://ninaswweproject.blogspot.com/search/label/Image%3A%20American%20%20Progress%20%28circa%201872%29%20by%20John%20Gast%3B%20depicts%20modernization%20of%20the%20new%20West." rel="tag"><span style="color: #cc3300;">Image: American Progress (circa 1872) by John Gast; depicts modernization of the new West.</span></a> </span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439886759698446010.post-81342196385173180332012-03-29T02:12:00.000-05:002012-03-29T02:12:27.101-05:00Slice of Life # 29 - Biggest LoserThose who read my post about figuring out the statement, "Just put it in a cloud" or anyone figuring out technology in general will appreciate this story...<br />
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A few days before spring break I get a note from our tech person, directly to me, saying that there is a new guideline and that everyone's "P-Drive," our network storage, should be less than 2 GB. It's embarrasing, I didn't even know for sure what GB stood for at that moment. I could have guessed, but have been telling the story saying the letters "G" and "B". Well...I was at 19 GB!!! Included in his note is that he has let the librarian at my home school know so she can help me if I need it.</div>
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To which I replied, I'm sure our dear librarian has better things to do than sit and watch me delete and transfer files! And that I'll get on it. I'm thinking to myself they could have let me know a <em>few</em> GB's ago, but <em>whatever</em>. I decided now I really gotta figure out this cloud thing and I just heard about "dropbox," I guess it's a file cabinet in a cloud and now in someone else's post I read about "LiveBinders" both are free - <em>I think</em>. But just as a back-up I decided to go ahead and get one of those external hard drives. Not excited that this will now be a spring break project - Boo!</div>
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O.K...Then, the day before spring an email goes to "All Staff" from our tech guy, declaring the new 2 GB guidelines and attached is a picture of how much <em>EVERYONE</em> has saved in our "P Drives" and if you're over 2 GB you have to take care of it by May or it will be deleted. Wait for it...there's a BIG RED ARROW pointing to the GB column and guess who is at the top - ME, at 19 GB and the next person with something like 6 GB. <em>GREAT! How embarrassing!</em><br />
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I "Replied All," to the whole staff and here is the email dialogue that resulted - Too funny!<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Nice - way to call me out, being first on the list and all!!! I'm working on it, I'm working on it! FYI I have lots of videos for the district. I did just buy an external hard drive and I'm saving things to a cloud with Drop Box! Oh brother!<br /><br />Have a great spring break everyone!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Jen</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: blue;">(From the gifted resource teacher) Shouldn't there be some allowances for seniority or the gifted teachers?!?</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">(From the P.E. teachers) We are willing to sell some of our GBs for a fair asking price...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">So is this the black market for GBs. Hey I might get in on the bidding for that, but looking at the data I will have to hit up some other less than 1%ers - Anyone, anyone? (Ha Ha) I don't think (our tech guy) will go for that :(</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Jen</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">(From our Tech guy) Sorry Jen, didn't think about that!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Yeah - big red arrow right to me! AND leave it to (another teacher) to be right at 2 GB! O.K. - I'm not bitter or anything... ;)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Jen</span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;">(From our sweet librarian) Jen, let me know if I can help.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">Consider it an honor to have been number one out of the entire building. :) </span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130;">(Again - sweet librarian) That's a positive way to look at it!<br /><br />Here's another way of thinking, Jen, though the district wouldn't ever acknowledge this. Add up all the schools + all the teachers + all the students you have worked with directly and indirectly as a literacy coach + all the meetings you've attended + all the personal hours you've spent in the past few years reading professional books, articles, reports, and journals,etc. Divide your GB's by that number... I bet your number would look much better then!!!!<br /><br />OR NEW BIGGEST LOSER CONTEST! Jen B, Jessica, Dan, Sarah, Jim, Dawn and I compete to see who can reduce space on our P: drives the quickest! (Our tech guys) can be our coach. "Delete, delete, copy, move! Come on, give me four more deletes before you add any more pictures!" "Do you really need that document? Can't you create one with less bytes?"</span></div>
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I guess we were getting a little punchy right before spring break and needed a little email banter. <br />
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<strong>Good news:</strong> I'm at 0 GB. I think I won at least one of the BIGGEST LOSER contests. <br />
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<strong>Bad news:</strong> It's all on and external hard drive and my beautiful files kind of got messed up a bit. So more organization required and still have to figure out the drop box thing, but I can tell you...THAT won't be happening over spring break!!! <br />
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<img border="0" height="62" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ_25xnkSR6oUB8aK1PR76i9QztGseG-iN1neuGcIRexN4Q_tzawHzhCkx3XZ33e73Q6372LYoD2xKZ3PIVT1MLXPORl0eelwHQ-qQIKPnvxv43fhHaGjlWPh3Pd_qa2-Jqy8dcRmaPd4/s320/sols_5-colors.gif" width="320" /></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439886759698446010.post-62810995161803691982012-03-28T02:08:00.000-05:002012-03-28T02:08:07.978-05:00Slice of Life #28 - My Girl<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I often think about the importance of being known, knowing someone better than anyone else. I had started this post early in the challenge and thought it appropriate to finish it with the commencement of her birthday celebration. </div>
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So shy</div>
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but if you only knew...</div>
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So shy</div>
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out and about</div>
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even with grandpa and grandma, </div>
so reserved,<br />
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BUT at home,</div>
in her element,<br />
she's a mad woman.<br />
She would ride,<br />
at 22 months,<br />
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a pink, stuffed, rocking unicorn,</div>
mouth wide open,<br />
huffing and puffing,<br />
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in and out,</div>
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hair gone wild</div>
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She is anything but reserved - </div>
She's a wild woman!<br />
She's my girl ~<br />
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Side note: As I tucked her in the night of her birthday party, she asks, "Mom, did you look under the books on you night table?" Below is what I found. Soooo sweet!</div>
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Love you forever</div>
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I love you forever, now (no) mater whoat</div>
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Another side note - Here's a recent quote after measuring her height in the kitchen pantry, where we record their growth, she says..."That's the tallest I've ever been!" Too cute! Just had to share...</div>
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<img border="0" height="62" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ_25xnkSR6oUB8aK1PR76i9QztGseG-iN1neuGcIRexN4Q_tzawHzhCkx3XZ33e73Q6372LYoD2xKZ3PIVT1MLXPORl0eelwHQ-qQIKPnvxv43fhHaGjlWPh3Pd_qa2-Jqy8dcRmaPd4/s320/sols_5-colors.gif" width="320" /></div>
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Click <a href="http://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com/2012/03/17/slice-2012-17-of-31/"><span style="color: #136cf3;">here</span></a> to returen to Two Writing Teachers and other slices!</div>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439886759698446010.post-25422358959987343392012-03-27T00:24:00.001-05:002012-03-27T00:25:15.309-05:00Slice of Life # 27 - Happy Birthday Sweet Girl!<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">
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We cheered!</div>
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We made books. </div>
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(I couldn't help it. You know, the teacher in me and</div>
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when I first mentioned it, one little girls face was crest fallen, but</div>
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I mentioned coloring and stamp-a-story! That worked!)</div>
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We made pizza and we ate pizza.</div>
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(How did I miss taking a picture of making the pizza???)</div>
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We cheered some more!</div>
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We ate cake...</div>
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and opened presents.</div>
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We did nails...</div>
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and a craft.</div>
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Now I am waiting out 5 girls to fall asleep. Three down</div>
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two to go! Come on Smurfs lull them to sleep!</div>
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Favorite quote of the night: "This is the best sleepover birthday party ever!"</div>
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Happy Birthday Sweet Girl!</div>
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<img border="0" height="62" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ_25xnkSR6oUB8aK1PR76i9QztGseG-iN1neuGcIRexN4Q_tzawHzhCkx3XZ33e73Q6372LYoD2xKZ3PIVT1MLXPORl0eelwHQ-qQIKPnvxv43fhHaGjlWPh3Pd_qa2-Jqy8dcRmaPd4/s320/sols_5-colors.gif" width="320" /></div>
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Click <a href="http://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com/2012/03/17/slice-2012-17-of-31/"><span style="color: #136cf3;">here</span></a> to returen to Two Writing Teachers and other slices!</div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439886759698446010.post-56309304371603363922012-03-26T00:05:00.000-05:002012-03-26T00:09:18.722-05:00Slice of Life #26 - What If?<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ1VouMeoaM7zHTsaM3AqtmaUrDjrRkCNCHu3b-CrH9u3xxBPMeHCFrFLa2B9q_vR6u20wL_OjlrlaP85VZ1WpWLSLpd_aqCJGKRzd4R4RwLlE6cHAHfY5o3qsVPcMPycFSL5VtLQgy6kg/s1600/Slice+of+Life+2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ1VouMeoaM7zHTsaM3AqtmaUrDjrRkCNCHu3b-CrH9u3xxBPMeHCFrFLa2B9q_vR6u20wL_OjlrlaP85VZ1WpWLSLpd_aqCJGKRzd4R4RwLlE6cHAHfY5o3qsVPcMPycFSL5VtLQgy6kg/s1600/Slice+of+Life+2012.jpg" /></a>I love eavesdropping on my kids, this is what I heard today while they were eating a snack...</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">"If you're half dog and half human, then when you eat chocolate, the chocolate goes to the human side."</span></div>
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Oh to be a kid again! I imagine those who write sci fi live in this kind of world more often, more than me anyway. You do see here how her schema of chocolate being dangerous for dogs coming into play! When probed a bit my daughter smirked about the comment and admitted she was eating like a dog and that made her think of it. Too funny. I loved doing that as a kid. When do we stop putting bowls on the floor to act like a cat or a dog? When did play become work? </div>
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Bottom line: It gives me perspective! Perspective to cherrish each moment and play more!<br />
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<img border="0" height="62" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ_25xnkSR6oUB8aK1PR76i9QztGseG-iN1neuGcIRexN4Q_tzawHzhCkx3XZ33e73Q6372LYoD2xKZ3PIVT1MLXPORl0eelwHQ-qQIKPnvxv43fhHaGjlWPh3Pd_qa2-Jqy8dcRmaPd4/s320/sols_5-colors.gif" width="320" /></div>
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Click <a href="http://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com/2012/03/17/slice-2012-17-of-31/"><span style="color: #136cf3;">here</span></a> to returen to Two Writing Teachers and other slices!</div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439886759698446010.post-77538180434887702482012-03-25T04:11:00.002-05:002012-03-25T04:14:20.221-05:00Slice of Life #25 - 20,000 Leagues Up the Stairs<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLh9FXevkMw_9uG0PfxVLUR9qm1YYYE360fhbR87irgmwIDbRbjFiMNPdXhpRKDrFOqsNWicrdYMTAry9Aybc_5wCvWAGvb1TERgWs-1yHgaGEJk9qRGxnWC0qmVC77ikjcltyyUtBD3eY/s1600/Slice+of+Life+2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLh9FXevkMw_9uG0PfxVLUR9qm1YYYE360fhbR87irgmwIDbRbjFiMNPdXhpRKDrFOqsNWicrdYMTAry9Aybc_5wCvWAGvb1TERgWs-1yHgaGEJk9qRGxnWC0qmVC77ikjcltyyUtBD3eY/s1600/Slice+of+Life+2012.jpg" /></a>I think my husband is trying to give me nightmares. I fell asleep with the kids and came to bed and my husband woke up only to tell me a horror story. He starts...</div>
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"I saw the biggest bug as I was walking upstairs, on the yellow wall. It was some kind of beetle. As I walked up it moved and looked at me. I saw the little tissue in my hand and knew this wasn't going to do it.The bug was bigger than the tissue, which was one inch by one inch, so I went back down stairs for three paper towels. As I approached, it looked at me again and dodged back and forth, like a football linebacker dodges right, faints left. So I snatched it up in the towels and wrapped it up. I was sure not to squeeze tight because I didn't want to feel it crunch between my fingers. I knew I couldn't put it in the garbage can and I knew I didn't want to open the paper towels to put it in the toilet, so I threw it out the window, paper towels and all."</div>
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I asked him, "Which window?" <br />
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"The front one." He replied.<br />
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"Ohhhh, I would have had the window above the t.v. ready and open."<br />
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"I didn't think that far ahead." He answered. "I think when a bug is big enough to be aware of you it's a little too personal" <br />
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Always the educator and he just doesn't know it, he proceeds to explain that the reason we are so creeped out by bugs is because of we are xenophobic by nature. We can't relate to bugs in the same way we do other creatures. Even a wolf, though scary, can be cute. It has fur or hair like us, eyes and a mouth that you can see. You can't see a bugs eyes. It's mouth isn't even really a mouth and it's skeleton is on the outsite! The monsters of old used to be humanized like werewolves, these days they're more like aliens. Which makes them scarier. Random fact: Did you know the at the nerve endings in our skin are designed to feel a bug crawling across rather than something like a leaf. <em>We're hardwired to be aware of bugs!</em></div>
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Had to share that story, because it majorly creeped me out! Maybe this way I won't have nightmares?!?<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Click <a href="http://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com/2012/03/17/slice-2012-17-of-31/"><span style="color: #136cf3;">here</span></a> to returen to Two Writing Teachers and other slices!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439886759698446010.post-13352337411846523952012-03-24T03:53:00.000-05:002012-03-24T03:56:32.117-05:00Slice of Life #24 - Family Sunsets<div style="text-align: center;">
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Sitting on the shore</div>
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kids throwing rocks</div>
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dog smiling</div>
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sun inching towards the horizon</div>
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shimmering</div>
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creating a path as if we could </div>
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walk on water</div>
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can't these moments last</div>
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forever?<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439886759698446010.post-91287600263030167282012-03-22T22:36:00.002-05:002012-03-22T22:36:24.337-05:00Slice of Life #22 - Technology Enhanced Discussions<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHnWM5eZO1htkz9GRp5QXcOT0nMOcNEZkDVZufBm1mcyP6kQrHw7J6QARYdZ3HwE6eWHmRBhEvb7NM0IaWwc1WdydF3u_IMZf8DnlVD9Gl0WxLj90GGa1krkU-gTaNfyST1_kACsuBExFh/s1600/Slice+of+Life+2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHnWM5eZO1htkz9GRp5QXcOT0nMOcNEZkDVZufBm1mcyP6kQrHw7J6QARYdZ3HwE6eWHmRBhEvb7NM0IaWwc1WdydF3u_IMZf8DnlVD9Gl0WxLj90GGa1krkU-gTaNfyST1_kACsuBExFh/s1600/Slice+of+Life+2012.jpg" /></a>I feel like there's so much to learn with technology and just when I think I'm getting caught up there's a surge forward and I'm behind again. Lately I've been rather proud of myself though. I keep hearing talk of "just put it in a cloud." I had no idea what that meant and I have to say I don't fully understand how it works, but it is a beautiful thing!</div>
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I was first introduced to the concept of a cloud and google docs by colleague and fellow slicer, who is very tech savvy. It was amazing how we could collorate on a document simultaneously, with out having to save or send. It was liberating! </div>
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Recently, our coaching team has been been retooling to become instructional coaches and have been doing LOTS of reading of professional math books. My favorite series is the Young Mathematicians by Fosnot and Dolk. We knew we weren't doing the books justice with our discussions, we kept running out to time. So I thought we could use a google doc to get the conversation going and then when we get together we could discuss our lingering questions. I set up the document, shared it with the other coaches and we each took a chapter to develop questions and picked a color to personalize our posts. It has been awesome to see the conversations unfold right before our eyes. This format seems to allow for a deeper level of participation. I think I actually participate more than just in a live conversation. I can choose to add my thoughts or ask more questions about any of the lines of thinking that have developed.</div>
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I certainly don't think anything can replace a good conversation face to face, but technology sure does enhance and support these efforts!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Click <a href="http://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com/2012/03/17/slice-2012-17-of-31/"><span style="color: #136cf3;">here</span></a> to returen to Two Writing Teachers and other slices!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439886759698446010.post-19950219905100125142012-03-21T22:21:00.001-05:002012-03-21T22:23:16.358-05:00Slice of Life #21 - Playing with Fiction - Final Day<em>Well I wrapped it up! I have to say my husband and I really did this together. He'd throw out an idea, I would write it and then build on it. It was a neat back and forth collaboration. We are a good team. </em><br />
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<em>Reflecting back on the process, I had wanted to share my thinking a bit more, but it would have given away the mystery. So with that in mind I share some of my reflections at the end.</em><br />
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<em>Just a reminder that each color represents what I wrote on different days, so the black at the bottom is new - just fyi. :)</em><br />
<em><br /></em><span style="color: red;"> As morning came, no one roamed the streets of the tiny subdivision overlooking the lake, but someone was watching. The leaves populated the streets with dancing and leaping, they seemed not to have a care in the world, this was not so</span> <span style="color: blue;">for the hidden resident of 252 Pleasant Drive. You see, he took care of everyone, watched over everyone. You would think he would learn, but the desire to wander overcame him and he ventured out through the garden, passed the mailboxes and down the hill. She was leaving and needed an escort. He sat with her until her bus came and then trotted home. </span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"> He knew the man's eyes were on him, following him, daring him to leave the yard again. For now, he would lay low and wait. Eventually the man would have to go to work and that he did. Then Jack could mosey down to the water's edge and wait for the woman. It took her longer now, to walk from the house to the shore. So when he heard the door open he would run to greet her and walk with her to the benches, where the grass meets the sand. His days began and ended with her. At night the sun would inch down behind the horizon, the sky would turn from blue, to pink, to purple, and then to a deep, dark <span style="color: blue;">Maxfield Parrish</span> blue. As the colors darkened the sky, it's as if an eyelid came down to signal the closing of the day. The woman would feed the geese and pet him. He could feel energy flow to her, could sense her get stronger, see a satisfied smile come over her face as she stands to return to her haven. Jack would then continue on his way. Greeting all those who he encountered, except the man, the man with crossed arms, always with the crossed arms. He was to be avoided. There was no helping him, or was there?</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;"> </span><span style="color: #38761d;">Jack has always been a loyal dog, like dogs are, but he's had many<span style="color: black;"> </span><span style="color: #38761d;">masters over the years</span>. He's spent his days shepherding and retrieving, honing his skill for care taking. For now his home is 252 Pleasant Drive and the family that resides there thinks he's just theirs. They know Jack's penchant for roaming the neighborhood, but don't fully realize his entire responsibilities. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"> </span><span style="color: purple;"> Charlotte's busy in the kitchen as she walks past the window, the for sale sign grates on her mind. She considers making toast and marmalade, but as the room begins to be fill with an orange glow, she decides to join Jack down by the lake to watch the sunset. Stepping outside, the quiet of the evening is almost disturbing. She remembers how the sound of children playing use to fill the air. Jack is there as expected, like clockwork. She hears his feet squish in the riparian path, as they get closer to the lake. Jack and the setting sun always make her feel warm and content.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="color: black;"> <span style="color: #e06666;"> Today Jack continues with his usual routine. First, the bus stop to make sure the girl gets off to school safely, then he visits the woman, Charlotte, who feeds the geese down by the lake and then home. He intends to pass the man's house, but he can't --</span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #e06666;"> the man is standing on the sidewalk out front, barring his way with a broomstick. He glares menacingly, while the chattering of the squirrels agitates his nerves, escalating his rage towards the wayward offending dog, intruding on his domain. Jack chuffs annoyingly at the man, who like a tiger chuffs back in his own belligerent way. Jack narrowly escapes while the man goes off to call animal control. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"> Today, Jack again continues with his usual routine. The day is coming to a close and it's time to comfort and offer Charlotte support while she finds her way. As Jack heads towards the lake, he passes the man's house, crossing on the other side of the street. However, when he gets to the lake, there's an unexpected visitor. The man is at the shore too, chasing the neighborhood geese away from the beach. The neighbors appreciate his efforts. No one likes to step in goose poop. He <em>really</em> is a good neighbor, he just thinks everyone should follow the rules. </span><span style="color: black;">"</span><span style="color: black;">If only that family at 252 Pleasant Drive would keep their dog locked up!" The man often thinks.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"> Jack pauses and contemplates returning home, but he sees Charlotte looking for him out the kitchen window. He can't let her down. Reluctantly, he takes steps towards the house, but sees the broomstick and has an uneasy feeling. The broomstick seems to loom larger in his mind and seems to wave faster with the incessant drone of the squirrels fueling the man's energy towards removing the geese, until he spots the dog out of the corner of his eye. Slowly he turns, inch by inch, step by step he directs his attention towards the trespassing canine. Just as he is about to corner the dog in the yard, their battle is interrupted by the sound of screams and frantic splashing, emanating from the cold water where no one should be this time of year. Charlotte gestures for them to help. The man drops the broom and moves as quickly as his weak legs can carry him towards the water. He doesn't notice the cold as he enters. He looks for the girl who he has only caught a glimpse of...where can she be? There! But it's as if he's moving in slow motion. When he finally does reach her, the girl from the bus stop, he doesn't have the strength to save her despite his best efforts. He tries again, but it's futile. Sinking to his knees he pulls, but muck at the bottom of the lake sucks him down -- no progress. Jack leaps into the water disregarding his feelings for the man and <span style="color: black;">pulls the girl, helping the man, who for the first time in years doesn't feel alone. Whether his new found strength is in him or is a result of Jack's help, it doesn't matter because now they pull the girl to safety. Drenched and out of breath both heroes acknowledge one another with a look and embrace. "We did it!" The man says catching his breath. "You're a good dog, good dog." </span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"> Everything is quiet. The girl is safe, wrapped in the man's jacket. Jack has lost an opponent and the man has gained a friend. Meanwhile Charlotte, seeing this new bond, remembers the love of family and is instantaneously home, at last.</span><br />
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<em>So...Wow! What a challenge this was. I had started off thinking Jack would be like a ghost or more like an angel dog, but then I got the idea from some of you to make the woman a ghost. I had decided to have the three threads of the story be Jack - the helper dog - who helps ghosts and real people, Charlotte - the ghost woman who wasn't quite ready to move on and finally the man who had obvious issues. In my head he had experience various tragedies in his life to make him so crabby, but it got tricky to work those in. So I tried to make his character complex in that he wasn't all bad, just a bit rigid. He really was a good/helpful guy. Also, some of this was inspired recently when I was down in Springfield for a literacy conference and went on a "Ghost Walk" through Lincoln's neighborhood, by his house.</em><br />
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<em>The dog is based on a dog in our neighborhood, Jack, who does roam the neighborhood and is friendly. Once he even came into our house, stole my dogs bone and took off. He also has been known to follow other families on their trick or treating around the neighborhood. He cracks me up! Charlotte is also based on a neighbor who recently passed away. We always pass her house as we head down to the lake to play at the beach or watch the sunset and we miss her! Just thought you would like to know where the ideas came from.</em><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439886759698446010.post-29827213201339169222012-03-20T22:42:00.000-05:002012-03-20T22:49:46.418-05:00Slice of Life #20 - Playing with Fiction Day 5<em><span style="color: black;">Added some more plot today. Really trying to move the story forward. I do have an idea for a climax, but trying to figure out how to get there. I don't think I'm doing as much weaving of the different story lines, like my husband suggested, but they're moving forward.</span></em><br />
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<em>Just a reminder that each color represents what I wrote on different days, so the black at the bottom is new - just fyi. :)</em><br />
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<span style="color: red;"> As morning came, no one roamed the streets of the tiny subdivision overlooking the lake, but someone was watching. The leaves populated the streets with dancing and leaping, they seemed not to have a care in the world, this was not so</span> <span style="color: blue;">for the hidden resident of 252 Pleasant Drive. You see, he took care of everyone, watched over everyone. You would think he would learn, but the desire to wander over came him and he ventured out through the garden, passed the mailboxes and down the hill. She was leaving and needed an escort. He sat with her until her bus came and then trotted home. He knew the man's eyes were on him, following him, daring him to leave the yard again. For now, he would lay low and wait. Eventually the man would have to go to work and that he did. Then Jack could mosey down to the water's edge and wait for the woman. It took her longer now, to walk from the house to the shore. So when he heard the door open he would run to greet her and walk with her to the benches, where the grass meets the sand. His days began and ended with her. At night the sun would inch down behind the horizon, the sky would turn from blue, to pink, to purple, and then to a deep, dark blue. As the colors darkened the sky, it's as if an eyelid came down to signal the closing of the day. The woman would feed the geese and pet him. He could feel energy flow to her, could sense her get stronger, see a satisfied smile come over her face as she stands to return to her haven. Jack would then continue on his way. Greeting all those who he encountered, except the man, the man with crossed arms, always with the crossed arms. He was to be avoided. There was no helping him, or was there?</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;"> </span><span style="color: #38761d;">Jack has always been a loyal dog, like dogs are, but he's had many masters through time. He's spent his days shepherding and retrieving, honing his skill for care taking. For now his home is 252 Pleasant Drive and the family that resides there thinks he's just theirs. They know Jack's penchant for roaming the neighborhood, but don't fully realize his entire responsibilities. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"> </span><span style="color: purple;"> Charlotte's busy in the kitchen as she walks past the window, the for sale sign grates on her mind. She considers making toast and marmalade, but as the room begins to be fill with an orange glow, she decides to join Jack down by the lake to watch the sunset. Stepping outside, the quiet of the evening is almost disturbing. She remembers how the sound of children playing use to fill the air. Jack is there as expected, like clockwork. She hears his feet squish in the riparian path, as they get closer to the lake. Jack and the setting sun always make her feel warm and content.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"> Today Jack continues with his usual routine. First, the bus stop to make sure the girl gets off to school safely, then he visits the woman, Charlotte, who feeds the geese down by the lake and then home. He intentionally passes the man's house, but he can't --</span><span style="color: black;"> the man is standing on the sidewalk out front, barring his way with a broomstick. He glares menacingly, while the chattering of the squirrels agitates his nerves, escalating his rage towards the wayward offending dog, intruding on his domain. Jack chuffs annoyingly at the man, who like a tiger chuffs back in his own belligerent way. Jack narrowly escapes while the man goes off to call animal control. </span><br />
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<img border="0" height="62" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ_25xnkSR6oUB8aK1PR76i9QztGseG-iN1neuGcIRexN4Q_tzawHzhCkx3XZ33e73Q6372LYoD2xKZ3PIVT1MLXPORl0eelwHQ-qQIKPnvxv43fhHaGjlWPh3Pd_qa2-Jqy8dcRmaPd4/s320/sols_5-colors.gif" width="320" /></div>
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Click <a href="http://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com/2012/03/17/slice-2012-17-of-31/">here</a> to returen to Two Writing Teachers and other slices!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439886759698446010.post-15092766409698791722012-03-19T22:57:00.001-05:002012-03-19T23:04:28.601-05:00Slice of Life # 19 - Playing with Fiction Day 4<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<em>Today what is new is added in black. I continued to develop characters.</em><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoJZ1JDfdpg60nIym2zzPEl2-COEshJwb_Mf7nsqKUCwDP8ohSLFxOLFzmQ_QppEvK0qJ9o4g7qy2svnCPqWrMwMnyTagpcgkBT-3FxoJdPEJfwgAXsWCxi3gLOmLaBqA6_gx2A59ammTj/s1600/Slice+of+Life+2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoJZ1JDfdpg60nIym2zzPEl2-COEshJwb_Mf7nsqKUCwDP8ohSLFxOLFzmQ_QppEvK0qJ9o4g7qy2svnCPqWrMwMnyTagpcgkBT-3FxoJdPEJfwgAXsWCxi3gLOmLaBqA6_gx2A59ammTj/s1600/Slice+of+Life+2012.jpg" /></a><span style="color: red;"> As morning came, no one roamed the streets of the tiny subdivision overlooking the lake, but someone was watching. The leaves populated the streets with dancing and leaping, they seemed not to have a care in the world, this was not so</span> <span style="color: blue;">for the hidden resident of 252 Pleasant Drive. You see, he took care of everyone, watched over everyone. You would think he would learn, but the desire to wander over came him and he ventured out through the garden, passed the mailboxes and down the hill. She was leaving and needed an escort. He sat with her until her bus came and then trotted home. He knew the man's eyes were on him, following him, daring him to leave the yard again. For now, he would lay low and wait. Eventually the man would have to go to work and that he did. Then Jack could mosey down to the water's edge and wait for the woman. It took her longer now, to walk from the house to the shore. So when he heard the door open he would run to greet her and walk with her to the benches, where the grass meets the sand. His days began and ended with her. At night the sun would inch down behind the horizon, the sky would turn from blue, to pink, to purple, and then to a deep, dark blue. As the colors darkened the sky, it's as if an eyelid came down to signal the closing of the day. The woman would feed the geese and pet him. He could feel energy flow to her, could sense her get stronger, see a satisfied smile come over her face as she stands to return to her haven. Jack would then continue on his way. Greeting all those who he encountered, except the man, the man with crossed arms, always with the crossed arms. He was to be avoided. There was no helping him, or was there?</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"> </span><span style="color: #38761d;">Jack has always been a loyal dog, like dogs are, but he's had many masters through time. He's spent his days shepherding and retrieving, honing his skill for care taking. For now his home is 252 Pleasant Drive and the family that resides there thinks he's just theirs. They know Jack's penchant for roaming the neighborhood, but don't fully realize full responsibilities. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"> </span><span style="color: black;">Charlotte's busy in the kitchen as she walk past the window the for sale sign grates on her mind. She considers making toast and marmalade, but as room begins to be fill with an orange glow, she decides to join Jack down by the lake to watch the sunset. Stepping outside, the quiet of the evening is almost disturbing. She remembers how the sound of children playing use to fill the air. Jack is there as expected, like clockwork. She hears his feet squish in the riparian path, as they get closer to the lake. Jack and the setting sun always make her feel warm and content.</span></div>
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<img border="0" height="62" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ_25xnkSR6oUB8aK1PR76i9QztGseG-iN1neuGcIRexN4Q_tzawHzhCkx3XZ33e73Q6372LYoD2xKZ3PIVT1MLXPORl0eelwHQ-qQIKPnvxv43fhHaGjlWPh3Pd_qa2-Jqy8dcRmaPd4/s320/sols_5-colors.gif" width="320" /></div>
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Click <a href="http://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com/2012/03/17/slice-2012-17-of-31/">here</a> to returen to Two Writing Teachers and other slices!</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439886759698446010.post-47905028327869215482012-03-18T22:52:00.002-05:002012-03-18T22:52:43.790-05:00Slice of Life #18 - Playing with Fiction Day 3<em>Wow! What a great writing community! Your questions have really helped my thinking process. My husband has been helpful too, because I've really been trying to think where exactly do I want to go with this and I'm not sure. He suggested that I do need to have an ending in mind and how Asimov writes his stories is that he has three strands. Each one is a protagonist or a group and they weave in and out of each other through out the plot line coming to some kind of resolve. Most people, he says, think of two opposing forces in a story and it can be somewhat flat, but when you have three chords you never know how it's going to end up. So I've decided I need to take some time to develop these chords (characters/groups), possibly with a character sketch??? We'll see...here I go.</em><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfubdevvDeckY2nALyXm2uguq_ItwQfgzQ-KkoDj7Zv9bVAXUAbRufhUh8vmLZcGjnKMsS36n__LpI0P6K-IhmdLrBWviiABmY5Xa27H3AyfIHd06rc1zrC3EJ7boXqZIIFbNzSvPVxK8f/s1600/Slice+of+Life+2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: red;"><img aea="true" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfubdevvDeckY2nALyXm2uguq_ItwQfgzQ-KkoDj7Zv9bVAXUAbRufhUh8vmLZcGjnKMsS36n__LpI0P6K-IhmdLrBWviiABmY5Xa27H3AyfIHd06rc1zrC3EJ7boXqZIIFbNzSvPVxK8f/s1600/Slice+of+Life+2012.jpg" /></span></a><span style="color: red;">As morning came, no one roamed the streets of the tiny subdivision overlooking the lake, but someone was watching. The leaves populated the streets with dancing and leaping, they seemed not to have a care in the world, this was not so</span> <span style="color: blue;">for the hidden resident of 252 Pleasant Drive. You see, he took care of everyone, watched over everyone. You would think he would learn, but the desire to wander over came him and he ventured out through the garden, passed the mailboxes and down the hill. She was leaving and needed an escort. He sat with her until her bus came and then trotted home. He knew the man's eyes were on him, following him, daring him to leave the yard again. For now, he would lay low and wait. Eventually the man would have to go to work and that he did. Then Jack could mosey down to the water's edge and wait for the woman. It took her longer now, to walk from the house to the shore. So when he heard the door open he would run to greet her and walk with her to the benches, where the grass meets the sand. His days began and ended with her. At night the sun would inch down behind the horizon, the sky would turn from blue, to pink, to purple, and then to a deep, dark blue. As the colors darkened the sky, it's as if an eyelid came down to signal the closing of the day. The woman would feed the geese and pet him. He could feel energy flow to her, could sense her get stronger, see a satisfied smile come over her face as she stands to return to her haven. Jack would then continue on his way. Greeting all those who he encountered, except the man, the man with crossed arms, always with the crossed arms. He was to be avoided. There was no helping him, or was there?</span><br />
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Jack has always been a loyal dog, like dogs are, but he's had many masters through time. He's spent his days shepherding and retrieving, honing his skill for care taking. For now his home is 252 Pleasant Drive and the family that resides there thinks he's just theirs. They know Jack's penchant for roaming the neighborhood, but don't fully realize full responsibilities. <br />
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<em>I didn't get as much written as I had hoped. I need to let things stew a bit!</em><br />
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<img border="0" height="62" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ_25xnkSR6oUB8aK1PR76i9QztGseG-iN1neuGcIRexN4Q_tzawHzhCkx3XZ33e73Q6372LYoD2xKZ3PIVT1MLXPORl0eelwHQ-qQIKPnvxv43fhHaGjlWPh3Pd_qa2-Jqy8dcRmaPd4/s320/sols_5-colors.gif" width="320" /><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439886759698446010.post-1595709145138494522012-03-17T04:40:00.001-05:002012-03-17T05:06:31.151-05:00Slice of Life #17 - Playing with Fiction: Day 2<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfubdevvDeckY2nALyXm2uguq_ItwQfgzQ-KkoDj7Zv9bVAXUAbRufhUh8vmLZcGjnKMsS36n__LpI0P6K-IhmdLrBWviiABmY5Xa27H3AyfIHd06rc1zrC3EJ7boXqZIIFbNzSvPVxK8f/s1600/Slice+of+Life+2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: red;"><img aea="true" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfubdevvDeckY2nALyXm2uguq_ItwQfgzQ-KkoDj7Zv9bVAXUAbRufhUh8vmLZcGjnKMsS36n__LpI0P6K-IhmdLrBWviiABmY5Xa27H3AyfIHd06rc1zrC3EJ7boXqZIIFbNzSvPVxK8f/s1600/Slice+of+Life+2012.jpg" /></span></a><span style="color: red;">As morning came, no one roamed the streets of the tiny subdivision overlooking the lake, but someone was watching. The leaves populated the streets with dancing and leaping, they seemed not to have a care in the world, this was not so</span> <span style="color: black;">for the hidden resident of 252 Pleasant Drive<strong>(#1)</strong> You see, he took care of everyone, watched over everyone. You would think he would learn, but the desire to wander over came him and he ventured out through the garden, passed the mailboxes and down the hill. She was leaving and needed an escort. He sat with her until her bus came and then trotted home. He knew the man's eyes were on him, following him, daring him to leave the yard again. For now, he would lay low and wait. Eventually the man would have to go to work and that he did. Then Jack could mosey down to the water's edge and wait for the woman. It took her longer now, to walk from the house to the shore. So when he heard the door open he would run to greet her and walk with her to the benches, where the grass meets the sand. His days began and ended with her. At night the sun would inch down behind the horizon, the sky would turn from blue, to pink, to purple, and then to a deep, dark blue. As the colors darkened the sky, it's as if an eyelid came down to signal the closing of the day. The woman would feed the geese and pet him. He could feel energy flow to her, could sense her get stronger, see a satisfied smile come over her face as she stands to return to her haven. Jack would then continue on his way. Greeting all those who he encountered, except the man, the man with crossed arms, always with the crossed arms. He was to be avoided. There was no helping him, or was there?</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><strong>(The red is the part I wrote yesterday - I'm trying to show my thinking a bit as I go. That's harder than I thought, but we'll see. It seemed to interrupt the story too much to put it right in the middle, so I'm just going to put footnoteish things at the end.)</strong></span><br />
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<strong>(#1:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I was s</span>tuck here I asked myself a few questions…Who's watching? Should I use the line, "perched high like a lonely street light" No I envision an owl there. That doesn't fit the story. </strong><strong>Why are they watching? Is the person watching antagonist or protagonist? Who's hiding? Why are they hiding? Is someone hiding? I tentatively answered a few of these questions in my head, but I'll have to see how they play out.)</strong></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439886759698446010.post-76605003444205022012012-03-16T06:14:00.003-05:002012-03-16T06:19:04.114-05:00Slice of Life #16 - Playing with FictionAs...noone roamed...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMIVpJm-pklqL8SdLMquWiSj7CN54sdhyphenhyphenWQJ8hMix7C4k2hDkVUo6uugZnHLWiJJWbusfhruguHs9BTLebJyziPTPH4PInJEZSwjngn66h9rw_YJsl3kYBETwb5sSW3R_bKTN13yyaLlhz/s1600/Slice+of+Life+2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMIVpJm-pklqL8SdLMquWiSj7CN54sdhyphenhyphenWQJ8hMix7C4k2hDkVUo6uugZnHLWiJJWbusfhruguHs9BTLebJyziPTPH4PInJEZSwjngn66h9rw_YJsl3kYBETwb5sSW3R_bKTN13yyaLlhz/s1600/Slice+of+Life+2012.jpg" /></a>(These words were rolling around in my head, tickling my brain. Then more words came, where it's going I have no idea!)</div>
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As morning came noone roamed the streets</div>
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As morning came, noone roamed the streets of the tiny subdivision overlooking the lake.</div>
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As morning came, noone roamed the streets of the tiny subdivision overlooking the lake, but someone was watching. The leaves populated the streets with dancing and leaping they seemed not to have a care in the world, not so for...<br />
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(Sorry, I have to think on this more. Not sure if I want to go a mystery route with the whole "watching thing." Who's watching??? Hmmm. Let me see. I think what I'll do is each day keep adding. I noticed Kim (<a href="http://writekimwrite.wordpress.com/2012/03/03/the-start-of-an-imagined-slice/">writekimwrite</a>) did this in playing with fiction in her #3 slice. So here goes...)<br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439886759698446010.post-18461638039056103782012-03-15T01:24:00.003-05:002012-03-15T01:24:32.703-05:00Slice of Life #15 - How I Met My Husband<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
Again - got this idea from another slicer...</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong><u>How I Met My Husband</u></strong></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibOf_qf11XdFBVRyAg6o7An9WhcFYV3TeKDY-zfBzG3nZxVv-NTgO1ONazlaau1__gY-O3VKHRWR0BeELuokjtIBuXT83GzAj02QqEKIB0kZ77dJ7AQCHjmTFcZSJCevtuHnKC9K2e2rxB/s1600/Slice+of+Life+2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibOf_qf11XdFBVRyAg6o7An9WhcFYV3TeKDY-zfBzG3nZxVv-NTgO1ONazlaau1__gY-O3VKHRWR0BeELuokjtIBuXT83GzAj02QqEKIB0kZ77dJ7AQCHjmTFcZSJCevtuHnKC9K2e2rxB/s1600/Slice+of+Life+2012.jpg" /></a>Running late, I swing my legs over the railing, coming in the back patio door right next to the parking lot. Oh?! Someone's sitting at the table. I begin my daily ritual of checking in with the kids at the group-home for deaf, developmentally delayed students and began getting dinner ready. I discovered he was the new on-site counselor. I noticed he was watching me and we struck up a conversation. Later that night he stopped by to check-in. I noticed we always became the last house on his route. </div>
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One afternoon as I was telling a co-worker my plans for going on a hay ride that I was chaperoning for our youth group and he invited himself along! He began to get groups of people to go out after work, then interestingly enough it became just the two of us. This continued for a while we enjoyed each others company, but I wasn't sure about a relationship right now and my parents really challenged me that this had moved beyond friendship and had become dating, Did he go to church? Where was he at with his faith? They peppered me with questions.<br />
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Finally I had to address these things as well. I shared with him that the most important thing in my life is God and I needed to be dating someone for whom that was also true. He was agnostic and wasn't sure about the whole God thing. I was sure we were done, but he insisted on coming to church with me and he began to meet weekly with my pastor. Every Sunday after church we would go to the library and he would pull out enough biblical resources to completely cover the blue, laminate, rectangular table and poor over these resources and the bible searching for contradictions. He could find none. Then God changed his heart. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that He existed and his faith grew and so did our relationship. This May we'll have been married 20 years!<br />
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<a href="http://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com/2012/03/15/slice-2012-15-of-31/">/</a><img border="0" height="62" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ_25xnkSR6oUB8aK1PR76i9QztGseG-iN1neuGcIRexN4Q_tzawHzhCkx3XZ33e73Q6372LYoD2xKZ3PIVT1MLXPORl0eelwHQ-qQIKPnvxv43fhHaGjlWPh3Pd_qa2-Jqy8dcRmaPd4/s320/sols_5-colors.gif" width="320" />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com14