Check out this site! The only requirement is that you log in with the username I provide you and post the book you are currently reading on your bookshelf. Then you may explore until everyone has completed this assignment.
Blocks 5 & 6:
You are encountering the concept of a spinning wheel quite frequently in our read-aloud. Not sure you understand what this is? No problem!
Click HERE to see how a spinning wheel is used!
Blocks 1/5 and 4/8 have started their new read-aloud! It’s called RUMP: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin by Liesl Shurtliff! I have asked students to research the story of Rumpelstiltskin and report back here on the blog so we can compare the traditional version with this hilarious new rendition!
Students, go ahead and post what you learn from asking others, researching online, and/or telling me what you already know about the classic story. Don’t forget to include the source(s) where you got your information so we can fact-check if we need.
NOTE: All blocks, please post your goals and plans here.
For quarter 3, YOU are in charge of showing me what you learned during all of that awesome time you spend reading all of your independent books! In your comment to this post, please make sure you respond to the following questions:
There are two goals for this quarter in independent reading:
Goal 1 = Amount/Quantity of reading – I need to know how many pages AND how many books you are aiming to read by March 28, 2014. You should aim to read more than you did in Quarter 2.
How will you track your progress? Will you use the reading record I gave you? Shelfari.com? A calendar you create and share with me? Google Docs? What will motivate you to track your reading so you can see how much you’re growing as a reader numerically. This record will also be a source of recommending books to your classmates and me.
Goal 2= Evidence of your Thinking – I need to know more than just how many books and pages you read. I want you to decide how you would like to show proof of your learning. What did you learn from the books you read independently? What reading strategies did you use? What areas interested you when you read your books? What life lessons/knowledge/inspiration, etc. will you take with you after you read the last page?
How will you show me what you know? Through artistic expression? Blogging? A book trailer? Writing reviews? Creating a product of some kind? Writing a letter to the author or a character in the book? Keeping a sketch book of characters? A list of themes and what they mean to you? A playlist that goes along with the book with an explanation of how it relates to the book? You can use technology (Google Docs/YouTube/Instagram/Edublogs/Shelfari.com/various apps)! The choice is YOURS! Make sure your parents/guardians know about your project and remember to use caution any time you are online. If you prefer to write using pen/pencil/marker/ and paper…that’s fine, too!
Frequency: How often will you check in with me? How many posts/products/etc. will you create for each book or amount of chapters? What works best for you and why? Will you focus on pre-reading, during-reading, or post-reading activities/strategies to get the most out of your reading? If you need suggestions, just ask! Let me know what skill you want to focus on and I’ll help you find some ideas! You can also search online for great ideas and run them by me! If it shows evidence of your learning and looks fun to you, then let me know!
A New Direction for Independent Reading in our Classroom
I’d like to try something new! At our staff meeting yesterday, one of the topics was something called “project-based learning” (PBL) and how effective it is. After reading an article on the seven key ideas to keep in mind regarding PBL and talking about it, it boiled down to this: a lot of freedom for the students over their own learning and a lot of me releasing control (and teachers tend to prefer maintaining control!). Scary thought. But I learned that a great instructor must sometime give up full control so that students can grow and learn and make their own mistakes. The article shared a metaphor of a child learning to ride a pony with an instructor. At the beginning, the instructor keeps the pony and rider on a rope in order to keep the instructor in control. The rider does not steer. At some point though, the instructor has to give up control. The rider needs to learn to steer at some point. The first lesson with the the student in control can be scary at times, but you have to start somewhere. As time goes on, the rider will makes mistakes but eventually, shows better and better control and can begin to go faster and even jump. I thought about this metaphor and a thousand What-ifs started to drown out the idea of trying it. I began dismissing it as an idea I’d try next year, but then I thought, Why not? I can at least attempt this in one area of my teaching. I can provide a safe and fun environment for my students to learn something cool about themselves as independent readers.
Still unsure exactly how I wanted to start project based learning, I thought about it on my drive to school. Students have just completed Quarter 2 and I spent last night reading through reading records and reflections on goals. The voice of a student yesterday kept nagging me. When I asked them to reflect on their goal, he said aloud, “I don’t remember what my goal was.” How can students reach goals that aren’t intrinsic? And that don’t matter to them? I’m charged with growing my classrooms of students as readers and that’s not always easy. But maybe they can help me by showing me what works for them as an individual.
So I talked to my first block this morning about my idea and how with the goals they created this quarter, I’d like for them to make a plan and track their progress in a way that made sense to them, motivated them, and helped them reach their goal more effectively. Several students became excited and started throwing around ideas. A lot of technology was mentioned. Instagram. Shelfari.com. E-reader apps. Blogs. The excitement was almost tangible. A few students seemed like they couldn’t wait to get home to start their homework assignment. I’m not sure what I’ve gotten myself into, but I’m excited about it, too.
