Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Teaching Demonstration
Hi Bluebonnets!
My lesson can be found here: Joyce's Teaching Demonstration
Have a great day! Don't forget to send me my response letter!
Joyce :)
My lesson can be found here: Joyce's Teaching Demonstration
Have a great day! Don't forget to send me my response letter!
Joyce :)
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Day Three
Well, another excellent day! We had a great a logging experience that allowed the teachers to write themselves--a letter that they will get at some point during the first semester next year. I get to send those letters--so, only I will know the date! :)
Janelle read the Missing Piece and the Big O by Shel Silversteen. We had a writing experience where we generated questions after the reading and then responded by using a "weather forcast" writing response. Very hard at the beginning--but it did get easier!
We are working toward our critical events writing, and everyone is doing such an amazing job. These first steps are scary, but we will all succeed!
A quick lunch, and then Jeannine read a Mem Fox book about a little guy with 4 names...I can't remember them all, Gordon, Wilifred, something, something...
We then had the grab bag writing experience where we reached inside our bags and pulled out an object when she told us to. See the Purple Marker writing...what a HOOT!
We elaborated and shrunk a moment. Always a terrific tool to elaborate our writing.
We had another fantastic day and I cannot believe tomorrow ends our first week! Whew! It FLEW by!
Janelle read the Missing Piece and the Big O by Shel Silversteen. We had a writing experience where we generated questions after the reading and then responded by using a "weather forcast" writing response. Very hard at the beginning--but it did get easier!
We are working toward our critical events writing, and everyone is doing such an amazing job. These first steps are scary, but we will all succeed!
A quick lunch, and then Jeannine read a Mem Fox book about a little guy with 4 names...I can't remember them all, Gordon, Wilifred, something, something...
We then had the grab bag writing experience where we reached inside our bags and pulled out an object when she told us to. See the Purple Marker writing...what a HOOT!
We elaborated and shrunk a moment. Always a terrific tool to elaborate our writing.
We had another fantastic day and I cannot believe tomorrow ends our first week! Whew! It FLEW by!
What In The World Did I Grab???
The Purple Marker…
When Jeannine asked me to stop, I closed my eyes and thought, “Oh, good.” And that thought was NOT in my happy voice. But after thinking for just a minute, it really should be happy. Purple is not my favorite color, so I’m not real sure why it is in my purse. I’m a pink girl through and through. BUT, this marker makes me think about Bailey and her favorite book, Purple, Green and Yellow. I read that book to her what seemed like from 3 to 5 years-old. She would turn the pages with her little hands and look at the colors and laugh before we turned to the next page. Usually, if the batteries were fresh, we would hear Billy Ray Cyrus sing “My Achy-Breaky Heart” for at least a half hour—mostly until Curt or I could not tolerate it one more second OR the Energizer Bunny batteries finally quit running…either way, sometimes I thought I could not BEAR to hear those sounds one more second.
The Purple, Green and Yellow phase lasted a LONG time, and although Bay struggled in reading in first grade, I was confident that she would pull through this little literacy hiccup and charge ahead. This was the case, and although the marker was initially an “oooooh”, now I think it is more of an “aaaahhh” and “ohhhhhh” than less than happy.
This marker also makes me think about my kinders. I’ve gone through withdrawl this year; switching form kinder teacher to 3-5 Literacy Coach. Of course, all the kids loved stopping by my office to draw a picture for me or use the cool scissors. They loved that I had markers, and I’m sure that this is one that I tossed in my purse from school and have been signing checks, making laundry lists and just gnawing on when the mood arises.
The possibility that I will be marker free is a scary one for me. I think that although there are definitely more appropriate writing tools, I love what this marker actually means to me. It’s my connection with the past and my small bit of rebellion against that thing called age that keeps following me around. I really do not feel 44 at all when I carry my marker.
When Jeannine asked me to stop, I closed my eyes and thought, “Oh, good.” And that thought was NOT in my happy voice. But after thinking for just a minute, it really should be happy. Purple is not my favorite color, so I’m not real sure why it is in my purse. I’m a pink girl through and through. BUT, this marker makes me think about Bailey and her favorite book, Purple, Green and Yellow. I read that book to her what seemed like from 3 to 5 years-old. She would turn the pages with her little hands and look at the colors and laugh before we turned to the next page. Usually, if the batteries were fresh, we would hear Billy Ray Cyrus sing “My Achy-Breaky Heart” for at least a half hour—mostly until Curt or I could not tolerate it one more second OR the Energizer Bunny batteries finally quit running…either way, sometimes I thought I could not BEAR to hear those sounds one more second.
The Purple, Green and Yellow phase lasted a LONG time, and although Bay struggled in reading in first grade, I was confident that she would pull through this little literacy hiccup and charge ahead. This was the case, and although the marker was initially an “oooooh”, now I think it is more of an “aaaahhh” and “ohhhhhh” than less than happy.
This marker also makes me think about my kinders. I’ve gone through withdrawl this year; switching form kinder teacher to 3-5 Literacy Coach. Of course, all the kids loved stopping by my office to draw a picture for me or use the cool scissors. They loved that I had markers, and I’m sure that this is one that I tossed in my purse from school and have been signing checks, making laundry lists and just gnawing on when the mood arises.
The possibility that I will be marker free is a scary one for me. I think that although there are definitely more appropriate writing tools, I love what this marker actually means to me. It’s my connection with the past and my small bit of rebellion against that thing called age that keeps following me around. I really do not feel 44 at all when I carry my marker.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Day DOS!
What a terrific day...
We started with yummy snacks from Janelle. We had a great logging activity by Janelle. We went to the computer lab and Scott Massey helped us with our storyboards. Thank you, Scott!!!
We had lunch and then I read Whoever You Are by Mem Fox. Then we used pointing by Peter Elbow in Writing Without Teachers (pages 85-86). It was a good experience for me and hopefully for the Bluebonnets.
Jeannine read Thank You, Mr. Falkner by Patricia Polocco. Then we used an activity where we drew a heart in the middle of our paper/screen and added the names of students who touched our lives. We then picked one and wrote for about 10 minutes. We picked another and wrote for about 10 minutes and one final name that we wrote about for 10 minutes. We shared and the listeners used the pointing technique that was introduced with the Mem Fox book.
We shared, blogged, and debriefed the day...tomorrow--we shall see!
We started with yummy snacks from Janelle. We had a great logging activity by Janelle. We went to the computer lab and Scott Massey helped us with our storyboards. Thank you, Scott!!!
We had lunch and then I read Whoever You Are by Mem Fox. Then we used pointing by Peter Elbow in Writing Without Teachers (pages 85-86). It was a good experience for me and hopefully for the Bluebonnets.
Jeannine read Thank You, Mr. Falkner by Patricia Polocco. Then we used an activity where we drew a heart in the middle of our paper/screen and added the names of students who touched our lives. We then picked one and wrote for about 10 minutes. We picked another and wrote for about 10 minutes and one final name that we wrote about for 10 minutes. We shared and the listeners used the pointing technique that was introduced with the Mem Fox book.
We shared, blogged, and debriefed the day...tomorrow--we shall see!
Day 1 SI 07
Wow! What a great day we had on our first day of SI. All the participants were so eager and willing to learn about all the wonderful things writing can be in their classrooms and within themselves.
Tuesday will be our first real use of great technology and I can't wait to learn more about the wonderful educators who are part of our garden.
Tuesday will be our first real use of great technology and I can't wait to learn more about the wonderful educators who are part of our garden.
Monday, July 9, 2007
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This is Dusty Roades with your afternoon drive report:
There was a low pressure front moving in from the Missing Piece and the Big O area, but there were just a few sprinkles where storms bubbled up. The wind shifted by the afternoon and there was a MAJOR high pressure front, bringing brilliant memories and loads of funshine by the 1:00 hour.
The day wrapped with a rainbow appearing over the UTA listening area.