forgot to post the link to one of the grammar lessons I used with my students.
http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons.lesson_view.asp?id=168
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Grammar Unit
i apologize for being somewhat behind. I went out of town this past weekend for parents weekend at NC State, and have been playing catch up ever since. I have 126 papers to respond to this week, and so far I've read 18. I have a lot of work ahead of me.
After reading over the units in Imaging Grammar, I chose three I liked.
Friendship, Identity, and Adolescent Conflict with Authority.
I chose these because I think they have a universal appeal that reaches from elemetary school , past college and into the workforce. Students don't always like class, but they might like going to school. There are days I don't always like my job, but I enjoy coming to work to socialize with colleagues and see friends.
I think students are always interested in the social aspects of language, and as a teacher if I can tie the social aspect into the Learning aspect i have their attention.
The concepts of frieinship can cut across all three of these units as well. What is friendship? How do we choose friends, why do we keep them, and what happens to friendships? Why do so many fade over time? In this construct we can discuss things like cliques, both in and out of the classroom, ostracism, meanness, and the concept of aceptance and belonging.
Identity- who are we? How do we define ourselves, and crossing over, do we define ourselves by the number and type of reinds we have, or do we define ourselves in a larger cultural context, family, ethnicity, etc.
Adolescent Conflict with Authority- adolescents naturally have conflict with authority and the burecratic set up of middle and high school only perpetuate the animosity between students and adminstration at times. Adolescents question authority as part of the growth process, in order to break away from parental influence.
Each unit laid out a plan to accomplish specific goals, why each unit was planned in a certain manner, and provided materials to help instructores fulfill the objectives of the unit. The units also provided information as to the relevance of the activities.
The Friendship Unit by Scott Morgan and Maria Sciara explores the reasons students form friendships and how they develop relationships at this point in their lives and genavbles themn to relate passages from literasture to their own lives.
The identity Unit by Shawn Pace encourage students to look at themselves and establish their own identity.
Adolescent conflict with Authorty talks abotu struggles students have with authority, how they fit into the larger world and how to navigate that tricky period between childhood andf adulthood.
some unique resources that interested me were a letter to the author about a letter a character wrote in a novel, and Dr. Phil ( which surprised me as I am not a fan)
After reading over the units in Imaging Grammar, I chose three I liked.
Friendship, Identity, and Adolescent Conflict with Authority.
I chose these because I think they have a universal appeal that reaches from elemetary school , past college and into the workforce. Students don't always like class, but they might like going to school. There are days I don't always like my job, but I enjoy coming to work to socialize with colleagues and see friends.
I think students are always interested in the social aspects of language, and as a teacher if I can tie the social aspect into the Learning aspect i have their attention.
The concepts of frieinship can cut across all three of these units as well. What is friendship? How do we choose friends, why do we keep them, and what happens to friendships? Why do so many fade over time? In this construct we can discuss things like cliques, both in and out of the classroom, ostracism, meanness, and the concept of aceptance and belonging.
Identity- who are we? How do we define ourselves, and crossing over, do we define ourselves by the number and type of reinds we have, or do we define ourselves in a larger cultural context, family, ethnicity, etc.
Adolescent Conflict with Authority- adolescents naturally have conflict with authority and the burecratic set up of middle and high school only perpetuate the animosity between students and adminstration at times. Adolescents question authority as part of the growth process, in order to break away from parental influence.
Each unit laid out a plan to accomplish specific goals, why each unit was planned in a certain manner, and provided materials to help instructores fulfill the objectives of the unit. The units also provided information as to the relevance of the activities.
The Friendship Unit by Scott Morgan and Maria Sciara explores the reasons students form friendships and how they develop relationships at this point in their lives and genavbles themn to relate passages from literasture to their own lives.
The identity Unit by Shawn Pace encourage students to look at themselves and establish their own identity.
Adolescent conflict with Authorty talks abotu struggles students have with authority, how they fit into the larger world and how to navigate that tricky period between childhood andf adulthood.
some unique resources that interested me were a letter to the author about a letter a character wrote in a novel, and Dr. Phil ( which surprised me as I am not a fan)
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Blogging
I have had a blog for several years now, and enjoy having a place to post my thoughts, etc. Considering what we as teachers are told about media literacy and the importance of social media, I decided to talk with my students about blogging and other forms of media this week. Imagine my surprise when a good number of my students didn't know what a blog was, had never heard of twitter, and were shocked when I told them I got headline news daily from The New York Times via my facebook page. I think we put more emphais on these alternate forms of communication than young people do. I know they text, email is a thing of the past to them, and they are on facebook, but I don't think they make use of social media and other media sources in the numbers we give them credit for. This week they had two assignments. One , to go online and read a blog, (I gave them some links), and then write a sample one to turn in in class, and the second was to interview a classmate, or contemporary about their use of social media, then interview an older family member, and compare the two. I am interested to see the results, and i'll share next week.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Beliefs about Writing
As an English teacher Iam a firm believer in writing and the writing process. I know we now lead such busy lives that many people don't place much emphasis on writing. I was reading an article severl weeks ago believe it or not in People Magazine and Andrea Lunsford who is world renowned in the field of Rhetoric and Composition remarked on a study done over the past few years that showed people writing more than ever. Between blogs, text messages, emails, twitter, and facebook, the average person now writes the equivalent of two to three pages a day compared to thirty years ago when the average person rarely wrote any thing more than a shooping list or a qucik note once they graduated from school. I believe that giving my students the skills necessary to become a competent writer ( not necessarily a great writer) can only help them , not only in their chosen career, but in all aspectrs of life.
I am a firm believer in the writing process. In my class my students discuss ideas for each essay, we talk them through as a class, and discuss different strategies for each type of essay they write over the course of the semester. The next step is a "junk draft" or outline that they can work on in class with a partner, getting feedback from each other. Then onto the peer review workshop which often meets with resistance at first as students are uncomfortable letting others read and critique their work. Before we begin, I go over the guidelines, positive comments only, ideas to help them improve etc. Most students find this process helpful once they become familiar with it, and often begin to recognize problems with their drafts that they first see in other students work. Next in the process come Individual conferences where students meet with me to discuss their draft, any problems they are having and plans for revision. I am there as a guide, they own their work and they are free to take suggestions or not as they move forward. Next the revised essay is handed in along with a post writing reflection where they write about what worked with their essay, any problems they encountered, and strategies learned for the next assignment. Finally as I use a portfolio system they have until the last day of class to revise any essay they would like. It's more work for me, but sometimes a fresh look at a draft will give them new ideas. I also share my writing with them and talk about my struggles. Right now I am working on a short story and am happy with everything but the ending. This week I plan to read it aloud in class and see what alternative endings they can come up with. It should be an interesting experiment. Overall, Ibelieve that writing is an on going process, and any student willing to work on their writing is capable of becoming a competent writer.
this is my fourth year as a comp teacher and I am just beginning to feel like I know what I'm doing. I am trying several new ideas this semester such as a final group project and look forward to finding out if it will be a success
I am a firm believer in the writing process. In my class my students discuss ideas for each essay, we talk them through as a class, and discuss different strategies for each type of essay they write over the course of the semester. The next step is a "junk draft" or outline that they can work on in class with a partner, getting feedback from each other. Then onto the peer review workshop which often meets with resistance at first as students are uncomfortable letting others read and critique their work. Before we begin, I go over the guidelines, positive comments only, ideas to help them improve etc. Most students find this process helpful once they become familiar with it, and often begin to recognize problems with their drafts that they first see in other students work. Next in the process come Individual conferences where students meet with me to discuss their draft, any problems they are having and plans for revision. I am there as a guide, they own their work and they are free to take suggestions or not as they move forward. Next the revised essay is handed in along with a post writing reflection where they write about what worked with their essay, any problems they encountered, and strategies learned for the next assignment. Finally as I use a portfolio system they have until the last day of class to revise any essay they would like. It's more work for me, but sometimes a fresh look at a draft will give them new ideas. I also share my writing with them and talk about my struggles. Right now I am working on a short story and am happy with everything but the ending. This week I plan to read it aloud in class and see what alternative endings they can come up with. It should be an interesting experiment. Overall, Ibelieve that writing is an on going process, and any student willing to work on their writing is capable of becoming a competent writer.
this is my fourth year as a comp teacher and I am just beginning to feel like I know what I'm doing. I am trying several new ideas this semester such as a final group project and look forward to finding out if it will be a success
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Revision Week
This has been an interesing week in my classroom. Last week I held individual conferences with all of my students. I think conferences are very valuable, but they are exhausting, and at times frustrating as well. My students fill out a pre-conference worksheet, and they are supposed to come to their conference with a revision plan outlined on the worksheet, any specific questions about their draft, and questions they may have about the assignment, or writing in general.
Over half of my students came with the form, but they didn't fill it out, they had no plan for revision, and they came to the conference so I could "tell" them how to "fix' their draft. I have spent a good deal of time telling them that it is not my job to "fix" their writing, but rather to show them strategies to help with their writing, to offer suggestions along the way, and guide them in the right direction. I emphasize the point that they 'own" their work, so they are free to take my suggestions, or those of their peers and whether to use them in their drafts or not as they see fit. However, I strongly urge them to correct grammar, mechanical, and spelling errors that have been marked on their drafts.
This week I handed back their first papers, and over all most of them did well. We still need to work on the concept of revision, with many students just correcting grammar errors, etc. While I see the value in revision, and spending time on multiple drafts, I also realize that many of my students especially at UNCC, go to school full time, work full time, and have other obligations as well. I'm sure this is also true for many high school students. Many don't have time to submit multiple drafts, and are happy to receive a grade and move on.
I use a portfolio system, so they have until the last day of the semester to revise for a higher grade. I have found in the past that generally students who get a B and want an A will revise. Students with a C usually don't bother, and many students have such a poor concept of their writing skills that they are thrilled to get a C on a paper and think they've done well.
Over half of my students came with the form, but they didn't fill it out, they had no plan for revision, and they came to the conference so I could "tell" them how to "fix' their draft. I have spent a good deal of time telling them that it is not my job to "fix" their writing, but rather to show them strategies to help with their writing, to offer suggestions along the way, and guide them in the right direction. I emphasize the point that they 'own" their work, so they are free to take my suggestions, or those of their peers and whether to use them in their drafts or not as they see fit. However, I strongly urge them to correct grammar, mechanical, and spelling errors that have been marked on their drafts.
This week I handed back their first papers, and over all most of them did well. We still need to work on the concept of revision, with many students just correcting grammar errors, etc. While I see the value in revision, and spending time on multiple drafts, I also realize that many of my students especially at UNCC, go to school full time, work full time, and have other obligations as well. I'm sure this is also true for many high school students. Many don't have time to submit multiple drafts, and are happy to receive a grade and move on.
I use a portfolio system, so they have until the last day of the semester to revise for a higher grade. I have found in the past that generally students who get a B and want an A will revise. Students with a C usually don't bother, and many students have such a poor concept of their writing skills that they are thrilled to get a C on a paper and think they've done well.
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