Writing Articles from Class-Holla

So I just read the article "Passion and Craft in Writing: Finding a Balance"...I need this! I feel so blasse about writing right now. I definitely find myself just grading my students writing and not really reading it. I agree with his point about process and product. You need to look at how you get there, and what you get in the end (so the craft and the passion).

One idea he had that I thought was really cool was a notebook organized in 5 sections: Vocabulary, Language, Literature, Nonfiction, and Writing. How could one implement this in the middle of the year? Should I just wait? Its hard enough getting my kids to bring a notebook and pencil, nevermind something so organized...I wouldn't feel right asking parents to buy a 5 subject notebook in April...

For the most part I liked this article but I wasn't sure how much was applicable. Ianacone made it a point to say he works in a very affluent district with high schoolers...however I have a very different group of 6th graders. One question it brought up for me is how applicable some of these teaching resources are for innercity schools. I worry about things like investment since, for example, many of my kids would not have much of a connection with the texts he writes about. I also want to make sure I use models with a similar cultural heritage but I don't always know where to find these.

attachments/pictures!

I want to add some resources like the poetry unit I did and the sheet I use for classroom service, but I don't know how to attach things. I'd also like to put up some pictures of my classroom... how do I do that?

Wishlist!

Hey all,

I'm thinking this post (and the ensuing comment thread) could be a place for us to let each other know what we need in terms of resources--our very own mini-craigslist!

Here's what I want/need:

-Anything about teaching poetry, especially reading poetry, not just writing it.
-Lord of the Flies resources
-Any student jobs that have worked out really well in your classroom
-Independent Reading recommendations for 15 year old boys
-Shoes that don't hurt after standing in them all day (hey, thought I'd ask!)

Reply with anything you have for me, or your own wishlist!

Grading rubrics

I'm curious about what every one thinks of the TFA general writing rubric. Do any of you use it? Prof. Hyman, after looking at it, what do you think about it? What is a good way to grade writing?

Our Poor, Neglected Blog.....

I feel our blog's pain. For what, truly, is a blog with almost no posts? A blog in name only. So....WHERE ARE YOU??? YOUR BLOG NEEDS YOUR LOVE AND ATTENTION!!

My room!

Here are some of the more exciting parts of my classroom: (when it's empty, that is--but I'm pretty sure I'm not legally allowed to post pictures of my students doing headstands on the desks on the internet)

This is my pride and joy, and it's responsible for increasing homework turn-in rates to, as you can see from last week, over 80% for most of my classes! I'm lucky enough to have a laminating machine, so I can update the percentages during each class as I check the homework.


(I know it's not rotated correctly, but I'm too tired to figure that out.)









This is the other part of my room that I'm very proud of, and it is also thanks to the laminating machine. It's just a blank two-week calendar, but it's revolutionized my teaching. It forces me to plan ahead, and then once I've got the plan written down for all the students to see, I tend to stick to it. It makes my life SO much easier!












Finally, some quotations from my brilliant students. You can also see the seminar-style table layout!

Accountable Talk Writing

I am currently working on accountable talk in my classroom and I was wondering if anyone knew any good writing assignments to spur conversation or to wrap up good dialogue. I was also wondering if other people could post their accountable talk procedures and rules so we could all benefit from them!

A rose by any other name would be this group

I am officially sponsoring the choose a name search for a blog. If we are to feel connected with this intangible entity we need it to be able to emote to us in a human way. What better way to study personification than to personify the blog? here are my suggestions:

TODD - Teachers are O.D. Descriptive

TWIA - Teaching Writing Is Awesome

WIL - Writing Is Learning

any other ideas?

Please send me your e-mail address!

It looks like I have to "invite" you all in order to have you be able to post as authors. So could you please send me your e-mail? It would be easiest if you create a gmail address if you don't already have one! Thanks!!

Welcome!!

I've decided that Blackboard.com is both
A)Unreliable

and

B) (maybe unintentionally) reproducing what's wrong with classrooms: their restrictive architecture, their insistence on formal correctness, their boundaries of what's acceptable and what's not. Whereas this feels volitional, exciting, and fresh. Like a technospace that's actually meant to be lived in and explored instead of a place for forced labor.

So I've decided top try to blog our way through the rest of the semester!