Yesterday during reading workshop, I read an article by Jeff Wilhelm about technology use that mirrors the TIW today.  He said that if we are not using technology, we are not preparing our students for the world in which we live – and the one they will occupy after we are dead and gone.  We are doing a disservice to them and to society.  In his study, a class utilized technology repeatedly to present information.  As a result, the students felt more confident in the knowledge they acquired, necessary to create and present the information in various technological formats – because the learning was authentic.  That article also corresponds with an article I received via email from a professional journal (T.H.E. Journal) through NCTE, titled Digital Divide – What Digital Divide?  A group conducted research that found even low SES groups have adequate access to technology – adequate for them to become proficient (enough) with those skills for the 21st century.  The article explains only a few sessions with technology every 3-4 weeks is enough.  No need to have computers in the home.  No need to have enough computers for each student, or smart boards, or IPods, or laptops in every classroom.

No matter where and when technology is used – we must incorporate it into our ELA classrooms in order for our students to be prepared for LITERACY in this century.

1.  We really get time to write each morning.  I commented to Dr. Whyte that I didn’t believe this, at first.  This has been a welcome respite to the busy day.  Probably like you, I am being self-indulgent and finding time to explore words I’ve wanted to put on paper for some time.

2.  I actually think I write more with pencil and paper.  Usually, I sit at my computer and write.  In Sun Belt, I have left the lap top at home.  Perhaps it is because I can type in a speed that is faster than my “writing/thinking” process speed.  My “writing/thinking” process needs time to find its own path.  Leaving my fingertips sitting on the “a-s-d-f-j-k-l-;” keys feels like I’m wasting time.  But sitting in Haley Center with these other writers only means my ideas are steeping.  I like it.  I like it, a lot.

I look forward to the next 11 days with these writers.

I’m surprised to learn that most tutorials involve more talking than writing. It seems that the best way to tutor writing is to ask the writer what he means to say in the piece and how he intends to continue. The idea is to help the writer help himself so that he will eventually no longer need the outside tutoring help. Most of my experience with writing has involved reading the papers, red pen in hand, to find mistakes and point out ways to correct errors. One expert states that the tutor should not use red ink but any other color that will stand out from the draft. I remember in one early teacher education course that someone suggested that red ink was intimidating and should not be used. She suggested purple!

I’m looking forward to seeing all of you on Monday.

In Writing Essentials:Raising Expectations and Results While Simplifying Teaching celebrations of student accomplishments at any stage of writing tend to motivate students to want to write. Students who only wrote maybe one line stated that they didn’t have any thing to write about . They too were celebrated as well as those who wrote more than a line. During the next writing task the same students attempted to write even farther. Celebrating students as well as giving them a choice in writing helped them to be more motivated and willing to write even more the next time.

Reading strategies are parallel to writing. Routman uses think aloud as one strategy so students could follow her thinking as she wrote. The writing was then modeled so students could see the process in work. When modeling what writing looks like, ideas are the focus more than mechanics. Modeling the writing lesson in front of the students gave them the opportunity to see that writing was a struggle even for those who couldalready write well. This made the students appreciate their writing even more.

 When writing from experiences students were better able to express their own ideas. Real life situation are often the best prompts for meaningful writing. Giving students a meaning for writing was more purposeful than  writing just to be writing.

Good readers are often good writers because they tend to translates their ideas into writing. Routman has explored so many avenues in writing which has given students ownership in the process. I am so glad that she was inspired to write this book.  Reading her book has inspired me to want to become a better writer.

The book I chose is TUTORING WRITING which offers advice in how to tutor for different situations. I expect it to be helpful. I’ve only read four chapters so far.

I also plan to read two other books which give advice on helping ESL writers.

My book is called TUTORING WRITERS which deals with the challenges and how-to’s for one-on-one tutoring. There is some very practical advice and the writers offer model tutoring sessions to show how to implement the suggestions.

I’ll have more soon.

We expect our students to know how to talk about their reading and writing (and therefore, their learning), but we typically do not do a good job teaching explicitly about “talk” as a way of learning, resolving issues, investigating issues, finding answers.

Debate is not enough.  Debate forces competitiveness, and has a loser and a winner.  Do you want a student in your class to feel like the “loser”?  Some examples of authentic discourse: storytelling, agenda setting, problem solving, brainstorming, and decision making.

Other ways to teach the uses of language:

1 – While reading, writing, and talking – pause and reflect periodically

2 – Have students use sticky notes to write questions when reading text.  Active thinking during active reading.

3 – Forced free-writing (after reading a supplied text)

4 – Model and practice quality questions

5 – Ask your own questions (as the teacher) to push the analysis further, deepen the discourse (keep it organized, flowing, all perspectives are respected and given the opportunity to be shared)

MOVE TOWARD INDEPENDENCE — continued evaluation of these conversations so we can continually improve!  Point out what works well in the discussions.  Focus on specific skills, mannerisms, and tone.

This section mirrors Dr. Ash’s class perfectly!  We have been discussing language, feeling “safe”, inquiry and discourse, teacher acting as facilitator.

Again, it serves as a terrific reminder to utilize the one skill our students enter the classroom with – TALK.  Let’s take them at their current ability level and show them skills to improve their TALK.