Rebecca McKnight 6th grade Language Arts Teacher

The Academy at Lincoln, Greensboro, NC March 6, 2012

When we are done, we will …..

Answer our essential

questions

Generate a list of

adolescent literature for

our students to read

Participate in some

activities to help foster

the reading/writing

connection

Agenda Introduction

Goals for the session

Define Reading and Writing

Activities to foster connections

Questions, comments, concerns

Info about me…

I love to read!

I have a master’s degree in Education from UNCG and a bachelor’s degree from the College of William and Mary

This will be my 15th year in Guilford County. I have taught at several middle schools including the Academy at Lincoln.

I have worked as a school-based Curriculum Facilitator and as a Curriculum Specialist for the school system.

I am teaching, now, because I love to work with students.

Session Objectives (Essential Questions)

• How can we get students to see the connections between what they read and what they write?

• How important is student choice in the reading/writing process?

• What tools can be used to encourage students to read and write?

Common Core

Standards

What is the value of fostering the connection between Reading and Writing in

middle school?

• Improved retention of

information

• Deepen Understanding

• Application of current

research

• Build community

• Create equity

• Stimulate creativity

• Increase student

responsibility for learning

• Meet developmental needs

• Resolve management issues

• Renew enthusiasm for

teaching

William Butler Yeats

Education is the lighting of a fire, not

the filling of a bucket.

Where do the prompts that my

students write about come from?

How do I accept student writing?

How do I model how I want students to read and write for

me?

What are my favorite texts to use? Why do

I love them?

Questions to think about ……

• Blogs

• Texts

• Formal vs. Informal Writing

• Facebook and Social Media

• Web 2.0 tools like: – Storify --Animoto

– Glogster --Dvolver

• E-mail

• Movie Maker

• Journals/Daybooks

Reading Strategies Brainstorm

Placemat: Reading Strategies

Brainstorm

What types of strategies and

materials do you use to

teach reading to students in your classroom?

Literacy Skills

• Setting a purpose for reading

• Finding the main idea and supporting details

• Summarizing/paraphrasing

• Developing vocabulary

• Activating prior knowledge

• Recognizing the author’s point of view

• Making predictions

Literacy Skills continued….

• Recognizing text structures

• Using text features to connect with and guide through the reading

• Making inferences

• Questioning what you read

• Visualizing what you read

• Making connections

Reading

Strategies

should lead to

writing.

Writing

strategies

should

encourage

further reading.

What are 3 things that the brain needs to learn and retain

information? Ritual

Challenge

Novelty

Reading Response Cards

& Connections

Charts

Literature Circles/Book Clubs

• What are they?

• How do you organize them?

• What is their value in use of informational text?

• Resources for organizing your own

• Book Club resources

– http://www.abcteach.com/directory/basics/reading/literature_circles/: Samples of role sheets and forms

– http://www.litcircles.org/: Some additional information and forms

– http://www.npatterson.net/reading.html: Role sheets

It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in

creative expression and knowledge.”

Albert Einstein

• Battle of the Books list • Journals and

magazines • Young Adult Literature • Poetry books • Picture books • Professional resources • Short Stories • Basal readers • Internet • Picture Books

Scranimal Activity

Use mentor text to teach

poetry elements

Develop vocabulary

Make connections

Imagery

Write your own

Technology

• Web 2.0 tools like….. – Wordle – Glogster – Wallwisher (pre-writing

ideas) – Dvolver – Tagxedo – Google docs – Gaggle – Animoto – Wobooks

• Blogs • E-mail

Dvolver Summaries

– http://www.dvolver.com/live/movies

-623246

– http://www.dvolver.com/live/movies

-623243

– http://www.dvolver.com/live/movies

-623221

Choice

Purpose Possible Reading selections

Possible Writing Topics

Express and Reflect

Inform and Explain

Evaluate and Judge

Inquire and Explore

Analyze and Interpret

Take a Stand/Propose a solution

Real World Writing Purposes: Adapted from Write Like This by Kelly Gallagher

Topic

• Conversations

• Student Surveys

• Blog writing

• What are they

bringing to class

to read?

• Formal & Informal

Reading and

Writing

workshops

3-D Graphic Organizers

Can be used to ………

Brainstorm ideas for writing

Plan and organize ideas for writing

Organize vocabulary

Share student analysis of text

Share student reflections

Make comparisons

Visually display critical thinking

How can 3-D graphic organizers help to

engage writers and readers in my

writing instruction?

• Hands-on way to manipulate and organize information

• Allows and encourages creativity

• Help spatial learners make connections

• Small enough to fit into daybooks or writing/reading journals

• They are fun!

Middle School Reading/Writing Teacher’s Pledge

Resources for strategies and ideas • Teaching Blogs

– The Organized Classroom

– Secondary Solutions

– Laura Candler

– Teaching Blog Addict

• Websites

• Colleagues

• Professional Resources

Questions, Comments, Concerns

Ticket out the Door

Please fill out 3-2-1 session TOD and give it to me before you leave.

Thanks for coming

Contact me at

mcknigr@gcsnc.com

Or

On my cell [(336) 420-6205