I will model.
3 things that were intriguing to me:
1. People who shared with us the assumptions they now realize they began with. Examining your assumptions is so healthy, teachers. Thank you.
2. Leah's activity went from "Whaaaa?" to "Wow" in under 60 seconds for me. Cool. Thanks.
3. How each of you interpreted the "token" aspect of this presentation. Diversity reigns supreme.
2 things I have questions about:
1. Do teachers in a school that is "under-performing" or ""under review by the state" get as much freedom of choice as the teachers in South Kingstown? Why?
2. If reflection is a key to teacher survival, growth, and development, why don't schools care about giving teachers time and space to reflect on their practice?
1 thing that knocked my socks off.
1. Shawn Waterman. His ideas, his energy, his mind, his wisdom, his generosity, his engagement, and his work ethic. Bravo.
Please click on the "comment" tab below and enter your 3-2-1. I am looking forward to reading about what you took away from tonight's presentations. Peace-
#3- Stuff I found Interesting
ReplyDelete•I loved Ashlee’s idea of the Ellen DeGeneres flash cards. I must admit, I don’t really watch her show, but now I want to because of these ‘flash cards.’ The idea of posting the word ‘apple’ on a flash card and having students relate the image to a theme/ story sounds like an engaging activity. I definitely would like to try it.
•The fact that Shawn freely shared his great ideas is well appreciated. I loved his idea of inventing words throughout the school year. Another idea I want to hold onto.
•Lastly, Jennifer has a wonderful point when it came to teacher reflections. She summed up the importance by saying “there are no vacations” for reflection… love it.
#2 Stuff I have questions about
• I questioned the ABB format in Dunbar’s poem. It was more of a note to myself to look it up.
•I wish there was an answer for Spanglish speakers: to write in English, or to write in Spanish?
#1 One thing that blew my mind
“Adolescent Literature engages students because of their realistic themes”
Kay definitely pointed out something intriguing here. We are teaching high school students, so why isn’t there more class work in the realms of adolescent literature? I found this most interesting since I could tie it in with my I-Search.
Hi everyone,
ReplyDeleteHere is my 3,2,1:
3 of the MANY MANY things that intrigued me this evening:
-Ashlee's Ellen idea. (reminded me of that game where you have to describe a word by using other words, but you have a list of words you cannot use. Can anyone think of the name of this?) Anyway, I think you could go several ways with this in a classroom.
-Katelyn's website resources for adolescent literature.
-Sarah's Hamlet cartoon and activity.
2 things I have questions about:
-I really liked Mary's heritage project and now i am wondering what are some other ways that we can get parents and the community involved in school?
-Feeding off of Sophia's visual learning presentation, how can we connect English to some of the seemingly less "literate" intelligences such as logic and kinesthetic?
1 thing that knocked my socks off.
-perhaps I am slightly bias here because they were both dealing with ESL topics, but i really dug both David and Kathryn's presentations. They were sincere and succeeded in driving the point home. (sorry, i know that was two things)
I think all the presentations were awesome and they all offered something interesting and practical. Special props to Jen, Shawn and Brynn for going above and beyond with the tokens they handed out - I feel like it was a successful Christmas morning and I got gifts I'll actually keep and use in the future.
ReplyDelete3 things I found interesting:
-Tracy's question about African American vernacular actually related really well to her own life and experiences.
-Sophia's assertion that if the students are learning, you don't have to feel guilty about going beyond the boundaries of the curriculum.
-Mary's statement about how family involvement encourages the practical application of things learned in school and can actually help students connect to what they are learning.
2 things I have questions about:
-What if you find yourself in a school that is more conservative than South Kingstown High?
-How do you encourage family involvement when not every student has a family to go home to?
1 thing that blew my mind:
-Ashlee's flashcard game that she got from watching Ellen. I've seen that game so many times on that show and I never ever would have thought it could also work in the classroom. So, good job taking something wild and turning it into something productive. I wish you could also find a good use for blindfolded musical chairs.
#3 Stuff I found Interesting:
ReplyDelete- Mary's idea about having a Heritage Project for the whole school. I really think this could help families become more interactive with the school community including teachers and students. I wish my school had a Heritage Day - She suggestion for a fair made me think of Grease XD That would be awesome!
- Shawn's Motto idea = genius! I love this unit he has shared with us and I'm so appreciative for that, I'm sure I'll use some of his lessons throughout my career.
- David's presentation was fabulous! I absolutely loved how he started with writing an assignment on the board in Spanish. It really opened my eyes to exactly how ELLs feel and I hope I can remember that feeling when I have ELLs in my classroom.
#2 Questions:
How can someone care TOO much about teaching?
Why do parents become less involved in high schools, other than extra curricular activities?
#1 Thing that blew my mind:
Visual Learners - they need more representation and I'm so happy that Sophia shared her ideas with us and used Twilight as an example of how words and photos can make entirely different impressions upon a student.
Oh and definitely Brynn's hearts - SO CUTE! I'll keep it forever and put it on my teacher desk :)
Hello all!
ReplyDeleteHere's my 3-2-1
** Kay I am so glad that you liked my hearts!!!** THANK YOU :):):)
#3- Jen Smith's teacher log information! I see now how important reflection can be to being a reflective practitioner.
#2- Theme organized v.s. Genre organized literature...I think that was Ashley's? ( Love all the YA titles too Kay! Let me know if you can recommend more... sooo checking them all out!)
#1- Shawn Waterman... Wow. I mean, wow, but WOW. Thank you. You are a deep, deep guy, and I really appreciate how much time and effort you put into your token. SOOOO cooolll! I loved the song into an essay exercise.. and I could go on and on and on....
AND.. not to take anything away from Shawn, but EVERYONE. I really learned so much this evening from everyone that I feel so EXCITED about teaching writing! Thank you to everyone for working so hard!!!
AH! i just typed it all out and it didnt send! i will be back tho folks
ReplyDeleteoh PS. shawn, i think you're thinking of TABOO. so fun.
ReplyDeleteHey guys, so here's my 3-2-1 exit slip:
ReplyDelete3 things I found intriguing:
1. Tracy - I had never heard of someone writing essays in a dialect or vernacular before, and now I want to read some of them. Very cool idea, thanks for sharing it.
2. Jen Smith - I liked what you said about reflective teaching and how reflection can provoke anxiety, which makes me question those teachers who tend to keep going forward without looking back to reflect. I guess they can't face the anxiety. That idea made me promise to myself that I would never be a teacher that doesn't, or rarely, reflects. I will now always reflect!
3. Kathryn - Your foreign language word splash exercise was great, and it really helped me to understand what it must be like to be an ELL student - walking in another's shoes.
2 things I have questions about:
1. Mary - Why don't parents come into secondary schools as often as they did in elementary school?
2. Ashley - Why isn't voice assessed more often in student writing?
1 thing that knocked my socks off:
I, with many others, have to agree on Shawn Waterman. Your unit is amazing, and it is awesome that you shared that with all of us. Thank you! The Langston Hughes "Motto" exercise was great, too. Also, this one thing you said last night was pretty cool (and very true): "You need to have different language in your life."
And, I also have to agree that last night was a pretty awesome class. Thanks, everyone!
3-2-1 Exit Slip
ReplyDelete3 things I found intriguing:
1. The need for reflection and the many benefits this act provides. A great example was the amount of data now available to medics because of journals.
2. The need for contemporary literature in the classroom and the many ways this can be incorporated, such as comparing "Romeo and Juliet" to "Twilight" in a section on forbidden love!
3. The need to incorporate visuals into the classroom, such as through movies or pictures, so that all learning styles are touched upon!
2 things I have questions about:
1. How do I get past the language barrier in teaching writing, and am I doing a disservice to both the English language, as well as the Spanish language if I allow students to periodically write in "Spanglish"?
2. Why are so many teachers afraid to share their ideas and discoveries with other teachers, and instead keep so much important information to themselves? When did teaching become a competition?
1 thing that knocked my socks off:
1. Shawn's entire presentation and all of the activities and ideas he provided the class with. There are so many great ideas in the packet, I definitely know I will be using many of these when I have my own classroom, especially the activity of creating a word and including the etymology of the word! Thank you, Shawn!
3 Things Things That I found Intriguing:
ReplyDelete1. That we all started our I-Search projects with assumptions that were challenged as we progressed with our research.
2. Tracy - I LOVED the exploration of dialect in writing, even in academic writing. Why does everything have to be standardized? Who sets the expectation? Your reading of the Laurence Dunbar poem was a breath of fresh air.
3. Mary - I've also wondered why parents/families seem to loose interest with being involved in school after the child leaves the elementary level. The heritage project is a great idea, especially for middle school as it is hands on, touches across all the disciplines, and it is attracting as many people are interested in their heritage.
2 Things I Have Questions About:
1. Are all schools as flexible with their curriculum's as South Kingston?
2. How do you encourage family involvement if your in a title 1 school where many of the parents are too busy working?
1 Thing That Blew My Mind:
The beautiful hearts with the word "Write" inscribed in them. They made me think of the peace stones I used to carry from my Medicine Wheel days. Thanks Brynn!
3 Interesting things:
ReplyDelete-How great it was to hear some voices that are sometimes heard less often in class, and in such a way that they really shined!
-I loved that the connection between language arts and visual learning was raised. I am a word person, my partner is a visual person. I think that the two can really complement each other, and I think that students can really benefit from this kind of complementary approach.
-How many interesting things that I could list. I really got something that made me think and that I can potentially use from every presentation - whether it was the really cool opening activities that helped you to shift your perspective (David's, Leah's, and Kathryn's come to mind), or the raising of exciting ideas like voice, identity, and dialect, or the kind of mirror that people held up to themselves in looking at their own I-Search process. Thanks and congratulations, everyone!
2 Questions:
-What would it take to get teachers to feel comfortable engaging in frank discussion about the role of African American Vernacular in the classroom? Bravo to you T-Bird for taking up a controversial topic and pursing it. You're pushing boundaries!
-What would it mean if it were truly possible to engage parents and families more actively in students' writing in a variety of ways? And couldn't it have as profound an effect on these family members as it does on students? I'm wondering about family literacy models, and if they are similarly focused on families with younger children to the exclusion of older students?
1 Sock knocked off:
Is it too obvious to say Shawn Waterman's generous sharing of his Identity unit plan at this point?
3-2-1- Exit slip
ReplyDelete3 things that intrigued me:
1) How many of us changed our questions (sometimes completely) during the process and how it was okay with Dr. Cook. It was actually encouraged! This is a golden nugget of its own for our future “teacher selves” to hold on to. The enthusiasm in the room last night was incredible. We were all excited about our topics and each other’s. This couldn’t happen if we picked a dud of a question and were then stuck with it for a semester. Whoop Dr. Cook!
2) I also found it interesting how many people fessed up to their assumptions. It is so important to realize that we all have assumptions that need to be shaken up!
3) I liked David’s idea of always remembering to ask yourself “What does each student have to bring to my classroom.” It really gets to the heart of looking at the positive qualities and the assets that each student has rather than focusing on the students shortcomings. Thanks for that nugget David!
2 things I have questions about:
1) I loved the hope that Chris’s presentation brought to us. My question is how does South Kingston compare to the other districts in RI? Are they all as liberal, or are there some that don’t make freedom as available to their teachers?
2) I was interested that several students focused on ESL students. It got me wondering what the statistical make-up of ESL students is in RI in general, and in the different districts specifically. Do programs for ESL students differ from district to district, or are they similar? What are the policies? What kind of support is provided for these students beyond the classroom teachers?
1 thing that knocked my socks off:
So should we all just go ahead and start a Shawn Waterman Fan Club? I’ll print up the t-shirts.
Shawn had the idea of his students making up their own words. I think I need to make one up to describe how awesome it was of Shawn to be so generous with his ideas. The handout is INCREDIBLE! It has so much valuable information that I will definitely use in the future. Not only did he share his ideas, but they are forward-thinking, out-of-the-box, intelligent, and generally outstanding ideas!!
I want to go back to high school so I can be in Mr. Waterman class.
Just wanted to say thanks to all of you, and thanks to Dr. Cook for providing this oppurtunity. I loved hearing what everyone had to say last night. Our class is brimming with brilliance! Also, great idea to post our 3-2-1s on the blog. I have enjoyed hearing everyones voices.
ReplyDeleteOh, on my 321, I meant to write that I want to go back to high school so I can be in "Mr. Warerman's class" not in "Mr. Waterman class." (Typo!) Athough I am sure that a class that taught us how to BE Mr. Waterman, or learn all ABOUT Mr. Waterman would be great in its own way; it wasn't really what I was going for in that statment.
ReplyDeleteSorry I'm late guys.
ReplyDelete3- Mary's presentation on parent involvement in the classroom. Involving entire communities to a heritage or culture day which incorporate so many aspects of learning is a great way bring people together, as well as build your own classroom/"cluster" community.
- Kay's presentation on adolscent lit. Kay brought in some interesting books that i've never had heard of but i intend on reading. "Fun" reading is the best reading.
-Leah's activity. Being able to write as freely as possible was great and i think students would enjoy having the opportunity to do so.
2- I wonder about things Tracy's presentation brought up, like how many teachers are going to commit to honoring their students' dialects and multiple others. I think possibly if Mary, Tracy (and us all of course) could bring the communities together through education, respect for each other's cultures and languages-dialects will be embraced in and outside the classroom.
-I wonder about things from Sophia's presentation about visual learning, like school funding for resources and materials for students. Also I wonder about professional development for teachers that focus on visual learning tools in the classroom.
1- One thing that blew my mind was Shawn's presentation. I appreciate the time and thought he put into it as a peer and future teacher. I also think language and identity are strongly connected and preserving it in the classroom is essential. I also liked some of the authors, Shawn mentioned focusing on cultural identity, Juno Diaz, Sherman Alexie.
3 things that intrigued me:
ReplyDelete1)Jen’s presentation on reflecting on your practice- I think this is something that is greatly needed in classrooms.
2)Remembering what it felt like to be a person who didn’t understand. Kathryn and Dave’s exercise showed this well. I loved when Kathryn stressed the importance of walking in someone else’s shoes. I think that one of the most beneficial things you can do for your students is to remember what it was like to be a high school student.
3)Sarah’s activity – this is a fun and creative way for students to learn about different points of view.
2 questions I have:
1)How do I help students to “break the mold” and find the passion in this subject?
2)Because I went to Catholic high school, I am now wondering if my teachers had to take the more traditional approach to teaching. Were there books or films that they wanted to share with us, but couldn’t because of the strict school guidelines?
1 thing that blew my socks off:
The class itself- I truly learned and benefited from every presentation on Wednesday night. I am amazed by all of the useful information that I gathered in just 3 hours. This was such a great way for us to be able to teach others, as well as, be the students and learn valuable information that we will be able to use and refer back to throughout our careers.
So first off I'd like to say YAY! we're almost done!
ReplyDeleteSecond, I'd like to say that I'd like to say I thought everyone did a great job at the I-Search presentations.
3 things I found interesting:
Tracy - You brought up giving different mediums and I thought that was great. Maybe you could do this with songs, films, and readings that way kids can hear and see the differences.
Chris - I think you and I should get ready to tag team South Kingston with their 90% freedom. I think seeing that helps people to realize that you should check out the schools you’re interested in first.
Ashley - I never really thought of voice as a lack of confidence. I thought it was great that you kind of centered that for me.
2 things I question:
Kay - HOW CAN PEOPLE BE SCARED STUDENTS ARE READING? You mentioned this in your presentation and it shocked me to think that is could be a problem.
Jenn - Who would have thought their could be a success in the Iraq war? I think that the explanation you gave was amazing. I was taken back at first but it does make some sense in the end.
1 thing the blew my socks off:
An the award goes to Shawn! :)
Shawn you have a great talent for not only teaching but with learning as well. You think a great deal about things. I loved that you wanted to connect novels to everyday life. Like taking the chapter about jobs from I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings and teachings students about job interviews. I think sometimes students think what they look like doesn’t matter or how they act which in a society like this appearance is everything. No to mention you put all your thoughts up for grabs! I really have appreciated the classes I’ve had with you because you are just that great!
I also think that we have our own talents and that we will go far in life.
Leah - your activity was great and I think your students will like it too.
David - the way you opened up with the flipping of comfort was AMAZING! I think it is a great ice breaker to your students to show no judgment in your class and that it is equal playing field.
Kathryn - Talk about an amazing web person. You have a great presence in the front of the class and I know your students will take notice into it and appreciate it.
Kay - I LOVEEE MY ADOLESCENT LIT BUDDY! I’m so excited you shared your favorite books with us. If you do that with your students they might feel as though they can relate to you on a whole other level. As it stands in some cases adolescent literature is seen as like you said the training wheels to real classics. If you can tell your kids hey I read it well I know that’d be great.
Brynn - I don’t think there is anything to say but AMAZING HEARTS, THANK YOU!
Sarah - I loveddd your activity. I think it’s a great way to have students realize the art doesn’t have ot be perfect and it’s a great way of pulling the information from the text for kids.
Mary - I know someday I will read about a new program for after school parents and students to get more involved together. And I’m sure I will see you as the creator.
Sophia - 1 thank you for using twilight :) and 2 thank you for letting us know about your visual learning. We are all different when it comes to learning and I can honestly say I at times am a visual learner. No Crime There! Your activity was great though!
3...
ReplyDelete1. I loved the idea of using modern texts kids are reading anyway to compliment the mandatory, sometimes hard to understand classics. Ashlee, Kay and Sophia all had great things to say about that.
2. The best place to get ideas and reflect as a teacher is with other teachers. Teachers need to be friends! There will be so much more awesome stuff in the classrooms if we all just got along. Especially with people like Jenn and Shawn.
3. I loved the activities and ideas of how to make ESL students or students who might not respind well to basic reading and writing feel comfortable in the classroom. And also the activites to show how these kids might feel. Kathryn, David, Leah and Sarah all had such different approaches, but they were all awesome activities.
2...
1. Shawn and Tracy's presentations made me wonder how you can encourage students to express themselves in their own language, dialect or slang if you may not understand it?
2. Is it harder to create a foucus lesson plan when students have choices in reading/writing assignments?
1...
Curriculum is not always set in stone! Like Chris and some others, I always though everything was set and there was no room to change things or add different assignments. I was relieved and excited to know that's not true.
All the presentations were great and I have so many ideas and activities to steal now!!
P.S kathryn i will find some way to use blindfolded musical chairs haha
ReplyDeleteWow! I just wanted to say thank you to everybody for the wonderful comments. It really means a lot to me to know that you guys might be able to benefit from my work. Reading through these comments has put a huge smile on my face.
ReplyDeleteAnd one more question for my 3,2,1: Why can't all classes be structured like this? When I compare this class to the boring lectures that I know we have all sat through it leaves me with a big ?
Shawn I agree with that!
ReplyDelete