Re: [MOSAIC] RIT with Stephanie Harvey continued...
Is this something that would be beneficial for upper elementary grades 7-8? Susan - Original Message - From: ncteach [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Friday, June 27, 2008 7:22 PM Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] RIT with Stephanie Harvey continued... Hi Mary Helen, Our district committed to the STW a few years ago. This past year I bought the Comprehension Toolkit Gr. 3-6 and used it. It was wonderful! I went through nearly every lesson as recommended. The kids really responded. (I teach 6th grade LA.) I will be refining and adding to it in the upcoming year. I spent my 2nd and 3rd nine weeks immersed in non-fiction and STW. Best, Kim - Original Message - From: Mary Helen Chappetto [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Listserv mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2008 11:04 PM Subject: [MOSAIC] RIT with Stephanie Harvey continued... I just spent 2 fabulous days learning from Stephanie Harvey along with 14 staff members from my school. The only other school that out-numbered us was Ginger'sLiberty! Way to go! I had a great conversation with Ginger (so nice to put a face with the name!) It was like meeting a 'rock star'! My staff did not understand my excitement because they are new to mosaic...I hope some of them have signed on to learn! As I told Ginger, I have been a lurker on the site, was off for a while, but have been back for a bitreading and trying to refresh and learn/relearn about the strategies. Now I am officially a 'poster'! Hearing Stephanie Harvey speak and feeling her passion was incredible. I would love to know if there are any 'newbies' out there who are just getting started and others who are veterans who can support the newbies in the quest to be better teachers of thinkers. I think of the great conversations that happened upon the release of both Mosaic and STW last summer as well as To Understand by Ellin Keene this summer.the book conversations were and have been, as always, thoughtful. What I wonderfor those of you that have been part of the growth of a professional learning community using Comprehension strategies, and have witnessed the positive impact, would you share the approach you took? Is there anything in particular you did to get started? What is the one piece of advice/experience/wisdom you would share for those of us just embarking on this venture? What obstacles did you face and how did you face them? Mary Helen ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
Re: [MOSAIC] RIT with Stephanie Harvey continued...
Thank you! That helps a lot. I ordered Test Talk and am in the process of reading it now. I can see how it will help for next year. I'm just at a loss as to what happens, but after reading part of Test Talk maybe I didn't do enough to teach it as a genre of its own. I always just hope that they will transfer the thinking they do during reading workshop and lit.circles to the test. Mary - Original Message - From: Yingling [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Saturday, June 28, 2008 2:26 AM Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] RIT with Stephanie Harvey continued... We received our reading assessment scores back already (very surprising!). 16 out of 19 (it should have been higher but a couple of kids just didn't want to take the test) of my kids met or exceeded the Illinois state standards on it. My scores were higher than the other two 5th grade classes. These teachers didn't teach using the strategies, lit circles, or reading workshop. I used the Toolkit on and off. I skipped around in it and supplemented other activities in during some lessons. I also used lit circles and reading workshop. I really like the Toolkit and used my own money to purchase it because I wanted it and knew it would be excellent. I would definitely recommend the Toolkit for 5th grade Another book that I think was discussed on this listserv that might help you is Test Talk by Amy Geene and Glennon Doyle Melton. It discusses how to incorporate test taking strategies into a reading workshop. ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
Re: [MOSAIC] Mosaic Digest, Vol 22, Issue 28
Linda Balfour will be away from the office until Wednesday, July 2, 2008. If you have a time sensitive message, please contact the H. Olive Day School office. Thank you! ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
[MOSAIC] ***SPAM*** RE: Help, how do you know?
Last year I switched from 13 years at primary in the same school to Middle School. I knew I was ready for the change because I didn't have as much patience with my second graders and was getting more frustrated then usual. I spent the last month of school and all of last summer flip flopping between being excited and wonder what the heck I had done. I was fine once I started the new year. I think change is good and I was over due, but with young kids I wasn't ready to take the leap before this. Also, I know I can move back to elementary at some point if I want to (there are usually openings), but it could be awhile before I had this opening in Middle School. I teach 6th grade Reading and their are only two positions. Good luck with your decisions. Cindy -Original Message- From: Zey, Melissa [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, June 25, 2008 9:54 AM To: Special Chat List for To Understand: New Horizons in ReadingComprehension; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [MOSAIC] Help, how do you know? Hello. I am currently in a district that is doing some restructuring and there will be an opportunity for building moves in the fall of '09 as new elementary is opened. Staff members are able have a say in their building and grade level. I taught 5th grade in the fall of my student teaching and for a spring long term and really enjoyed the older students. Then, my first official year of teaching was also in 5th grade and it was awful. I had a really tough group and few tools at that point to handle it well. I currently teach 3rd grade and have for many years now. I love third grade. They are independent and yet love school. I have only ever taught in one elementary school. I even did my student teaching in this building. The building is very traditional. After getting my masters a few years ago, I was exposed to balanced literacy. I started teaching that way and have never looked back. I often wonder how things would have been different with that first year of 5th graders if this is how they'd been taught. I am basically the only one in my building that teaches this way, which is why I am looking to change buildings. I have even considered leaving our district. As a whole I think my district is starting to make positive changes toward the balanced literacy approach, but it's certainly not happening in my current buidling. I love third grade, but when I see this opportunity to try to bring the joy of learning back to the older children--to empower them with their own ideas I wonder where I should be. I know this sounds ridiculous, but how do you know what's the right decision? As some of you have decided on career moves (going from teacher to specialist, changing districts, grade levels, etc.), how have you come to make those changes and why? Did you know at the time if it was the right decision? It's so hard to know... it just proves life is all about a leap of faith. Melissa Zey Farmington, MN From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] on behalf of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sun 6/22/2008 8:24 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [Understand] Understand Digest, Vol 4, Issue 16 Maybe, just maybe...there is a strong tie between the 'Fourth grade slump' and the age at which we have schooled out all the curiosity of early childhood... Jennifer I think this is very possible, Jennifer. One of the things I have battled is the feeling that students already come to me in fifth grade comfortable with the structure of unthinking schooling. They WANT me to just give them answers, to give them papers and more papers, to let the hand-up addicts control the class while the rest doze off into oblivion. Each year I battle this preordained culture and some years I am more successful than others. Understand, I am not blaming teachers here. They are working within the culture. It stretches way beyond the classroom IMHO. I generally start my fifth grade science unit by telling students I would feel very successful as a teacher if I can return them to their 3 year-old selves. They look at me like I am out of my mind and then I talk about how they had a natural curiosity back then that annoyed their parents and caregivers enormously. Usually, someone in the class knows a three-year-old, starts laughing and calling out, Why? Why? Why? Then we talk about how why, how, and what if can take us to wonderful learning places. When students ask fabulous and impossible questions in my class, I get very excited. I often have a posting for fabulous questions. If they ask me to answer them, I offer to help them know where to look. It is the start of rebirthing curiosity, but it takes time and patience. Some students will go overboard to begin with. Others will not see the value initially. Some things that I think stand in the way of curiosity in our classrooms are: --ditto on hurrying through curriculum. As
Re: [MOSAIC] RIT with Stephanie Harvey continued...
Hello all- I am a returning member to this list. I have been off-list for about 3 years. I have been a literacy/math coach for the last 6 years. Before that I taught for 9 years, the last 6, in 4th grade. I (and teachers I have coached) struggle with that same issue. What our district did was decide to set aside 20 to 30 minutes a day for skills work. This is not test prep, but rather specific skills. We would teach the skill during this time, then during readers' (or writers') workshop we would incorporate the skills they had learned into the lesson. This year we were also asked to incorporate Marzano's content vocabulary structures. So, if teachers are going to be teaching inference, we will spend 2 or 3 days in skills getting to the meat of what it means to infer. It was well worth the time. The students now had some knowledge and understanding as they attempted to apply the strategy during their reading. Jan We must view young people not as empty bottles to be filled, but as candles to be lit. -Robert Shaffer - Original Message - From: Mary Mangesmailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Groupmailto:mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Friday, June 27, 2008 6:47 PM Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] RIT with Stephanie Harvey continued... Lynelle, Mary Helen, or anyone else, What are your scores like on the reading assessment? I am curious because mine have been low and the pressure is mounting. I teach using strategies and use lots of literature circles and reading workshop. I love the thinking, true thinking that I see in my classroom and would never trade my strategies for a basal or more test prep, but I feel that I'm going to be forced to change something. This year I worked in a coach book lesson that I thought would tie in whatever I was teaching, hoping for a slightly more authentic approach to getting them ready for the test. I spent the weeks leading up to the test teaching the format and trying to prepare them, which is a huge waste of valuable educational time. I'm wondering if I should buy the Toolkit myself or try to talk someone in administration into buying it for me. I have done everything I know to teach authentically and to stay true to what I believe. I hate the testing pressure and am truly at a loss as an educator. Can you give me any direction as far as a connection between testing and the Toolkit. I feel so shallow asking that, but I think anyone in public education, especially in a testing grade would understand. Thanks a bunch! Mary 5th grade/PA - Original Message - From: Lynnelle Winter [EMAIL PROTECTED]mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group mosaic@literacyworkshop.orgmailto:mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Friday, June 27, 2008 7:34 AM Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] RIT with Stephanie Harvey continued... Mary Helen, Our school district just adopted the Toolkit as our reading program. (My school is in year 3 of the reader's workshop with the strategies.) However, I met with a group of ladies from another site who had gone to the training with Stephanie Harvey's Consultant and it was fabulous! I sat down and asked them what questions they had for me. Many of them were very thought provoking. Some of them were very simple. Our district is relatively new with the PLC idea, but having been a curriculum instructor and a classroom teacher I have learned the best approach for me is What can I do to help you with this new idea? My advice would be to allow the participants who need to make small steps that opportunity. If there is one thing I learned as a curriculum instructor it is not every goes full throttle with a new idea like me! :-) Your enthusiasm for this will also lead! Many people see our passion and excitement and usually they will grab on!! Good Luck!! Lynnelle Winter 5th Grade West Intermediate - Original Message - From: Mary Helen Chappetto [EMAIL PROTECTED]mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Listserv mosaic@literacyworkshop.orgmailto:mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2008 10:04 PM Subject: [MOSAIC] RIT with Stephanie Harvey continued... I just spent 2 fabulous days learning from Stephanie Harvey along with 14 staff members from my school. The only other school that out-numbered us was Ginger'sLiberty! Way to go! I had a great conversation with Ginger (so nice to put a face with the name!) It was like meeting a 'rock star'! My staff did not understand my excitement because they are new to mosaic...I hope some of them have signed on to learn! As I told Ginger, I have been a lurker on the site, was off for a while, but have been back for a bitreading and trying to refresh and
Re: [MOSAIC] RIT with Stephanie Harvey continued...
Hi Susan, The STW would definitely benefit that group. The toolkits come in two versions (I think) the lower elementary and the 3-6. You could, of course, adapt the ideas for higher grades. Our 8th grade LA teacher bought one after she saw mine. (I think the publisher (Heinemann--sp?) may be working on one for upper grades.) Kim - Original Message - From: Susan Shull [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Saturday, June 28, 2008 8:20 AM Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] RIT with Stephanie Harvey continued... Is this something that would be beneficial for upper elementary grades 7-8? Susan - Original Message - From: ncteach [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Friday, June 27, 2008 7:22 PM Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] RIT with Stephanie Harvey continued... Hi Mary Helen, Our district committed to the STW a few years ago. This past year I bought the Comprehension Toolkit Gr. 3-6 and used it. It was wonderful! I went through nearly every lesson as recommended. The kids really responded. (I teach 6th grade LA.) I will be refining and adding to it in the upcoming year. I spent my 2nd and 3rd nine weeks immersed in non-fiction and STW. Best, Kim - Original Message - From: Mary Helen Chappetto [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Listserv mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2008 11:04 PM Subject: [MOSAIC] RIT with Stephanie Harvey continued... I just spent 2 fabulous days learning from Stephanie Harvey along with 14 staff members from my school. The only other school that out-numbered us was Ginger'sLiberty! Way to go! I had a great conversation with Ginger (so nice to put a face with the name!) It was like meeting a 'rock star'! My staff did not understand my excitement because they are new to mosaic...I hope some of them have signed on to learn! As I told Ginger, I have been a lurker on the site, was off for a while, but have been back for a bitreading and trying to refresh and learn/relearn about the strategies. Now I am officially a 'poster'! Hearing Stephanie Harvey speak and feeling her passion was incredible. I would love to know if there are any 'newbies' out there who are just getting started and others who are veterans who can support the newbies in the quest to be better teachers of thinkers. I think of the great conversations that happened upon the release of both Mosaic and STW last summer as well as To Understand by Ellin Keene this summer.the book conversations were and have been, as always, thoughtful. What I wonderfor those of you that have been part of the growth of a professional learning community using Comprehension strategies, and have witnessed the positive impact, would you share the approach you took? Is there anything in particular you did to get started? What is the one piece of advice/experience/wisdom you would share for those of us just embarking on this venture? What obstacles did you face and how did you face them? Mary Helen ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
Re: [MOSAIC] RIT with Stephanie Harvey continued... - Kim
Hi, The organizers were included in the toolkit. They were just basic advance organizers to encourage them to think about the selection. One, the FQR had a column for facts, questions and responses. I graded them based on how well they completed the organizers, how they participated in the discussions, etc. Kim - Original Message - From: Yingling [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Saturday, June 28, 2008 3:30 AM Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] RIT with Stephanie Harvey continued... - Kim What were your organizers like that you used while you read? Are they in the files section? I struggle with giving the students grades over their comprehension of their novels. Right now, I have them complete a reflection journal as the read. They predict before reading, write wonderings during reading, and write a one sentence summary and a reflection statement after reading. They do this each day. I'm just not sure how to grade their journals. Regarding the toolkit...I just jumped in with both feet and let it guide me. I was so impressed with how deep and rich the student conversatons were (with one another) and as a class. We did *not* do any of the typical comprehension questions at the end of our reading. Rather, we completed organizers while we read, left tracks of our thinking, paired and shared, had group discussions, then came back together as group. The students actually transferred the strategies to their other subjects! ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
Re: [MOSAIC] RIT with Stephanie Harvey continued...
Hi Jan, After many years of struggling with how to incorporate test prep, I am now doing much the same thing that you describe. The results are observable (and good). When I teach a strategy, say determining importance, I will (at the end) explicitly teach the students what this will look like on the EOG test. I actually say, Now this is what it may look like on the test or This is how they may ask you to do this on the test I do not spend a lot of time on this. Most of my time is spent actually teaching the strategy--modeling, scaffolding, allowing for paired and independent practice, etc. In other words, teaching them how to be great readers. But I've found that little bridge of explicit instruction for transferring their knowledge to the test has helped. Kim - Original Message - From: jan sanders [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Saturday, June 28, 2008 1:43 PM Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] RIT with Stephanie Harvey continued... Hi again- I also need to add, we would look at how the skill or concept was tested and in our teaching we would include the language of the test or just have a conversation about what would a test question look like that wanted to test your ability to infer. Our state (CA) has released test items from the state test and as teachers we would refer to them to see how it was tested so we could incorporate that in our teaching. Jan We must view young people not as empty bottles to be filled, but as candles to be lit. -Robert Shaffer - Original Message - From: jan sandersmailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Groupmailto:mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Saturday, June 28, 2008 10:29 AM Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] RIT with Stephanie Harvey continued... Hello all- I am a returning member to this list. I have been off-list for about 3 years. I have been a literacy/math coach for the last 6 years. Before that I taught for 9 years, the last 6, in 4th grade. I (and teachers I have coached) struggle with that same issue. What our district did was decide to set aside 20 to 30 minutes a day for skills work. This is not test prep, but rather specific skills. We would teach the skill during this time, then during readers' (or writers') workshop we would incorporate the skills they had learned into the lesson. This year we were also asked to incorporate Marzano's content vocabulary structures. So, if teachers are going to be teaching inference, we will spend 2 or 3 days in skills getting to the meat of what it means to infer. It was well worth the time. The students now had some knowledge and understanding as they attempted to apply the strategy during their reading. Jan We must view young people not as empty bottles to be filled, but as candles to be lit. -Robert Shaffer - Original Message - From: Mary Mangesmailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Groupmailto:mosaic@literacyworkshop.orgmailto:mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Friday, June 27, 2008 6:47 PM Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] RIT with Stephanie Harvey continued... Lynelle, Mary Helen, or anyone else, What are your scores like on the reading assessment? I am curious because mine have been low and the pressure is mounting. I teach using strategies and use lots of literature circles and reading workshop. I love the thinking, true thinking that I see in my classroom and would never trade my strategies for a basal or more test prep, but I feel that I'm going to be forced to change something. This year I worked in a coach book lesson that I thought would tie in whatever I was teaching, hoping for a slightly more authentic approach to getting them ready for the test. I spent the weeks leading up to the test teaching the format and trying to prepare them, which is a huge waste of valuable educational time. I'm wondering if I should buy the Toolkit myself or try to talk someone in administration into buying it for me. I have done everything I know to teach authentically and to stay true to what I believe. I hate the testing pressure and am truly at a loss as an educator. Can you give me any direction as far as a connection between testing and the Toolkit. I feel so shallow asking that, but I think anyone in public education, especially in a testing grade would understand. Thanks a bunch! Mary 5th grade/PA - Original Message - From: Lynnelle Winter [EMAIL PROTECTED]mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group mosaic@literacyworkshop.orgmailto:mosaic@literacyworkshop.orgmailto:[EMAIL
