For Tues, Nov 15–Writing Workshop #5 (Expository)

We're right where we need to be in our syllabus, but I'd like to switch the next two weeks. So, for Tues, Nov 15, rather than reading the vocabulary ch in Fisher & Frey, expect the following:

1. Recap our Student-Think-Center experience. Comment here if you have thoughts about the learning space.
2. Value time in class to thoughtfully give Dr. Erin Price and Ms. Bonnie Cooper feedback via evaluation sheets.
3. Celebration of narrative work
4. Writing Workshop #5–Exploring expository subgenres
• Mini-lesson
• Time to write (bring what you know best serves your writing needs–i.e., computer, headphones)
• Time to share our writing

*Note–For those working on multgenre, bring informational text(s) related to your topic. You can also use your computer and the lab for research purposes. For those beginning to work on Service-Learning reflections, we'll explore ways to creatively reflect on those experiences.  

Peace and blessings,
Dr. Bishop

Student-Think-Center visit

Hi all,

First let me compliment your participation today during our Student-Think-Center visit. Dr. Erin Price and Ms. Bonnie Cooper are innovative educators, constantly thinking of engaging ways to think and learn, and what a thought-provoking class in a space that raises questions in and of itself about how we learn. Your questions were equally thought-provoking, particularly how, as we continue to learn about our own thinking and learning preferences (which is knowledge that allows us not to be limited by them), we are soon to be put to the task of working with youth who are developing their own personal ways of thinking and learning. What a truly awesome endeavor. I had a few aha moments of my own today. Thank you.

Also want to acknowledge to you that not only did we have 100% attendance, we had 100% of the class meet our narrative writing deadline. I'm telling you not because these are above my expectations for you, but because I want you to know I take notice of these things; I'm proud of them. I'm also proud of John John and Herry counting to 20 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scu9zzC5U3g. Vivi will never count the same again.

I'd also like to say for the record that I'd like to build a classroom learning environment like the Student-Think-Center, so I'm requesting recommendations (BRAINSTORM WITH ME) for how I can transform our classroom spaces in SRS. Comment to this post if you're so inclined.

For some visual fodder, I took some snapshots, and I'll be the first to say I personally covet the moveable whiteboards and the round tables you can write on. And for the record, once you go beveled with your Expo writing, it's hard to go back.

November! Thinking back on Super C week through narrative writing

Hi all,

Happy Halloween! The little peacock has eaten her weight in candies I didn't even know existed. The variety of Skittles alone–Melon Madness?! Thank goodness for baby teeth. Our brushing habits aren't exactly stellar yet.

This week we'll value time in class to think, talk and write about our Super C week experience through the Writing Workshop Approach (1. mini-lesson 2. time to write 3. time to share). Please bring with you a hard copy of one of the lessons you prepared (math or social studies); we'll work with those to jump start our narratives.

Vivi at Mitchell Farms in Collins running (away from me) through the pumpkins.

Fall Break!

Hi all! Hope your break is peaceful and rejuvenating, maybe with a little adventure in the mix. 

Please note the following due next week

1. For Tues, read Fisher and Frey's Ch 5–"Why Ask? Questioning Strategies in the Classroom"
2. Blog posting due Thurs including the following
1. Shoot for three paras in length
2. One smart, genuine question that arises from your reading
3. At least one quote that strikes you as important or noteworthy

* Note–You may also choose to create a Prezi or Inspiration (or http://bubbl.us) mind map or any other method of representation of how you engaged with the text.

IMPORTANT–A list of our upcoming writing assignments are posted here (as well as in the syllabus)

http://cir411tthfall.blogspot.com/2011/10/upcoming-writing-assignments.html

And here's a pic of Viv as a Halloween Peacock (thx Brandi, we totally got one!)

Upcoming writing assignments

Fall Break!

We're gearing up for the second half of this course during which we'll be doing a lot of writing, much of it in class, some of it in places outside class you find most productive for your writing process. We all have different things that create optimum writing atmospheres--some like background music, some compose on the computer, some need total silence. As we write in class, keep thinking about your own personal process of writing and how that metaknowledge might translate into your teaching. How can we provide our students with different opportunities to write? 

As a quick reminder, this is your "writing intensive course" for our program, as designated by the General Education Council (GEC) at USM. Along with the blogs you've been writing, we have three more writing assignments due:

1. Narrative lesson plan (due Nov 10)–Once you've returned from the field, we'll spend some Writing Workshop time writing a lesson plan in narrative form. You can use any lesson you designed and/or taught in the field or while tutoring, but we'll have hindsight experience and can tweak decisions; meanwhile, the narrative form allows us to paint a vivid picture of what's happening in the classroom while your lesson is occurring. We'll start this assignment when you return from the field. 
2. Collection of writing artifacts (due Nov 29)–To be better teachers of writing, we must engage in the writing process ourselves, experience the joys and frustrations of the writing process. Through a very simple method–The Writing Workshop (mini-lesson, time to write, time to share)–we'll write, talking about writing, and talk about the teaching of writing. Due Nov. 29, you need to turn in four writing artifacts from our writing workshops together and/or from your writing outside class. You've already got some poetry you can include. You can submit this digitally (i.e., through blog posts, through a Prezi, any other form that fits your creativity) or as a hard copy paper document. This collection is worth 20 points and is evaluated solely using the checklist in our syllabus.
3. Multigenre project or Service-Learning project (due Dec 8)
• MG project–Choose a topic that's just for you and begin weaving together writing artifacts into an engaging multigenre piece. Consider time during our writing workshops to work on your multigenre piece; in other words, the sooner you decide on a topic, the sooner you can gather information to write about that topic. 
• SL project–Write a rich description of your experience at Hawkins or at Burger. What did you learn while tutoring about teaching, about learning, about yourself, youth, school culture, etc. This piece is open to the meaning-making that occurred for you while involved in the Service-Learning as volunteers at these schools. 
• Note–Dec 5 we'll have a "Walking Gallery" to share our work with each other. Prior to this sharing, make sure you've used the turnitin.com requirement to double-check for any unintended plagiarism.  This assignment is worth 25 points and we'll use the rubric from the syllabus.

For me, this is an exciting component of CIR411, the opportunity to write creatively, to receive professor and peer feedback, and to think about what these experiences mean for designing writing experiences in our future classrooms.

Happy Writing! And if you ever want an individual conference outside of class, email me for an appointment or find me during office hours.
Dr B

Writing Workshop #2 – Narratives

Quick Vivian update

 

Writing Workshop #2 (via Prezi)–exploring narrative writing as a genre

1. Mini-lesson (examples of first person experience)
2. Time to write (or research or conf w Dr B)
3. Time to share (everyone choose one word from there writing today)

See the following post for upcoming writing assignments

Chapter 7 "Getting it Down, Making and Taking Notes"

Greetings gang, thanks for engaging with "Concept Maps" in thoughtful, humorous, and intelligent ways. I laughed, learned more about The Dust Bowl (and about our understandings of Out of the Dust), was reminded of what has happened with Billie Jo and family. You also raised some good questions for me (i.e., what about these trees planted by FDR during the Dust Bowl?) Pics below for reminders--skip the slaughtered purple cow if you have a weak stomach. :)

Also, I won't assign a post on Tues due on Thurs, thanks for that reminder.

Also also--some pics of Vivian at the mini-petting zoo before the women's soccer game mixed in, just in case you want to see Tessie the alligator or Monty the Python. I let you guess on the third animal.  

Reminder assignments for next week:

1. Read Chapter 7 in our text BY TUES
2. Bring in a K12 Social Studies text (spend some time choosing plz) FOR TUES
3. Posting due TUES (see pic below, but disregard the "Mon," that's a mistake)