Leading the way with technology. . .
"Maaaary, can you please show me how to embed a Google Doc into a Weebly page?" I hear the sweet sounds of techie lingo echoing off the tall walls of Room 120, and I couldn't be more proud. Proud of my colleagues for pushing themselves to go out of their comfort zones to learn new things; and proud of myself for engaging, motivating, teaching, and leading them to use tools and programs they may not have even known existed a few weeks ago. We have all come a long way with our writing, but we also deserve snaps for our technology growth too!
More lenses leads to more responsibility . . .
Every time I collaboratively wrote letters to each demonstrator, I became more comfortable with the many lenses we studied this summer. Words like wide-awakeness, critical consciousness, joy, and creativity were introduced, and reintroduced, to my vocabulary. In addition, after becoming more familiar with the CCSS and the NCTE, I feel more knowledgeable and comfortable leading discussions dealing with writing and instruction.
Encouraging colleagues . . .
After reading the NCTE Beliefs about the Teaching of Writing, I wrote a letter to a colleague to summarize the main points of the article and explain what I think she is doing right with her students. In the future, I can use the NCTE research-based contentions to help guide School Improvement goals and remind myself and others what is important while teaching writing.
Dear Daryl,
I know how much you love teaching writing, and I always think of you when the topic of writing comes up. Maybe that’s because you went to New York to study with Lucy Calkins; or it could be because I teach the grade level above you so I get your kids (who are all amped up to write at the beginning of the year, thanks to you). However, I’ve noticed that you’ve been a little frustrated lately with our district and what administration wants and expects us to do as teachers. I’ve noticed because I feel the same way. That’s why I’m writing to you. After participating in the Red Cedar Writing Project’s Summer Institute, I was reminded of what good teaching is, and I wanted to share my findings with you as a way to remotivate and excite you about teaching writing. So here are the contentions of the NCTE. Do they match yours?
Your partner in education who appreciates you!
Mary
The full article with descriptions for the contentions can be found at:
www.ncte.org/positions/statements/writingbeliefs
I know how much you love teaching writing, and I always think of you when the topic of writing comes up. Maybe that’s because you went to New York to study with Lucy Calkins; or it could be because I teach the grade level above you so I get your kids (who are all amped up to write at the beginning of the year, thanks to you). However, I’ve noticed that you’ve been a little frustrated lately with our district and what administration wants and expects us to do as teachers. I’ve noticed because I feel the same way. That’s why I’m writing to you. After participating in the Red Cedar Writing Project’s Summer Institute, I was reminded of what good teaching is, and I wanted to share my findings with you as a way to remotivate and excite you about teaching writing. So here are the contentions of the NCTE. Do they match yours?
- Everyone has the capacity to write, writing can be taught, and teachers can help students become better writers
- People learn to write by writing
- Writing is a process
- Writing is a tool for thinking
- Writing grows out of many different purposes
- Conventions of finished and edited texts are important to readers and therefore to writers
- Writing and reading are related
- Writing has a complex relationship to talk
- Literate practices are embedded in complicated social relationships
- Composing occurs in different modalities and technologies
- Assessment of writing involves complex, informed, human judgment
Your partner in education who appreciates you!
Mary
The full article with descriptions for the contentions can be found at:
www.ncte.org/positions/statements/writingbeliefs