This is our last week! Thank you for participating in the Pathways to the Common Core online book study. I've enjoyed getting to know you via the book study ~ have a great rest of your school year!
PROMPT:
Evaluate the text’s suggestions for assessment on pages 194 - 197. Reflect on one of these suggestions with your own classroom in mind.
Then, visit the SMARTER Balance website. (Smarter Balance is our state’s assessment consortium. PARCC is the other assessment consortium and the one mentioned in the book.) What is an idea or resource from the website that you would recommend to others and why?
Your response to the prompt is due by Monday evening, March 10.
Respond to at least one of your fellow participant’s comments by Thursday, March 13.
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Week 7: Chapter 10
This week we are moving on to the Speaking and Listening and Language Standards.I have two options for you this week. Please only respond to one AND indicate in your response which one you are addressing.
PROMPT:
1. The standards call for a shift in the role of listening and viewing media that closely aligns with the active analytic work students are asked to do in the reading standards. What approaches for integrating “multiple sources of information” (such as digital media) do you already use or wish to integrate?
OR
2. “The language standards are written to suggest that language work should not be taught in isolation. Rather, language work should be interwoven across the day so that conventions, vocabulary, and craft moves become a seamless part of the reading, writing, speaking and listening already underway in your classroom.” How can the language standards, which include grammar and conventions, be taught through authentic writing? What specific steps can you take to integrate these more clearly?
Your response to the prompt is due by Monday evening, March 3.Then, respond to at least one of your fellow participant’s comments by Thursday, March 6.
Don’t forget to read chapter 11 in anticipation of next week’s prompt.
PROMPT:
1. The standards call for a shift in the role of listening and viewing media that closely aligns with the active analytic work students are asked to do in the reading standards. What approaches for integrating “multiple sources of information” (such as digital media) do you already use or wish to integrate?
OR
2. “The language standards are written to suggest that language work should not be taught in isolation. Rather, language work should be interwoven across the day so that conventions, vocabulary, and craft moves become a seamless part of the reading, writing, speaking and listening already underway in your classroom.” How can the language standards, which include grammar and conventions, be taught through authentic writing? What specific steps can you take to integrate these more clearly?
Your response to the prompt is due by Monday evening, March 3.Then, respond to at least one of your fellow participant’s comments by Thursday, March 6.
Don’t forget to read chapter 11 in anticipation of next week’s prompt.
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Week 6: Chapters 8 & 9
Thanks for your comments on Chapters 6 and 7 everyone!
After reading Chapters 8 and 9, you now have an in-depth look at the three types of writing described in the writing standards (narrative, persuasive/argumentative, and informational). As noted, the standards are written to mirror the same learning progressions within each text type. Given that everyone may not already teach all three types, this a nice feature, allowing teachers to use similar strategies across the three types.
PROMPT:
What should we expect to see in our students’ independent writing samples for:
Your response to the prompt is due by Monday evening February 24. Then, you are expected to revisit this site and respond to at least one of your fellow participant’s comments by Thursday, February 27.
Don’t forget to read chapter 10 in anticipation of next week’s prompt.
After reading Chapters 8 and 9, you now have an in-depth look at the three types of writing described in the writing standards (narrative, persuasive/argumentative, and informational). As noted, the standards are written to mirror the same learning progressions within each text type. Given that everyone may not already teach all three types, this a nice feature, allowing teachers to use similar strategies across the three types.
PROMPT:
What should we expect to see in our students’ independent writing samples for:
- opinion/argument text (writing)
- informational text (writing)
Your response to the prompt is due by Monday evening February 24. Then, you are expected to revisit this site and respond to at least one of your fellow participant’s comments by Thursday, February 27.
Don’t forget to read chapter 10 in anticipation of next week’s prompt.
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Week 5: Chapters 6 & 7
We’re halfway there! Chapter 6 provides an overview of the writing standards much like Chapter 2 did for reading. Chapter 7 launches into a discussion of narrative writing. In order to get you into the writing standards, this week we’re going to look closely at the grade-level standards for narrative writing.
PROMPT:
Compare the book’s suggestions for using the continuum of narrative writing to your own method of writing instruction. Discuss similarities and differences between what is outlined on pages 123 and 124 to what you do currently. What change(s) will you make to your instruction?
Your response to the prompt is due by Monday evening, February 10. Then, you are expected to revisit this site and respond to at least one of your fellow participant’s comments by Thursday, February 13. If you need help posting your comment, watch this video.
Don’t forget to read chapters 8 and 9 in anticipation of next week’s prompt.
PROMPT:
Compare the book’s suggestions for using the continuum of narrative writing to your own method of writing instruction. Discuss similarities and differences between what is outlined on pages 123 and 124 to what you do currently. What change(s) will you make to your instruction?
Your response to the prompt is due by Monday evening, February 10. Then, you are expected to revisit this site and respond to at least one of your fellow participant’s comments by Thursday, February 13. If you need help posting your comment, watch this video.
Don’t forget to read chapters 8 and 9 in anticipation of next week’s prompt.
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Week 4: Chapters 4 & 5
This week I have two options for you. Please only respond to one AND indicate in your response which one you are addressing.
PROMPT:Chapters 4 and 5 both describe the three categories of the CCSS reading standards (Key Ideas and Details, Craft and Structure, Integration of Knowledge and Ideas).
1.Explain in your own words the differences among these three categories. Which of the three categories will create the greatest challenge for you in your own classroom/work and how will you support your students in acquiring these new anchor standards ?
OR
2. Explain in your own words the differences among these three categories. How will increased emphasis on non-fiction reading change instruction in your class/work?
Your response to the prompt is due by Monday evening, February 3. Then, you are expected to revisit this site and respond to at least one of your fellow participant’s comments by Thursday, February 6. If you need help posting your comment, watch this video.
Don’t forget to read chapters 6 and 7 in anticipation of next week’s prompt.
PROMPT:Chapters 4 and 5 both describe the three categories of the CCSS reading standards (Key Ideas and Details, Craft and Structure, Integration of Knowledge and Ideas).
1.Explain in your own words the differences among these three categories. Which of the three categories will create the greatest challenge for you in your own classroom/work and how will you support your students in acquiring these new anchor standards ?
OR
2. Explain in your own words the differences among these three categories. How will increased emphasis on non-fiction reading change instruction in your class/work?
Your response to the prompt is due by Monday evening, February 3. Then, you are expected to revisit this site and respond to at least one of your fellow participant’s comments by Thursday, February 6. If you need help posting your comment, watch this video.
Don’t forget to read chapters 6 and 7 in anticipation of next week’s prompt.
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Week 3: Chapter 3
Thanks again for your wonderful responses and discussion last week!
According to Calkins, “the Common Core’s discussion of text complexity leans heavily on Reading Between the Lines, a report...that explains that when students didn’t achieve benchmark on the ACT, their struggles stemmed more from the levels of text complexity in the passages than from deficits in the specific skills called for by the questions” (32). As a result, the CCSS places emphasis on helping students to progress toward reading more complex texts.
PROMPT
One of the implications for instruction in Chapter 3 is to accelerate students’ progress up the ladder of text difficulty. What are you already doing in your classroom to accelerate your students up the ladder? How effective are your methods? What evidence do you have that your methods are effective?
Responses to the prompt are due by Monday evening, January 27. Then, you are expected to revisit this site and reply to at least one of your fellow participant’s comment by Thursday, January 30. If you need help posting your comment, watch this video.
Don’t forget to read chapter 4 and 5 in anticipation of next week’s prompt.
According to Calkins, “the Common Core’s discussion of text complexity leans heavily on Reading Between the Lines, a report...that explains that when students didn’t achieve benchmark on the ACT, their struggles stemmed more from the levels of text complexity in the passages than from deficits in the specific skills called for by the questions” (32). As a result, the CCSS places emphasis on helping students to progress toward reading more complex texts.
PROMPT
One of the implications for instruction in Chapter 3 is to accelerate students’ progress up the ladder of text difficulty. What are you already doing in your classroom to accelerate your students up the ladder? How effective are your methods? What evidence do you have that your methods are effective?
Responses to the prompt are due by Monday evening, January 27. Then, you are expected to revisit this site and reply to at least one of your fellow participant’s comment by Thursday, January 30. If you need help posting your comment, watch this video.
Don’t forget to read chapter 4 and 5 in anticipation of next week’s prompt.
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Week 2: Chapter 2
Great responses and discussion last week! Feel free to reply to someone else right after you've made your own comment. You don't have to wait until the following Thursday.
After you've read chapter 2, please respond to the following prompt.
PROMPT: Nowhere in the Common Core standards are teachers instructed to guide students to “make text-to-self connections, access prior knowledge, explore personal response, and relate to [one’s] own life. In short, the Common Core deemphasizes reading as a personal act and emphasizes textual analysis” (25). With the focus squarely on textual analysis as the primary means of comprehending and interpreting texts, how might these expectations change your approaches in the classroom? What are the implications for your reading instruction?
Responses to the prompt are due by Monday evening, January 20. Then, you are expected to revisit this site and reply to at least one of your fellow participant’s comment by Thursday, January 23. If you need help posting your comment, watch this video.
Don’t forget to read chapter 3 in anticipation of next week’s prompt.
After you've read chapter 2, please respond to the following prompt.
PROMPT: Nowhere in the Common Core standards are teachers instructed to guide students to “make text-to-self connections, access prior knowledge, explore personal response, and relate to [one’s] own life. In short, the Common Core deemphasizes reading as a personal act and emphasizes textual analysis” (25). With the focus squarely on textual analysis as the primary means of comprehending and interpreting texts, how might these expectations change your approaches in the classroom? What are the implications for your reading instruction?
Responses to the prompt are due by Monday evening, January 20. Then, you are expected to revisit this site and reply to at least one of your fellow participant’s comment by Thursday, January 23. If you need help posting your comment, watch this video.
Don’t forget to read chapter 3 in anticipation of next week’s prompt.
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