July+13

Travelogue 7/13/10 We started the morning with reading time, so we didn't gather until 10. Katie admitted she did her reading in bed and we all enjoyed having a little extra time. We then wrote reflections on responding to student writing. Rod asked us to each share "Aha" phrases.

Katie started with Russell Hunt's "Could you put in lots of Hole" and said she often responded like the mockingbird, concentrating on form and style when the student needed a chipmunk response showing how the piece made her feel. Korey and Lisa both chose lines from Mike Gilbert's "Responding to Writers: What I value". Korey chose the line "reading for content precedes (but does not replace) reading for convention." Lisa picked the concluding sentence "If I have encouraged genuine human interaction, honest and personal communication, and greater self-esteem through supportive response, then that is the most important thing I can do as a teacher and the most rewarding thing I can do as a person." Erin was impressed by Linda Miller Cleary's discussion of "The Problem with Praise" and how students can get hooked on teacher praise or perceive it as empty and quit trying. Ted liked Douglas Fisher's explanation of "The Professional Approach" in "Responding to Students Who Disclose the Violence in Their Lives". Our discussion of these statements centered on the need to know our students and pick the appropriate response for the given situation.

Jane was excited by Mary Nicolini's description in "Chatting with Letters: Developing Empathy and Critical Literacy through Writing Communities". We discussed how to use this technique with multiple sections of the same class or across grades or with classes in other schools when studying themes. Several people wanted to give it a try. We took an extended lunch so we could read four pieces submitted by members of the class. Marty then led us through a rapid response session which someone described as speed dating. The writer moved from one group to another, receiving short responses from each. We discussed the advantages/disadvantages of using this method in the classroom.

Next, we generated ideas for celebrating writing in our schools. Marty has posted the list. The remaining time was spent reading and responding to other pieces from our class or on the NWP website.

Rod asked Erin to invite Mike Gilbert to join our Wiki. He has already added a page--Welcome, Mike!