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| August 2006 | |
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| Info Update
In Focus
ABC's of Reading Pertinent Participant Info Chatterbox
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Florida teachers have much to celebrate! FCAT scores from 2006 show that Florida's students continue to make learning gains in both reading and math. Last years scores showed the largest year to year increase in reading since 2001. Overall, 57 percent of students in grades 3 through 10 are reading at or above grade level compared to 47 percent in 2001. Florida students continue to close the achievement gap as more African-American and Hispanic students demonstrate reading at or above grade level. These gains are due to the instruction you are providing Florida students. Congratulations on your accomplishments and here's to continued improvement in 2007! This past June, Governor Bush's A++ Plan for Education was approved by the Florida Legislature. This legislation provides an emphasis on research-based reading instruction across the content area. The Just Read, Florida! office has developed Content Area Reading Professional Development (CAR-PD) which emphasizes reading instruction professional development for content area teachers. Content area teachers who complete the professional development package will be eligible to provide reading intervention within the content area classroom to Level 2 FCAT students whose main instructional weaknesses are in the areas of vocabulary and/or comprehension. The professional development package includes 60 hours of FOR-PD, 60 hours of a CAR-PD academy developed by FLaRE, and a 30-hour practicum. Teachers involved in CAR-PD are encouraged to complete FOR-PD as soon as possible. Please contact your district for more information. We hope that our newsletter assists you in meeting your literacy and professional development needs. This month's Reading Strategy focuses on scaffolding instruction. The idea of scaffolding instruction is extremely important to student learning, as the teacher should provide the kinds of support each student will need in order to become an independent user of a strategy or skill. The ultimate goal of strategy instruction is for students to know when to use a particular strategy and how to use that strategy independently. By scaffolding instruction, teachers provide modeling, guidance, feedback, and practice. During the initial stages of instruction, the teacher models and explains the learning task. As instruction continues, the student becomes more involved through guided practice and the teacher provides feedback. As the student becomes more comfortable in using the skill or strategy, he/she moves to independent practice. This month's newsletter focuses on creating supportive classroom environments to engage and motivate students in literacy learning. Students must feel safe and accepted in the learning environment and they should be encouraged and supported in taking risks. When they make mistakes, students should be provided opportunities to repair their learning. Students should be empowered to make learning choices where they are able to learn in ways that support their learning styles. The learning community of the classroom must meet the needs of each student by considering individual strengths, interests, and needs. Check out this month's In Focus section to learn about proven techniques that will engage your students in literacy learning. We welcome your feedback on how we can better support you and help you grow professionally. Thank you again, for all of your work. Please free to contact me in case you have any questions or comments. You may reach me at cc@orion.itrc.ucf.edu and/or 1-407-207-7294.
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The Mission of the 
Teen Read Week
As summer draws to an end, don't let those motivating moments of summer reading slip away. Helping students connect to the books they read over the summer is a great way to keep the spark alive. | FOR-PD Summer Courses | July 10 - Ocotber 16, 2006 |
| FOR-PD Fall
Courses |
August 28 - December 4, 2006 |
International Literacy Day |
September 8, 2006 |
| The Tampa Bay Area Writing Project Fall Conference "The Tampa Bay Area Writing Project and YOU!" Tampa, FL University of South Florida |
September 30, 2006 |
World Teachers' Day
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October 5, 2006 |
| Florida Council of Teachers of English "Saving Students with Literature and Laughter" Orlando, FL Renaissance Orlando Hotel |
October 12-14, 2006 |
Florida Council of Teachers of Mathematics |
October 12-14, 2006 |
Florida Association of Science Teachers |
October 12-14, 2006 |
25th Southeast Regional readingConference |
October 15-17, 2006 |
| Teen Read Week "Get Active @ Your Library " |
October 15-21, 2006 |
| Florida Reading Association Annual Fall Conference "Take Reading to Heart!" Orlando, FL Wyndham Orlando Resort |
October 19-22, 2006 |
Florida Association for Media in Education |
November 1-3, 2006 |
| American Education Week 2006 "Great Public Schools: A Basic Right and Our Responsibility" |
November 12-18, 2006 |
| Children's Book Week "More Books Please" |
November 13-19, 2006 |
National Reading Conference |
November 29 - December 2, 2006 |
Fostering Literacy and Learning by Creating Classroom Community
This month's Literacy Newsletter focuses on the importance creating classroom community. The words "classroom community" imply a personal connection among the learners and provide the idea that there are opportunities for students to interact and work together (Bryant, 1999).
As the new school year is already upon us, it is important to consider exactly how we will bring our students together to form a sense of community in the classroom. Each day, as we see those fresh, young faces bound through the classroom door, we must ask ourselves what it means to be part of a community and how fostering the development of a community will benefit those students throughout the school year and beyond. We must actively create specific activities that will enhance motivation, increase engagement, and allow students to benefit from a comfortable and supportive environment.
We hope that you find the information in this In Focus section helpful. Please feel free to contact us with questions or feedback on this section of the Literacy Newsletter. You may reach us at forpd@mail.ucf.edu or 1-866-207-7296.
Why Build Community?
Creating a classroom community is valuable for many reasons including the classroom becoming a friendlier, more caring place; social interactivity being fostered by the community of learners; and personal interaction leading toward more meaningful learning (Bryant, 1999). Taking the time to build a caring classroom will enhance student learning by allowing students to feel safe in their environment. Students will feel they are able to think-aloud, try out new ideas, and make mistakes with the understanding that they are part of a learning community that will both challenge and cradle them.
Building a sense of community inside your classroom is not the easiest of endeavors. It will require both time and patience by you and your students. Children and young adults do not automatically share with one another or feel a sense of trust initially (Bryant, 1999). Teachers must create opportunities for students to gain experience and practice with trusting the teacher and other students. One way to accomplish this is the use of literacy strategies and techniques.
Using literacy techniques can both benefit learning and enhance the feeling of community in your classroom. Helping students become engaged in reading and writing can help build a sense of purpose within the classroom community. It is important to note that creating a community of learners should not be considered separate from building literacy skills. As Christensen writes in her article, "The Age Poem: Building a Community of Trust", "we don't need to put aside words to develop a classroom where students can share their lives" (2002, p. 1).
Increasing literacy engagement is a benefit of creating a classroom community. Gambrell, author of "Creating Classroom Cultures that Foster Reading Motivation" believes the engaged reader to be motivated, knowledgeable, strategic, and socially interactive (1996). Creating a climate where reading and writing are valued, books are treasured, and learning from one another is both fun and a priority can lend itself well to a sense of community and a love for reading. Within this realm, both motivation and social interaction can be influenced and increased. This then can lead to a rise in engagement and a greater sense of fellowship in the classroom.
Two key areas that community building, when intertwined with literacy instruction and goal setting, can support are the dissolution of mock participation and procedural display (Bloome, 1986). Mock participation involves a student pretending to follow along during a lesson. The student may nod and look intently at the page they are given, but they are neither truly involved with their lesson nor their own learning. Procedural display involves students and teachers doing a "dance" of sorts where they each go through the motions but are not sincerely engaged with the literacy lesson. Involving literacy instruction and goal setting into the building of community can aid students by creating an atmosphere that is inductive to reading and writing activities. Students need to not only understand the importance of learning and literacy is to their own success in the classroom, they must also learn to consider how these elements are used to accomplish personal and community goals (Bloome, 1986).
A community is not built overnight. It will take time to nurture students and help prepare them to share their thoughts, insights, and processes with fellow classmates. Creating specific situations and activities to help students get to know each other and practice trusting one another is are good first steps. The teacher must paint the background and be the first and primary model in the room. Using literacy techniques can be very helpful. By turning the classroom into a safe harbor where reading is modeled, books and reading materials abound, and social interactions are fostered, both the community and literacy will thrive.
References:
Bloome, D. (1986). Building literacy and the classroom community. Theory into Practice, 25(2), 1-6.
Bryant, C. J. (1999). Build a sense of community among young students with student centered activities. The Social Studies, May/June, 110-113.
Christensen, L. (2002). The age poem: Building a community of trust. Rethinking Schools Online, 17, Article 1. Retrieved August 21, 2006 from http://www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/17_01/Age171.shtml
Gambrell, L. (1996). Creating classroom cultures that foster reading motivation. The Reading Teacher, 50(1), 14-25.
Techniques for Building Classroom Community
The new school year may have started but it's never too late to start building community in your classroom. While some activities are geared more toward the first few weeks, starting them after those initial weeks of getting to know each other naturally can also be beneficial. It is important to note that activities do not always have to be done separate from your regular instruction and curriculum. Integrating it in with what your teaching can help students make even a bigger connection to the teacher, each other, the classroom, and learning.
Celebrating Names
No matter what our age, five, fifteen, or fifty, we often cherish the name we were given and its meaning. One activity teachers can do to help students not only learn about each other, but also learn about themselves is to find the meaning of their name. (For this you may need to purchase a baby book of names that provide specific meanings of names).
Younger students can create and decorate nametags with their name and its' meaning printed neatly on a large sticker. Intermediate through high school students can write a short reflection or story about their names and its meaning. They can write in expository form or narrative form and work on using characteristics of what their name means literally and figuratively.
Writing Sample |
Willard the German is brave and thoughtful in every aspect of his fighting. He doesn't stand in the wind of his competitor and wait to be knocked down. He doesn't swagger in ring, but stands tall and proud. He sends a straight left at just the right times, making sure his competitor is knocked of balance. His fancy footwork astounds the crowd. Willard doesn't have to taunt his competitor; his name is a useless mystery. Willard just has to endure the fight and believe he can win. His head hurts from the uppercuts he got from the contender. But his backbone is strong, stronger than even some of his punches. He's going to win the battle; there is no doubt. |
A good piece of text you may want to use with older students is from Sandra Cisneros'The House on Mango Street. Her chapter titled, "My Name" details how the main character, Esperenza, feels about her name, what it means to her, how it reflects her family and the past, and why she wants to change it.
Writing Sample |
In German my name means brave but that's not how I feel at all. Most of the time I feel tired. Tired of not knowing who I am or who I'm supposed to be. When I hear my name I just try not to look up. She keeps calling on me but I just pretend she's not talking to me. I actually smile when she turns around and walks away because , at least this time, I'm not Willard and I'm not brave. My grandpa was brave though. I didn't know him but he fought in Vietnam and he died there. He died and he was brave. That's all I really know. I wonder sometimes he if he died because he was brave. I got his name but I hope I won't get his luck. (Mom would kill me if she heard me say that.) |
Using Poetry
Poetry can enliven the spirit and broaden our thoughts. Reviewing poetry and poetic techniques are both fun and invigorating, no matter what the age of the student. "I Am" poems, "Bio" poems, cinquains, and acrostics are great for students to do independently and then share, or to complete in pairs to get to know a fellow classmate.
Lisa Storm Fink discusses how she uses these and other types of poetry to help create community in Classroom Community by Crafting Themed Poetry Collections. One suggestion she gives is to create two-voiced poems where two or more students can perform or read a piece of poetry aloud. Students will often read separately, their own parts, but come together at times to read the same line (Fink, 2006). A two-voiced poem can benefit students by building fluency and prosody while also allowing them to get to know each other.
Linda Christensen write about her use of "The Age Poem" in her article, "The Age Poem: Building a Community of Trust". In order to complete this activity, students will spend time thinking back to a particular age, reflect on their memories at that age, and spend time brainstorming a list of events that occurred. Students will think back to recall:
- Names of games they played
- Special clothes they may have worn
- School memories like projects, field trips, teachers, teams
- Things they could not do because of size or age
- Strong memories they can replay in their head
- Music they loved or television they watched
After writing they can get into small groups to share their poetry and give positive feedback.
Age Poem Example |
Eleven I am in the summer of my eleventh year. Warm sun. Coconut lotion. My days are filled with sitting outside Valerie's house and watching her little white dog jump in and out of the pool. That song about a thousand miles keeps playing on the radio. My Dad feels like he's a thousand miles away. He's never home when he's home. Mrs. Jasper said to read, read, read this summer so I head over to the bookstore at the mall. I'm going to read, read, read. Hot sun. Brown skin. |
Read-aloud and Conversation
Creating a classroom community that emphasizes reading aloud is a great way to reach both readers and non-readers. Choosing a lively and thoughtful text will help grab students' attention and connect them to the text. Fluency, comprehension, and insights on vocabulary can be modeled and discussed.
During the read-aloud, teachers should stop and have a conversation with students based on what is happening in the text. This is a good time to initiate a think-aloud to expand on any confusing or thought provoking situations happening in the book. A conversation should ensue where students offer their own feelings and thoughts on the happenings in the read-aloud and their own thoughts, thus making it a more active than passive activity. Hahn notes in her book, Reconsidering Read-Aloud, that conversation allows the teacher and students to build and develop a classroom community. Each read-aloud that is done adds another piece of the common knowledge that is held by the community of learners.
Looking for some read-alouds this year? |
Read Alouds (High school) 15 More Classic Read-Alouds Great Read-Alouds Read Aloud America Book List 2006 K-12 Read Aloud America Book List 2005 K-12 Read Aloud America Book List 2004 K-12 http://www.readaloudamerica.org/Reading%20List%202004.htm |
Literacy Learning (and Working) Together
Having students pair or team up for activities can be very beneficial for building bonds, getting to know each other, and increasing learning. Some teachers do this in the beginning of the year with basic activities like interviewing and story sharing. As the year progresses they include more activities they benefit from collaboration.
Giving each person on the team a specific role is an important aspect that should not be overlooked. "Collaborative groups are an important element in my class", writes Elizabeth Close in her article, "Literature Discussion: A Classroom Environment for Thinking and Sharing" (1992, p.67). "At the beginning of the year I assign roles to each group member" (Close, 1992, p.67). Accordig to Close, these roles include a facilitator, a recorder, a reporter, and an organizer. An outline of the specific duties for each role should be provided to each student. Having students change roles throughout the school year is a great way to help students experience all the roles.
Literature circles are great for encouraging cooperation in the classroom. As students share their feelings and experiences about the story they also build a stronger sense of community with their classmates. Literature circles fosters literacy by allowing opportunities for students to work together to analyze text, generate/answer questions, discuss thoughts and feelings, and explore what they envision what they think will happen if the book did not end, but continued on. Monitoring groups to ensure they are on task is a key element for their success. Literature circles that incorporate choice can enhance motivation and engagement.
Basic Literature Circle Model From FOR-PD's Reading Strategy of the Month: Literature Circles |
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Some other activities for building literacy and classroom community with grouping include:
- Preview a Text -- Have students read the first few pages of an assigned text. Have each person discuss what they think the book will be about, predict what will happen in the following pages, and explain the connection behind their prediction (Cole, 1998).
- Read-Around --This activity can best be done in a small group and entails students choosing a specific passage of text from a book or other reading material to share with their learning community (Tompkins, 1998). Students can provide details why the passage is important and what it means to them. Group members can offer feedback about the selection and offer support in the form questions and anecdotes of their own.
- Sharing Double-Entry Journals -- Double-Entry journals are usually designed to have individual students write a specific quote or section of text from a book and reflect on that selection. Having students share their individual logs with each other, or create a group journal, where students can share insight and personal thoughts about the text with each other can increase this literacy opportunity.
Photo Story
We have all heard a picture says a thousand words, but sometimes you can add a few words of your own to relate to others about your life experiences. The Photo Story technique, as described by Bryant, suggests that using a photo to share a special event is a safe way for students to share a part of themselves (1999). The student decides what to share and how to share it. He or she can write a short account about the picture and share it with a large or small group. As more students share their photos, more emotions and memories surface in other students which often result in students noticing the similairities and differences in the classroom community.
Photo Story Example |
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Last year, when I was in the 6th grade, my dad let me get into my first BMX bike race. He told me that even though I might not win, I should try. I practiced everyday after school and on the weekends. Sometimes Dad would go out with me and give me some pointers. He told me he raced a few times when he was young. In this picture I'm the one in the middle. You don't see it, but I fell down right after this picture was taken. I got back up, but I didn't win. |
References:
Bryant, C. J. (1999). Build a sense of community among young students with student centered activities. The Social Studies, May/June, 110-113.
Christensen, L. (2002). The age poem: Building a community of trust. Rethinking Schools Online, 17, Article 1. Retrieved August 21, 2006 from http://www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/17_01/Age171.shtml
Close, E. (1992). Literature discussion: A classroom environment for thinking and sharing. English Journal, 81(5), 65-71.
Cole, A.D. (1998). Literacy activities for building classroom communities. Scarborough, Ontario: Pippin Publishing Corporation.
Fink, L.S. (n.d.). Creating classroom community by crafting poetry collections. Retrieved August 21, 2006, from http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=391
Hahn, M.L. (2002). Reconsidering read-aloud. Portland, ME: Stenhouse.
Tompkins, G. (1998). 50 literacy strategies step by step. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Resources
Creating Classroom Communities
http://www.classroomcommunity.ecsd.net/
This site offers a list of the classes involved in the creating a positive classroom environment for grades K-5.
Creating Classroom Community
http://fp.uni.edu/teachctr/cet_web/community.htm
This website provides resources on how to use specific guidelines for creating dialogue in the classroom, why considering student diversity is so important, and how to eliminate the "elevator effect".
Literature Circles: FOR-PD's Reading Strategy of the Month
http://www.itrc.ucf.edu/strategies/stratlitcircles.html
This site offers reasonging for using literature circles and ideas for creating a classroom climate that will foster cooperative learning.
Creating Classroom Community by Crafting Poetry Collections
http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=391
In this lesson, students create poetry collections with a back-to-school theme of "getting to know" each other.
Building a Classroom Community and Bully-Free Zone
http://pbskids.org/itsmylife/parents/lesson_plans/bullies_classroom_community.html
This lesson plans is geared toward grades 3rd through 7th on how to help create positive social skills such as cooperation, communication, and conflict resolution.
Creating a Literate Community
http://www.learner.org/channel/workshops/readingk2/session1/index.html
Watch videos on how to apply research-based principles for creating effective classroom routines and environments for grades K-2.
Intergroup Relations Center Classroom resources --Dialogue Guidelines
http://www.asu.edu/provost/intergroup/resources/classguidelines.html
This site offers information on how teachers can strive to establish a classroom climate for constructive interaction and dialogue.
Literacy Engagements
http://www.readwritethink.org/literacy/index.html
The activities listed on site offer ideas for learning language, learning about language, and learning through language, which are great for creating a classroom community.
Creating a Classroom Community: Activities to Get to Know Each Other
http://www.ncte.org/library/files/Files/Cyberbriefs/Classroom_Community.pdf
The author of this document offer a collection of specific ideas like autobiography shoeboxes, peer interviews, and cool stuff bags to help students get to know each other.
Introducing the Envisionment-Building Classroom
http://www.learner.org/channel/libraries/makingmeaning/makingmeaning/introducing/
As part one of the Making Meaning in Literature: A Video Library, Grades 6-8!, this nine-part video library is designed to help literature and language arts teachers in grades six to eight enhance the literary experiences of their students.
Building a Literary Community
http://www.learner.org/channel/libraries/makingmeaning/makingmeaning/building/
As part two of the Making Meaning in Literature: A Video Library, Grades 6-8!, this nine-part video library is designed to help literature and language arts teachers in grades six to eight enhance the literary experiences of their students. This link will provide insight on literature book groups.
The Teacher's Role in a Literary Community
http://www.learner.org/channel/libraries/makingmeaning/makingmeaning/teachers/
As part nine of the Making Meaning in Literature: A Video Library, Grades 6-8!, this nine-part video library is designed to help literature and language arts teachers in grades six to eight enhance the literary experiences of their students. This link will provide insight on how to support students as they make meaning with text.
Building Community in the Classroom
http://www.coe.wayne.edu/wholeschooling/WS/WSPress/CommBldgMH.pdf
This article provides insight on how to create a community in the classroom. Some of the suggestions include ways to, model the language of cooperation, reinforce the notion that all ideas in the community are respected and valued, provide visible cues throughout the classroom that encourage collaboration and cooperation, and plan for the arrival of new students in the classroom.
Getting to Know Ourselves
http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/indepth/one_world/lesson_plans/index.asp?article=lesson1
This lesson plan offers a way to for students to understanding themselves as a foundation for understanding others.
Building A Classroom Community
http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/indepth/one_world/lesson_plans/index.asp?article=lessonx2
This lesson plan provides students with ways to further their understanding of building community by working together on a class project.
Classroom Communities: Strategies for Success
The Frontiers Program at Kelly Middle School
http://www.4j.lane.edu/wallace/kel_frontiers-present.html
Learn about how Kelly Middle School teachers use the Frontiers Program to create a sense of community at their school.
Exploring and Sharing Family Stories
http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=805
In this lesson you'll find how middle school students can be encouraged to explore the idea of memory to access their own life experiences and then discuss family stories they have heard.
August's Reading Strategy of the Month focuses on scaffolding.
Try this strategy in your classroom and then email us and tell us how it worked (forpd@mail.ucf.edu). Also, don't forget to share the strategy with your colleagues. Each month we feature an effective reading strategy, explain the rationale behind the strategy, give directions on how to use the strategy with students, present ideas for adapting the strategy to different content areas, present ideas for assessing the strategy, and of course provide a printable PDF version of the strategy. Check out our Reading Strategy Archive to see past Reading Strategies of the Month.
Books for Students
It's Back-to-School time; can you believe it? Now's a great time to start thinking about some new books to use as read-alouds in your classroom. Read-alouds are great for enhancing comprehension, modeling fluency, and building vocabulary. They're so motivating too! Get ready to do some think-alouds, as these books will both invigorate you and your students.
The Best Teacher in Second Grade
By Katharine Kenah
(Primary)
From the publisher: Luna has the best teacher in second grade. Mr. Hopper loves the midnight sky almost as much as she does. Everyone else stares at Luna like she's the new kid from outer space. They won't even listen to her ideas for the Family Night program—until something goes unexpectedly wrong! With a nudge from Mr. Hopper, Luna shares her plan to save the show and turn the class into second-grade stars.
Eats, Shoots & Leaves
Why, Commas Really Do Make a Difference!
By Lynne Truss
(Primary-Intermediate)
From the Publisher: Young and young-at-heart sticklers, unite! Lynne Truss and illustrator Bonnie Timmons provide hilarious proof that punctuation really does matter.
Illuminating the comical confusion the lowly comma can cause, this new edition of Eats, Shoots & Leaves uses lively, subversive illustrations to show how misplacing or leaving out a comma can change the meaning of a sentence completely.
This picture book is sure to elicit gales of laughter-and better punctuation-from all who read it.
Harry the Poisonous Centipede Goes to Sea
By Lynne Reid Banks
(Intermediate)
From the publisher: Look out, Hoo-Mins!
Here comes a third adventure to make you squirm. Harry and George, the incident-prone centipede buddies who have had fans laughing through two hilarious sagas of accidental derring-do, Harry the Poisonous Centipede and Harry the Poisonous Centipede's Big Adventure, are back in their third and final escapade--and this time our two favorite arthropods are in really over their heads!
Dude! Stories and Stuff for Boys
Stories and Stuff for Boys
(Intermediate - Middle School) 
From the publisher: A cool collection of stories, memories, plays, and poems written especially for guys.
Growing up as a guy is tough. Here are nineteen funny, fascinating, totally original works about boys tackling the tricky years that separate a child from a man. Jane Yolen spotlights the beginning of an Olympic dream; Jaime Adoff offers the music of a young poet facing rough streets; Barbara Robinson captures the tenderness between a boy and a most unusual pet; Ron Koertge explores the weird world where guys and girls meet. From futuristic to familiar to far-out, the voices of clever, hopeful, courageous young men shine in this eclectic celebration of boys on the verge.
I Am the Messenger
by Markus Zusak
(Middle - High School)
From the pubisher: Meet Ed Kennedy-underage cabdriver, pathetic cardplayer, and useless at romance. He lives in a shack with his coffee-addicted dog, the Doorman, and he's hopelessly in love with his best friend, Audrey. His life is one of peaceful routine and incompetence, until he inadvertently stops a bank robbery. That's when the first Ace arrives. That's when Ed becomes the messenger...
Chosen to care, he makes his way through town helping and hurting (when necessary), until only one question remains: Who's behind Ed's mission?
In the Company of Crazies
By Nora Raleigh Baskin
(Middle - High School)
From the Publisher: Thirteen-year-old Mia Singer thought that she had it all under control. Sure, her grades were slipping a little bit (well, really, more than a little), and she couldn't explain her occasional compulsion to shoplift. The sudden death of a classmate affects Mia in a way she can't quite define, but then she goes one step too far. Her parents place her in an "alternative" boarding school. Away from her parents and surrounded by trees, space, and students whose problems she can't completely comprehend, Mia has no choice but to learn about herself.
With insight and sympathy, Nora Raleigh Baskin focuses on the universal feeling of being a misfit, showing that sometimes the path home is as unexpected as it is challenging.
Professional Book Recommendations
Literacy Coaching: The Essentials
by Katherine Casey
From the Publisher: What do literacy coaches do? Who do they coach? How does it work? Katherine Casey is a veteran literacy coach, and on the first page of Literacy Coaching she gets down to business: "I coach teachers in their classrooms, demonstrating lessons, working alongside teachers as they teach, problem solving together how to better meet the needs of their students." From there she presents the most authoritative, comprehensive, and focused guideon literacy coaching available.
Literacy Coaching takes you inside today's main coaching models, exploring their roles and responsibilities. Beginning with what coaches do, Casey provides real-life examples of what you'll need to know and what abilities the job requires, as well as crucial but often overlooked details such as how to build a relationship with your principal and how to assess the strengths and needs of the teachers you'll work with. Then she presents a variety of professional development structures that help you deliver smart, targeted instructional support where and when teachers need it most. Literacy Coaching gets into the nitty-gritty, offering experience-honed advice on these and numerous other important coaching functions:
- gathering materials, gaining entry, and getting started
- developing trusting relationships
- taking notes while observing teachers and students
- using data to uncover areas of instructional need
- teaching side by side with a host teacher and debriefing afterward
- coaching strategies and language
Filled with examples of completed instructional observation forms, graphic organizers, correspondence and conversations with faculty and administrative constituencies, and classroom vignettes that illustrate how coaching really looks, Literacy Coaching is the ideal companion for a practicing coach or consultant and especially for teachers who want to become one.
50 Literacy Strategies for Culturally Responsive Teaching, K-8
By Patricia Schmidt
From the Publisher:
50 Literacy Strategies for Culturally Responsive Teaching, K-8 addresses all aspects of language arts, reading,writing, speaking, and listening, and integrates math, science, and social studies, all within the context of culturally responsive teaching. Ways to include families and community members further strengthen the strategic effectiveness.
The six major themes of this text cluster a wealth of easily adapted and implemented strategies around:
- Classroom community
- Home, community, and nation
- Multicultural literature events
- Critical media literacyGlobal perspectives and literacy developmentInquiry learning and literacy learning
This invaluable resource will allow every teacher to transform the classroom culture to one in which all cultures are valued and literacy becomes meaningful to all!
Living Voices
Multicultural Poetry in the Middle School Classroom
By Jaime R. Wood
From the Publisher: Middle school students often find studying poetry to be a fearful and frustrating experience. In this versatile teacher's resource, Jaime R. Wood uses her passion for and knowledge of poetry to help students overcome their fears and to introduce students to a kind of literacy they can get excited about.
Because "traditional" poets may seem inaccessible to students, Wood focuses on the poetry of three "living voices"--Nikki Giovanni, Li-Young Lee, and Pat Mora. These poets are not only still living and writing, but they also have cultural backgrounds hat parallel many of the lives of our students.
Through easy-to-follow lesson plans, Wood uses the work of these contemporary multicultural poets to demonstrate key concepts such as symbolism, personification, characterization, and theme. The lessons have been teacher-tested in middle school classrooms and are designed to encourage students to take ownership of their learning.
Wood provides many examples of student writing and graphic organizers, as well as a chapter of further resources. Open Living Voices at any section and jump in. You'll discover a whole new way to teach poetry.
Critical Literacy and the Aesthetic
Transforming the English Classroom
By Ray Misson and Wendy Morgan
From the Publisher: Why does critical literacy often feel uncomfortable with aesthetic texts like poetry? In this provocative book, Ray Misson and Wendy Morgan, proponents of critical literacy in their home country of Australia, develop an understanding of the aesthetic in current poststructuralist terms and the role that the aesthetic might play in a critical literacy classroom.
Throughout the book, their belief remains strong that "poststructuralism provides the best framework we have for understanding texts and their relationship to human society and identity." To demonstrate how the conjunction of critical literacy and the aesthetic can transform English classrooms, the authors draw examples from various genres, media, and countries, including poetry by Donne, Shakespeare, Robert Lowell, and Les Murray; To Kill a Mockingbird; an episode of Friends; and even one chapter using only the example of Huckleberry Finn.
The authors reconfigure critical literacy so that it can give proper consideration to the aesthetic, which involves paying attention to such things as individual identity, human emotion, creativity, and the value and productivity of texts. Acknowledging these things within critical literacy is vital. As Misson and Morgan emphasize, "it is one of the greatest pleasures and responsibilities of being an English teacher that we work, critically and creatively, with the aesthetic and its rich sense of human possibility."
Summer and Fall Course Schedules
Welcome to the FOR-PD online course! For learners to succeed in an online course, they must be able to devote time to studying, collaborate with others, and complete assignments. The FOR-PD course is no different. We expect participants to participate in the online environment, communicate with facilitators and peers, and manage time wisely. The FOR-PD course consists of 14 lessons. Participants should complete one lesson a week.
| Lesson 1 | July 10 - July 16 | Lesson 8 | Aug 28 - Sept 3 |
| Lesson 2 | July 17 - July 23 | Lesson 9 | Sept 4 - Sept 10 |
| Lesson 3 | July 24 - July 30 | Lesson 10 | Sept 11 - Sept 17 |
| Lesson 4 | July 31 - Aug 6 | Lesson 11 | Sept 18 - Sept 24 |
| Lesson 5 | Aug 7 - Aug 13 | Lesson 12 | Sept 25 - Oct 1 |
| Lesson 6 | Aug 14 - Aug 20 | Lesson 13 | Oct 2 - Oct 9 |
| Lesson 7 | Aug 21 - Aug 27 | Lesson 14 | Oct 10 - Oct 16 |
| Lesson 1 | Aug 28 - Sept 3 | Lesson 8 | Oct 16 - Oct 22 |
| Lesson 2 | Sept 4 - Sept 10 | Lesson 9 | Oct 22 - Oct 29 |
| Lesson 3 | Sept 11 - Sept 17 | Lesson 10 | Oct 30 - Nov 5 |
| Lesson 4 | Sept 18 - Sept 24 | Lesson 11 | Nov 6 - Nov 12 |
| Lesson 5 | Sept 25 - Oct 1 | Lesson 12 | Nov 13 - Nov 19 |
| Lesson 6 | Oct 2 - Oct 8 | Lesson 13 | Nov 20 - Nov 26 |
| Lesson 7 | Oct 9 - Oct 15 | Lesson 14 | Nov 27 - Dec 4 |
Please note that the start day for fall Open Enrollement courses has been changed to August 28 with the course ending on December 4.
| Lesson 1 | Aug 28 - Sept 3 | Lesson 8 | Oct 16 - Oct 22 |
| Lesson 2 | Sept 4 - Sept 10 | Lesson 9 | Oct 22 - Oct 29 |
| Lesson 3 | Sept 11 - Sept 17 | Lesson 10 | Oct 30 - Nov 5 |
| Lesson 4 | Sept 18 - Sept 24 | Lesson 11 | Nov 6 - Nov 12 |
| Lesson 5 | Sept 25 - Oct 1 | Lesson 12 | Nov 13 - Nov 19 |
| Lesson 6 | Oct 2 - Oct 8 | Lesson 13 | Nov 20 - Nov 26 |
| Lesson 7 | Oct 9 - Oct 15 | Lesson 14 | Nov 27 - Dec 4 |
| Lesson 1 | Sept 11 - Sept 17 | Lesson 8 | Oct 23 - Oct 29 |
Lesson 2 & Lesson 3 |
Sept 18 - Sept 24 | Lesson 9 & Lesson 10 | Oct 30 - Nov 5 |
| Lesson 4 | Sept 25 - Oct 1 | Lesson 11 | Nov 6 - Nov 12 |
| Lesson 5 | Oct 2 - Oct 8 | Lesson 12 | Nov 13 - Nov 19 |
| Lesson 6 | Oct 9 - Oct 15 | Lesson 13 | Nov 20 - Nov 26 |
| Lesson 7 | Oct 16 - Oct 22 | Lesson 14 | Nov 27 - Dec 4 |
| Lesson 1 | Sept 18 - Sept 24 | Lesson 8 | Oct 30 - Nov 5 |
Lesson 2 & Lesson 3 |
Sept 25 - Oct 1 | Lesson 9 & Lesson 10 | Nov 6 - Nov 12 |
| Lesson 4 | Oct 2 - Oct 8 | Lesson 11 | Nov 13 - Nov 19 |
| Lesson 5 | Oct 9 - Oct 15 | Lesson 12 | Nov 20 - Nov 26 |
| Lesson 6 | Oct 16 - Oct 22 | Lesson 13 | Nov 27 - Dec 3 |
| Lesson 7 | Oct 23 - Oct 29 | Lesson 14 | Dec 4 - Dec 11 |
Each course is lead by an online literacy facilitator. Our facilitators are highly skilled in working in an online environment and have expert literacy knowledge. The facilitator assigned to your section is there to support both your learning and progression through the course as well as provide you with feedback on your assignments. While facilitator effectiveness is strongly related to participant success, it does not guarantee it. As the participant, you have the responsibility of making sure you are successful in this online endeavor.
FOR-PD has developed a document entitled, "FOR-PD Student Expectations", which is available to each of you. This document was designed to ensure that participants are successful in completing the 14-week course. Please take time to review the Student Expectations document.
FOR-PD Help
Desk
Feeling
frustrated? Can't figure it out? Don't forget the FOR-PD Help
Desk is
available. Help
Desk hours are:
Monday through Friday 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday, Tuesday, and Friday 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Saturday 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
The phone number is 1-866-863-READ (7323) toll free,
Florida calls only. For non-Florida calls only 407-249-4702. Technical
support is also available through AOL Instant Messenger, screen
name "forpdhelp".
If you need technical support beyond that which your facilitator or school
technology coordinator can offer, please contact the FOR-PD Technical Support
Help Desk. Please fill out the Tech Help Form or call the Help Desk. Describe your problem as completely as possible and leave your name and return phone number, and someone will get back to you.
Chat Live with the Help Desk. First, make sure that we are online. The button below will tell you whether we are online or offline. Next, click on Set Screen Name and type your name. Then, click in the light blue box below to type your message. Press Enter to send it. This requires you have Macromedia Flash installed on your computer. http://www.itrc.ucf.edu/about/technicalsupport.html
Don't forget to check out the Tutorials and Troubleshooting Guide. Both of these resources provide a wealth of information on the tools used in the course and specific technology problems past participants have had along with solutions to these problems.
Pop-up blockers continue to be the number one issue the Help Desk
deals with. If you have a pop-up blocker on your web browser,
you will not be able to access the quizzes in the course. To disable
your pop-up blocker follow these directions:
Disable Pop-Up Blocking programs
-
Move your mouse to the lower right-hand corner of your screen near the time
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Scroll your mouse over the icons listed to the left of the time
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If you notice any of the icons refer to Pop-Ups, right-click on them and click "Disable" or "Exit"Please note that Norton Internet Securities and McAfee Firewall need to be disabled as well.
Tech Chats for Fall 2006
FOR-PD Tech chats are for all participants who have questions about the technology used in the course. Please make sure you review the chat protocol.
| WHEN: September 12, 2006 TIME: 7:30pm - 8:30pm EST WHERE: General Chat for All Courses WHO: participants TOPIC: Technology Help GUEST: FOR-PD Tech Team |
WHEN: September 14, 2006 TIME: 7:00pm - 8:00pm EST WHERE: General Chat for All Courses WHO: participants TOPIC: Technology Help GUEST: FOR-PD Tech Team |
All chats are logged and posted on our web site (Chat Transcripts). Before joining one of our chats make sure you know the Chat Protocol.
Chat Protocol: Please be aware that FOR-PD uses a moderated discussion format. A moderator will keep the chat on topic and recognize question/statement requests by participants. The person who has the floor can field questions and statements from other participants, but they hold the floor until they are done. When they are done, the moderator will recognize another participant who requests the floor.
In order to make the chat flow smoothly, please use the following chat symbols and guidelines:
! The exclamation point is like raising your hand, you want to be recognized to make a statement.
# Use the pound sign to let everyone know you are done asking a question or making a statement.
.... This lets everyone know you have more to say.
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When entering the chat, don't say hello to each other. Most chat systems inform everyone in the chat room that someone has entered the room. This will cut down on chat-message run-on.
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Unless you have the floor, don't say anything; rather, ask to be recognized by the person who does have the floor by posting an !. This is unobtrusive and will let everyone know that you have a statement or question to make.
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When you are done talking, end your last sentence with a # symbol.
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If you specifically want to ask a question of someone or address them, type their name followed by a semicolon and then the message.
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