Blogging for Literacy, Engagement, & Language Learning

Introduction

The Box Activity

Starting Activity:

Inside the envelope is 3 slips of paper.

Write down 3 things that make you who your are or connect to your identity.

Examples:

 female, athlete, Jewish, brother, educator, artist, Christian, Giants fan, optimistic, pessimistic, outgoing, strong, Asian American, Latino, student, middle class, and so on....

Considerations:

What does it mean to reduce your identity to "choice"?

What did it you believe it to be like to be told how many parts to your identity you are alloted, that you cannot change, or that you were "given" the opportunity?

My Intro..............................................................................................

To most this photo is nothing. Or maybe it's a rustic looking brick wall, maybe it seems rough. But to the immigrants it is a place of rest. It is a small stop along a journey of many miles. A place where they can sleep, shower, eat, heal the wounds in their feet.

Journeys that involve riding on top of a train, leaving la casa, la familia, their wives. A journey of many journeys.

It is only one place of rest before walking on foot many more miles, or jumping on a train, strapping their body with a belt so they may sleep for a bit. Often they are stopped by gangs or goverment officials, pushed off, stripped of any money, shoes taken, but they still journey. They still smile. Some are young, jovenes, 20, some older.

Because, like all of us, they have dreams. They want families. They want to provide, they want simple things yet they must cross rivers, face violence, discrimination, borders that don't really exist, borders that tell them they don't deserve these humane dreams. The immigrant of central and South America choose to take this journey because their is no work, the money they have and work hard for is often taken, they have families to support but not much left to give.  Their rights are stolen. They love their homes and describe them con amore. They want to return but they cannot stay as it is.

Despite their losses, they share their stories, they share their hope, they share their smiles.

I hope one day I live in a world where humanity is considered a whole not a part.

Love is walking (listening) in another's shoes. Love is people that have no objects, no shoes on their feet, but they welcome you anyway.

Connection was the message!

Arrupe Immersion Trips at USF!!!!

The message:
The Biggest change you can make in the world is through the relationships you create around you.  This includes the students you will be fortunate encounter to and work among.

First ask, 
What's your student's story?

Blogging for Students

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What is a Blog?

Blog is short for web log. It’s a bit like an online diary or journal, except blogs aren’t necessarily private, instead they’re created for an audience. And just like a diary or journal, a blog is relaxed, making it an easy and comfortable way for students to get writing.  

Basic Format (user-friendly)
Leads doors to open to collaborate with other students, get feedback.
Online (always accessible)
Giddy and Geared up students (Active Engagement)
So many possibilities...

Why use blogging in the classroom?

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Basic Format (user-friendly)

• The format of blogging is simple and oh so organized! 
• No matter what site you utilize for blogging, the same basic components are there.   
• Through the simple format students can still personalize if they have individual blogs.
• Can upload (integrate) images and videos
• Insert links for a convenient place to access curriculum
• automatically connects you to sources via the internet
• Chronological
• Subject orientated

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Leads doors to open to collaborate with other students, get feedback.

• Blogging can allow students to interact with other classrooms (campus, locally, nationally, & globally)
• Students can get feedback from other students & the teacher easily (this can be set up to be approved prior to publishing).
• You can invite professionals to leave comments (for example; my students had an art blog and a group of artists gave feedback to them).
• Comments are the most exciting component for my students in 4th and 5th grade!
• Publishing and collaborating pushes students to think about what they're talking about. Participatory culture.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 Online (accessible)

• Students can access blog from home (i.e., class blog, other student blogs)
• Parents can view blogs, check out curriculum links, watch videos with their child.
• Teachers can use any computer, phone, tablet, etc to work on blogs, leave feedback, etc.  Blogger has an "app".

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This is the best part!!

Giddy or geared-up students (Active Engagement)

• Students love blogging!
• In my research project, I worked with students who present with super high anxiety to write even a sentence, they were begging me to do their blogs.
• Start with exploration to open the door.
• FOCUSING on the public/publishing element is a motivator for students.
• Blogging builds a writing connection.

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So many possibilities...

• Any SUBJECT can be a focus of a blog...
• Art Blogs (publish, critique, and reflect)
• Literature Blogs
• Altering perspectives (being a character on a blog)
• Class Newsletter blog (collaborating as a class)
• Homework blogs
• Teacher centered blog (updated information) or as a tool for lesson planning, daily schedules
• FLIPPING THE CLASSROOM blog
• Portfolio blogs (showcasing readiness, form of presentation)
•  Study of other blogs 

The emphasis on collaboration, creativity, and publishing all connect to students of the contemporary society and embraces the qualities of participatory culture.  This in turn sets up the classroom conversation to include elements critical to the modern student (i.e., online safety, what publishing means and the imprint of that, projecting oneself, etc.).

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The organization and functionality of blogs tune into simplicity but still is a vehicle for creativity of writing and personalization.

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 Blogs provide a place to be reflective while also being recorded into a virtual space making the teachers life that much easier.

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TOP 5 teacher Tips:

1. Breathe

2. Self-Care

3. BE awesome at 2-3 things NOT Everything

4.  make BFF's with the Librarian and Custodian

5.  Class Management and Expectation settings is EVERYTHING

6. self-care

Useful links/tools

• This BLOG/PRESENTATION
• http://www.blogger.com/features
• Blogger via google, connects to your google drive 
• http://edublogs.org/
• http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2012/06/ultimate-guide-
• http://elearningindustry.com/how-to-use-blogs-in-the-classroomto-use-of-blogs-in.html
• http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Campbell-Weblogs.html
• www.kidblog.org
• www.pinterest.com (I use this to pin my images I want to add to my class daily blog)
• http://www.readwritethink.org/professional-development/strategy-guides/teaching-with-blogs-30108.html
•  http://www.slideshare.net/jhorame/using-blogs-in-esl
• www.wordpress.org
• 
  

My student art blogs examples, early stages:

http://rainbowsunshinecoyotewolf.blogspot.com/
http://immortalcoyotehd.blogspot.com/
http://20zombielife.blogspot.com/
http://eatfleshzombies0.blogspot.com/
http://glitterbuglightning.blogspot.com/

Close Reading; an Introduction

::::Introduction to Close Reading/Annotation::::

Objective: To understand why close reading is done and what it's function is while also being introduced to the process and especially the the tool of annotation.

Why do we practice "close reading"?  

Open discussion: what (students think) close reading is and why we might learn how to read text closely...

<<<Brainstorm>>>




"Students who meet the Standards readily undertake the close, attentive reading that is at the heart of understanding and enjoying complex works of literature (CCSS p. 3)".

::::::Meaningful Text:::::

TEXT can be defined as any form of language which has a point of meaning or an audience and purpose. 

4 minute Pair-share: Turn to a person next to you and talk about a "text" you encountered that was meaningful (not the kind you use your phone for, LOL); could be: song, poem, literature, sports article, art image, photograph, etc.  (Relate)

::::::::::::::: 

Discussion:  

• What about when text doesn't seem meaningful?  
• How do we connect to it?  

We often have to explore different types of text, in school, that at first seem confusing, maybe even boring!  Through this process of investigation and exploration or "closely" reading we are looking to find connections and meanings. If we look at the relationship of words and build thoughts, questions, and new ideas about the text, then we may build a stronger connection.  At least we will have some sort of understanding.   This is the core idea of CLOSE reading...

My example:

Who is this woman?

Why are the kids turned away?

We use tools & steps  help us with this process. 

Annotation is the starting tool! 

Example:

Annotation Guidelines:

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Through and beyond....

In this part of the lesson, students will look at a popular song and experience multiple times.  They will take "annotative" notes.  The teacher will model her own notes.  Then they will work with a partner to analyze their notes.  During that time they can use tools to find word meanings.  Later we will regroup and pull out what we discovered and interpreted.  The follow-up will include dicussing the meaning on a deeper level and eventually exploring the background information to the song (i.e., music group, why they wrote it, etc.).  As a completed portion the students will accomplish some sort of product (i.e., written paper, blog response, art depictions, video, etc.) that demonstrates a meaningful and deeper connection to the text.  

::::::Let's try!!:::::

 I have to read this how many times?????!!! OMG  

Well how many times do we listen to a song before we really know the words and understand the lyrics?  

Have you ever looked up the lyrics and wondered what the singer was really saying?   

Text Type: Song & song lyrics  
Title: "Where is the Love?"
Author: Black Eyed Peas




Steps

1. 1st experience; listening to the song
2. I read the lyrics and make marks!
3. Teacher reads aloud and shows mark making (AKA annotation)
4. Work with a partner and discuss meanings found/marks made
5. Open discussion, taking the text further, can we find more information, interpret meanings and more???
6. Create a product

I feel the weight of the world on my shoulder
As I'm gettin' older, y'all, people gets colder 
Most of us only care about money makin'
Selfishness got us followin' the wrong direction
Wrong information always shown by the media
Negative images is the main criteria
Infecting the young minds faster than bacteria
Kids wanna act like what they see in the cinema
Yo', whatever happened to the values of humanity
Whatever happened to the fairness and equality
Instead of spreading love we're spreading animosity
Lack of understanding, leading us away from unity

A student book

My student was having a particularly difficult time (we are here for that), so he calmed himself by creating and drawing a book.  

Earthquake learning and preparedness

This is what we practiced for our earthquake drill. We also shared our experiences, whether we slept or felt it, and watched Bill Nye on earthquakes.  We will talk more about it tomorrow and go over vocabulary. 

We also brainstormed what we knew and wanted to know:

My daily student monitoring sheets

SCOE/Trec Training (my contribution)

The Behavior Program from my perspective/experiences:

• Simplify!  

For me, simplification made it more definable and easier for all participants to understand (students, teachers, staff, parents, etc.).  This was applied to point sheets, level board, and other places. 

• Flexibility

If something isn't working, then change it!  My first year I changed my program probably too many times.  Having a solid foundation and then allowing the room to adapt it to the classroom needs is critical in fidelity and success.  Just don't over do it or complicate it to start!  

Also, I found that what worked great for a month, would then become stale (as far as rewards) and we would change them.

• Matching behavior to consequence

Although difficult at times, finding a reparation or task that matches the negative behavior has been the greatest growing tool I've discovered.  The benefits:

• Ownership to student
• Student is in control (this is what they want!)
• Minimizes length of behavior (having a way "back in" is essential!)
• Community building and focus

It would be great to start a running list of ideas/reparations that've worked, from teachers in the region.  Perhaps on edmodo?
  
EXAMPLE:

A student had been extremely negative (words/tone/body language) for awhile to many students in the class.  It felt like this student was infecting the whole community and getting through the days were tough.  Eventually, he was asked to separate from the community and given a list of task options and "to-dos".  He chose to "teach the class about something positive and what it feels like to be picked on".
The student ended up opening up on a really personal level, giving the students a chance to re-connect, for him to be a leader again, and to give back to his community.   His self confidence rose and he was able to be a more positive contributor to the class community.  

 or...

Everytime a student uses an inappropriate word/tone, we have them write three positive words on a poster board before they can be excused to class break...

• Having incentive outlets (outside of the level program)

This is HUGE!!  If a student feels as though they have no "hook" they will sabatoge the class/themselves/environment (we've all seen this).  The ole' stuck on level 1 with nothing to do is a classic symptom toward defeat.  If there's other reinforcement and reward motivators the student will work harder to get back up!  

• Positive Star (obtainable no matter the level)
• Personal Behavior reward contracts
• booster (if you do "x" you can have a bonus day up or if you make your day I'll give you "x", i.e., ten minutes of wall ball with a friend).
• Weekly rewards

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CLASS DOJO

Can be implemented different ways, whole class, or for data sampling...
 

http://www.classdojo.com/

http://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=class%20dojo 

I like this image because it rmins mi uve the movie and wen I wuse litl I love that movie.