All NYS 3-8 Assessments Will Be Given in May

June 24, 2009 – 6:57 am

Jenn tipped some of us off to the official word on this last night. Read more at her place, and share your thoughts in the comments. Lots to digest and plan for there.

By Angela | Posted in Assessment | Tagged , | Comments (0)

Thinking About Publishing

June 23, 2009 – 9:56 am

Two days ago, a box of books arrived from Amazon. Not just any books. Copies of some of my favorite books. I like beginning summer by rereading the things that I love the most. It’s almost like meditation for me–the act of revisiting passages I’ve read a thousand times while sitting in the sun or on the sand or out in the back yard while my daughters’ laughter provides background music.

Last week, when I went to the shelf to find some of my favorite titles, I noticed that many were missing. This is a good thing. It means I’ve given them to other people who might enjoy them just as much. I know that several of my books will be traveling across the country this summer. I know that others will be keeping friends company as they sit near their own children and read and dream and plan. It’s that time of year. I hope that every teacher I know finds some time for leisure reading over the next couple of months.

Yesterday, I cracked open Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott again. It is a perennial favorite of mine, and just this morning, passages came rushing back to me as I chatted with a friend who is planning to self-publish a book of poems this summer. He could submit them to an agent or a publishing house or a journal, I suppose. But he doesn’t want to. He doesn’t need to. Publishing in that way isn’t what he’s about. It isn’t what his work is about either, and he recognizes this. There is something incredibly healthy about that, I think. There is much to celebrate in all of the new opportunities that are out there for writers like him. I think that writers like Lamott might agree, too.

“I still encourage anyone who feels at all compelled to write to do so. I just try to warn people who hope to get published that publication is not all that it is cracked up to be. But writing is. Writing has so much to give, so much to teach, so many surprises. That thing you had to force yourself to do–the actual act of writing–turns out to be the best part. It’s like discovering that while you thought you needed the tea ceremony for the caffeine, what you really needed was the tea ceremony. The act of writing turns out to be in its own reward.”

Anne Lamott

By Angela | Posted in Instruction, Writing Instruction | Tagged , | Comments (2)

Friday Reflections: The Secret of Happy, Effective Teachers

June 19, 2009 – 8:19 am

Just this week……

Larry Ferlazzo shared the link to this series of posts about blogging over twitter.

Sean Nash caught my request for examples of Ning in the classroom and sent this link and this link my way.

Steve Shann shared his examples as well, and he connected me to James Miscavish who directed to me to this ning and this one.

Dean Groom direct-messaged me, pointing out that Ning tends to work best with large groups of kids, and that the trickier part might be helping adults use it. I’m noticing this in my own experience, as the kids who participate in the WNY Young Writers’ Studio dove in quickly and tend to be leading the rest of us!

Jennifer stayed up until the wee-hours of the morning providing peer-review and coaching on data displays for me.

And Theresa is blogging again!

Everything that I do is enriched by the wisdom and the experience that others have. It’s like this for everyone. The happiest and most effective teachers that I know are also the most connected teachers I know. Not all of them are connected online incidentally (yet!), but all of them are closely connected to communities of educators outside of their buildings and districts. These networks provide them needed support and they also provide them perspective and information that they can bring back to their local colleagues. As I wrap up this year and reflect on where I came from and where I’m hoping to head next, I’m finding myself feeling incredibly grateful for all of the people who empower me and sustain me and connect me to those they learn much from. Thanks for a great year, everyone! Happy summer Western New Yorkers!

By Angela | Posted in PLN, Professional Learning Communities, Twitter, Web 2.0 | Comments (0)

Summer Projects: Getting Started With Ning

June 17, 2009 – 6:29 am

A number of teachers that I know plan to spend at least a part of this summer getting themselves acquainted with Ning in an effort to extend their own learning opportunities or those of their students. I belong to several networks myself, and although my participation in them tends to wax and wane depending on my schedule, there are several that top my personal favorites list, including the English Companion Ning and Working Together to Make a Difference.

When I’m asked to provide examples of how teachers might begin using Ning with their students, I always find myself steering them toward The T-Bird Times, which is the newspaper for Northfield Middle School that Kevin Jarrett has worked on with his students. 107 Voices offers great inspiration as well, and English at the Tens is another example worth sharing. I find that sharing well-established and very active networks is helpful in terms of providing new users an idea of what is possible, but when it comes to getting started, most of the teachers that I work with really enjoy getting themselves connected to others who are just beginning as well. I also find that learning from others who are engaged in the process is just as important as getting “how-to” information.

Those who are beginning to use Ning for educational purposes might consider joining this network or checking out this wiki of Social Networks in Education.

I’m on the hunt for more examples of how ning is used in classrooms. If you have any to share, please do so in the comments section below, send me an email at stockmanangela at gmail.com, or a direct message on Twitter.

By Angela | Posted in Instruction, Ning, Technology | Comments (3)

Summer Projects: Blogging

June 15, 2009 – 9:30 am

Western New Yorkers spend a good portion of the year waiting for summer to arrive. In my house, this season kicks off with a round of birthday celebrations for different friends and family members. My daughter Nina turned nine recently, and having survived this weekend’s Saturday night slumber party that was several weeks in the making, our thoughts began to turn toward other projects we’re eager to begin this summer: family vacations and work-related trips, adding a new garden to the back yard, refinishing the floors, and replacing our roof are all slated projects that we’re excited about tackling within the next several months. Summer seems to give us just enough time and space to think and plan and move our lives forward into the next new year (which has always begun in September rather than January for me)!

I imagine that my entries here may be shorter or further apart as my girls wrap up their school years and come home to me for the summer, but I’m not planning to disappear altogether. Many of the teachers that I work with will begin some education-related summer projects of their own very shortly, which means I’ll be learning a lot myself as I work to support them. I’ll be blogging about these new discoveries and all of the questions they provoke here….so even though school might be out for the summer, I’ll still be here. I hope you will continue to stop by and say hello as well.

Summer Project posts will appear over the next few months, targeting the topics that teachers I work with are most interested in. Please feel free to add your thoughts and links in the comments section if you have something to add! The resources below are for those who plan to begin blogging themselves or with students in the near future:

Still wondering why you might consider blogging with kids? Check out the video below…and share!

By Angela | Posted in Blogging, Instruction, Professional Development, Staff Development | Tagged | Comments (0)

Ideas Inspired by Imagination and Observation

June 8, 2009 – 2:33 pm

readingI meant to start this series of posts last week, but like many in my corner of the world, I’m finding myself caught up in the swirl of June. Each day seems to bring another softball game, school concert, field trip, assembly, or party of some sort for my kids. Couple of all of that my own end of the year program evaluation and planning for the year ahead, and the whole blogging thing kinda falls to the bottom of the priority list. I have some time to catch my breath here this week, though.

On Saturday, teachers and kids from the WNY Young Writers’ Studio gave a reading at Barnes and Noble in Amherst as a way of celebrating the end of our time together this year and all that they’ve accomplished. Teachers read pieces written by their favorite authors and their own students, and several even read from their own work. Pam Marchewka-Cornwell published a short story for her daughter this winter, and it was so sweet to watch her read it right to her little girl on stage. Betsy Ernst read an excerpt from the travel diary she kept on a trip to Spain many, many years ago, and since I found my childhood diaries this week myself, and I’m planning to share some of the entries at this year’s summer sessions. And by the way? If anyone is looking for the address of the Rick Springfield fan club, I found it scribbled inside the cover the diary I kept in 1983….followed by thirty or more other entries devoted entirely to him. The Jonas Brothers, incidentally, still have nothing on Rick as far as I’m concerned.

Anyway, what impressed me most about Saturday were the range of ideas that inspired the choices of those who read. Catherine shared the introduction to a scary story she just began, and Abby shared a creation myth about earth, wind, water, and fire. Eliza wrote about a trip she recently took with her family, and Laura read a poem about what it means to be blue. Jenna’s loved of books wove its way through her words, and Alyssa shared an emotional piece that resonated with every women of all ages. Melanie wrote about winter, and Sarah opened our hearts to the perils of abandoned pets seeking adoption. Nina read her story about the journey to Chocolate Mountain, and Sierra took the stage last, providing an impromptu and moving performance of a poem inspired by her recent study of the Holocaust. Regardless of their ages, their interests, or the perceptions that they might maintain about their abilities, all of these writers had something important to say, they chose their words with intention, and they delivered beautiful performances.

Studio writers maintain writing territories lists, and we’ve also used a variety of strategies to tickle their imaginations and encourage them to pay attention to the details of their lives. Good writers are able to find meaning inside of moments that others might find inconsequential. Some of our favorite idea-generating activities have included:

What are your favorite ways to generate writing ideas? What do your students enjoy doing?

By Angela | Posted in Ideas, Writer's Studio, Writing Instruction | Tagged | Comments (2)

Inspiring Great Ideas

May 26, 2009 – 4:59 am

nina

I’ve been rereading Vicki Spandel’s Creating Young Writers: Using the Six Traits to Enrich Writing Process in Primary Classrooms over the last week, in anticipation of the summer that I have ahead of me. Part of it will be spent working with teachers of very young writers, and part of it will be spent working with writers of this age myself. My own daughters’ primary teachers reminded parents that their most important objective was helping kids fall in love with reading and writing. They also knew that providing them with writer’s words, so that they could speak with others about the writing that they were doing and begin to notice the traits of good writing as they read was empowering as well. Vicki Spandel’s thoughts about teaching the traits conceptually are helpful to teachers who are eager to help writers understand that the traits are merely a way of “thinking about writing” that leads to real understanding and meaningful use.

She suggests approaching instruction around ideas in three different ways:

  • As imagination and observation
  • As pictures in the mind
  • As messages

Over the next week, I plan to think and blog about each of these approaches a bit more, sharing out some of the lessons and strategies I’ve used as well as what I’ve learned from the writers I get to work with along the way. I’m wondering where others get their writing ideas from–what inspires you? How do you inspire or prompt the discovery of great writing ideas in others?

By Angela | Posted in 6+1 Traits of Writing, Ideas, Instruction, Writer's Studio, Writing Instruction | Tagged | Comments (3)

Winner of the WNY TeachMeet Book Give-Away

May 19, 2009 – 6:06 am

Just wanted to send a quick shout out to everyone who helped spread the word about the WNY TeachMeet. If you haven’t had a chance to register yet, please do so by the end of this week! You can take care of that right here.

Last week, I announced a book give-away, and it was great to hear that so many of you invited colleagues, friends, your staff, and members of your online network to join us at GCC. I do have a winner to announce today: @smccarville from East Aurora, NY! Just let me know which book you’re interested in, and I’ll drop into the mail for you. Thanks!

By Angela | Posted in WNY TeachMeet | Tagged | Comments (0)

Welcoming a New Edublogger into the Fold

May 14, 2009 – 9:53 pm

Mary Howard is a middle level teacher and brand new edublogger from Grand Island, New York! Mary and her colleague Jillian Schneider recently began exploring connected and collaborative writing with their students, and I’ve been fortunate enough to find myself basking in the glow of the energy that they are generating. So glad to know that Mary is inviting a wider audience here….hope you will go say hello!

By Angela | Posted in 21st Century Staff Development, Leadership, Motivation, Professional Development, Staff Development | Tagged | Comments (1)

My Favorite Books

May 13, 2009 – 2:33 pm

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Have you ever been asked to name your favorite book and found yourself struggling to pick just one? Someone asked me this question today, and I was really at a loss. I can tell you this though: my favorite book can probably be found somewhere within the piles of books my kids have written over the years. The picture above captures a tiny sampling of my youngest daughter’s growing library, and I know that decades from now, I’ll be passing quiet afternoons flipping through these pages and smiling. The classics are timeless, after all.

I know I’m not the only mom who maintains a stash of these treasures. So many children love to write and draw….so many love to tell stories. The greatest teachers know how to nurture this in their students. They know how to keep the fire alive far beyond elementary school.

Today, Angela Maiers shared this link on Twitter. I’ve been spending the last hour or so exploring these beautiful sites and taking in these great book-making ideas. I can’t wait for Nina to get home, so that I can share them with her. What a way to celebrate writing!  I’m thinking we may be making some books at the WNY Young Writers’ Studio this summer.

By Angela | Posted in Instruction, Writer's Studio, Writing Instruction | Tagged | Comments (2)