Every year my nemesis rears its ugly head: the epic paragraph.  Epic paragraphs are those essays comprised entirely of one mega-paragraph with no indentations to indicate transition from thought thought.

I bet you thought your kids were the only ones doing it, eh?  But the fact is that tons of students are recruited into its child army.  It’s like the swine flu of writing: tons of kids catch it, and authorities freak out when they see it.  And it’s our job as educators to battle this plague on our educational houses.

At the beginning of every year, there is a percentage of kids who have had severe cases of knowledge leakage, and we rail at their prior teachers as if they hadn’t noticed the problem, or had chosen not to tackle it.  (Don’t pretend you don’t blame the last teacher sometimes.  It’s our default reaction when we see silly errors. But fight this urge, because we know this isn’t true).

What is true is that the students sometimes loose the lessons.  Sometimes this happens over the summer, sometimes over a mere weekend.  And this phenomenon results in the loss of every rule of writing, even something we consider as simple as paragraphing.  Which begs the question: maybe paragraphing isn’t so simple.(...)
Read the rest of How to Battle Epic Paragraphing (882 words)

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Post tags: 100% accountability, 6 traits, ELA, grammar, Think Aloud, TLN, UCI, Writers Project

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I was reading through my Digg headlines this weekend, and I happened on this article of the top 10 most extraordinary Twitter updates.  I also did some digging (no pun intended) and found articles that range in claiming that there are anywhere from 4 million to over 14 million current Twitter users.  If true, then Twitter has a greater population that Greece.  Or, if you would rather think in cities, twice as large as London.

So today, my class is going to start Twittering.  I’ve been thinking about using Twitter as a tool for Thinking Aloud for some time now.  I always pictured it on the LCD projector as I taught, entering thoughts as I simultaneously taught, so as to model my own reasoning and processes for my classes.  

I also think it will be a powerful 21st Century (hate that term) tool for them to use to give me a snapshot of what they are thinking.  So I’ve been tackling the issue of how to Twitter online and offline with students.

Here’s what I’m just now deciding on.  You know how you sometimes get your best ideas in the shower or in the rear-view mirror?  Well, I got mine brushing my teeth.  Just a little share for all you readers out there.

Here’s how I’m setting up the unit and how I’m helping to control their safety while creating a transparent and open-door environment in my classroom.(...)
Read the rest of Twitter as Think Aloud (368 words)

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Post tags: Curriculum, curriculum design, Ed Tech, education, ELA, Think Aloud, tween, twitter, UCI, Writers Project, writing

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It’s Step 1 of my Top Secret New Teacher Handbook.  Hope it creates some shortcuts, a machete even, through the education jungle.

-Tweenteacher

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Post tags: achievement gap, blog, classroom library, classroom management, collaboration, common language, critical thinking, Curriculum, curriculum design, curriculum development, differentiation, Ed Tech, education, ELA, employment, free, fundraising, internet literacy, jobs, k-12, k12, Language Arts, learning, life long learners, merit pay, metacognition, middle school, NCLB, new teachers, peer teaching, performance pay, professional development, technology, test prep, Think Aloud, Title I, TLN, top 10, tween, UCI, Writers Project

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So I looked at my 8th grade students’ scores after they took the MMA and sighed.  Their scores sucked.  (...)
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Post tags: 100% accountability, 2008, achievement gap, assessments, education, k-12, k12, middle school, teaching, test prep, Think Aloud, Title I, TLN, tween, UCI, Writers Project, writing

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Clearly, not all of these rank quite as high as the memories from last night, but there are those events in life that stand out for us as events of united memory.

Tapping into those united memories in the classroom and making students feel like they were present for history will help their own unity and comprehension.  Think Aloud about this moment.  Even if their families voted for McCain, remind them that they should feel pride for being present during the making of history, whether it be is the unprecedented voter turn-out, the possibility of a female vice-president who may even run in 2012 to become president, or the reality of an African-American president.  It happened here, now, during their lifetime.

Remind them too that there are children once again in the White House.  This is an opportunity to discuss Point of View, Tone/Mood, and Figurative Language.  Have them write from the Point of View of the Lincoln Bedroom.  Maybe it’s going to be Malia’s?  What history has it seen?  Write from the Point of View of Sasha seeing The East Wing for the first time.  There are so many possibilities.  So much hope.

Where were you last night?

© heather for tweenteacher.com, 2008. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: History, k12, middle school, obama, president, race, Think Aloud

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Post tags: carnival of education, credential, Ed Tech, k-12, k12, learning, middle school, teaching, Think Aloud, UCI, Writers Project

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© heather for tweenteacher.com, 2008. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: 2008, blog, collaboration, critical thinking, CST, CUE, Ed Tech, education, education policy, ELA, integration, internet literacy, Joanne Jacobs, k-12, k12, Language Arts, life long learners, merit pay, metacognition, middle school, peer teaching, performance pay, PI, professional development, research, school accountability, technology, Think Aloud, Title I, UCI, Writers Project

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Post tags: 2008, achievement gap, assessments, blog, collaboration, computers, credential, critical thinking, CUE, Curriculum, curriculum design, curriculum development, differentiation, digital immigrants, digital natives, Ed Tech, education, education policy, ELA, equity, integration, internet literacy, jobs, k-12, k12, Language Arts, learning, matthew needleman, middle school, professional development, research, technology, test, test prep, Think Aloud, Title I, UCI, writing

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So my question today is this: is there such a thing as too much thought awareness?

Today we covered everything from Think Alouds as a way to model metacognitive awareness, to activities that encourage and develop the metacognitive muscle.  But in our attempt at looking in, is it possible to loose sight of the big picture, the big idea, and the outside realm?  

Clearly we did.   

(For a related post, see “An Honors Student Does Not a Critical-Thinker Necessarily Make“)

© heather for tweenteacher.com, 2008. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: America's Choice, critical thinking, Ed Tech, education, honors, k-12, k12, Language Arts, learning, life long learners, metacognition, middle school, teaching, Think Aloud, UCI, Writers Project

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