Effective Writing Strategies

Teaching writing seams to be one of the hardest subjects to teach in my school day.  In the article To Teach Effective Writing, Model Effective Writing (2014) it states that teachers can be an effective writing teacher if they model their writing.  Teachers need to model writing of their own and model writing that goes with the lesson that is being taught.

When I teach first grade writing the class and I write a story together.  It is our class writing piece.  I also use a story of my own to model.  I make the story fun and interesting with a lot of details and fancy words.   Additionally I show a writing piece from another first grade student that is exceeding first grade standards so that the students can see that another first grader can write amazing stories.  This helps the students see what is expected and they are challenged.

Furthermore, the writing workshop model lends to the students writing to their own interests.  I think students are more engaged in their writing when they can write about their own small moments they have had or write about something they know a lot about.

All in all it is important that teachers model the writing that they are expecting from their students.  Teachers also need to be a writer themselves and share their own writing with their students.  Students should be able to critique the teachers writing.  Just like most other things in life students learn how to write by learning from an effective writer.

Cutler, D (2014, June)  To Teach Effective Writing, Model Effective Writing.  Edutopia  Retrieved June 23, 2014 from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/teach-and-model-effective-writing-david-cutler

Ipads in special education classrooms

Are Ipads an asset to a special education classroom?  There is some research out there on Ipads in the classroom however there has only been about four years of research done because Ipads are a new technology in the classroom.
Anya Kamenentz in the article iPads in special ed: What does the research say? states that iPads are a good tool to have in the classroom of students with disabilities.  The iPads are touchscreen so they are easy for the students to use.  Even a student that had control over only one finger was able to communicate using an iPad.  The Ipads are making it easier for students to communicate because they can use pictures to describe how they are feeling or using the pictures instead of words.  Furthermore, students can hear what they are reading which is a text to speech feature that the iPad has for these students.
I have an iPad in my classroom for an ASD (autism spectrum disorder) student.  I believe that it helps the student to communicate.  It is also teaching him basic skills that he needs for reading and writing.  The iPad keeps him engaged in the curriculum.  It is very hard to keep him engaged in the classroom however the iPad is very engaging for him.

Anya Kamenetz states that the iPads may be engaging however she wonders if it is just because they are a new tool for students to use.  This will need more research as time goes on because the research sample size is small and the advantages have mixed feelings.  Teachers did report that they have more independent workers and less behavior problems when they used iPads in the classroom.

Kamenetz, A. (2014, June 13) iPads in special ed: What does the research say?,npr Ed How Learning Happens.  Retrieved June 17, 2014 from http://www.npr.org/blogs/ed/2014/06/13/321058641/ipads-in-special-ed-what-does-the-research-say

The Fearful Summer Slide

All teachers in early elementary think about this topic and the end of each school year.  Will my students read throughout the summer?  Many students do not read and experience the summer slide (students fall back in reading levels). 

There are several ways to help the summer slide.  The school that I currently teach at has an option for students to take home 15 books and then trade the books at the book mobile two times over the summer.  The book mobile is located near their neighborhood and moves around to neighborhoods on a scheduled day.    In the article The Summer Slide in English Language Arts by Edutopia it suggests sending students home with books, magazines or things that students are willing and able to read.

There are several other ideas that can be put in place for students to be engaged in over the summer.  Edutopia suggests creating a blog for students to discuss books.  They could also join a blog that interests them like sports, music, technology or even discuss video games.  I think these are great ideas to get students reading and writing without them realizing they are preventing the summer slide.

The summer slide is a big topic amongst our staff.  We try to encourage students and parents to do some reading over the summer.  It is so important for our students and they probably wouldn't mind reading if it was presented to them in ways that is fun for them.

Stopping the Summer Slide in English Language Arts (2014, June 5)  Edutopia  Retrieved June 9, 2014 from www.edutopia.org/blog/summer-slide-english-language-arts-terry-heick

Facebook in the classroom

I would have never thought to use facebook in the classroom.  I have read about all of the uses of facebook however is it the right technology for the classroom?
Will Richardson has some great ideas for using facebook and getting students engaged in learning.  The most important idea is to set up a private group so that students in your class can only talk to each other.  Facebook reminds me of a classroom blog and has many of the same benefits of a blog. 
There is one problem that many schools have this site blocked on the computers because facebook can be used inappropriately and students could become friends of strangers.  Then we have to worry about safety of the students.
Richardson tells a story about a teacher who uses facebook in a high school history class.  His students were engaged and the enrollment of his class increase considerably.  He says that facebook built a strong classroom community and the private site continued even after the class ended.  (p. 137) Richardson also explains how a high school library uses facebook for library services.  The library is able to post information about the library, information about books and even videos.  If you think about it what better place to put information about books.  If students are always reading facebook they could read a book review and be attracted to a book.
 I think facebook would be a way to get students involved but I am not convinced that school districts and parents would "go for it".  What are your thoughts?

Richardson, W (2010)  Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and other powerful web tools for classrooms. Corwin a Sage Co.

Podcasts in the Classroom

Wow!  I have been researching podcasts and they are a great tool that students would love to use in the classroom.  Just imagine how engaged students would be if the teacher helped them create a news cast on a weekly basis on the events happening in class or on the content that they have been learning for that week.  If students were able to highlight the academics that they were learning that week that would be such a great review for them. They would also need to have the understanding of the content to be able to explain it in a news cast.

I was thinking about how I would use a podcast in a first grade classroom.  I think it would be a great incentive for students to do a news report on the animal that they researched for their informational research writing project.  Students would want to put in their best effort so that they could share everything they learned about the animal.  Students would first research and write a book on an animal that they have chosen.  Then they would need to publish their book.  The last step would be to share their research with the class by creating a news report for the class. 

I love the idea that Richardson (2010) tells about in his book Blogs, Wiki, Podcasts and other powerful web tools for classrooms, about the Willowdale Elementary school having their own radio show for kids by kids.  They share some great things they have learned in class along with fun ideas like telling jokes. 

There is so much you can do with podcasts and it is so much easier today with hand held mobile devices.  "As with blogs, the possibilities are only limited by your imagination." (Richardson, 2010 p. 117)




Richardson, W. (2010) Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms. Corwin A Sage Company, Thousand Oaks, CA

Blog safety in the classroom

Is blogging safe to use in the classroom?  Blogging can be a great way to get students engaged in a discussion in the classroom.  It is also a way to help improve writing skills for some students.  How does a teacher keep the blog safe for all students?  If a teacher plans to implement a blog in the classroom the first thing they need to do is give a blogging safety class.  The class should be given to students, parents and anyone else who might use the blog.  The teacher needs to instruct students to use their first names only when they blog.  At a K-12 level it may be a good idea to use a made up blog name or the number that they use in class. (Richardson, 46)  Furthermore, if a student does not recognize a name of a person who responds to their post they must not respond back.

The teacher will need to monitor the student blogs on a regular basis.  It would be a good idea for the teacher to distribute the blog address to the parents of the students so they can help monitor the blogs.  Along with using first name only the students must be taught to always keep the blogs positive.  They would never want to say something negative about another person. 

A good overview for internet safety can be found at www.wikihow.com/Keep-Your-Blog-Safe

Richardson, W. (2010)  Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and other powerful web tools for classrooms. A sage company.

Flickr in the classroom

Flickr is new to me.  As I was researching Flickr I was thinking that it could be a good tool that would be useful in the classroom.  Technology in the classroom increases student engagement and I think Flickr could increase engagement.  "Flickr is a photo-sharing website where anyone can upload and tag photos, browse others' photos and add comments and annotations." (Educause, 2008)

So how would Flickr be useful to students in the classroom?  There are some great maps on Flickr.  If a student was doing a project that needed a detailed explanation in a map, Flickr would be the place to find it.  Additionally, students can take a virtual field trip using Flickr.  There are pictures of almost any topic and "a picture is worth a thousand words."  Digital stories is another great project students can use Flickr for.  Students can upload pictures or find photos on the creative commons part of Flickr to create a digital story.  This would be very engaging for students who have written a story in writers workshop and wanted to bring their story to life.

There are so many ideas that photos could be used for in the classroom.  The list goes on.  They could be used across the curriculum.  In math students could be doing a project on geometry and the shapes of things they find in pictures.  They could also take the pictures and store them on Flickr for a geometry unit.  Science and social studies would also be a great area to do projects with photos.  All in all I think Flickr would be a great idea to try in the classroom.

Educause (2008, February) 7 things you should know about Flickr. Retrieved May 20, 2014 from http://www.educause.edu/library/resources/7-things-you-should-know-about-flickr