It’s time for What’s Up Wednesday, in which I share 5 miscellaneous things from the previous week!
- I’m in March Madness Poetry, and voting is now (I think). Please check out my matchup–and all the others, too–and cast votes for your favorites!
- I’m offering a monthly e-newsletter specifically for writers and another one specifically for educators. Sign up by clicking on the link in the right sidebar or by clicking here. Please share the link if you know teachers or writers who might be interested. Thanks!
During a weeklong school visit, we had a snow day! Talk about throwing a schedule into disarray. But the staff was great and we re-organized and I got to work with every student still. A little crazy, but we did it!- I am loving podcasts (and the free Big Fresh Newsletter) from Choice Literacy. For many of us kids’ writers, schools are the conduit to our readers. Understanding education a bit better helps me connect with educators and, even more importantly, helps me connect my books with educators.
Last Thursday night, to cap off that weeklong school visit, I spoke about improving reading fluency at Parent Night. For. Forty. Five. Minutes. It’s tough to engage both parents and kids and deliver serious content at the same time. Ack! And I think I broke the sound system by howling and barking too loudly when we were demonstrating the fun of sound effects. (hanging head in shame)
I hope you had a great week! Care to share a highlight or lowlight or what you’re working on? I’d love to hear!
Just sold a story to Knowonder. Wrote and rewrote it. Pleased now and on to a new project.
Congratulations, Ann–that’s awesome news! Happy dancing for you:>)
Yay, for March Madness! Can’t wait to see all the match-ups tonight!
I’m particularly interested in #4, since figuring out how to connect with teachers has been my conundrum for the resources being created at No Water River. Not being in the education business anymore (and elementary ed is a whole ‘nother animal than high school, which I taught), I’m not sure 1) how to make the site as usable and useful as possible for teachers and 2) how to get the word out. I think I am actually going to have to read those common core standards from soup to nuts and put more thought into extension activities, etc.
Just signed up for Big Fresh, so we’ll see how it goes!
It’s tough, isn’t it? I’m trying to figure out how best to connect with educators and have several things in the works, but it’s super hard to do. Teachers are just SO busy and overwhelmed with what they MUST cover, and figuring out how to give them tiny bits of wonderful things they can easily USE is a challenge.
Hi!
I recommend reading the CCLS (Common Core learning standards) also called CCSS (Common Core State Standards). I have a document where I have written out all aspects that connect to poetry and will share if you want to see. If/when you read the document be sure to read the appendices as well. There are extra explanations in margins, etc. that are very important. Plus the Six (I think now seven) Shifts document. Many states have links online. I can look to see which were particularly helpful but I know NY has charts etc and Michigan’s was good. Also each state could add a percentage of specific standards, I think 15% so there is some variety and probably someone has analyzed that, but I don’t know.
The bigger issue right now is the testing.Teachers are very concerned about what the tests will be like. That will drive instruction since now the evaluations are tied to that. There are limited practice tests at this point. Teachers cannot administer their own tests even in the elementary school IN ORDER TO PROTECT teachers from being accused of “helping” kids EVEN in elementary schools!!! (I think this starts in gr. 3 at this point….imagine that adding to the little ones; stress!) So they have to practice that now……with whatever packaged material purports to be CC-aligned. (Beware of wolves in sheep’s clothing. No program has ever been better than a good teacher who can match the kids’s needs with the learning.)
The standards themselves are not bad. But. Did you see Diane Ravitch’s latest piece where she unequivocally states she cannot support the standards? She is on Twitter etc. I find her stuff generally through FB. I can send the link.
Both of you have so much to offer teachers. They are so busy they often don’t have much/ if any time to read. In this wildly transformative time, I would say that you should keep doing your quality writing and thinking. When the dusts settles eventually teachers will gravitate to what works for kids. Also the big shift to non-fiction text is important. And I support engaging kids in more complex text, but with support and understanding.
Sorry to go on. My heart lies in two places in life and online. The education world and the poetry world. I read extensively on education-related blogs if you would like any suggestions let me know.
I think your work is fabulous though!!! And I want you both to reach wider audiences. I want to reach wider audiences, too, with what I do, so I think marketing is also another big piece. Remember this old saying: if you invent a better mousetrap people will beat a path to your door.
Right now I don’t believe anyone has the vision thing for what a great and effective classroom will look like with the CC. You have to ENGAGE the kids. A place to start is Burkins and Yaris blog, but you need to go back to the beginning and pick and use posts. They started about a year ago now. Excellent site.
Good luck on MMPoetry. I am eager to see how it plays this year.