Category Archives: Reading

In Praise of Nonsense and Nonfiction

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In the wake of the Common Core and the call to read more complex texts, I fear that some genres and titles may get lost in the shuffle. I believe our more light-hearted texts such as the ones I list below should stand side-by-side with the nonfiction titles in our classroom libraries. Here is a post I recently wrote on my school’s blog about some of my favorites.

I recently shared with a group of parents some of my favorite books for reading aloud to kids. Because it can be hard to decide where to start if you have not read aloud to your child before, I thought I would recommend two types of books, nonsense and nonfiction. Both genres are high interest and fun to read.

Nonsense

Stuck by Oliver Jeffers

This picture book is about a boy who gets his kite stuck in a tree. He starts throwing items at the tree to get his kite down, but instead they also get stuck in the tree. The boy continues to find new things to throw, which get larger and more strange with each page. This is an enjoyable book to predict with your child what will happen next.

I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen

The bear has lost his hat. He asks many of his animal friends if they have seen it, but they have not. One animal is not being truthful, though, and soon the bear realizes who the guilty party is. The ending is very funny and allows for the reader to determine what really happened.

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

This anthology of poems is a classic. It may have been around when you were in school. Some of the poems use nonsense words even in the title, such as “Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me Too”. Kids (and adults) at any age level love hearing these poems over and over. That makes this book a great choice for families with more than two kids to read to and not a lot of time.

I Must Have Bobo! and I’ll Save You Bobo! by Eileen & Marc Rosenthal

Bobo the monkey is a favorite stuffed animal of the main character. Unfortunately, Earl the cat is also very fond of Bobo. He works hard to steal him away from his owner at any opportunity. The facial expressions of Earl are hilarious. The illustrator also does a nice job of giving you clues about what that cat is up to before it happens.

Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin

Ever wanted to host a dragon party? Then you must have tacos! Just don’t bring any spicy salsa. This everybody book gives the reader step-by-step instructions for feeding and entertaining dragons. Of course, someone didn’t check the label on the salsa, which contains jalapenos. Can you guess what might happen next?

Nonfiction

Meet the Dogs of Bedlam Farm by Jon Katz

The author describes his four dogs and their jobs on his family farm. Rose, Izzie, Freida and Lenore all fulfill different roles, like guard dog. But what does Lenore do? This question is asked throughout the text, as her job is not as clearly defined, but it is just as important as the others.

The Whispering Cloth: A Refugee’s Story by Pegi Deitz Shea

Although this story would be found in the fiction section, it is based on the many stories of the Hmong people’s journey from Southeast Asia to the U.S. It is told in two different settings: The present time as Little Mai patiently waits for an opportunity to leave her refugee camp for America, and the past which details the hardships she encountered up to now.

Baseball Saved Us by Ken Mochizuki

Similar to the last title, this book describes the internment camps the Japanese Americans were sequestered to during World War II. To pass the time, the prisoners create a baseball field and start to play games. Their sense of purpose and community helped keep their hopes up during this dark period in America.

Testing the Ice by Sharon Robinson

Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball. Now retired, his daughter tells the story of her family wanting to ice skate on the frozen pond. The author shows a different and yet familiar side of Jackie, one who is deathly afraid of water, but goes out to test the ice in spite of his fears. This biography is a profile in courage.

Dreams: Listen to Our Voices by Regie Routman and 5th graders from Denver, Colorado

Immigrant students from Mexico share their aspirations, with guidance from Regie Routman, an expert in literacy instruction. Some of their stories are funny, some are sad. What all the students’ stories have in common: they are real, and they are full of hope. It is a very inspiring read.

Background for my Nerdy Book Club Post “Why I Think Wonder Didn’t Win a Newbery”

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I wrote this post on the Nerdy Book Club blog for a variety of reasons:

- To model what it means to be a connected learner in front of 27 fifth graders.
- To guide students on how to read text more critically.
- To show students how to use evidence from a text to support an opinion.
- To celebrate our learning and this excellent book I read aloud.

Modeling Connectedness

“Connectedness” is defined by the Merriam-Webster Learner’s Dictionary as “the state of being closely joined or linked especially in an emotional way”. Wonder conjured up many emotions in us as we read and discussed it. I gave students several opportunities to turn and talk with a neighbor to share their thinking during strategic points in the story. I also asked essential questions related to the book. Students were encouraged to ask questions of their own that took my thinking to a deeper level. We posted our thoughts on the Wonder group we joined on Edmodo. All of these discussions led to my opinion piece I posted on the blog. Because our thinking was available for others to read and respond to, the students had a better understanding of the importance of sharing our feelings about something online in a meaningful and respectful manner.

Critical Reading

The concept of reading critically is explained nicely in Teaching Students to Read Like Detectives by Doug Fisher, Nancy Frey, and Diane Lapp (Solution Tree, 2011). According to the authors, astute readers start asking questions as soon as they pick up a text. In the post, I purposefully took the perspective that the ending was the reason Wonder didn’t win the Newbery. I wanted to create an authentic controversy. As I wrote on the computer and projected it on the Smart Board, I could tell a few student weren’t comfortable with this opinion. Their body language and facial expressions said it all. I encouraged the students to speak freely. One student, who I will call Sara, finally had had enough and blurted, “I just don’t agree with you, Mr. Renwick.” A few of her classmates’ mouths dropped open. He’s the principal! they were probably thinking. But I commended Sara on her willingness to take a risk and share her own thinking, even though it didn’t correspond with my own.

Text-Based Evidence

After expressing her opinion that in fact the ending was really great, I asked Sara to explain her position a bit more. While I cannot recall the exact conversation that took place afterward, I do remember several students joining our discussion. We compared the ending in Wonder to related stories, such as Out of my Mind by Sharon Draper. Some students brought up their own experiences of someone they know receiving a large celebration and why it was important for that person. It was also noted that sometimes the strong need to step up and help those in need, like Auggie’s classmates and the adults in his life did. This robust discussion helped form the ending on my Nerdy Book Club post. Throughout our conversations, we stayed close to the text even as we connected the book’s events with our own lives, experiences and past books we had read.

Celebration and Recognition

Once the draft of my post was complete, I printed off a copy for each student. I asked them to reread it carefully and note anything else they felt needed revision in the margins. A number of students came back the next time with several suggestions. Most of them were grammatical in nature. Feeling confident in our final draft once revised, we shipped it off to Mr. Sharp for publication. Giving several opportunities for input allowed everyone ownership in this shared writing activity.

Now that it is online, we look forward to reading the comments to the post. Maybe we will comment ourselves. Our thoughts and ideas will have a much larger audience and greater purpose with the use of the blog. We plan to celebrate our efforts with a book talk on related stories. As well, everyone can sign a “Be Kind” certificate to remind ourselves to be everyday heroes in someone’s life that we know.

Connected from the Start: A Necessary Read

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A good book encourages thought. A great book will change the way you think.

When Lani Ritter Hall, co-author of The Connected Educator, asked me to review Kathy Cassidy’s new e-Book Connected from the Start, I got a little nervous. Who am I to pass judgment on the work of a highly connected educator like Kathy? Even worse, what if I didn’t like it?

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Fortunately, my worries were unfounded. This book is a necessary read for all elementary educators. The only thing she got wrong was which grade levels this book was most appropriate. I can imagine any K-5 teacher could implement the ideas Kathy shares to help their students become more connected online.

Instead of giving you a persuasive essay about why you should buy this book (and you should), I will share two ways Kathy’s work has impacted what I do as an elementary principal and literacy leader.

1. Digital Portfolios

In the beginning of the school year, Dropbox was the tool selected for my teachers to curate student writing. The plan was to share these web-based folders with parents as the year progressed, so everyone could see student growth over time.

One problem was (and still is) that the teachers are doing the work. Although Dropbox is a great tool for online storage of many types of media, we have found it a bit time-consuming for documenting student writing. The teacher has to take a picture, upload it to the student’s file, and organize it chronologically.

After reading Kathy’s book, I realized that a great digital portfolio tool was right in front of me: a blog. She has her students, as young as six years, regularly post online. The students’ content is not only given a broader audience, it solicits comments from other teachers, peers and family members.

This practical application in a primary classroom is powerful. It comes from someone who has been there and done that, and not from an administrator (like myself) or from a technologist that lacks that meaningful and authentic experience.

2. Collaborative Writing

I had been thinking for a while how I might show 4th grade students how to share their writing with an audience beyond our school walls. After reading Kathy’s book, it sparked the idea of using Google apps to make this happen.

We plan to have the students write a narrative based on one of the fourteen scenes from Chris Van Allsburg’s The Mysteries of Harris Burdick. Students can use Google Drive to create these stories, and post them on one Google Site. It would be maintained by educators from both schools, even though we are hundreds of miles apart. Teachers would show students how to comment effectively on another student’s writing. The benefits of these practices are a broader audience and a more authentic purpose to their work.

Lani Ritter Hall stated that “there is not another e-book out there like this”. I couldn’t agree more.

eReaders and Research

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My last post briefly described the process used to deliver eReaders to reluctant readers in my school. Because this just recently happened, it will be a while before I can share any type of data about the results from this project.

In the meantime, there have been a few requests to share some of the research that led to our decision to implement this technology in our book club. You can find all of the sources I referenced at this Diigo link, with what I found important highlighted. I will continue to add to this collection of studies.

For a more concise explanation of the process we used to determine that eReaders might increase student’s reading skills, here are the steps we followed.

Current Reality

Our students were pretty exuberant about being invited to be part of a book club in the beginning of the school year. They had new titles to choose from. They were all of high interest and at their reading level. Two adults were available, not to teach but rather to guide as the students gained confidence in a literate environment. Snacks were provided. They got to listen to a good story read aloud by a teacher every time they met.

As the year pressed on, the reality started to set in that these reluctant readers were coming to book club after their regularly scheduled school day. Attendance started to drop. A lack of engagement showed itself in a variety of ways. It was obvious that enthusiasm was waning. What to do?

“When in Rome…”

When I have talked to these students (mostly boys) outside the context of school, I have found them most enthusiastic when they speak about video games. Whether the subject is Minecraft or Call of Duty, their excitement rises several notches as they discuss strategies and experiences they associate with these forms of media. It is obvious to anyone within 20 feet of these ten and eleven year olds that technology holds their attention like none other.

Somewhat related, I used to share relevant education articles with my staff via Springpad. It is a very useful web tool for curating information. The only problem was, none of my staff were using it. They were all on Pinterest. Now, did I force my teachers to start using Springpad? Of course not! I got myself a Pinterest account and started posting important teaching articles for them to find and read. My purpose for using these technologies was not to simply use them, but to communicate information with others.

eReaders and Research

Reading is all about communicating and understanding. It is the science of making sense of words. There are a lot of conversations out there about the pros and cons of digital texts in schools, and some have been helpful. For example, we chose the Nook Simple Touches because we didn’t want a tablet device or even a backlit eReader to disrupt the sleep patterns of our students late at night. They need the rest.

Yet, another article cites research that there is no discernible affects between eInk and LCD screens. This source contradicts the other. Which research is more reliable?

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This leads to two very important points made by Doug Fisher at the Wisconsin State Reading Association Convention this year:

  1. Even if there is a body of research showing one thing, there’s a tendency to look at one article that counters.
  2. What I knew at a prior time may have changed as I learned more (paraphrased).

What this means to me is we need to read each study about reading and technology with a discerning eye. This is why I value the collective knowledge shared by Doug Fisher, along with other education researchers such as Richard Allington, Sheila Valencia, Nell Duke and Peter Johnston. They look at many studies about a topic before making any recommendations. There are pundits and columnists out there who coud learn from this process. For example, there are at least two writers for the magazine Time (Lisa Guersney and Annie Murphy Paul) that tend to represent a research study as truth, instead of what it really is: A lone study.

Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy reading their columns. They share information that is important for everyone to know. But what separates these two from true disseminators of educational information, such as Kim Marshall of The Marshall Memo, is a) they are not educators, and b) they seem to espouse this information as infallible. For example, Lisa Guernsey defined “e-reading” as three year olds watching eBook apps on an iPad. While I share her concerns, there was no effort to define eReading in the broader sense and clear up misconceptions. The concept of “screen time” is no longer relegated to sitting a toddler down in front of a television. Research out of context is when studies aren’t placed side-by-side with related studies.

For me, I will continue to keep an open mind about how technology can possibly enhance, or harm, literacy skills with students. Of all the studies I have discovered, the one I find most interesting comes from the Pew Research Center. It found that digital reading is on the rise and print reading is down. At the same time, people read more when they read eBooks. Now, there are oodles of research to support how the volume of reading is correlated with an increase in reading habits and abilities (see the researchers I mentioned previously). Like I said in my previous post, words are words. Reading happens in one’s mind, not in the text or in how it is delivered. Both print and digital texts should have a place in schools. This helps me feel confident that the professional decisions made based on what we know at this time along with our assessments of our students’ abilities and interests is in everyone’s best interest.

Bringing the Book Club to the 21st Century: eReaders and Literacy Intervention

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An adapted version of this post was published on Ed Tech’s website, found here.

“Hey, Mr. Renwick, when are the iPads coming in?”

“They’re not iPads – they are eReaders. I am not sure.”

two days later

“Hey, Mr. Renwick, when are the iPads coming in?”

“They’re not…nevermind. Soon!”

This is a continuous conversation I have been having with one of my 4th graders. He,
along with nine other 4th and 5th graders, will soon be receiving eReaders. They are
members of our after school book club, which also serves as a reading intervention. Our
goal is simple: Get our most reluctant readers to start reading habitually. We believe that
introducing digital books as part of our available library of texts will further engage our
students in this most critical skill.

Why go digital?

The book club students are not lacking in available books to read. Before it started, one
of our reading teachers purchased many high-interest, easy-to-read texts for the
students from a local book store. In addition, the book club meets in our school library
media center. They are surrounded by stories.

Yet proximity does not necessarily mean all students will read. They have had access to
these books for years. Why haven’t they picked them up yet? After reading the current
research on digital literacy, we felt eReaders can increase levels of engagement with
our reluctant readers in a way that print has not thus far. These students, like many their
age, go home after school and play video games or interact on social media. The
diffference is the chance that they will pull even the most engaging text out of their bag
to read independently is less than likely when compared to their peers. But with an
eReader, even the basic ones we have purchased, the relevancy of reading goes up
for these students. We are speaking their language: Technology.

Two Types of Text: Differentiating Our Instruction

It is not that technology is the end all, be all for our students’ reading diet. We see it
rather as a segue to a more literacy-centric life. Words are words. The whole point of
reading is to be engaged and informed. The actual comprehension, enjoyment and
learning happens inside one’s head, not in the text. Both the print and digital word
provide the same thing – an opportunity to experience someone else’s life, a far away
world, or a different culture than our own. The text, regardless of the format, is the
vehicle that takes us there.

That being said, reading print versus digital text requires a shift in instruction. For
starters, students can see their progress with a print book by simply looking at the
thickness of the remaining pages. We will have to teach them how to assess their
reading volume with the percentage complete data on the bottom of the screen. Second, annotating and highlighting important passages in a digital text only demands a
touch of the screen. With print, a packet of sticky notes plus a pencil would be
necessary to curate text that resonated with the reader. As well, there is a certain
getting used to when reading on an eReader for the first time. We are swiping pages
instead of turning them. We can increase the font size if the type is too small on an
eReader. Print books don’t require a charge every month or so. As much as students
enjoy their technology, it comes back to good instruction to show students how to use
it efficiently and effectively.

A Balancing Act

Our book club students were allowed to choose the texts to be downloaded on the
eReaders. As we navigated through all the choices, we slowly realized that there
weren’t a lot of nonfiction books that work with our simple eReaders. That makes sense.
Many newer nonfiction books have lots of graphics, which lend themselves better to
print at this time. It provides a great point I plan to make with our students: Life long
readers rely on a variety of formats when interacting with texts, both digital and in print.
In the mean time, if an eReader gets a student to pick up a book more often, I say why
not?

I Say Let Them Read

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This post is actually a comment I left on Annie Murphy Paul’s blog, on her post titled “Teens Are Choosing Books That Are Too Easy For Them”.

Where I agree with the concerns of this report is that secondary students do need more guided instruction. By guided, I mean the teacher conferring with readers on a regular basis, asking them questions about the text and giving support in the form of strategy instruction. And I am not against reading the classics and being challenged as a reader from time to time. But the job of the teacher is to scaffold the students’ experiences with the text so they are successful, with strategies such as questioning and graphic organizers. It shouldn’t be left to the parents.

That said, this report fails to cite any research that would give any validity to these concerns. What research says about reading text that is “easy” for students is very clear:

- The most effective teachers provide text for students they could easily read (Allington and Johnston, 2002; Keene, 2002; Langer, 2001)
- High levels of reading accuracy produce the best reading growth (Ehri et al, 2007)
- Reading comprehension predicts reading volume and reading comprehension performance (Guthrie et al, 1999)

You can read more about this research in the excellent resource What Really Matters in Response to Intervention by Richard Allington. I also recommend his article Intervention All Day Long, found at http://goo.gl/lTWuH. In the article, Dr. Allington actually goes into a secondary school and concretely shows the fallacy of matching readers with text that is too difficult.

Where some seem to see a problem in students not selecting challenging texts, I see this issue as a success story. Students are reading! Who here reads books because they are challenging? I don’t. I choose to read text that is interesting, engaging, and meaningful to me as a reader and a person. Sounds like this is what these students are doing. For the most part, I say leave them alone and let them read.

My Island Books

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Here is a list of my “island books” – texts that I would want with me during my isolation on a deserted island (within the context of education). These are the resources I go back to again and again as a school leader. They are books that I either own or want to own in multiple formats, such as both in print and digital, because I never know when I will need to reference them. I consider rereading each of these on an annual basis because the information provided is too essential to not review regularly. If I were running a graduate school for school leaders-to-be, these resources would be the basis for instruction. They are also examples of great writing by excellent authors.

Improving Schools from Within by Roland Barth

This book piqued my interest in the principalship as a future career. It was discarded from my school’s library, and I promptly claimed it while teaching fifth and sixth grade. One of the best ideas I found was “Share Sessions”, where a staff member sets up voluntary meetings for one teacher to share with colleagues what they are doing well in their classrooms. I did this in my school, and people showed up! Roland Barth stressed that you don’t need a title behind your name to make a positive change in your school.

Orbiting the Giant Hairball by Gordon MacKenzie

Written by a former Hallmark greeting card creator, Gordon MacKenzie tells his story of maneuvering his way through the politics and pitfalls of a large organization. The title for the book is in reference to how one should never get too far away from the hairball (the corporation) while also not getting too close and end up tangled in its bureaucracy. As a school principal and in some ways a middle manager, his words are helpful as I also try to stay above the fray yet close to where the learning is occurring.

The Read Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease

Jim Trelease has updated this resource six times now, and every time he takes out a few read alouds he recommended in a previous edition to make room for new ones. Therefore I own multiple copies of this book because almost all of his book recommendations are excellent. Jim provides a persuasive argument that parents and educators should read aloud daily to our students. He uses both research and stories to make his case. As a teacher, this resource rarely left my side as I prepared my instruction for my students. I still use it when choosing a book to share in classrooms as a principal.

Schools that Work by Richard Allington

Although this book has been around for some time, I just read it last summer. I believe it is an essential read for any elementary school leader. It encompasses seemingly everything a school needs to focus on with regard to literacy instruction. Some of the ideas that I have already taken from Allington’s work include the principal helping facilitate the morning study center and student portfolios. I will continue to revisit this timeless resource.

Drive by Daniel Pink

If you ever hear anyone reference “Autonomy, Mastery, Purpose” in that order, then expect that they have read this book. In fact, I think it was referenced at least twice at the Wisconsin State Reading Association Convention alone. In my opinion, it is a modern classic and essential reading for any school leader looking to understand what motivates people to do their very best.

The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

What Daniel Pink did for motivation, Malcolm Gladwell does for change. He introduced the concept of “critical mass” to me. When enough people adopt a new trend or idea, it causes a systemic change in the rest of an organization or culture. This has guided my work as a principal when introducing any new initiative into my school. Along with Mindset by Carol Dweck, I reference these books often as I do my best to convey with my staff the ups and downs of the change process.

Opening Minds by Peter Johnston

“Words have the power to open minds – or close them.” I had read his prior book, Choice Words, and thought that it could not be matched. I was wrong. Where as Choice Words has direct application about the important of language we use in the classroom, Opening Minds takes a more aerial view of the idea of social interaction with learning. Concepts such as agency and social imagination have permanently entered the educational lexicon because of Johnston’s work.

Teaching Essentials by Regie Routman

All of her previous work seems like it has been distilled down to this one resource. The ideas and dispositions she shares could be applied to any learning environment. My staff and I read this as a whole staff book study last year. Our use of the Optimal Learning Model as an instructional framework has changed the way we teach in our building. All other initiatives that come our way could potential be applied to this model.

The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller

After I read this book, I immediately purchased several more copies for all of my 4th and 5th grade teachers. This is one of the books that I wish had been written while I was still in the classroom. Adopting her love for reading and for developing life long learners could carry the day for so many of our reluctant readers and writers. I could not think of one parent who would not want to have Donalyn as their child’s teacher.

The Connected Educator by Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach and Lani Ritter Hall, Personal Learning Networks by Will Richardson and Rob Mancabelli, and Who Owns the Learning? by Alan November

Okay, I couldn’t decide between the three of these books, so I am taking them all with me. What they all have in common is a passion for helping educators bridge the learning divide between the 20th and 21st century. No longer is the teacher the lone source of knowledge in the classroom. Each book guides us as learners toward helping our students and colleagues better leverage the vast amount of information and tools at our disposal in order to better connect with our world.

What books listed or not listed here would you bring to your island? Please share in the comments.

Using Evernote to Confer with Readers and Writers

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On January 31, I shared with several teachers about the possibilities of using Evernote to document student learning in literacy. Led by Amber Garbe (@ReadattheEDGE), this group of reading teachers have a growth mindset. They did not get frustrated when the technology did not always work for them. I enjoyed learning with these teachers. The purpose of this post is to summarize our learning.

Do you ever feel stuck when using technology? So many possibilities, when you just want to accomplish one thing? The story Stuck by Oliver Jeffers nicely describes this sense of frustration. The main character throws everything he can at a problem (kite stuck in a tree) when he should have focused on the problem itself instead of the tools.

 

Evernote is one tool that can address our need to better document learning when conferring with readers and writers. (A rationale for this technology is recorded in this Voicethread.)

The point I made is we need to allow the students to take control of their learning. This can be accomplished by being a learner as opposed to a teacher when guiding students to become readers and writers. Our learning takes place when we are close to the source (the student). Evernote can help a teacher measure student learning with tools that help them see and hear what the students know and are able to do. They are not just a reading level.

Much of this information comes from Knowing Literacy by Peter Johnston (1997). Although it was published fifteen years ago, this resource feels like it was written yesterday. He states that as assessments become more standardized and distanced from the student, the less trust and ownership there is between the student and teacher. This graphic is a visual I developed to better understand this assessment relationship.

 

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Once we established why there is a need to use tools such as Evernote, it was time to discuss how. Instead of telling participants, I showed a video of one of my teachers actually using an iPad to capture student learning and inform her instruction. (This is when technology failed me. The video was choppy and we didn't get to watch it all. Even if it had worked properly, it would not be shown here to protect the privacy of the student.) As we watched, I encouraged teachers to notice how the teacher:

Embedded assessment within her instruction;
Acted as a learner rather than a teacher;
Asked questions on what the student did right as well as what needs improvement;
Focused on strengths; and
Showed understanding that literacy is not always linear.

At this point we dug into Evernote. After everyone got registered, we built mock notebooks and notes. From there I shared some different ways teachers could document their students' learning. Here were a few suggestions:

Student Interviews
In the beginning of the year, ask students questions about their reading and writing habits. Record the conversation. Later in the year, review the audio from this interview with the student and facilitate a new one to promote reflection and growth. You can find a good interview template in Janet Allen's Yellow Brick Roads.

Personal Learning Goals
Students could use the check boxes in Evernote to list what they would like to accomplish for the quarter, semester or year. Donalyn Miller's goal for her students from The Book Whisperer of forty books from a variety of genres would be a good example. When they reach a goal, they can check off the box (and set a new goal).

Anecdotal Records
Although a teacher could also house students' quantitative data such as running records in a note, it's important to also develop a story of each reader's progress throughout the year. This can be one note with just a running narrative of their current reality, where they need to go, and how to get there. One incentive for using Evernote is the ability to share information with colleagues and parents. What will be most useful for them?

Digital Portfolios
A teacher could feasibly contain a gallery of a student's writing within one note. Giving each image of their writing a quick title along with a few comments would be all that it would require. The rest of the work should be handed over to the student, in the form of looking at their own work while the teacher asks, “What are you doing well?” and “What would you like to work on?”

We ended our session with each teacher sharing one takeaway from the night's session. The word that seemed to be heard the most was “possibilities”.

What other ways do you or could you use Evernote to confer with readers and writers? Please share in the comments.

Gift Idea for Readers

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I usually buy Christmas gifts for my brothers after the holiday season. My wife’s and kids’ birthdays fall around that time, so it helps to stretch out the gift giving into January.
Today I finally got around to shopping for them.

Books always make great gifts. What makes them even better is a book with a gift card inside to buy another book. For example, if Jeremy likes The Passage by Justin Cronin (I did), then he can buy the next book in the series, The Twelve, without having to wait.

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How do you individualize your reading gifts for family, friends and students? Please share in the comments.

Increasing Engagement

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This post is also featured on Stenhouse’s blog.

For a while it was popular in educational circles to talk about “time on task”. In some circles it still is. But, as many have noted, children are always on task; the important question is, what is the task?

- Peter Johnson, Knowing Literacy

My school faced a dilemma last spring: The grant for our after school reading intervention had run out. This also included our A.M. and P.M. study centers. Many of our students and families utilized these services to get extra academic support and to provide supervision for children whose parents worked early or late. We had a captive audience in those who attended, but no resources left in which to captivate them with, or so I initially thought.

As I prepared our final report for the grant, I noticed a pattern. Students who attended the structured, computer-based reading intervention after school did not make gains when compared to their peers. Students who attended the morning and after school study centers, with minimal educator support, showed more growth than their school peers. It was a small sample size, but results nonetheless.

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Around the same time, I came across Peter Johnston’s post “Reducing Instruction, Increasing Engagement” on Stenhouse’s blog. In it he describes a study he conducted with Gay Ivey in a secondary classroom. Students were given edgy fiction and few expectations, other than to read the books and discuss them with classmates. They took control of their learning, selecting texts based on their interests and communicating with each other about what they read. Subsequently, their tests scores went up and their social and emotional well being improved.

This post was the proverbial manna from heaven. Along with Richard Allington’s suggestion in Schools That Work for the principal to help facilitate the morning center, we had a possible answer to our problem. Some of our Title I funds were allocated to support two staff members two times a week to facilitate the after school book club for 4th and 5th graders. At the same time, I shifted the schedule of an English Language Learner aide so she would come in an hour earlier to catch the students in the morning. Even though all of this programming was to be hosted in the school library, we did purchase some high interest texts from a local book store. Total cost for this year-long program: Approximately $3000.

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So how have we reduced instruction and increased engagement?

More of a variety of literacy resources are available. For example, students can listen to books on tape, practice their letters and writing using art supplies, and select any text they find interesting.

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In both the morning study center and after school book club, we strive to provide choice in books. Some guidance is provided by staff when they appear to have a tough time finding their next read. However, for the most part we stay out of the way.

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We have created an inviting, cozy environment to allow kids to chat with each other while reading their books. Whistle chairs, foam shaped like an upside down whistle and covered with a leather case, are an example of a purchase we made to help create this climate. Educators need to give kids permission to read, both with our words and our actions. By doing this, we let them know that it is okay to just sit around and enjoy a book while at school.

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As well, they like writing book reviews on bookmark cards. They are propped on the front of the respective book and displayed on a designated table for others to check out. These students are now seen as readers and writers by their classmates. At this age, peers’ perceptions are students’ realities.

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One hiccup we have noticed is the inconsistent attendance of a few of our 4th and 5th graders after school. To address this, the staff and I have discussed ways to leverage technology to increase engagement. One idea is allowing students to connect on Edmodo. It is a safe social media tool for schools to share and discuss their learning. This would allow students to write their thoughts and questions about what they are reading for a broader audience, as well as read what others have posted.

At a fraction of the previous year’s costs, we have developed a literacy intervention that engages students and has the potential to increase students’ reading abilities at a faster rate than prescribed programming. At the same time, departing from past practices is a scary proposition for us as educators. It means giving up the spotlight and allowing student learning to take center stage. Teachers and principals, myself included, sometimes think we can control student outcomes. This naturally leads us into trying to control the learning at times. Yet it is an open and curious mind that learns best. We can facilitate this mindset by increasing engagement in students through thoughtful instruction and sharing our enthusiasm for reading. And isn’t engagement the reason we read and learn anyway?