TFT: Conferring notes, Comments and Number Strings

Linking up with Teacher Gems to share tips and tricks!

Conferring Notes

       I have two magnetic folder bins for my conferring notes.  You can get them from Lakeshore Learning for $12.99 each.

      
      One is for Reader's Workshop and the other is for Writer's Workshop.  I have a separate folder for each student.  I prefer individual conferring notes to whole class ones- personal preference.  I can just pull the first one, confer and put it in the back.  That allows me the assurance that I'm meeting with every kid.



       I use this sheet for conferring during Reader's Workshop.  Under Reading Behaviors, I do a quick running record.  Under Comprehension Strategies, I write about the strategy they're working on and how it's going. Finally, the teaching point is what I want them to work on in their reading.

     I use this sheet for conferring during Writer's Workshop.  The research phase is where you ask the students "How's it going?"  It allows them to tell you what is going on with their writing.  After that, the teacher takes the lead and teaches.  Maybe the students needs to focus on something in particular or a trait needs to be addressed.  Finally, next steps is what you want the students to take away.  What should you be seeing in their writing as a result of this conference?

    The images are from FableVision Learning.  I just love Peter Reynolds art!

Comments

When reading someone's website, it's nice to leave a comment.  Here is a way to leave your comment and your blog address so that they can then go visit you!

Here is how you can make a hyperlink in a comments box.

Just type <a href="web address you're linking to">text you're link from</a>

as in: <a href="http://lisateachr.blogspot.com/">LisaTeachR'sClassroom</a>

My example would like this:

LisaTeachR's Classroom

Happy commenting!

Number Strings

Number strings are a set or sets of number related clues that students use to solve a problem.  It helps students see relationships between numbers and make generalizations.

Here is an one example:
2 x 5 =
4 x 5 =
8 x 5 =
16 x 5 =
32 x 5 =
48 x 5 =

48 x 50 =
Have students solve and ask what is the relationship between the problems? How does knowing the answer to one help with the others?  Can you plot the problems on a number line?  

Here is a different type of number string:
Start with the number of hours in a day.
Divide it in half.
Divide that into thirds. 
Multiply that by 2.
What did you get?
Stress listening and mental math skills when doing this type of number string. Ask them to justify their answer to a classmate.  Make sure to point out different ways students approached the problem.

Hope these tips were useful!!




Fourth Grade Teacher in California!


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TCRWP August Institute: Writing Institute 2014-15 Day 5

TCRWP August Institute: Writing

2014-15

Day 5

        I'm here at Teachers' College Reading and Writing Project! Waa!  It's the last day!  So sad.

Writing to intensify reading Kate Roberts

Lit Essays

What could it be?

When will out kids be ready to move on from the five paragraph essay.  The five paragraph essay shouldn't be a crutch.  Like any crutch, it's meant to be abandoned at some point.

Collecting for ideas and Thesis statements

• Reflecting on Notebook work
• Think on infographics
• Evaluating "best' ideas

Craft a thesis statement

• Use thought prompts to push thinking
• Allowing infographics to be a jumping off point
• Using post-its and categorizing them, looking for patterns
• Taking quotes and labeling them (emotions, etc.)
• Use grid to help thinking
• Companion books as mentors

Plan or structure our essay -Boxes and bullets, Reasons or times in the book

• Infographic

Choose evidence

• Close reading work (choose evidence and route thinking)
• Ranking (Best, Worst, Least, First...)
• Microstory work - partner work

Draft >> Analyzing evidence

• Look at notebook and set goals
• Thought prompts
• Elaborate on infographic
• Code post-its for paragraphs
• Long jots
• Use grid to see how its falling and creating a powerful story

Using thought prompts:

I Think...

• Consider that...
• It is true that...
• I believe...
• I've come to understand...
• One could say...

This is important because...

• The heart of this...
• The significance of this...
• The author did this because...
• The intention here is...

For example...

• For instance
• Take this example....
• In addition...

This shows that...

• This demonstrates...
• Consequently...
• This illustrates...

(How do I do the work of explaining the why of a trait or action?)

Revision

• Use checklist independently, with a partner, a small group
• Annotating with an eye towards close reading
• Color coding
• Cut it up and reorder to imagine different combinations

Bring some writers worksop work into our lit essays!

Brainstorm some ideas for a thesis statement for The Stolen Party

Does Luciana see Rosaura as a friend?

What were her intentions in inviting Rosaura? Friend or servant?

The real foe here is classism, not Senora Inez.

What makes a friendship?

Movement from Pride to Rage
Anecdote >>> Define pride and discuss its' affects >>>
Show a moment of Rosaura's pride >>> Her mother's pride stems from Senora Inez pride >>> XXX >>> XXX
Again try to get out of the five paragraph essay.  Th essay should be a journey of thought.
Things to consider

• Word choice
• Figurative language 
• -metaphor/simile
• -varying sentence length

What will you be applying to your work next year? Well for me, I will be concentrating on incorporating...

• thought prompts
• the grids
• the bands of text complexity

Think about writing and engagement in our lives:

• Post it your television watching
• People in your lives (How can your mom be both wonderful and frustraing?
• Use infographics
• what parts of the text resonates with your heart

Strategies are great but make sure to connect it to the kids lives!

Conferring to move kids and generate curriculum       Carl Anderson

Tape yourself: It's hard but look back at conferring sessions and debrief with someone else:  First compliment (glow) and then suggest (grow)

Rapport with students is key to having good writing conferences

How much time do we spend on each conference move?

Teaching portion should be about 25%!!

Problems with "on the spot" conferring

anxiety, too long, on research, not accurate, not consistent

Note taking forms:

Why?

• Help us keep track so we don't accidentally skip someone
• We can keep notes on goals for students
• Reflection on work
• Gives us data to create mini-lessons
• Allows specificity when speaking to admins and parents
• Tool for self-reflection

Types (I use individual student forms, fyi):

There is no perfect form- use what works for you

• Whole class at a glance (Grid or roster)
• Individual forms 

Giveaway

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August Institute: Writing Institute 2014-15 Day 4

August Institute: Writing Institute
2014-15

Day 4

        I'm here at Teachers' College Reading and Writing Project! It's day 4- oh. no, it's passing so fast!!

Writing to intensify reading Kate Roberts

Keeping students engaged and motivated for Reader's Notebook work

• Talk to partners or book clubs. Watching a small group conversation on Vimeo.  Look at partner talk.
• Technology>>blogs, video trailers, book reviews, Video Confessionals (like reality shows), Mission Impossible videos for small groups, GoodReads, Todays Meet , Uses her blog to teach and students use their blog as a reading notebook, WhiteBoard App (ShowMe, Explain Everything, Educreations) 
• Flexibility  Talk to kids about what their reading responses should look like. Every student has different needs/abilities.

Which of these ideas/tools have you done?  Which of these ideas/tools are you thinking of trying?

Companion Books

A companion book is like a bonus to another book.  It might give readers more insight to issues, themes, characters or plot in the book.  Could be argument, informational or narrative. It's a flash draft project.  It's a multi-genre project.  You are leaning on your students knowledge of the different genres- Probably an end of the year project for third, fourth and fifth grades.  You can find companion book examples for most very popular books (e.g. Harry Potter, Percy Jackson etc.).  Also look for the bookshelf on GoodReads!

What goes into a companion book?
We need to create chapters- what are the most interesting, fascinating, or easiest things to write about?
Common structures for companion book chapters

• Essays-idea based writing
• Informational texts
• Narratives
• Problem-solution
• Classify/sorting or ranking
• Definition "What is the meaning of hunger in the hunger games?"
• Trail of research
• A combination of the above

A way to do this with A Stolen Party

Table of contents  

• Rosaura and her mother-Lit essay
• Role of money and how people see it?-Argumentation
• What's up with the monkey?-Informational
• Luciana's perspective-Narrative

A way to do this with The One and Only Ivan

Table of contents  

• Relationship between Mack and Ivan-Lit essay
• Are we taking care of the earth and the animals that depend on us-Argumentation
• The physical and emotional needs of a gorilla-Informational
• Bob's perspective-Narrative

Structures students can nuse to plan writing:

• Can use "boxes and bullets" to structure draft
• "Tell the story of their journey" linear structure
• Problem >>> solution
• Any structure you've taught your kids to plan their writing

Train kids to chink the text and then jot down words or phrases.  The group them together.  Emotions works well (Defensive, Rudeness affecting relationship, Anger)

My practice with The On and Only Ivan

Ivan's Image

Chapter I chose how I look

wild gorilla	shy gaze	sly smile
snowy saddle of fur	uniform of a silverback	gorilla's majestic shadow
test of themselves	fighting winds on the wind	mightier than any human
pure power	made for battle	great ape
distant and distrustful cousins	this is troubling	linking me to a race of ill-mannered clowns

Looking at my list, it could be be organized in how they look, who they are, how humans see them and how Ivan sees humans...

My flash draft... 
To Ivan, humans look bad.  We make faces at them as we pass.  We see them as large fearsome beasts that are "made for battle."  He knows we're "related" but he doesn't see how we could be.  He's actually troubled by how that could be when gorillas are gentle giants and humans clumsy oafs.

Homework!!  Finish up your chapter!
Companion books

1. Research  Text box of information
2. Infographics that represent the heart of your chapter
3. Text features-Non ficytion headings
4. Choose an audience/tone

• Earnest fanboy
• Just the facts, ma'am
• Sarcastic critic
• Intelligent professor

Conferring to move kids and generate curriculum  

  Carl Anderson

The teacher's role in a conference
In the first part of the conference:

• Invite the child to set the agenda
• Ask assessment questions
• Look at the child's writing
• Make a teaching decision

In a conference, be sure to stick to the point.  Good idea to keep a writer's notebook close by to use as a Mentor text.

Qualities of effective teaching in conferences

• Cue the child that you're about to teach "There's something I want to teach you today..."
• Name what you're teaching
• Give an explanation of what you're teaching
• When necessary, explain why the craft, strategy or convention is important for them.
• Explain how to do what you're teaching.

Conferring cheating!   You're conferring with one kids but you know kids 2 and 3 need the same thing, bring them over too and have them listen in- it becomes an informal conference.

Coach the child as she "has a go" with what you taught

• Have the child talk out how she can use what you taught in her writing
• Katie Ray calls this writing in the air
• Coach the child by prompting them with the questions writers ask themselves when they use the strategy, try the craft technique etc.

Remember-you are the coach, not the creator or the leader.  Kids should be doing most of the work.

Don't forget the giveaway is still going on.  You could win a $25 TPT gift card!! It ends this weekend.

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Always,

Lisa

Follow me on Twitter @Lisa_teacher for live tweets.  I'll be blogging every day this week.

Stay in touch!  Be sure to follow my blog, TPT store, and like my Facebook page for notification of new products and freebies!

August Institute: Writing Institute 2014-15 Day 3

August Institute: Writing Institute
2014-15

Day 3 

        I'm here at Teachers' College Reading and Writing Project! Day 3- Ack, it's going so fast!

Writing to intensify reading Kate Roberts

Infographic pages

• Complicates/ multiplies thinking
• Engaging
• Springboards for more thinking

Ladder of abstraction   You need both big ideas and details!

Another idea: Mind map: external/internal pressures, Top five quotes, problems, ideas, Top three things about ____, Two worst things about ______, Time line, Power line, ____ vs. ______

Ranking: When is the character most ____ or worst ___, best _____, happiest ____, saddest _____

Looking at my infographic.  How would I rank the themes according to importance?  The theme that is most important in The One and Only Ivan is love.  Ivan loves Stella and Ruby and does what he can for them.  The friendship between Bob and Ivan is rooted in love.  Even Mack, a controversial character, loves Ivan.  He took him into his home.  When I van became too large and unwieldy, he put him into a cage thinking that would be a good home for him.  Julia demonstrates her love when she helps Ivan get out of the cage.  The second most important theme is animal cruelty.  It's the cruelty Mack shows Ruby that spurs Stella and Ivan into action.  Mack seems to be a good man who has fallen on hard times.  The third theme is perseverance.  Ivan has to persevere to find some way to save Ruby.

Infograhics can inspire us to...

1. Think in best and worsts, mosts and leasts (Ranking)
2. Make comparisons
3. Consider causes and effects
4. Pay attention to change
5. Find patterns
6. See causes and effects (use arrows)
7. Character relationships (within themselves and with each other)
8. Symbolism 
9. Author's craft

Looking at the bands of text complexity

• K, L, M    The Basics: Nate the Great, Junie B. Jones  The characters have traits that are always the same.  Relationships and problems stay the same. 
• N, O, P, Q     Change! Things tend to shift and you need to find the change.  Amber Brown. These are more dynamic-readers need to track the changes.
• R, S, T    Complexity.  Bridge to Terabithia  Characters are complex.
• U, V, W   Uncertainty.  Uncertain of traits or who they are.  Like Katniss from The Hunger games.  Students need to be reading like a detective.
• X, Y, Z   Literary.  Packed with literary devices: syntax, vocabulary, allusions.

Students are reading in the band but they're not doing the work of the bandUse the characteristics of the text complexity bands to think of what the work should be. Have kids come up with ways to track thinking.

Setting up a chart to track thinking
Three column chart:
Moments with Rosaura and Mother||| How they feel in this moment towards each other|||What this shows about their relationship

Charts to track thinking help because it sets a purpose for reading.
A two column chart:
Evidence||| My Thinking

Great tools to help thinking and discussion:
Narrative Writer's Use Techniques such as ...

Narrative Writers Aim Towards Goals such as...

Can use as bingo sheets or discussion starters or cut them up!


The Stolen Party
Modeled by Kate.  What is my job as an author's craft detective?  How many moves can I identify in this first paragraph?

• foreshadowing
• dialogue
• inner thinking
• symolism (monkey)

Next paragraph, on our own.  We saw:

• dialogue
• multiple points of view
• emotions
• tone
• inner thinking
• revealing action
• reader knows more than the character

Things we could use to create tools for writing about reading:

1. Student Facing Continuum: Character Traits
2. Post-its>> range of skills and/or levels of thinking
3. Post-it codes>>What are the codes>>where would they go>>jot off of it
4. Entries with thought prompts
5. Infographics
6. Charts
7. Craft entries off the grids pictured above

Conferring to move kids and generate curriculum       Carl Anderson

All-About writing/conferring

• What do you want to say here?
• Which parts get that across?
• Get rid of things that don't relate to that big idea.

Detail

• Details are the particulars or specifics of a piece of writing
• Writers write with a range of genre-specific details
• Specificity is an important dimension of leaning
• A sentence has at least one detail, a compound sentence has at least two details

STD's- snapshots (descriptions of characters, actions or setting), thought shots (what the character is thinking), dialogue (explicit and inner)

Look for patterns in their writing when you confer

What's the f word? Facts: informational, descriptive, action

When choosing a Mentor text, think of your kids needs first.  Scan/take a picture and put into your Dropbox.  Then you always have access on your iPad. Teaching at your fingertips.  Choose texts at their level and meet their needs.

Conventions

• Conventions include spelling, grammar and punctuation
• All writers make careless errors
• Some of the errors children make are signs of their growth as writer as they write sentences of growing complexity

There are patterns of development (in structure, development and conventions) in students writing as they develop in complexity.  Know your students.

Know your checklists!

Structure- Overall, Lead, Transitions, Ending, Organization

Development- Elaboration, Description

Conventions- Spelling, Punctuation

Tertiary questions- are questions that are much more specific once you have done the research.  Could be about the writing process, the checklist areas, the 6 traits etc.

Feedback- compliment first.  What is this child doing as a writer? The key is not to be random, try to compliment something you want to build on with your teaching point.

The cycle of writing about reading       Audra Robb

Exploring Writing about Reading

• Track thinking
• Push thinking
• Think and notice small details, Think and interpret towards big universal themes  (Think about the ladder of abstraction)

Using two column chart to track themes in a story and its development:

Evidence||| My Thinking

The Sacred by Stephen Dunn
Track your thinking- Students don't want to talk about something as private as a sacred place.  By definition, a sacred place is a place for reflection and being alone.  The car is a symbol, not only for being a private, sacred place but also for being a place that can take you away.

Charles Fishman  Good recipe for ways to track thinking

• Always searching for the little stories that would be worth telling (Detail)
• The big story
• The "good stuff"

Exploratory writing
There needs to be places for both types of writing

-for the self (notebook, blog etc.)

-with a group (posters, charts, Edmodo groups, collaborative Google docs)

Explanatory Writing/ Argument writing
-Towards an audience
-Needs Mentor texts
-Needs explicit teaching regarding craft

Teachers can use book reviews and movie reviews as examples of lit essays.

Think about using poetry to respond to literature

Great Explorations    Kate Roberts

There's Bo!  Adorable

Planning, reading, and you have expectations.  Expectations are not always met...  hight expectations don't have to be taken away, maybe just modified.

"Teaching is so much harder and so much more wonderful than you could have every expected."
Holding on too tightly to your expectations, it sucks the joy out.  You wind up feeling badly: anger, self-pity etc.

Some education expectations currently sucking the joy: using data all the time, challenging lit all the time, assessments all the time.

"I earned that 65 but it wasn't who I was." Grades/data don't make us who we are.

Sometimes the data is so broad that it's almost meaningless.  Looking at the assessments...sometimes, it's not the kids- it's the assessment.

Great analogy: sunset data doesn't catch what a sunset is.

Keeping our expectations humble

• Know what our expectations are good for-and what they are not
• Keep the kids at the center of all things.

When you teach with love, humor and compassion, kids remember you!
Teaching literary essays with love, humor and compassion
Finding the theme: First, find something engaging to the kids
Using "Let it go" sung by Idina Menzel
What phrases go with the theme: You should "Let it go"

• couldn't keep it in
• now they know
• let it go
• Turn away and slam the door
• I don't care what they are going to say
• The cold never bothered me anyway

Now we have some text evidence but how do we transform that into a deeper understanding?
Let's group!  What ideas go together?  Do they have a similar feeling /mood /tone?
Some other themes?  

• Lonely
• Explodes
• Angry

Idea for discussion: What happens when you don't let it go?

Make a decision and have fun!!!  It's a choice.

Always,

Lisa

Follow me on Twitter @Lisa_teacher for live tweets.  I'll be blogging every day this week.

Stay in touch!  Be sure to follow my blog, TPT store, and like my Facebook page for notification of new products and freebies!