The Big Fresh from Choice Literacy
April 11, 2009
Faithful to a Fault
Working on a
new idea is kind of like getting married. Then a new idea
comes along and you think, "Man I'd really like to go out with
her." But you can't. At least not until the old
idea is finished.
Stephen King
Coming up with new ideas to try in our classrooms or schools is almost
never a problem - it's finding a way to end gracefully events
or activities that no longer have the value they once did for students
or colleagues. That's what's hard for many of us.
Literacy leaders walk a fine line. We've all worked with
colleagues who jump willy nilly from creating one splashy event or
curriculum overhaul to the next, trying to drag us all along with
them. Traditions and annual celebrations matter - they build
a sense of community and closure.
Yet as you look at your spring calendar of events, ask yourself if
there is an annual gathering on it that isn't as essential as it once
was. Is there a literacy night for families with falling
attendance? A mentor celebration during a packed week that would work
better late in the summer or early in the fall? One more
end-of-the-year recognition ceremony for kids that is one too many?
Sometimes these events begin with grant money or to address a specific
need at a moment in time. Years later they may still show up
every spring on the calendar, even if they are only limping along when
it comes to interest and support.
One of the biggest challenges for literacy leaders is finding a kind
and fair way to turn away from ideas that have run their course, in
order to make room for new ones. We cancel events with a long
school history at our peril, and it shouldn't be done
lightly. If we dismiss the hard-won curricular changes made
by a colleague over years, we shouldn't expect her to put much energy
or attention into our suggestions. Stephen King's metaphor
about marriage in the lead quote is humorous to those of us who live
near him in Maine, because he's been happily married nearly 40 years to
his college sweetheart. Fidelity is prized in all aspects of
our lives for a reason. But when anyone looks at
the overstuffed spring calendars of many schools, they might wonder why
we choose to be faithful to so very many end-of-year traditions.
This week, we've got some web resources for teen writers, plus more as
always - enjoy!
Brenda Power
Editor, Choice Literacy
Free for All
If you have any teens in your lives, you know they aren't easy to shop
for. Andie Cunningham comes up with the perfect gift for her
fifteen-year-old niece - a collection of web resources for aspiring
teen writers. There are fun picks here from YA authors, moms,
and teachers:
http://www.choiceliteracy.com/public/871.cfm
Responsive Classroom has posted a new article, "A Focused Finish,"
with terrific advice from seasoned teachers on wrapping up the year
thoughtfully and joyfully with students:
http://www.responsiveclassroom.org/newsletter/21_2nl_1.html
If you are trying to get colleagues on board with scaling back on
end-of-year whole-school events, you might want to read a
parent's perspective on end-of-year craziness. This humorous
article also has some practical advice for parents worth sharing in
school newsletters:
http://tinyurl.com/ckyrn6
Wondering what all the fuss is about Twitter? Laura Walker
presents Nine Great Reasons Why Teachers Should Use Twitter:
http://mrslwalker.com/?p=79620905
A hearty welcome to our newest site license members from Rogers,
Arkansas; Colts Neck, New Jersey; Milton & Sussex, Wisconsin;
Lexington, North Carolina; Glen Head & Harrison, New York;
Clinton, South Carolina; Columbia, Missouri; Inverness, Florida; and
our renewing site licensees in Guam/Pan Pacific DOD Schools and Federal
Way, Washington. You can read more about our affordable site
license program and download a registration form at this link:
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Only
Are your students getting bored with vocabulary routines?
Katie Doherty invents a quick and fun game, Vocabrity, to help her
middle-school students learn words. You can read the easy
instructions and download templates at this link:
http://www.choiceliteracy.com/members/875.cfm
If you're working with younger students, you are likely integrating
vocabulary learning throughout the day and using walls to display
interesting words. In this week's video from the Choice
Literacy Archives, "The Sisters" (Gail Boushey and Joan Moser) share
their Community Language Board, a wall of words built with students all
year long. Spring is always a great time to turn a critical
eye toward wall displays while planning changes for next year:
http://www.choiceliteracy.com/members/347.cfm
Intrigue, frustration, instruction at the point of need...Franki
Sibberson cycles through many common learning stages as she builds
Twitter into her daily routine. This is the latest feature in
Franki's monthly series, Beyond Gadgets, on new technologies for
literacy teachers:
http://www.choiceliteracy.com/members/870.cfm
We've posted a new Choice Literacy Cluster on Teaching Skills
in Context, with contributions from Andie Cunningham, Joan Moser, Karen
Terlecky, Mandy Robek, and Franki Sibberson:
http://www.choiceliteracy.com/members/874.cfm
Finally, we're repeating this announcement because you don't want to
miss our new files widget for members. It's a tool that
allows you to set up personal files of Choice Literacy materials and
make notes on articles for future use:
http://www.choiceliteracy.com/members/846.cfm
That's all for this week!
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About
Jennifer Allen
