There have been many ideas shared in reading from “Using the Writer’s Notebook in Grades 3-8″. The first couple of chapters really engaged me as a teacher to launch this thing we have been learning about as a “Writer’s Notebook”…Note a “Journal” but a writer’s notebook. This really became clearer to me in this weeks readings. Chapter 7 is entitled “Using the Writer’s Notebook as a Workbench”. Often times children are full of excitement over stories of memories, things that have happened to them (all those seeds we have read about). The Notebook is a place for students to share all of these things. There are different ways to address students writing a “story”. If given the opportunity to write down immediate ideas in the “Writer’s Notebook” students can then further develop their ideas from a good story to a great one.
I also liked the idea of how that all works do not need to be published. I feel like the way that I have been teaching writing for a few years is getting a total overhaul by my readings and participation in this class RE 5130. Every week I would try to “publish” a work that my students had been working on until this year…I love the “fullness” thought. Students need to have a Launching pad for great writing and that’s what I feel the Notebook will become. It’s encouraging to read and learn that not all students have to write on one given topic and that’s it. Students tend to write about what interests them, whether it’s a memory, or a fear, or a nickname. Students have ownership of these things making the Notebook a great place to look for works to publish. Notebooks plan, with webs and lists. They enable students to go back and look to further develop ideas and then begin drafting. Instead of having to do this planning collectively, students now have this all at their fingertips!
I want to share a recent classroom experience with you. A few days ago, a student came up to me wanting to share all these things about a friend. My response to him was to ”go write to me about him in your Writer’s Notebook”. He was just bursting with ENTHUSIASM to share with me what he wrote. This was not the highest quality of writing, but the excitement and willingness that this student showed was amazing…A totally different experience than if I told him that we were going to be writing about friends as a class.
“Children Can Write Authentically if We Help Them” is definitely a new philosophy that I am adopting. The article describes students forming their own sense of voice, understanding, and literacy. Another noteworthy quote that I used in my “Invitation” is “Nothing is significant, until we make it significant” by Frank McCourt. Students use their thoughts to feel a sense of release, being able to explain their thoughts as something is happening or has already happened, ie the Dad from the Vietnam War. Writing to understand will also be a great coping factor for students dealing with divorce, or even if I happen to upset them during the school day. By writing students can assist themselves in the decision making process, writing about pros and cons involved in a choice.
When I ask my students to write, but I also put myself out there and become vulnerable with them. Never do they have to write alone, unless they want to. This is extremely important to foster their love for writing and encourage them to do so more often.
On the Blogging side of things, this is a new process to me. I never knew that there were so many different ways to Blog. I really like the idea of using a Blog as a way to share news and other information with my parents and students. This is an interactive way to relate to people. It also allows other teachers to see what is going on in my classroom as well. Blogging is a great way to share Professional Development ideas as shared in the Mirror Blog section. Having a place to write down thoughts and reflect what you have learned in a workshop would really help to re-emphasize what you learned while you were away. Also, what a great way for others either from the workshop to add to, or even ones who did not attend the workshop to have a place to learn! My problem with blogging will be to narrow down a scope to tie my Blog arround. I am one who sees lots of good ideas and want to practice them all.
