A shoutout to the wonderful group of teachers that met today at SWCOLT 2019! Your insight, your questions and your support made for a wonderful day. Below you will find the copy of the presentation. Thank you so much!
with love,
Laurie
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/10pwUDGM8dK0d7SCF5CianpZeuUmUFGvGhEUr9VVGte4/edit?usp=sharing
Hello everyone!! Thank you for checking out the presentation that Rochelle Barry and I did on Friday afternoon at SCOLT!!
Here is the Google Slides presentation we promised you!
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1h6yhlez2WaKTZbNxT3C1mtkQOW0ANlzvQVEJq-rJjkM/edit?usp=sharing
with love,
Laurie
***This is part of a series on my Embedded Reading site as well. To see the series…start here: https://embeddedreading.com/2019/02/28/why-read-the-last-level/
Activities!! That is what I am asked about most often: What other activities can I do with these readings?
I love this question because it means that the teachers asking it already realize that it is important to vary the activities as we read different versions of the text.
Why? Variety for one. Addressing a variety of skills, appealing to a wide variety of students, the reasons are many!
So here goes! Let’s look at some additional goals for those readings beyond getting from point A to point Z….and match them with activities. The activities below are fairly straightforward and could be used as a class warm up, activity, homework, or even for assessment.
Remember, we usually do one activity per level unless there is a compelling reason to do more!
Here is the embedded reading example in English from that we have been working with. Below is a chart that can be used to identify ONE set of potential activities. The activity examples are at the end on a Google document.
*Note 1: This example is more for upper level students, however, the examples can be adapted for any level.
*Note 2: This is just a small set of potential activities. Additional examples (particularly ones with more physical action) will come in a later post!
Base reading:
Students are uniting to draw attention to a very important issue. The movement has inspired events in a number of countries. One student in particular has received a lot of attention for her actions. Politicians are not sure how to respond to this movement.
Version 2:
Around the world, students are uniting to draw attention to a very important issue. The movement has inspired events in a number of countries, including school walkouts. The global movement is a result of a United Nations report and other studies worldwide. One student in particular, Greta Thunberg of Sweden, has received a lot of attention for her actions. Politicians are not sure how to respond to this movement. Some feel strongly that the loss of class time is not appropriate. Others have expressed that if they were younger, they too would be leaving school in order to make a point.
Version 3:
Around the world, students are uniting to draw attention to a very important issue. Thanks to the power of social media, young people around the globe have decided to speak their minds to the press and to their respective governments. This youth movement has inspired events in a number of countries, including protests and school walkouts. The global movement is a result of a United Nations report and other studies worldwide. One student in particular, Greta Thunberg of Sweden, is being seen as a leader for inspiring others. As a result, she has received a lot of attention for her actions. Politicians are not sure how to respond to this movement. LIke many adults, some feel strongly that the loss of class time is not appropriate. Others support the passion and interest of these young people and have expressed that if they were younger, they too would be missing school in order to make a point.
Version 4:
Around the world, students are uniting to draw attention to a very important issue: climate change Thanks to the power of social media, young people around the globe have decided to speak their minds to the press and to their respective governments about the future of the planet. This youth movement has inspired events in a number of countries, from Europe to the U.S. to Australia. There have been numerous events, including protests and school walkouts. The global movement is a result of a United Nations report and other studies worldwide about potential and deadly results of climate change.. One student in particular, Greta Thunberg of Sweden, is being seen as a leader for inspiring others. As a result, she has received a lot of attention for her actions. Politicians are not sure how to respond to this movement. LIke many adults, some feel strongly that the loss of class time is not appropriate. They feel that students would better serve the cause by writing letters or emails. Others support the passion and interest of these young people and have expressed that if they were younger, they too would be missing school in order to make a point. They too believe that we need to address this issue, and that the future belongs to all of us, especially young people.
Possible activities: These could be used with any of the versions above.
Here is a document with MANY ideas so remember to keep scrolling!!!!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Viio5kDKfs42Id4vc4DnnDz1TDDnhr8vs85vFzNyJgE/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Viio5kDKfs42Id4vc4DnnDz1TDDnhr8vs85vFzNyJgE/edit?usp=sharingi
with love,
Laurie
This is a tough time of the year in many parts of the country. It’s been a rough winter. When it’s been that rough outside, it can get rough inside too! Some of you haven’t had a full week of school in a long time because the weather keeps getting in the way. Some of you haven’t seen the sun in weeks. (Yes, that actually happens!)
We are finally getting to the point when we can finally see a little hope for a break in the weather. We need it. And when it breaks and the sun comes out, most of us don’t complain that it FINALLY SHOWED UP. We don’t whine that it SHOULD BE LIKE THIS ALL THE TIME.
We know that life isn’t like that. So let’s be a bit easier on ourselves, and on our students. Those brilliant, sunny moments in the classroom just don’t happen every day. Getting everyone going in the same direction and accomplishing something in just over a half hour is a major accomplishment.
So when the sun shines….indoors or out…just enjoy it. Bask in it. Soak it up and let it fill you. Don’t darken it by thinking that it’s about time those kids got it together or that they should be like this all of the time. Let it shine. Don’t throw any shade in it’s direction. We need to see that moment and remember it just as it is.
Teaching isn’t executing the perfect choreography, no matter what you have been told. It’s dancing in the sun, and in the rain. Both dances are beautiful. They are just different.
with love,
Laurie