Circle of Courage

I really felt like this was a perfect time to share the Circle of Courage because we are beginning to learn about creating communities in our classroom. I am a huge believer in the core values of this wheel, so I thought it would be nice to share. If you are interested in finding out more information, you can visit Circle of Courage or Circle of Courage - wiki.

(please note that you are really not supposed to write within the circle itself)

LLSS 436 Adolescents on the Edge Chapters 5-6

Writing is key to deeper thinking. One of my other books talks about how it is a natural process to read something, then want to talk about it, but it takes a whole other level to sit down and write about it. The section on peer editing was interesting because I've heard a lot of pros and cons about that process. Some people, like Baca, encourage this because it introduces another element of depth to a student's work. I think through peer editing students can learn how to analyze other's work and will read on other's opinions of the same work. It will also allow for depth in thought and writing as other's present alternative perspectives during the peer editing process. Though peer editing is seemingly a good thing, I have also heard cons. One from my little brother in 9th grade was that 1/3 of his grade was dependent on a grade that a peer gave him on his paper. He did not like this because his peers were correcting all of the grammar and missing the big picture ideas. Also, he mentioned that one time a student had a different opinion then him and because of this graded him low. Sure, it's possible that my brother really was trying to defend a bad paper by blaming his peer editors, but the fact is that unless there is a focus lesson on valuable peer editing, the process can blow up in some teacher's faces. I think students need to learn how to edit for content rather than mechanics or else this will be all they focus on. I'm also not too big a fan of having students assign a grade while peer editing. I think this can turn into friends playing favorites, or a focus on mechanics, or a low/high grade on something that doesn't deserve it. I think I would incorporate peer editing, but I would make sure that this followed a lesson on what to look for while revising and that the students would not be expected to give a grade but rather valuable feedback.

I think performance and reader's theatre is fantastic in the classroom. It allows for students to experience text in a completely different way. Poetry readings, acting out texts, freeze frames, different interpretations, same content different context. All of these are great ways to explore text and find meaning in a different way. Through this, text becomes so much more rich and alive. With great literature we experience aesthetic understanding, and to bring that to life for others around us is a beautiful thing. One suggestion I read about was to have students act out a certain passage, but have other students behind those exploring the thoughts that the characters are having. What a great way to explore character development and depth! I do not think that this should be the only strategy used in a classroom, but it is without a doubt a great way to reach students, especially those that are struggling to understand a text (ie. required Shakespeare).

LLSS 436 Adolescents on the Edge Chapters 3-4

I really enjoyed reading about the self-efficacy of a student and how to support this, but what really got me thinking was the challenge presented when we give students different genres of work. I feel that the common core standards really push non-fiction in the classroom and this leaves little time for other types of work. Sure, poems, essays, novels, movies, and songs can all be nonfiction and so I think providing this variation is crucial, but students miss so much when they're not exposed to fiction. One of the reasons I never read in high school was because I had not discovered a genre I liked. Even with books that were assigned, I would cliff note and spark note because nonfiction was just so boring. If my teachers would have taken the time to introduce a variety of genres and varying types of literature, I really think I would have enjoyed reading much more. Then again, I may not have acquired the "skimming" skills I have today :p. It seems so unfortunate to me that the common core does not allow much time for fiction because this type of literature also fosters creative thought which can translate to expanded creative writing. Thank goodness for creative nonfiction.

The chapter on group work was interesting. I feel like a lot of it has been talked about so much, but the feeling of unease is never going away from the participants of group work. I hear all time, "I hate group work" from college students, and it's usually because someone thinks that they'll end up doing all the work. What's interesting is that if everyone is complaining about the same thing (doing all the work), shouldn't people be excited to have 3 others in their group that want to contribute as much as they do? I think there is just such a negative stigma that a lot of people aren't willing to look at the benefits anymore. I'm glad Baca takes the time to outline how necessary group work is. I also have heard more times then once that assigning rules can be key to ensuring that all students are equally accountable. In my classroom, we have introduced group work by having students read parts of their book in groups. The next step was discussing the book in groups and doing small collaborative assignments that could be finished by the end of the class period. This is all leading up to having students work on a larger group project together at the end of the school year. For 8th graders, this has been a great progressive series in introducing them to group work and the expectations for working in a group.

LLSS 436 Adolescents on the Edge Chapters 1-2

"My goal is to keep their heads down." [grooooaaaaaan]

I loved that this chapter starts out with the importance of learning through communities. NACA's entire philosophy is based on community ties within and outside of the school community, and I think with these ties students feel so much more accountable for their own learning and the outcomes of their outside communities. Some of the outcomes this chapter outlines are increased morale, lower absenteeism, and sustain, transferable learning. Trust is so important to this process, and I couldn't help but think that a lot of my students may come from families that have a mistrust for Anglo institutions because it was not so long ago so many of them were let down themselves by teachers only seeking to anglicize their own communities.

I really like the idea of letting students make the classroom their own. The book suggests that the students have their own folders, bulletin boards with student work displayed, or allowing students to make decisions about due dates or procedures. My favorite was allowing students to write their favorite or most questionable/ thought provoking quotes on the whiteboard.

Engagement is different then entertainment.

Cambourne's Conditions for Learning as a Model of Engagement - I'm only going to talk about a couple of these since we are all reading the same book and summary is less necessary.
Immersion
If you want your students to be engaged, you must immerse them in what you want them to learn. This goes beyond providing lecture, but creating a community within the classroom that fosters and supports the learning process. Play music from a certain time period, include text other than novels (movies, poems, songs, drawings).
Responsibility
I really like the suggestions this section makes for having students take responsibility for their own actions, but I think a big one is also taking responsibility as a teacher for having students that are disinterested. Perhaps you are so tied to a book and love it so much you don't want to let it go, but what benefit is it to your students if 5 years into teaching the book only a handful of students really enjoyed it.
Approximation
I've heard this so many times as well, but stop focusing so much on right and wrong and allow students to learn through exploration. Teaching that mistakes are normal can be so beneficial to the learning process. One example of this is modeling for students. When modeling writing, students can see that even adults spell things wrong, or have to erase and start over. Once those barriers are knocked down, writing and discussing becomes so much more rich and rewarding.

LLSS 528 Getting Started With Literature Circles Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8: Extension Projects

Chapter 8 is the final chapter in this book and it covers possible extension projects when the class is finishing a book for their literature circle. Some examples include creating a book report, a book accordion (selecting 6 scenes from the book and recreating them), abc book, story quilt, or create a bookmark.

One of your first steps should be setting a purpose, planning for teaching, and setting a time frame. The next step would be planning and implementing presentations and assessment. The most important thing is that extension projects create the opportunity for reflection, interpretation, and possibly even re-reading.

The rest of the chapter reviews the process for creating story quilts and bookmarks. I think that these two projects are pretty self explanatory, but the book made a special note that the bookmark project can be one for both younger and older students. For younger students, the project may be a bit more lax, but with older students, the bookmark can focus on a specific character, theme, tone, or setting that is critical to the story. Though the book was for elementary age children, I can see how a bookmark project could be made more complex for older students.

Overall this book was good, however, it is important to note that literature circles are more geared towards younger children. It would seem socratic seminars are more for older students, but I can definitely see some overlap and how literature circles lead into bigger and more complex discussion groups. I think the core values are important to note and review at the beginning of the school year just so the expectations are set in stone. If you guys are interested in getting the book, it's available on Amazon at the following link:
http://www.amazon.com/Getting-Started-Literature-Professional-Teachers/dp/0926842978/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1383519908&sr=8-1&keywords=getting+started+with+literature+circles

LLSS 528 Getting Started With Literature Circles Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7: Focusing Lessons: Incorporating Literacy Strategies

What is a focus lesson? A focus lesson targets instruction in one area and emphasizes strategies used in authentic situations. Another term that may be more commonly used is "mini lesson". Basically, this type of lesson teaches a critical skill, then allows time for students to practice that skill. One example from the previous post might be explaining the what the journaling prompts mean. Looking back at all of the previous chapters in the book (or the blog posts), the following can be turned into focus lessons:
Literature Circle Procedures
- How to choose a book
- How to start a discussion quickly
- How to listen attentively
- How to keep the conversation going
- The role of a discussion group member
- What to write in your response journal
- What to do when you don't understand
- What to do when your group finishes
- How to mediate conflicts
- How to spice up a lagging discussion
- How to tie projects back to the book
Reading, Writing, and Response Strategies
- How to predict what is going to happen next
- Asking yourself or the text questions
- Comparing and contrasting
- Choosing a topic for your journal
- Elaborating with details
- Developing criteria for effective writing
- Incorporating ideas from your post-it notes
Literature Qualities - Story Structure, Literary Elements, Memorable Language, Genre Characteristics
- Story structure (climax, endings, problems)
- Memorable language (action verbs, simile/metaphor)
- Literary elements (character, plot, tone)
- Genre characteristics (fantasy, poetry, legend, biography)

LLSS 528 Getting Started With Literature Circles Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6: Response Journals
This chapter starts out recognizing that it is more natural to talk about a book then writing about it. Though we may stop to tell someone how great a chapter is, it is less natural to stop reading to write about what is going on, but once this process is embraced, a whole new world is opened up.

To start out with journaling, a clear purpose must be established. Some teachers use journals as a way for their students to explore feelings, predict outcomes, or personally respond to the book. Because the form is so free in these type of journals, assessment is limited to participation points only. In any case, students should feel comfortable writing while group reading and discussing is happening at the same time.

Focus can be hard, especially with new writers, so a couple things to keep in mind are as follows:
Use open ended prompts
- I liked...
- I noticed...
- I wonder...
- I felt ________ because...
- I think...
- This story makes me think of...
- I wish...
- I was surprised by...
Use questions that come up in discussions
Use questions from outside resources
Consider other forms of response
- Draw an entry, feeling, or remembered passage
- Draw or write cause and effect relationships
- Letters
- Character web

One thing I really like that the book points out is that beginning journal entries will mostly look the same, "I like it" or "I don't like it". Don't let this discourage you, rather start to encourage entries to include the word "because"..."I like it because" or "I don't like it because".

For assessment, the book's first recommendation is a rubric. Though I'm not the biggest fan of rubrics, one teacher wrote a rubric with her student's suggestions that came from a similar conversation to student expectations for literature circles. They book also recommends self-reflection and sharing entries. My personal recommendation would be participation points and depth of writing/drawing/brainstorming as long as there is a progression over the course of the school year.