Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Explore Like a Pirate Book Study Ch. 6

Today I am linking up with Sweet Sweet Primary for our book study of Michael Matera's book Explore Like a Pirate.  Join us each Tuesday as we share our takeaways from this book that is all about engaging your students.  If you missed my previous posts you can find them here:







This is the chapter where we finally begin our journey towards gaming our classrooms.  Matera says the first step is to choose a theme.  This theme can be for a single lesson, a unit, or the whole year. He gives several possible theme ideas to get you started including: space, high seas adventures, and super heroes.

Once you have determined your theme, you can begin putting other elements in place including: setting, characters, and action.

Matera gives several questions for each element to help you brainstorm the possibilities.  For example, you might ask yourself, "within your theme, what worlds, lands, and environments could exist?"

This chapter really is one where you need to sit down with a pen and paper to really brainstorm and plan out the possibilities that could exist in your classroom.

I have a pirate themed classroom after reading Teach Like a Pirate and Learn Like a Pirate last summer. Now my wheels are spinning with ways to add this element to them as well!  





Do you have any ideas?  I'd love to hear them!  

If you are reading along with us, please be sure to link up with Sweet Sweet Primary!




And... don't forget to enter to win a $25 TpT gift card!  




Saturday, July 9, 2016

$25 Teachers pay Teachers Gift Card Giveaway



GIVEAWAY DETAILS:  

Prize: $25 Teachers Pay Teachers Gift Card

Co-hosts:  Kelly Malloy (An Apple for the Teacher), 



Rules: Use the Rafflecopter to enter. Giveaway ends 7/16/16 and is open worldwide.


Are you a Teacher Blogger or Teachers pay Teachers seller who wants to participate in giveaways like these to grow your store and social media?  Click here to find out how you can join our totally awesome group of bloggers!

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Thursday, July 7, 2016

Reading Strategies Goal 3: Supporting Print Work


Welcome to our book study of The Reading Strategies Book:  Your Everything Guide to Developing Skilled Readers by Jennifer Serravallo! I am joining forces with some other fabulous teacher bloggers to discuss the reading strategies we come across in this AMAZING professional text!  If you missed my first post about this book study, you can find it here, along with a suggested way to set up your book for easy reference.

You can also find my thoughts and ideas on other goals in this book below:

Goal 1: Supporting Pre-Emergent and Emergent Readers   
Goal 2: Reading Engagement



This goal is all about increasing accuracy as students read.  In order to construct accurate meaning from a text, students use three sources of information: meaning, syntax, and visual.  Sometimes when children learn to read, they may not use all of these systems together, or they may over rely on one or two of them.  This will affect their accuracy and ultimately their comprehension.



Meaning is what the reader thinks about as they read, and what makes sense based on the picture, and/or what's happening so far in the text.

Syntax is when readers use their prior knowlege of sentence structure, grammar, and parts of speech as they read.

Visual is when the reader looks at the letters in the word and uses what they know about how words work to read a word they see in print.

Serravallo says that the best way to know if a child needs to work on this goal is by using a running record.  You can take a record of a child reading any text on a blank piece of paper or use a form like this one from Mindy at Kindergarten Kidlets.






If you aren't familiar with using running records, or you need a refresher, Scholastic has an easy to read guide to help you out.  You can download it here.








Focus Strategy 1: Use A Word You Know


In this strategy, students use words they already know to help them read a word they're having trouble with.  You have the student look at the word to find a part that looks like a word they already know.  

In the Lesson Language section, she gives the example of reading the word "grown".  She says that she "... might notice that the gr is the beginning of another word that I know how to read:green.  And then I may notice that ow is just like in the word slow.  And I know "n". /n/."  She has the student put together the word using the parts.

I think this is a great strategy for your older readers as they come across those multi-syllabic words such as uncomfortable, important,  and information.  

In one of her prompts she offers, "Let me show you a word that will help." and suggests that your write a word with the same part on whiteboard and underline the similar part.  Have the child read the word they know first, and then read the word in the text they are struggling with.



Focus Strategy 2: Be A Coach To Your Partner

Partner reading is a great cooperative learning strategy where students can work together to read a shared text.  Although the technique is great, sometimes students need a little instruction in how to be a good partner.  That is why I LOVE this strategy.  I always have students who either play around or stare blankly at each other when they are asked to partner read.  The problem is not them, the problem is that they need more direction.

In this strategy, you teach the students how to coach each other by asking themselves, "What would my teacher say to me to help me fix up my mistake?"

She gives several prompts to give the students including:

Tell your partner, "Check the first letter!"
Tell your partner. "Think about what makes sense."

When I use this lesson in the fall, I am going to provide my students with a bookmark they can use with the strategies listed on them.  I will sit with the students the first few times to help coach them through the process.



Focus Strategy 3: Words Across A Line Break

I chose this strategy because in 4th grade, students are really beginning to read chapter books primarily and they often run across this predicament in their books and aren't quite sure what to do.  Many students naturally figure it out, but I always have those few who come up to me during independent reading with perplexed looks on their faces.

In this strategy, Jennifer Serravallo suggests having them write the word out when they see a broken word.

If their text says:


She started to feel more power-
ful.

The students would write out powerful (without the hyphen), and then read it.  Then they go back and re-read the sentence.

Remember, we are only picking and choosing some of the strategies to share with you - there are so many more great ones in this section as well as the rest of the book!



If you would like to purchase the book mentioned above, you can find it here.





Other books by this author that I LOVE!





This post contains affiliate links. I earn a small commission each time someone makes a purchase using one of my links, which helps to support the blog.  All opinions are my own and I only promote brands and products that I have used myself and truly love. 


Carol from The Chocolate Teacher is officially hosting goal 3 over at her blog, so make sure you head over there to see which strategies she chose to share!  While you are there, be sure to leave some comment love!
The Chocolate Teacher


If you would like to link up your own blog posts about this book, feel free to do so in the linky below!








Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Monthly $75 Teachers Pay Teachers Gift Card Giveaway

I absolutely love being able to spoil my readers with great giveaways like this one!  A special thanks to my blogging friends below for helping me out with this!



GIVEAWAY DETAILS

Prize: $75 Teachers Pay Teachers Gift Card


Giveaway organized by: An Apple for the Teacher

Rules: Use the Rafflecopter form to enter.  Giveaway ends 7/13/16 and is open worldwide.


Are you a blogger who wants to participate in giveaways like these to grow your blog?  Click here to find out how you can join a totally awesome group of bloggers!


a Rafflecopter giveaway



Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Explore Like a Pirate Book Study Ch. 5


Today I am linking up with Sweet Sweet Primary for our book study of Michael Matera's book Explore Like a Pirate.  Join us each Tuesday as we share our takeaways from this book that is all about engaging your students.   If you missed my previous posts you can find them here:






This chapter is all about getting to know your crew (A.K.A. your students).  Just as it is crucial for a captain of a ship to know all about his crew in order to have a successful voyage or expedition, it is also crucial for a teacher to know all about his/her students in order to have a successful school year.  

Player Type Theory

Matera provides several tools in this chapter to help you get to know your students better.  The first tool is an introduction to player type theory.  I'll be honest, when I first read this paragraph my eyes wanted to glaze over a bit - you know the way they do when a student chats incessantly about Minecraft for hours on end?  But, I re-framed it and thought of it more like personality types since I am so not a gamer myself.

There are 4 basic gamer types:

Achievers
Socializers
Explorers
Killers (or griefers) - yeah I'm not a fan of this name either.


I found this chart at Hooptap that really explained it well.  I like that it explains that killers aren't necessarily out to kill, but they LOVE competition.  I have definitely had a few kiddos who fit into this category!  

Elements of Game-Inspired Course Design

The next tool isn't exactly about knowing your students per se, but is rather about the elements that can be used in game based learning. Matera uses Jin Radoff's four key components of gaming. These are:

Immersion
Achievement 
Cooperation
Competition

Immersion is all about setting the stage for the students to learn. What is the story you are telling them? What problem are they going to solve.  This is where you engage them into your lesson.

Achievement This category is all about mastery, and giving students the opportunity to learn and practice new skills.  In the classroom we want to encourage repeated attempts, thereby giving the student opportunity to master a skill. However, we don't want to be punitive in the process.

Cooperation is self-explanatory and probably something you are already doing in your classroom.  When students work in partners or groups, they are learning skills beyond the curriculum content including: communication, planning, negotiation, and empathy. Matera says that cooperative learning experiences appeal to both your socializers and your explorers.

Competition on the other hand appeals to your achievers and your killers.  Matera says that competition can be a great way to help your students bond as a group and give way for more authentic collaboration.  Just like a school sports team, students bond over their competitive experience and help each other at the same time.

SAPS Model

Matera introduces another gaming model, this one developed by Gabe Zichermann.  SAPS stands for Status, Access, Power, and Stuff.

Status
Matera says that as teachers, we have gotten into a habit of stomping out all displays of status in the classroom.  We want everyone to feel good about themselves and feel like winners instead of losers.  While this has good intent behind it, Matera says he has seen students stretch and surprise themselves when they are acknowledged in front of their peers.

I definitely agree with this premise.  I have seen it in my own classroom with my Kicking It Math Facts program - my students LOVE the challenge of moving up levels and never seem upset when other students move ahead of them.  In fact, they cheer each other on and ask if they can practice during the day to help their classmates move levels.


Access
People love feeling as if they are part of something special, particularly when that access is based on conditions or accomplishments. What special items or privileges could you give students as they master tasks?

Power
All game players want to have some sort of power or strength they can use within a game.  Choice (of partner or task) can be a great way to incorporate gaming into your lessons.

Stuff
This doesn't have to be tangible.  Students love collecting items that can be used in their challenges.  Think of ways your students can earn power cards, or cheat codes.

Although this chapter was definitely filled with lots of gamer speak, I definitely feel like it has my wheels turning in my brain trying to think of ways to incorporate all of the elements!  

I would love to hear what ideas you have if you are reading this book as well!  




Thursday, June 30, 2016

Reading Strategies Goal 2: Reading Engagement



Welcome to our book study of The Reading Strategies Book:  Your Everything Guide to Developing Skilled Readers by Jennifer Serravallo! I am joining forces with some other fabulous teacher bloggers to discuss the reading strategies we come across in this AMAZING professional text!  If you missed my first post about this book study, you can find it here, along with a suggested way to set up your book for easy reference.

You can also find my thoughts and ideas on other goals in this book below:

Goal 1: Supporting Pre-Emergent and Emergent Readers



Research has shown that the amount of time students spend actually reading makes the biggest difference to their success as readers.  That is why most teachers provide at least some time for independent reading during the school day.  But, what do we do when students are not engaged readers??  This goal is for those students.




Serravallo uses several tools for figuring out which students need support with engagement:


* Engagement Inventory (basically a kid watching tool).  When you use one of these, you spend time carefully observing your students. You note what you observe during an entire independent reading period.  Your looking for things such as when students react to the text they are reading, when they become disengaged, and if they finish one book before looking for another one.

I often use this at the beginning of the year when I am just getting to know my students.  It helps me know which kiddos already LOVE reading and which ones need a little more help in finding the right books to hook them in.  I also will periodically use them to check in and look for growth and also potential problems that may arise throughout the year.  Sometimes a once voracious reader will have difficulty choosing new books to read, and I want to know when that happens so I can help them find their next favorite book.

You can download one here.




* Book Logs  - Now I know that there is a bit of a controversy when it comes to book logs.  I agree with the way that Jennifer Serravallo uses them.  I don't believe in punishing a child for not completing their book log or adding an unnecessary extra step in the reading process, but I think when they are used as a tool BY the child they can be invaluable!  

When you conference with a student, you can help them find patterns in their reading.  Where are they when they read the most (school or home)?  What types of books do they love reading?

I also love using them to show the student their growth as a reader.  You can point out to them how at the beginning of the year they could only read for 10 minutes at a time, but now they can read for 20 minutes.  Or perhaps they were reading only non-fiction books, but now they have a mix of both fiction and non-fiction.

You can download Serravallo's Reading Log for Levels D-I here  

You can download her Reading Log for Levels J-M here  

She also has one for Levels L and above here.






Focus Strategy 1: A Perfect Reading Spot


I use this strategy as one of my back to school lessons.  During independent reading, I let my students sit wherever they feel most comfortable reading.  This is a great lesson for helping students think about where they will be most successful.



In this strategy, Serravallo recommends talking with the students about choosing the best spot to read.  Different people work best in different environments.  Ask the students to think about that spots work best for them.

When I initially use this lesson with my students, I show them a large anchor chart similar to the one in the book as we have this discussion.  Once we finish the mini-lesson, I ask them to put a sticky note (small post-it) with their name on the spot that works best for them.  They would then go to that spot and begin reading.

This is my re-creation of the anchor chart in the book for this strategy.  I would use this smaller chart as a re-teaching piece if I had a student who was often distracted where they were choosing to sit.







Focus Strategy 2: Set a Timed Goal



This strategy is a great one to use with students who are building their reading stamina.  You tell them that one way to increase the amount of time they read is by setting a goal for themselves.  For example, if a student was only able to read for 4 minutes when you conducted the engagement inventory, you might work with them to set a goal to read for 5 minutes.  You would have them set a timer for 5 minutes.  When their timer goes off, they may stand up and stretch for a minute, and then they go back to another session of reading.

I love that this is a tangible way for the student to see their growth.  Another way that I have implemented this is by having the student place a sticky note in their book with the goal to get to that spot in the book before they stop reading.





Focus Strategy 3: Choose Like Books For a Best Fit


Sometimes students find it challenging to pick a book that they want to read.  This strategy gives them a way find a new book by using websites such as: Amazon, Goodreads, or BiblioNasium. You have the student type in a book that they have already read and loved, and they see what recommendations pop up.

I absolutely love the tech and real world aspects of this strategy. Adults do this all the time!

Remember, we are only picking and choosing some of the strategies to share with you - there are so many more great ones in this section as well as the rest of the book!



If you would like to purchase the book mentioned above, you can find it here.




Other books by this author that I LOVE!





This post contains affiliate links. I earn a small commission each time someone makes a purchase using one of my links, which helps to support the blog.  All opinions are my own and I only promote brands and products that I have used myself and truly love. 


Hilda from M&M Bilingual is officially hosting goal 2 over at her blog, so make sure you head over there to see which strategies she chose to share!  While you are there, be sure to leave some comment LOVE!

If you would like to link up your own blog posts about this book feel free to do so in the linky below!




Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Explore Like a Pirate Book Study Ch. 4


Today I am linking up with Sweet Sweet Primary for our book study of Michael Matera's book Explore Like a Pirate.  Join us each Tuesday as we share our takeaways from this book that is all about engaging your students.   If you missed my previous posts you can find them here:






When Michael Matera first started gamifying his class, his initial goal was engagement.  He wanted his students to be excited, and he wanted learning to be playful again.  He says that he soon learned that the result was more than engagement, his students had become inspired learners.

We could all use a few more inspired learners in our classroom couldn't we?

How did he do it?  Purpose Driven Learning.

Matera says that the change in his students didn't happen overnight, and that it took time and an intentionally  different way of talking about learning.  He was inspired by a friend, Adam Moreno, (twitter profile here) who came up with 10 words that would give students the tools to be successful not only school, but in life.  These 10 words are:

confidence
creativity
enthusiasm
effort
focus 
resilience
initiative
curiosity
dependability
empathy


Matera says these ten words have forever changed the way he talks with students, and they continue to be at the core of his gamified classroom because they lead students to take personal responsibility for their learning.  This purpose-driven learning language is a common language that both the author and his students use in the classroom to define and discuss classroom norms and goals.

He says these words hang in his classroom as a reminder that this is their measurement for being the best version of themselves.  He uses these words daily in conversations and even in report card comments.

Instead of talking about grades, his students talk about the power of curiosity, resilience, focus, effort, etc.  Students are encouraged to think about their own growth and the students take actions to improve their results, and their learning.

His students no longer make meaningless statements such as " I should work harder" instead they use these words to make power statements.

I am in love with the idea of using these ten power words.  Not only for this idea, but for vocabulary building, social emotional learning, and so much more.  I will be making a set of these words to hang up in my classroom and will have a FREEBIE available for you soon!

I must say I was definitely surprised to receive this lesson in a book about gaming!  I am excited to dig in deeper and see what more is in store!  Be sure to follow along with us!










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