We're Off and..READING! (Reading Workshop 2008/2009)

Reading Workshop is finally in full swing! Basically that means that on any given Monday or Tuesday morning, nineteen (or twenty, depending on the section) lucky girls can be found spread out all over the 8th grade library reading books of their choice and/or writing in their reading journals for 90 uninterrupted minutes. (Ask your 8th grader for details.) The immense popularity as well as success of this venture is based on a very simple tenet: if a girl (it works for boys too!) is allowed to read what truly interests her, she will read voraciously and will eventually develop her tastes and talents as an intelligent, informed reader. Even after only one session with each group, I’ve been amazed at how quiet and focused each gathering has been.
The reading journal is a place where students can exchange thoughts, impressions, questions, suggestions and the like about reading and literature with each other as well as with me. In it we write back and forth to one another about anything and everything literary, nothing too terribly formal or fine-tuned, rather more of an ongoing written conversation about what we’re reading, how it impacts as well as educates us and why. Here are the general guidelines we follow:

RULES FOR READING WORKSHOP

1. You must read a book. Magazines, newspapers and comic books (Anime) don’t have the chunks of text you need to develop fluency, and they won’t help you discover who you are as a reader of literature.
2. Don’t read a book you don’t like. Don’t waste time with a book you don’t love when there are so many great ones out there waiting for you.
3. If you don’t like a book, find another one. Browse, ask me or a friend for a recommendation, do an internet search (Amazon.com always has reviews and such) or check our “Book Reviews” in our Reading Workshop 2009 Group at GoodReads.com for suggestions.
4. It’s all right to reread a book you love. This is what readers do!
5. It’s okay to skim or skip parts if you get bored or stuck; readers do this, too!
6. Record every book you finish or abandon on the form entitled “Student Reading Record.” Collect data about yourself as a reader, look for patterns, and take satisfaction in your accomplishments over time.
7. Understand that reading is thinking. Do nothing to distract me or other readers. Don’t put your words in our brains as we’re trying to escape into the worlds created by the authors of our books. Simply put: Reading Workshop is a quiet endeavor!
8. When you confer with me, use as soft a voice as I use when I talk to you: whisper!
9. Read (and/or write in your reading journal) the entire class period.
10. Read as well and as much as you can!

The goal here is obvious: we’re seeking to explore and enhance our literary territories as well as firmly establish intentional reading as a life-long habit. As I explained to our 8th graders, reading – interaction with the written word – will necessarily be a central part of their lives for the next eight years…at a bare minimum!

One final note about Reading Workshop: know that I have exhorted 8th graders to actively engage in reading for an average of thirty minutes each day, seven days a week! So for those of you with known bookworms, believe them when they claim that “it’s homework!!” Conversely, for those of you who harbor reluctant readers, take comfort in the knowledge that we’re actively engaged in the activity during our school day.

Need more math review?

The Pairs' Quiz was pushed from last week to Monday (yesterday) and it was a great check in on the chapter 6 topics. Many girls have asked for more practice on these topics before the test next week. We will be practicing problems in class but I have directed girls to the CPM student resources where they can find skill builder problems and answers. They need to choose problems under the Algebra Connections title and there they can find problems on the pulldown menu by topic. If they are looking for word problem practice they can go to "8. Writing Equations." Hope this helps as they prepare for the individual Chapter 6 test next week.

Finding Intersections

The girls are now set on all three methods for finding the intersection of two lines (solving systems of equations). They have in their toolkit of strategies 1) the Equal Values Method 2) the Substitution Method and 3) the Elimination Method. They will check their understanding of their ability to use each of these methods on Wednesday during our first Pairs' Quiz. This also means that the individual chapter 6 test is coming next week. Students will have a chance to review their quizzes and use them to help them practice for the upcoming test.

World Geography This Year

Last week I introduced the girls to this year’s geography challenge – by the end of the year every one of them will be able to identify on a map all of the countries in the world. We started with a baseline assessment of knowledge in which they were asked to show what they already knew. Needless to say, this was intimidating for many but I assured them that this was not for my benefit but only for them to look back on in a few months and be amazed at far they had come. We are going to be taking it one region at a time and are starting with the one with the most countries, Africa. I showed them a really cool online tool that will help us in our venture. I encourage you all to click on the link and explore with them.

The academic multi-draft writing process

Today we will begin our training sessions in the formal academic writing process. After reading Patricia Polacco's delightful children's story The Bee Tree, our 8th graders will write an in-class "timed write" which we'll use to practice the multi-draft, peer-editing technique that I've found so efficacious over the years. (The fact that this year each 8th grader has access to a computer will make this first step all the easier.) Each peer editor will then create an “Editing Guide” (EG) for her author’s “Rough Draft” (RD) - in this case, the "timed write" generated in class. This EG, composed on a separate piece of paper, involves careful scrutiny of the RD in which the editor notes spelling, punctuation, grammatical and stylistic errors…LINE BY LINE! A multitude of reference materials stand at the ready to assist in this arduous task: dictionaries (online, electronic and hardbound), thesauri (i.e. more than one thesaurus!), and most notably, Diane Hacker’s A Writer’s Reference (henceforth referred to as Hacker – pretty much required equipment at most universities and even a few high schools I know.)

[Note: I will conduct further, intentional training sessions in the effective use of the Hacker after I've edited the class RRDs and have determined several writing issues we can use as examples! In the meantime, here's a direct quote from an alum email I received: "I have been using my Hacker a lot. I know exactly how to use it thanks to your guidance last year..."]

When all else fails, I even answer questions! Once the EG is complete, it will be returned along with the RD to the author who then incorporates into her RD all the editorial suggestions that she deems valid, using a red pen so that my Gramma Sally eyes can discern the changes made. The author then creates a “Revised Rough Draft” (RRD) from her corrected RD. (Are you with me so far?) This word-processed draft is then submitted to me (along with the RD and EG) for further editing. At this point I scour the RRD for editorial issues, comparing my findings/impressions with both the RD and the EG. In this way, both the author and her editor are assessed in the writing/editing process. I, in turn, create my own EG for the RRD, which I submit to the author in a timely fashion. (My goal is always to have a 48-hour turn-over time, and I usually manage that.) The author then takes my EG and creates a “Final Draft,” (FD), incorporating my editorial corrections/suggestions. (The final draft packet consists of the RD, EG, RRD, my EG, and the FD – all of these drafts must be kept and submitted together for credit.) Thus, by the end of this rather intensive process, the author will have composed three drafts of her paper, as well as an editing guide for her partner’s paper. Each step along the way will be assessed for attention to detail as well as clarity and elegance of expression. If this sounds like a lot of work, IT IS … but it is also a fail safe way to improve both writing and editing skills.

At this point in the process, our "Bee Tree" RRDs will be discussed on Friday, and the Final Draft Packet will be due on Wednesday, October 22nd. As you might well imagine, there are two issues that make smooth sailing in the writing process rather problematical: frequent and/or extended absences and lack of preparation. Thus, I encourage our 8th graders to take good care of themselves AND exhort them to be sure that they have the appropriate draft(s) in hand at the beginning of a given class. In addition, this multifaceted process does not require much in the way of editing or intervention on the part of parents. In fact, I heartily discourage such well-intentioned involvement as it tends to undermine real learning and authentic progress for the 8th grader in question. Simply put: if you've developed the habit of editing your student's work before she submits it, know that we'll take over that task in class from here on out as we work to grow as writers and editors. Furthermore, I'll also facilitate "weening" insecure writers from this practice as I remind them that our goal is to evolve as writers rather than seek to submit perfect drafts right out of the gate. Writing is, afterall, a process before it's a product! Let me know if you have any questions or concerns...and I'll keep you posted as to our academic writing adventures!

How is your algebra review going?

I have heard from many parents asking how they can better support their daughter as she tackles algebra. You may be frantically looking through her math packet wondering where you can find the section that shows you how to solve each problem? College Preparatory Math (CPM) does not provide a "how to" section to refer to for the answers or strategies. If you want/need a refresher on how to help your daughter, I have a couple resources for you. 1. CPM Parent Guide -The parent guide is a downloadable pdf. file. You can also find skillbuilders by topic (for you or your daughter). 2. Hotmath.com - This website has the explanation for homework problems from the CPM text. On the website choose  Algebra Connections  (the top left textbook). On this site, enter the page number of the packet. You will be guided through the problem with a step-by-step solution.  

We are currently working on chapter 6 studying three methods for solving systems of equations. Solving systems of equations is also known as finding the intersection of two linear lines.  We are currently learning and practicing the Equal Values Method and The Substitution Method. These methods require extensive practice and have been met with some frustration! Students are scheduling appointments with me during lunch and after school to get extra help and I encourage their continued self-advocacy. 

Sharing Our Passions

I echo Bert's enthusiasm about our class-determined, first term theme: ANTHROPOLOGY! Waaahooo!! In an effort to model a love of learning as we shared our individual pursuits of our individual interests, Bert, Darin and I each took some time yesterday to present our passions. Bert spoke enthusiastically about his love of sustainable building materials - specifically straw and cob construction. The girls were wowed by photos of projects that he has both seen and executed. Darin talked about her love of gardening, informed by her quest to know both the origin and the journey of the food she enjoys on her table each day. Our girls recalled their shared adventures in gardening by viewing Darin's photos from their sixth grade garden. I shared my passion for my father's amazing World War II story - an odyssey that I've been working on for the past thirty plus years with hopes of seeing his story in print sometime soon! Rather than trying to hook you here, ask your 8th grader for a fuller explanation. Based on their impressive attentiveness and appreciative responses, I suspect they'll have much to relay! On a related note, feel free to talk with your 8th grader about YOUR passions...our shared goal being to ignite a lifelong pursuit of learning about those things that truly matter.

Realizing a VISION in Art: an update from Trina!

It has been an exciting beginning of the year in art. The girls have been working in their personal sketchbooks, met five local artists, and visited seven galleries and my studio in Pioneer Square.
The weekly assignments in the sketchbooks to this point have been a means of getting the girls thinking about art on a broad scope. It has allowed them a space to reflect on the work that we have seen and what possibilities are out there. It feel that it is important to fill ones brain with as many possibilities and approaches as possible so that many directions can be accessed and exercised. Upon reading through the sketchbooks this week I am excited and impressed with the brilliant connections and insights that the girls have made. I can barely sit still with the wonderful suspense of seeing where the girls go as they process through realizing their own visions.
Over the last two weeks we welcomed several visiting artists. It was awesome for the girls to gain direct exposure with a variety of artist who have a range of focuses and processes. There were two painters (each of whom have extremely different styles), a singer/songwriter, a videograper, and a photographer/filmmaker. All of the artists showed elements of their process and their struggles along side of their successes and refined finished products. All of them were truly inspiring. Many girls, in their sketchbook reflections, expressed surprise at the extensive nature of what is put into each piece. In reality there is nothing easy or graceful for anyone to make good work, no matter how experienced you are. Making art is hard, a struggle, and some pieces are bad and you have to start over or take what you learned and apply it to the next piece, and on and on. Often times the public only sees finished works and this limited perspective can make the idea of making finished works overwhelming. I hope that by de-mystifying the process the girls will have a greater confidence to really go for it and work outside of their comfort zones.
It was wonderful to take the girls to Pioneer Square and view many many artists’ works. From sculpture, to photography, to painting, to mixed media, to conceptual work, to literal work, we saw it all. The Tashiro Kaplan building is a fantastic block with multiple galleries. We primarily stayed on this block. We then went further into Pioneer Square and had lunch and then visited my shared studio in the 619 Western building. It was really fun to have the girls into my working studio and show them my current series and process.
It is so very exciting to go through this journey with the 8th grade class. The girls should be working every week in their sketchbooks and maintaining engagement with their ideas and interests. As one of my favorite college professors used to say, talent doesn’t get you anywhere if you don’t do the work. I can’t wait to keep going and see where it all leads.

Trina

We have a Theme!

We are very excited to report that the 8th grade class has chosen a fantastic theme to engage with for the remainder of the first term: Anthropology. More importantly, they did a remarkable job sticking with a challenging and intense selection process to get to a theme that had class consensus. We commended them for the work they did in preserving class unity throughout this process and we'd also like to share with all of you at home how we got our final selection.

You may recall that the girls did an exercise in their Curiosità journals a few weeks ago in which they wrote down 100 questions in a single sitting. We teachers have also been participating in the Curiosità work and this is an exercise I'd recommend to everyone - your results might surprise you. Each girl was then asked to review her 100 questions and choose her 10 "burning questions" and turn those in. You would be amazed to hear what your daughters' core questions are right now.

We compiled a class list of all of the "burning questions" (minus the ones that were very personal) and distributed it to the class. Everyone was asked to read this list of over 200 questions and seek out patterns that they noticed within the questions. They then shared their observations in small groups who reported back to the whole. We compiled a master list of patterns as a starting place for theme ideas while noticing connections and offshoots within each. We finished our theme brainstorming by opening the field wide-open to theme possibilities that may have been sparked by these or other acivites so far this year. In all we generated a list of about 60 possibilties.

We started our retreat last week with this list and asked the girls to do some personal reflection on which of the themes spoke most to them and to be prepared to connect with others who were also interested and advocate for this theme in the whole group. On Thursday afternoon, we had a modified "Open Space" session where the girls stated their interests, met in small groups about 11 possible topics, and brainstormed a myriad of different subtopics and project possibilities for each. These topics included such things as world religions, measurements of happiness, and fears. On Friday morning, each group presented their proposed topic and ideas to the whole class.

Then came the really hard work of narrowing down amongst what were all really great ideas for topics. We went through a series of discussions and votes to accomplish this. Through it all, the girls did an excellent job of checking in with one another and conducting their deliberations in a way that was respectful of everyone's ideas and passions. By the end of Friday, we had narrowed our list to 5 possible topics. In the same way on Monday the list was narrowed to 4, to 3 on Tuesday, and to our final topic first thing this morning. While the process was certainly longer than we originally thought, and perhaps laborious and cumbersome at times, it was an excellent introduction to the real work of consensus building with a large group. It will without a doubt serve us well not only the next time we choose a theme or do the Production in the Spring, but in all of our work together this year.

More Warm Beach Moments....

Greetings from Warm Beach

What's this??? A moment to write a blog entry? Unheard of!! So far we've enjoyed an action-packed, meaningful retreat with our 8th graders and one another! It occurred to me that you might like to share in some of the exciting activity. As I write this, half of our girls are off experiencing the high ropes course while the other half are reflecting in their Curiosità journals about some of the theme development activities we presented this morning. We continue to be amazed by the ability of this year's class to "go there" - that is, to make connections, use ideas as springboards into realms of higher level thinking, and express controversial opinions in a way that others can best hear, absorb and understand, if not agree. In addition, we've been having a fair amount of fun - both planned and spontaneous. We began our shared experience with several field games, geared to build cooperation and community and led by Fleur (Larsen - our SGS Sports and Activities Director and 8th grade friend!) and J - this year's Adventure and Wellness Director and beloved 6th grade teacher. Last night after dinner and before our camp fire, we shared a modified "Tashlik" ceremony, inspired by the fact that many of us had just returned from Rosh Hashanah celebrations. As we look ahead to our 8th grade year and seek to craft it in a form and fashion that will best serve us, we wrote aspects of our way of being that we'd like to leave behind or "cast off" (a truer definition of the Hebrew word "tashlik".) Then when we gathered around the impressive bon fire built by our own J - we quietly cast our papers into the flames. To round out the nod to various faith traditions, we learned the Gregorian chant Dona nobis pacem - Give us peace - with its three part harmony. Tonight we may well try to sing it as a round as well!

This afternoon will be devoted to more theme-building activities, with an eye to settling on a first term theme by the time we roll away tomorrow at one! Should the weather cooperate, we'll swim after lunch. We've also got a mind to watching the vice-presidential debates after dinner, as we deem it an historic moment for sure!

That's about it for the moment...more as it happens!