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SHEENA CAMERON SEMINAR21 February 2012Sheena is a classroom teacher, taught in Auckland. Taught recently in variety of roles.Worked a lot with beginning teachers and their programmes.Writing a book with Louise Dempsey, focusing on writing.Making Big Words - Patricia Cunningham and Dorothy Hall(Access through Fishpond)Junior and more senior versions of this - Sheena to let us know.Good value, best vocab activitiesActivity: ?take a strip of paper, write letters as read out anywhere on strip, then cut into pieces, ?make as many words from those letters as you can, record, in groups “tell and spell” cross out ones read out by others as you go aroundNow, ?take 4 letters and make the word.... “room” ??“cost” ?(gave a sentence with each word in it), etc etc to use the letters to make different words as read out by tchr.Sheena will send us template for letter grid. great spelling games, can play the games or design own content words Sharing session, ideas that have worked:Sara:integrates thinking skills, esp thinking hats into literacy programme. ?Chn can transfer the uses of hats to answering questions which promote the diff kinds of thinking, making worksheets. ?Sara has copies of this (we will put them on the server). ?Works well if kids know hats.Amanda: ?exploring and maximising a short piece of rich text, rather than longer texts. ?Quality texts. ?Maybe from a novel, but shorter piece, chunk. ?Finds this material everywhere, now on her radar, looking for shorter piece. ?Creates access, distribute physically so the can highlight, scribble on etc, kids own this. ?Sheena commented she has seen this too in intermediate schools as shared reading, have it on screen etc for all to access. ?Website Lovereading for kids (to be advised) gives you first chapter of a novel. ?Reading parts of a text is extremely valuable. ?NZ Geographic for older kids a great source. ?Just read it and have a “yak” about it, not to have to have written responses etc.Michelle: ?whole class instructional reading. ?Usually ready to read texts as enough of these. ?May not be at their instructional reading. ?Lots of inferring, CAPs, pulling it apart, PMIs, ?leads into story writing. ?Once a week.Sheena: ?could vary the graphic organisers used for this type of process. ?Use the class example and put in a scrapbook, use this as a model for kids to use later when you are asking them to use this activity with another texts.Jo C: ?The Safe Place text, ready to read. ?Class shared book for week. ?Each day intro a different thinking hat, develops their use of the thinking hats and allows them to transfer to other reading tasks. ?Jo showed her journal of this work, with examples.Emerald: ?using Sheena;s text. ?Used before and after web when reading Taniwha in Wgtn Harbour. ?Did as a whole class, then going to break into groups. ?Helped them to think about their prior knowledge and understand what is prior. ?Wants to use Sheena’s publishing book to help students make choices about how they publishSheena: ?seen the text and innovated on by students, own photos etcRobyn: ?reader’s theatre, presenting the text and then linking to writing doing character analysis because they are immersing themselves in the character.Wendy: ?helping kids to make connections through reading to sessions, relating texts chosen to another literacy task in classroom,eg books by Joy Cowley or related to alphabet focus. ?Chn are seeking out and generating connections in organic way.Kirstin: ?shared reading focus on newspapers, might bring in an article or several and relate to the values that are shown. ?Kids read in groups. ?Key idea is prediction at the moment, and used Sheena’s idea Predict the Word. ?Modelling a lot, but hoping that students will begin to take responsibility and begin to bring articles. ?Emerald had picked one up and her kids had read it, but Kirstin realising how much is helping her kids to get into the newspaper.Great resource. Submerge - nz post website. ?Collection of writing. HYPERLINK "" ? ?great source of articles, for all levels, safe, short, high interest. ?When something happens and want to relate it to your literacy, can find articles. Great informational texts, so can teach them how to use these, eg, maps, charts etc etc. ?Links to video. ?Fab for inquiry learning, can research topics of interest. ?So many applications to developing reading comprehension strategies, literacy in general.Sign in, gives access to great tools.Rosie: ?For students who don’t like reading, makes up books about the kids with text and photos - about class, buddies, pirate day. ?Very engaging, beautifully presented. ?Chn very keen to read them, Rosie sees them using reading skils.Sheena: ?use little photo albums as a resource for publishing. ?Make a template on computer to go in the book. ?Great idea as a farewell present, make a little book from students.Clare: ?integrated approach to literacy. ?Newspaper was great inspiration last year. ?Survival/emergency page, whale article. ?All got a copy, highlight words, write on it etc. ?Helped all to get grips with article they might not have otherwise. ?Incredible opinion making, justification etc. ?Favourite book “On the Way Home” Jill Murphy - all these terrible things that happen on the way home, great ending.Put the text into a grid, give space to make comments and observations as readReading comprehension on wikispace for this - to be advised this advanced.Engaging Fluent Readers using Literature CirclesEmerald has tried this a bit. ?Will try this again this year.Also Sara in year 7-8. ?Biggest thing getting the structure down. ?Takes time but makes it work better.Have a good resource in the school: ?Literature CirclesWhat do we do with those kids who are way above others in reading - literature circles ex way to apply their reading and writing skills, also independence.Need structure.A lot of this around, but Sheena worked with this to shape it into a model. ?Sheena’s model - six student rolesTrialled around NZ, lots of feedbackCan apply to younger chnWikispace to download the templates, roles etc as PDF or Word docs.Background:Distinct from Novel Studies.Particular features of Literature Circles including...No one perfect model but … group of kids reading same book, students have some say in choice of novel, student led discussions about aspects of the book, a response of some sort is completed - want this response to tease out the big ideas/concepts in the text, but still relatively quick.Not...teacher and text centre, entire programme, ability grouped always, etcSuggested to start with top reading group, but not limit to this ultimately.why include this as part of rdg programme?easiest to start with one group… one way to apply what students know...Many aspects promoted by Lit Circles - positive reading attitudes, diverse reading, child-centred etcCommented that it helps kids to learn the art of conversationSara commented that helps students to constructively justify their viewsHarvey Daniels commenting on Lit Circles - idea of “balance” in the rdg programmeLit Circles link to KEY COMPETENCIESHow many in a group? ??4-6 is optimum, want each ch to have opportunity to contributeHow are groups chosen? ?student book choice, ability to work with others etc, ability, teacher chosen...Teacher needs to read the book first, even keep a chapter aheadVery empowering to be able to talk to kids about books in general, having read widelyPresent Lit Circles: ?you are great readers, ready for next step, emphasise high status.Can take from 3-5 weeks.Students will be reading their chapters, preparing their role, having lit circle meetingStudents meet 1-2 times per weekReading ahead - chn have to understand that this is a no-no. ?If you finish your lit cricle reading, then grab something else to read so that you’re not reading ahead.Guidelines need to be set, expectations for the group - by the groupEg, stay on the task, topic; listen to the talker, everybody has a turn.Kids become good at prob solving, eg using a talking stick to help turn-taking.format on the wikispace to show kids after they have done their guidelines, to promote other ideas (also see end of handoutDifferent ways of structuring the roles within the groupSheena has adapted these to six rolesActivity - review the roles.We read “A Game of Cards” and completed the Lit Circle process, taking roles and preparing for the meeting.When having the meeting, not a round-robin. ?try to have it as much like a natural conversation. ?Can comment on other’s roles, eg, does anyone else have a word they want to talk about.Follow up activity: ?strip of boxes, fill in two words and two images, share in group, “literary weaving” - as shared, weave the strips together (also cool idea to do at beginning of year, chn complete their family, hobbies etc etc and weave together)Lit Circles self-assessment form on wiki - highlight what to work on next.could make a wordle ? using vocab/big ideas from the story journal for the group is important to record the discussions and also to use as a model for future work. ?Include group rules, each text’s work, assessments, Kirstin asked how to get started?Do you introduce the idea?Could start with a journal storyStart with everybody doing the same role, all are eg, summariser or word master etc so they learn how each role works.Sheena: ?choose your top reading group, give them choice of 3 texts, set group rules, may need to sit in with group at the first meetingPerhaps just need to get in and have a go.give students opportunity to give feedback, what’s working etcCan “fishbowl” get others to sit around the group as they’re working to observe how the circle works.Sheena shared a video of a group of year 5-6 students in their lit circle meetingVery inspiring!Kirstin - have them working at interest levels, especially when working at different reading ages?Sheena - could use a topic related to current study.Robyn has seen Kath doing this, a great one to observe. ?Had a group of about 8 kids, but buddied them up so that can support each other.Amanda shared about working in girl or boy only groups. ?Can allow a different kind of discussion or use texts that might be sensitive in cross-gender groups.Amanda: ?as a school we are working to weave reading and writing links. ?Sheena: ?other schools working on this too and how to balance a crowded curriculum. ?Huge issue around the place. ?We can’t fit everything in, but we want kids reading and writing every day. ?Cooperative writing methodologies, great way to provide opportunities.Reflection and feedbackThe idea was to have useful and “just in time” speakers so that teachers have ideas to take away, trial, have challenges and explore how to move forward.Sheena emphasised this, try things, adapt them.focus is to share ideas, that we can use practically in the classroomsuch as the dogo website, useful straight awayEmerald suggested that we set up a wiki and put all the links that speakers ?refer toEmerald to organiseCould go into our website’s Web 2.0 Restrict to teachers ?at this pointTitle “give it a go” Very useful, stuff you can take and use straight away.Key stuff!Kirstin: ?had been looking for that reciprocal reading book but couldn’t find it, the lit circles is the perfect structure to promote kids owning their reading. ?Can she get a class set of books/novels - are some behind Angie’s room. ?Also use newspaper articles, journals. ?May be a budget issue?Amanda said that Kath may have a copy of that text?Clare: ?vocab warm up activities. ?STAR results indicate that playing with words more will be of benefit. ?We could purchase the book Sheena mentioned by Patricia Cunningham. ?Sara: ?that it’s ok to reinforce the manipulating and exploring words, making mistakes and actively focussing on words. ?Clare commented on the tactile manipulation, as with magnetic letters used often in the junior, that kids need. Others shared ways to adapt these ideas to use word building.Amanda: ?inspired all over again about lit circles. ?Love the supporting materials, so great not to have to reinvent the wheel. ?Key message about kids working together, self-management and independence. ?Clare: ?us backing off and letting the kids work.Perhaps use the library or other spaces for these types of things to take place. ?Wendy: ?would be great to have a group of older kids while younger ones in the library - mutual respect and responsibility. ?Trust, treat them and they will rise to it.Fascinating to think of other topics and how the activities eg weaving would go with this, what words etc would have come out.Michelle: ?wordplay website a gem, different activities to use in the juniors with wordsEmerald: ?inspired to have another go at the literacy circles. ?Provided a better structure to manage it. ?Weaving was a great idea.Wendy: ?how to transfer ideas to the younger students. ?Building a shared vocabulary of the roles etc so that their knowledge can be transferred and build as they go on thru their schooling.Discussed consistency, knowing what we do across the classes and levels to build consistency.Language of learning is consistent as children move from class to class.Our vision is the start of this - the attitudes and values are part of their understanding that is building.Now move this onto other areas?without becoming carbon copiesThinking skills, not being prescriptive about what particular “programme” - as they go on, get older and go to next level, it becomes more sophisticatedI team can advance this?Vision - now becoming a living document - kids are beginning to show these qualities in their learning and play. ?This is the true test. ?So what if they can name the qualities - we want to see them as action.Create consistency for the kids.Make sure whatever we use is useful and motivating, need a richness of ideas going around.We need a base of expectations.Not just based on the flavour, theory, research, resource of the moment.Does it matter what the means is, are we meeting the objective of developing kids who meet our vision qualities?Vital to have the collegiality and the sharing of ideas, without rigidity.We need to have a way that we all know what’s going on so we can learn from others.Are we stating clearly enough that we can pop in and out of each other’s rooms - sharing our teaching without need for formal observations.This then becomes shared responsibility for students - our children, not just my children in my class.Make more opportunities in team meetings for sharing ideas, discussing challenges etc.Go back into our teams and be able to say, “I’ve had a go at this” and “Ive had a go at this” how did it go etc etcLiteracy meetings in your teams, use 10 mins to share what’s been happening in your reading/writing etc programme. ?Not onerous.Don’t want to be working in our bubbles.Accountability back to our teams:- getting the books and getting into them more, finding them in the school- sharing the idea of literature circles, get someone to have a go as well so can discuss in the team, developing what’s been done in the past- spelling, tactile ideas- discussions around spelling in teams - overarching expectations and what resources relate - manipulating letters, spelling, vocab building- dogo website to motivate literacy- juniors - making our shared reading richer, using graphic organisers, roles etcIn conclusion, a highly successful morning!thanks to the i-team for coordinating this! ................
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