Mo Willems blog

I came across Mo Willems' blog - http://mowillemsdoodles.blogspot.com/ the other day - he is one of my favourite picture book author/illustrators, creator of the inimitable Knuffle bunny, Edwina, Pigeon...

I loved the idea of his family dining room being decorated with chalkboard - the latest version are portraits in frames - have a look http://mowillemsdoodles.blogspot.com/2009/10/weve-been-framed-chalkboard-walls2.html

There are links from this blog to other Mo Willems information - websites, interviews and the great teacher resources too - http://www.pigeonpresents.com/grownup.aspx

wickED at TKI

A message from Anne Mason, Community facilitator at TKI :

"I would be most grateful if you can send me a list of popular topics requested by schools and students in your region. I am the project co-ordinator for wickED, http://www.wicked.org.nz

wickED is a quality-assured online environment for 7-12 year olds (years 3-8), developed to complement the Ministry of Education’s study support centres initiative. wickED provides engaging curriculum-based learning activities in English and te reo Māori, many of which have been developed to reflect a literacy, numeracy and ESOL focus. The activities are intended to support facilitated or independent use by students.

Each month our team add new learning activities and are keen to know of topics that you find are of interest to students of this age. We would very much appreciate a list of topics if you have one available. Many thanks, Anne."

Have you visited the wickED site ? From the home page :

Explore the wickEDly cool things on this site! Quizzes, crosswords, interactives and games in English and te reo Māori, a gallery of student artworks, profiles of inspirational New Zealanders, an information station, and activities and games based around topics – it’s all here – on wickED!

Reading and comprehension strategies

Here is a link to an interesting book Independent Reading Inside the Box by Lisa Donohue aimed at primary school teachers about strategies to enhance students' comprehension, language and thinking skills while they are reading.

The box refers to a one page template with 8 boxes in a table, each with a useful strategy to "dig deeper" into reading.

You can read the whole book online for free, and download each chapter and the templates as PDFs. Preview the entire book

These sort of activities do not take the place of pure reading for pleasure, the FVR (Free Voluntary Reading) which Stephen Krashen talks about, and there is a risk when a book is too analysed that it loses all spontaneity, but we know that the key to becoming a life-long reader is beyond decoding to make meaning, and with comprehension come the rewards of reading...

Independent reading inside the box by Lisa Donohue, Pembroke 2008 ISBN: 978-155138-225-8

Improving outcomes for Maori

One of the JuLS goals is "to develop shared understandings of literacy teaching and learning, particularly in the first three years at school, including the knowledge and use of appropriate resources, and how Maori and Pasifika students learn (emphasis added).

Here is a useful resource to explore this aspect, shared by Glenys.

Teachers as learners: Improving outcomes for Māori and Pasifika students through inquiry (Published September 2009)

http://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/Curriculum-stories/Case-studies/Inquiry

These learning materials are primarily for teachers and school leaders, and they may also be useful for others in education. Their purpose is to illustrate how teachers have used an inquiry approach to teaching to become more culturally responsive and to improve outcomes for their Māori and Pasifika students.

The teachers’ stories illustrate a variety of contexts and experiences: some involve teachers relatively new to the profession, while others show very experienced teachers taking a fresh look at their practice. Whatever their situation, all the teachers have willingly shared the challenges and highlights of their investigations in order that other teachers and school leaders may use them as triggers for their own inquiries.

I found Learning Story #6 really engaging and inspiring - check it out...

Using family stories in learning about cultural identity and cultural transmission How can I use Māori and Pasifika students' past experiences, knowledge, and culture to enhance their achievement and learning?
http://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/Curriculum-stories/Case-studies/Inquiry/Learning-stories/Story-6

PhotoStory software

PhotoStory is wonderful free software which enables you to turn a collection of digital photos into a "video" complete with your own narration, text and music background. It is lots of fun and very easy to use... It could be a great tool for the classroom with students of all ages for a variety of purposes, and in the library maybe for doing book reviews ? It could be a good resource to promote to families in the school newsletter too perhaps ?

Here is the website http://tiny.cc/Photostory610

There is a guide to making a video using a single photo which is also very effective, if a bit more complex ! http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/photostory/tips/create.mspx

Vocabulary

Here is a post on the school library list serve from Gerri Judkins, librarian at Southwell School in Hamilton. Gerri recently attended the International Association of School Librarianship in Padua, Italy...

Hi All
At the IASL pre-conference Literature Day in Italy Aidan Chambers talked about the most recent brain research as it relates to leaning to read. He said children cannot learn to read a word unless they have heard it read aloud.

We've had sooo much fun this week in the library with "Piggity-Wiggity Jiggity Jig goes to Dad's Café".
I printed off (Times New Roman 72) words such as ravenous, resplendent, repercussions, belligerent, various, disarray, aplomb and auspicious and held them up one at a time asking students from Yr 3 - Yr 8 to read them aloud and give the meaning. They couldn't define most of them. Then, we read the book and talked about the meanings as we encountered the words. It really is quite sophisticated with politicians, business men and café food.
It was a hit with all ages and reinforced the reading aloud message to teachers, who come with the kids. I also encouraged the students to use the words at home and read aloud to their younger siblings.
Have a great weekend...
;-) Gerri


For another great account of the rich vocabulary in picture books, have a look at this short article from School Library Journal...
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6348381.html?industryid=47190

Workshop 6

Hi everyone,
A reminder of your next JuLS workshops:

Whangarei: Wednesday, August 26 at Tai Tokerau Education Centre Seminar Room.
Kaitaia: Wednesday, September 2 at Kaitaia Primary School

As usual please bring: ELP, LLP, NZC, photocopies of your reflection notes fron Workshop 5.
Plus:
Recently taken and analysed running records of your target students (on seen text)
The relevant texts to go with the running records.
The Guided Reading handout from Workshop 5

Cheers, Glenys & Raewyn

Pukenui children's writing

Today at Juls Lynne from Pukenui shared some great examples of developing children's writing for the purpose of moving from one level to another...

Here are a few photos of the beginning steps taken to make that transition with a focus on story beginnings...

Glenys is on

Kia ora everyone

Well, after several attempts I'm finally on. Thanks to Jeannie and Dyane forsetting this blog up - a new thing for me! I see this as a great opportunity to keep up the communicaton, discussions, sharing and learning between workshops and buddy visits. I suspect like all of you, now that I know how to use the site I'll be a regular visitor and contributor. I'm lookimg forward to your posts.

Workshop 5 National Library session

Here are some links to items relating to the Kaitaia JuLS workshop.

Library modules http://tiny.cc/Libraryknowledge

An interesting and entertaining article about Melvil Dewey http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA148748.html

Book selection / browsing strategies http://tiny.cc/Goldilocks

Poetry friendly classrooms http://www.michaelrosen.co.uk/poetryfriendly.html

Suggestions for read-alouds for junior classes http://tiny.cc/Readaloudsuggestions

A few favourite authors / illustrators
Paul Fleischman, Sarah Stewart/David Small, Emily Gravett, Chris Wormell, Roxie Munro, and quirky, interesting Gecko Press books...

Whangarei workshop at Otaika School

Dear all,

Thanks for your contributions today at the Juls workshop at Otaika School. Special thanks to the Otaika School staff for making us so very welcome.

Please have a go now at trying and adding onto Librarything and setting up your own for your classroom.

As well I look forward to seeing your presence on this blog. Post a comment regarding your use of the school library, learning intentions, use and improvements upon the library modules, borrowing limits etc.
Dyane

Target Students

Hi fellow Julz people.

Never done this blog thing before, Jeannie talked me into it, when she visited our school this week. My old classroom is being demolished this term, so we have a term teaching in the wharehui. Change is good. Here is a pic of my target students in our old classroom.

Print-rich environments

Glenys has highlighted this quote in the JuLS Term 2 newsletter coming soon to your mailbox...
"Classroom conditions should facilitate learning… while in itself not enough, a print-rich physical environment is important." (Effective Literacy Practice in Years 1 to 4 p. 78)

This blog is a great place to share some photos of print-rich physical environments in your school - classroom, class library and school library...
Uploading a photo to the blog is easy - when you are writing your post, look along the toolbar at the top of the beige box to the picture icon "Add image" and upload a picture from a file on your computer - just check it isn't too big first (8 mb maximum size).

Looking forward to the virtual tour :)

Workshop 5 -

Kia ora all,

Jeannie and myself are looking forward to working with you on the upcoming Juls workshop 5. For the Whangarei group, (during the lunch break) we will be heading to Otaika School where we will be working in the library. Our focus will be Junior library modules as well as a hands on concentration on librarything and the Juls blog. Please bring a picture book to share and examples of any library skill modules that have been successful for you and your juniors. Enclosed a photo of students connecting with books! Guess the library via the comment box!

Links to powerpoints, reports etc

Hi all - just to say that we still have to work out some permissions stuff with the links to the documents (powerpoints, report and newsletter etc) we put up with Google docs which is why they aren't coming up when you click on them - sorry about that... We'll get it sorted, and Dyane and I will talk about it at the JuLS workshops this / next week. I think most of us - and I know I am - are all learning something new with this blogging lark !

Kia ora from Wikitoria

Kia ora all,
Yay!!!! Jeannie has just introduced me to this blog page it's amazing!!!!
Look forward to seeing everyone at the next work shop.

Here is a picture of my Goals chart in my class to share - looking forward to seeing some pictures from your rooms !
Ka kite ano, Wikitoria

Building processing systems @ low levels

Hi teachers

How are your prompts to faciliate cross-checking on information going? i.e. "It could be...but look at..."

How is the reading vocabulary building (in context) with very intensive teaching?

Look forward to seeing you all soon

Kia ora from Vera

Finally sorted out my google pass word and i am now an author on this blogg, watch this space.

Formative Practice powerpoint

Kia ora on behalf of Vera Unka - the TEAM Solutions formative practice powerpoint from Workshop 3 is now available...

For the next workshop -Whangarei 29th July, Kaitaia 5th August please bring along the following :
Planning for writing
Bring a group of students writing books and a copy of the learning intention and success criteria for the last piece of writing in their books.

Sharing formative practice
Bring an example of how you are sharing the learning and developing the success criteria.
Perhaps bring a couple of digital photographs of your classroom that show how you are supporting the learning in your classroom using formative practice or maybe a model that has worked well, a chart, or a modelling book
Any queries please contact Vera Unka v.unka@auckland.ac.nz or 0275441772 (best contact)