One thing I always tried to do was to stagger due dates on my journals--facing five or six a day over a ten day period is less daunting to respond to, and a lot easier to carry if you're taking them home! Mary ----- Original Message ----- From: "Janet Smith" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "A list for improving literacy with focus on middle grades." <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, August 10, 2007 5:26 PM Subject: Re: [LIT] Ariticle from Voices in the Middle--and a new subject:)
> Hello, I have been reading your chats about managing journals. I have had > between 130 and 150 students (8th grade) for 11 years. I love using > journals > because that is how I know a student is really comprehending (thinking > about) what he/she is reading. I refuse to give book reports, because I > feel > they encourage cheating and procrastinating. I use the reading prompts on > Mondays and Fridays, and every two weeks I start sifting through the > notebooks and respond to what they are writing. When do I do this? > Sometimes > during silent reading, sometimes at home while I am watching the Browns, > sometimes during lunch when I feel like being by myself. I always write > brief comments, and when a student is obviously crying our for something > more, I will take the time to really write back. I use a 1-4 rubric to > evaluate. The students know that I am looking for 5 to 7 sentences and a > quote to prove what they are thinking. Sometimes a student reads an entire > book in 2 weeks, and sometimes only 20 pages. But every response is valued > because of what the student thinks about their reading. I usually choose > from a list of open-ended prompts, but occasionally will let them write > about anything at all that has caused them to think while reading. > At the end of the nine-week period I look through the notebooks and > average > the rubric grades. It isn't hard at all, and the kids can't wait to get > their books back to see my comments and my grade. > Janet Smith > 8th Grade Reading/LA > Conneaut, Ohio > > > -------Original Message------- > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Date: 07/10/07 16:41:48 > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [LIT] Ariticle from Voices in the Middle--and a new subject:) > > thanks for sending the article. i am working on a grant via the Internet > and an online class, so i have not read the entire article, but i thought > of > something when you asked about reading 100 interactive journals. i too, > have > the same problem. more than 100 students and not enough time to respond > to > journaling. i do not grade journals if it is free writing. What does > everyone > think about pairing up the students and have them interact? they could > write in their own journals after SSR, then switch and respond to a > partner > s > journaling. i am hoping with 5 classes instead of 6, i can use the extra > planning to get through some of these. i spent countless days last year > staying > until 5pm and my kids get out at 2:40. i need to make this manageable. > > > > *\l/**\l/**\l/*Lynn*\l/**\l/**\l/* > Doctorate Student, Florida Atlantic University > > Please visit my READING website! :o) > http://cyberedtech.fau.edu/domino/default.htm > > > > ************************************** See what's free at > http://www.aol.com > > _______________________________________________ > The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org > > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchiveH > _______________________________________________ > The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org > > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive _______________________________________________ The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive
