Hello, My name is Brian and I have just completed my student teaching at Wayne State University. I instructed third grade and had the privilege of having a SmartBoard in my classroom. A few things I did with the SmartBoard were:
1. I used an interactive site called Internet 4 classrooms. This site has a number of interactive activities dealing with Language Arts. http://www.internet4classrooms.com/skills-3rd-langbuilders.htm 2. I also used another site called Storyline Online. The Screen Actors Guild Foundation sponsors the site. The site has its members read children books aloud on video and they are stemmed on-line and made available 24 hours a day. The site also has “supplemental activities for each book developed by an early literacy specialist”. http://www.storylineonline.net/ ---- Original message ---- >Date: Sun, 03 May 2009 12:00:04 -0400 >From: [email protected] >Subject: Mosaic Digest, Vol 33, Issue 3 >To: [email protected] > >Send Mosaic mailing list submissions to > [email protected] > >To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/listinfo/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org > >or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > [email protected] > >You can reach the person managing the list at > [email protected] > >When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific >than "Re: Contents of Mosaic digest..." > > >Today's Topics: > > 1. Losing literacy co ordinator ([email protected]) > 2. SmartBoard Lessons (Marc & Amy Fuller) > 3. Re: Reading Specialist ([email protected]) > 4. Re: Reading Specialist (Jan Sanders) > 5. Re: Losing literacy co ordinator (Delores Gibson) > 6. Literacy Coaches (j browne) > 7. Re: Reading Specialist ([email protected]) > 8. Re: Reading Specialist ([email protected]) > 9. Re: SmartBoard Lessons (Maureen Morrissey) > > >------------------------------------------------------------ ---------- > >Message: 1 >Date: Sat, 2 May 2009 12:26:51 EDT >From: [email protected] >Subject: [MOSAIC] Losing literacy co ordinator >To: [email protected] >Message-ID: <[email protected]> >Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" > >Hi >After reading about the school district losing a literacy co-ordinator, my >best friend was a literacy co-ordinator hired in outside of the district. >She was there one year and quit out of frustration. She was a classroom >teacher for several years as well as a Title I teacher. In addition, she has >taught pre-service teachers at several local colleges. She is a wonderful, >creative teacher and professional who as my son had her for second grade. >The problem was the teachers would not accept her as a person or a >professional. Even though, she offered to help the classroom teachers, very few >accepted her offer. >So I would have to ask, if your reading specialist is doing a great job, >why would your district want to get rid of this person and hire 3 part-time >people? It sounds like a money issue. To me, it would make more sense to >keep the one you have because how much harder would it be for 3 people to >"fit-in" and fix the problems rather than one who is knows your system already. >That is my opinion and maybe even yours, but as a teacher I know the >administration does what is "best" for the district. >**************Eat Great & Lose Weight FASTER! Start the South Beach Diet >Online - FREE Profile! >(http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1221822996x1201398599/aol? redir=http:%2F%2Fad.doubleclick.net%2Fclk%3B213623126%3B35100424% >3Bk) > > >------------------------------ > >Message: 2 >Date: Sat, 2 May 2009 12:08:06 -0500 >From: "Marc & Amy Fuller" <[email protected]> >Subject: [MOSAIC] SmartBoard Lessons >To: <[email protected]> >Message-ID: <[email protected]> >Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > >Does anyone have any great Smartboard lessons for teaching comprehension strategies? Or a website where they may be found? > >Thanks! > >------------------------------ > >Message: 3 >Date: Sat, 2 May 2009 13:10:28 EDT >From: [email protected] >Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Reading Specialist >To: [email protected] >Message-ID: <[email protected]> >Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" > > >Ok...I have to jump in here. My title is Reading Specialist. I have >certification from my state as a reading specialist. Literacy coaches, at >least >here in MD, are often reading specialists who take on a specialized role of >working with teachers. I know in other states, the title and qualifications >for reading specialists and coaches vary from Maryland. >I will tell you from personal experience and data collection...RARELY do >little pull out groups for intervention work well enough to pull kids to >grade level unless they are a. very small- 3 or less students, b. are in >addition to the school day--kids get additional time above and beyond their >regular reading time. c. and are very targeted to specific student needs. > >So, I made the conscious decision to plug into classrooms and coteach with >teachers on a daily basis. This accomplishes a couple of key things...it >reduces the teacher student ratio for kids who are struggling. It allows me >to share best practices with a colleague and actually coach her on a daily >basis...though I will also say I learn as much from my colleagues as they do >from me. It is improving reading skills for my students at risk. >Standardized test scores are going up, in many cases dramatically,...but more >importantly, we can see improvements in reading on a daily basis. > >There are kids who don't improve enough and need more intensive services. >We take the last 30 minutes of the day which if often wasted time...the last >15 minutes are spent packing up...doing jobs etc... and do pull out >reading programs for the kids who need additional time. We keep the intensity of >services high by adding this as additional time to their regular reading >instruction and keeping the groups very small. My current group is 4 >students. > >I don't think it is an either/or thing...coaches and reading specialists >benefit students IF they are given the time and resources to do the job >right. I personally feel I benefit more students by helping their teachers >get >even better than they already are...but I am in the classroom EVERY DAY with >them and we plan together as well. AND, just because I know a lot about >reading as a reading specialist, it did not mean I was prepared to work >effectively with colleagues. I needed to learn how to coach...and it has >taken >me years to master. > >Jennifer > > >In a message dated 5/2/2009 11:50:52 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, >[email protected] writes: > >These descriptions of Reading Specialist and Literacy Coach seem >backward to me. In my experience, Reading Specialists are the ones who >take kids out for small group, targeted work, while Literacy Coaches >work with classroom teachers.... i.e., coaching them. > >So I'm very confused. > >Renee > > > >**************Eat Great & Lose Weight FASTER! Start the South Beach Diet >Online - FREE Profile! >(http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1221822996x1201398599/aol? redir=http:%2F%2Fad.doubleclick.net%2Fclk%3B213623126%3B35100424% >3Bk) > > >------------------------------ > >Message: 4 >Date: Sat, 02 May 2009 10:37:16 -0700 >From: Jan Sanders <[email protected]> >Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Reading Specialist >To: <[email protected]>, "Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies > Email Group" <[email protected]> >Message-ID: <[email protected]> >Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" > >I think what we need to remember is that each district, or maybe school >decides the role of the reading specialist or literacy coach. When I was >teaching 4th grade (8 years ago) we had a reading specialist at our school >(not all schools had them, each school decided how they wanted to spend >their money). We were a Title 1 school. Anyway, the reading specialist >only worked with 1st and 2nd graders and sometimes 3rd graders. The idea >was to get to them early. She did small group pull-out and 2 reading >recovery students a day. K-3 had 20 students to 1 teacher, while the upper >grades had 33 to 1. The upper grade got no support. Year after year (we >had the reading specialist for 5 years) we would get 4th graders 2 years >behind in reading. It was not uncommon to have 2 or 3 come in reading at >beginning 2nd and another 6 or so reading at running record levels of 20 and >22 -in each classroom. > >The principal decided something needed to be done. She decided to replace >the reading specialist with a literacy coach. The idea was that the >literacy coach was there to help teachers -work side by side with them >modify teaching techniques and learn together. It was not an us/them >situation. The idea was if teachers improved their teaching knowledge, >strategies, and techniques then the students would benefit. Also, all grade >level teachers would have access to the coach. Building capacity in >teachers would benefit the students. > >I was thrilled. I applied for the job and was a literacy coach for 7 years. >My focus was to work with the teachers. I did not do a pull out program. >The primary teachers were upset with the plan at first (and maybe some still >are) but we had teacher book clubs with professional books, we watched >videos of Strategies That Work and Reading With Meaning. We had great >conversations. I worked in classrooms, with teachers, modeling instruction, >we planned together. I stayed with a teacher a minimum of 3 weeks and went >to that classroom 5 days a week. I worked with 4 different teachers during >a cycle. There were great changes on campus. Our scores went up the first >year, and then a big jump of 34 points the 2nd year. Did we still have >upper grade students behind in reading -yes, but there were less of them. > >The big payoff - teachers were changing their teaching practices. Guided >reading was one of our focuses and it made a difference. We continued slow >growth the next 4 years, then we got a new principal with a different vision >and scores declined. I ended up leaving the school because our philosophies >did not mesh at all, and coached elsewhere in the district. The school is >now on school improvement and is on its 3rd principal in 4 years. This >principal is a good one though - I see positive changes coming in the >future. > >I am back in the classroom now because schools got a directive from the >district office that due to the budget, no school may have a literacy or >math coach. Coaches were paid with Title 1 money, so I am not sure why this >decision was made. I think they felt they would not have enough Title 1 >money to cover the salary. Each school determines how they spend their >title 1 money. We still do, except it cannot be used for a coach. > >OK. So I guess after that long response, it all boils down to leadership >and community, and the effectiveness of the principal to lead and teachers >to teach. > >Jan > >On 5/2/09 7:06 AM, "[email protected]" <[email protected]> wrote: > >> In our district, we have no reading specialists. Just literacy coaches. The >> literacy coach is geared to work with all classrooms (K-6) in >> literacy-related areas. She takes small groups of struggling readers in >> various grade levels to do reading related skill work in her office. These >> children have been showing no or little growth throughout the quarter or >> semester. Or they were previously ear-marked by the previous teacher. The >> work that she does is created to target specific skills that all these >> children need work on in the 5 areas of literacy. I do not get a copy of >> any sort of lesson plan, or content area of what she does, since it is >> usually supporting all areas of reading. She has tested the students prior >> to this and targets one small area to work on for 6 weeks or so. Then >> reassesses who needs intervention next, after her small group is done. >> Reading specialists usually hold masters' degrees(although not always), >> and do work with struggling readers on a multitude of issues. Sometimes, >> it's one on one, sometimes its two students. Often, they have push-in or >> pull out programs that work all year, or for a semester, or sometimes for a >> couple of years. The reading specialist works closely with the classroom >> teacher to intervene on the lessons being taught in the regular classroom. >> Sometimes, the reading specialist tests the student, sometimes files a >> report for the classroom teacher to submit the documents for further >> testing, or for more services, or less services. Many times, the reading >> specialist has a closer relationship with the classroom teacher, and often >> gets the written lesson plan of how each child in her class has done in >> which skill area. >> Often, each district has chosen to name or rename the type of service >> they want for their district. In our district, we have had the name of the >> person changed and the role of the person changed a number of times, even >> over the course of 5 years. Someone always seems to find a "new and more >> improved" way of operating, and wants to try it out. >> Just a thought, >> Diane >> > > > > > > > > >------------------------------ > >Message: 5 >Date: Sat, 2 May 2009 12:41:53 -0500 >From: Delores Gibson <[email protected]> >Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Losing literacy co ordinator >To: "Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group" > <[email protected]> >Message-ID: > <[email protected]. us> >Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" > >Hi, >Teachers most of the time simply can't control what the administration >does and after 27+ years of teaching I know that administrations do NOT >always do what is best for students even with the best intentions. No >matter how much we discuss this issue this remains a fact of our >profession. >You best approach is to be totally professional and always put the >students first when discussing your point of view and/or concerns. Try >as much as you can to get the system to work for you by having input. >Questions.. >1. Can we have a written job description for the literacy coach? >2. Will the literacy coach be working with students or just teachers? >3. Will the literacy coach have materials or will the teacher be >expected to provide > materials? >4. Is it possible to have small groups taken out of the class or will >the coach be > providing all the services in the classroom. >5. Will there be time to plan with coach? Will there be an in-service >BEFORE school > starts and during the year to review materials the coach has and to >have her > demonstrate exactly what she plans to do that is similar or >hopefully different > than what the classroom teacher is already doing? >6. What criteria will be used to determine what students will be >receiving services? >7. Will we have an opportunity to see what literacy coaches are doing >in the other > schools? >In defense of teachers who don't use the coaches I totally agree with >what was said but not all teachers are like that. I have a math coach >and literacy coach that I don't use because I have more experience in >the classroom and more materials than both coaches. When I did ask for >help they gave me the exact same materials I had and a few dittoes. So >sometimes depending on who is hired a teacher simply may not find them >helpful. >Good-Luck >-----Original Message----- >From: [email protected] >[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of >[email protected] >Sent: Saturday, May 02, 2009 11:27 AM >To: [email protected] >Subject: [MOSAIC] Losing literacy co ordinator > >Hi >After reading about the school district losing a literacy co-ordinator, >my >best friend was a literacy co-ordinator hired in outside of the >district. >She was there one year and quit out of frustration. She was a classroom > >teacher for several years as well as a Title I teacher. In addition, >she has >taught pre-service teachers at several local colleges. She is a >wonderful, >creative teacher and professional who as my son had her for second >grade. >The problem was the teachers would not accept her as a person or a >professional. Even though, she offered to help the classroom teachers, >very few >accepted her offer. >So I would have to ask, if your reading specialist is doing a great job, > >why would your district want to get rid of this person and hire 3 >part-time >people? It sounds like a money issue. To me, it would make more sense to > >keep the one you have because how much harder would it be for 3 people >to >"fit-in" and fix the problems rather than one who is knows your system >already. >That is my opinion and maybe even yours, but as a teacher I know the >administration does what is "best" for the district. >**************Eat Great & Lose Weight FASTER! Start the South Beach Diet > >Online - FREE Profile! >(http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1221822996x1201398599/aol? redir >=http:%2F%2Fad.doubleclick.net%2Fclk%3B213623126%3B35100424% >3Bk) >_______________________________________________ >Mosaic mailing list >[email protected] >To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to >http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > >Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > > >******************************************************************************* ********************* >This e-mail message contains information that may be privileged or confidential and >is the property of the Board of Education of Deerfield Public School District >No. 109. >It is intended only for the person(s) to whom it is addressed. If you are not >the >intended recipient of this message, you are not authorized to read, print, retain, >copy, disseminate, distribute, or use this message or any part thereof. If you have >received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete all >copies of this message. > > > >------------------------------ > >Message: 6 >Date: Sat, 2 May 2009 13:54:43 -0400 >From: "j browne" <[email protected]> >Subject: [MOSAIC] Literacy Coaches >To: "Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group" > <[email protected]> >Message-ID: <001101c9cb4f$146d1d80$6401a...@youru3ef4ouuir> >Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; > reply-type=original > >A great book for anyone trying to figure out how >to build community in a school is Learning Along the Way >by Diane Sweeney. When our Literacy Coaches were >hired, the 'job' description was vague...This book helped >put things into perspective, and at the same time Coaches >realized that their job was to help teachers. Teachers that >were receptive to a coach coming into their classrooms were >approached first...other teachers needed to realize that coaches >were not there to 'evaluate' them. > Check out this book for some more >ideas. I think you can find it on Amazon . >Jean/NJ > > > > >------------------------------ > >Message: 7 >Date: Sat, 2 May 2009 14:23:15 EDT >From: [email protected] >Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Reading Specialist >To: [email protected] >Message-ID: <[email protected]> >Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" > > > >In a message dated 5/2/2009 1:14:53 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, >[email protected] writes: > >...it >reduces the teacher student ratio for kids who are struggling. >Why not just put all the money that is spent on coaches and specialists, >hire more classroom teachers and reduce teacher/student ratio so that ALL >children will benefit? > >Nancy >**************Check all of your email inboxes from anywhere on the web. >Try the new Email Toolbar now! >(http://toolbar.aol.com/mail/download.html?ncid=txtlnkusdown00000027) > > >------------------------------ > >Message: 8 >Date: Sat, 2 May 2009 16:17:55 EDT >From: [email protected] >Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Reading Specialist >To: [email protected] >Message-ID: <[email protected]> >Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" > > >Good question, Nancy. If you replaced me, you would get one new classroom >teacher. That would make one grade level go from 5 teachers to 6 teachers. >It would help our class sizes go from 25 to 20 in that grade. What about the > other grades? > >What I feel I bring as reading specialist is my knowledge of reading >instruction. I have more in my bag of tricks. SO... not only do I reduce the >student teacher ratio in the class I am working in, I also leave my teaching >partner with more tricks up her sleeve than she knows now. I also learn from >the teacher I work with. I spread those ideas to the next teacher I coteach >with. After doing this for 7 years the knowledge of our staff has >grown...and I include me in that mix. We just got a new principal who was formerly >a reading specialist...she believes that my staff is light years ahead of >most of the schools she has worked in in regards to their knowledge of best >practices. People didn't learn about the comprehension strategies from an >inservice. They saw me teach this way, they tried to teach with me there to >coach and when I left their class to teach with someone else, they had new >practices established. So... all kids, eventually, did benefit. > >We have often talked on this list about how important it is to have someone > to collaborate with...how we all long to share ideas and learn from and >with someone we work with. My teachers, who resisted this at first, now love >it. It has helped to change the culture and it has been benefiting many >children. > >I don't pretend for a minute that this was just because of me...there was >supportive administration and our math specialist works in a similar way. > >I know not all schools might respond to a reading specialist the way mine >responded to me....but it is working for us. >Jennifer > > > > > >In a message dated 5/2/2009 2:24:14 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, >[email protected] writes: > >Why not just put all the money that is spent on coaches and specialists, >hire more classroom teachers and reduce teacher/student ratio so that ALL >children will benefit? > >Nancy > > > > >**************Check all of your email inboxes from anywhere on the web. >Try the new Email Toolbar now! >(http://toolbar.aol.com/mail/download.html?ncid=txtlnkusdown00000027) > > >------------------------------ > >Message: 9 >Date: Sun, 03 May 2009 08:28:36 -0400 >From: Maureen Morrissey <[email protected]> >Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] SmartBoard Lessons >To: "'Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group'" > <[email protected]> >Message-ID: <fbc0e325c7d347f7a42ed9d9b0aa5...@laptop> >Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" > >You don't say what grade you are working with so I will offer a few ideas... >Early elementary: >* Display your morning message on the smartboard and use the bells and >whistles to teach the usual morning message comprehension lessons. >* Create a cloze text and ask the children to figure out the missing >words using context and/or letter clues and/or prior knowledge > > >Upper elem: >* display pieces of text and ask for visual images, inferences, >connections, predictions, etc. > >For either, I love these sites for resources: >http://www.readwritethink.org/student_mat/index.asp >http://www.fablevision.com/place/library/index.html >http://www.storyplace.org/ >http://www.starfall.com/ The "I'm Reading" section has "big books" for the >smartboard. > >Best, >Maureen > > >------------------------------ > >_______________________________________________ >Mosaic mailing list >[email protected] >To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to >http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > >Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > >End of Mosaic Digest, Vol 33, Issue 3 >************************************* _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
