Hello, My name is Brian and I have just completed my student teaching at Wayne State University. A few things I did with the SmartBoard were:
1. I used an interactive site called Internet 4 classrooms. http://www.internet4classrooms.com/skills-3rd-langbuilders.htm 2. I also used another site called Storyline Online. 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.
