catching up - September 1, 2010

I missed a few days, but now I'm ready to catch up.

Whole class discussion B day went well.  Fifth period went very well.  The pace was spirited.  Lots was shared and little was repeated.  Lots about the causes of the situation in Malawi - deforestation, famine, government.  Girls seemed to have a strong science background.  Sixth period was not as strong.  Five girls did not speak at all!  More than any other class.  This is definitely something to look at.  Consider who these girls are.  How the class is as a whole.  A flag.  Overall the conversation did not go as deep as I would have hoped.  There are strong thoughtful students, but they did not seem enough to keep things going.  This is class is different from third period.  I'm thinking that maybe speaking to the stronger students about how they might be able to activate those who are not participating.  I have to remember that not talking does not always translate as not thinking.  This is a class where all summer reading projects were turned in on time!  Celebrate successes!  Seventh period had lots of good ideas shared.  They also had lots of questions which I liked.  They supported their ideas with facts from the story and felt money was the root of their troubles.  This class had no idea that modern conveniences do not exist world wide for all.  Will continue to think about 6th period.
Writing this week - I've tried offering a prompt at the girls request.  Monday for B day I shared a prompt from Natalie Goldberg's Writing Down the Bones - Every Monday (117).  The focus of the prompt was inanimate things you are a friend to.  On Monday most girls chose to stay with What's on your mind?  Those who went with the prompt seemed to appreciate it.  Yesterday on A day I chose a prompt from Room to Write by Bonni Goldberg (is there a pattern?).  I shared Memory is Imagination (2).  The prompt was I remember.  Tuesday most of the girls in all three classes chose to follow the prompt.  I chose the prompt, because I felt it would provide writing to prepare them for a memoir.  I think the girls liked it because it was open-ended.  Many thought it was similar to What's on your mind?  Next class the girls are writing about an object brought from home.
As far as reading on Tuesday, we went to the library for orientation and check-out.  The idea to let girls choose books to share with classmates went very well.  First period was the most sophisticated.  Second seemed to have readers with less interesting taste and the taste of the third period girls was very diverse.  I enjoyed the conversations around the book table.  The sharing went very well.  I think the idea came from Terry Lesesne's new book - Reading Ladders.  Gotta share the credit.  Will make a good tie to Kelly Gallagher's idea of reading trees.  Would like to try that later this semester. 

August 27, 2010 - whole class discussion

Today the girls came to class prepared to discuss The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind using the notes they had prepared from the questions I gave to them the class before.  First period's conversation was great.  I told the girls that the conversation exceeded my expectations.  I would have liked for there to be more time to talk, because the girls had so much to say.  They made many specific references to the text and very little was repetitive.  They found William's story inspirational.  They gained an appreciation for what they had as far as possessions and the access to education.  They questioned the culture and enjoyed learning about a place so different from their home.  I asked them how reading a book about Africa differed from their research last year.  The story carried much more impact than the research of facts.
Second period had a strong conversation, too.  I asked them if they thought the president was corrupt or lacked experience.  They thought he was corrupt and shared evidence for the opinion.
Three students in my third period class did not participate.  Overall the conversation was not as strong.  Many of the girls restated what others had already said.  Thinking about what to do to improve whole class discussion in the future, I think I'd like to try something smaller.  Maybe work with a poem and continue to let the girls know that I want all to speak.  I think I will check in with the three who did not speak, too.  Find out what is up with them. 
In general I feel like the lesson went well.  Third period will need more support and I need to pay closer attention to the individuals.  The questions prior to the discussion were helpful and I liked the rubric I used, too.  I have not read their responses yet, but I look forward to that.
An FYI on 3rd period - their grades on Absolutely Normal Chaos responses were lower than the other two A day.