tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72044309680231669992024-03-26T05:18:03.405-04:00Portable Teacherthinking, reading and writing with teensLee Ann Spillanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04650009312001849617noreply@blogger.comBlogger493125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7204430968023166999.post-44780421926924770002023-08-02T16:13:00.003-04:002023-08-02T16:13:34.440-04:00Create Belonging<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzZP66A50An6IGPRGpv5zECPxG-mLqPwu7QbhZcMle9y3JgvdbhEMfG2TbF7deCJD3AK5h0zCCUbU2DcVNjgbrF5rBVHsGt8hrQDOEvEpm3OcqeRdwLWY5-1OEfm0XoUSh7_LAwPPTQ6I6kjnjiAfJc3owy-ObACPmj3PKaKBiMZ6BFRIUrJWOyWPtoLnQ/s8068/tim-mossholder-ZFXZ_xMYTZs-unsplash%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5379" data-original-width="8068" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzZP66A50An6IGPRGpv5zECPxG-mLqPwu7QbhZcMle9y3JgvdbhEMfG2TbF7deCJD3AK5h0zCCUbU2DcVNjgbrF5rBVHsGt8hrQDOEvEpm3OcqeRdwLWY5-1OEfm0XoUSh7_LAwPPTQ6I6kjnjiAfJc3owy-ObACPmj3PKaKBiMZ6BFRIUrJWOyWPtoLnQ/s320/tim-mossholder-ZFXZ_xMYTZs-unsplash%20(1).jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@timmossholder?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Tim Mossholder</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/ZFXZ_xMYTZs?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p>When did you last feel a strong sense of belonging? What helps you feel like you belong? Students say a lot about what helps them feel like they belong. Many of my former students say they feel a sense of belonging when folks: </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>smile at them and say hello</li><li>know their names and say them correctly</li><li>ask them a question about themselves or my experiences</li><li>remember something about them and bring it up later </li><li>work purposefully with them and others</li><li>laugh or joke with them </li></ul><p></p><p>Building relationships that establish this sense of belonging takes time. If there is one teaching move I have never regretted it is taking time in the first few weeks of school to build relationships and community with students and families. </p><p>Students, all leaners, children or adults, are important. As important persons they have affective needs that must be met. In order for learners to invest in and take ownership of their learning, their need to belong must be met. </p><p>A few favorite verbs come to mind when I think about starting a new school year with leaners: </p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Listen</li><li>Ask</li><li>Learn</li><li>Respond </li><li>Reflect</li><li>Collaborate </li><li>Share</li></ul><p>I begin the work of listening and learning learners' names with name tents at each color themed table. I organize students into color groups (red, orange, yellow etc.) and then eventually into larger "rainbow" groups. This routine begins with <a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1g7VrG1huqhipOKDAgBHExJGDCvdK0TlZhGRak9asZRc/edit#slide=id.g14252afed3c_0_0" target="_blank">name tents and "shape your thinking"</a> signs for the classroom.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjES7JIedWcqeetckUQ-HtZx7_GgnwuOldI6TVhfpntMunS-EqfsvCV3KliSogWmajfuJ5TJJZe1pkeyg0mZnQM32EBlOF35OIOXMvwte9RbkjZJQv4pDPxfTRq1XtWeQ0zUhX_1eGC1CFOP70Ksadk0qomEtkl9d67MFHwmteO-ZZKw7AHj7iwh8qgB4SU/s2532/IMG_1C7702A35B6C-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2532" data-original-width="1170" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjES7JIedWcqeetckUQ-HtZx7_GgnwuOldI6TVhfpntMunS-EqfsvCV3KliSogWmajfuJ5TJJZe1pkeyg0mZnQM32EBlOF35OIOXMvwte9RbkjZJQv4pDPxfTRq1XtWeQ0zUhX_1eGC1CFOP70Ksadk0qomEtkl9d67MFHwmteO-ZZKw7AHj7iwh8qgB4SU/w298-h640/IMG_1C7702A35B6C-1.jpeg" width="298" /></a></div><br /><p>The shape signs hang over each table group. They become a routine we can use to respond to different media or ideas throughout the year. The name tents are a visual reminder for everyone in the room: students, teachers, substitutes, visitors. We make a habit of keeping them all year and using them when needed. You can see in these two from last year's initial "orange" table that students also wrote quick interests in the four corners: </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>a favorite movie</li><li>a favorite song</li><li>their mother tongue</li><li>where they've lived</li></ul><div>The name tents serve as quick, visible reminders I can listen to, learn from and and respond to. To extend them, have parents jot a note of encouragement on the inside if they come for back to school night.</div><p></p><p>I also listen by reading what students write on surveys or sentence completions. Several posts from the past show iterations of sentence completions I've used with high schoolers:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://portable-teacher.blogspot.com/2022/08/building-community.html" target="_blank">Building Community August 2022</a></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://portable-teacher.blogspot.com/2017/08/unsettled-meet-grace.html" target="_blank">Unsettled Meet Grace August 2017</a></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://portable-teacher.blogspot.com/2015/08/spot-on.html" target="_blank">Spot On 2015</a></p></blockquote></blockquote><p>I put sentence completions on desks for learners to see as they come in. Learners can start right when they arrive or wait until the session begins. It gives them something to do and many high school students have said it helps take away a bit of the awkward some of them feel coming into a new space with new people. </p><p>As a teacher, I learn about students and I can begin to assess what they know about sentence structures, books, writing and school. I collect the writing that first day after and that first afternoon/evening I respond to them by the next class. </p><p>How can you turn class sets around so quickly?</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>read the responses quickly</li><li>aim for 2-3 minutes response writing (set a timer if you need one)</li><li>respond with quick agreements and praise</li><li>ask a question</li><li>offer a study suggestion or book recommendation</li></ul><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHFw_7U63EMSDc8vlXr6-K16s9godaMI3bkn-IV1vEvLtMV6lysH2-dHqb23hSCxQTkhcarUOpxw17UKrFRNn4Rsc7hXWsnMcxYxm6eTLv0v-Jw_wQTsUqb0jnsemDnLFINZAibhba_g6m22-yYsdZo1sFokpr7vnlNXL-3uPLs6wjO3Oaf7xQ6CS_deh2/s960/jian%20sentences.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHFw_7U63EMSDc8vlXr6-K16s9godaMI3bkn-IV1vEvLtMV6lysH2-dHqb23hSCxQTkhcarUOpxw17UKrFRNn4Rsc7hXWsnMcxYxm6eTLv0v-Jw_wQTsUqb0jnsemDnLFINZAibhba_g6m22-yYsdZo1sFokpr7vnlNXL-3uPLs6wjO3Oaf7xQ6CS_deh2/w640-h360/jian%20sentences.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>Could we do them digitally? Yes, and yet there is something fantastic about staying away from screens in our first few days together. Responding does take time. That time varies depending on my focus and, of course, how many students I have. After I respond, I scan the sets before I return them and I keep them in a class "notebook" in my GoodNotes5. That way I can revisit what students said and reconnect to their initial interests if I notice they need that. Sometimes on a progress tracker Google sheet or in my teaching journal I note students initial strengths and possible needs. I ask myself: <p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Who spontaneously uses capitalization and end punctuation?</li><li>Which students were able to navigate using the appositive phrase? </li><li>Which love reading? Which students hate it? What topics are they interested in? </li><li>What do they do after school?</li></ul><p></p><p>I love learning about and connecting with a new group of leaners. Wishing all of my educator friends a wonderful first week of school!</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Quick links to additional activities: </b></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1pfX9wKgfzdnRyzNAzN9wAvIPYFRE_E2u0vF8Zs_Bd8o/edit#slide=id.g25e16135006_0_53" target="_blank">Photo Slides and Story Sharing</a></p><p><a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1k7PWOLlJzyco_HrasW1ObOUHFBz0lzsbQQut0KPVmA4/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Would You Rather Questions: Sit or Stand</a></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Ga0GGyLlaHh_jzFatua8Jd6AOAwICTUenfQw2lKqAe4/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Warm Welcome Questions</a> </p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1riFgvScU8J8n_yKIvHp7wwQAolo_fafzFTB14hnhpg8/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Would You Rather 2: Pear Deck</a></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1puTH1V5jlUlyIVU1B9wRnqsULrqgnNvyM1hwmaB8-ak/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Human Boggle</a> </p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">Record Sixty Second Selfies (see <a href="https://youtu.be/2hcN4S0IjMY" target="_blank">Singapore American School's series</a> for question ideas)</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>Use<a href="https://actionforhappiness.org/resources/monthly-action-calendar" target="_blank"> Action for Happiness' Monthly Calendar</a> as conversation starters or inclusion activities</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">Check out <a href="https://www.playworks.org/game-library/" target="_blank">Playworks</a> or <a href="https://www.playmeo.com/activities/" target="_blank">Playmeo</a> for fantastic group games </p></blockquote><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>Coming soon</b>, how do you use what you learn about learners? </p><p> </p>Lee Ann Spillanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04650009312001849617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7204430968023166999.post-72917991895805118612023-03-29T01:25:00.004-04:002023-03-29T01:29:25.199-04:00Past and Future Tools: From Word Processors to AI<p>In my teaching and learning life, I have seen some change. I've seen teachers go from purple-inked ditto masters to overhead projectors. I've played in the WYSIWYG pool of web content creation and thrilled at the dial-up static in an early computer lab. I saw the birth of Smart Boards and the explosion of collaboration made possible by shareable spaces and documents. I've toured and lived in G-suites and classrooms <i>Canvas</i>-ed in content. As with many of us educators, my excitement led me to learning more, and doing more, from EdCamps and NCTE's Tech-to-Go Kiosks to writing for Stenhouse, Janet Allen and myself. </p><p>Innovations in technology ignite my curiosity, and right now, like many of us, my wondering fires up over AI tools such as ChatGPT and DALL·E 2. For me as an educator, the question has not been should we <i>allow </i>students to use these tools though. I wonder instead about the why, and the how and the when. </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>How might we use these tools in schools? </li><li>Why might it be important for students to learn how to leverage these tools? </li><li>When or for what would using these tools amplify what learners know and are able to do? </li><li>How might these tools create alternatives for learning, news ways of thinking, new ways to collaborate or create?</li><li>How do we maintain academic integrity while also exploring new technologies? How do we teach such values to students? </li></ul><p></p><p>In the late 1990s when I was a beginning teacher I remember when we began having students use word processing programs to write. We used Claris Works in the first school where I taught. After an observation, a school leader asked me how a computer was better than using pen and paper? That question led me to critically reflect on my practice. </p><p>My reflections led me to models of tech integration such as the SAMR model and <a href="https://www.iste.org/standards/iste-standards-for-teachers">ISTE</a>'s standards, and later, the <a href="https://fcit.usf.edu/matrix/matrix/">Technology Integration Matrix (TIM)</a>, from the Florida Center of Information Technology. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBwBMSqNADsWuwD0HvOvF1-2yvszklWBb1cybFE3k0TxTH6_aZ05BCpAmTfcnlttjMkvnEBMfejMLSbcpL3Qfjv_Okv4lXJiqY4Pk0gXxG-Yh-umgrGlSvvRDS7UEalc9Q8WB5V5upFAwR9psyAOnrm-IhDXTvDQESn_1gM_qPn_ffTJZhtl72hJ2sSA/s1024/The_SAMR_Model.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBwBMSqNADsWuwD0HvOvF1-2yvszklWBb1cybFE3k0TxTH6_aZ05BCpAmTfcnlttjMkvnEBMfejMLSbcpL3Qfjv_Okv4lXJiqY4Pk0gXxG-Yh-umgrGlSvvRDS7UEalc9Q8WB5V5upFAwR9psyAOnrm-IhDXTvDQESn_1gM_qPn_ffTJZhtl72hJ2sSA/w640-h320/The_SAMR_Model.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #303030; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, Lucida, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">SAMR illustration by Lefflerd at Wikimedia Commons used under Creative Commons <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #197aaa; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license</a>.</em></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Then, word processing programs augmented, to use language from the SAMR, our writing practice in the classroom. Now, writing collaboratively in goal-oriented ways in shared spaces has redefined and transformed what writers in schools are able to do. </p><p>When I think about AI tools such ChatGPT and others I'm exploring, I can't help but marvel how these will fundamentally change productivity. This shift, may indeed redefine, as the SAMR model notes, or transform, to use TIM language, how we teach and learn.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuo6Ue0b_J3pwCD6NaXy8OiGTprwgmjorVGgLVn25A6_OFW5MK_mfqGu2qhIKWenCTa9eW-rbEl3nCnuE3rk5WgiNmd1HuTbp_jYU5fdAzdRsNSFytssA28oyUF5z3Tu9G_kgRi18WnmUeLQLWB_yTR8A7O299UX1XfUiYhVb6RNKERpjgnsXKTMu1Qg/s2400/TIM%20fcit.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1782" data-original-width="2400" height="475" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuo6Ue0b_J3pwCD6NaXy8OiGTprwgmjorVGgLVn25A6_OFW5MK_mfqGu2qhIKWenCTa9eW-rbEl3nCnuE3rk5WgiNmd1HuTbp_jYU5fdAzdRsNSFytssA28oyUF5z3Tu9G_kgRi18WnmUeLQLWB_yTR8A7O299UX1XfUiYhVb6RNKERpjgnsXKTMu1Qg/w640-h475/TIM%20fcit.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As faculty discuss and sometimes deplore how students are using these tools, I'm thinking about teaching and learning scenarios like the ones below. I'm wondering how we might collect and discuss them? I'm wondering how scenarios like these might live on the Technology Integration Matrix and what sorts of shifts we'll see? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Scenarios</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Scenario 1: </b>Students engage in paired or small group discussion to process text/information; after discussing they then prompt ChatGPT to discuss the content or answer lingering questions, then synthesize the ideas in another round of discussion. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Scenario 2: </b>A student is asked to write to analyze how theme is developed in a poem. They want to see different ways to organize such an essay, and ask ChatGPT to write an analysis essay about a different poem that is organized chronologically and then a second time, organized by devices used by the poet.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Scenario 3</b>: A student asks an AI to explain a concept and then compares the response to their own notes and understandings of the concept, adding to or revising their own understandings.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Scenario 4: </b>A PLC team uses ChatGPT to unpack a standard in order to develop learning targets and then create success criteria or rubrics. The team goes an additional step and generates sample responses to use with students to evaluate the writing.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Scenario 5: </b>An instructional coach works with a teacher using ChatGPT to create differentiated learning activities to support students learning.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Additional Reads</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>Baguley, Richard. (20 March 2023). "<a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/90867920/best-ai-tools-content-creation">21 Tools for Content, Image, Sound and Video Creation</a>," <span> </span><div><br /></div><div><span></span>Ferlazzo, Larry. (18 Jan 2023). "<a href="https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/opinion-19-ways-to-use-chatgpt-in-your-classroom/2023/01">19 Ways to Use ChatGPT in Your Classroom.</a>" EdWeek</div><div><br /></div><div>Taylor, Stephen. (Dec 2022). "<a href="https://sjtylr.net/if-you-useme-ai/">(If you) USEME-AI.</a>"</div><div><br /></div><div>Glanville, Matt. (27 Feb 2023). "<a href="https://blogs.ibo.org/blog/2023/02/27/artificial-intelligence-ai-in-ib-assessment-and-education-a-crisis-or-an-opportunity/">IB's Artificial intelligence in IB assessment and education: a crisis or an opportunity?</a>"<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div>Lee Ann Spillanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04650009312001849617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7204430968023166999.post-86974962994544218612023-03-19T18:54:00.005-04:002023-03-21T22:33:23.682-04:00Sunday Slice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Words ran from me this week. Hard news from an old friend chased words around the house and out the door. Still, flowers bloom, friends connect, the sun rises, spring break arrives.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Thankful.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBQxsJAvvg4q0bWuefWjX5R0ATe082LAM54KwoB4nnAgEwMHsa4KIqXnAJQ7fhUKqsDQGcPXVqJq471OdrbxMQYipKILMyQNyjUobdwcW0sr9cbC5pBayBpB-r7Z2vtf6ooIps_noxpPKtVBG3fHsMbbLQ5deHx22JEsYD5UpQgV7H80_cvJYU0uqaeQ/s4032/673F8159-6522-4A43-8EBB-52E4E5733F71.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBQxsJAvvg4q0bWuefWjX5R0ATe082LAM54KwoB4nnAgEwMHsa4KIqXnAJQ7fhUKqsDQGcPXVqJq471OdrbxMQYipKILMyQNyjUobdwcW0sr9cbC5pBayBpB-r7Z2vtf6ooIps_noxpPKtVBG3fHsMbbLQ5deHx22JEsYD5UpQgV7H80_cvJYU0uqaeQ/s320/673F8159-6522-4A43-8EBB-52E4E5733F71.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p>Hand painted stainlessd tumblers from Boutiques, a gifty market fair in Singapore.</p><div><br /></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDvzFW3XFEsdTw-xPcUi2iAUP9btDGDC_PbQoQk46mEkyZKwEKypN-_pbxzCQqMYq2WCt_n6smmwt9vQaWKNRx80X6rwWyZcm9b8pqEhoEyWqJc2WwI--cFcAf8Nf5sf_IbMH8SGPfBFSKBGIWbxTI6BkNG1_cr853-ahe3ginkVPv2Ypl6C55nMJg2g/s4032/56BED7B4-404C-4293-91F9-D6A4E1AF9EFC.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDvzFW3XFEsdTw-xPcUi2iAUP9btDGDC_PbQoQk46mEkyZKwEKypN-_pbxzCQqMYq2WCt_n6smmwt9vQaWKNRx80X6rwWyZcm9b8pqEhoEyWqJc2WwI--cFcAf8Nf5sf_IbMH8SGPfBFSKBGIWbxTI6BkNG1_cr853-ahe3ginkVPv2Ypl6C55nMJg2g/s320/56BED7B4-404C-4293-91F9-D6A4E1AF9EFC.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The rooftop cactus garden at Singapore’s Changi airport. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-h_uFwrUi_pf5FstJukvjHBPPMN4izYgckIID1WAlc6jy-ZRmS_IXALKr9QAS4eCpX2QYo8r5-Qk643K-70jbxmklod0sfDodx4okTVaQq4TnOkXCc18bJdt8tp9xGZf98v68X1NQZKI-l1z3aiKkNT-qkEXLcmXxx6DrBP-LiZW0sLHP2g1s7yIJvw/s4032/79B572F3-C083-4D2D-ABD6-E619B388E39B.dng" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-h_uFwrUi_pf5FstJukvjHBPPMN4izYgckIID1WAlc6jy-ZRmS_IXALKr9QAS4eCpX2QYo8r5-Qk643K-70jbxmklod0sfDodx4okTVaQq4TnOkXCc18bJdt8tp9xGZf98v68X1NQZKI-l1z3aiKkNT-qkEXLcmXxx6DrBP-LiZW0sLHP2g1s7yIJvw/s320/79B572F3-C083-4D2D-ABD6-E619B388E39B.dng" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Shophouse near Jalen Sultan, Kuala Lumpur</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRILf6iQuW5bFy0MVvToNnQ3SAzSF1XBEDNXAapiNGJFX3qQtFOy-mchM_dyaVc8rgdJ3DXQ-wZjsgfucPx6VsxVp03RCIlBDsvxBAPZuXBnZPJkbKW-BYXGsz2pgmLFHUxwp7rf55PVP5RvEBFr6cBUaOmb55cxPbU9XOOuABhldlqYY-JSSZGSc8Hw/s4032/82F85FC5-5684-4124-AF37-8057A6ACAAEE.dng" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRILf6iQuW5bFy0MVvToNnQ3SAzSF1XBEDNXAapiNGJFX3qQtFOy-mchM_dyaVc8rgdJ3DXQ-wZjsgfucPx6VsxVp03RCIlBDsvxBAPZuXBnZPJkbKW-BYXGsz2pgmLFHUxwp7rf55PVP5RvEBFr6cBUaOmb55cxPbU9XOOuABhldlqYY-JSSZGSc8Hw/s320/82F85FC5-5684-4124-AF37-8057A6ACAAEE.dng" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Chestnuts roasting at the</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizakLa219OaHZ1JUV7gKzgFRsfXWySv3wsoIZNakeT9H2CWmoKvw69DJhk8D1jpe81InZoRl-OkqQBIXojY9ysBdoxDzq_3qudva1HGeJwzr1wCUJgTO12aLGx_stUb776VE9sYfwLomeNDzsLpywS02TTXqJeyQe856mvM2a0RKWvm8KfmSmOgwzEQA/s4032/BE3DDAF5-78B8-4A7E-9C09-8158E042C40C.dng" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizakLa219OaHZ1JUV7gKzgFRsfXWySv3wsoIZNakeT9H2CWmoKvw69DJhk8D1jpe81InZoRl-OkqQBIXojY9ysBdoxDzq_3qudva1HGeJwzr1wCUJgTO12aLGx_stUb776VE9sYfwLomeNDzsLpywS02TTXqJeyQe856mvM2a0RKWvm8KfmSmOgwzEQA/s320/BE3DDAF5-78B8-4A7E-9C09-8158E042C40C.dng" width="240" /></a><br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Inspiration at the Hungry Tapir. <br /><br /><br /></span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><p><br /></p>Lee Ann Spillanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04650009312001849617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7204430968023166999.post-22617781713628211372023-03-17T00:15:00.000-04:002023-03-17T00:15:08.848-04:00Tech Trouble: Slice of Life Day 17 of 31<p> I walked to the bus stop this morning. The air is still and heavy with humidity today. Grey skies bode rain soon. I found myself wishing for last week's windy weather. The 912B pulled up just after I got to the stop. </p><p>Yes! No waiting this morning. Air conditioning cooled me as I stood the few short blocks to school. I pulled last night's blog up on my phone.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp-YM2tBrw5ZdDYdgXjia4m9tQo6rMvz6vTxkETxwaqKsog8FnGmtQBt176ThY6_nGBa5EQQ3PdlkSrsHEiZLq1Io0QW23R8RA3XnO38Z3rdRmb9z4_0L0LVM4ZlqgDc-qWYe4ZaakG1BqTSDQcar_yL-FOImb7rvLlrWsPG3bgAR1uxOc94a-jE9u1w/s661/blank%20post.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="661" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp-YM2tBrw5ZdDYdgXjia4m9tQo6rMvz6vTxkETxwaqKsog8FnGmtQBt176ThY6_nGBa5EQQ3PdlkSrsHEiZLq1Io0QW23R8RA3XnO38Z3rdRmb9z4_0L0LVM4ZlqgDc-qWYe4ZaakG1BqTSDQcar_yL-FOImb7rvLlrWsPG3bgAR1uxOc94a-jE9u1w/s320/blank%20post.png" width="320" /></a></div><p>Wait? Where is it? </p><p>I see the title, Stories Simmering. I see a blank white post beneath! What happened? Where's the slice I wrote?! </p><p>Where's the photo from parent conferences? Where's my reflection about the stories I'd been thinking about all day? Where's the bird's nest fern? the trumpet flowers and the Ixora, the blossoms that mark and cheer me on my walk home? <i>Nooooooooooo. </i>Bummer.<i> </i>Oh well, tech trouble happens.</p><p>Still, as my students would say, I broke my streak! I don't know what happened yet. The fixer in me wants to figure it out now. It'll have to wait.</p><p>I wrote the post after school yesterday on my laptop at home. I'm on my school laptop now, and while the platform should sync and show me same same, I'm not so sure it is. </p><p>In ten years, I've not had encountered this particular snafu. Perhaps the wifi at home dropped the post while I publishing? Perhaps I'd selected all and hit a key deleting as I posted? Perhaps I closed the laptop too soon? Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps... definitely fixable. Definitely low impact and import. </p><p>I'll investigate when I get home today after parent conferences. We'll see if I can solve the mystery.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLSaVQA3CTo-ZtIt6hLc_qVt9y3n8AQYxTMe4HOLNoZs-Rq4VI61hauxZK5DHGK4BgcUvwDW5ziPAgxqcHWFrKsBIprQhZf067x60Y19OTiDH6uO0F-M3UNxD049NUCbNwk2VIPmz7gzToCeuisz0ERTU4o6JgV68rnWXk0VYkkpQGKtfhWv9iOCnQbw/s1600/slice-logo14-twt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1599" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLSaVQA3CTo-ZtIt6hLc_qVt9y3n8AQYxTMe4HOLNoZs-Rq4VI61hauxZK5DHGK4BgcUvwDW5ziPAgxqcHWFrKsBIprQhZf067x60Y19OTiDH6uO0F-M3UNxD049NUCbNwk2VIPmz7gzToCeuisz0ERTU4o6JgV68rnWXk0VYkkpQGKtfhWv9iOCnQbw/w200-h200/slice-logo14-twt.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 12.32px;">Many thanks to the team at </span><a href="http://twowritingteachers.org/" style="background-color: white; color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 12.32px; text-decoration-line: none;">Two Writing Teacher</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 12.32px;">s who host the Slice of Life Story</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 12.32px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 12.32px;">Challenge every day in March and on Tuesdays through the year. </span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>PS: Happy St. Patrick's Day! </p>Lee Ann Spillanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04650009312001849617noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7204430968023166999.post-4857046758511558462023-03-15T08:13:00.001-04:002023-03-15T08:13:04.648-04:00Classroom ClimateOne day, I will keep a daily journal of the climate of the classroom.<br />
<br />
When during the year are we flushed with enthusiasm for learning?<div>When do kids come into class wanting to tell me everything that is happening?</div><div>When do they fall silent?<br />
When are we mired in minutia?</div><div>When are kids so engaged they lose track of time? <br />
When does it seem like the very air is electric with curiosity and engagement?<br />
When do routines lose their shine?<div>
When do kids want to talk all the way out the door about what we were just doing?<br /></div><div><div>When do they lean on one another and help one another?</div><div><br /><div>
During the beginning of this year, I told myself I was going to remember the thrill of the first month of school. And I do remember those feelings, that excitement. Putting name tents on tables, responding to interest inventories and building communities with games and stories. </div><div><br /></div><div>Beginnings are joyous: getting to know students, writing together, introducing students to books. Beginnings shine, so full of light. </div><div><br /></div><div>The final days before spring break, not so shiny. Some moments as we wrap up quarter three, loom more dark cloud than blue sky. <div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Tis the school season</i>, I tell myself and <i>this too shall pass</i>. One moment in the feels and rhythms of a school year. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKKbtTX6XJiRJr4s6CsxjpEQDHt6JXhChWZ058r-T_ATjWOLa8D07GE57YjWQgw12ad7mx2aW53sa3YD0BROzOCL7QhUzre7V_GF34_BfyovINrD86Ys7OJo1208zyJVWluBnLZ9AxFT_mOfr_lfi-QWe9rGCG-LMGYJADL9lNGvHJJRz1NZQmh4fngw/s1600/slice-logo14-twt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1599" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKKbtTX6XJiRJr4s6CsxjpEQDHt6JXhChWZ058r-T_ATjWOLa8D07GE57YjWQgw12ad7mx2aW53sa3YD0BROzOCL7QhUzre7V_GF34_BfyovINrD86Ys7OJo1208zyJVWluBnLZ9AxFT_mOfr_lfi-QWe9rGCG-LMGYJADL9lNGvHJJRz1NZQmh4fngw/w200-h200/slice-logo14-twt.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div>Lee Ann Spillanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04650009312001849617noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7204430968023166999.post-71735447422648218822023-03-14T04:59:00.002-04:002023-03-14T20:37:04.491-04:00Assessing and Re-Assessing<p> "If we didn't use evidence from the unit in our essay does that count against us?" a student asked this afternoon as they were reviewing recent on-demand, argument essays.</p><p>"Yes, the prompt asks that you use evidence from the readings in this unit, so if you did not address that part, then it will count against you," I answer.</p><p>"Could we have mentioned one title and author--is that enough?" the student probed.<br /></p><p>"We, the teachers in the AP Language PLC, didn't put a quantity or a number on how many pieces of evidence from our six week unit would "count" per se, so I can't answer that without reading through your argument--- does that make sense?" </p><p>In my mind, I'm scrolling through all of the reading we did together and then all the articles students could choose to read independently during the unit. Together we read Ta-Nehisi Coates'<i> Between the World and Me</i>, excerpts from Iojema Oluo's <i>So You Want to Talk about Race</i>, and Nguyen's "<a href="https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/search?q=Nguyen%20minority">Asian Americans are Still Caught in the Trap of the Model Minory Stereotype</a>." Students also had weekly choices to read which included: </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dFODopIQKE1m0zT1Jt2aOdacOIgsiMFX/view?usp=sharing">Visualizing Racism</a> from the Washington Post</li><li>"<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/21/us/florida-ap-african-american-studies.html?searchResultPosition=2">Florida Gives Reasons for Rejecting A.P. African American Studies Clas</a>s" </li><li>Jeff Yang's "<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/28/opinion/asian-american-gun.html?searchResultPosition=1">A Terrifying Sign of Assimilation</a>" </li><li>"<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2023/02/12/college-board-ap-course-desantis-florida/">College Board accuses Florida Dept. of Education of ‘slander’</a>"</li><li>Fassihi's piece on protests in Iran, "<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/25/world/middleeast/iran-women-hijab-hair.html">Their Hair Long and Flowing or in Ponytails, Women in Iran Flaunt Their Locks</a>" </li><li>Dreir's piece on exploiting migrant children, "<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/25/us/unaccompanied-migrant-child-workers-exploitation.html">Their Hair Long and Flowing or in Ponytails, Women in Iran Flaunt Their Locks</a>"</li></ul><p></p><p>The student nods affirmatively. Then asks, "we will we have a chance to re-assess this timed writing?"</p><p>I knew the question would come and I did not want to say no. At the same time, if you are taking a position on an argument prompt about protests and oppression and you do not reference any of these readings... what could that tell me as a teacher?</p><p>"We will continue to practice and improve our skills when it comes to writing argument on demand. And no, because you wrote two pieces and then reflected and chose which to have scored, reassessment will not be offered on this particular assessment." </p><p>Later, I spoke with the student about connecting with me for more coaching over practice they could write in their journal. I know the student will take me up on it. They are keen to improve and they have their eyes on the horizon that is the AP Language exam in May.</p><p>How do you handle reassessment in your PLC or department? </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdoPb_ABn1hah3c3EUEl_P63sUb11IbjmcyW5NX3so_KFI9jXVLO0u7resJgCL3lVIJR6t7WA1er4TDOyPhN3dyxS4zRvaS2LRo-7t_7tPpUTWqLRsQTaM7T5SsyMGhrlL4DH7KIaeE1yhA8EQANLFEZvsLPgO0fhSI-kPVjHw6qz_kqojkOgUG4Xr-A/s1600/slice-logo14-twt.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1599" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdoPb_ABn1hah3c3EUEl_P63sUb11IbjmcyW5NX3so_KFI9jXVLO0u7resJgCL3lVIJR6t7WA1er4TDOyPhN3dyxS4zRvaS2LRo-7t_7tPpUTWqLRsQTaM7T5SsyMGhrlL4DH7KIaeE1yhA8EQANLFEZvsLPgO0fhSI-kPVjHw6qz_kqojkOgUG4Xr-A/w200-h200/slice-logo14-twt.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Many thanks to the team at <a href="http://twowritingteachers.org">Two Writing Teacher</a>s who host the Slice of Life Story <br />Challenge every day in March and on Tuesdays through the year. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p>Lee Ann Spillanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04650009312001849617noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7204430968023166999.post-53876020437042715552023-03-13T07:50:00.002-04:002023-03-13T07:50:29.567-04:00Flexible Learning Spaces<p>Think for a minute about the tools you used at the start of your career in education. Perhaps you began before email and cell phones. Perhaps you were there for the World Wide Web's debut. Maybe you've always been able to read, write and collaborate in digital spaces. Perhaps you began with Microsoft's suite of tools and copy machines that served as hub-printers scanners and copiers. Maybe you used an overhead project or document camera or a Promethean board! </p><p>As a digital pioneer and long-time educator, I've enjoyed learning through every change. What hasn't changed much, however, are classrooms or learning spaces. Sure, I remember Debbie Dillar's <a href="https://stenhouse.com/products/9781571107220_spaces-and-places">Spaces & Places</a>, and thinking about <a href="https://portable-teacher.blogspot.com/2014/01/lift-off-from-teacher-desk.html">doing away with a teachers' desk</a> in my earlier classrooms. I remember one year running a donor's choose campaign so that I could buy a variety furniture to use flexibly and then allowing students to choose where and how to work in our room. Flexible learning environments go far beyond that. </p><p>Singapore American School embarked on a <a href="https://www.sas.edu.sg/sas-reimagined">reimagining process</a> several years ago. They are designing flexible learning environments for the next century hoping to shift from: </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>isolated to teamed </li><li>teacher-directed to student-directed </li><li>isolated content to integrated content</li><li>classroom-based to community-connected and collaborative</li></ul><div>These shifts and more are illustrated below. As you can imagine, much like the learners we serve, we educators are all in different places on this continuum. </div><p></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLYIr0w9Rnr2kiIaF185kjsjib5IcP4q1uf4JhildxQZz0LyTS_ri9TRsnBsTDTJuV7lR2a_4aoeSpqAZEGirn95aE9Ohj7FFracfYDhJxPtGG3bUU60g_2p27vaYBq6g1Ebk9_kIPepDgZMGNf_QH-fm-7PlWRJA_Y7CU1yxKaLUui3aGvTnBqMzkyQ/s960/Transformation_Continuum_Learning%20Community.pptx.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLYIr0w9Rnr2kiIaF185kjsjib5IcP4q1uf4JhildxQZz0LyTS_ri9TRsnBsTDTJuV7lR2a_4aoeSpqAZEGirn95aE9Ohj7FFracfYDhJxPtGG3bUU60g_2p27vaYBq6g1Ebk9_kIPepDgZMGNf_QH-fm-7PlWRJA_Y7CU1yxKaLUui3aGvTnBqMzkyQ/w640-h480/Transformation_Continuum_Learning%20Community.pptx.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Though we're in different places, we are all learning. And that, if sometimes frustrating, excites too. To get in on the excitement, check out this animation of what the campus may eventually become: </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ivgYJkDqo-s" width="320" youtube-src-id="ivgYJkDqo-s"></iframe></div><br /><p>Incredible, isn't it?! Architecture, our architects, <a href="https://educationdesign.com/projects/singapore-american-school/">Fielding International,</a> and the spaces our students and faculty are talking about and shaping are inspirational and aspirational. We're exploring and learning alongside one another in the high school. It's daunting and thrilling work. I'll share a few of those daunting and thrilling stories from my own practice in the coming weeks. </p><p>PS:<i> </i>Want to see more cool designs? Check out <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/18ePj3GmtQzFQar1kdExyCL7XPd8nnkdz/view?usp=sharing" style="font-style: italic;">Designing for a Better School</a> by Roan Bosch, whose work includes the Western Academy of Beijing.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Lee Ann Spillanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04650009312001849617noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7204430968023166999.post-46141589818406993182023-03-12T06:23:00.002-04:002023-03-12T06:23:20.090-04:00Sunday Snaps<p>Grateful for simple pleasures and good company, continuing snap appreciations as my Slice of Life this Sunday.</p><p><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEdA0xVZBtcq2x2YRLpkLHJnpBa6-6uNm2PVJ-ZSHlUP28Wq4RnTKANu7Hj280u775dcdE81dnabLrmydwMQq0e7UKzkRu_tBeg8fSaMqgK4HInM9U24FOvNKsrRX77jDkyYLtjbuff6rH-N3G9fbHza6Qhx9KIwM3oQ8GBDc7NeaudIf0vppMcBNNVQ/s2550/91vDnP6pWEL.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="1688" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEdA0xVZBtcq2x2YRLpkLHJnpBa6-6uNm2PVJ-ZSHlUP28Wq4RnTKANu7Hj280u775dcdE81dnabLrmydwMQq0e7UKzkRu_tBeg8fSaMqgK4HInM9U24FOvNKsrRX77jDkyYLtjbuff6rH-N3G9fbHza6Qhx9KIwM3oQ8GBDc7NeaudIf0vppMcBNNVQ/s320/91vDnP6pWEL.jpeg" width="212" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cozied up with a good book and thunderstorm this week. Clean, crisp <br />sentences, stark truths. </td></tr></tbody></table></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYYSJgCJxbA2H-WlscsYL2yDGcsGt71LsFCjlUBNUFVhGA24gaMQASehiHWKb01-kqRpN9HwuueORgZzUv1z2A507fOiK2kC_5m8IN7pHWzfOGLMFACkuBzO6SInqPVR5oIjCkIWgM-b6c57OVWQ7a-8e-JXJLwUFwTlfxSFBD9uH0QeOoWpdWUOjaAQ/s4032/IMG_3413%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYYSJgCJxbA2H-WlscsYL2yDGcsGt71LsFCjlUBNUFVhGA24gaMQASehiHWKb01-kqRpN9HwuueORgZzUv1z2A507fOiK2kC_5m8IN7pHWzfOGLMFACkuBzO6SInqPVR5oIjCkIWgM-b6c57OVWQ7a-8e-JXJLwUFwTlfxSFBD9uH0QeOoWpdWUOjaAQ/s320/IMG_3413%202.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rooftop views with friends at week's end.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw5uJgmlmMiaODE5oA6w-sQIhVGF_dc0WnhMfy50tpsXkwVTpbR-aLaOmD9MHH2WgS2ucRrJjqlPhR_xwLvfsSRgeuBAW7UJDrVGrnOT22XcX-sC0PZXUW8ALn-qP-Yu-QVGvJw9cnFUaKEICv0F43RCxXxD5W9N5Fwj6umpHuSuhg8rIHIvUZOdncbQ/s3414/IMG_3412.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3414" data-original-width="1367" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw5uJgmlmMiaODE5oA6w-sQIhVGF_dc0WnhMfy50tpsXkwVTpbR-aLaOmD9MHH2WgS2ucRrJjqlPhR_xwLvfsSRgeuBAW7UJDrVGrnOT22XcX-sC0PZXUW8ALn-qP-Yu-QVGvJw9cnFUaKEICv0F43RCxXxD5W9N5Fwj6umpHuSuhg8rIHIvUZOdncbQ/s320/IMG_3412.jpg" width="128" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Logos & line art</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinS_Q3NqVKr0js6F78mNpIfhFGkkMpMZVYVU09xYhs6jzB2ae_1HdSHKKHMq4r7sNidNynacX0KK1u_ygPIAkLsRAN4wy4VhezKCBpwfc6sXhE89tHnILWYq6FmDOUL9NIk1Lu9p1xt0yBnX5X5CKAjSbPt3hGs4dg_LXmqAmzaxHp0tVX_9WkKZBFZA/s3827/IMG_3440.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3827" data-original-width="2563" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinS_Q3NqVKr0js6F78mNpIfhFGkkMpMZVYVU09xYhs6jzB2ae_1HdSHKKHMq4r7sNidNynacX0KK1u_ygPIAkLsRAN4wy4VhezKCBpwfc6sXhE89tHnILWYq6FmDOUL9NIk1Lu9p1xt0yBnX5X5CKAjSbPt3hGs4dg_LXmqAmzaxHp0tVX_9WkKZBFZA/s320/IMG_3440.jpg" width="214" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lobby line art from Andaz, Singapore. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiove37tRQ_ffGJPr4AHDkwMUW1_o_Qct0iGAAuDgJvdpSudF7zt-2Js7lg07YHqmURMRkne1rcaUoBggpHpNGKkOCaq6UHM2J8UcMock76giUzp9F-M9m7hQ0D6qDpstCLWfES6si67gCXG_OQdVW6eHQHwQHgYZ96-A-jVlU7XLYqC9-IFzDqASqS1g/s4032/IMG_3452%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiove37tRQ_ffGJPr4AHDkwMUW1_o_Qct0iGAAuDgJvdpSudF7zt-2Js7lg07YHqmURMRkne1rcaUoBggpHpNGKkOCaq6UHM2J8UcMock76giUzp9F-M9m7hQ0D6qDpstCLWfES6si67gCXG_OQdVW6eHQHwQHgYZ96-A-jVlU7XLYqC9-IFzDqASqS1g/s320/IMG_3452%202.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://conradsingaporeorchard.com.sg/dining/basilico/">Basilico</a>'s cheese room and weekend brunch with a friend.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG8si5lWJcljUQa6rqlCVUoOE7abYi_4UEuFRrSu_jue8LVyWgsrxGPHgGVoNT_RIoMSqzwbbtd3kYX62NnvDZP9-aEtdGLDtfi57VMkw3Y0K75TI2vwTUxisaTGDzX-ZJoDQgR3Qumvq7e1FmOUZ0vtq8sSODghqRxc51ogqi3YI4I6qGgNjU5yoMaQ/s2334/IMG_3461.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2334" data-original-width="1092" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG8si5lWJcljUQa6rqlCVUoOE7abYi_4UEuFRrSu_jue8LVyWgsrxGPHgGVoNT_RIoMSqzwbbtd3kYX62NnvDZP9-aEtdGLDtfi57VMkw3Y0K75TI2vwTUxisaTGDzX-ZJoDQgR3Qumvq7e1FmOUZ0vtq8sSODghqRxc51ogqi3YI4I6qGgNjU5yoMaQ/s320/IMG_3461.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">FaceTime sharing: stories, screens, and photos from my<br /> brother's visit to Mom's; matching shirts as memory & story prompts, love it.<br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div><br /><p></p>Lee Ann Spillanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04650009312001849617noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7204430968023166999.post-48013420856801239712023-03-11T06:55:00.004-05:002023-03-11T06:55:42.744-05:00Alignment to Experiences: List Slice<p>No story, per se, yet today. Perhaps I was too taken with the cheese room at <a href="https://conradsingaporeorchard.com.sg/dining/basilico/">Basilico</a>. Can you believe that selection? </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYVhp-Cxyqpf8IhmOyCwZso5NzyTe42IyywPHPp6RrwEbhADO1kz601exGpoKWBMDlqSdhLtxeAbEzguq1YGZRhMhyVffg1jXA9gQUTnafl13n5jfOQl4HEL7wLMCiMe-v2ev82ytygJWNSLDoosaq5j6c_eIOZSPZ2DUoCoTUes4rPe2fhU6jnyZRAg/s4032/IMG_3452.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYVhp-Cxyqpf8IhmOyCwZso5NzyTe42IyywPHPp6RrwEbhADO1kz601exGpoKWBMDlqSdhLtxeAbEzguq1YGZRhMhyVffg1jXA9gQUTnafl13n5jfOQl4HEL7wLMCiMe-v2ev82ytygJWNSLDoosaq5j6c_eIOZSPZ2DUoCoTUes4rPe2fhU6jnyZRAg/s320/IMG_3452.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="text-align: left;">I</span></div><p>Aside from the amazing brunch options, I'm thinking about: </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>alignment</li><li>assessment</li><li>back to basics: that whole movement in the early 2000s and how it relates to our post-Covid experiences in school</li><li>curriculum</li><li>data</li><li>experiences and engagement</li></ul><p></p><p>Just a few school thoughts on this fine Saturday afternoon. Perhaps I'll tell stories about these (or the cheese) in days to come. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj03dXy4xONEywQPyfCmwbijW73YS_K-jk6EQYyILb9atrvGav6nVFB1rgv8FJWgD7DnAReWjmP9Ezc7XlrqqabPoXsMVh1y_5JQ0a4olSmykFyqVy3y8lD4g9cCT3b6xpAwzbsVyhaY0cj6MfVQomkckFoyI1mJZvfEIjCQhnOot0gGovMvTyAENUW3g/s1600/slice-logo14-twt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1599" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj03dXy4xONEywQPyfCmwbijW73YS_K-jk6EQYyILb9atrvGav6nVFB1rgv8FJWgD7DnAReWjmP9Ezc7XlrqqabPoXsMVh1y_5JQ0a4olSmykFyqVy3y8lD4g9cCT3b6xpAwzbsVyhaY0cj6MfVQomkckFoyI1mJZvfEIjCQhnOot0gGovMvTyAENUW3g/w200-h200/slice-logo14-twt.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Lee Ann Spillanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04650009312001849617noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7204430968023166999.post-34622931909750065712023-03-10T01:26:00.005-05:002023-03-10T01:27:37.494-05:00Generate Curiosity in Nature<div>Part of blogging, for me, is meeting new-to-me bloggers through their daily slice of life posts. Mornings with coffee in hand, I spend some time getting inspired by the posts from the night before. <br />This morning found me reading Dr. Kim Haynes Johnson post about <a href="https://kimhaynesjohnson.com/2023/03/08/slice-of-life-challenge-march-13/">Ecotherapy on her Common Threads</a> blog. Kim's been inviting others into her blogging experiences, so this morning's post was actually written by her sister-in-law, Dr. Bethany Johnson. In addition to defining "ecotherapy ...as the practice of therapy<span face=""Libre Franklin", "Helvetica Neue", helvetica, arial, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white;"> that focuses on being outdoors and in nature," Bethany also noted its benefits on several body systems.</span><br /></span><br /></div><div>Her writing brought <a href="https://healingforest.org/2020/01/27/forest-bathing-guide/">forest bathing</a>, mindfulness and writing with students outdoors to mind. </div><div>It's been years since I sent students out onto campus to sit, observe, sketch and write. </div><div><br /></div><div>Singapore's Covid 19 protocols prevented that in the past three years. Prevention measures required groups of varying sizes during that time. While students could be outside in a small groups of five, like our elementary school students who wore colored wrist bands for group identification and sat in hoola-hoop groups of five to talk to one another and "play" in small, socially-distanced pods. The measures in place prevented intermingling and required us to know who was where when so that contact tracing was possible should the virus spread at school. Singapore just discontinued mandatory mask wearing on public transportation, the last of the mandated Covid 19 prevention measures to be lifted. </div><div><br /></div><div>Perhaps we'll do a walk about campus soon. We've got a vlog project coming up and the environment is one topic students may want to explore. Perhaps getting outside on campus to take a few photos and write in our journals will spark some creative thinking. Ah, we could even do a short mindfulness meditation first to relax and center ourselves. I'm liking this sequence. Perhaps it could be something like this: </div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Organize supplies: journals, pens, colored pencils, etc. </li><li>Explain the activity & check for understanding</li><li>Model wondering with photos from recent walks</li><li>Walk to the eco-garden or the rain forest area behind middle school</li><li>Find a spot and get comfortable</li><li><a href="https://www.headspace.com/" target="_blank">Headspace</a> mindfulness practice </li><li>Listen, observe, record, write and sketch</li><li>Return to classroom</li><li>Review observations</li><li>Share</li><li>Connect to current project: generate questions to explore further</li></ul></div><div>I'm liking the sound of this plan! Perfect as we head into the final days before parent teacher conferences and spring break. Definite connections to our upcoming inquiry! </div><div><br /></div><div>Here a few photos from recent walks on campus and in the neighborhood that sparked my own wonderings. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtGIO2r6rQ0gUcTlwJnxOBFp8C_KWoh6xRQanydi-55BMHiTxLysChntAnHJO77hQeCbMBGX2ccBV-lTH4iVw9-K8Oe7JKx7YKCoy7AkzEhq8kJ9Q10Cq_BOMiYiWzNlzTu30WniqVlzbFlUEMD84hPktsoH4Q25DUtUzFmQStzeihLTpEIxDqj-l2oQ/s960/nature.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtGIO2r6rQ0gUcTlwJnxOBFp8C_KWoh6xRQanydi-55BMHiTxLysChntAnHJO77hQeCbMBGX2ccBV-lTH4iVw9-K8Oe7JKx7YKCoy7AkzEhq8kJ9Q10Cq_BOMiYiWzNlzTu30WniqVlzbFlUEMD84hPktsoH4Q25DUtUzFmQStzeihLTpEIxDqj-l2oQ/w640-h360/nature.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">How do bats compare to other mosquito (or pest) prevention methods impact on the environment? </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Plants, such as the fruits of the Cannonball tree have medicinal properties, how are plants, even the foods we eat, medicine? </div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>I could wonder away about these images. Nature, just as Dr. Johnson and others have said, has transformative powers to take us away from ourselves and into other worlds. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyNrLEuMHhQhhLJ_CncGQYcQ4a4NWrkz7SZ7mCo3HDIakWCkgBM17uL7Thr2BkWnU1_3RALUGn9wA3Xthu_E4rMheKxe_OcDypmrHciXkLyhur7axIwWZ4FVpYZdSUpxUG9MaqaieuzqTfI-w5CtuhGKWnSktelpAbAURXEOjJIHDXpMYVpCs8NCrfOA/s1600/slice-logo14-twt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1599" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyNrLEuMHhQhhLJ_CncGQYcQ4a4NWrkz7SZ7mCo3HDIakWCkgBM17uL7Thr2BkWnU1_3RALUGn9wA3Xthu_E4rMheKxe_OcDypmrHciXkLyhur7axIwWZ4FVpYZdSUpxUG9MaqaieuzqTfI-w5CtuhGKWnSktelpAbAURXEOjJIHDXpMYVpCs8NCrfOA/w200-h200/slice-logo14-twt.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Many thanks to the team at <span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="http://twowritingteachers.org" target="_blank">Two Writing Teachers</a></span> for hosting<br />the Slice of Life Story Challenge each March!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Lee Ann Spillanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04650009312001849617noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7204430968023166999.post-27126063751636514712023-03-09T05:43:00.003-05:002023-03-09T05:43:54.757-05:00Eagles are Everywhere<p>We have all sorts of sayings at school. From "the eagle way" which defines how we apply our core values of compassion, fairness, honesty, respect, and responsibility to situations in and out of school to "once an eagle always an eagle," these mantras build school culture and keep us connected. </p><p>This slice is about eagle spotting.</p><p>Such connection surfaced today when I met with David, an advisor from The Investment Center. I'd booked an appointment to review the investment plan I've been contributing to while working here and to learn what I need to do as I prepare to move back to the United States. Though David and I have met yearly for several years, I didn't know much about his family. </p><p>Turns out we both are parents of recent graduates. His daughter graduated in 2022 and my son in 2019. We both are parents of single children and while we are living in Singapore our children are in going to college in the United States. Both of kids are studying engineering. When David said that his daughter is a student in Seattle, I shared that my son lived in Seattle for an internship this fall and that he's returning in May.</p><p>We grinned. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBi540-yun-kfCI2s-tAGgZuMYVcAz0cAxD8i0a7gvKHkExX9JxD4XcR_BW_IGwtns8zWCxwUksrMKnnMZTxNbbsc7BmFQN4rmPAMbCAbQrPiKFIROINe-lfAv8RYRk3V8eegQj7x8SOAwQUNtQF_E2SsX8qirLspm4PF0BMirYflztstht417ZB1S0A/s960/Eagles%20Everywhere.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBi540-yun-kfCI2s-tAGgZuMYVcAz0cAxD8i0a7gvKHkExX9JxD4XcR_BW_IGwtns8zWCxwUksrMKnnMZTxNbbsc7BmFQN4rmPAMbCAbQrPiKFIROINe-lfAv8RYRk3V8eegQj7x8SOAwQUNtQF_E2SsX8qirLspm4PF0BMirYflztstht417ZB1S0A/w640-h360/Eagles%20Everywhere.png" width="640" /></a><span style="text-align: left;">David wondered, "would your son would be willing to talk with my daughter about engineering? She's looking to find her focus: mechanical, electrical, civil...."</span></div><p>"Sure! I bet he would. Let me give you my contact and his name. I'll reach out to Collin and ask.</p><p>Before midnight Eastern Standard Time, and lunch here in Singapore, we'd contacted our own kids and they'd gotten each other's info. How cool is that? </p><p>Eagles are everywhere.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAsdkCCrWK5WSvfXdLSejuUP4IqNdwN3U6C0xtGMf_J11msNCfIkPU4kb-1PDFZUqB1rYha82zYAUng236Chx4BC9IAjR0Ak3seyalKPDgcrfbUsMaRBeLAkD2tvmHIq6sdEUvICBS-Ruc89PHDDP54TOVYjETppW2kJEcPpVSa2XSDy3AltSL4V8kLg/s1600/slice-logo14-twt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1599" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAsdkCCrWK5WSvfXdLSejuUP4IqNdwN3U6C0xtGMf_J11msNCfIkPU4kb-1PDFZUqB1rYha82zYAUng236Chx4BC9IAjR0Ak3seyalKPDgcrfbUsMaRBeLAkD2tvmHIq6sdEUvICBS-Ruc89PHDDP54TOVYjETppW2kJEcPpVSa2XSDy3AltSL4V8kLg/w200-h200/slice-logo14-twt.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Special thanks to the team at <a href="http://twowritingteachers.org">Two Writing Teachers </a>for <br />making space and building community with us writers.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Lee Ann Spillanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04650009312001849617noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7204430968023166999.post-36440623000645144052023-03-08T01:42:00.001-05:002023-03-08T01:42:55.972-05:00Overheard in the Hall: Gatsby Talk<p> </p><p>"I feel bad for Tom though," one boy said.</p><p>"What?!" a girl in the group replied.</p><p>"Well, he's lost both of his women..."</p><p>"You can't side with the white-supremacist, ..."</p><p>"Well, I feel for him. Daisy cheated on him and ..."</p><p>"TOM CHEATED ON HER!"</p><p>"Well, yeah, but... then his other woman is killed...and Daisy..."</p><p>"Bro, seriously? What?! No... "</p><p><br /></p><p>What does this exchange tell you about learners' beliefs? </p><p>Students in tenth grade English might read <i>The Great Gatsby</i> as a core text during an analysis unit. There are benefits and barriers to teaching whole-class novels and before coming to Singapore American School, I'd moved away from the practice and focused more on teaching skills and standards with short texts, reserving long texts or novels for independent reading or book clubs. The practice here was different, so at first, I conformed. </p><p>Then, in my second year of teaching English 10 here, and after reading <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jOdOUzceqwjhfm3IMPF_MWlpmclu5DKe/view">Disrupt Texts piece on teaching Gatsby</a>, I shifted. I went from teaching Gatsby to the whole-class to offering it as one of many book club choices. That change required PLC conversations as well as support from the department in purchasing titles. I'm glad I had the opportunity to both talk through the what, the why and the how as well as to make the change in my own classsroom. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg24Ltl1ZZfd5Y1NAJGYt8DgZy41gWwPRyZIK4zQcrCRflR2gzJ4QUws3m2sZNdSyaQvsZU0vuFO0a9Zgeu7sZt3oJrdRQUpWb85-Ab83aMib5uUuk8p3BX86fA8Z8mlfUvt3LSipeCY_T-rRr8zijd5woh-cgq_bIjMNHBR1RBLrd5aSbNJDSDwnuGwQ/s960/E10%20Book%20Clubs.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg24Ltl1ZZfd5Y1NAJGYt8DgZy41gWwPRyZIK4zQcrCRflR2gzJ4QUws3m2sZNdSyaQvsZU0vuFO0a9Zgeu7sZt3oJrdRQUpWb85-Ab83aMib5uUuk8p3BX86fA8Z8mlfUvt3LSipeCY_T-rRr8zijd5woh-cgq_bIjMNHBR1RBLrd5aSbNJDSDwnuGwQ/w640-h360/E10%20Book%20Clubs.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Book club choices for 3 of 5 units in sophomore English.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I teach a few of those tenth graders this year in my AP Language class; they still talk about the books they chose during those units. </p><p>Though we've just finished a unit on race in AP Lang (now not possible to teach such a unit in my home state of Florida, but that's another story). We read Ta-Nehisi Coates' <i>Between the World and Me</i>, excerpts from Oluo's <i>So You Want to Talk about Race, </i>and Nguyen's article discussion of the <a href="https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/search?q=Ngyuen%20model%20minority">Asian model minority stereotype</a> and many other choice articles from The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Straits Time, The China Morning Post, The Economist and more. During our discussions and conversations in class, nobody brought up Gatsby and his dream. </p><p>Surprising? Maybe. Maybe not. </p><p>Students need support in order to transfer and connect knowledge be that knowledge skill or content. In order to connect concepts from last year's work, I likely need to plan for that more intentionally. Now that I'm reflecting on it, I wish I had pulled a few dream passages from that set of novels as well as a dream passage from Coates or a promise passage from Oluo--that would have been a good Socratic practice there, zooming in on specifics. Always, I could do something a bit differently. <i>Next time</i>, I tell myself.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJZVFD1uB5VcQJqGmt1qj1XB7CzDOrczMvMKnrdSkTae0sd_oQhf24-UFoNjMGHU_5wRWeCDjuJe_accyJpL3A5mJvAh5zPaYemR6xL2ia2gR8voLgTM_ZbShB77mlgQdLgVcp-8YLLdsWn11gHOf23n5m1Z3XMVZJFE14jA92sMjRiUycorehO7jKrw/s1600/slice-logo14-twt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1599" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJZVFD1uB5VcQJqGmt1qj1XB7CzDOrczMvMKnrdSkTae0sd_oQhf24-UFoNjMGHU_5wRWeCDjuJe_accyJpL3A5mJvAh5zPaYemR6xL2ia2gR8voLgTM_ZbShB77mlgQdLgVcp-8YLLdsWn11gHOf23n5m1Z3XMVZJFE14jA92sMjRiUycorehO7jKrw/w200-h200/slice-logo14-twt.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 12.32px;">Many thanks to the team at </span><a href="http://twowritingteachers.blogspot.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 12.32px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Two Writing Teachers</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 12.32px;"> (TWT) who hosts Slice of Life Story Challenge <br />every day in March.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 12.32px;"><span style="color: #444444;">Swing by </span><a href="https://twowritingteachers.org/"><span style="color: #990000;">TWT</span> </a><span style="color: #444444;">to serve yourself up another slice or write your own, link up and join us!</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><br /><br /><p></p>Lee Ann Spillanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04650009312001849617noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7204430968023166999.post-41008107717019537612023-03-07T04:23:00.000-05:002023-03-07T04:23:05.777-05:00FaceTime Slice<p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV4d_akVJl4P8IqblUmsCaUc7-L5JtwKH89Nd_LTpRRnXrq7iWJc9MaGZIPhRB5lwqLV_z9Z-_KPQOM4ezyHOlvfnq5U94f6RVmHnkPGH5dFjXJ7SiVt60hqnJaFUjiWSPlSqymuf2fj4yqFsfufwC838NnCMsyTv3lIdq1GhL3Jw6r0qGpeM9fDJzFg/s3088/IMG_2229.DNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV4d_akVJl4P8IqblUmsCaUc7-L5JtwKH89Nd_LTpRRnXrq7iWJc9MaGZIPhRB5lwqLV_z9Z-_KPQOM4ezyHOlvfnq5U94f6RVmHnkPGH5dFjXJ7SiVt60hqnJaFUjiWSPlSqymuf2fj4yqFsfufwC838NnCMsyTv3lIdq1GhL3Jw6r0qGpeM9fDJzFg/s320/IMG_2229.DNG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Visiting Collin in Seattle, December 2023</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p>My son is a senior in college and we FaceTime at least once a week. We schedule our chats, so that we can have a regular time to connect--this quarter we're on my Tuesday mornings, his Monday evenings. Typically I get to school a bit early, settle into a cozy spot and give him a ring. </p><p>This morning we talked about his classes and about spring break. He's heading to New York with friends to spend time in the city. </p><p><br /></p><p>"Where are ya'll staying again?" I asked him.</p><p>"A Marriott--Times Square--I think. .."</p><p>"Wow. I wonder if that's the same Marriott we stayed in when NCTE was in New York?"</p><p>"I don't know."</p><p>"Yeah, you were young, six, seven?"</p><p>"Why didn't you all do AirBnB?" I asked thinking about the fabulous place we stayed the summer he was ten.</p><p>"I booked Marriott with points. All my points from the internship stay paid for half of the week for the rooms."</p><p>"Wow." </p><p>Collin interned during the fall semester. His housing--a Marriott Suites-- was covered by the company, so he went Titanium or Platinum or Diamond on points pretty quickly. </p><p>"That's great. Tell me again what you all planning?"</p><p>"Well, we're getting there Sunday and we'll check into the hotel and maybe walk around Chinatown that day. Then a show on Tuesday and.."</p><p>"You know I'm happy to fund another show ... since you're going to be there and..."</p><p>"I really want to pay for things myself this trip--it's the first time I've been able to do that and..."</p><p>"I get it!" I quickly respond. I couldn't tell I was proud of him in that moment, my eyes were tearing up and I knew my voice would break or be all trembly. If I'm being honest, I'm a little sad too. I miss him.</p><p>I shift. Stay focused on the good. <i>More is yet to come for us.</i> I remind myself to keep it light. </p><p>"Ya'll could also land day-of discount tickets since you're there and may have time."</p><p>"Yeah, we thought about that."</p><p>"What about The Strand? Are you going?"</p><p>"OH! THE STRAND... I forgot about that book store. I am adding that to the list right now."</p><p>"And you, maybe you create re-create this picture if you're going to the museum anyway--the Ancient Playground is, like, right next door..." grinning I text him a link to the photos we took when we last visited New York City together. </p><p>"Oh, that can definitely happen," he says. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0WH_m-mFzlU81pBbfrmmKrowa6EQe5Bf9PElvQS1uT3IWyaEsDeSvTM_bG8lwq6A0MsqDJTs_EffN542FyVnxOaZVQ8IJm65rplsYjSzEfwNrTGQbLKEgqIa4oYLeuMEvdbHtYHXX5ol6YVWrSEiA9EtbtlbVEMDWTFbanl48j0qmPXbMfi7P9sWrdw/s1675/IMG_3376.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1675" data-original-width="1170" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0WH_m-mFzlU81pBbfrmmKrowa6EQe5Bf9PElvQS1uT3IWyaEsDeSvTM_bG8lwq6A0MsqDJTs_EffN542FyVnxOaZVQ8IJm65rplsYjSzEfwNrTGQbLKEgqIa4oYLeuMEvdbHtYHXX5ol6YVWrSEiA9EtbtlbVEMDWTFbanl48j0qmPXbMfi7P9sWrdw/w280-h400/IMG_3376.jpg" width="280" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the swing at the Ancient playground, 10 years-old <br />and on FaceTime with Mom, 21 years-old </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>And so it went. We talked. We laughed. </p><p><i>Love that boy</i>. </p><p>Well, <i>man </i>now I suppose I should say.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjccB8otNx2wG7B9EeP7U2_mfDkEJzG3nF9namCV7YrKSJIobSbyNFvu99p2G1tBtMpzm-DDZF8j9warChl_DLVTrP31Wz5vxF69glwS1NB4I6Mq8qN085arybRM0et25y6331AoTk5BJPlfYGoyFWXAg-LVwv8LL8jNSg0HE_QM4dRjRrOhDBWQQv8pQ/s1600/slice-logo14-twt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1599" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjccB8otNx2wG7B9EeP7U2_mfDkEJzG3nF9namCV7YrKSJIobSbyNFvu99p2G1tBtMpzm-DDZF8j9warChl_DLVTrP31Wz5vxF69glwS1NB4I6Mq8qN085arybRM0et25y6331AoTk5BJPlfYGoyFWXAg-LVwv8LL8jNSg0HE_QM4dRjRrOhDBWQQv8pQ/w200-h200/slice-logo14-twt.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.4px;">Today is day 7 of 31 of the Slice of the annual Life Story Challenge </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.4px;">hosted <span style="font-size: 15.4px;">by the terrific team at </span><a href="https://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com/2015/03/31/sol15-day31/" style="color: #990000; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;">Two Writing Teachers</a><span style="font-size: 15.4px;">.</span></div></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p>Lee Ann Spillanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04650009312001849617noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7204430968023166999.post-917896728038299802023-03-06T01:18:00.003-05:002023-03-06T01:18:40.589-05:00ChatGPT<p> </p><p>"What do you think? Ban it, use it..."</p><p>"Well, it's certainly going to change how we teach writing."</p><p>"It's going to change the landscape of teaching and learning."</p><p>"Change..."</p><p>"Change..."</p><p>"Change..."</p><p>Change surprises us sometimes. Though folks have been working on AI and Machine learning for decades, ChatGPT seemed to sneak up on high school teachers out of out of nowhere. Suddenly, <i>nearly sentient</i> some said. It's not sentient, of course; it's not like the robots in <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/59112/59112-h/59112-h.htm">Rossum's Universal Robots</a>, by Karel Čapek, nor like the AI companion, Klara, of <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54120408-klara-and-the-sun">Klara and the Sun by Ishiguro</a>.</p><p>More a tool, ChatGPT buzzed about campuses across the globe with how it worked, what it could do, and how we teachers might use it or detect it if students used it. </p><p>Like many, I played with it. I asked for haikus and sestinas. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdrzI9fpFM85nc0JbitjcPp50FAhdPuQMkyLs_dLFswBrtJqInPIb0jgYXNg3oAuedr_klqRIMSJMS5Z4hOEx4woJAt_7cysDcxFfvxiqdUhKWPm1CO67nIcF_TlvEvjvOntbpsMPAdunGFd2wvD43goWMTPGfnoAz32P4zLjUOabowck35Oqchg3snA/s722/Mushroom%20haiku%20(2).png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="524" data-original-width="722" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdrzI9fpFM85nc0JbitjcPp50FAhdPuQMkyLs_dLFswBrtJqInPIb0jgYXNg3oAuedr_klqRIMSJMS5Z4hOEx4woJAt_7cysDcxFfvxiqdUhKWPm1CO67nIcF_TlvEvjvOntbpsMPAdunGFd2wvD43goWMTPGfnoAz32P4zLjUOabowck35Oqchg3snA/w640-h464/Mushroom%20haiku%20(2).png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Singapore Sestina #1, ChatGPT</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>I was tickled with the sestina. The haiku got repetitive quite quickly though.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpecYhJUbJN2uZV_4uaYu3oC-igmYoPDY0h7fxguSGTqhwP41k4o6yS_FUEHAGpBDiI8SPWbZ-P3CwCzmJgupZamXCiaMTZGYOlEgmquvMgtFyiVcOqaAtxAc82x1FD55gbN2vpjqku5Mr-EC4FZCxIuQernx2hJIo-dfogPxLBMutUCcHBsWANjU5xg/s960/Mushroom%20haiku.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpecYhJUbJN2uZV_4uaYu3oC-igmYoPDY0h7fxguSGTqhwP41k4o6yS_FUEHAGpBDiI8SPWbZ-P3CwCzmJgupZamXCiaMTZGYOlEgmquvMgtFyiVcOqaAtxAc82x1FD55gbN2vpjqku5Mr-EC4FZCxIuQernx2hJIo-dfogPxLBMutUCcHBsWANjU5xg/w640-h360/Mushroom%20haiku.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">12 Mushroom Haiku, ChatGPT</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Playing around I saw how the tool could support idea generation. I wondered though, how long would it take a student to get dissatisfied with what the bot produced or frustrated by trying to write the perfect command? </p><p>While I appreciated the creative jumpstart, I wondered how it'd write our current task, a This I Believe essay inspired by those shared on National Public Radio. </p><p>With a workshop read around the next day, I started drafting a piece with Chat GPT.</p><p>I wish I'd kept a record of the commands I fed the bot, but I didn't and I've cleared the chats so many times by now. </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_uzEMKsiVlvndt0_2mpcFHciZWH8kJ3Mrdis2T7zjz-oDBqV_yDQPdo8DfzQjoOHS1NldnclP7v-4U8IyNjbXD4pkQ8_DwMrkZW1an1ZJsiL1DdrLpGi82hEtqfxc8_QPK1RWXf57qxumNWJ4sTUfI6_3jmFBq0P-ni7r3J3Pzep3-nSlvLqiCFMOzw/s754/ChatGPT%20draft.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="395" data-original-width="754" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_uzEMKsiVlvndt0_2mpcFHciZWH8kJ3Mrdis2T7zjz-oDBqV_yDQPdo8DfzQjoOHS1NldnclP7v-4U8IyNjbXD4pkQ8_DwMrkZW1an1ZJsiL1DdrLpGi82hEtqfxc8_QPK1RWXf57qxumNWJ4sTUfI6_3jmFBq0P-ni7r3J3Pzep3-nSlvLqiCFMOzw/w400-h210/ChatGPT%20draft.png" width="400" /></a></p><br /><p>Needless to say I pieced together a draft. Reread it. Revised it a bit (and kept my revisions in blue). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Rcy9YYLo3RL2G3_7eSWBgZ0hScu6czGbE-M3nZ3IiW8jwZcPpD37qOHPgH9YI_dxsaqIvikb-a_1IU9xX1Tw1p0BPbVBRsIju8zhyyRN0o2FI_2s8JJWQonyr23kHBSXLmGqC3fvJV2qy2S8zGj-B6R0ocuvA9flSLv31wBUXwuq5IaLx2TFYxsiFQ/s692/Untitled%20presentation.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="692" data-original-width="692" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Rcy9YYLo3RL2G3_7eSWBgZ0hScu6czGbE-M3nZ3IiW8jwZcPpD37qOHPgH9YI_dxsaqIvikb-a_1IU9xX1Tw1p0BPbVBRsIju8zhyyRN0o2FI_2s8JJWQonyr23kHBSXLmGqC3fvJV2qy2S8zGj-B6R0ocuvA9flSLv31wBUXwuq5IaLx2TFYxsiFQ/w400-h400/Untitled%20presentation.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>I brought the draft to class the next day, clarified the two font colors and sent it around our read-around circle. In that circle we pass drafts of our current pieces. See all of the <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AJO0SynpAASReU8SxfwyTiw_IK4neRSA69D5smjJAaQ/edit">drafts here</a>.</p><p>With each pass we take 1-2 minutes to read, then silently pass the next draft when time is called. It's quick. We pass for 12-18 minutes and get a decent big picture view, enough of a look-see to talk strengths and next steps, of our writing as a group. </p><p>Once we'd done the read around and reflected together, we talked ChatGPT. How, when or for what would using it fall within our academic integrity guidelines? When would using it violate our academic integrity? </p><p>Students talked thoughtfully about what the bot generated sharing things like "it gives you general ideas," and "it couldn't write the personal parts, only you could." So true! </p><p>Then drafts in hand then left class to get working on their next steps. We regularly use Turn It In . com to scan work for plagiarism in our English dept. The day before revisions were due, I decided to have us play with bot detectors and see what we noticed. I framed our play by wondering aloud about the results my own essay got when I ran it through the detectors. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUKYBFefNWDMCpy1a0xGPUSpaMF_hGJ76LoTkoGEwf5jboC6iN6llCMMCy0YHCuaSBCuejkJFM6C4W3JP54biUPhFOaordkSoe3I2gWZUHYN84ECsOxdQh4lIagVF41Vpg_utx3QyV04Aext3CkttA9OcJXaLOQSZlFDy0eQ54A6OhAKzLnE9W-FLH0Q/s960/A4_C2%20Today%20in%20English%20_%20AP%20Lang%20%2322-23%20.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUKYBFefNWDMCpy1a0xGPUSpaMF_hGJ76LoTkoGEwf5jboC6iN6llCMMCy0YHCuaSBCuejkJFM6C4W3JP54biUPhFOaordkSoe3I2gWZUHYN84ECsOxdQh4lIagVF41Vpg_utx3QyV04Aext3CkttA9OcJXaLOQSZlFDy0eQ54A6OhAKzLnE9W-FLH0Q/w640-h360/A4_C2%20Today%20in%20English%20_%20AP%20Lang%20%2322-23%20.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>We used <a href="https://gptzero.me/">GPTZero</a> and ChatGPT itself. For ChatGPT we asked it: How likely is it that chatgpt wrote this essay: [copy and paste essay]. The room buzzed as students uploaded their pieces and then read the results and then tried to upload other items and fool the accuracy checkers. We screenshot the checker results and students dropped those screenshots into the GoogleDocs they were working in. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipx0_YQYZq9pDuwcC0Jr_edClDpcbxGt-gc7vhw0BlyXZQjlEl7pQQOjm6Ziz1WPtT_jyOzYHh4W8mvCsDwLYgkSHpoxxUaTQw-G92T5gO4DC6aMXsgE3otjIuo4vqN9zna6ALA_ZPS3OcK85fN4aCZWs676Xs5o-SeCXJADWytrNY0jwo26N6RT2xLA/s699/Untitled%20presentation%20(1).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="699" data-original-width="611" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipx0_YQYZq9pDuwcC0Jr_edClDpcbxGt-gc7vhw0BlyXZQjlEl7pQQOjm6Ziz1WPtT_jyOzYHh4W8mvCsDwLYgkSHpoxxUaTQw-G92T5gO4DC6aMXsgE3otjIuo4vqN9zna6ALA_ZPS3OcK85fN4aCZWs676Xs5o-SeCXJADWytrNY0jwo26N6RT2xLA/w350-h400/Untitled%20presentation%20(1).png" width="350" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>One student asked ChatGPT to explain perplexity and burstiness scores--that took us down an interesting rabbit hole for a few minutes. Overall I rated that instructional sequence as effective and efficient! I appreciated students having the time to do it--to check themselves, to inquire into the tools and to talk about what academic integrity means in practice. I enjoyed the facilitator stance, taking on the inquiry --that was decidedly much more pleasant and engaging than investigating after the fact. Win, win. </p><p><br /></p>Lee Ann Spillanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04650009312001849617noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7204430968023166999.post-77085962125475777502023-03-05T00:48:00.000-05:002023-03-05T00:48:33.658-05:00Sunday Snaps<p>In poetry slam communities when the audience loves a line, an image, a poet's voice or piece, often, they snap. Snapping as a form of appreciation has a history as Katherine Rosman notes in "<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/22/fashion/snapping-new-clapping.html">Why Snapping is the New Clapping</a>." This Sunday, I'm going to share six or seven snaps in no particular order, snapshots in this case, to show some gratitude and appreciation for the week.</p><p> One Republic in concert: incredible--amazing, Ryan Tedder's voice and <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/10-great-songs-you-didnt-know-onerepublics-ryan-tedder-wrote-250513/">song writing history.</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV5Dxq1EdKxaKa4l1RaREj9sGcJzZCgi4smTUwgu_N3NvhNBxfZMeDlgtjHnjXS82ovBPhXHMpPyQoRk_lx6GztJ6TCGdlQxqrTlacgQEp1_t8iONw1iPYpTZcJD6ZSoQzrBJsH3YpO4r_vShuEqo7ztyne0J40rrKGJkTEq-6qcfpZyrSNoU172aQBQ/s1170/IMG_3365.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="649" data-original-width="1170" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV5Dxq1EdKxaKa4l1RaREj9sGcJzZCgi4smTUwgu_N3NvhNBxfZMeDlgtjHnjXS82ovBPhXHMpPyQoRk_lx6GztJ6TCGdlQxqrTlacgQEp1_t8iONw1iPYpTZcJD6ZSoQzrBJsH3YpO4r_vShuEqo7ztyne0J40rrKGJkTEq-6qcfpZyrSNoU172aQBQ/s320/IMG_3365.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Spotting cool buildings when out with friends.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZiUR0M1vynGxMkmkHMAOuskGsZcMawgwr577txGY5AryZWxzvGqpjgRVN0LlsYnZv-ZaudiMqt85OUmBK7L3K_MUZc0By-3CcPn7KAiGotoCN-k0ei8dGG63NL_f4O7YQfRT0mzry54f3PkvhqcO7Lque2OnRVyimeze2YHzh7LU5ZRFGsyXxT4RxSA/s3650/IMG_3294.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2398" data-original-width="3650" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZiUR0M1vynGxMkmkHMAOuskGsZcMawgwr577txGY5AryZWxzvGqpjgRVN0LlsYnZv-ZaudiMqt85OUmBK7L3K_MUZc0By-3CcPn7KAiGotoCN-k0ei8dGG63NL_f4O7YQfRT0mzry54f3PkvhqcO7Lque2OnRVyimeze2YHzh7LU5ZRFGsyXxT4RxSA/s320/IMG_3294.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Views of the eco-garden from the third floor of the high school: lush, gorgeous, green</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlri4COyMR6zW_DDqk3WKipUroTnuBZPEE-AhRkiuhErcm5P29TGG4tEInkB08ADnmomK4QG8CoSCEmqST0znABdozyQ322Bo51SAQyixw-FFncUd3m5dWnOW60mGf_T86IIXKmBUqtySSeCz-90ts461_jLfj-obbwVZbhjeHaLK-bmN9E19cmkosvQ/s4032/IMG_3345.DNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlri4COyMR6zW_DDqk3WKipUroTnuBZPEE-AhRkiuhErcm5P29TGG4tEInkB08ADnmomK4QG8CoSCEmqST0znABdozyQ322Bo51SAQyixw-FFncUd3m5dWnOW60mGf_T86IIXKmBUqtySSeCz-90ts461_jLfj-obbwVZbhjeHaLK-bmN9E19cmkosvQ/s320/IMG_3345.DNG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />Three students from our school competed in the Forensics finals round. Original Oratory took home the gold!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPgrAA1EOmyqmFre4eJD65_e9MkjjJsh0zlSWHB4SNDzDTaFcckXrtlAJMETIAmxEPO9gQhRBdgeWxq9MrbYTI4gISbYjuaSI2eqnu1vPNrySpbvFnEWHgNqhJC4csEU7ST2-Czu6Ks6ampGpNCFVOFuCY2Q5xheVco1Qc4UOKUYb7tBsdNSF3Ml2bDA/s4032/IMG_3348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPgrAA1EOmyqmFre4eJD65_e9MkjjJsh0zlSWHB4SNDzDTaFcckXrtlAJMETIAmxEPO9gQhRBdgeWxq9MrbYTI4gISbYjuaSI2eqnu1vPNrySpbvFnEWHgNqhJC4csEU7ST2-Czu6Ks6ampGpNCFVOFuCY2Q5xheVco1Qc4UOKUYb7tBsdNSF3Ml2bDA/s320/IMG_3348.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Finished the first draft of our This We Believe project--love, love, love hearing kids' voices! Now to figure out to share them. Photos are linked to our audio recordings--how do you think I could I share them?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4I0n_RgA3IGytippRSfcMywwXXDTJQg0kOZxcFVtH9_zGZIVMzCKvQs1JTitS2joFHXcIf29FDGLDi1Q29fwHbAz8gE3ePwUTLh8LkhqufZh0XYnWsf7nEbvjtWit-l1kzCyA0PlJZvbV1UtyGQLYctbSjQlNP4UPTwVhqsEBFBUKyeWnTvMJdwXEBg/s1344/This%20We%20Believe%20SAS.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1344" data-original-width="1152" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4I0n_RgA3IGytippRSfcMywwXXDTJQg0kOZxcFVtH9_zGZIVMzCKvQs1JTitS2joFHXcIf29FDGLDi1Q29fwHbAz8gE3ePwUTLh8LkhqufZh0XYnWsf7nEbvjtWit-l1kzCyA0PlJZvbV1UtyGQLYctbSjQlNP4UPTwVhqsEBFBUKyeWnTvMJdwXEBg/w549-h640/This%20We%20Believe%20SAS.png" width="549" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So satisfying, rain and book reading. I've been on an Elizabeth Stout kick, reading through the Lucy Barton books, our of order (4,3,1) and loving them. So clean, so crisp, so start the short sentences in Lucy by the Sea. Those sentences combined with the isolated seaside setting sure echoed the loneliness and unknowns of the pandemic.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW3g9Oc1yta4GCwpn282Q6zjL7U_UHERSdP9Sq5pkNbhE1W4v6LJ4xFtWxZ5IGg85QKRqpl5vG2IkJUixUdXlXOZIMMMiUrR1rq-1CrhvMwU5aGKWp4oSHxwfC-k1IYcDx4KxKeGbqF9S-56x64HYoiafn4lUePj55dXuptsRkFbmxy08mh3EDvrtMqA/s1170/IMG_3366.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="626" data-original-width="1170" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW3g9Oc1yta4GCwpn282Q6zjL7U_UHERSdP9Sq5pkNbhE1W4v6LJ4xFtWxZ5IGg85QKRqpl5vG2IkJUixUdXlXOZIMMMiUrR1rq-1CrhvMwU5aGKWp4oSHxwfC-k1IYcDx4KxKeGbqF9S-56x64HYoiafn4lUePj55dXuptsRkFbmxy08mh3EDvrtMqA/w640-h342/IMG_3366.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLEc4HlKyZcmX67eMPUXSB2dUFFoygaYGe0l-rRQLrTaWvOPVG31hwrCWWYiq3scYnGY4KPf0f1NzQcun_7eWi1VF8OvfKq6osq4eO16mZLO8cdo4wIy88MepY12YfvTzL8zHE8aAZgsvb0qNXslugfqMPOUFULv-02WcvzmluLYCTSKoB7Rem45vjUg/s1600/slice-logo14-twt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1599" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLEc4HlKyZcmX67eMPUXSB2dUFFoygaYGe0l-rRQLrTaWvOPVG31hwrCWWYiq3scYnGY4KPf0f1NzQcun_7eWi1VF8OvfKq6osq4eO16mZLO8cdo4wIy88MepY12YfvTzL8zHE8aAZgsvb0qNXslugfqMPOUFULv-02WcvzmluLYCTSKoB7Rem45vjUg/w200-h200/slice-logo14-twt.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 12.32px;">Snaps to the team at </span><a href="http://twowritingteachers.blogspot.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 12.32px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Two Writing Teachers</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 12.32px;"> (TWT) who hosts Slice of Life Story Challenge every day in March.<br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 12.32px;">Swing by TWT to serve yourself up another slice or link up your own and join us!</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>Lee Ann Spillanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04650009312001849617noreply@blogger.com5Singapore1.352083 103.819836-26.958150836178845 68.663586 29.662316836178846 138.976086tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7204430968023166999.post-15625381361102897582023-03-04T01:47:00.001-05:002023-03-04T01:47:32.874-05:00Varsity Speaking<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2-xNxOEbwnw7fRS3macoSZuz2iJARpP21HNqWGwz7atakb6Aen3EpBxIZMqR-C7G9oeX7xoU1qsSvecA3UiHRxMQCYbTAo3trPdnbU2C7iiNEsDWJxBpXpB6GIGMNHcx5C3R54UJOiTpm28nGhAr9azrw471NiXSPBuvwke-jv3fx9TgRNiw-uWBQBQ/s4032/IMG_3323.DNG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2-xNxOEbwnw7fRS3macoSZuz2iJARpP21HNqWGwz7atakb6Aen3EpBxIZMqR-C7G9oeX7xoU1qsSvecA3UiHRxMQCYbTAo3trPdnbU2C7iiNEsDWJxBpXpB6GIGMNHcx5C3R54UJOiTpm28nGhAr9azrw471NiXSPBuvwke-jv3fx9TgRNiw-uWBQBQ/s320/IMG_3323.DNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sophia, Alice and Harini, Original Oratory delegates</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>"Are scores out yet?"</p><p>"Ms S, do you have the scores?"</p><p>"Where are you?"</p><p>"How'd you do?"</p><p>"What'd it say?"</p><p>"Yes!"</p><p>"Wow."</p><p>"Congratulations!"</p><p>A few of the reactions from speakers participating in this week's speaking tournament, our Cultural Convention.</p><p>Cultural Convention brings six IASAS schools together for some friendly competition in the areas of forensics and debate, dance, drama, theatre tech, music, art and film. <a href="https://iasas.asia/">IASAS </a>being the Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asian Schools. Singapore American School (SAS) is hosting the forensics and debate convention this year. </p><p>Excitement fills our campus as kids compete.</p><p>Aside from debate, events include Original Oratory, which I coach, Oral Interpretation, Impromptu Speaking and Extemporaneous speaking. Each team brings three delegates to the convention which gives us eighteen speakers in each category. The top six in each event will go on to a finals round. The table below summarizes the different events.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhehogsJJVQFHk4PFJ61iUbVn81CQJ8B5orT8sOJ0b2uZYyczDyJ7Q1yXXzLX6EcWx_8F_p1A96E-QDHurRPXK891F2sMs2HL5mxAEidDQJ9Uxy6zg-U7mH0LdP3nM3GNkMk6dQSD1iA96-A8osqT7_ETVkxF5v9dS4HcVxs5eIqHaSyBpZuTPahdZ99Q" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="674" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhehogsJJVQFHk4PFJ61iUbVn81CQJ8B5orT8sOJ0b2uZYyczDyJ7Q1yXXzLX6EcWx_8F_p1A96E-QDHurRPXK891F2sMs2HL5mxAEidDQJ9Uxy6zg-U7mH0LdP3nM3GNkMk6dQSD1iA96-A8osqT7_ETVkxF5v9dS4HcVxs5eIqHaSyBpZuTPahdZ99Q=s16000" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table><p>We have had two days, three rounds of magnificent speeches, oral interpretations, and debates. The Original Oratory (OO) team includes Harini, grade 12, Sophia, grade 11, and Alice, grade 10. Harini's speech persuades students to stop using big words to sound smart; Sophia writes to persuade students to read critically and Alice's speech informs us on the drawbacks of choice paralysis. Varied and true, I love these writers, these speakers and the work they have put into their pieces</p><p>We face finals today. Exempt, Oral Interpretation and Original Oratory all have speakers moving on to finals this year. </p><p>Wish us luck!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy9IkzCRNL9LbDOEfoLSfDyEcpDaLLr9-LK7STxJ9U4_P8nPuxSFMftflb9dQ86lujgPQ7n8MR6BeSdgZNiu2LlATkpi3e4CSPRSXx4UV92IskbEPwvM-ntoFt97l0yTVDygG5fNYj_wkyGDFKqQZaQ-6PYXPLmIrxc09rG14wJRMAA946ucaFcT77OQ/s1600/slice-logo14-twt.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1599" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy9IkzCRNL9LbDOEfoLSfDyEcpDaLLr9-LK7STxJ9U4_P8nPuxSFMftflb9dQ86lujgPQ7n8MR6BeSdgZNiu2LlATkpi3e4CSPRSXx4UV92IskbEPwvM-ntoFt97l0yTVDygG5fNYj_wkyGDFKqQZaQ-6PYXPLmIrxc09rG14wJRMAA946ucaFcT77OQ/s320/slice-logo14-twt.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.4px;">Today is day 4 of 31 of the Slice of the annual Life Story Challenge </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.4px;">hosted <span style="font-size: 15.4px;">by the terrific team at </span><a href="https://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com/2015/03/31/sol15-day31/" style="color: #990000; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;">Two Writing Teachers</a><span style="font-size: 15.4px;">.</span></div></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p>Lee Ann Spillanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04650009312001849617noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7204430968023166999.post-22896016482832393452023-03-03T04:28:00.001-05:002023-03-03T04:28:36.406-05:00Learning and Travel #2: First Falls<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvEgyXiodmIUpPGDH2Q-DnllVt3DDBiKT7aVTzIlfn8UPemes8rv15dOzn57M_dirB29LJPK5Qk9LaOQ2oznoBe7NT3NoOGQE_DuTkUgewioqaGuvcKEN2trOG7X9l7FPgAcsJCpryykaVa0GccQuMrOhYnH9ZVyipnmvC-2R6SaeURokJbQ0kU01XTw/s1800/D6C0A6F7-0386-4C06-B607-7BF989C16B95.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvEgyXiodmIUpPGDH2Q-DnllVt3DDBiKT7aVTzIlfn8UPemes8rv15dOzn57M_dirB29LJPK5Qk9LaOQ2oznoBe7NT3NoOGQE_DuTkUgewioqaGuvcKEN2trOG7X9l7FPgAcsJCpryykaVa0GccQuMrOhYnH9ZVyipnmvC-2R6SaeURokJbQ0kU01XTw/s320/D6C0A6F7-0386-4C06-B607-7BF989C16B95.JPG" width="256" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First ski lesson, Pyongyang, South Korea</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Has everyone but me lost all the weight they may have gained during Covid lockdowns? I definitely have not. There are twenty-five more pounds of me now as compared to pre-Covid. I'm not ashamed of myself. I know the why and the how of it. And while I believe as Sonya Renee Taylor writes that <i>The Body is Not an Apology, </i>I also believe my future eighty-year-old self will appreciate a healthier me. </p><p>Still, additional weight or not, Americans like me can have trouble finding clothes that fit in South East Asia. So when I got tapped to chaperone a skiing field trip to South Korea, I knew I'd need to find clothes from elsewhere. I thought I'd prepared enough: Burton snow pants from REI, hoodies and pullovers from LLBean (via Goodwill), borrowed thermals, beanies and wool socks. I was set. </p><p>Except I wasn't. The puffy jacket I'd borrowed from a friend wasn't quite waterproof. Our guide from Adventure Korea told me I should rent a ski coat when we stopped to outfit the students. </p><p>Our bus pulled over just a few minutes before we reached the 2018 Winter Olympic Resort Area of Pyongyang. We unloaded: thirty teenagers, three chaperones, two guides, a bag of travel trash and a checklist. </p><p>"Make sure you have goggles, a helmet, ski gloves, a coat, ski pant... hey, helmets, everyone," our guide Michael called out as we walked into the warm road-side rental store. </p><p>Crammed full with racks and racks of colourful coats, ski pants, bins and bins of helmets, walls of gloves, gaiters, ski masks, the small space suddenly filled. </p><p>Michael waved me over to him and introduced me to the Korean shopkeeper. He spoke to her in Korean, turned to me and said, "Min will help you find a coat. Follow her."</p><p>She darted between racks of mens' coats to the front of the store. Reaching up with a hook on a poll she started sliding coats to the right. She selected a red and blue one and brought it down for me to try. </p><p>Size L, I saw on the tag. <i>There's no way that will zip up</i> I thought to myself. Large in Asia is medium in the United States. I slipped on arm into the coat, then the other and bent down to zip it. With a big inhale I tried to bring the ends together,<i> nope, not happening</i>, I thought. Min stepped forward. For a minute I thought she was going to grab the coat and sausage me into it. </p><p>I shook my head while freeing my arms. Looking down the rack I spotted XL written on card stock mounted further down the rod. I walked that way pointing to a bright pink number.<i> If I fell down the mountain in that, surely someone would spot me! </i></p><p>Min got the coat down from the rack and I slipped it on. The sleeves fell a good 4-6 inches beyond my hands and the bottom hem nearly to my knees, but guess what? </p><p>It zipped up! Sold! I smiled and tucked the coat under my arm as I made my way to the helmets and check out counter. </p><p>Flash forward a few hours to our first ski lesson. Prior to leaving Singapore, chaperones had asked students about their skiing experience. We'd sorted our thirty kiddos into 3 groups: 9 intermediate skiers, 8 8 beginning with some experience, 8 new-to-skiing beginners and 5 novice snowboarders. I went with the new to skiing group. My friends Silvia had the experienced beginners, Tim, who has taught in Switzerland and has loads of skiing experience, took the intermediate skiers and our guide, Michael, taught the novice snowboarders. </p><p>In purple snow pants, the hot-pink rental snow coat, and two layers of thermal, I wedged my foot into my snow boot and tried to buckle it. <i>My God, how do people move in all these clothes? </i> Silvia and I laughed as we tried to help each other get our boots on. One of our guides, noticing we'd not clicked all of the buckles hustled over and did up the top of our boots for us. Smiling she sent us out to meet our ski instructors. </p><p>"Ready?" Silvia asked.</p><p>"Ready!" I replied grabbing my skis and poles. </p><p>Head up. Eyes forward I spotted the door. Now to get there. Clomp. Slide. Shuffle Clomp. Clomp.</p><p><i>How do people walk in these boots? </i>Somehow we made it to sidewalk outside. </p><p>Pyongyang's ski complex contains several resorts, twenty-four runs and a large food cart, shopping area. Our instructor Soo met me and my group of beginners on the snow just outside.</p><p>"Okay, Ms. Lee Ann, are all the kids here?" Soo asked.</p><p>I scanned the group, counting, "Yes, all here."</p><p>"Follow me." She skied out in front of us and crossed the ski lane, stopping in an area out of the way on the other side. "Okay, everyone, lay your skis and poles down next to you. Watch me." She got first one boot and then another out of her skis by pushing the back latch down with a ski pole. Now, first, you click your boot into your ski. </p><p>Click. Click. Click. Clank. Clank--"Why won't my boot go in?" one student said. "I can't get mine either," another replied. "Oh, shit!" someone said as they hit the snow.</p><p>First fall. Now worries. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." the student started apologising for their language. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>"No worries, you okay?" I said, adding, "My first thought when we stepped out on the snow was an "Oh Ship" myself." We all chuckled and then doubled down on trying to click our boots in. <p></p><p>Click. Click. Click. Click. With Soo's help, we all clicked into our skis. </p><p>"Okay. Good. Good job," Soo praised. "Now, grab your poles and let's practice getting out of our skis."</p><p>The kids bent down to pick their poles off of the snow. I followed their lead reaching toward the poles I'd left on the group. <i>Reach. Reach. Come on, why can't I reach them? </i></p><p>"Ms. Spillane, you okay?" a student asked.</p><p>"I can't reach my poles. I think it's the coat!" There was so much coat around my waist and the coat hemmed in my legs. "Cannot!" I laughed using the Singaporean expression.</p><p>"Let me help you," said the student reaching over for the poles. "Look at me, in sweatpants! I might be cold, but I can move" he grinned right before one ski slide behind another and down he went.</p><p>Both of us humbled from the start. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEvA6AiEGaQIfReZXUFKcqrQAzwwagbNRb0gbqYsL0CpWiHtKrcyFCItfJU7Fu_424eE4OWjvegnIMVaG2g4Uw-hmPVApKd6N0oELoXgoql6XSArA7hdtaznVMtvY59_yV0SI_YXUQfH_RzZB5xKJpVGtppmVKEq589m1XSPhF5YeEWN8TjuwVUXG-jQ/s1600/slice-logo14-twt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1599" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEvA6AiEGaQIfReZXUFKcqrQAzwwagbNRb0gbqYsL0CpWiHtKrcyFCItfJU7Fu_424eE4OWjvegnIMVaG2g4Uw-hmPVApKd6N0oELoXgoql6XSArA7hdtaznVMtvY59_yV0SI_YXUQfH_RzZB5xKJpVGtppmVKEq589m1XSPhF5YeEWN8TjuwVUXG-jQ/s320/slice-logo14-twt.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 12.32px;">Big thanks to the team at </span><a href="http://twowritingteachers.blogspot.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 12.32px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Two Writing Teachers</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 12.32px;"> (TWT) who hosts Slice of Life Story Challenge every day in March and on</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 12.32px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 12.32px;">Tuesdays throughout the year. Swing by TWT to serve yourself up another slice or link up your own and join us!</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Lee Ann Spillanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04650009312001849617noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7204430968023166999.post-37295991345726307882023-03-02T21:45:00.002-05:002023-03-02T21:45:48.379-05:00Learning and Travel<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe-DrJvERmIBWdmrAHgBj4Iasc8YPYr3V4BHl41C4KdbkpVdjf6NodckpsOxhBWRr4PDdeIjsXlhxuWT6UTKL3Chsp6wGVYHZq5Nz2lEBuHSHXUGS2BMHrD4RS8OotG8hA_d3i83kHwBoGpn0anrHIB0XbJW_magp3r5_JTivL9K3h2uwnECUOoBrQ2w/s1600/4ee703f1-dc90-4b81-a0b4-62dcd446dc55.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe-DrJvERmIBWdmrAHgBj4Iasc8YPYr3V4BHl41C4KdbkpVdjf6NodckpsOxhBWRr4PDdeIjsXlhxuWT6UTKL3Chsp6wGVYHZq5Nz2lEBuHSHXUGS2BMHrD4RS8OotG8hA_d3i83kHwBoGpn0anrHIB0XbJW_magp3r5_JTivL9K3h2uwnECUOoBrQ2w/s320/4ee703f1-dc90-4b81-a0b4-62dcd446dc55.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me in my rented snow coat, day one, interim 2023, Pyongyang, South Korea</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Clad in thermal tights, snow pants, a t-shirt, a thermal pull over, a snow coat, a warm neck gaiter, a ski mask, a wool beanie and a snow helmet, and ski boots I make my way from the equipment rental counter to exit doors. I am in South Korea. Winter reigns. Temperatures hover below zero.</p><p>As a native Floridian and long-time roller skater, I dreamed of skiing. I love snow as only someone who has never been punished by it can. I've wanted to ski since I was little wearing wooly socks and slipping and sliding around on the linoleum in Mom's kitchen. Mine wasn't a skiing family though, so I never made it the slopes during winter time. When I married, my husband, a northern transplant to Florida, wasn't a skier anymore. He hates cold weather, so we never planned winter holidays together in cold climates. Plus, as we aged, he said it was safer not to ski. Saying, "Your window to try that has closed, honey." He was thinking about my last broken wrist, likely the result of new K2 inline skates and slick Bones ball bearings. <i>Still</i>, titanium-plated my wrist is fine. I still wanted to try skiing.</p><p>So, when the opportunity to chaperone an interim trip to ski in South Korea presented itself, I signed up. Why not?! <i>I could finally learn to ski! The window was not closed! It's never too late..., right?</i></p><p>At Singapore American School, the international school where I work, students have an opportunity to learn in the world during each year's Interim Semester. Interim Semester is a week-long learning opportunity outside of school. Before Covid, trips, of service, adventure and culture, took students to around the city of Singapore, and to <a href="https://portable-teacher.blogspot.com/search?q=interim">Africa</a>, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Bali, the Philippines, Mongolia, Nepal, <a href="https://portable-teacher.blogspot.com/2018/03/humbled.html">Bhutan</a> , London and more. Students chose trips based on their interests and needs; service was required prior to graduation. In 2019-20 when the world stopped, so did interim. </p><p>That year, trips were cancelled. We lived locked down. Allowed only out of our residences for essentials: food, exercise. Group sizes outside were limited to two. Interim began again in 2021. We could have groups of 10 by then, so with twenty students and two chaperones we could safe distances in spots all around Singapore: investigating art, kayaking mangroves, hiking parks, cooking dim sum. While our Singapore outings were well-themed, focused and fun, we sure missed the world. </p><p>The world sure missed us too. With travel back on this year, we felt folks' love in airports, in restaurants, in shops, in parks, in resorts here in Southeast Asia. Friendly smiles, eager questions, warm stories, so much sharing from the folks we met during interim-- an amazing welcome back to the world. </p><p>At school, faculty learned which February trips they would chaperone in late November. In the halls you hear teachers trading trip details, "Where are you going? Who's on your trip? Wow! Are you excited?! Have you ever...?" </p><p>"I've never skied. I'v always wanted to learn though, ... " I'd reply to friends' questions and then grin as they shared their own details. </p><p>"Lee Ann, it is going to be cold! and wet! Do you even have a coat here?" That sure got me thinking.</p><p>"I don't!" I replied. </p><p>I live in cotton and linen in Singapore--endless summer everyday. Temperatures range from the high eighties to low nineties, unless it's raining. When it rains, we may get a chilly seventy-eight degrees. Skirts, short sleeved shirts, capris, sandals, these are everyday wear here. We bundle up for air conditioning at movie theatres and little else. <i>Why did I choose a winter trip?! What had I been thinking?! I'm moving this year and I don't have any winter clothes! </i> Interim challenge number one showed itself. </p><p>How would I stay warm and dry in South Korea and in the snow? Friends were full of good advice. </p><p>"Send out a message. See what you can borrow, " a Canadian friend suggested.</p><p>We have a digital marketplace in our community and folks borrow and barter all sorts of things. <i>That's a good idea,</i> I thought to myself.</p><p>"Where are you going for winter break?" another friend asked.</p><p>"I'm going to your home first! Seattle and then, Orlando," I said. "I'm going to visit Collin--his internship at Blue ends just as our winter break begins. We'll have a long weekend together in Seattle."</p><p>"Oh! In Seattle you can shop for winter gear. Go to RE. They have great guides there. Their flagship store is fantastic. They will even talk you through all the things you may need to pack to stay ski-safe and warm," my friend from Seattle suggested.</p><p>And so I did. Challenge accepted. Solutions found.</p><p>I learned a lot during this year's trip. Soon, I'll write more of those moments. Expect to see a few slices from the snow, from the lift, from the bunny hill and beyond. </p><p><br /></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpGNQvKbALJA3XUpZlW2DrmOkvRXC0QPa8x2XS2Y6aqMUCy8fh31reaYyB31Ug-1i5YzWgBF_KewcSTcloUxMAdvyOXIGrxx4S_KOAJ9u79jSIhiTHNTF8dyz0uUvtAiBQPgOXP-a4wvmu6GUfJXgFJ9Ur8F9mICE39zUyHYV3OoJgs_mso1IbP0OwCw/s1600/slice-logo14-twt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1599" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpGNQvKbALJA3XUpZlW2DrmOkvRXC0QPa8x2XS2Y6aqMUCy8fh31reaYyB31Ug-1i5YzWgBF_KewcSTcloUxMAdvyOXIGrxx4S_KOAJ9u79jSIhiTHNTF8dyz0uUvtAiBQPgOXP-a4wvmu6GUfJXgFJ9Ur8F9mICE39zUyHYV3OoJgs_mso1IbP0OwCw/s320/slice-logo14-twt.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 12.32px;">Shout out to the team at </span><a href="http://twowritingteachers.org/" style="background-color: white; color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 12.32px; text-decoration-line: none;">Two Writing Teachers</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 12.32px;"> for hosting the annual</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 12.32px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 12.32px;">Slice of Life Story Challenge. Magic happens when teachers who teach writing,</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 12.32px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 12.32px;">write themselves. Joins us. Link up every day in March or on Tuesdays throughout the year.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><p></p>Lee Ann Spillanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04650009312001849617noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7204430968023166999.post-50369295093701271872023-03-01T21:24:00.002-05:002023-03-01T21:24:19.608-05:00A Teacher Friend Who Challenges Me: SOLSC Day 1<p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">O'dark thirty this morning found me on FaceTime with one of my besties from home. Beth, <a href="https://seekingsix.blogspot.com/">who blogs at Seeking Six</a>, and I have shared twenty-years of firsts and challenges together. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We met in 1995. I can't remember the class or the exact moment or the when or the what we were doing. Both full-time beginning teachers, we were in a doctoral cohort together at the University of Central Florida. In the summer of 1996 we started writing side by side. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">That summer, we aspired to write more and to learn more about teaching writing from a professor who who would become one of our sheroes. Adolescent literacy expert, Dr. Janet Allen taught high school English for decades in Maine before <a href="https://www.milkeneducatorawards.org/educators/view/dr-janet-allen">winning a Milken award</a> for her work, getting her doctorate and moving to Florida to teach at UCF. Janet was our advisor and she led the summer's National Writing Project institute in 1996. Beth and I enrolled. We supported one another through that month of writing: laughing and crying with other teacher writers over drafts and demo lessons.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As teachers, we supported also supported each other through our first National Board Certification, through changing state standards, through implementing PLCs and through pioneering digital spaces. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We <a href="https://portable-teacher.blogspot.com/search?q=Bear+English">Ninged</a>. We <a href="https://twitter.com/spillarke">Tweeted</a>. We Moodled. We Streamed. We <a href="https://www.facebook.com/EdCampOrange">EdCamped</a>. We challenged ourselves as writers by doing our first Slice of Life Story Challenge together in 2012. How has it been that long? </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">So, this morning, a world away, I'm settling into my journal at a marble dining room table, air con cranked up, the stone table top cold and the FaceTime rings. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">"<i>Hey</i>, friend," she says on her ride home from school.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We chit chat. I get an update on her daughter and she on my son. We talk school. We talk exercise. We talk. We laugh. We catch up. Just before we hang up, she inserts, "Hey, are you slicing this year?!"</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">"Oh yes! Yes! Dang it! I've been thinking about it. How did I miss ...." </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">"Today is March 1st--it starts today! Well.... <i>here</i> it's today."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">"And it's March 1st until noon in Singapore if I'm posting back to the US, right?"</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">"Yep! Do it. Let's do it."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">"I'm in." </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And off we go. This is my sixth and final year in Singapore. Writing bridges that distance and I'm looking forward to seeing what the month will bring. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I know there will be moments of writer's block and moments of runaway writing and moments of "shitty first drafts" to use Anne Lamott's words here. I know the writing will be worth it. Worth the time. Worth the challenge. Worth the effort. Worth the connections. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Worth it. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpGNQvKbALJA3XUpZlW2DrmOkvRXC0QPa8x2XS2Y6aqMUCy8fh31reaYyB31Ug-1i5YzWgBF_KewcSTcloUxMAdvyOXIGrxx4S_KOAJ9u79jSIhiTHNTF8dyz0uUvtAiBQPgOXP-a4wvmu6GUfJXgFJ9Ur8F9mICE39zUyHYV3OoJgs_mso1IbP0OwCw/s1600/slice-logo14-twt.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpGNQvKbALJA3XUpZlW2DrmOkvRXC0QPa8x2XS2Y6aqMUCy8fh31reaYyB31Ug-1i5YzWgBF_KewcSTcloUxMAdvyOXIGrxx4S_KOAJ9u79jSIhiTHNTF8dyz0uUvtAiBQPgOXP-a4wvmu6GUfJXgFJ9Ur8F9mICE39zUyHYV3OoJgs_mso1IbP0OwCw/s320/slice-logo14-twt.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Today is day 1 of 31 of the Slice of the annual Life Story Challenge hosted</div><div style="text-align: center;">by the terrific team at <a href="https://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com/2015/03/31/sol15-day31/">Two Writing Teachers</a>.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div>Lee Ann Spillanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04650009312001849617noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7204430968023166999.post-70919155373546191102022-08-16T01:10:00.003-04:002022-08-16T23:52:25.183-04:00Building Community I hear laughing, giggles, chuckles, even a guffaw. Standing at the glass door of my classroom, I hold it open watching students look for their classrooms. Eleventh graders wander and choose their seat at one of our color tables. Pink, red, orange, yellow, green and purple totes filled with markers, dry erase pens, post its, note cards, and a few fidget toys sit on the small groups' tables. Color-coded <a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/11Ky1NmfYmKt987QqfMZpeWa-u-OpGW3AJxdYTNXK_8s/edit?usp=sharing">name tents</a> emblazoned with our eagle mascot wait for folks to fill in their fours corners: movie recommendation, home town, mother tongue and entrance/exit song. <div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvIbfFSC8Pooj4ojc-TCOgd80WWzeXoZ4w8oAYpVzjuAAAvJNcOc4drqX6bGkz-3J8sfjRXYCkf6WIjnMUleNnE2ai15iJVDVqktZ_-dwru0Vzdy68Kq0QjPAjKiV7JDmS_Y5hCcsfd7H9J2Om964z6aihvI0fgYQP3tjwUWED4NN2Q4XMyO55wBeO9A/s1980/IMG_E4C7E210ABAA-1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1980" data-original-width="1170" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvIbfFSC8Pooj4ojc-TCOgd80WWzeXoZ4w8oAYpVzjuAAAvJNcOc4drqX6bGkz-3J8sfjRXYCkf6WIjnMUleNnE2ai15iJVDVqktZ_-dwru0Vzdy68Kq0QjPAjKiV7JDmS_Y5hCcsfd7H9J2Om964z6aihvI0fgYQP3tjwUWED4NN2Q4XMyO55wBeO9A/w236-h400/IMG_E4C7E210ABAA-1.jpeg" width="236" /></a><br /></div><br /><div><br /><div>We'll use these name tents all year: when we have a substitute, when we switch groups, when I video a lesson. I keep them in a drawer/basket and teach students to take them out and set them up as one of our routines. I use the four corner annotations to get my first glimpse into students' identities. </div><div><br /></div><div>This year I modeled our four corner questions after items our leaders asked faculty to note during the faculty's back to school week. In my block 2 class, students speak English, Korean, Hindi, and Mandarin! They come from the United States, Korea, India, Taiwan, China, and Indonesia. So many rich cultures in our room. </div><div><br /></div><div>I'm looking forward to getting to know more about each student: what they know, what they can already do and how their culture will influence the work we do together. To that end, during first week of school I build some sort of inclusion activity or initial assessment into each class. </div></div><div><br /></div><div>Today students <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/12dqAInrK0rFDXaJCX2txNE7Jdnn84WUzBtQlbu1eVFE/edit?usp=sharing">completed sentences using these stems</a>. I model a variety of sentence moves on the back with my own sentences. This gives them a start and I enjoy seeing what they can do. I learn a lot from students' responses. </div><div><br /></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Who spontaneously uses end punctuation?</li><li>Who shows the most flexibility or fluency with sentence structures? </li><li>Who writes general examples? </li><li>Who can be the most specific? </li><li>Whose voice can I already hear? </li></ul></div><div><br /></div><div>These are some of the things I think about as I respond to students sentence completions. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9inj4ts2axfpxdd4BVkMTlcCkDyh73ubrqopfN7cmQHNXwlsT94KGKKm9IRvtqLYjXpPvazUBi-QX2JnHtqL5eIdtEASZ4x5MSR7o7P7IBROGKRTcEFvuvRq0T2ETlYURDYW3Fu0QSJ8Kkxvx5EfAeNrLfx2arbJuo8882RTEUS8z1q3epEI3B_IzCA/s3507/ABsent.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3507" data-original-width="2480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9inj4ts2axfpxdd4BVkMTlcCkDyh73ubrqopfN7cmQHNXwlsT94KGKKm9IRvtqLYjXpPvazUBi-QX2JnHtqL5eIdtEASZ4x5MSR7o7P7IBROGKRTcEFvuvRq0T2ETlYURDYW3Fu0QSJ8Kkxvx5EfAeNrLfx2arbJuo8882RTEUS8z1q3epEI3B_IzCA/w283-h400/ABsent.png" width="283" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgthAj9qIiATbTVvOwmCLhUKxEnubJLDrQIBwgQJ065_pKd8HkUSiYTo8Dk4qzo9NunpFZClvjD9TgDZyrD58Zy1OPf15i8ZEn1vt95_1NtI8n28Dbz6dNJP22PAgIUEddi1awYDPc3dK_sDbg3ZacNg9suAb1YRGrGKbkGieLejM3dWBN07IlqrWozTw/s3507/ec-sent.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3507" data-original-width="2480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgthAj9qIiATbTVvOwmCLhUKxEnubJLDrQIBwgQJ065_pKd8HkUSiYTo8Dk4qzo9NunpFZClvjD9TgDZyrD58Zy1OPf15i8ZEn1vt95_1NtI8n28Dbz6dNJP22PAgIUEddi1awYDPc3dK_sDbg3ZacNg9suAb1YRGrGKbkGieLejM3dWBN07IlqrWozTw/w283-h400/ec-sent.png" width="283" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Today's community moment was to drop photos onto a slide and then use them to tell 1-2 stories in small groups. I started by telling a story about finding photo four my son's first visit to Nasa, and how that connects to an internship he will start at Blue Origin soon.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoT9vWPokoEYiyrTBGnmq9KQPe63JpKHnutC6bA9Sj0wwtBXiBGBsEiW0aoTElmy1o10XoIOizAJ0OFgcEniBZaapjJnsFk8BdTnFpJm_EsiOsF-n0LxXqUYayBV3NtOMjpQVI8qk5BNSESRNrCKJYwML-DkoXNUmUmogH2oHkb6wN0NuS9Kto35XVXA/s960/A4%20Today%20in%20English%20_%20AP%20Lang%20%2322-23%20.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoT9vWPokoEYiyrTBGnmq9KQPe63JpKHnutC6bA9Sj0wwtBXiBGBsEiW0aoTElmy1o10XoIOizAJ0OFgcEniBZaapjJnsFk8BdTnFpJm_EsiOsF-n0LxXqUYayBV3NtOMjpQVI8qk5BNSESRNrCKJYwML-DkoXNUmUmogH2oHkb6wN0NuS9Kto35XVXA/w640-h360/A4%20Today%20in%20English%20_%20AP%20Lang%20%2322-23%20.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>Here's B's slide. I love seeing the photos students choose and listening to the first stories they tell one another. Many of these students have known each other in years past. Some have even been in school together since they were four. Still, there is always something to discover, to learn about the person sitting next to you. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizBDMTV0SC6TSCjcoSAfw9GISSgtEgwlhZoDg6qYWCTny9XwlmadRIOB98fMeGBpys_dB6yJZd6g_GE79x4yJB__oLPHFbgpRGzem9EFomBOZ12ekDzfkeNoGuFQKlNUkx2YAiL3yA__zV-ovMosr5caWqM9Whsx1i79p764QqKT8HHnsbnjmNBAV4EA/s960/A4%20Today%20in%20English%20_%20AP%20Lang%20%2322-23%20%20(1).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizBDMTV0SC6TSCjcoSAfw9GISSgtEgwlhZoDg6qYWCTny9XwlmadRIOB98fMeGBpys_dB6yJZd6g_GE79x4yJB__oLPHFbgpRGzem9EFomBOZ12ekDzfkeNoGuFQKlNUkx2YAiL3yA__zV-ovMosr5caWqM9Whsx1i79p764QqKT8HHnsbnjmNBAV4EA/w640-h360/A4%20Today%20in%20English%20_%20AP%20Lang%20%2322-23%20%20(1).png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We are going to have a great year together! I already know.</div></div>Lee Ann Spillanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04650009312001849617noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7204430968023166999.post-82683187409048692432022-06-19T17:47:00.005-04:002022-06-19T17:47:56.036-04:00Monitoring Learning<p>How do you know when learners get it? How do you break learning goals and targets down so that you can see or hear students’ progress? How do make that progress transparent, shareable and part of your instructional routines?</p><p>When I am teaching, I think about those questions and more. When students are learning and practicing in small groups or independently, I need to be close to the action to monitor and support them. </p><p><b>Monitoring versus Circulating</b></p><p>Circulating<b> </b>is movement. Circulating is not gathering evidence of learners’ knowledge and skills. Monitoring means keeping a close watch. Monitoring is strategic. Monitoring keeps notes and confers. Monitoring requires relationship and trust.</p><p>I used to think about monitoring learning in more in terms of presence and furniture. “<a href="https://portable-teacher.blogspot.com/2014/01/lift-off-from-teacher-desk.html" target="_blank">Lift Off from the Teacher Desk</a>” captured that thinking. </p><p>Now, I know that being with the people is the first move. Circulating, walking around the learning space, sitting momentarily with small groups as they work, these are important initial markers of monitoring learning. To monitor though, I had to have strong relationships with students. </p><p>Students needed to see me as a coach who was working to help them win—every learning target became an opportunity to prepare for the big game, the summative assessment. One move beyond circulating, for me as a teacher, is paying attention—because let’s be honest, sometimes we’re in the room, but thinking about something else. Taking notes helps me pay attention to students and their learning. Tracking where students are in relation to our learning targets gives me important information about what students may need next in order to continue to grow and deepen their understandings.</p><p> I cannot hold data about 22 or 25 or 31 students in my head, especially not when I’m teaching back to back classes, so I do what others have called “clipboard cruising.” I used to attach a roster sheet or a grid on paper to a clip board, list students names down the first column and then and as Brenda Power says, I would take note. Notes took a variety of forms then and now.</p><p>Now, I use an iPad and a variety of digital tools to monitor learning: sheets, GoodNotes 5, Equity Maps and Pear Deck. GoodNotes 5 is an app that lets me take picture, record audio, type or draw my own notes and I can share the notes with a co-teacher, so both of us have editing access to real-time data about our learners. Here is a messy page from the start of our year when I was monitoring students’ independent reading. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjppPZFIPnUEufiOL0X74ygdsCOL5-ps7ZrgNvDBOqAVemcDJtOU07w3sjzUdwwB5Tmo2Cm1guF33wyPBQ3d9ZMuAKu9z0fFEWz3XAM-tkG4gyszpmy9Y3eN7XvtvjtTG8Wq0rVNIvFH0jPHvOK_dyiQSdq5Gla2IcinQJKSvB-V2EvVS1RMAXvzuwWxA/s1684/B79383AD-9918-42D4-BE7F-7F8E38CB4374.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1684" data-original-width="1186" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjppPZFIPnUEufiOL0X74ygdsCOL5-ps7ZrgNvDBOqAVemcDJtOU07w3sjzUdwwB5Tmo2Cm1guF33wyPBQ3d9ZMuAKu9z0fFEWz3XAM-tkG4gyszpmy9Y3eN7XvtvjtTG8Wq0rVNIvFH0jPHvOK_dyiQSdq5Gla2IcinQJKSvB-V2EvVS1RMAXvzuwWxA/w450-h640/B79383AD-9918-42D4-BE7F-7F8E38CB4374.jpeg" width="450" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Practically, using a sheet and conditional formatting to sort learning data quickly helps me see patterns quickly, form small groups, and provide targeted practice. Capturing my assessment data in these ways supports learners during conferences when we work together to review learning and to plan or co-plan next steps for learning. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEileWarO2O9XBhsnhgs_G5DLSHJPBBZSffRfbUTZD-EYpepVZErUy5TfJdkcZSz_9NuI0HfFA5GKMG7E64c8MZAcnMIngnu8yMlACIdRWQRiKL8xYabu_Di7i18KNfq2Sli8UUbRAY6UBStduozEPA0hX_HA3TOoSXzn0ndS196kdredtEomPCMg-wp8A/s1779/EAC7FD0B-34F8-4DF2-BE9B-BCD8751D0400.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1779" data-original-width="867" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEileWarO2O9XBhsnhgs_G5DLSHJPBBZSffRfbUTZD-EYpepVZErUy5TfJdkcZSz_9NuI0HfFA5GKMG7E64c8MZAcnMIngnu8yMlACIdRWQRiKL8xYabu_Di7i18KNfq2Sli8UUbRAY6UBStduozEPA0hX_HA3TOoSXzn0ndS196kdredtEomPCMg-wp8A/w312-h640/EAC7FD0B-34F8-4DF2-BE9B-BCD8751D0400.jpeg" width="312" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjooQUsysRb51wJVOwYLvjDQVm1xdBQmGtBMB-u-_YJKe6n0E8niIC1KK5-jAjaXv3pLr-eFIPLDz_u3gKh1qMhSDKxdMQfaPe6pE1_rke0budH0KTjy_eEn1FlgHwYmgjI5A7vvH2Wgv8T9aW_ecq9SczuwfCJxyxOqYE65sR-WPtipWFh_ZiDPLOP8g/s1487/55D342A8-4E3E-480F-BCD2-38EB03EE7863.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="819" data-original-width="1487" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjooQUsysRb51wJVOwYLvjDQVm1xdBQmGtBMB-u-_YJKe6n0E8niIC1KK5-jAjaXv3pLr-eFIPLDz_u3gKh1qMhSDKxdMQfaPe6pE1_rke0budH0KTjy_eEn1FlgHwYmgjI5A7vvH2Wgv8T9aW_ecq9SczuwfCJxyxOqYE65sR-WPtipWFh_ZiDPLOP8g/w640-h352/55D342A8-4E3E-480F-BCD2-38EB03EE7863.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I use a variety of formats and tools to monitor learning and gather data. I love it when students and I have set goals and planned our check ins. Exciting work that kind of teaching and learning. The best thing is when students see their own success and trust me to monitor their learning, give them continuous formative feedback and coach them toward the goals we set— sweet indeed. </div><p><br /></p><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Lee Ann Spillanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04650009312001849617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7204430968023166999.post-72021539268473617732022-04-29T05:30:00.003-04:002022-04-29T05:30:00.215-04:00Keys to Vocabulary Instruction<p><br /></p><p>I am so lucky to live and work where I do. I am grateful that we have had in person school, masks on, for nearly two full school years. Unlike some schools in Asia and Southeast Asia, we've been lucky to remain open and on campus with learners. Now that we are entering into an endemic stage of the pandemic; we are learning to live with the virus in ways that protect one another. As we emerge from the limits and challenges of the pandemic, like many others, we are rethinking, redesigning and or relaunching teaching and learning practices. </p><p style="text-align: left;">During the pandemic, leaders encouraged teachers to take things off of learners plates, to condense content down to core power skills, and to break larger summative assessments down into smaller chunks. Though we returned to school quickly after the lockdown, Circuit Breaker 2020, we are only now beginning to readjust our practices. Like educators everywhere, teachers at my school are thinking: </p><p> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>What do we abandon that we did before the pandemic?<br /></p><p> What do we go back to that we did before that we put aside because of the pandemic? </p><p> What did we learn to do differently that we'll continue to do? </p><p>One thing my PLC wants to bring back is vocabulary instruction. I do too! </p><p>Whenever I listen to talk about vocabulary instruction, Janet Allen's voice comes back to me: integration, repetition, meaningful use. Janet was my graduate advisor and continues to be my mentor and mother teacher. I first heard her cited those keys to vocabulary instruction at a literacy workshop somewhere in Florida or maybe Utah. She was citing Nagy's <i>Teaching Vocabulary to Improve Reading Comprehension, </i>and previewing essentials from her first book on vocabulary instruction, <i>Words, Words, Words (1999). </i>One of Janet's many talents was moving research from theory into practice and for a time, these three words became our team's vocabulary mantra. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLOCsqoSS8FXarc6ele1XJfq7qaJbSFKVF8m_a5n6r0Q34793lvR2niFHx9idxfzC5DcFJrQ2z-qMI3b0VPr6WVO1ojgOZr8FCSAuJCqEMfO7jph6yxieTzKPnXzltoPsMpjT8XZY1Ve2tt0-GiP0soEkwm9fS_kc_IF-PKWPhF71GGFgvNFQm00r-2Q/s910/Screenshot%202022-04-27%20at%202.58.38%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="910" data-original-width="657" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLOCsqoSS8FXarc6ele1XJfq7qaJbSFKVF8m_a5n6r0Q34793lvR2niFHx9idxfzC5DcFJrQ2z-qMI3b0VPr6WVO1ojgOZr8FCSAuJCqEMfO7jph6yxieTzKPnXzltoPsMpjT8XZY1Ve2tt0-GiP0soEkwm9fS_kc_IF-PKWPhF71GGFgvNFQm00r-2Q/s320/Screenshot%202022-04-27%20at%202.58.38%20PM.png" width="231" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">They continue to resonate, more than twenty years since the publication of <i>Words, Words, Words</i>. Janet and a host of others saw opportunities to address vocabulary instruction in ways that would be more meaningful than what was most often seen then: assign, memorize, test.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When Janet wrote <i>Words, Words, Words</i>, Florida was three years into the Sunshine State Standards and just beginning to grade schools as part of Jeb Bush's A+ plan to reform them. The National Board was not a decade old and teaching folks were reflecting on authentic and meaningful ways to integrate the strands of the language arts: reading, writing, speaking, listening and language learning. Part of that discussion was a response to the automation age and the factory model which in education relied on rote learning and repetitive tasks.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Rote learning certainly has its place. We must master alphabets and sounds and phonemes in order to grow into fluent readers and writers. We must master numbers and multiplication tables. Rote learning, according to some, is required to build a foundation for constructivist (meaningful) or conceptual learning which builds learners' capacities for creative and critical thinking. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I question my teacher self and her thinking about rote learning. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Is it required at all levels of learning? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Is rote learning most powerful for learners when learning new content? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">How do we explicitly teach strategies and build practice into instructional routines? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>How do we integrate, repeat and make content learned by rote, meaningful? </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ultimately, if we are teaching for understanding and transfer, integration, repetition and meaningful use are key. In my own practice, beyond explicitly teaching words and concepts, we may use Quizlet Live or GimKit games to rehearse and learn new content collaboratively. We may practice talking about concepts during think-pair-shares. We also use concept circles, on of my favorites, at the start, middle or end of a unit (embedded below). I love them because they are flexible and give learners multiple pathways for demonstrating what they know.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Strategic options for integrating and practicing content are infinite. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What are your go-to favorites? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p>
<iframe allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" height="1085" mozallowfullscreen="true" src="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vSRRrrPNUKvcqcNLthpdODnJQ2jJ_3PxHDQ67nEUWRgY5wFV-qwRD3iVJARDp4LMA2b82tBvpYiEMgR/embed?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000" webkitallowfullscreen="true" width="768"></iframe>Lee Ann Spillanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04650009312001849617noreply@blogger.com0Singapore1.352083 103.819836-31.735356159090429 68.663586 34.43952215909043 138.976086tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7204430968023166999.post-28175160359117045312021-08-03T07:02:00.004-04:002022-05-04T19:22:56.341-04:00Reflecting on Feedback<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><i style="font-size: small;">Feedback matters.</i> <i style="font-size: small;">Research from Rick Straub to John Hattie and Shirley Clarke and more confirms the importance of clear and timely feedback. I am really excited about shifts in my feedback practices. Let me nerd out a little bit about it, would you?</i></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><i style="font-size: small;"> Looking back, much of the feedback I received as a learner was a one-way: from teacher to learner. Rarely did my teachers or professors step out of what Straub defines as "conventional roles of examiner, critic and judge" (92). Even with the growth and development of the writing process approach of the late 1970s and the establishment of writing workshop approaches since Atwell first released In the Middle in 1987, corrective or error-focused feedback was a common practice in public schools and universities. </i><i style="font-size: small;">More than ever, teachers take on roles of "reader, coach, mentor, fellow inquirer or guide" as they respond to learners. My professor, Rick Straub certainly did as did all of the graduate assistants he trained to work at the Florida State University in late 80s, early 90s. That role shift grounds me. When I respond to a writer as a "reader or fellow inquirer," feedback becomes a "conversation, a give-and-take dialogue" (Straub). </i><i style="font-size: small;">The give and take, the seeking and r<b>eceiving</b> of feedback from learners. That's key.</i></blockquote><p> </p><span></span><span><a name='more'></a></span><p>During the 20-21 school year, I used <a href="https://forms.gle/BZDcGCxe5nCSPFtr8">Google forms</a> to ask leaners about teaching, learning and assessment practices at the end of units. In the past, I gathered feedback from students via conversation and <a href="https://portable-teacher.blogspot.com/2015/06/what-students-say-at-years-end.html">reflective writings</a>. However, those writings were often done at the end of a quarter or at the end of the year. </p><p>Now, I see how that timing of our reflections didn't maximise instructional potential. The feedback I got at the end couldn't really be acted on (until the next year or next group of learners). Feedback is powerful in the moment and beyond. One true power of feedback is how we receive and respond to it. </p><p>I've been exploring a variety of ways to gather that feedback: surveys, conferences, written reflections, emails. Now in my classroom, once I've receive feedback, I feed it back to learners to process and discuss openly. We look for patterns and trends and I share my own thinking about next steps I might plan to meet learners' needs.</p><p>It's about learning and learners. In learning spaces where I teach or facilitate, learners are at the heart of it all. For me, it's key to listen to learners and use that feedback to plan instruction that matters to them. </p><p>Today I shared feedback from our last unit. Our PLC's last unit focused on close reading and analysis of prose using <i>The Great Gatsby</i>. Remember <a href="https://portable-teacher.blogspot.com/2021/03/summative-assessment.html">the conversation I captured</a> during the summative assessment just before spring break? </p><p>When I shared the feedback back to the class today, a student exclaimed, "Wow!" </p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy-4H-j_Yper9NayzZMA8v9g-dK1pHKhSLQub4oXMTyqDxmyVTCbaRle2D2q5ZU2pD4detJKtfPOteKrlY6_n6ep3QOhvVvWkKPhKRFhp3x4aTLiZnq8icY1Zy-zhH-Dy7HFAOSe6it5OM/s960/Today+in+English+%2523agenda+%25285%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy-4H-j_Yper9NayzZMA8v9g-dK1pHKhSLQub4oXMTyqDxmyVTCbaRle2D2q5ZU2pD4detJKtfPOteKrlY6_n6ep3QOhvVvWkKPhKRFhp3x4aTLiZnq8icY1Zy-zhH-Dy7HFAOSe6it5OM/w640-h360/Today+in+English+%2523agenda+%25285%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzy5S_m4eBZ6eBOVdHYScAHTYWE8TdZ6zDWXxpawaXLHTKUV4S5cs5s2RcT_7atCbGeAEVoqLWqN2qZXrWi90LF6TNN59hivZXS3Anvt9WwNhxYEtYaVIkHpUQ3sPZEiaiUjsXJnpQpKDk/s960/Today+in+English+%2523agenda+%25286%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzy5S_m4eBZ6eBOVdHYScAHTYWE8TdZ6zDWXxpawaXLHTKUV4S5cs5s2RcT_7atCbGeAEVoqLWqN2qZXrWi90LF6TNN59hivZXS3Anvt9WwNhxYEtYaVIkHpUQ3sPZEiaiUjsXJnpQpKDk/w640-h360/Today+in+English+%2523agenda+%25286%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>When I probed further, the student said that the feedback didn't look good. It looked like people who responded had not learned as much as they had in previous units. </p><p>That's an accurate interpretation of learners' perceptions. I gave the class time to process both the donut charts and the raw spreadsheet data. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG40Z7_wItajzMFEvKKWOmXhdELxxV9FESYYqHucZGFt-qb4YvViCQ7Zh31jd12lf37Qk1UsGQ8elfMARTZHSKrbhT7i1F61-jYyCGOBffPMNDUaiew2czzohXZuT_OnhIh0km-pkclLCV/s960/Today+in+English+%2523agenda+%25287%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG40Z7_wItajzMFEvKKWOmXhdELxxV9FESYYqHucZGFt-qb4YvViCQ7Zh31jd12lf37Qk1UsGQ8elfMARTZHSKrbhT7i1F61-jYyCGOBffPMNDUaiew2czzohXZuT_OnhIh0km-pkclLCV/w640-h360/Today+in+English+%2523agenda+%25287%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Then they talked at their tables. Each group nominated a scribe and made their thinking visible on a shared document (linked below).</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/16Myn7ltoPaaC0gli-ZmxvFvMb_FNs-Qmz8GpwWyL5lk/edit" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="419" data-original-width="578" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgKrdNbv5sPPsOEToK_hitba5MKR6rCxbTKbJZSxzaJ0lCQaCEGqg1FXjCfbCx3UKBTTM_iYdG2YDazFOd6925nvVliOg5_qiRgZKscUHRIyYCFGb3QBrDFvL3p1bpqmydF83u7rwgqwmu/w640-h464/Screenshot+2021-03-31+at+10.44.25+AM.png" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/16Myn7ltoPaaC0gli-ZmxvFvMb_FNs-Qmz8GpwWyL5lk/edit" target="_blank"><br /></a></td></tr></tbody></table><br />It was 20 minutes well spent. Learners say that need individual conferences and more feedback. When we talked about it after they'd examined the data, one student mentioned that maybe our interruptions this quarter or during this unit made things feel disconnected. <div><br /></div><div>Could be. </div><div><br /></div><div>Another said that they wanted more feedback. Of course, I would too. We talked about limitations: time and exemplars. <div><br /></div><div>I'm thinking about what they said and how I can use their feedback as I plan our last unit of the year. I wondered about recency bias and confirmation bias. I wondered about the low sample size--only half the class responded to this unit's survey. We completed it during a 10-12 minute block of time, after students had self-assessed their on-demand analysis writings. Some students needed more time and I gave them that time, but not in class. That timing and pushing completion to outside of class likely influenced the results. Another influence, grades. Students don't know what they got on their analysis pieces yet. </div><div><br /></div><div>Sometimes ambiguity is uncomfortable. </div><div><br /></div><div>Three learners still need to make up the assessment, so I haven't published scores yet. Learners had time just prior to the feedback survey to read over comments and color markings on their work. They reviewed that feedback on their writing and we conferred as I circulated. </div><div><p>What matters most to me is listening to learners. Listening, reflecting and responding to what they need. The wondering, reflecting and processing nurtures my curiosity and gives me energy. </p><p>Four moves I've planned for our next class are to: </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>review our upcoming the assessment cycle for our unit on speaking and listening</li><li>clarify steps we've already taken to build discussion skills this semester </li><li>highlight feedback and reflection points we've already completed</li><li>be clear about how our PLC translates rubric descriptors into letter grades</li></ul><p>It's about the learners. It's about all of us learning together. Success ahead, I'm sure!</p><p><br /></p><p>References</p><p>Atwell, Nancy. (1987). <i>In the Middle:</i> Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.</p><p>Hattie, John and Shirley Clark. (2018). <i>Visible Learning: Feedback</i>. Routledge.</p><p>Straub, Richard. "Students' Reactions to Teacher Comments: An Exploratory Study." <i>Research in the Teaching of English</i> Vol. 31, No. 1 (Feb., 1997), pp. 91-119 (29 pages). Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div></div>Lee Ann Spillanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04650009312001849617noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7204430968023166999.post-19496926330335343462021-03-17T22:50:00.000-04:002022-05-04T19:23:11.825-04:00Summative Assessment<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF8_4o8qBY7qNRYLVRuj9RGh2TtgqNoIBd2Ntz7AJH0fFRUIJlA50P4hEgk0wHSkO9vJFcqVeJivAU5OstSVuFsf6W3VMJqf7RoTvHBhIu1SRSLSpGu6L48TsV5fDmtNYjgBw-bsKU3FmX/s2048/IMG_2559.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF8_4o8qBY7qNRYLVRuj9RGh2TtgqNoIBd2Ntz7AJH0fFRUIJlA50P4hEgk0wHSkO9vJFcqVeJivAU5OstSVuFsf6W3VMJqf7RoTvHBhIu1SRSLSpGu6L48TsV5fDmtNYjgBw-bsKU3FmX/s320/IMG_2559.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>"Okay, let's get started."</p><p>"Are you nervous," one student asks another.</p><p>I hear a high-pitch yes and see hand clutching and nervous jumping up and down out of the corner of my eye.</p><p>Students have an <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sboPxyOoyUBk_DEwF4x3X5apXeFToBC5gEIH2RvVvws/view?usp=sharing">on-demand writing assessment</a> today. Students write in between the lines above the directions and rubric in a Google document. </p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZHhPEX4Q18_ioHu3-7JRfl9SN9HZPMhOLt0tBOeNjWXu_HWFkmxY5pK12h9afRquVsIjqpI0ERK-fDLiNLCycJL87On1cdOOoWrrARorIPDYO0uDz26DqOeKdGxI41cxMKMdDLt2Lb9v7/s665/Screenshot+2021-03-18+at+9.58.06+AM.png"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="665" height="554" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZHhPEX4Q18_ioHu3-7JRfl9SN9HZPMhOLt0tBOeNjWXu_HWFkmxY5pK12h9afRquVsIjqpI0ERK-fDLiNLCycJL87On1cdOOoWrrARorIPDYO0uDz26DqOeKdGxI41cxMKMdDLt2Lb9v7/w640-h554/Screenshot+2021-03-18+at+9.58.06+AM.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Knowing I am deviating from the PLC's practice of giving the same passage to every student in a certain class period, I opened with, "Let me tell you how the assessment is put together."</p><p>"You will have the directions on one-side of the page in front of you, with a check list you can use before you submit. On the other side of the page is your passage. We will start with 10-15 minutes of close reading without our computers. Everyone has a different passage and ---" </p><p>A chorus of moans and groans interrupted me:</p><p style="text-align: left;">"Ugg," </p><p style="text-align: left;">"OH!" </p><p style="text-align: left;">"No!"</p><p style="text-align: left;">"Wait, what?" a student said.</p><p>"Everyone has a different passage," I repeated. "Is everything okay? You've got this. We've practiced. You're ready." Unbeknownst to students, I intentionally chose passages for each of them to align with thinking they've captured via <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RkfvnQXu9hmJMSr4RgaNCtR3fmCNJtq6aD2r0Zu6Z0otlZpUXUNU4bpB3-Dj/view?usp=sharing">Leticia Hughes' envelope analysis activities</a>. They are not using their envelopes, nor are they using the <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KlFBVEyBd3e1tXs7JwFDHf20BcGeQvmehMAR5WxHxlQ/copy?usp=sharing">one-pager of quotes and questions</a> we used during a Socratic discussion; still, I am hoping ideas align.</p><p>"It's fine. It will be fine," one student says.</p><p>I was surprised by students' reactions. What do you think they are expressing or reacting to, I wonder? </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhivx91_NW3Phn2h43Wsy4OuOJHlBtERDBBTp6NhzEkRuKbWxoooVmEltIBufxygAhkc7Y5_mgP7OAQSBo76jXatRCj2ZgrqJDnf7KzHPizRheH_77NhQm9FueEUDW8qR8EiJqQHbHhA1JG/s1600/slice-logo14-twt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1599" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhivx91_NW3Phn2h43Wsy4OuOJHlBtERDBBTp6NhzEkRuKbWxoooVmEltIBufxygAhkc7Y5_mgP7OAQSBo76jXatRCj2ZgrqJDnf7KzHPizRheH_77NhQm9FueEUDW8qR8EiJqQHbHhA1JG/w200-h200/slice-logo14-twt.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 12.32px;">The Slice of Life Story Challenge is hosted by the team at </span><a href="http://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com/2014/04/01/write-share-give-sol-time-4/" style="background-color: white; color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 12.32px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Two Writing Teachers</a><br style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 12.32px;" /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 12.32px;">everyday in March and on Tuesdays throughout the year. </span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Lee Ann Spillanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04650009312001849617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7204430968023166999.post-39212970572953525822021-03-16T23:04:00.005-04:002022-05-04T19:23:26.478-04:00Morning Routine in Verse<p><br /></p><p>4:24 am </p><p>Wake up.</p><p>Feed foster kittens.</p><p>Clean litter box.</p><p>Make coffee.</p><p>Start laundry. Iron.</p><p>Shower. Dress. Groom.</p><p>Pack for school.</p><p>Journal. Pray. Meditate.</p><p>Walk.</p><p>Call Mom.</p><p>Chit. Chat. Chit. Chat. Cheep, cheep, cheep.</p><p>Add brother.</p><p>Chit. Chat. Chit. Chat. </p><p>Watch kittens play.</p><p>Message husband.</p><p>Pump tires.</p><p>Herd kittens.</p><p>Change water.</p><p>Pack saddlebags.</p><p>Depart.</p><p>Bike. </p><p><span> Uphill.</span><br /></p><p><span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> Uphill.</span><br /></span></p><p><span><span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> Uphill.</span><br /></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> c o a s t</span><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span>down hill</span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> ring the bell, ring the bell</span><br /></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span> down hill</span><br /></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> stay to the left, left, left</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> down hill</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> </span><span> bump across the grate, the stick, the groove in the walk</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> c o a s t</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span>Take the corner.</span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span>Peddle, peddle, peddle</span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span>STOP at the street</span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span>Go. Peddle.</span></span></span></p><p>Arrive.</p><p>Dismount.</p><p>Walk up the drive into another school day.</p><p>6:50 am</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhivx91_NW3Phn2h43Wsy4OuOJHlBtERDBBTp6NhzEkRuKbWxoooVmEltIBufxygAhkc7Y5_mgP7OAQSBo76jXatRCj2ZgrqJDnf7KzHPizRheH_77NhQm9FueEUDW8qR8EiJqQHbHhA1JG/s1600/slice-logo14-twt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1599" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhivx91_NW3Phn2h43Wsy4OuOJHlBtERDBBTp6NhzEkRuKbWxoooVmEltIBufxygAhkc7Y5_mgP7OAQSBo76jXatRCj2ZgrqJDnf7KzHPizRheH_77NhQm9FueEUDW8qR8EiJqQHbHhA1JG/w200-h200/slice-logo14-twt.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 12.32px;">The Slice of Life Story Challenge is hosted by the team at </span><a href="http://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com/2014/04/01/write-share-give-sol-time-4/" style="background-color: white; color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 12.32px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Two Writing Teachers</a><br style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 12.32px;" /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 12.32px;">everyday in March and on Tuesdays throughout the year. </span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Lee Ann Spillanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04650009312001849617noreply@blogger.com5