Blog #2

I see Nicki thinks the way I do...a lot of writing. But as Cassie pointed out, the expectations for everything is completely laid out. I like that indeed. I don't know how to swim but I would love for my babies to learn so it was interesting to learn that Mary Catherine teaches children how to swim. The article on Writing to Learn was not as long as I anticipated it to be..LOL..but it was interesting. It offered ways to incorporate writing among all subject areas. The techniques shown can be adapted to fit any objective. Reading and writing together can enhance comprehension and mastery of content can be shown through such. Writing to learn focuses more on the student and their ability to communicate. They should be motivated to further their learning. We as teachers should have our students to connect and integrate ideas from the text. We should show them how to connect with the text and put an emphasis on taking their thinking beyond the surface. We should provide authentic engagement with the text and always, always provide them with frequent feedback. Any feedback will be valuable to them as learners. To help them be more responsible for their grades, we should tell them exactly what we expect. Let them know up front how they will be judged. This will have them become more mindful of their own work. I will remember to provide my students will enough opportunities to explore the text. I really enjoy the strategies provided. The Guided Writing Procedure reminded me of the importance of activating prior knowledge. Microthemes was another strategy I think will be really useful. I enjoyed our time in class that we spent doing biopoems. That was probably the highlight of my week. I am sure I will be using biopoems in my classroom!!