Blerg... It's time to jump back in... perhaps if I pretend I'm the only one reading this it will take some of the anxiety and pressure away.  I finally was able to buy Will Richardson's Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts.  I decided to buy it on my daughter's kindle.  This is my first e-book.  She reads them all the time, but I struggle reading anything on a screen.  I get distracted much too easily and spend most the time trying to find my place rather than digesting the information. Many people have told me it just takes time to adjust and then I'll absolutely love it.  I'm not entirely convinced.  If anything, my struggles will give me something to blog about.  I recently added the edublogs app on my IPhone.  It's a strange thing that I know my phone backwards and forwards, yet a wiki assignment, the idea of a podcast and ebooks terrify me.  Well, I'm off to pick up my daughter from trombone lessons, perhaps she can shed some light on my homework :)

I've got to start somewhere...

Here's something I've been working on for another class... What is a strong literacy program?  I wish I had written one when I was working on my MAT. It's interesting to see how much it evolves. 

A strong literacy program should be at the core of all classrooms.  Whatever subject is being taught literacy should be intertwined with that subject. All subjects can and should be integrated together.  If the school permits, students would study people, places and things using different math, science, and language arts skills rather than a checklist of skills to be mastered in blocks of time.  Students wouldn’t tell you what they learned in a certain subject, all the subjects would be one.  Time constraints seem to be a problem for all teachers.  A restrictive curriculum coupled with heaps of assessments makes it difficult to teach the way would be most ideal.  Given these constraints a strong literacy program requires creativity.  There are fiction and nonfiction books on any topic imaginable.  A close working relationship with your school librarian and all public librarians in the 50 mile radius is a must.  Supplement every free moment with enriching literacy materials (books, magazines, newspapers, etc.)

Another important part of a strong literacy program is the gradual release of responsibility.  In a dynamic classroom no two years of teaching would be alike.  The lessons and classes would evolve according to the needs of the students.  Some may need scaffolding before they are able to demonstrate a skill on their own.  Some need help taking responsibility to self regulate his or her learning process to move to the next level. This release of responsibility is not only the teacher’s job of knowing when to step back, but also the student’s responsibility.  They need to be able to recognize when they need more demonstrations and when they are able to try it on their own.  Again, each year, class, student will be different.  A literacy program that is flexible, rich in opportunities, varieties of strategies, exemplary examples and role modeling will help meet the wide range of abilities.  

High expectations are something I’ve always had for my students and myself.  From day one, we should be getting to know our students so we know what they are capable of and provide them with the tools to reach that potential. Push the students when they need it, help them where they need it and watch them shine.  

A literacy program should not be full of checklists of skills to learn, books to read, papers to write.  It is an ever-evolving process using their strengths and weaknesses and making the most of the materials you have available.  Every moment is a teaching moment.  Even the most mundane moment can be turned into an opportunity to reinforce a skill.  

Most importantly, we must instill the love of learning.  When our students love learning and realize how fun it can be, the motivation will come.  I remember when I used to read to get the assignment over with.  Now, with the help of technology, I can’t read an article, book or even watch a show without something piquing interest enough to want to research further.  I’m a bank of random, mostly useless facts, but my curiosity keeps me searching for answers all day long.  If we can tap into that with our students by finding how they learn best and what interests them we can surround them with endless possibilities.  It’s not our classroom, it’s theirs and we’re just there to help.