ELA Coach's Corner
Monthly Literacy Newsletter for FTS, by Holli Van
April Coaching Menu
Each month, I would like to offer two extremely specific areas of focus for our coaching meetings and visits. Please use the linked google form to suggest topics in which you would be interested (for future months)! Thank you! :) http://goo.gl/forms/99F2odx4Sd
April Offerings
(to sign up, email me with dates and times that work for you!)
- Conferring 101 -- review architecture of a 1:1 reading / writing conference; I will model conferences with your students and then we will debrief during a planning / prep period. For beginners or those who wish to review.
- Writing Learning Targets -- Have you heard the term "personalized learning" being thrown around? Learning targets are the basis for personalized learning. Learn and practice to reframe CCSS objectives in student friendly language.
Follow Me, Read Me, Try Me! (click icons!!!)
Looking for someone current and worthwhile to follow on Twitter? Consider reading specialist @KyleneBeers !!!
About Kylene Beers:
Looking for a current and worthwhile professional book to read? Consider "Visible Learning For Literacy," by Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, and John Hattie
"The goal is to make learning visible to students, and we do so by making our teaching visible to ourselves."
Available here: http://www.corwin.com/books/Book249339
Creative Closure Activity
Snowstorm
Students write down what they learned on a piece of scratch paper and wad it up. Given a signal, they throw their paper snowballs in the air. Then each learner picks up a nearby response and reads it aloud.Strategy of the Month
Finding the Main Idea
Readers can find the main idea by sorting and labeling.
(* Great for ELL or students who still struggle with this skill. *)
- Have students sort picture cards. Record their strategies on a chart. (see photo)
- Have students take one category and re-sort into smaller, more specific groups. Record those strategies on chart as well.
- Discuss possible labels for each group. Essentially, the label is the main idea of the group.
- Move to text - cut up one paragraph into sentences, or several paragraph of text, and apply the strategies from the chart.
- Discuss possible label for the paragraph; this is the main idea.
** IMPORTANT APRIL DATES **
Event Information
PARCC
When?
Friday, Apr 8, 2016, 07:30 AM
Where?
Freehold Township Elementary School District, West Main Street, Freehold, NJ, United States
Event Information
ELA Department Meetings
This meeting is being held "virtually."
- Please complete your "ELA Department Meeting: District Writing Goal" document, with your grade level colleagues. Send to Holli and Christine. :)
- Refer to Dr. Haimer's email from 3/22, regarding district goal data and Genesis.
** 4/19 is a soft deadline.**
When?
Tuesday, Apr 19, 2016, 02:30 PM
Where?
Freehold Township Elementary School District, West Main Street, Freehold, NJ, United States
Event Information
Voice & Choice in Literature Circles
Back by popular demand...
"Voice & Choice in Literature Circles."
PD presented by Holli & Rob Albanese
See forthcoming email for details.
When?
Tuesday, Apr 26, 2016, 02:30 PM
Where?
Clifton T Barkalow Middle Schl, Freehold, NJ, United States
Holli Van Albanese
ELA Program Coordinator
Clifton T. Barkalow Middle School
Dwight D. Eisenhower Middle School
Email: hvanalbanese@freeholdtwp.k12.nj.us
Location: 384 West Main Street, Freehold Township, NJ, United States
Phone: 4571
Twitter: @FTSHolli_Van