From The Desk of Kelly Harmon
January 2015 Newsletter
Happy 2015!
No wonder we start the end-of-year countdown in January.
In case you are a little overwhelmed, we want to help by sharing a few fresh ideas and reminders we hope will help you control the chaos. These easily implemented ideas for the mid-year rush are sure to get your learners engaged and learning!
Happy Teaching,
-Kelly Harmon & Randi Anderson
P.S. Coming soon to our YouTube channel: Playlists and mini seminars for teaching reading and writing standards. Stay tuned for more information.
Tapping Into the Frozen Craze!
The Frozen sensation has taken over almost every elementary child’s home and brain over the past year. (At least that is true for my little guy.) As an educator, I am always looking for ways to tap into the interests of my students in order to make learning meaningful and fun. When I saw the way Frozen engaged and entranced my child, I recognized the potential and began brainstorming ways to use the content in the classroom.
Here are some easy ideas to use Frozen in the classroom to motivate and engage students in reading and writing.
1. Literacy Centers
Engage your students in higher level thinking about a text with our Frozen Themed Literacy Centers. Everything you need to get students independently practicing reading comprehension, writing, and vocabulary strategies is included in the set of six standards-based literacy centers!
2. Frozen Sing-Along
Use sing-alongs to provide opportunities for building fluency and practicing comprehension strategies, while having fun! We've created a playlist of our favorite songs from the movie on our YouTube channel. Use these songs as mentor texts, shared readings, and for brain breaks. The best part, it's FREE! Click here to go to the playlist.
3. Writing Scripts from Favorite Frozen Scenes
Students will love narrating and writing scripts for their favorite scenes from Frozen! They will be practicing writing and reading skills while producing a screenplay for a drama. Use this as an option in your writing center or a choice for homework.
4. Frozen Reader's Theater
Use our reader's theater script to experience an innovation of text in your classroom. Click HERE to get the script!
5. Parody Writing
Teach your students to be Weird Al Yankovic! Choose a familiar song like "In Summer" and change the words up to convey a message titled "In Winter" or "In My School". Share and laugh the day away!
App of the Month: Kidblog
Click HERE to download more ideas for writing narrative and expository blog posts.
Student Friendly Writing Rubrics
Teaching Theme, Thesis, Central or Controlling Idea
Developing writers need to see how their own life experiences have themes or messages that can be used as a catalyst for writing essays. This simple graphic organizer can be kept in the writing notebook. Each week, students identify experiences and examples that can be added to theme categories on the chart. In addition to personal experiences, students can also include events and information from readings. Read More...
The Marzano Center Essentials of Rigor is Coming to San Antonio!
Join your colleagues on February 17th at ESC-20 for a day of exploring essential strategies that prepare your students for the cognitively complex tasks presented on the STAAR and EOC tests. The Essentials of Achieving Rigor is a comprehensive instructional framework based on Dr. Robert Marzano's research of pedagogical strategies. From kindergarten to high school, these strategies help teachers design meaningful, student-centered instruction. You will definitely leave this workshop wanting more! Click here to register for the day.
Visit the Marzano Center website to download the white paper on Teaching with Rigor to learn more. I'd love to talk to you about how this instructional framework can complement your current curriculum and assessment program. Please contact me for more information. ~Kelly
Reading Strategy of the Month: Teaching Students to Analyze Author's Craft
Here are a few areas to focus on when teaching author's craft.
1. Teach How Authors Organize
Analyzing the organization structure of a text can help the reader better "read between the lines", to comprehend the message. Did the author use a simple beginning, middle, end organizational structure? Does the author explain the subject by organizing main ideas into paragraphs that are linked to the central idea? Identifying text structure is a powerful tool for making connections between ideas presented in the text. Students will start to recognize organizational structures and start choosing the best ones for their personal writing.
2. Teach Techniques Used by Authors
Writing techniques can have powerful effects on the texts meaning. Language, text features, and facts are all purposely used by the author to convey the message. Techniques add meaning and entertainment to an author's writing. Students should be able to identify and infer why the author has chosen the technique for this specific piece of writing.
Need anchor charts for teaching author's craft? Click here.
2015 Workshops
Comprehension Strategies: Following Figure 19- Reading With Meaning
January 22, 2015
8:30am-3:30pm
San Antonio, TX
Ready, Set, Go! Countdown to STAAR Workshop
8:30am-3:30pm
San Antonio, TX
Kelly Harmon will assists educators in planning for the weeks leading up to the STAAR Tests! This workshop is focused on maximizing instruction and filling in student's instructional gaps. Walk away with your lesson plans complete for the weeks prior to STAAR! Click HERE for more info.
Title I Conference: Strengthen Your Title I Program
Two Day Conference
St. Louis, MO
You will learn how to build on the success of your current program, identify the key components that have the greatest impact on student achievement and find the specific areas you need to target for implementation and improvement. Leave equipped with a wealth of the most effective Title I instructional strategies. Click HERE to learn more!
More 2015 Workshops
February 10, 2015- Raleigh, NC
February 11, 2015- Atlanta, GA
February 12, 2015- Knoxville, TN
Two Day Intensive Title I Conference
WEBINARS!
What is a Webinar?
Webinars are online trainings that provide information on a topic through an online narrated presentation. After you register, you receive a link to join the training online.
Benefits of Webinars
- Earn PD credit from your home or classroom computer
- No travel necessary
- Ideas and products you can use instantly
- Quick five minute to one hour trainings
- Low Cost
Upcoming Webinars:
Following Figure 19: Following Figure 19 Mini-Seminar
January 24th, 2015
10:00am-11:00am
Professional Development Credit: 1 Hour
Learn about the Figure 19 comprehension strategies in this mini-seminar. We will explore activities for teaching students to monitor comprehension, summarize, make connections and inferences, ask questions, and establish purposes for reading.
You will receive classroom comprehension posters and activities to print and use immediately!
Cost- $25 per participant
For more information, call us at (817) 583-1290 or email randinanderson@gmail.com
Texas Literacy Resources
Email: kelly@texasliteracy.com
Website: www.kellyharmon.net
Location: 26440 White Eagle Drive, San Antonio, TX, United States
Phone: 817-583-1290
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Texas-Literacy-Resources/185551092170