Mrs. Amatulli’s Blogspot

I was pleasantly pleased with April 25th’s Side by Side Symposium. What a wonderful collective group of K-16 educators! It was a pleasure and an educational experience to meet each and every participant. I heard many comments about the title not making sense until we were there. Teachers of writing from all levels through college sat together and shared how writing is taught and sustained. We talked about our own writing, student writing, improving writing, and the importance of writing.

A collection of the sunshine and blues:

Sunshine
-A learning disabled student graduated with an “A” in her English class and we had fun in the process.
-First year college students are generally (to me) eager and excited and fairly savvy with technology
-Instructors are invested in student success
-Students write a lot – on Myspace, facebook, email, texting, Youtube
-Across the country more teachers and administrators are thinking about practices that will help students grow as learners
-In my school, the principal started “Golden Pen” award to recognize student writing. The pieces are posted on a bulletin board for the school community to read.
-We are getting better at teaching the craft of writing.
-The school has invested more in writing with the Marcia Freeman writing class.
-Graduating students’ work shows progress overtime. (When students are held accountable in previous classes.) Many are thankful for feedback and opportunity to improve.
-daily in-class reading reflections, daily writing workshops, teachers seem eager to improve/change style
- (1)They write a lot – email, texting -usually ambitious and active
(2) Sharing ideas so we learn from one another
(3) Most agree these skills are important
-New Literacy Program K-2, Staff is working together as a team to improve writing across the curriculum (as well as integrate writing)
-1. Students, by in large, are very good at writing stories rich in detail.
2. Teachers are seeing the validity of writing in every content area.
3. Teacher believe writing and learning are circular processes that coexist.
4. Content area teachers assign writing 1-3 times per month.
5. Students spend roughly 3-5 hours writing in and out of school each week.
-We have what we call a “Do Now” on the board when students come in the room and must write a paragragh each day on a subject relative to current learning “across the curriculum.”
-Current Chippewa focus is on writing- developing a writing program.
-Amazing number of students write poetry for pleasure.
-My sunshine is writing down the bores poetry, writing marathons, students’ academic and (critical) and creative writing! Yes!

BLUES