Grammar with Gusto

Grammar is the glue of great writing.  Writers can still be free and adhere to grammatical rules.  Like the river and its banks, grammar preserves the meaning in the writing.  Without the grammar, the poignant message is lost.  Readers want to ponder a writer’s message, imagery, style and voice, but not the grammar.  Readers do not have the time to decipher cryptic writing.  Moreover, poor grammar is equated with intellect.  No one wants to lose intellectual points because of grammar.

Sure, there are occasions when grammar is secondary, such as when writing text messages, poetry, scripts and other forms of creative writing.  But, for the most part following grammatical rules is non-negotiable.  It may also be a matter of life and death.

As teachers, we must equip our students with grammatical rules and we can make it fun.  Allow students to correct the grammar of a popular pop artist.   Do 60 second grammar ER lessons.  Use student writing as well to teach and facilitate grammar acquisition.

Whatever we do, we must teach grammar!!! So let’s do it with gusto!

Write to the Rhythm of the Beat!

Music is a conduit of writing on so many levels.  Through music we can explore figurative language, literary connections, style, voice, messages, and  we can even use music as a segue into a plethora of writing genres.  Teachers can awaken the writer in a child by incorporating music into the instruction.  Furthermore, music is a wonderful approach to engage hard to reach writers.

Persuasive writing is no exception to the range and scope of music.  In fact, it has a unique beat–Emotional–Logos–Ethos.  Becky shared a very “kool”  task.  Students select their favorite artist and write a persuasive letter to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame expressing why their artist deserves to be in the hall of fame.  Within this lesson, students learn to weave emotion, logic and ethics into their persuasive pieces.  Music is obviously driving the acquisition of persuasive writing.  Students get to write about the artist that they worship!

Students live their lives to dynamic rhythms of music.  Why should writing be an exception?  My students will be writing to the rhythm of the beat!

Thank you Becky for all of the great ideas and resources!

Secret Weapons

I now have an arsenal of writing secrets capable of splicing the toughest concepts and emotions and  imploding cement writer’s block ruins.

Today, I behold a few more secrets of great writing.  Nikki Giovanni shared that writer’s write from empathy and not experience.  Her words exposed a vast horizon of ideas. As I journeyed beyond and into this world, I was given the art of good argument, the keys to writing with my eyes and finally guided across a bridge of metaphors.

I will return to my students prepared to free their their ideas to gracefully flow through the tip of their pens and onto the page.

Speak to Me!

Dialogue is one of those elements of writing that many writers avoid.  Moreover, many teachers dread teaching this tedious skill of adding dialogue.  The quotation marks, commas, indenting, attributions and end marks often transform into a migraine for a teacher trying to instruct her students.   How many times have your students placed the quotation marks around the attribution after you have sung, danced, and drilled this detail a thousand times?  How many times do your students forget to add the commas, indent, or leave off one of the quotation marks?  And once your children master the mechanics of dialogue, well you have to teach them the art of the dialogue.  Goodness gracious, it seems like you are fording a deep and wide sea.  Simply impossible, right?

Thankfully, Nini and Kathleen came to the rescue with a myriad of strategies to not only teach the mechanics of dialogue, but to also teach the art of adding dialogue.  We addressed the needs of those tactile learners in the class and their dialogue issues.  The solution is simple– macaroni and glue!  What about those boring conversations that don’t move the story along, how should we deal with that?  Well, part of the answer is research.  The other part is that dialogue needs to provide information about the situation and the character.  Give your students a checklist.  Better yet, go ahead and etch that checklist in their brains.

In conclusion, fourth graders and dialogue do mix!

Transcending the Digital Divide

Digital Natives and Newcomers merge in thousands of classrooms across the nation. Ironically, digital newcomers comprise the majority of classroom teachers, creating disparities in the effective implementation of technology in the classroom.  Teachable moments are lost in the crack as a result of the lack  and fear of technology integration.  As teachers, we must open our minds to this vast digital world and adjust our instruction accordingly.  Cellphones, i-pods, and social networking sites have an important place in our classrooms.  They are effective tools for conducting research, collecting data, sharing ideas, enhancing vocabulary, connecting with students internationally and most of all engaging our students.  Teaching must evolve with the times.  Lessons on netiquette, blogging,  grammar, applications, interesting websites, Twittering and movie making all have a place in today’s classroom.  Moreover, such instruction is relevant and pertinent to future livelihoods of our students.

Education is about the students that we teach and not about us.  Let’s purge our anxieties and judgments regarding technology and capitalize on the conveniences and benefits that technology offers to our students.

We need to get busy now because technology waits for no one and our tech agile students are not missing a beat.

The Proof is in the Writing

Writing solidifies knowledge and as well as inspires further inquiry.  Writing supports mathematical acquisition in that students are challenged to explain, evaluate, analyze, and synthesize their thinking.  Writing in math will reveal mathematical misconceptions as well as lead to deeper understandings of abstract mathematical concepts. 

Math autobiographies, chronological learning logs, creative writing, research reports and other forms of writing all have a place in  a math class. Writing in itself is a brain based strategy further transcribing one’s mathematical understanding into the long term memory.

Brains: Handle with Care!

Our brains need balance.  Unfortunately,  most modern classrooms are not brain based learning environments.  Brains marinate under cold flourescent lights and are denied proper hydration, oxygenation, and stimulation for long 6- 8 hour periods.  Consequently, brain development is not optimized.  Our students are disengaged and teachers are wasting their time.  Every brain has the right to manifest its highest potential.

A few simple adjustments can make all of the difference.  Set the stage for optimal learning. Begin each day with a a joke and some fun stretches to get the energy flowing.  Do a few breathing exercises or else encourage frequent yawning in your class so that student brains are properly oxygenated.  Open the blinds and let the natural light of the sun shine through revealing the inner brilliance in each child.  Encourage water breaks or allow your students to carry water bottles.  Finally, brains are easily bored.  A bored brain is not a growing brain.  Incorporate student choice, differentiated instruction, option menus, and multiple approaches for teaching a concept to each lesson.  Keep the instruction fresh and relevant.  The only way to do this is to not only know your content, but to also know and love your students.

Treat your students’ brains in the same way that you would treat your own brain.