Research Inquiry Questions

Please post your inquiry topic in this space!

Heather Campeau Demo Lesson feedback

Please post group reflections for Heather's lesson here.

Spandel text Chapter 2 reflections

The Right to Choose a Personally Important Topic presents us with a challenge. Writing prompts in formal and informal assessments provide little, if any, ability for a student to choose writing which reflects his or her experience and voice. Yet, we are mandated to teach how to write to these often insipid prompts, and flood our students with past years' prompts in preparation.

On the flip side, we want to be able to instill in our students a love for the written word, a realization that everyone is an expert on their own lives and experiences, and that the stories that go along with these experiences are worthy of telling. If we can accomplish this, then we have given our students another tool toward accessing the mindfulness and deep thinking that Spandel spoke of and we all acknowledged as an important writing skill in chapter one.  Enjoy. - Kim

The Magic Box - optional post

Hi All,

Yesterday's writing group share of Kit Wright's The Magic Box inspired some additional discussion in our group regarding ideas for using this poem in the classroom. I told the group that I'd add a discussion post for anyone who wanted to put in their 2 cents on how they might use this poem. I hope you enjoyed the day yesterday. I am predicting a fantastic summer writing experience for all of us!

Cheers,

Kim

Spandel text Chapter 1 reflections

In her preface to The 9 Rights of Every Writer, Vicki Spandel advises that we don’t teach students to write with the goal of ensuring they meet specific academic or curriculum standards.  Rather we should teach them to write as a path of discovery.  Writing to think, learn, find a voice, and be original, will teach students to write well and therefore will meet any of the vacillating standards that are imposed, removed, and reimposed by third parties on a fairly regular basis during a teaching career. Educational and curricular “standards” should be floors, but they tend to become ceilings when those standards are the focus of teaching. The focus of chapter 1 is "The Right to be Reflective." Focus your comments on what you agree with, don't agree with, and how you could bring this "right" into your classroom. (As always, there is no minimum or maximum word count. All we ask is that you be brilliant, interesting and insightful.)

Post your reflections as well as two short responses to postings by cohort members. - Norm

Norm Abrahamson's Demo Lesson

Please post your reflections to Norm's lesson here!