My mind is spinning - so many thoughts, ideas, things I want to remember.
I've actually started multiple lists in the back of my daybook: things I want to remember to talk/blog about with other SIers, things I want to remember to include in my teaching next year.
Today was particularly full of things I can't wait to implement in the classroom:
Zip, Zap, Zop - Wouldn't it be fun to set this up as an expected element in the classroom? When you can feel the class wandering, you can institute a Zip, Zap, Zop session to remind them to transfer energy and remain focused.
Riffing - We talked a little bit in class about the ways to make riffing more comfortable for a less confident group, but I wanted to review them to make sure I was really sure of all the options. You could model it with an original jazz an example, having them pick out instruments and discuss/write out why it works. Make sure they have the safety blanket of an idea on a sticky note or paper with them when they enter the "riff zone" in case they get stuck. Maybe if they were seated (maybe on the floor - criss-cross applesauce?) or facing out from the circle they wouldn't feel quite as intimidated.
Prelutsky's Scranimals
Responding to the writer instead of the writing. - This will be invaluable, and I can't wait to share this concept and the handouts with the other AP teacher.
I can't wait to see how all of this transfers to my classroom!
Dorry--I'm still thinking, too, of all the things I want to try out in my classroom next year. I've been writing about zip,zap,zop--trying to figure out how in interrupts our "normal" ways of interacting making it visible about how energy moves around the classroom It also draws attention to the moment and to each other--in the same way that reading someone's writing does. I want to think more about how commenting on students' writing can be dialogic in a zip,zap,zop sort of way. Lil
ReplyDeleteLil,
ReplyDeleteWhen I do my class survey with my students at the end of the semester, the one thing that they consistently say to me is that the most helpful writing activity we do is the one-on-one conferences. I have them read their papers out loud to me and talk me through them. It's probably my favorite activity as well, but it's something that is difficult to arrange the class time for and the class dynamics have to be just right.
One thing I'd like to try next year is an app I found for the class set of iPods I got that will allow them to upload any Word document. The app will then read the document to them. I'd like to have them listen to their own or maybe even each others papers with a hard draft in front of them and do some re-visioning that way too. That method may work for classes that can't handle the individual work time necessary for the one-on-one conferences.