John Stewart Middle School Lead Teacher November 2014 [email protected] @jstewedu
Charming Chaos: A Flipped Writing Workshop
< THE LOVE > My students, 130 eighth graders in a small, urban community diverse in income, culture, language, and parental education levels, love to write. In the first quarter of the school year alone, each has generated--and shared--over 5,000 words of text, and that does not take into account the brave ones who craft novels in November. They write odes, zombie stories, menus for imaginary restaurants, ten-year plans for their ideal future, Shakespearian puppet shows, ribbon-bound letters to summer softball friends, abstracts for invention prototypes, raucous advertisements for businesses they hope to open, mini-dramas about Chewbacca, and soup can labels. All projects are fair game, as long as they are student-driven.
My students are in love with writing.
< THE HEARTBREAK > It’s hard. This is fully functioning writer’s workshop à la Atwell, à la Graves, and writing workshops take an inordinate amount of time and are difficult to manage within the confines of a single class period. The workshop model is extremely effective, but many teachers are unwilling to surrender the pedantic center of the classroom, citing Common Core and the constant pressure of content to cover. They say it won’t serve everyone: many students need more structure, more direct teaching, and more step-by-step instruction.
My students still need support.
< THE DELIGHTFUL MADNESS > There is a way. The solution we offer is flipping. Using the methods suggested by Bergman and Sams (2012) and implemented by Thomasson, Morris, (2013) and Musallam (2013), we move content discovery offsite. Students view and analyze video mini-lessons, engage in electronic discussions, and even assess their understanding of new ideas outside of class time. We reconvene to discuss reading, monitor progress and set goals for the work, and the rest of our time together, in the chaotic and constructive style of writing workshop, can be spent engaging in projects, conferring with peers, and simply becoming more majestic.
My students get both creative freedom and structured support in my model:
A Flipped Writing Workshop! The Flipped Writing Workshop:
CLASS TIME: Monday through Thursday, in school, the focus is on writing, and students begin the class with a meeting, where we set the agenda, acknowledge and adjust deadlines for personal writing projects, discuss model literature, make appointments for peer and teacher conferences, and listen to mini- readings of student work. Students spend the rest of the class workshopping their writing, seated or sprawled throughout the room, in contemplative silence or with buzzing earrbuds or in lively, whispered conversations. The teacher checks in with all students everyday and confers more deeply with a few, guiding writing and adjusting understanding. On Fridays, the class’ focus switches to reading, with shared recommendations, friendly reading letters written to the teacher, and lots of flopped on floor reading time. Several times a semester, the class undertakes larger creative projects that allow for greater ranges of expression.
OUT OF CLASS TIME: Monday through Friday, students read for 30 minutes per night. That is the extent of the homework, unless there is a mini-lesson to be learned. For mini-lessons, which target various skills, inquiries, and big ideas, students watch teacher-prepared 3-7 minute videos, and respond to questions embedded in the video. The students are expected to apply what they learn in the mini-lessons to their immediate work in reading and writing in the class.
What the Research Suggests: For today’s students, the world is fast and connected and fickle, and as teachers, we are perfectly positioned to promote “life skills necessary for full participation in our media saturated, information rich society.” (Hobbs) The ASCD, in its treatment of Twenty-First Century Skills, cites “creativity, innovation, and flexibility” as particularly vital. The writing workshop model works because it is based on the idea that students learn to write best when they write frequently, for extended periods of time, on topics of their own choosing (Peha). The flipped classroom model works because “the cognitive strain that flipping imposes on students account for much of its success.” (Berrett) The creativity the students must learning in the flipped writing workshop leads to a lovely and invaluable chaos. Peter Elbow encourages teachers to accept the chaos and disorientation that takes place when students write and create. The result is that students will see themselves as writers, readers, critical thinkers, creators, and be stronger and more skilled by the day.
How My Students Respond: A recent poll showed overwhelmingly positive responses to the flipped writing workshop model. Classroom Immediate Access to Website Video Lessons Teacher Writing in School 96.84 % positive 94.61 94.61 91.53
My students are delightfully creative, writing madly, and snarling like pirates who have taken over the ship, all because of the flipped writing workshop model.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. John Stewart • Middle School Lead Teacher • [email protected] • @jstewedu John Stewart Middle School Lead Teacher November 2014 [email protected] @jstewedu
Opportunities that Promote Creative Thinking
1. Odd Reflection Questions--Students should have continuous opportunity to reflect, and to reflect in odd ways, on the work they do. Are you up or down? Are you an apple or a Cheeto? Are you a raven or a red panda? Are you a dreamer or an inventor? What was the last cool thing you made? What is the most awesome thing you ever did? What was the last best idea you had?
2. Opt Outs--For each assignment, every student should have the prerogative to opt out. He or she should be able to choose an alternate book or written piece to work on.
3. Strange Essay Prompts--Prompted writing should offer opportunities for intellectual flexibility, like “Describe soap” or “Are you better than a rock?” or “Why would the NSA be following you?”
4. Three fingers writing/best sentence--Instead of publishing entire writing projects, students could be asked to turn in the best sentence or the best three fingers of text.
5. Flash fiction/hint fiction--Students could write 25-word--or even 6-word stories, and say them aloud.
6. Peanut butter statements--Students could write thesis statements or thought questions on the sidewalk or park pavement, using water or chalk or peanut butter.
7.Poetry stickers--Students could print poetry onto address label stickers and wear their words all day.
8. Photo essays--Students could publish essays composed entirely of pictures.
9. Maps--Students could create narrative pieces using maps.
10. Gingerbread--Students could represent their thoughts in art, using mobiles or gingerbread shapes.
11. Essays out loud--Students, alone or in groups, could publish essay without putting them to paper.
12. Videography--Students could use video to capture ideas, persuasive essay, and reflections.
13. Dress-Ups--Students could dress up to represent research or interview findings, bringing ideas to life.
14. Poetry in Public--Students could deliver original poems to other classes and to the public, and publish the collected works as an e-book.
15. Puppet Shows--Students could demonstrate understanding of a subject through puppetry.
16. Cloud and Web 2.0 Media--Students should be given access to it all! They should have access to Schooltube, Xtranormal, Makebeliefscomix, Voicethread, Prezi, Vine, Tumblr, Twitter, Delicious, PollEverywhere, Blogspot, WordPress, About.Me, Edmodo, StoryBird, Dipity, “Into the book”, “What Should I Read Next”, GoAnimate, UTellStory, ToonDo, Smashwords, and 1,000s of others.
When we live creatively, boredom is banished and every moment holds the promise of a fresh discovery. -- Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi John Stewart Middle School Lead Teacher November 2014 [email protected] @jstewedu
Bibliography
Atwell, Nancie. In the Middle: New Understandings about Writing, Reading, and Learning. Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook, 1998. Print.
Bergmann, Jonathan, and Aaron Sams. Flip Your Classroom: Reach Every Student in Every Class Every Day. Eugene, Or.: International Society for Technology in Education, 2012. Print.
Berrett, Dan. "How 'Flipping' the Classroom Can Improve the Traditional Lecture."The Chronicle of Higher Education. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.
Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly (1997). Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention. New York: Harper Perennial.
Elbow, Peter (1973). Writing Without Teachers. New York: Oxford University Press.
Feinberg, Barbara. "The Lucy Calkins Project." Education Next. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2013.
Graves, Donald H. A Fresh Look at Writing. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1994. Print.
Hobbs, R. (2011). Digital and media literacy. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin.
Murray, Donald (1982). “Making Meaning Clear: The Logic of Revision”, in Learning by Teaching. Montclair: Boynton.
Musallam, Ramsey, Ed.D. "Cycles of Learning" Cycles of Learning. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.
Peha, Steve. "Welcome to Teaching That Makes Sense!" Welcome to Writer's Workshop. Teaching That Makes Sense, 2003. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.
Sternberg, Robert. (2007) “Creativity as a Habit”, in Creativity: a Handbook for Teachers. World Scientific Publication, Singapore
Thomasson, Andrew, and Cheryl Morris. "Thomasson and Morris Flip the English Classroom." Thomasson and Morris Flip the English Classroom. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.
John Stewart • Middle School Lead Teacher • [email protected] • @jstewedu
English Eight Project The Gingerbread Change: “Twenty Years of You”
For this project you will remember—and imagine—two versions of yourself.
FIRST ! What were you like ten years ago? Remember if you can, or ask someone. Imagine if you must to fill in the extra details. SECOND ! What will you be like ten years from now? Based on who you were ten years ago and on who you are now, who will you be at 23? FINALLY ! Make a gingerbread being (out of paper or foam-board or what have you). It should be 10” by 8”. Use one side to represent the ten-years-ago you and the other side to represent the ten-years-from-now you. Include a string so we can hang them from the ceiling.
Your Gingerbread being must
Include a ten-year-ago side that has You physical description 0 OR 5 Your personal style 0 OR 5 Your location 0 OR 5 Your major occupation 0 OR 5 Your hobbies/entertainment 0 OR 5 Include a ten-year-from-now side that has You physical description 0 OR 5 Your personal style 0 OR 5 Your location 0 OR 5 Your major occupation 0 OR 5 Your hobbies/entertainment 0 OR 5
Exhibit student’s effort and attention to detail, 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Including written mechanics
TOTAL: / 60
John Stewart • Middle School Lead Teacher • [email protected] • @jstewedu
Name: Period: Living History Project
You are pretty good at talking, right? You know how to listen, and ask questions, and learn the information you need by smiling and nodding and reacting pleasantly when the other person is rambling on and on and really doesn’t seem to have any direction or logic to their story. Right?
Let’s test that. You will need to interview someone.
Step one: Find someone to interview. The person must be 50 years older than you are
Step Two: Write questions that will lead to the information that you need about his or her life at ____ (family, home, friends, school, fun, work)
Step Three: Conduct the interview with charm and grace.
Step Four: Present you interview findings.
Your presentation must include The person’s name 0 OR 5 The year the person was ___ 0 OR 5 The person’s place (age ___) 0 OR 5 Details of the person’s family 0 OR 5 Details of the person’s home 0 OR 5 Details of the person’s friends 0 OR 5 Details of the person’s school 0 OR 5 Details of the person’s fun 0 OR 5 Details of the person’s work 0 OR 5
Presentation Options: BASIC: The Class CHALLENGE: The Dress-Up ATOMIC: The Song Presentation Identify all of the required Be the other person. Dress Write as song, from the point characteristics in a three- up. Tell us all about yourself, of view of the other person, minute oral report, where as you identify all of the where you identify all of the you include a summary of required characteristics in a required characteristics. the similarities and three minute monologue. Play background music. Sing differences. it.
+ 5 points + 15 points + 15 points
TOTAL: / 50
John Stewart • Middle School Lead Teacher • [email protected] • @jstewedu
Name: Date: Period:
The Story in 4 Minutes
You now know everything about the novel you just read, so here is your project:
Requirements: • Name your group. • Shrink the entire story to four minutes. • Dramatize it. • Props are a must; costumes are allowed. • Your mini-drama must include sound effects, dialogue, music. LIVE MUSIC. • In the course of the drama, identify the main character, motivation, conflict, climax, and resolution. Actually use those words.
The mini-drama must be delivered live on Monday, November 1st.
Rubric Your mini-drama must
Include The main character 0 OR 5 The motivation 0 OR 5 The conflict 0 OR 5 The climax 0 OR 5 The resolution 0 OR 5 Feature Music 0 OR 5 Sound Effects 0 OR 5 Dialogue 0 OR 5 Props 0 OR 5
Exhibit student’s effort and attention to detail, 1 2 3 4 5 Including costumes.
TOTAL: / 50
John Stewart • Middle School Lead Teacher • [email protected] • @jstewedu
Interdisciplinary Project Elemental Superheroes
For this project you will personify an element as a comic book-style superhero. In science class, after a period of instruction on the Periodic Table and the elements, you will be assigned an element. Then, across two days in the computer lab during your English class, you will use a graphics program to create your elemental superhero. Students in Immersion Science will complete the project in Spanish; for all other the project will be in English.
The superhero will become part of a slideshow available for all students to use for review of the Periodic Table before a quiz on that subject in science class.
Your elemental superhero must
Resemble a superhero or supercreature in action 0 OR 5 with costume, logo, etc. 0 OR 5
Inhabit a background that displays The element’s name 0 OR 5 Its superhero nickname 0 OR 5 Its atomic symbol 0 OR 5 Its atomic number 0 OR 5 Its natural state 0 OR 5 One superpower (property 0 OR 5 Another superpower (property 0 OR 5 Its practical application 0 OR 5
Exhibit student’s effort and attention to detail, 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Including written mechanics
TOTAL: / 60
John Stewart • Middle School Lead Teacher • [email protected] • @jstewedu
Name: Period: Ironic Tourism
The world is full of magic, mystery, inspiration, and delight, and thanks to your Geography class, you now know a bit more about it. Thanks to your English class, you now have to opportunity to show what you know.
Step one: Pick a country.
Step Two: Decide to work alone or with a partner.
Step Three: Create an ironic tourism slogan. (Irony is a statement that means the exact opposite of what is intended You say, “Don’t eat this cookie,” when you mean, “Please eat this cookie.” You say, “USA: so boring,” when you mean, “USA: so exciting.”)
Step Four: Make a list of three (3) reasons to visit the country. Include important places, buildings, landmarks, and other points of interest.
Step Five: For each of the three (3) reasons you chose, you must select a persuasive technique—a different technique for each reason. • name calling– creating a negative attitude • glittering generalities– telling only part of the truth • bandwagon – creating a desire to join a large group • testimonials – using the declaration of a famous person • snobbery or plain folks – using an average person or a fancy person • appeal to emotions – connecting with loyalty, pity, fear, love
Step Six: Present. Soloist and Duos will create a two-minute travel commercial, either through a live presentation with visual aide, or through a pre-recorded and edited movie (Flip, smartphone, Xtranormal) (0-10 added points)
Your presentation must include A slogan 0 OR 5 Irony in the slogan 0 OR 5 A reason to visit 0 OR 5 A persuasive technique 0 OR 5 Another reason to visit 0 OR 5 Another persuasive technique 0 OR 5 A third reason to visit 0 OR 5 A third persuasive technique 0 OR 5
TOTAL: / 50
John Stewart • Middle School Lead Teacher • [email protected] • @jstewedu
English Eight – Stewart Rule for Life Speech / What is Important Speech
During the week of school before Promotion, you will deliver a final speech to your English class. The speech will last for two minutes and it will either— 1. Explain a personal rule by which you live your life. (“My rule for life is to . . .”)
OR
2. Discuss something that you feel is important to you. (I think that ______is important.”)
Your speech must Last between 120-240 seconds 0 OR 5
Include the following basic speaking behaviors: Vocal volume/Inflection 0 1 OR 5
Vocal rate/Modulation 0 1 OR 5
Vocal tone/pitch 0 1 OR 5
Posture (relaxed not swaying) 0 1 OR 5
Eye contact/scanning/targeting 0 1 OR 5
Hands (gestures not fidgets) 0 1 OR 5
Movement (purposeful not pacing) 0 1 OR 5
Courtesy 0 1 OR 5
Include the following composition elements: Organization (BME, flow) 0 1 OR 5
Explanation (What? Clarity) 0 1 OR 5
Reasoning (Why? Believable) 0 1 OR 5
TOTAL: / 60