What's Your Mission? Reflections from the Scholastic Reading Summit (and more)

About halfway between my house and my sister's stands a church. A marquee lights up the otherwise dark corner where it stands, and on that marquee are often words of wisdom that stick with me for days. The latest is no exception.

I passed by the sign on my way home from visiting my nieces after the Scholastic Reading Summit this week. Maybe it was everything that was swirling through my head that I had learned, or maybe it was just meant to speak to me... but I can't stop pondering it.

So much of what I heard and discussed at the Summit parallels and supports what I've been reading on Twitter and in Disrupting Thinking. In the upcoming year, what will be my mission? Right now, I'm all-in for pushing my kids to disrupt their thinking and taking on the hard work of tackling tough topics. 

Finally hearing Jess Lifshitz speak in real life was such a treat at the Scholastic Reading Summit. Jess has impacted my thinking in so many ways through her blog and her tweets, so being in the same room with her was one of the highlights of the conference for me. Her session was all about empowering readers through choice, student-created reading goals, and work that matters. I know I'm not alone when I say that each of those three parts could've been a session in and of itself. 

One immediate change I know I'll implement is the first question I ask my readers as we confer. Instead of the usual, "How's it going?" I'll be stealing Jess's question. "What have you noticed as you've been reading?" This will open the doors to help them set their own reading goals, deepen our conversations, and assist me in disrupting their thinking. Jess also gave a step-by-step process for her reading conferences that will help move me forward with my conferences as well. While reading conferences may be the least efficient way to meet the needs of readers, they are absolutely the most effective.

Although I've followed along with the work Jess has been doing with her 5th graders through her blog, listening to her talk about it made me realize just how important it is. I love her idea of starting the year with guided inquiry into story. Sadly, my district learned a lesson this year that even though we think we are teaching kids to honor each other's backgrounds and stories, we just aren't doing enough. Yet. Equality and acceptance have always been near and dear to my heart, but the world we live in is adding fuel to my fire to help kids think openly and deeply. Our continued #classroombookaday mission will help us tremendously with this endeavor! I also plan to have my kids follow Jess's lead as we take a critical look at our classroom library for evidence of how it does (or doesn't) represent a wide variety of people.

Donalyn Miller shared an idea at the Scholastic Reading Summit that has been bouncing around in my brain quite a bit. To help head off miscommunication with parents, she suggests creating a t-chart at "parent night" that highlights practices of then and now. I think this will especially be helpful this year as my district has embraced a balanced literacy approach and is beginning a 3-year implementation. This year, our focus is on word study and using the Words Their Way program as a tool. The second year will focus on Reader's Workshop, followed in the third year by Writer's Workshop. While these practices have been a part of my classroom for years, I'm thrilled that my district has officially embraced it. And it goes without saying that I still have a LOT to learn about all three components! Creating the chart Donalyn shared will be helpful in explaining to parents how our instruction has changed (or is changing) to support our learners.

Another idea that stuck with me from the Summit was the importance of book talks. So many of the presenters (and authors) reiterated the powerful impact book talks have on readers. I know how much I'm influenced by people talking about books, so I have to believe it's also true for my students. Part of my mission this year will be more consistency with book talks and offering more opportunities for students to give book talks. 

While the learning was nearly mind-blowing, I have to also throw this in. Seeing Twitter friends at the Scholastic Reading Summit was also one of my very favorite parts of the day. Not only did I get to hug some of my favorite Twitter friends and continue conversations with them, but I was also so, so happy to get to say hello in real life to a few I've never met before. I can't say enough about how much I rely on my Nerdy Twitter peeps for daily inspiration!!

It was important for me to begin by reflecting on the learning and sharing that took place at the Scholastic Reading Summit, but I'm confident my summer learning will continue to define and clarify my mission.  Conversations with my Twitter PLN, more professional reading, and a trip to Nerd Camp are all upcoming opportunities to fine-tune my mission for this year, too.  

How about you? What's YOUR mission?

Sharing Our Stories

I've held back for so long. I've tried to figure out the best way for my voice to be heard. And then the Immigration Ban came along. I can be silent no longer. 

My family immigrated here from Poland, many of them refugees from a tumultuous time in Poland. Unrest was widespread as Russia controlled part of the area, and borders continued to change between Russia, Poland, Germany, Austria, and more. From the research we've done, it appears as though many of them came here in the early 1900s, from about 1903-1913 for the most part.

My Great-Grandparents, immigrants from Poland

My family came here seeking asylum, seeking what they hoped would be a better life. They were forced to leave loved ones behind in order to do so. And this all came before both World War I and World War II, where things would become even more volatile. 

Loved ones who were left behind in Poland were lost. We know that my great-grandfather's sister and her husband were killed by Nazis, simply because they were Polish. 

In later years, we know my great-grandmother refused to speak of her family back in the Warsaw, Poland area. When one of her daughters won a trip to Poland, she begged her not to visit or look up family (for fear of putting them in danger.) To this day, we know very little of the family connections we have in Poland.

My Great-Grandfather

My great-grandfather immigrated here in the early 1900s. He worked as a carpenter and miner in North Dakota, Michigan, and Wisconsin before settling down in Chicago. 

What if there had been a ban on immigrants back then? What if we disallowed certain nationalities or countries from sending us their refugees? What if, for all intents and purposes, one man declared war on one particular religion? Oh, wait...

Yes. We must take action and make our country safe, but to what end? Sadly, many of our terrorists are "homegrown" or come from countries not outlined on the recent Executive Action banning immigrants. And to specifically ban refugees from one particular country blows my mind. Do we need to take further steps to increase the safety of our country and our people? Yes. But I believe doing it in such a "blanket" way will only bring more problems to our doorstep.

We need to know these stories. Bana Alabed should be a household name. She's a 7 year-old peace preacher who has managed to escape the horrors she lived through in Aleppo. How can we say she's not welcome here?

We must also resist the urge and fight against the danger of a single story. We all have stories to tell. Pay attention. Listen. Resist.

Messy Learning!

Earlier in the school year, I remember reading this blog post by the always-thought-provoking Franki Sibberson about how she approaches introducing new topics to students. In this particular post, she explained how she let kids "have a go" at something before she provided any explicit instruction or modeling; doing so can send the message that she already thinks they don't know how to do it. Not only does this provide time for productive struggle, but I believe it also serves as a formative assessment tool to determine what students already know about a given skill or strategy. Franki's words have played over and over in my mind as the year has progressed. I've tried to find a way to build in that natural inquiry process of letting them start to figure it out on their own. 

This week, we threw caution to the wind as we started wrapping our minds around the idea of nonfiction "text structures." Rather than simply introducing each possible text structure and expecting kids to somehow magically absorb that knowledge, my teaching buddy Maria and I decided we'd give kids time to dig in and try to figure it out. We gathered stacks of informational texts and provided butcher paper. As we explained the task at hand to our classes, we simply told them it was their job to figure out how authors organize their thinking in the books they write. Once they figured that out, they had to provide proof (text evidence, if you will.) 

About 15 minutes into the task as we were bouncing from group to group, nudging and pushing them to keep trying, I looked at Maria. "You hate me right now, don't you?" This was definitely messy, messy learning. We both laughed and agreed that this is exactly the kind of deep learning our kids need to be doing.

Shortly after that happened, we noticed a few groups starting to talk in terms of "fact and opinion" and "ABC order," while asking questions like, "Isn't that a main idea?" Slowly but surely, they were making sense of it. We quickly pulled the groups together and asked just a few to share out what they were currently thinking. You could see lightbulbs popping up around the room as kids shared. We sent them back to continue working on the task, armed with this new knowledge. Pretty soon, we were hearing about lists, comparing and contrasting, chronological order, and more. 

On day two, we only gave kids about 15 minutes to review the previous day's thinking before we gathered together for each group to share one book and its structure. Truth be told, our 4th grade learners came up with some possibilities I hadn't even considered! We created our anchor charts together so these ideas will be visible in our rooms. After seeing the list they generated, I am confident this was way more effective that the traditional "sit and git" instruction!

Where do we go from here? We invited our learners to use these structures as they are working during Readers' and Writers' Workshop time. It also opened the conversation about the possibilities of presentations for our next student-led EdCamp (more on that to follow!) 

Digital Reading Options

In the four years that I've been teaching in a school with 1-1 devices, I've continued to investigate options for sites and apps that will allow my kids to read books digitally. My school uses Destiny e-reader, but kids didn't seem to be using it very often. This year, we've discovered two new options that have become wildly popular with my 4th graders!

Epic
The first option is the free site Epic Reads. There is an option to pay for access to the site, but I signed up as a teacher and was able to add all of my kids to my account. I love that it features REAL books and gives kids the option to read it themselves or read with their ears. It has a good mix of both fiction and nonfiction, as well as mixed formats (picture books, chapter books, graphic novels, audio books.)

Binky the Space Cat is even offered on Epic Reads!

From My 4th Graders...
I like the options of books on Epic! On Epic, you can see the books you've read and you can read them again if you want. There's long books and short books. - Sienna
I like Epic better and the variety of books. I don't like, on MyOn, how you have to take a quiz and remember every last detail about the book. - Max
I don't really like either one, but if I had to pick, I'd pick Epic. It has shorter books and longer books! - Ella

MyOn
The second option is MyOn. My district paid for this one, so it is available on all student devices (Chromebooks.) Just like Epic, it offers a good variety of genres, formats, and possibilities. Again, this site provides access to REAL books. Actually, we've added books to our classroom library based on what they've read on MyOn. Three of the most popular finds have been the Spine Shivers series (great for Goosebumps fans!), Mighty Mighty Monsters graphic novels, and Sports Illustrated Kids graphic novels.

My 4th graders love the Sports Illustrated Kids graphic novels!

From my 4th Graders...
It is easy to search for books. It keeps track of how many minutes and hours you've read each week. -Gianna
There's a lot of choices! I like to listen to the books. There's better books than on Epic! - Eric

One word of caution. There is an option for kids to take a quiz on the books they've read. This does not fit with my philosophy of free choice reading and discussions as a means of determining comprehension. Right from the beginning, we figured out how to ignore the request to take a quiz. However, some of my kids find this "fun" and choose to take the quizzes occasionally.

I'm excited that we've found a couple of digital reading options that are engaging and appeal to middle grade readers! What's even better, in my opinion, is that the sites feature real titles from real books, rather than books that are made specifically to be placed onto a site. Which sites are your favorites?

JOY!

I've firmly planted JOY in the center of my classroom world this year. Making learning joyful has always been important to me, but amid the crazy stressful education world we live in today, it seems more necessary than ever.

Lucky for me, I have a partner in crime in this endeavor. Maria Vallejo teaches across the hall from me and has become one of my greatest sources of inspiration. She has fully embraced the idea of infusing joy into everything we do. Our conversations leave me richer, happier, smarter.

Together, we are going back to basics, if you will. We are making sure each and every day offers plenty of time for choice reading and writing. We are focusing on depth not breadth with our lesson plans. We are drinking from the waterfall that is Twitter and coming to school ready to try something new on a whim. We are pushing kids to dig deeper and think more.

Reading this article from the Moving Writers blog has reminded me that I enjoy being a risk-taker, a trailblazer. I also thought it was a telling sign when I grabbed a Dove chocolate from my cabinet and was given the message, "Why not?" Why not, indeed.

Of course, there are moments when I falter. There are days when I have my doubts. But then Maria comes along with another mind-blowing suggestion, and I'm back. My Twitter people are also such a great source of inspiration for keeping me grounded and nudging me to do more. Scott Fillner, Aliza Werner, Jess Lifshitz and Stacey Reidmiller move me daily. I can't (or maybe won't?) tell you how many times they've posted a lesson, idea, or chart on Twitter... and I've promptly stolen it for an upcoming lesson.

Going back to my summer professional reading is something that's also kept me moving forward. UpStanders by Sarah Ahmed and Smokey Daniels has catapulted me into doing more with how we treat each other and infusing social issues into our learning. DIY Literacy by Kate Roberts and Maggie Beattie Roberts brought back my dedication to anchor charts.

My 4th graders remind me to make the most of every moment and to embrace the fun in every situation. They've given me so much to ponder as we've redesigned our learning space to include more flexible seating options. This year especially, they've shown me what happens when I step out of their way and let them soar.

In this season of giving and a time when we see "joy" written everywhere, I have to give thanks to the people and ideas by which I am inspired. And a special thanks goes out to Peter Kupfer for asking me yesterday why I wasn't writing on my blog any more - it was just the nudge I needed to finally publish this post!

#pb10for10 2016

Hooray!! It's one of my favorite, favorite days of the year. Unfortunately, like many others have said, it tends to be an expensive day as well. Thanks to Cathy Mere and Mandy Robek for hosting the yearly event!

After last year's #nerdcampmi, my fourth grade readers and I embraced the idea of a classroom picture book a day challenge. We were inspired by Donalyn Miller's original #bookaday idea which then inspired Jillian Heise to create the #classroombookaday challenge. (I know that isn't the focus of today's event, but it is definitely related and definitely a worthwhile endeavor!)

At the end of the school year, I asked my fourth graders to do some reflecting on which picture books were their favorites. We also took a vote for which books were the ones we remembered the most. So this year's #pb10for10 list is actually their list! Without further adieu...

Number 10...

Number 9...

Number 8...

Number 7...

Number 6...

Number 5...

Number 4...

Number 3...

Number 2...

Number 1...

And their top pick...

As I look at their list, I know we read a wide variety of picture books that included informational texts, poetry, historical fiction, and more. However, judging by their list, they were clearly drawn to the humor in picture books! And, yes, I do know I actually snuck in 11 books. (Oops!)

And now the best part... I get to go read other people's lists and attempt to not break the bank! Thanks again to Cathy and Mandy for providing this spectacular opportunity!!

#cyberPD 2016 - DIY Literacy Part 2

As I begin writing this, I cannot help but thank our incredible community for nurturing this event and helping it grow into ways we never thought possible! Cathy, Michelle and I are so impressed with how everyone is jumping in, trying new ideas, and supporting the work of each person. Our weekly conversations and comments on our Google community have certainly brought us to new understandings as well. 

My Thoughts on Chapters 3 and 4...

Creating an educational climate that elevates the level of thinking, discussion, 

and performance is ideal when raising the next generation. (p. 54)

As I began reading chapters 3 and 4, I started thinking about how repertoire charts are the teaching tools I am probably most comfortable with. Most comfortable... and yet, I still haven't utilized them consistently with my 4th graders. While reading more, I continued to think about how those charts around the room really do support the work of my readers and writers. I'm excited to also try out the other tools as other means of scaffolding, supporting, and stretching our learning. 

On page 42, Kate and Maggie list a few ideas for keeping a chart "alive" for students. While fairly common sense, these really stuck with me. I also really appreciated their advice for narrowing the focus and assessing whether the tools worked. The bookmarks will be an incredibly powerful tool for students as far as agency, independence and "stickiness" are concerned. They tie in well with goal-setting and keeping kids accountable for their own progress, too.

The focus on what rigor really means was incredibly helpful. Not only does it link to difficulty, but it also has a lot to do with motivation and kids' desire to work harder. I love the quote I listed earlier for this reason. Isn't that our ultimate goal? It ties in so well with another fabulous professional read I'm loving, which is Upstanders by Sara Ahmed and Harvey Daniels. We want our kids to want to learn and make a difference in this world.  

The Conversation Continues...

Credit to Rachel Harder for creating this!

#cyberPD 2016 - DIY Literacy Part 1

Let's get this party started! Cathy Mere, Michelle Nero, and I are delighted to be celebrating the 6th annual #cyberPD event with all of you. As you probably already know, we'll be focusing on just a few chapters each week and culminating our event by the end of the month. While you are certainly welcome to comment on people's individual blog posts, we would also highly encourage you to hop over to join in the conversation on our Google Community and on Twitter.

If you are new to the event, Cathy has written a super helpful post about the basics of #cyberPD. We encourage imagination, too! If there is a way you're thinking about participating, feel free to give it a whirl!


My Thoughts on Chapters 1, 2, and Bonus...

DIY Literacy was a wonderful companion for a cabin in the woods and by the shores of Stockade Lake (both in Custer State Park in South Dakota.) Both places gave me plenty of time to really dig in deep and wrap my head around what Katie and Maggie were teaching us through their new book.

"We crave these results as we teach, and yet often we get trapped in the hamster wheel of breadth - of being sure we have gotten to everything - rather than centering our work on depth." (p. 3)

I will admit that I've fallen victim to the hamster wheel. Especially as I've been learning the ins and outs of 4th grade, I've felt myself spinning in circles as I try to "cover" everything that is expected of me. I took a step back last summer during our #cyberPD event around Digital Reading (and again when I read this quote) to think about how I can address this and not feel the pull of that hamster wheel. Focus on what Maggie and Kate suggest throughout the book (memory. rigor, and differentiation,) Add these to Franki Sibberson and Bill Bass's authenticity, intentionality, and connectedness... WOW! That packs quite a punch.   

Another trap I've fallen into lately is creating very few anchor charts for (or with) my students, opting for pre-made or digital versions instead. As soon as I saw page 4, I knew that would have to change. Kate and Maggie explain the four different types of teaching tools (repertoire or process charts, demonstration notebooks, micro-progressions of skills, bookmarks), and I could immediately see how these will fit into our classroom. They go on to describe how these tools both influence learning and make it stick. Makes perfect sense! I also appreciated the step-by-step descriptions in chapter 2 - I'm totally the kind of learner who is grateful for those!

Being that I am in a 1:1 Chromebook school district, my students have information at their fingertips at all times (including at home, too.) While I do want more of our co-created anchor charts visible around the classroom, I think I'd also like to continue to provide them digitally as well. We use Haiku LMS, so it would be logical to take pictures of our charts and include them online. I'm also a huge, huge fan of Padlet, which could also work beautifully for this purpose.

What really struck me in the bonus chapter is how intuitive Kate and Maggie were to their readers' needs. As I was reading chapter 2, I did start to think, "Wait - do I have enough information to come up with these charts on my own?!" I finished the chapter, and then BOOM! Our authors were right there to set my mind at ease, offer more helpful hints, and provide resources for us. I love that the book is written like a conversation between the reader and Kate & Maggie. It's the perfect blend of new knowledge, affirming what we already do, and an enjoyable conversation!!

The conversation continues...

Thanks to Rachel Harder for creating this for us!

We've all learned that the real power of our yearly event lies in the conversations and connections we make surrounding the book we're reading. Heading over to our Google Community will help you add your voice to the dialogue! I'm looking forward to hearing what you all have to say!

Share Your Summer Professional Reading Stack!

While it is a crazy hectic, exhausting time of the year, I love how my brain begins spinning with new possibilities. What has gone well this year? What do I need to rethink? What new learning needs to take place before the kids come back in August? What are my colleagues talking about, both in my school and in my Twitter PLN? As is tradition, my summer professional reading stack is already growing by leaps and bounds.

In just a few short weeks, Cathy Mere, Michelle Nero, and I plan to unveil the title for our 6th annual #cyberPD event. But we need your help! What is on your summer professional reading stack? We always hope to choose a book that emerges on lots of stacks! Our plan is to announce this year's #cyberPD title right at the beginning of June to give people time to purchase a copy of the book and begin reading before our event officially kicks off in July (exact dates to be announced in June.)

Sometime during the month of May, please tweet your stack (using the hashtag) and/or post to our CyberPD Google community. Inquiring minds want to know what you plan to read!

Amplifying our discussions!!!

So I'm not going to lie... I'm totally geeking out over here about an idea I gleaned from Amplify: Digital Teaching and Learning in the K-6 Classroom by Kristin Ziemke and Katie Muhtaris!! We spent some time reading a Wonderopolis article this morning about the metaphor "The grass is always greener on the other side." My fourth graders watched the Wonderopolis video and read the article twice before we started our discussion phase. We've used the Socratic Seminar method several times this year and have done a lot of close reading practice along with our discussions, so it was time to make a leap to an online discussion.

Now, we tried this once before but my kids were overwhelmed with all 26 of us trying to read, respond, and react in the discussion online. BAM! The idea hits me from Katie and Kristin's book to start out having online discussions with smaller groups of students before attempting it with the whole class. So that's exactly what we did!

Each randomly selected group of 5-6 students was given a separate Today's Meet room. Before beginning the discussion, we reviewed proper discussion etiquette as well as how we should be using more academic language than texting language in our online discussion. I jumped on to all five rooms to get the discussion going and let them take it from there. You can find the transcripts to all five discussions below. I was quite impressed with most of what occurred in each discussion, but I also realize we're in fourth grade and are learning to communicate in this way.

Todays Meet Transcripts

During our debriefing following the chats, kids reported that it was much easier to follow along and respond with the smaller group. Several learners also mentioned how they enjoyed talking online so their voice was heard; it gave everyone an equal opportunity to share their thoughts. 

(This is a quick view of our room while the chat was taking place. 

More students were seated at a table and comfy chairs behind me.)

We will definitely be amplifying our discussions in this way again!

Fourth Grade Novel Read Alouds

More than ever before, I've made it a priority to involve my fourth graders more in the decision making process of which book will be our next novel read aloud. I've asked for input in the past two years, but this year, I've (almost always) given them the final say in the matter.

*Kids fill out a Google form to suggest titles
*Find book trailers or blog posts about the top 3-4 books that were suggested
*Watch said book trailers and provide time for book talks
*Vote via online poll (on our LMS, Haiku)

I have usually given some parameters to their suggestions, to help nudge them along in their reading lives. For example, I noticed that most of them have primarily been reading realistic fiction this year. That isn't a bad thing, but expanding their reading into other genres is certainly a good thing! At one point, we also realized all of the novels we'd shared so far had had female protagonists. Again, not a bad thing... but reading from a male's perspective should be another common experience for us. Ultimately, though, my fourth graders have the final say. Our first three novels this year were...

Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
A Night Divided by Jennifer Nielsen
Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper
Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix

All three of those books led to rich discussions, heartfelt questions, and children begging to read "just one more chapter." If you ask them, my fourth grade readers will probably tell you A Night Divided was their favorite. It opened their minds to concepts they'd never questioned before and left them hanging on the edge of their seats often.

I strayed from the usual routine at the beginning of March. I chose a book that I absolutely love and would help kids understand the heart of a sled dog (as well as a musher.) Ice Dogs by Terry Lynn Johnson contains elements of realistic fiction, adventure, and friendship. While it might not stretch the genre or protagonist gap, it would still push their thinking. I explained this and asked my readers to give me the first 50-ish pages of the book. Once we read that far, we'd discuss our options.

As we approached the 50 page mark, we voted to decide if we should continue or abandon the book. It was a really close vote (14 in favor of continuing, 11 in favor of abandoning.) Ultimately, the majority wanted to continue but judging by their nonverbal cues during the book, I made the call to abandon. It just wasn't capturing the attention of this particular group, and as much as it pained me (because I really do absolutely adore this book!) I knew we had to move on.

We've since gone back to our normal process of watching book trailers and voting, and we are now fifteen chapters into another Jennifer Nielsen gem, Mark of the Thief.

Even when we think we know best, this was my reminder to honor the voices and choices of my students... because sometimes, I just need them to guide me and show me the way.

Time to Amplify!

Incredibly delicious read,
as evidenced by all of my sticky flags!

I finished reading Amplify: Digital Teaching and Learning in the K-6 Classroom several days ago, and I still can't stop gushing about it to anyone who will listen. The authors, Katie Muhtaris and Kristin Ziemke, have astounded me with their thinking.

What struck me first (and stayed with me throughout the book) was the way they were able to seamlessly incorporate vignettes, tips, and ideas from a primary perspective as well as an upper elementary one. It makes sense, of course, since Kristin taught first and Katie taught fifth, but I loved how the foundation remained the same throughout the multi-grade perspective. Quite often, I have felt myself seesawing on my personal pedagogy in the past two and a half years as I've refined and redefined myself during my transition to becoming an upper elementary teacher. It is quite evident that Katie and Kristin's work is steeped in solid pedagogy and current best practice.

As I was reading, I was thinking about how Chromebooks have been our new 1:1 tool this year. It has opened the door to many possibilities (since they work really well, unlike the Kuno tablets we had for the past couple of years,) but I've had to rethink how we can use pictures or video to document our thinking/learning. My "DUH" moment there came when Katie and Kristin wrote about using audio recording. Truth be told, I hadn't actually explored options for video or audio recording on the Chromebooks. My kids and I are fixing that as we speak!

A few more of my favorite "can't wait to try it" ideas Kristin and Katie shared in the book...
*Model reading digital text ideas p. 46-47
*Ideas for digital reading minilessons p. 48
*Practice watching videos with a "wide awake mind" p. 51
*Introduce/practice online discussions with small groups of students p. 53
*Hierarchy chart for determining content, creation, polishing, presenting p. 75

Amplify has raised my sights toward finishing this year strong and starting next year with a solid framework that is redesigned and refreshed. I have notes throughout the book, tons of sticky notes, and a document started where I've been jotting down ideas so I don't forget! And it has also reminded me of just how much I learn from my Twitter colleagues and how I need to make it a priority to be more active on Twitter.

Through our Twitter and face-to-face connections, I have learned so much from both Kristin and Katie (and have shared many laughs with both of them, too!) I've stolen many ideas from them over the past few years, but I am now fully prepared to snag a bunch more! I'm excited to jump in to the #AmplifyEd conversation to see what others have taken away and have started after reading this gem of a professional read.

What books have shaped your thinking lately?

Celebrating #pb10for10 in 2015!

Each year when I start thinking of Cathy and Mandy's spectacular summer event, I try to come up with a list of picture books that I just can't live without. And then I start plotting ways to include more than only 10 books in my post. Add to my confusion a simply wonderful trip to Nerd Camp. This year was no different. I went through the same process and then went to Nerd Camp. And then went on a picture book book-buying frenzy. As I begin writing this post, we are barely scratching the surface of the month of August. Sigh. I'm in trouble.

After much deliberation, I've decided I just have to go back to picture books that are new to me that I just can't wait to share with my fourth graders. My decision is attributed largely to sessions I attended at #nErDcampMI with the inspiring Jillian Heise. She is a 7th and 8th grade Language Arts teacher from Wisconsin who committed to reading a picture book to her students each and every day of the 2014-2015 school year. Not only did she focus on sharing the joy of picture books with her students, but she also was very intentional and purposeful in why she was doing it. Her presentation (shared here) moved me and revitalized my love of picture books. I especially loved slide #7 and all of the feedback from her kids. I'm thrilled to be joining the #classroombookaday challenge with my learners this year!

Part of Jillian's presentation(s) included passing around picture books for us to read. While doing so, I found so many of the titles I'm about to share with you! A handful of them also came from my summer travels and the independent book shops I visited.

Inspired by my time and my friends at #nErDcampmi...

Bernice Gets Carried Away by Hannah E. Harrison

I giggled out loud as I began reading this book! What a character! Bernice reminded me of a pouty, self-centered little toddler who is having one heck of a bad day. She definitely redeems herself and reminds readers of how our attitude can change everything.

Pardon Me! by Daniel Miyares

Another giggle-out-loud read that makes us realize how much the way we talk to others and our attitude influences what happens to us. Don't want to drop too many spoilers here, but I'll just say that I can definitely see readers debating this one much in the same way we debate what happens in another favorite picture book, I Want My Hat Back. 

Night Animals by Gianna Marino

Hilarity ensues when these nocturnal creatures realize they are afraid of night animals! I also adored the illustrations in this one.

I Yam a Donkey! by CeCe Bell

Younger students will appreciate this silly story while older students will tune in more to the grammar humor in this funny book.

To The Sea by Cale Atkins

What a sweet story! This will definitely be one of the first books I read to my fourth graders this year. It will bring about conversations about how we take care of each other and make sure everyone feels included in our learning community.

Inspired by my summer travels and trips to some wonderful indie book shops...

A Bean, A Stalk, and A Boy Named Jack by William Joyce and Kenny Callicutt

As soon as I spotted this one, I knew it belonged in our classroom library. My fourth graders have been obsessed with Liesl Shurtliff's Rump and Jack in the past two years, and this amusing rendition of the Jack and the Beanstalk fairy tale will fit in perfectly.

Daylight Starlight Wildlife by Wendell Minor

I'm a huge fan of Wendell Minor's work and his focus on nature, so this was a must-have for me. Beautiful language accompanied by gorgeous illustrations depicting a scene both during the day and at night. I'll enjoy sharing this one alongside another find, Northwest Animal Babies, which will make a great mentor text for writing informational texts.

The Camping Trip That Changed America by Barb Rosenstock and Mordicai Gerstein

This book has been on my radar for quite some time, and I took it as a sign that I should finally buy it when I saw it while traveling to some of our nation's beautiful national parks this summer. Like many nature lovers, I am thankful to both of these men for working to preserve areas in our gorgeous country.

 

Luna & Me by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw

After visiting the majestic Redwoods this summer, this is a book I can't wait to share with my 4th grade readers. It's based on the true story of Julia Hill and the two years she spent living in one of the ancient Redwood trees to help save it from destruction. 

Sequoia by Tony Johnston & Wendell Minor

While I didn't get to visit the Sequoias, this gorgeous book (illustrated by Wendell Minor!) helped me understand the difference between California's two kinds of giant trees (Redwoods and Sequoias.) 

Recap and Final Thoughts...

There are just so many more I could've added (and I admit, I snuck in a few extras...) I'm thrilled to have connected with others who will be embarking on a #classroombookaday journey through Twitter, as I'm sure that will bring many more magnificent picture books into my life! Speaking of which... now I'm looking forward to reading which books appear on everyone else's #pb10for10 lists! Happy reading!

#cyberPD - Digital Reading Part 3

My, how these three weeks have flown! Thanks to the smart, smart #cyberPD community, my thinking has grown, stretched, and has been challenged. Remember, next week will be our final (live) wrap-up Twitter chat.

Reflecting...
As I read chapter six, the voices of Clare Landrigan and Tammy Mulligan (authors of Assessment in Perspective and #cyberPD participants) were also whispering in my ear. I learn so much from their work, not the least of which is the idea that if we're going to assess kids, we need to make it useful in our day-to-day work. In my district, we have a required weekly reading test connected to our basal reading series (Reading Street.) I don't have a choice in whether or not I give the assessment, but I do have a choice as to what I do with the information collected. If I use it as a formative assessment to help drive the lesson planning decisions I make, it makes me feel slightly better about having to subject them to the test each week.

Reading chapter six made me think more about this and what other kinds of assessment I'm using. I thought long and hard about the list on page 90. I'm sad to admit that in the past two years that I've taught fourth grade, my conferring with students has taken a back seat to small group instruction. A lot of that has to do with expectations from my district, but a small part of it also has to do with getting to know what fourth grade is all about. I've come to the conclusion that it is still absolutely critical for me to meet with my students one-on-one to meet their individual learning needs. I appreciated all of the resources and ideas Franki and Bill shared in chapter six that will help me accomplish this.

It's funny how so much of this book has tied directly to goals I have for myself and for my students! Chapter 7 was no exception. As fortunate as we are to have 1:1 devices, we are still faced with educating parents so they can become a member of our digital community. I plan to begin this process at our Curriculum Night (held a few weeks into the school year.) Part of my presentation will include introducing our Haiku page (the learning management system my district uses) and our class Twitter account. I set out with the best intentions after our "Who Owns the Learning" #cyberPD conversation to have my kids gradually take over the responsibility of sharing our learning with parents and the community at large, but it didn't quite happen. I have a renewed sense of motivation and purpose for this after reading chapter 7 as well as my earlier read of the absolutely fabulous book by Paul Solarz titled Learn Like a Pirate.

Lastly, I simply loved the last paragraph of chapter 7 (page 108.) I believe these sentiments to be true not only for communicating with parents but also for our work with children. There is no magic list or a "one-size fits all" approach to making learning authentic, intentional and connected. We can pick a few tools and plan to stick with them, while keeping flexibility and student needs in mind. And of course, new possibilities will always be opened up though our PLNs... and those new ideas deserve our time and careful consideration as well.

Reflection Perfection up here in the woods of northern Wisconsin!

As I write this, I am spending time in the woods and on the lakes up in northern Wisconsin. I'm thoroughly enjoying the fishing and snuggles with my nieces, but I also find myself thinking a lot about the #cyberPD conversation and the upcoming school year. But it sure is a beautiful place to take a deep breath of fresh, pine-scented air and cast a line as my mind wanders...

Buddy

Recently, my mom and I embarked on an epic road trip, covering 14 states in 13 days and traveling close to 5,500 miles. I plan to write more about that in an upcoming post, but one moment on our trip has been weighing heavily on my mind.

It was astounding to see so many homeless people as we made our way across the Pacific Northwest. Living near Chicago and visiting the city at times, I've had my fair share of sightings of people surviving on the streets. But this... this was nothing like I've ever seen. Perhaps because the weather is milder on a year-round basis, perhaps because life seems to cost more out there. I'm not sure. But what I do know is that we saw these people everywhere.

Now, I'll admit; I very rarely hand over any cash to the homeless people I've encountered in Chicago. On occasion, I have. But more often than not, I don't.

One morning during our trip, my mom and I pulled in to get gas. As we turned into the parking lot, we noticed a man leaning up against a STOP sign, holding a sign. "Homeless. Will Work for Food," it read. He looked as though he hadn't had a good night's sleep in a while, hadn't showered, and was sporting more than a five o'clock shadow. And then we saw his dog. Being the animal lovers that we are, we both looked at each other and knew this might be one person we would not be able to pass up.

We filled up our tank and headed back to that very spot.

"What do you think?" my mom asked.

Without hesitating, I replied, "Give him some cash."

She rolled down the window and handed the man a folded up bill. He unfolded the twenty dollars and promptly turned to his canine companion, "C'mon, Buddy! We can get you some food now!"

Cue the tears. My mom and I looked at each other, sobbing.

He did call out a heartfelt thank you as we were pulling away, but the comment to his dog was enough of a thanks for me.

As we continued on our road trip, I thought of this man and his dog often. In fact, I'm still thinking about them. How do we know their story? Could they just be down on their luck? For all of those people who never get a second glance from some of us who are more fortunate, what do we know about how they ended up living on the streets?

This man and his dog also led me to think about my fourth graders who come from (mostly) upper middle class families. Do they know how lucky they are?

It made me pause and think about one little boy who was in my class during my first year of teaching... and how he was homeless before finding a home in our community.

But mostly, it reminded me of just how blessed I am.

Beautiful Pacific Ocean Beach on the Oregon Coast