53 MinutesAaahhh!
53 minutes?
I only have 53 minutes with each of my ELA classes?
How can I possibly teach my Ss reading, writing, speaking and listening using highly engaging, outside-the-box, globally connected activities in just 53 minutes each day?
I don't care about "covering" curriculum, but I do care about getting to know the reading interests of each and every one of my 140 students. I do care about knowing where they've been as readers. I do care about who they are as writers: what interests them and what they need to improve. I do care about developing and nurturing communication skills, which are life skills.
I care so much that I want to make the most of the time I have with my students. Here are 53 experiences to engage my students in those 53 minutes.
1. Weekly book blogs on Kidblogs
2. Socratic and Platonic seminars
3. Literature circles
4. Kelly Gallagher's Reading Reasons
5. Notice & Note Fiction Signposts
6. Non-Fiction Notice & Note Stances, Signposts & Strategies
7. Reading Minutes
8. Daily Independent Reading
9. Classroom Library Choice Reading
10. QR code book trailers
11. Blind Dating Books
12. Speed Dating Books
13. Book Talks
14. Author Skypes
15. Global Read Aloud
16. Biblionasium bookshelves and recommendations
17. Voxer chats with other classes
18. Articles of the Week (from Kelly Gallagher)
19. Writing Sneezes
20. Gallagher's Six Real-World Writing Purposes
21. March Madness Book Battles
22. E-Portfolios
23. PVLEGS & ACOVA lessons and practice (from Erik Palmer)
24. makerspace opportunities
25. Student-selected reading goals (similar to Donalyn's 40-book challenge)
26. Book Shelfies
27. Craft Writing Lessons
28. Editing Lessons (Sentence of the Week, from Kelly Gallagher)
29. Campfire/flashlight reading
30. Flipgrid videos
31. Legos and Play doh experiences (no, I'm serious)
32. Class Twitter to share our experiences
33. Student Twitter chats
34. GHO with other classes
35. Six Thinking Hats
36. Found Poetry and Blackout poetry
37. World Read-Aloud Day
38. Mentor Texts
39. Read-alouds
40. Cardboard Challenge
41. Shared Google Documents
42. Sketch notes to show learning
43. Global School Day of Play
44. Touchcast (green screen)
45. Augmented Reality
46. Pirate Hooks
47. International Dot Day
48. TodaysMeet book clubs
49. Padlet Walls for books we've read
50. Genius Hour/Passion Time
51. TPFASTT for poetry/song lyrics
52. Flashback Friday
53. #youmatter
I'm sure we will fill up our 53 minutes with many more opportunities throughout the year. That's the beauty of a connected classroom with a connected teacher.
Every minute is precious!
What are writing sneezes? Sounds like something every middle school student would love! (Just got back from spending time with the 7-year-old grandson who loves anything to do with farts - are they anything like that?!) ;) Here we go, Sandy - another year of trying our BEST! Enjoy this next journey, and the students will, too!
ReplyDeleteHi Joy, writing sneezes are the way Kelly Gallagher describes quick writes. He used the word sneeze to convey that students should get ideas down without worrying about editing, erasing, etc. We start with 5 minute sneezes, and graduate to 7-10 minute sneezes, where they build writing stamina. If they aren't sure what else to write, they either write "I don't know what to write" until something comes, or they circle an interesting word/phrase in their writing and tell more about that. Works well.
DeleteGood luck to you as well!
I feel like you have made the same list I would have made (but I learned a few things) :) Can't wait to connect with our classrooms!
ReplyDeleteThat's probably because we think alike, Cara. Don't rush your return date. Enjoy that beautiful new baby first.
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