Mr. Moshé’s Critically Thinking . . . Are You?

What you will find below are resources that I have used in regular education and in my enrichment class. Check ‘em out. They’re all useful.

• Good Discussion Questions - This presentation will take you through what good discussion questions are, how to write them and why they’re important, but not necessarily in that order. You’ll also get some valuable question stems that you can take and modify to suit your needs. Enjoy. Reflect. Grow.
• ReadingPictures - This powerpoint will take you through the meticulous process of learning to READ a picture. In reality it is much more natural than this ppt presents it.
  • We took cornell notes while we went through the ppt.
  • We practiced READING 2 pictures.
  • We reviewed the Steps to READ a picture.
  • We practiced READING 1 picture.
• DISSECT - Word ATTACK!!!!!!!
• SQ3R -   Students grasp a greater amount of content from their textbook readings when they use the highly structured SQ3R Process.

Follow the link below to a short list of questions.

QUESTIONS TO ANSWER

I began class as usual, with DEAR or SAFARI or whatever you want to call silent reading. THen we all logged our reading and journaled about what we read. THEN, we got out our notebooks and talked about the 8th grade’s performance on the recent Stated/Implied Main Idea common assessment. OUCH!

I explained that ther were two possible reasons for the poor performance: they were unwilling to perform well, or they were unable to perform well. then the fun began.

Using a powerpoint I created from web resources I found in minutes, we took a look at inferencing. PAGE 38 in the Reader’s Notebook.

I do not have the powerpoint with me now as I type this, but I will post it tomorrow; it’s in my classroom. Basically, we used a powerpoint today to go through some practice passages frothing with clues that lead to logical inferences.

Easily more than 90 percent of my students excelled in class today. This showed me that tey have the skill, just not the willingness. Willingness can come. But only through honest asessment, and at ths I mean self-assessment.

It was great.

Reader’s Notebook Page 37.

We continue to delve into literary elements and styles by focusing on multiple pieces of literature: Author’s Purposes (inform, entertain, persuade), Author’s Perspective (attitude and/or beliefs toward a subject) Regular News Article vs Feature News Story, Reader’s Purpose. We looked  at these literary topics through working with the following pieces:

• Flying by Reeve Lindbergh – Author’s Purposes: Anecdote, KWL (flying); Follow-up Questions 2,3,4,5,6
• from Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad – Author’s Purpose: Biography; Active Reading: Write down questions as you read, and find answers as you read; Follow-up Questions 2,3,4,5,6
• The Story of an Eyewitness by Jack London – Author’s Purpose: Feature News Story vs Regular News Story; Author’s Perspective; Chronological Order Graphic; Follow-up Questions 2,3,4,5

Reader’s Notebook Page 36

We began to delve into literary elements by focusing on multiple techniques: Point of View, Main Idea/Theme, Inference, and Mood. We looked  at these literary topics through working with the following stories:

• Stop the Sun by Gary Paulsen – Genre: Historical Fiction
• The Great Rat Hunt by Laurence Yep – Genre: Memoir; Active Reading Questions
• The Treasure of Lemon Brown by Walter Dean Myers – Active Reading Questions

Hey, here is something really cool, and it will be one of the most useful things you get from me this year.

You can have the entire Language of Literature book, well almost the whole thing, anywhere you are as long as you have access to the internet.

Click the link below to download a PowerPoint presentation that will guide you through registration for the book online. This is not optional. THIS IS REQUIRED.

OK, so click the link, watch the PPT, and get registered.

Language of Literature eServices Registration

Well, for starters, we’ve been getting to know what reading strategies are, how we use them, and how they are actually skills we put to use all the time…not just when we read. The core strategies are: Predicting, Questioning, Visualizing, Connecting, Evaluating, and Clarifying.

We have also begun our deep dive into the Elements of Fiction. We started today by getting this list down, and looking up the definitions: Short Story, Novel, Plot, Exposition, Rising Action, Climax, Resolution, Setting, Conflict – Internal & External, Characters – Dynamic/Protagonist, Antagonist/Static -, Theme.

Ah, yes, and I collected everyone’s Reader’s Notebooks today. I am very impressed with what I’m seeing. Keep up the great work!!!!

But the COOOOOOLEST thing going on right now is that students have begun creating their own websites. How awesome is that? You can check them out at your leisure whenever you like. We will be visiting the computer lab again this Thursday to work hard on customization, About Me pages, and an initial discussion question (or two). Stay in touch to find out how you can get in on the discussion.

If you are a participating student, keep up with what’s gone on, what’s going on,a nd what’s ahead by looking at the Classroom Rules Project Pages.

If you are a visiting teacher, check out the pages detailing the way this project can be rolled out in your classroom. This project gives children the chance to work independantly, in pairs, in small groups, and as a whole class.

Whether you’re a parent, student, colleague, past student, administrator, or visitor – please contribute here.

1. What do you see a teacher website being used for?
2. How do you want Mr. Moshe to put this website to use?
3. How do you plan to put this website to use?

Students!! Here is your opportunity to tell your story. Many people get to the end of a part of their lives and regret having not written anything down. Althoguh the chapter I’ll call your middle school years is ending, you don’t have to forget it all. This is your chant, your mantra, your refrain for having, “No Regrets!!!” This project is designed to allow anyone to get a look into your psyche, your way of thinking, your way of being and acting. The product you produce for this should illustrate how you’ve changed, grown throughout your middle school years (or not – but I hope not). Memoirs don’t usually peer into the unknown future, but yours can with predition pages and such.

Check out the project and all that is encompassed by it at the Final Spring Project Page.

Final Spring Project – A Memoir

AND as a side note, check out this article about STUDENT BLOGS and what they can do for YOU in your future – Student blogs can win cash for college – Dennis Carter, eCampus News .