Studio WISE…a mosaic of literacy, history, and creativity

Anyone who knows me well knows that I love reading about writing, writing about reading, talking about writing, buying supplies for writing, and the smell of the paper supply storage room. I love journals of all kinds, funky written utensils, and word processing. I love book clubs and putting my thoughts on paper. Listening to students and adults reading their writing aloud makes me happy. Poetry is definitely my friend. It doesn’t matter whether it’s narrative poetry, Haiku, sonnets, ballads, acrostics, or couplets…

Phillis Wheatley, Shakespeare, Dickens, Sara Teasdale, Keats, Wordsworth, Maya Angelou, or Robert Frost, it doesn’t matter. Their poetry brings music to my ears, rest to my mind , and a smile to my face. Their words aren’t just words. They are drops of descriptive paint that are spread across a paper canvas just waiting for someone who loves paper, pencils, the written word, and ,yes, maybe even someone who loves the smell of the paper supply storage room.

One of my goals this year is to organize all areas of my life, so I have started with my social media. For a person who fought any type of social media until 2009 (except what was necessary for work), I sure became overwhelmed fast. Gmail, website, Facebook, two business Facebook pages…and the guilt when I can’t keep them up-to-date! Well, as of today, I have combined my Studio WISE Facebook page with my webpage, and it feels so good! I also have unpublished the other business page which takes a burden off my shoulders. I look forward to having you look around and joining me for exciting events and opportunities. I will try to post a heads-up to my Facebook page of any new events. While you’re here, check out the other sections of this site. Have a fabulous day.

Will we continue to allow the watering down of education until our children are harmed forever? Whether some believe it or not, there are absolutes. Gifted classes are being cancelled in some states, while doing well in math has become a touchy area for some. How in the world are we at this point? What happened to setting goals and meeting them? What happened to working harder to achieve a goal rather than blaming someone else for our inabilities? As an English teacher (who had many wonderful English teachers along the way), I am very concerned with trying to teach students proper grammar when even pronouns have become a source of division in some places. We need to draw a line somewhere… or the next generations will be illiterate and won’t even know it.

Literacy is so much more than reading and components of a reading program. Though I have a special love for the writing in an effective literacy program, one should also observe vocabulary instruction, comprehension strategy instruction, fluency instruction, word study and phonemic awareness, and content literacy instruction. Today, many also include digital literacy in the definition.

What should one observe if visiting a classroom to document literacy strategies? Because it is a love of mine, I like to begin with writing instruction. Writing instruction cannot be an afterthought but must be included daily in lesson plans. Teachers should model the writing process and provide models for exemplary writing. Students should be writing in response to what they read in class and outside the walls of the school. Perhaps students will be seen composing on the computer and also writing in journals. The use of graphic organizers will be evident. Writing will be an integral part of a literacy-rich classroom.

In addition to writing instruction as part of a literacy program, explicit vocabulary development is essential. Students need to discuss word meanings and use them in a variety of situations. Words should be dissected. Context clues need to be taught, as well as the use of reference materials like dictionaries. The more times students hear and use words, the more likely they become a part of regular use.

Students need a basis for learning new words. This begins during the primary school years, and it may continue for those who struggle with language acquisition in the later years. Phonemic awareness (sounds, syllables, etc.), phonics ( patterns, sounding out, etc.), and word study are all part of this process.

Fluency is another part of an effective literacy program. Being fluent is being capable of reading and writing easily and accurately. To become fluent, students need many opportunities to hear, write, speak, and read . While observing a classroom for literacy strategies, one may see students reading with partners, reading in unison, and listening to the teacher read. Timed readings are also appropriate, as are reader’s theatre and teacher-student reading opportunities. Writing can also use several of the same strategies: partner writing, reading writing aloud, teacher-student writing. Modeling of good techniques is important.

Another important component of reading instruction is comprehension. It doesn’t just happen but must be taught. Many strategies exist that promote better comprehension when reading: synthesizing, predicting, inferring, questioning, use of graphic organizers, summarizing, evaluating, activating prior knowledge, and building prior knowledge. Teachers and students who are immersed in a literacy-rich classroom will display the use of such strategies.

It is very important that reading and writing skills be applied in all subjects for all students. Content teachers have the responsibility to teach content vocabulary and to help students build background knowledge. Graphic organizers can be used in each area. Writing in response to reading is very important, also.

To conclude, an effective literacy program, for lack of a better term, as I don’t really love a “canned program,” should include each of the components mentioned. I think schools should use what works from experience and research to develop a system that works for them. Training, and monitoring the application of the training, is so important. Presently, the average American reads at the 7th-8th grade level. Also, writing skills are poor for many, so we need to be willing to do anything we can to improve this statistic.

Balance. We need some balance in classrooms today. We need to be reminded that technology is a tool and not a fix-all. Paper and pencil still have their places, and I believe the pendulum needs to swing back . Many have asked my opinion on students taking writing exams via word processor, and I have thought much about that subject for years. What follows is based on research and on my own experience as an educator since 1980.

What is it that we really want of our students? Do we want them to retain information, process at a higher level, and to activate their brains regularly? Hopefully, that is a resounding YES. Writing activates the brain in ways word processing cannot. Writing by hand enhances learning and assists in developing conceptual understanding. Learning to write by hand and composing that way actually helps in learning to read.

Handwriting is a sensory experience as art is and can help develop brain connections. Writing is another way to give greater understanding of material. Some research exists that shows sensory activities build nerve connections. Sensory activities “support language development , cognitive growth, fine and gross motor skills, and problem solving skills.”

As students get older and must take notes, writing by hand also allows brains to engage with the information more which improves comprehension. Most type faster than writing, so when note taking by hand, students must summarize the information while taking notes. This allows more understanding. Taking notes by hand also improves recall.

Research seems to indicate that students who type notes usually just type lectures verbatim without conceptualizing as they would need to do when taking notes by hand. Perhaps the answer is to use a balance of both and to teach students HOW to really take notes.

In a nutshell: Writing notes by hand rather than typing them increases understanding.

Let’s make some changes to help our children maximize their learning.

A literacy framework is needed in all school systems around the country. One might wonder why that is the case. As an educator that focused on literacy for almost forty years, I have seen programs come and go, teachers struggle to accomplish what seemed impossible, and frustration surface when teachers felt colleges had not adequately prepared them for teaching these skills. We must start somewhere and the time is NOW to provide sustainable opportunities for premier instruction that culminates in literate children who will have the knowledge skills for changing the world and who will be college and career ready.

What really is literacy? Reading, writing , speaking, and listening effectively are paramount to all education. Today, reading and writing are connected closely to printed material and digital media. When individuals lack literacy skills, they are at a tremendous disadvantage. In fact, there are correlations of literacy to economic opportunities, even good nutrition and health.

None of this happens by accident. We must plan if improvement is going to be be made in this area in all schools in all states in our country. We cannot assume that literacy skills are being taught or even if students are writing regularly. During my years as an educator, I have seen writing take a back burner during literacy blocks with more attention being given to reading instruction. Both are important.

Sustaining literacy development, while integrating literacy and learning across the curriculum, is possible. Students and teachers must be motivated and engaged in teaching and learning if they are to achieve the desired results. Ongoing instruction and modeling is needed K-12 with colleges taking the reins to make sure educators, all educators, are ready for the challenge.

Part 2 will present a plan for how this can happen and happen immediately.

For several years, we have tried our best to teach students to compose using the computer and nothing is really wrong with that, but research now suggests we might want to get back to using the old paper and pencil more. A body of research even suggests that taking notes the old-fashioned way rather than on a computer helps with retention…something about the motor skills and the brain connection. As I prefer journaling with paper and pencil, that makes me happy. Research suggests composing by hand also helps with revision and proofreading. Think about this. I’ll pull some research and post it here while you ponder what you might want to do to offer students both experiences. Don’t throw out new technology, but certainly make time for technology that came before…like a simple spiral notebook and your favorite pen or pencil.

Ok, I know that there are exceptions to any rule, but I want to give you food for thought based on research and my personal experiences. Some research shows that girls and boys flourish when they are taught in single-gendered schools. I attended an all-girl college, so I have some experience with getting to attend classes without having distractions from guys. (Read into that what you may.) Think about that.

Here I want to suggest some ways to help students, mainly boys, be more successful. Nothing you read will be rocket science, but maybe it will spark an interest in you to try a suggestion or two for an extended period of time to see the results.

On the whole, processing time for boys is longer, so they like to shift gears, so to speak, during activities. An alarm clock or cell phone alarm is a great tool to use as a reminder to change pace with students. Guys generally like movement and spacial stimulants, along with manipulatives… more than girls do. Boys typically need more motor-development. However, there are girls that enjoy these, too.

All students can benefit from flowcharts, diagrams, abstracts, and problem-solving activities, though boys perhaps more than girls. Girls are typically better readers and writers and learn verbal skills earlier, but, again, there are exceptions to this.

Many boys like competition and games during class. All-boy reading groups with opportunities to hold a nerf ball or clay ball while reading will prove successful with many. (All girl math groups are successful.)

Allowing students to work in pairs, drink water, have space to move, and more light in classrooms will help with learning, as well. Turning off the television, stepping away from the computer, and getting more active will stimulate the brain to encourage retention of material. Reducing the amount of sugar and caffeine intake will also help students with focus. (I have a teacher friend who took his son off all foods with dye in them and saw a world of difference in his son’s focus in class. )

On a side note, students, well actually many of us, have become de-sensitized to violence from all the television and movies we watch that show it over and over. Anything we can do to try to combat that will help, not only the students, but the world. We need to reboot as we look for ways to reach our young people, but as we do so, we need to realize that not all we used in the past should be ignored. Common sense and a good support system go a long way.

“People perish for lack of knowledge” is perhaps taken out of context from the Bible, but I think it fits ably here in this situation for this day. Once a teacher, always a teacher, so I have looked at this situation before our nation, that of teaching patriotism or not, as an educator, a parent, a grand parent, and a citizen of the best nation on the Earth. I conclude that teaching patriotism again is a must if we are to combat much of what is happening in the nation and around us.

Critical thinking is a buzz word for anyone in education today. We gear much of what we do in the classroom to encourage students to think, think, think in a critical way. We offer resources from different perspectives, we encourage discussion, and we write persuasive essays based on facts. Well, where have we missed it? Facts seem to be confused with feelings now. History seems confused with hatred of our forefathers rather than looking at these individuals as fallen human beings who made the best decisions with what they had at the time.

I recall so many times over my years of teaching my asking students to look at different characters, settings for the story being read, and theme while they were reading. Wanting them to base their answers to discussion questions on more than their opinions, I asked for thought to be put into the characters in context of their situation and settings (time period, place, etc). When I think about teaching patriotism, I think about the same thing. Stay with me.

Why are we allowing cherry-picking of information rather than taking history as a whole? Have textbooks and documents become so watered-down that students really have not been taught truth? Are colleges and universities purposefully gaslighting and censoring accurate information to fit a narrative that the USA was a failed experiment?

What is wrong with teaching our children that it is ok, and even admirable, to love our country, our flag, and our national anthem? People gave up lives around the world to come here to begin a new nation that I personally believe was based on Christian principles (based on research of documents and biographies ). No, they were not perfect people. No, I don’t understand why native Americans were pushed from their land. No, I don’t agree with slavery.

BUT, I do know that 1776 is a special date for America and that we live under a Constitution that has proven effective until, it seems, now. What has been the catalyst for this change? Have we as parents and educators not taught our children to love our land? Have we become so conditioned to political correctness that we are willing to accept the status quo when it comes to teaching true history?

I was always told that just because I didn’t believe something didn’t mean it wasn’t true. Well, I believe closing our ears, eyes, and minds to facts doesn’t change the fact that certain events happened and that certain people lived and died to form a more “perfect union.”

When determining whether to teach, or even talk about, patriotism today, my suggestion is to start at the beginning of our nation, even before it became a nation, and read, read , read every factual document we can find to remind us what is true. Think on those things. Look at individuals, study the settings and timelines in context, research major wars and the factual reasons for those wars. Take notes. Become a fanatic about history. Learn. Relearn.

Granted, if our forefathers had today’s perspective in the 18th century, they perhaps would’ve made some different decisions, but they did not have that. They were products of their times, just as we are. Remember the old adage, “Those who fail to remember history are bound to repeat it.” I think that is where we are today. On every hand, it seems that our historical foundation is being erased brick by brick or we might say “statue by statue,” and the Constitution is being treated like a college essay written for a moment only to be forgotten.

Start now. Determine to learn and share our history. Our children deserve the truth. Maybe you are called to write a textbook that is accurate, based on truth. Maybe you are considering homeschooling your children. Perhaps you have thought about starting a book club based on historical novels and documents. Whatever it is, do it. Start. We do not need to perish for lack of knowledge. In case you wonder where I stand, yes, patriotism needs to be taught by those who love our nation and those who have no agenda or narrative other than “training up a child in the way he should go.”

May God bless the USA.