What are rich literacy behaviors, and how do we make the time for those?
- Reading books, blogs, tweets, articles online and off and sharing our learning, ideas, questions, and revelations.
- Writing stories, thoughts, questions, ideas, and snapshots, and sharing our writing regularly.
- Creating projects and solving problems.
- Speaking aloud and engaging in conversation and debate.
- Research.
Some ways that our school currently models and develops these behaviors include the following:
- A school-wide blog for professional share. Some share, but many don't. Many educators remain shy about sharing their professional work, thoughts, and questions.
- PLC meetings and faculty meetings. Some share occurs here, and we are building toward more dynamic models for these events.
- Book Study Groups: This has been a powerful professional development model in my school system. The books have served as starting points for terrific discussion, new ideas, and invigorated practice.
- Presentation: Many teachers in my system present to one another and to educators outside of our system as a way of sharing their craft.
- Informal share and collaboration. This is a powerful medium in my school--a venue that is a mainstay for the professional work we do.
I'll take the following steps to activate this morning's #satchat discussion:
- Careful attention to the classroom setup by way of making all literacy tools and spaces accessible and inviting.
- Time to discuss literacy routines, tools, and questions with families at curriculum night.
- Time to start the year with literacy discussions with students--"How can we make this a reading, writing, speaking rich environment?"
- Reading everyday.
- Writing everyday.
- Creating the class "Edmodo" account and fostering daily Edmodo conversations and share.
- Making our writer's books online and offline.
- Great students-centered projects.
