Mrs. Kuhr's Language Arts Blog

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Today the Middle School participated in the last day of this year’s edJEWcon.  Grade 8 students presented a session on The Sunflower Project (more on this later), and the entire Middle School attended the closing keynote address by Steve Hargadon, director of Web 2.0 Labs.  A consultant on educational technology, specifically on social networking, he shared his thoughts on how new technology is changing learning practices and expectations for teaching and learning.  The students used laptops, iPads and other tablets, as well as iPhones/Smartphones to backchannel (a record and running commentary of the event in real time) Steve’s presentation.  Here are some highlights from student notes.

• Learning models are changing @Shelby W. and Montgomery P. 10:13 AM, 30 Apr 2013.
• 75 years ago you knew most of what you are going to need for work. Now we recognize you learn a lot in the real world. @Sabrina M. at 10:15 AM, 30 Apr 2013
• Yes learning models are changing. Also learning tools are changing. @Sydney T. and Sarah S. at 10:15 AM, 30 Apr 2013
• Years ago people would learn by reading from books and write everything down by hand. Now we do almost everything on laptops or i-Pads.  @Samuel S. at 10:17 AM, 30 Apr 2013 
• People are learning from technology. @Lily h. at 10:17 AM, 30 Apr 2013
• Mike Fisher says education the way we know it is going to completely change. @Mrs. Hernandez at 10:17 AM, 30 Apr 2013                                                                                                         
• Finding ways to contribute that are valuable to students in our community.  @Sabrina M. at 10:17 AM, 30 Apr 2013
• A tech shift ➡ a culture shift ➡ an education shift.  @Reesa Z. at 10:17 AM, 30 Apr 2013
• Responsibilities and expectations.  @Joey P. at 10:18 AM, 30 Apr 2013
• Lifelong learning.  @Avi chai L. at 10:18 AM, 30 Apr 2013
• Back then, we used to send letters by mail. Now we have been sending emails, text messages, etc.  Technology is allowing us to share information as it is happening.Julia K. at 10:20 AM, 30 Apr 2013
• Rapid change is right. I can think of so many devices I don’t think I can write[sic] them all down!  @Rachel L.  at 10:21 AM, 30 Apr 2013
• Students will have to take a math EOC on a computer, we were not traditionally taught to do math on a computer. I think we should change. @Daniel N. at 10:20 AM, 30 Apr 2013
• Need to educate next gen differently. @Avi chai L. at 10:20 AM, 30 Apr 2013
• I think our ideas on education will change. More schools [are] about technology, like coding computers and using things like Scratch.info everywhere. @Joey P. at 10:21 AM, 30 Apr 2013
• The tech shift will change the culture shift and the culture shift will change education. @Joshua F. at 10:21 AM, 30 Apr 2013
• Phones can now be used by online learning over the internet, the same usage the laptop is for.Joshua F. at 10:40 AM, 30 Apr 2013

Photo:
by touring_fishman under creative commons licensure

 The 6th grade agrees with Joshua F.  Now the question becomes, with technology changing the way we learn, why shouldn’t we use all kinds of technology in our classrooms – including Smartphones?

From the Clip Art Gallery on DiscoverySchool.com

Unbelievably, it is the last nine weeks of this school year.  Lots to do; some exciting changes for next year TBA in upcoming posts; please take note of schedule changes re: CHAI reading (all) and the Sunflower Project (Gr. 8).

READING

• STAR Reading:  Last diagnostic tests for the year were taken this week (4/15-16);  results and recommendations will be sent at the end of the school year
• CHAI Reading:  Book selections made this week (4/15-16)
  • Genre: Historical Fiction
  • Note new due date:  May 8, 2013 
  • Book Review: Posted to Shelfari AND linked on blogfolio
  • CHAI-light:  Assume the persona of your book’s protagonist and write a blog post using his/her voice.  Post to blogfolio with reflection.  Example:

Today my sister Annie’s teacher sent a note home.  She needs a white dress for the Easter play at school.  Annie is one of the angels and she speaks one line.  Mama is furious.  She says we didn’t leave the war in Germany to come to America to be in an Easter play.  She doesn’t understand how important it is that we fit in.  Papa knows.  

Everything here is so hard.  Like the language.  Why are there so many different words for the same thing?  My teacher called me stupid in front of the whole class.  It reminded me of that time in Germany when the teacher called me to the front and said, “‘Look at this Jewish pig, children!  I don’t want to see any of you talking to her.’” (Levitin, 1989, p.9)  I thought America would be different . . .  (based on the character Lisa in Silver Days by Sonia Levitin)

Clip art licensed from the Clip Art Gallery on DiscoverySchool.com

LITERATURE

• Poetry Unit – Introduction
  • 6:  Rhyme scheme and sensory language
  • 7:  Types of poems (selections for recitations next week)
  • 8:  Shakespeare and soliloquies as compared to monologues 

WRITING

• Editorials
  • All grades:  Cartoon with reflection already posted to blogs
  • 7 & 8:  Written editorial posted on blog or saved as draft in dashboard
• Blogfolios
  • Check to be sure blogfolio is current
  • Edit and revise, as needed
  • Make corrections to Chai book reviews, as noted on your rubrics 

LIFELONG LEARNING

The Sunflower Project, Grade 8, will now be presented at the edJewcon conference on Tuesday, April 30.  The wiki will be officially launched, and 8th grade students will participate in a panel discussion with edJewcon attendees.  Very exciting!

And now, you are up-to-date … at least, for this week!

A new grading period, a new month, a new perspective.

Overview:  February is a bustling month.  Science Fair, Kaleidoscope Day, Purim, and CHAI Reading, in addition to commemorating Lincoln’s birthday, one of Washington’s birthdays, and Presidents Day.  Of further note, February is Black History Month, which we will address in all LA classes.

One new feature I am proud to introduce this February is The Author’s Page, which will showcase individual writing samples from student blogfolios.

February’s CHAI Reading     Due 2/28/13

• Westerns: Publish an online newspaper reflecting the times and setting of the story
• Book selections Tues., 2/5 and Thurs., 2/7

GRADE 8:

Students are engaged in a massive and impressive venture in response to our class novel study of The Sunflower by Simon Wiesenthal.  The project is multi-tiered and includes staging and filming a reenactment of a scene, recording video commentary, composing original music, and designing a wiki for publication. See the MS Master Calendar for proposed due dates.

• basic literacy: reflective essays, script adaptation, interview questions, Wiki posts and pages, public speaking, dramatic arts
• media literacy: storyboards, video and audio recordings, green screen technology, editing, use of music and photography to enhance production
• digital citizenship: knowledge of copyright and fair use laws, commitment to accuracy, use of technology as a tool to educate, and stimulate global conversation and action
• Jewish studies: self-examination and reflection on ethos (cultural ethics) and pathos (compassion) within the framework of the Shoah

GRADE 7:

Students are modeling responsibility for their own learning.  Charged with completing weekly assignments/activities in each of four literacy centers (Writing, Reading, Grammar/Vocabulary, and Mrs. Kuhr’s Workshop), they choose which days (Monday – Thursday) they will visit each station; Fridays are set aside for makeup work.  Each student records his/her progress on a monthly calendar.  (Calendar √’s Mon., 2/4) While our goal is consistency, instructional times, long-term projects, and short weeks can, and sometimes do, derail the best laid plans.  Currently:

• Writing: creative and descriptive writing prompts
• Reading: sustained reading (Chai book, novel study, or reader’s choice)
• Grammar/Vocabulary: spelling rules and patterns; etymology
• Mrs. K’s Workshop: individual writing assistance, literary roundtable discussions

GRADE 6:

• Ask any 6th grader what the most commonly misspelled word is, and she/he will be able to tell you and will spell the word correctly.  Spelling patterns and rules and exceptions to the rules have been our focus, of late.  Many of our days begin and end with morphology, syllabication, base words, word roots, and affixes.  When not reciting “i before e, except after c“, etc. . . .
• We are organizing blogfolios, updating information, and streamlining categories and tags so our blogs will be more user/parent friendly.  In progress:
  • Reviewing and editing published posts
  • Moderating comments
  • Reflective writing on portfolio items

  

Hope all of you enjoyed the Winter Break; I certainly did!  All three of our sons with one very large German shepherd (our grand-dog), and several of their friends came to visit – arriving and departing at different times, on different days, using various modes of travel. [Imagine airline delays, security lines, and driving through snow on icy mountain roads.]  An open-door policy was in effect; home somewhat resembled the Land of Oz, where Dorothy exclaimed, “My! People come and go so quickly here.”

I’d love to hear about your Winter Break.  If you have a story to tell or memory to share, please do so under “Comments”.

2013

Welcome back!

• Grade 6:  We will complete our novel study and vocabulary journal for The Night of the Burning: Devorah’s Story.  Tentative assessment date: Thursday, Jan. 11.
• Grade 7:  Your novel study, Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom, begins this week with Morah Eta.  Bring your copy to Jewish studies class, daily.
• Grade 8:  The assessment of The Sunflower begins with writing responses to Wiesenthal’s dilemma, to continue with a dramatic reenactment of the Nazi’s confession scene, followed by a crowd-sourcing project with Mrs. Hernandez.  (Individual assignments and timeline TBA.)
• All Grades:  Our focus will be the writing process, specifically -  revising, editing, and reflecting.  Rewrites to include Science Fair research papers and blogfolio posts.  Grammar components: capitalization, punctuation.

This past Saturday was the first special Shabbat of the Jewish year–Shabbat Shuvah, which literally means “Sabbath of Return,” or turning – as in turning away from one’s misdeeds.   Traditionally, it is a time for reflection leading up to the atonement of Yom Kippur.  Its name comes from a verse regarding the importance of heartfelt repentance in the day’s haftarah: “Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have fallen because of your sin” (Hosea 14:2).

This past Saturday also marked the first day of Autumn, often referred to as fall.  Autumn can have many meanings in literature: maturity, wisdom, a time of reflection that often leads to a change in one’s behavior for the better – metaphorically, “turning over a new leaf”.

The excitement of a new school year punctuates our celebration of the Days of Awe.  As we turn from the hectic schedules of our everyday lives, may we rejoice in opportunities for quiet reflection.

G’mar chatima tova   גמר חתימה טובה
Mrs. K

Week of 9/24/12

Grades 6-8:

• Thursday, 9/28/12
  • All CHAI Reviews posted to Shelfari
  • All CHAI Book Trailers due

Grade 8:

• We will study the use of descriptive language and the characteristics of descriptive writing via the short story “The Drummer Boy of Shiloh” by Ray Bradbury.

Grade 7:

• We will examine and learn how to use allegory via the short story “The 11::59″ by Patricia McKissack.

Grade 6:

• As we read Avi’s “The Goodness of Matt Kaiser”, we will discover how a short story about a pastor’s kid relates to the Days of Awe.

Works Cited:

http://www.sichosinenglish.org/books/sichos-in-english/15/06.htm

http://www.jewfaq.org/special.htm

http://www.uscj.org/JewishLivingandLearning/WeeklyParashah/TorahSparks/Archive/_5772/Vayelekh5772.asp

http://www.myjewishlearning.com/practices/Ritual/Shabbat_The_Sabbath/In_the_Community/Special_Shabbatot.shtml

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_symbolic_meaning_of_early_autumn

By the end of last week, High Holy Days anticipation was palpable in the classrooms, the hallways, the lunchroom – wherever students congregated.  As the aromas of baking honey cakes and honey-dipped apples permeated the school, we attempted “business as usual” in class.  It was a fruitful week (please pardon the pun), one of independent learning and student managed time.

All Classes 6 – 8:

1. Chai Reading books have been selected.  Please bring books to class EVERY DAY for periods of sustained reading.
   • Chai Reviews (posted to Shelfari) with book trailers are due Fri., 9/28
   • Grades 7 and 8 critiqued already published book trailers for quality, accuracy, and appeal
2. LA binders went home last Wed. – Thurs., 9/12-13

• Summer Reading rubrics, daily work, HW and notes are filed in binders
• Parents should have received guided tours of student blogfolios  and Mrs. Kuhr’s LA Classroom Blog for the purpose of locating student work
• Due dates for check lists to be signed by a parental unit and returned:
  • Thurs., 9/13 (Grade 6)
  • Fri., 9/14 (Grades 7 and 8)

KUDOS to Grade 6, on earning the first LA Game Day of the year!!  Please ask a sixth grade student why the class was rewarded this privilege.

“Clip art licensed from the Clip Art Gallery on DiscoverySchool.com”

In other news…

All classes have had the opportunity to meet with Mrs. Hallett for a tutorial session on how and when to cite sources.  Students received detailed handouts for recording and formatting source materials for their Science Fair reports.  (This information will become part of a Works Cited List in your research papers.)

Mrs. Hallett’s tutorial included teaching the differences between quoting, paraphrasing and summarizing information.  This valuable lifelong learning lesson will be reiterated in Middle School LA, social studies and science classes as part of an “Use Your Own Voice!” (anti-plagiarism) initiative.  Advances in technology allow for instantaneous access to information, which first must be vetted (validated), then presented in accordance with copyright and fair use laws.  Students, now and throughout their schooling and post-academic careers, will be held accountable for submitting original work.

Remember:  No school on Monday and Tuesday in honor of Rosh HaShanah.  Classes resume Wednesday morning at the regular time.

Shana Tova!

Much was accomplished the first two weeks of school: quick writing, blogging op/ed pieces, video recording, crafting a collaborative list of classroom expectations, having fun with dialogue, and frame puzzles, are just some examples.

Assignment: Working with partners or in groups, select an event that you find newsworthy and introduce it on your blogfolio.

Julia K. and Rachel S. created a Wordle  to draw attention to the plight of homeless animals.

Avi L. and Ryan M. chose to showcase the coverage of the 2012 Summer Olympics.

We begin September with CHAI Reading.  (Please note that the Chai Reading Schedule has been revised.  Click on the Chai Reading Page to see the update.)  All Chai due dates are posted on the MS Master Calendar.

Also, this month, we begin an introduction/review of the types and elements of literature.  We will focus on the characteristics of action/adventure stories, the Chai genre for September, and the five elements of plot.  No “plotzing” allowed!  (And you thought Labor Day was over!)

To see what’s new in tech gadgets and interactive websites for kids, scroll down the sidebar of Mrs. K’s blog until you see CHECK THIS OUT!  Let me know what you think and/or offer suggestions for more cool links. 

High today, 50°.  Wrigley Field*: 48° and mostly sunny for the first pitch. Five day forecast: anything goes.

“If you don’t like the weather in Chicago, wait 15 minutes.” (well-known adage)

Chicago is a happening town, and I know you are going to love every minute you are there.  Your general studies teachers will be at school, “holding down the fort”.  (Do you know the origins of that expression?)

We have lots to do when you return (see Update below).  In the meantime, be safe, have fun, and collect plenty of memories for your next blogfolio posts.  Can’t wait to welcome you back home.

  Mrs. K

*Cubs vs. Reds – bottom of the 9th, Reds up 4-2   Final: Reds 4  Cubs 3 

Update

All grades 6 – 8

• 4/27/12      Welcome Back Grades 6 & 7
• K-8 Parent Luncheon
• Chai book selections for May approved and recorded on Google docs
• School-wide Kabbalat Shabbat
• 4/30/12      Welcome Back Grade 8
• edJEWcon:  MS attends keynote address by Dr. Heidi Hayes Jacobs
• Chai book selections for May approved and recorded on Google docs
• Housekeeping
• 5/04/12      Dayschool’s 50th Anniversary Celebration begins
• 5/07/12      Selections for Poetry Recitation approved and recorded
• 5/15/12       Chai Reading due
• Chai-light: Imagine that you are a set designer.  Create a miniature stage setting (actual or virtual) that depicts a crucial scene in your book.  Include a written explanation of the scene.
• 5/17/12      Poetry Test (proposed)
• 5/21-24/12  Poetry Recitations
• 5/28/12     No School:  Shavuot, Yizkor, Memorial Day
• 5/30/12     Chai Reading due
• Chai-light: Write a journal/diary entry as one of the book’s characters
• 6/01/12      School-wide Kabbalat Shabbat
• 6/01-05/12  Housekeeping
• 6/06/12     Middle School Graduation
• 6/07/12     Last Day of School – Noon Dismissal
• 6/08/12     Summer Break Begins!

Coyote and Raven by Fuzzy

Nine school days and counting until the first seder, matzoh brei, and BREAK.  We will not be idle this last week and a half; rather, we will be so busy we won’t even notice the days flying by.  Although the MS Master Calendar is now available for scoping out scheduled tests, long-term projects and recurring assignments, there are some specific events I’d like to bring to your attention.

The MJGDS Library is hosting the Scholastic Book Fair from March 26 to 30, 2012.  Our library and media center specialist Mrs. Hallett has made a concerted effort to feature books for teen readers, including a display of Scholastic Award Winners. 

I encourage you to share my passion for reading and my ongoing commitment to literacy by supporting this year’s Book Fair.  It couldn’t be more convenient; hours are posted on the MJGDS web page and the Fair is accessible online:  http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/homepage/mjgdslibrary

They’ve been a long time in production, but the results proved worth the wait. Last Friday, students debuted their documentaries based on last month’s required nonfiction reading for Club Chai.  The topics are as varied as the multimedia tools used to showcase them, from: the Chinese Cultural Revolution to the first women’s basketball team, the Oregon Trail to the great Czars of Russia, teen idol Justin Bieber to the Vikings, Anne Frank’s world to the world of child abuse – and this is just the beginning.   Presentations continue Monday and Tuesday.  The last step in the project is to upload/embed the documentaries on student blogfolios (6th and 7th) and the class blog (8th).  Target date for this is next Tuesday, 4/3.

All grades 6 – 8

• 3/26/12        Book Fair begins
• 3/26-27/12  Presentations of documentaries continue
• 3/27/12        Last day of third 9 weeks
• 3/28/12        CHAI Reading review due, reader’s choice

March Chai-light: Create and conduct “radio interview” with the
book’s author

• 3/29/12        Test on Nonfiction – types and traits

Open book, open notes – no stress

In case I don’t see you, let me take this opportunity to wish all of you Hag Pesah Sameah, and a safe and relaxing Passover Break. 

“Clip art licensed from the Clip Art Gallery on DiscoverySchool.com”

Books are the carriers of civilization. Without books, history is silent, literature dumb, science crippled, thought and speculation at a standstill. ~ Barbara Tuchman

This month features the literary genre, nonfiction.  Students are learning that nonfiction is more than biographies/autobiographies; in fact, ask them to name as many examples as they can.  (The 6th grade discovered 18 different types!)

(segue) Speaking of 18 . . .

CHAI book selections were made last week.  PLEASE NOTE: There is only one (1) Chai reading assignment this month. (See due dates.)  Instead of written book reviews, students will create and produce documentaries* about their books’ subjects.  You should see a rubric by the end of this week.

*As with all CHAI reviews and Chai-lights, these documentaries are independent reading projects.  Assistance, need determined by Mrs. K, will be offered by appointment before and after school hours; however, research, storyboards and the collection of media must be done independently.  Anything saved on a flash-drive can be downloaded to a school laptop.

Our exploration of nonfiction is well-supplemented by selections from the Mirrors and Windows textbook.  HW will be intermittent; students are responsible for keeping track of assignments.  Expect a genre test mid-March.

Plus…

Slow but steady progress through class novels, continues. Study packets for grades 6 and 7  are chapter-based and disseminated, accordingly.  Note-taking and roundtable literary analysis are 8th grade requisites.

All grades 6 – 8

• 2/10/12        Chai book selections approved and recorded on Google docs
• 2/23/12        Documentary storyboards complete with text, voice-overs, media
• 2/29/12        Documentaries recorded and ready for final edits
• 3/05/12        Documentaries published
• 3/6-16/12     ITBS prep: test-taking skills
• 3/14/12        Chai Reading : summarize the book in a sonnet (a 14-line lyric poem                       written in specific format and meter)
• 3/16/12        Test: nonfiction genre
• 3/19-26/12   Standardized Testing
• 3/28/12        Chai Reading : conduct a radio interview w/the author of the book

Barbara Wertheim Tuchman (1912-1989) was an American historian, author, and Pulitzer Prize winner for nonfiction. You can read more about Tuchman in Jewish Heroes & Heroines of America: 150 True Stories of American Jewish Heroism, © 1996, written by Seymour “Sy” Brody of Delray Beach, Florida.

“Clip art licensed from the Clip Art Gallery on DiscoverySchool.com”