Saturday, January 21, 2017

Celebrating: Authors Think Horizontal

I've been enjoying Ruth's emails encouraging different aspects of writing workshop.  I have watched several videos and shared snippets with my writers. This week the writers in Room 234 completed their research. Each writer had a choice on how they wanted to present their new learning. Most students chose to write their book.  The writing process and thinking through their research is a huge celebration!!  I worked side by side our literacy coach, Heather, who helped me think about the structures of nonfiction. The students started with 4 questions then I read their questions, and I wrote one question for each student to extend their thinking.  After they completed their research, the students were thinking "vertically" and ready to lift the facts and "just" write their book.  They were finished (or at least thought they were).  Enter horizontal thinking.

We focused on strong mini lessons, "How did the author share research in this book?"  We completed several circle book passes, and students found graphs, maps, sidebars, vocabulary charts, diagrams, sequence, timelines.  After creating a list, students completed chalk talks. I asked my writers to think "horizontal"  WOW! What a challenge for them.   Asking them to look across their 4 questions.  Prompts included

  • What do you notice about your research?  What do all 4 questions have in common?
  • Do you see any data in your research?
  • Could you create a sidebar with interesting facts?
  • Is there another way to share vocabulary besides a glossary?
  • Could you build a graph that would support your research?
Writing is messy!  I love that quote from Ruth.  I remembered that almost everyday. I am celebrating a writing process that encouraged my writers to think horizontally.  Research is not finished after you, "Google it."  Thanks to Ruth for mentoring me in my writing workshop. Here's the link up for this week's celebrations. 






19 comments:

  1. Maria, I think this approach you are using with your writers is fascinating-horizontal thinking. Do write more about it next week.

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    1. Thanks Carol for the suggestion. it was quite the learning process. We were all learners.

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  2. I agree with Carol. Love to read your process with your students and helps me think about questions for my own kiddos. And, I too have been loving Ruth's videos. We need each other:)

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    1. I love how we virtually connect on Saturday when we teach in the same district :) I will be celebrating the process soon.

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  3. Love the learning in this post but what stood our for me is this: "Research is not finished after you 'Google it.'" This is the thinking behind many of my middle school students. I, along with Katie and Carol, would love to hear more about this!

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    1. It was a huge shift "Googling is not research" the hard work comes with thinking about how the research is connected.

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  4. Critical thinking skills are so crucial, especially in this Google age! I worked in a university library years ago and lamented the scores of students who simply took Wikipedia articles as hard evidence!

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    1. LOVE this idea!!! I am constantly preaching Wikipedia is not the go to site.

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  5. I will echo the comments before me, I want to know more about the horizontal thinking your students did and how it affected their work.

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  6. Thinking horizontally....I love this! It is a fantastic way to get your writers thinking about deepening their writing. We are doing research writing right now too so I will definitely borrow that. Thanks, Maria!

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    1. That's my favorite part of Celebrations sharing ideas with each other. Can't wait to hear if thinking horizontally shifts your students thinking.

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  7. I also love reading about the process work happening in other classrooms! Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Thanks Carrie I enjoy learning new ideas as I read Saturday celebrations too.

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  8. Circle book passes, I like this idea. Mentor texts are helpful for students to find text features that work for their research. Thank you for sharing your ideas. While my students research their interests and write informational writing in class, it is always helpful to learn strategies from other teachers.

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    1. Agreed I always read blogs, twitter etc. gather nuggets of information and then try to weave them altogether.

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  9. I love peeking inside classrooms each weekend as I read the celebration posts. I want to know more about the chalk talks.

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    1. Thanks Ramona I will blog about chalk talks and take some photos. Have a great week.

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  10. There is so much to learn from the process isn't there? I want to know more, just like other commenters. :) Have a great week!

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  11. It sounds like a big celebration, new approaches to writing from their research and working from a new point of view as to construction. I enjoyed hearing about it, Maria.

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