-
#PersonalizedLiteracy – Tackling the Whole Class Novel
One of the things I find myself talking about a lot is our work to transition to Personalized Literacy classrooms. In classrooms where literacy is personalized, students spend time reading and writing in class. They also have the opportunity to talk about their reading and writing with teachers, classmates, and a global audience. The following is episode one in my #PersonalizedLiteracy series, where I will discuss ways to overcome some of the barriers to a learner centered literacy approach. Listen to the podcast:
-
Nitty Gritty: Lit Circles
I love Wikipedia’s definition of literature circles: A literature circle is a students’ equivalent of an adult book club, but with greater structure, expectation and rigor. The aim is to encourage thoughtful discussion and a love of reading in young people. The true intent of literature circles is “to allow students to practice and develop the skills and strategies of good readers” (DaLie, 2001). Unfortunately, over my last ten years as an educator, I have found that lit circles have less and less to do with students discussing books and more to do with filling in packets. Where did all the discussion go? I did not fall in love with…
