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Summer Series of Saves: Can we talk about this?

Trying something new: let me know if this works:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByKyQvl3l_F5MldSV1dEVmhPYW8/view?usp=sharing

 

Lots of good stuff in here — keep scrolling!

Questioning and Discussion go together like:

via GIPHY

Cult posted a comprehensive list of discussion ideas and asked for additions. As I scrambled through my Binder of Power, Volume III, Section 8.5, 2ii, ready to scan and share, this article in Medium popped up by Jon Westenberg, “Do you have a Protective mindset or a Proactive mindset?” 

Oh, no. It’s too early for this level of heavy-duty self-reflection. Oh. No. I could predict with sharp accuracy, which side of the line my mindset would sit: I mean, who has huge binders full of teaching ideas, ideas and handout from almost every PD session, curriculum maps created and abandoned, ledgers of standards and learning targets? This girl. And I would bet most teachers worth their salt do, too.

But what excellent timing: cleaning out my binders and virtual digital works is daunting. I’ve been on break for almost two weeks, and it’s one chore I have completed.

However– protective and proactive may not be a fair case when it comes to educational “wheels.” We are constantly told not to ‘recreate the wheel’ but I strongly encourage to make better wheels.

Taking the wheel cliche too far: we still need the wheels–how to make them better?

The Westenberg article made me think: what do students need to build strong foundations, and what can be trashed or treasured in this process?

One area the 8th grade PLC decided to focus on for next year, and I’m saving this so I won’t forget, are the ‘grand discussion’ techniques and tools.

Whole Class Discussion Types of Talkers Smartnotebook in a PDF form:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByKyQvl3l_F5NjQyUW82eER3ZEE/view?usp=sharing

TownHall Meeting format (from Puget Sound Writing Project PD on ELA/SS)

[embeddoc url=”https://blog0rama.edublogs.org/files/2017/07/town-meeting-instructions-from-densho-2n2eeja.docx” download=”all” viewer=”microsoft” ]

Discussion Checklist sheets:

[embeddoc url=”https://blog0rama.edublogs.org/files/2017/07/Discussion-Checklist-1u2nx7y.docx” download=”all” viewer=”microsoft” ]

Substantive Partner Project Talk organizers:

[embeddoc url=”https://blog0rama.edublogs.org/files/2017/07/Substansive-Student-Talk-1o2y8wc.docx” download=”all” viewer=”microsoft” ]

Writing Workshop Feedback forms

[embeddoc url=”https://blog0rama.edublogs.org/files/2017/07/Writing-Workshop-Feedback-Sheet-200dnov.docx” download=”all” viewer=”microsoft” ]

And don’t forget, if you use an LMS like Canvas, to dive into the Discussion on line, and teach those protocols, too.

There’s more, but I’m going to go play now.

Back:

Here are a few snapshots from the binder:

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