In the rush of December, let's remember: Be happy today. Be kind and be generous with your smile -- you'll start some ripples. -- Stacey Julian, Altogether Too Happy
Author: Ruth Ayres
Unhurried. Finding the magic in the middle of living. Capturing a life of ridiculous grace + raw stories.
Ruth’s Memoir Monday: Christmas is Coming!
Edited: This is a digital layout created using Photoshop Elements (download a free 30 day trial version here) for a class I'm taking from JessicaSprague.com called Up and Running with Photoshop (it's a self-paced course and on sale right now). I would highly recommend this class, as it is helping me tell stories in a more effective way. I… Continue reading Ruth’s Memoir Monday: Christmas is Coming!
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A Bit of Perspective.
Late Friday night, after having friends over for dinner, decorating a birthday cake, and cleaning the house in preparation for a birthday party the next day, I found myself vegging out with blogs. This post, by Amy Estes, was a good reminder and caused me to pull out my writer's notebook (even though I really… Continue reading A Bit of Perspective.
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New Buttons.
Now if these don't inspire you to participate in this week's challenges, then I don't know what will! Feel free to use these buttons for your Memoir Monday and Slice of Life Tuesday posts.
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Possibilities.
This quote from Penny's book spoke to me today: "Writers don't need to be given formulas; they need to be shown possibilities." -- Barry Lane I've been thinking about this. So often, in the name of modeling, I think we give students a formula for writing as opposed to showing them possibilities. It's a fine… Continue reading Possibilities.
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Ruth’s Slice of Life: Summer Memory.
I've been playing a bit with digi-scrapbooking (thanks to a Jessica Sprague Beginner's Photoshop class). Here's this week's slice of life. All supplies from Jessica Sprague.
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Comprehension Strategy Charts.
I know our main focus is the teaching of writing. I also know I've been posting quite a bit lately on reading. I'm not going to apologize for it! They are too closely linked for us to never venture into discussing reading from time to time. I was working on an anchor chart for my students… Continue reading Comprehension Strategy Charts.
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NCTE: Reading Assessment.
While at NCTE, I listened to Patrick Allen, Franki Sibberson, and colleagues discuss reading assessment. Here are some highlights: One assessment isn't better than another and none can stand alone. We need a variety. Look at the routines of reading workshop and figure out how to assess those routines. I should ask myself: What does… Continue reading NCTE: Reading Assessment.
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Ruth’s Memoir Monday: Thanksgiving
Growing up, we traveled deep into the hills of the Ozarks in Arkansas for Thanksgiving dinner with my grandparents. We used to sing, "Through the river and over the hills to Grandma's house we go," since we actually drove through a creek and traversed over mountains to get to our Thanksgiving feast. This year, my… Continue reading Ruth’s Memoir Monday: Thanksgiving
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Standard English vs. Texting.
In my most November 2008 issue of The Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, I came across an article by Gloria E. Jacobs, "We Learn What We Do: Developing a Repertoire of Writing Practices in an Instant Messaging World. The tag line caught my eye: Students can be proficient in instant messaging as well as… Continue reading Standard English vs. Texting.
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A Couple “Techy” Rubrics
Earlier this week, I posted about the process of determining how to attach grades to chats and discussion forums. Before break, my students divided into two groups and determined the areas which should be evaluated when assessing the success of a chat or discussion thread. I took their ideas and created two rubrics. The chat rubric… Continue reading A Couple “Techy” Rubrics
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Reading Notes?
Using Discussion Forums and Chats I am able to gain insight into my students' reading lives at an amazing rate. I know which are lovers of books and which would rather stare at a page than read something they're not interested in. I've also learned these things about the group. ALL of them have said… Continue reading Reading Notes?
