tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21117979894344344952024-03-13T17:31:45.033-04:00Middle Grade Readsbooks. resources. all things middle grades.sashareinhardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931596476065045399noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2111797989434434495.post-45120852920753335792014-02-03T08:45:00.001-05:002014-02-03T08:45:59.685-05:00On the Cusp This is my second year teaching 8th grade and I feel like the name of my blog has come under scrutiny. One thing that I've noticed about 8th graders is that they are much more high school than 6th, or even 7th, grade. My colleagues in the 6th and 7th grades are consistently remarking on how much the kids have grown up and matured since their time with them. I see this as well, even over the course of the year. The middle schoolers I meet in August are freshman before May. This is a huge growth year for adolescents and it makes running a successful classroom library quite tricky in an 8th grade classroom.
For example, my students are obsessed with John Green right now and I don't think there's any way to argue that John Green is a middle grades writer. He's brilliant and funny and he writes YA. They are also in love with Laurie Halse Anderson, and while some of my struggling students have been immersed in CHAINS and FORGE, most of them have clasped onto SPEAK and WINTERGIRLS, with THE IMPOSSIBLE KNIFE OF MEMORY having a giant waitlist. These are not middle grade titles, but my kids adore them. This makes me concerned for any potential justification I may have to make as to why a title is in my classroom library, but more than anything, I see my students becoming readers and that is what is most important. This is also where you have to be very on top of what your students are reading, particularly if they got it from your library. I work in a very conservative district and this is a real concern for me. However, for the most part, I think the voraciousness with which my students are reading has been seen as a welcome change and I am always quick to tell a student when I'm not sure that they are ready for a title. Usually, being in 8th grade, this just makes them want to read it more. But it allows me to have that conversation with them, telling them that there may be some content in the book that they struggle with, but that they need to not get hung up on particulars and focus on the bigger picture. Trusting kids makes them want to be trustworthy.
All of that to say, I'm not so sure that Middle Grade Reads is quite the proper title for my blog at this point, because most of what my students are begging for is YA. Those of you who teach 8th grade, have you noticed the same thing in your classroom? How do you handle it?sashareinhardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931596476065045399noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2111797989434434495.post-12037552179066817722014-01-25T09:32:00.000-05:002014-01-25T09:32:03.774-05:00Sharing: Locomotive<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17334578-locomotive" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Locomotive" border="0" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1360573690m/17334578.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17334578-locomotive">Locomotive</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/584482.Brian_Floca">Brian Floca</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/833980982">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
This book takes you on a turn of the century cross-country trek by train. Told in second person as a passenger of the train, you are overloaded with gorgeous page after page, filled with well-researched information. <br>This book was visually stunning. I could have looked at the intricate illustrations for hours. <br>I also learned so many neat facts (I like to collect those), like how engineers had a lever that would release sand onto the track if a train was having trouble getting enough traction to move forward. <br>This is wonderful informational picture book for the upper-elementary set, or anyone who loves trains.<br>Personal note:I tried to read it to my 4 year old and he lost interest about half way through, but my 10 year old loved it.
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/4430401-sasha">View all my reviews</a>
sashareinhardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931596476065045399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2111797989434434495.post-14689272419402833122014-01-21T12:52:00.002-05:002014-01-21T12:52:13.059-05:00Argument Paragraph Unit<br />
Coming back from Christmas break has put instruction in my classroom into Argument mode! We began our <a href="http://gomaisa-public.rubiconatlas.org/Atlas/Browse/UnitMap/View/Default?UnitID=17911&YearID=2014&CurriculumMapID=900&" target="_blank">Argument Paragraph Unit</a> after returning. In the 8th grade, we are largely modeling our units on the MAISA units that are shared at the previous link and so far they seem to be working really well. The first semester, I was trying to mash together bits and pieces from a million different books by Heinemann (my all-time favorite professional publisher) and was really struggling to get cohesiveness and any type of fluency. So I spent the larger part of two months really scouring the internet to try and find a curriculum that I could base myself off of. I surprised myself this year by learning that I really need some kind of foundation to go off of, before I felt comfortable enough to really be creative with my lesson planning.<br />
So far the students seem to get the idea of a debatable claim and evidence, but they are having loads of trouble with commentary. I got some ideas for how to supplement that concept through some of the brilliant educators I work with and follow on Twitter. First, we're going to try the <a href="http://www.heinemann.com/shared/onlineresources/e01396/introandchapter1.pdf#page=37" target="_blank">Slip or Trip activity</a>, to really get students thinking about why commentary is needed to show how evidence supports a claim. Then, we are going to try the <a href="http://theunquietlibrarian.wordpress.com/2013/12/20/first-efforts-at-written-conversations-strategies-write-around-text-on-text/" target="_blank">Write Around Text-on-Text method</a>, as described at the link by Buffy Hamilton (<a href="https://twitter.com/buffyjhamilton" target="_blank">The Unquiet Librarian</a>). This should help students be able to build off of one another's ideas as well as the text itself to figure out how the pieces of argument all fit together.<br />
I will do my best to start updating here much more frequently and share how this unit is progressing.sashareinhardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931596476065045399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2111797989434434495.post-37560769523889331782013-11-02T22:54:00.001-04:002013-11-02T22:54:04.294-04:00Books in Your BeingI really love books. I love them as physical items on their own; the way they look and smell and feel. I love the intrinsic promise they hold. I love how every story has the power to change you.<br />
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I've been thinking a lot about the book <i>Every Day</i> by David Levithan. I read this book many months ago and it is one book that has become lodged somewhere under my ribs, truly melding into who I am.<br />
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If you haven't read the book, you need to know that the main character, A, is a soul without a body. A wakes up in a different body every day and thus gets to experience life through so many different perspectives. You learn so many insights into the the old adage of walking a mile in someone else's shoes from A, but there is one that is permanently in my DNA.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #e0e0e0; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start;"><i>“It’s so hard when you’re in one body to get a sense of what life is really like. You’re so grounded in who you are. But when who you are changes every day- you get to touch the universal more. Even the most mundane details. You see how cherries taste different to different people. Blue looks different. You see all the strange rituals boys have to show affection without admitting it. <b>You learn that if a parent reads to you at the end of the day, it’s a good sign that it’s a good parent, because you’ve seen so many other parents who don’t have the time. </b>You learn how much a day is truly worth, because they’re all so different. If you ask most people what the difference was between Monday and Tuesday, they might tell you what they had for dinner each night. Not me. By seeing the world from so many angles, I get more of a sense of its dimensionality.”</i></span></div>
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This struck me so profoundly. And it rang so true. And this slips to the forefront of my thoughts on any night that I may feel as though one or all of us are "too tired." While reading to my children each night has always been a top priority in our day, it has now become a complete non-negotiable. Even if we are all exhausted, we pull a poem anthology off the shelf and read a poem together. Even though I am in no way the target audience for this book, <i>Every Day</i> has heavily impacted who I am as a parent and our family as a whole. We all cherish these entirely non-negotiable moments each evening.</div>
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This is the best current example I have of how books can so completely become a part of your being.</div>
sashareinhardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931596476065045399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2111797989434434495.post-55329761194013442122013-09-05T06:24:00.002-04:002013-09-05T06:30:00.539-04:00If You Let ThemIn Penny Kittle's <i>Book Love</i>, she says that adolescents want to read, if we will only let them. By letting them, she means allowing the students to choose their own books and giving them time to read in class (at least that's the gist in a very tiny nutshell). I read <i>Book Love </i>twice over the summer, after having read it during the school year last year, and I believe so wholeheartedly in Kittle's style of teaching English/Language Arts that I have centered my classroom around it from day one.<br />
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My students choose their own books, we read every single day in class, and they get to watch their own growth toward a goal by keeping track of their reading with a simple class log that goes around at the beginning of class each day. I've had a few resisters, a few kids who have dared me to find them a book they will even be able to tolerate. I've mostly had success - still a few hold outs, but I am scouring for the right book for them and put a title into their hands every day, either because I think this book will be "the one" or just to show I will persist.<br />
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Yesterday, during my third block, we didn't just have independent reading time, we transcended. My students came in and dutifully retrieved their journals, took their seats, and began their Quick Writes. After we wrote and shared, we had 10 minutes of independent reading time before we began an assessment of <i>Theme</i>. When the 10 minutes was over, I announced that it was time to begin the assessment, explained that the rubric was posted on the SmartBoard, and began passing out the papers. A vast majority of the class barely looked up.<br />
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Some might take that as disrespectful, as students not paying attention, but when I saw what was happening, my stomach flipped - they were reading. Not just "let's get through this 10 minutes by staring at a page for 1...2...3...now turn" type reading. I mean "I can't even register what's happening around me because I am so engrossed in this book" type reading. Nancie Atwell calls this the Reading Zone. I hated to interrupt them, but the assessment was calling, and afterward they were allowed to return to reading, working in their journals, or peer conferencing. One by one, they finished (they rocked the assessment, by the way) and returned to their books. I had a few who decided to write, but mostly everyone made a beeline back for that Zone that they had been forced to abandon. I walked the room and conferenced and I walked the room in awe.<br />
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This may seem heavy-handed, but I need to explain. If you have ever been in a classroom with 28 or so 8th graders who are being forced to read, you can feel it. The tension, the struggle, and sometimes even the anger is palpable. This classroom felt like meditation; just complete peace. Finally, at 3:10 - five minutes before the first bell rang to go home - I called everyone back together to tell them how amazing they are and to ask if they realized that they had been in a SELF sustained state of reading or writing for over an hour? They were audible gasps; I saw several students look at each other in disbelief. A couple of girls pointed to the clock and laughed, then one said "The last time I looked, it was 2:15." She had been lost in <i>Hound Dog True. </i>This was really one of the most magical moments I've ever had as a teacher.<br />
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It was a moment that made me understand the power of reading and how our assertions that it can change lives is entirely correct. Was anyone's life changed yesterday as they read and wrote this way? Maybe not for my students - not yet - but mine was. Professionally, they validated everything I believe in and practice. This is not to say that every day is like this, or every day will be like this, or that I am some kind of super teacher - I just let them read. And Kittle wasn't kidding when she asserted that they want to.sashareinhardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931596476065045399noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2111797989434434495.post-3262213648076240882013-08-15T21:36:00.001-04:002013-08-15T21:36:36.150-04:00#DollBones Chat with Holly Black<script src="//storify.com/sashareinhardt/dollbones-chat-with-hollyblack.js"></script><noscript>[<a href="//storify.com/sashareinhardt/dollbones-chat-with-hollyblack" target="_blank">View the story "#DollBones Chat with @hollyblack" on Storify</a>]</noscript>sashareinhardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931596476065045399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2111797989434434495.post-86449085042671492312013-07-23T17:06:00.002-04:002013-07-23T17:06:48.789-04:00Beginning of the Year Read AloudsIt's time to start planning out how I want to begin my new school year. I am at a new school that is much closer to my home and it is actually the middle school that I went through as an adolescent!<br />
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So, I've been re-reading <i>Book Love</i> with a fervor and trying to prepare. My first thought is how I want to set the tone for my year with these students and I think that my first novel read aloud will be <i>Wonder</i>. However, I'm trying to brainstorm some more picture books and further novels to read together as the year progresses.<br />
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I've gotten suggestions for <i>Eli the Good </i>and think that will be a great one to connect with my kids with a brilliant Kentucky writer and characters they can identify with.<br />
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What are you to be reading to start your year off right?sashareinhardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931596476065045399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2111797989434434495.post-22736829737899611872013-06-25T09:45:00.001-04:002013-06-25T09:45:18.448-04:00Sharing: THE REAL BOY by Anne Ursu<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Most of my favorite books feature main characters who are "other." By that I mean, the character is somewhat of a misfit and feels like they are not in sync with the rest of the world around them. In most cases, though, they find out that their feelings of being out of sync are due to the fact that they are "other." Harry was actually a wizard; Percy was actually a demi-god; Peter, Lucy, Edmond, and Susan were rightfully kings and queens of a magical land. Their feelings of being different were justified and ended up being the result of something unknown that made them incredibly special.<br />
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In <i>The Real Boy</i>, Oscar feels like a misfit. He is an orphan and a magician's helper who happily spends his days in the shop cellar mixing just the right herbs and plants to create powerful effects for the shop's customers. When he is forced upstairs to deal with customers, he finds that his feelings of other-ness are only confirmed by people openly finding him odd. However, his journey upstairs leads him to his first friend, aside from his clowder of cats - Callie.<br />
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Together, Oscar and Callie unravel the mystery of something plaguing the perfect children of the nearby Shining City, something that Oscar thinks may be the answer to why he always feels out of place. As Oscar and Callie explore their history and the deeper motivations of those around them, Oscar discovers that there is much more to him than he or anyone else ever realized.<br />
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This beautiful story of friendship and accepting each other and ourselves for who we are is an unbelievably perfect follow up to <i>Breadcrumbs</i> by Anne Ursu. Oscar's struggles with who he is will resonate deeply with middle grades students who are in the throes of becoming whoever it is that they will be.<br />
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<u><b>Who Should Read This?</b></u><br />
This is a perfect 10-14 read, but would be enjoyed by anyone who likes fantasy, fairy tales, and very good friends.<br />
<u><b><br /></b></u>sashareinhardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931596476065045399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2111797989434434495.post-40157696348452711682013-06-19T09:30:00.004-04:002013-06-19T09:30:53.925-04:00Sharing: The Apprentices<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://bks2.books.google.com/books?id=_-Kyvdm03ycC&printsec=frontcover&img=1&zoom=1&imgtk=AFLRE70lvrRfKsdS-xNtDy5koXxQIhjg2j6Kf4ZYAJMtU7uMAdT1kgk1hjSrAzrljJmBWN2_Ye2FqikMpLTLAXl9rHFPi9ln9IMXg-oil5eEI6-KkqJOq5SRDlOK4qt55tGdkXuLolaw" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://bks2.books.google.com/books?id=_-Kyvdm03ycC&printsec=frontcover&img=1&zoom=1&imgtk=AFLRE70lvrRfKsdS-xNtDy5koXxQIhjg2j6Kf4ZYAJMtU7uMAdT1kgk1hjSrAzrljJmBWN2_Ye2FqikMpLTLAXl9rHFPi9ln9IMXg-oil5eEI6-KkqJOq5SRDlOK4qt55tGdkXuLolaw" width="263" /></a></div>
<i>The Apprentices</i> is Maile Meloy's follw-up to her stunning first book for middle grades, <i>The Apothecary</i>.<br />
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The book picks up two years after the Janie Scott and Benjamin Burrows part ways, with the help of some memory-erasing elixir. Janie is a student at a boarding school in New England. Ben has been traveling the world, helping his disillusioned father, the apothecary, care for people in war stricken areas, such as Vietnam. The entire crew who saved the world in the first installment has splintered and gone their separate ways with differing priorities.<br />
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Ben tries to remind his father of their larger purpose, which is attempting to save the world from the possibility of an atomic bomb, but a series of failures leads his father down a different path. All the while, Ben can't stop thinking of Janie and finds a way to connect them over thousands of miles and dozens of months.<br />
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Meanwhile, Janie is dealing the repercussions of her own scientific success, doled out by a vindictive roommate and the roommate's ambitious, malicious father. She is also confused by feelings for a boy who is kind, but is not Ben. Eventually, Janie and the Burrows are brought together again in circumstances just as dire and exciting as the first time.<br />
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This book is an incredible sequel to the The Apothecary and is one middle grades title that you won't want to miss!<br />
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<b><u>Who Should Read It?</u></b><br />
This book is a solid MG title with the ability to interest emerging YA readers, as well.<br />
<br />sashareinhardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931596476065045399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2111797989434434495.post-86238071440924910152013-06-08T08:13:00.001-04:002013-06-08T08:13:15.680-04:00Sharing: Doll Bones<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Doll Bones</i> centers on three young friends who live in Pennyslvania: Zack, Poppy, and Alice. The trio have been friends for years and the tie that seems to bind them most strongly is an ongoing, imaginative game of pirates, mermaids, and grand adventure that they play using action figures. All of the adventure is controlled by the iron, but imaginary, fist of a creepy bone china doll that rules their play world as Queen.<br />
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When Zack's trying-too-hard father decides that twelve is too old to be "playing," he throws out all of Zack's action figures, effectively ending what was promising to be the friends' best story line yet.<br />
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When the Queen begins to let them know that she isn't quite ready for their imaginary world to come to a close, Zach, Poppy, and Alice must decide their own fate by choosing to refuse a belief in magic or risk the wrath of their ever-demanding Queen.<br />
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This book is at once chilling, mysterious, and aching. The three friends are repeatedly struggling against the forceful wave of growing up and losing the magic of childhood. But is it really their choice, or the will of the Queen, that will turn the tide?<br />
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<i>Doll Bones</i> is a recent release by Holly Black, published by Simon & Schuster.<br />
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<u><b>WHO SHOULD READ IT?</b></u><br />
It's a solid 10-14 middle grades read. But, truly, who should read it? Literally everyone.sashareinhardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931596476065045399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2111797989434434495.post-13709070977436746012013-05-28T18:56:00.002-04:002013-05-28T18:56:17.225-04:00Summer Reflection Round 1: The Mechanics of Project Based Learning<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-78aaeaf5-ed59-1b0b-9678-c4d5c4711072" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">First thing every morning of the week, I teach a group of students that are in my middle school’s gifted program. These 8th graders are a joy. They challenge me and keep me sharp; they can hold intense and meaningful discussions with one another. They made my first-year classroom a wonderful place to be each and every day. This group of students is full of varying personalities with eclectic interests that they pursue with zeal, ranging from military hardware to old school R&B. They are also - nearly universally - afraid of being “wrong.” </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When I first discovered this, it was mind-boggling. Any time I gave an open-ended assignment, I was met with a tidal wave of frantic questions and even anger. For example, there were many mornings that my Bell Work (Do Now, Starter, Bell Ringer...) assignment would be a Free Write for 15 minutes. Sometimes there would be a prompt, but more often it would be an open invitation to put pencil to paper for 10-15 minutes. They wigged. “How long does it have to be? What do we write about? Are you serious?” Eventually, they learned that I wasn’t trying to trap them and that they really could write about whatever they wanted and however they wanted during that time. Due to this unstructured writing time, I saw students write several songs, many different types of poetry, short stories, and scathing rants on various injustices of the adolescent experience; I also saw students who remained paralyzed by not having set boundaries, criteria, and points-for-</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">things</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. This was the catalyst for my foray into Project/Passion/Performance Based Learning (PBL).</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">From then on, I wanted to help my students understand that learning was so much more than being “right.” In fact, it is typically quite the opposite. I wanted to help them understand that the most learning takes place when we are wrong, when we can handle being wrong, and we try to find out the right answer. When I began our grade level’s PBL pilot, I was met with major resistance from a large number of the students who felt that this was too abstract and therefore too difficult. They were given a rubric, a questionnaire to help get them to their topic, and then time, resources, and guidance to create a project, answer a question, or solve a problem that they had come up with all on their own. The results were powerful and I do believe that many students finally got a small taste of what real learning feels and looks like.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Due to this experience, I began reflecting on the rest of the instruction that my students were receiving. We are highly recommended to teach the 3.5 method of writing, with graphic organizers to pre-write, simply due to the fact that it is tradition and it is what is popular with Pearson at this particular time. However, writing doesn’t actually look like this. I don’t know any writer that whips out a graphic organizer when they begin a new project. The writers I know are constantly scribbling jumbles, phrases, doodles, quotes, or whatever it is that has struck them and inspired them to consider it further by writing about it. I realized I wasn’t teaching my students to write; I was teaching them to follow directions just like they have always been taught. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I realized then that our obsession with the uniformity of the product has caused a deep corruption of the very personal process. Let’s compare learning to fixing a car - you don’t go into the shop and make certain that the mechanic followed every step in a manual in the precise order; you judge success by whether or not your car is working - THE FINISHED PRODUCT. There are key components which MUST be in place (very particular parts placed in a very particular way), but if the mechanic has to do those while standing on her head or in a wonky, true-to-her order, as long as the finished product is steller, who are we to dictate every step of her process? More artistic pursuits prove this even further; who would tell Julia Child that she had better follow pre-formulated recipes step-by-step with no deviation or she would be doing it WRONG? So how did we get to this place where learning and writing and reading are concerned?</span></div>
<br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The big argument against more open-ended learning pursuits is making sure that students are engaged and productive, and of course how it will impact their test scores. But here is the beautiful thing about PBL and more authentic learning processes: even if time is wasted, their project bombs or never gets off the ground, reflection at the end is required and it is KEY. Learning is STILL taking place, even if the project fails (and maybe even more so). Learning is relevant and real, because it is more than an assigned set of points - it is the reality of NOT doing something well or thoroughly and being met with real and relevant consequences, such as realizing you don’t know something and figuring out a way to do it better next time.</span>sashareinhardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931596476065045399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2111797989434434495.post-68823174553965269652012-12-08T19:34:00.001-05:002012-12-08T19:34:16.241-05:00The Emotional Implications of BYODI've been trying many different avenues to bring the most technology into my classroom that I can. A teacher at my school studied and very successfully piloted a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) program at my middle school. I was really excited to hear about this initiative and was eager to put it to use in my own classroom. However, things didn't go quite as I had planned...<br />
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Let me backtrack for a moment. At the beginning of the year, I had sent the students home with a <a href="http://middlegrdreads.blogspot.com/2012/07/tech-surveys-digital-divide.html">technology survey</a>, asking about their computer and internet access when they are away from school. I did this for the sole purpose of not setting children up to fail and assigning them work that they may not have the resources to complete when they aren't at school. One thing that I did not ask about on my survey was mobile devices or cell phones. I find it hard to believe that I made this kind of oversight, but I think that I fell victim to the notion that mobile devices (mostly phones) are SO pervasive that literally <i>everyone</i> has one. My first attempt at BYOD made it clear that this is not the case.<br />
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If you read my initial post about this tech survey, I mention how potentially embarrassing it could be to admit you don't have internet access at home. Why did I not think about how embarrassing it would be to say "Okay, kids, take out your devices!" only to have several students look around sheepishly. I had even prepared materials IN CASE there were students who didn't have a device to use. Looking back, I think that I just didn't expect that I would have to actually use them. There was a palpable discomfort among my students without devices to the point that I have not had another BYOD day in my classroom.<br />
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I think my love of tech has been firmly established and I think BYOD is a great and truly cost effective tool for bringing technology into the classroom. However, I care much more about my students and the fact that I want none of them to ever feel alienated in my room. My school doesn't have a cart of mobile devices to check out to supplement for the students who don't have one of their own, so there is very much a distinction between those who can do the assignment digitally and those who have to do the paper version. I've considered having the students work in pairs or threes, making certain that each group has at least one person with a device, but I'm unsure if that would help.<br />
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That being said, I think I will hold off on doing BYOD until I can provide equal options for my students who don't have devices of their own to bring.<br />
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Has anyone else experienced anything like this? What are your thoughts and how have you handled it?sashareinhardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931596476065045399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2111797989434434495.post-61292223666878807982012-11-19T06:10:00.001-05:002012-11-19T06:10:25.163-05:00The Wonder of Charlie Anne
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7597816-the-wonder-of-charlie-anne" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="The Wonder of Charlie Anne" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320523318m/7597816.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7597816-the-wonder-of-charlie-anne">The Wonder of Charlie Anne</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/738569.Kimberly_Newton_Fusco">Kimberly Newton Fusco</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/457977330">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
I read this book over the course of two afternoons and it made me cry more than once. Charlie Anne is a young girl who has lost her mother, her father and brother have gone north to work, and she is left with her obnoxious cousin, Mirabel, and three of her siblings. The only places she finds comfort is with her cows and by the river, where her Mama is buried. She still hears her mother talking to her plainly and I love that this is never explained or explored in more detail - it just kind of is. Charlie Anne meets some new neighbors who end up changing what had been her very unhappy, lonely existence since her mother passed away.<br /><br />This book gives a very no-frills look into how families were impacted by the Great Depression and helps us all be a little more grateful for those that we love. It also deals masterfully with prejudice and how the power of friendship is an extraordinary catalyst for change.
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/4430401-sasha">View all my reviews</a>sashareinhardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931596476065045399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2111797989434434495.post-29803602120954540992012-08-19T13:15:00.000-04:002012-08-19T13:15:53.602-04:00My First Full WeekTomorrow I begin my second full week of teaching 8th grade Language Arts! Last week was exhausting and scary, but I also learned SO much more in just one week than I ever thought possible. I already know all of my students' names and am learning more about each one of them every day.
I am attempting to keep a journal of this first year, so that I can learn from what I'm doing - both the good and the bad - and use it be an even better teacher next year. So far, I have learned how incredibly important it is to be consistent with this age group. Their critical thinking skills are REALLY kicking into high gear at this stage, and if there is even a hint of inconsistency, they will notice! They have also developed very strong sense of what they see as fair and right and wrong. This has the potential to make for wonderful, thought-provoking class discussion!
I've begun making weekly fliers to email to my parents using Smore.com. They seem to be very much appreciated, and as a parent to school-age children, I know that I want as much feedback and information as possible.
I hope this second week goes even more smoothly than the first.
Happy Sunday!sashareinhardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931596476065045399noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2111797989434434495.post-56562692840789132302012-07-15T15:27:00.002-04:002012-07-15T17:24:50.616-04:00Tech Surveys & the Digital DivideI've been doing a lot of thinking about my first day in the classroom. In my own classroom! It's exciting, to be sure, but I am also aware that the first day will set the tone right away for the climate of my classroom. I hope that the kids will be able to tell just how excited and honored I am to be able to be their English teacher for the upcoming school year. I am also giving lots of thought to the best ways to get to know my students.<br />
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I've planned on giving out some surveys, most particularly the survey found in Donalyn Miller's <i>The Book Whisperer</i>, which is an excellent tool for gathering what your students like to read, how much they read, and gives some insight into their interests so that you can better tailor your book suggestions to each student. I also plan on giving out a general interest survey, and maybe a learning styles inventory, just to help me get a better picture of each student as an individual and the class as a whole.<br />
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One survey that I think will be crucial is a technology survey that I developed while student teaching. My student teaching assignment was in my home town, which is decidedly rural. Because of this, I had no doubt that there would be some students who would not have access to technology outside of school, and I was correct. However, I don't think that this is strictly a rural issue. With all the talk of flipped classrooms and their merit, and directing people to find us on social media sites the way that we used to hand out business cards, it can be easy to forget that there is still very much a digital divide and that not every student has access to these resources.<br />
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The tech survey allows for students to be able to share their access to technology with me before it ever becomes an issue; for example, if I gave an assignment where my students were required to use the internet and I wanted them to do some of it over the weekend, it would be potentially embarrassing for a student with no internet access to have to come and tell me this and ask for provisions. I would rather know right up front, so that I can seamlessly incorporate another option for students who don't have access to the necessary technology.<br />
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Anyone who knows me knows what a tech geek I am - I love technology and I especially love what these innovations can mean for student learning; however, I would advise using sensitivity where this is concerned, because having no computer or having the wrong phone has become to our students what the wrong pair of shoes or the wrong brand of jeans was when I was in school. The admission and public knowledge of not having internet access could be potentially embarrassing for a middle grades student. The tech survey is a more private way that my students can let me know that they may need some other options if a take-home tech assignment should arise.<br />
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The survey is linked below; feel free to use and share!<br />
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Enjoy your Sunday :-)<br />
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<a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=1ppsu3kkoYo3Nm0kBfxCrqqvN_nmFbnPTG0c-6QHreHpnC5luGTd9JACWw3BU" target="_blank">Technology Survey</a>sashareinhardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931596476065045399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2111797989434434495.post-79616088116596047992012-06-08T16:44:00.001-04:002012-06-08T17:15:26.038-04:00Catching UpHave I really not posted since December?!<br />
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Lots to catch up on then -<br />
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First, the good news:<br />
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<li>I've completed my Master's!</li>
<li>I've moved to a new home!</li>
<li>I've gotten my first teaching job!</li>
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<li>My husband lost his father in January.</li>
<li>I lost my Papaw on April 19th and my Mamaw three days later. </li>
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I usually don't post much in the way of personal things on my blog, but I thought maybe it would be a good way to get back into the swing of things by celebrating the good things, mourning the sad things, and appreciating the very precious time my family and I had with these three amazing people. </div>
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My father-in-law, Charlie Reinhardt.</div>
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He was an incredible grandfather to my two sons and my niece, Megan, and he certainly raised a wonderful son. He welcomed us into his family with open arms and I am so grateful that I got to know him.</div>
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My Papaw, Earl Thomas.</div>
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I don't even know what to say here. He was the best storyteller in my life. He made me laugh constantly, awed me with his ability to complete a Times' Sunday Crossword, and he loved me unconditionally for my whole life. He called me "Tootle" after the Golden Book about the train of the same name. I used to make him read it to me over and over. When my family was going through his belongings, they found that old story book in his closet; he had kept that book all those years. So much of who I am and what I value is due to him; he loved reading and knowledge and dry humor and history. I love him, and always will. </div>
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My Mamaw, Mabel Crouch.</div>
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I lived with my Mamaw for a year after my Papaw Everett passed away. During that year, she taught me to play the guitar, how to do a proper bluegrass harmony vocal, and how to truly walk what you talked. Not that I always do all of those things; she was the only one I knew who could pull them off seamlessly. She raised nine children, even more grandchildren, and touched the lives of everyone who knew her. She was always incredibly kind, always full of love, always thinking of her family, and always praying. My Mamaw was incredibly talented; she could pick any stringed instrument and absolutely make it sing. Saying I miss her seems like a gross understatement, but it's the best I can do.</div>
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I still have both my Mamaw's and my Papaw's phone numbers saved in my iPhone's contact list. Isn't it weird how technology affects our idea of permanence? Because I can't bring myself to delete their phone numbers, and don't know if I ever will. </div>
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Here is to a new year, knowing that my father-in-law, my Mamaw and Papaw would be so proud of what I've accomplished and also knowing that so much of my ability to accomplish these things are due to their love and influence.</div>
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<br /></div>sashareinhardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931596476065045399noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2111797989434434495.post-90538181602098432042011-12-15T08:15:00.001-05:002011-12-15T08:51:39.824-05:00Sharing: Same Sun HereThis book was so special to me! Growing up and raising my own family in Eastern Kentucky, it is incredibly refreshing and encouraging to read a work that paints us as many of us are; multifaceted, empowered, passionate, and something much more than "hillbillies looking for handouts." Silas House never fails to make me feel validated each and every time I read anything he writes. This book is no different.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZIasfGBtMWY/TunyJXaoWoI/AAAAAAAAAdM/eyGKASgcFL4/s1600/IMG_0564.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZIasfGBtMWY/TunyJXaoWoI/AAAAAAAAAdM/eyGKASgcFL4/s320/IMG_0564.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>This is an epistolary novel, showcasing letters written between two twelve year olds that become pen-pals: River, from the Appalachian foothills of Eastern Kentucky, and Meena, an Indian immigrant living in New York City. They almost immediately make a pact to be their "own true selves" with one another, even when it's uncomfortable. In doing so, they learn so much about one another's cultures, about the wider world around them, and about how we are all not-so-different after all.<br />
Both Meena and River are living without their fathers due to economic hardship, both have grandmothers that they idolize, and both are adolescents, just trying to figure out what's going on inside and how that impacts the way they view the world.<br />
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This book touches on so much that resonated deeply with me: the state of the precious Appalachian mountains and the plight of those that live near MTR sites, condemning racism and homophobia, having a curious mind and an open heart when learning about new cultures, and learning about the importance of non-violent civil disobedience. This book highlights the fact that sometimes it is the small, brave acts that make the biggest impact.<br />
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I can't say enough good things. Once again, Silas House has lovingly painted an accurate portrait of living in Appalachia, and Neela Vaswani has interwoven a surprisingly parallel experience as an immigrant in New York City.<br />
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This book is great for ages 9 and up, and there are so many different issues at play here it could be easily integrated into the classroom to teach letter writing, respect for other cultures and religions, mountain top removal, active citizenship, the importance of libraries.... I could go on and on :-)<br />
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Personally, here in Eastern Kentucky, my own students will love this, because it is respectfully, meticulously <i>them</i>.<br />
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<div>This book will be available from Candlewick Press in February 2012.</div>sashareinhardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931596476065045399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2111797989434434495.post-40214712373708899322011-09-28T11:36:00.002-04:002011-09-28T11:36:15.762-04:00How Can We Improve Middle Schools?<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/how-to-fix-the-mess-we-call-middle-school/2011/09/25/gIQAjCx1yK_blog.html">Interesting article</a> this morning in the Washington Post about the "mess" that is middle school.<br />
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What do you think?sashareinhardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931596476065045399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2111797989434434495.post-89849475947305672212011-09-25T08:03:00.004-04:002011-09-25T08:18:40.718-04:00Sharing: Bigger Than a BreadboxI feel intimated by trying to write down my thoughts about <u>Bigger Than a Breadbox</u>. After reading <u>Penny Dreadful</u> earlier this year, I became an official fan of Laurel Snyder. So, when I heard about <u>Bigger Than a Breadbox</u>, I knew it would be a must-read. And indeed, as the release date got closer and I read reviews posted by friends, this book quickly became one of my most anticipated MG fall releases. The kind folks at Random House were nice enough to send me an ARC, and my husband can tell you how crazy excited I was when it arrived!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u6jKJZ7jgzo/Tn8PJ8ojQcI/AAAAAAAAAc0/v9_boJn9fIU/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u6jKJZ7jgzo/Tn8PJ8ojQcI/AAAAAAAAAc0/v9_boJn9fIU/s1600/images.jpg" /></a></div>All of that major digression now having been covered, I have to say that this book is matched only by <u>Breadcrumbs</u> and <u>Wonderstruck</u> in books that I have read this year.<br />
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We meet Rebecca just as her mom and dad's relationship is falling apart, and as that happens, we see her struggle with that very difficult in-between place of feeling grown-up, yet still very dependent on the people around her. She is very much 12; one minute she feels old enough to take off on her own, and another she feels very slighted and hurt because no one has come to tuck her in. Combine this internal confusion with all of the confusion going on around her, and that leaves you with - quite understandably - a very confused young girl. <br />
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Her determination to fix what is wrong in her life is exacerbated by discovering a magic breadbox in her grandmother's attic. While wishing for something that reminded her of Baltimore, she discovers that the breadbox will grant any wish, as long as what Rebecca wished for can fit inside. She thinks that this will solve all of her problems, but adding magic into the jumbled mix that her life has become makes things happen that Rebecca never would have dreamed. <br />
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I love the very subtle use of magic in this otherwise heartbreakingly realistic book. It's a seamless blend that doesn't feel forced, and is crucial to the story. The story takes place in both Baltimore and Atlanta, and you get a sense that you are getting a taste of the best and the most weird of each city. It made me want to visit both places. And it made me grateful that I get the opportunity to work with kids at this very odd stage of their lives, where they sometimes feel adult and invincible, but also sometimes, still just want to be tucked in at night. <u>Bigger Than a Breadbox</u> is, without a doubt, one of the best Middle Grade titles of the year. <br />
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<b><u>Who Should Read It?</u></b><br />
This book is ideal for any middle grader. The uncertainty that Rebecca deals with internally will be all too familiar to them, and will go a long way in helping them understand that it's not just them. It will also be wonderful for a child dealing with upheaval at home, especially the separation or divorce of their parents. This book seems to hit, spot on, the vast mix of emotions and depth of pain and desperation that can come from watching everything you've known unravel around you.<br />
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To show just how much of a chord it is striking, here is a fantastic book trailer for Bigger Than a Breadbox, created by a 12-year-old fan:<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Bigger Than a Breadbox will be available for purchase on September 27, 2011.</div>sashareinhardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931596476065045399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2111797989434434495.post-54650915987159428062011-09-20T06:39:00.000-04:002011-09-20T06:39:13.197-04:00Sharing: The Death of Yorik Mortwell<u>The Death of Yorik Mortwell</u> was brought back to me from ALA by a librarian friend of mine. I've been interested since I saw the cover, and knew that I would have to save it for a time that was a bit closer to Halloween, and that I did. I finished the book this weekend, again on a road trip, and it is a great middle grades read.<br />
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The book is vaguely steampunk-esque, with repeated mentions of a flying carriage when the rest of the book has a distinctly Victorian sensibility. Yorik Mortwell is a 12 year old servant to the Family, who lives alone in a shack with his sister, Susan. Yorik and Susan were orphaned when their father died, but they were allowed to continue living and working on the estate.<br />
One afternoon, while out in the woods with his sister, Yorik has a disagreement with Thomas, the spoiled son of Lord Ravenby. Thomas, his eyes filled with an empty hate, kills Yorik. And here the real story begins.<br />
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We are nearly immediately taken into a behind-the-scenes alternate reality, where glowing hounds, living topiaries, and powerful Princesses are the norm, and Yorik has become a ghost. In his new form, he is finding new abilities as well as new limitations. He is also finding whispers of a new evil that he never knew existed, but he recognizes it as the same dead emptiness that filled Thomas' eyes before he killed him.<br />
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As Yorik struggles to figure out how to defeat this new evil, he learns the world around him is much more complex and intricate than he ever realized, and he plays a much larger part than he ever dreamed in determining whether or not that world will continue as it is.<br />
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<b>Who should read it?</b><br />
Most middle grade students will be in the mood for a good ghost story this time of year, and this story could fit the bill. The beginning is engaging, but the middle slows down quite a bit followed by a rather abrupt and anti-climactic ending. I would give this book to students who were looking for a quick, slightly spooky read.sashareinhardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931596476065045399noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2111797989434434495.post-42886199854342139112011-09-09T21:35:00.000-04:002011-09-09T21:35:57.583-04:00My School Year So Far...This August marked the beginning of my "in the classroom" experience! I am in the practicum phase of my MAT program, which is essentially my student teaching. Fortunately, I will be with my mentor teacher and my students for the entire duration of the school year! I am really excited to be able to see the growth, change and fluctuation that occurs over the course of two semesters.<br />
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As far as details go, I am at my county's middle school for first and second periods each day, for 8th grade Language Arts. So far, I have helped students construct Veteran's Day essays, created and led an activity on <a href="http://prezi.com/tfjtdudrdqv1/verbals/">verbals</a>, and observed very carefully. Regardless of what I am doing, the more I am there, the more confident I feel that I have <b><i>finally</i></b> meandered my way down the path I was supposed to be on.<br />
I love being in the classroom, even if it is just for observation. I love the heady air of possibility and potential that hangs over everything each morning. Even when the kids come in sleepy or grumpy or homework-less, I'm sure that I smile like a big goon every time I see them, simply because they are living, breathing, walking, talking potential and I feel honored to have a part of shaping that potential.<br />
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As I watch my mentor teacher, take my classes, and begin to develop my own concrete ideas of what I want my classroom to look and act like, I have become a devoted convert to the reading/writing workshop method of Language Arts instruction. The atmosphere of collaboration and respectfulness are exactly what I hope to offer the students who will be in my classroom. In case you're interested (and because I always love book lists!) the two books that have led to this complete conversion are:<br />
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<a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780470372272">The Book Whisperer, by Donalyn Miller</a><br />
<a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780867093742">In the Middle, by Nancie Atwell</a><br />
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If any of you have other reading suggestions for me, please let me know! Or if you would like to share details about what works in your classroom, I would love to read and learn from them. <br />
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In addition to student teaching, I'm also working as a Graduate Assistant in the education department at my university, and that has been wonderful as well. I'm assisting with research (which is one my most favorite things, as if I weren't nerdy enough) and I'm also taking a great English class. My plate is heaping, but great and I hope that everyone reading this has a great plate as well :-)<br />
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Happy Weekend!sashareinhardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931596476065045399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2111797989434434495.post-46092910202557427412011-09-03T22:26:00.004-04:002011-09-03T22:30:02.749-04:00Sharing: Wonderstruck<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
My family and I took a short road trip to visit our Indiana family today, and I brought <i>Wonderstruck</i> along to read in the car. <i>Wonderstruck </i>is the newest work by Brian Selznick, author of the Caldecott medal-winning <i>The Invention of Hugo Cabret.</i> I was so engrossed in this book that it pained me to leave it in the car when we arrived. I was drawn in from the first page, which is a striking sketch of two wolves running in a forest. From that point on, the book tells two parallel stories, one through text and one through the lovely sketches. As the story progresses, you begin to see overlaps and seeming coincidences, until eventually the two stories become one. <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DRUBDwvi8Dw/TmLgszy8bKI/AAAAAAAAAco/nDqdowu0mYQ/s1600/Wonderstruck-Cover-198x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DRUBDwvi8Dw/TmLgszy8bKI/AAAAAAAAAco/nDqdowu0mYQ/s1600/Wonderstruck-Cover-198x300.jpg" /></a>In the text, we are following Ben, a young man who has recently lost his mother. We meet Ben as he shares a fitful night of sleep in a room with his cousin, Robby. Ben has moved in with his aunt and uncle after his mother died. As he tries to ignore Robby's radio so that he can go to sleep, he turns his good ear to the pillow to drown out the sound, and we learn that he is deaf in one ear. As the story progresses, Ben loses his hearing entirely. This adds an extra sense of urgency to the ensuing journey that we take with him. In dark hallways and dusty rooms, Ben begins to find out that all of the small intricacies that he thought made him odd actually explained parts of himself that he had not previously known existed and he finds answers to questions he never knew he had. <br />
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This book was just as incredible as I had suspected it would be, and all throughout, I just wanted to give Ben a hug. I can't possibly do this book justice. Brian Selznick creates a lovely, urgent, melancholy world within the confines of the things that I personally hold so dear - books, ephemera, history, and family. <br />
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<b>Who should read it?</b><br />
The better question is 'who shouldn't?' I plan on passing this on to a former professor of mine after I share it with my 7 year old son. The story is aching and universal. <br />
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<i><b>Wonderstruck</b></i> by Brian Selznick will be available for sale on September 13th, 2011.<br />
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sashareinhardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931596476065045399noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2111797989434434495.post-90374912626587932592011-09-02T09:29:00.001-04:002011-09-02T09:33:16.425-04:00Sharing: The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own MakingThis post has been months in coming, but I devoured this book in much less time than that<i>; The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland </i>is magical.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eE2XHSAgCC4/TmDbDiFUUjI/AAAAAAAAAck/aiFQ3HL4n5c/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eE2XHSAgCC4/TmDbDiFUUjI/AAAAAAAAAck/aiFQ3HL4n5c/s1600/images.jpeg" /></a></div>The book was written by Catherynne Valente and was released on May 10, 2011. I was sold as soon as I saw Neil Gaiman's endorsement on the front cover. "A glorious balancing act between modernism the Victorian fairy tale, done with heart and wisdom," he says. And he was not wrong.<br />
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<i>The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland</i> is most decidedly for fans of fantasy who can lose themselves in the other worlds that lie within the pages of a good book. The book begins with a girl called September who is whisked away from her lonely household and taken on a magical journey to Fairyland. Fairyland is a place rich in sights, smells, sounds and adventure, all of which are described with a deliberate and fantastical detail that lends itself to exploration.The characters are like no others I have ever encountered; for example, one of the story's main protagonists is a Wyverary, which is a dragon who happens to also be part library. As in, his mother was a Wyvern (a dragon) and his father was a library. Surprises abound in this book, whether it be from the characters' choices, the interesting creatures and people that September encounters, or the rich sensory experience that is found in the deliberate and engaging writing style. This book would be beautiful to hear read aloud. <br />
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<b>Who should read it?</b><br />
I would happily recommend this book to any middle grader who enjoys extremely imaginative fantasy titles.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://1.gvt0.com/vi/LWztk_QB5_U/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/LWztk_QB5_U&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/LWztk_QB5_U&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div><br />
sashareinhardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931596476065045399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2111797989434434495.post-90855079178632474072011-08-24T20:54:00.000-04:002011-08-24T20:54:14.712-04:00New PostComing soon, I promise, promise, promise.<br />
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But this is not the new post. No, this is just a tribute.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p1YR_GqcheM/TlWdEFFk2QI/AAAAAAAAAcY/psbZROUkdsU/s1600/TributeVideo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p1YR_GqcheM/TlWdEFFk2QI/AAAAAAAAAcY/psbZROUkdsU/s400/TributeVideo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
sashareinhardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931596476065045399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2111797989434434495.post-51762021420501509872011-07-22T12:22:00.003-04:002011-07-22T13:35:15.923-04:00Stay GoldenHappy Birthday to S.E. Hinton!<br />
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S.E. Hinton is the author of what some consider to be the first Young Adult novel, <i>The Outsiders, </i>which she wrote when she was 16 years old.<br />
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The book is a masterpiece wrapped up in a tear-jerking tale of friendship, belonging and still yet being misunderstood. It still resonates with teens and adults alike, with its consistently relevant themes of the love, loss, and pain that come with being young.<br />
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Say Happy Birthday to S.E. Hinton by reading the incredible book, <br />
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or show your <i>Outsiders </i>love with this awesome shirt from the ever-cool <a href="http://www.outofprintclothing.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=b-1030">Out of Print Clothing</a> store.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4tzPZIpo95E/Timhyl3X-gI/AAAAAAAAAcM/XKDghPGszig/s1600/the-outsiders-300a032508_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4tzPZIpo95E/Timhyl3X-gI/AAAAAAAAAcM/XKDghPGszig/s320/the-outsiders-300a032508_1.jpg" width="274" /></a></div>Or, if you feel like watching some cutie patooties, check out the now iconic, Francis Ford Coppola directed movie adaptation, starring pretty much everyone in Hollywood.<br />
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However you choose to celebrate, stay golden!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uRl5bEH_1TI/Timjs501hFI/AAAAAAAAAcU/-Y_x3rtMwqg/s1600/index.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uRl5bEH_1TI/Timjs501hFI/AAAAAAAAAcU/-Y_x3rtMwqg/s1600/index.jpg" /></a></div>sashareinhardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931596476065045399noreply@blogger.com0