CONSTRUCTING KNOWLEDGE CREATIVELY: LITERATURE LINKS

ABBEY GRAHAM NCRA; MARCH 17, 2014

CREATIVITY
Creativity is not an event, but a process, it follows that teachers can adopt a creative disposition and choose a creative path in any given situation, since it is less a matter of their ability to do so and more a mind set or an attitude.
Grainger, T., Goouch, K., & Lambirth, A. (2005). Creativity and Writing: Developing voice and verve in the classroom. New York: Routledge

OVERVIEW & OBJECTIVES

All teachers leave with strategies to help students build background knowledge and engage in literature in the classroom. Personalize strategies & connect to classroom Resource: Weebly designed as a reference

TELL ME ABOUT YOU

What do you teach? Topics? Grades? Name a strategy you currently use to build students background knowledge before a unit.

Something you are currently teaching? Or going to teach in the near future?

Todays Meet https://todaysmeet.com/ConstructingCreatively

THE EPIC OF GILGAMESH:

RESEARCH STUDY

CONSIDERATIONS WHEN TEACHING LITERATURE

Students may experience impending anxiety with complex texts Text Connections: Text to Self; Text to World; Text to Text Ensure strong background knowledge

In-School Writing vs. Out-of-School Writing

Writing traditionally one directional Blogs Develops creativity, which requires students to make connections and meaning Broaden their purpose and audience for writing Increases students confidence as writers

CONSTRUCTIVIST FRAMEWORK
Flexibility, engagement, and willingness to take risks Responsibility of learning placed on student Teachers role:

Encourage and challenge students Structure learning environments that support active, reflective, contextual, and collaborative learning Offer choice & individualization

RESEARCH QUESTION:

HOW CAN WE INTEGRATE BLOGS TO FURTHER WRITING INSTRUCTION, FOSTER CREATIVITY, AND ENHANCE COMPREHENSION OF WORLD LITERATURE?

BUILDING BACKGROUND: USING TAGXEDO

BLOG #1 TRADITIONAL RESPONSES

The oldest known piece of "literature" in the world, the Epic of Gilgamesh can surprise or shock modern readers. What's your take on the story so far? I'll pose some questions to get you started - you can use them if you like, or generate your own.

BLOG #2 MORE CREATIVITY & EXPLORATION

BLOG #3: EVALUATING

BENEFITS OF USING BLOGS

Independent nature resulted in diverse student responses in individualized contexts Differentiated foci and format among students The structure encouraged reflection of literature through digital writing and multimodal expression Blog-as-online-portfolio Removing the teacher as the sole consumer of writing Facilitate student-to-student conversation & collaboration vs. traditional assign, grade, and return model (Read & LandonHays, 2013).

21st Century Skills

Students tend to write more/longer responses because it is easier to type

STUDENT RESPONSES TO THE BLOGS

CREATING CONNECTIONS
Brainstorming with Visual Media Anticipation Guides & Reader Response Journals Article of the Week (AoW)

POLLEVERYWHERE.COM QUESTION #1 READER RESPONSE JOURNALS

www.PollEv.com/AbbeyG raham

POLLEVERYWHERE.COM QUESTION #2 BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE

POPPLET.COM

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone

VISUWORDS.COM

BUBBL.US

Analyze how complex characters develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.

ANTICIPATION GUIDES & READER RESPONSE JOURNALS

Identify major themes from the novel and create questions that students can respond to. How you would feel and what you would do if someone took your position somewhere, such as losing your starting position on the basketball team or being demoted at work. Why do people abuse power? Why do people try to get more power than they need? Pose statements that students respond to initially and then revisit as they read.

All people are created equal. Words can never hurt me. Family is more important than money.

AOW & CCSS INFORMATIONAL TEXTS

Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of a text.

Determine an authors point of view or purpose in a text

Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and sufficient.

ARTICLE OF THE WEEK (AOW)

http://kellygallagher.org/reso urces/articles.html

SAMPLE AOW
In My Opinion: Dont Lower the Bar on Education Standards By: Leonard Pitts Jr. in the Miami Herald Expectations of Others and Self Equality Sports Drinks Role Often Overplayed By: Chris Woolston in the Lost Angeles Times Consumerism Persuasive Claims

CONSTRUCTING CREATIVELY: WEEBLY

http://constructingcreatively.weebly.com

CCSS
Standards Broken Down into Plain English with Shmoop

LITERATURE LINKS
AOWs

LITERATURE LINKS
Sample Blogs in the Classrooms

COOL TOOLS

COOL TOOLS

COOL TOOLS

CLOSING THOUGHTS
Creativity is fostered by allowing students to construct knowledge and connections with literature through writing, speaking, and thinking about literature.

Teachers can encourage more authentic engagement and responses to literature by posing more open-ended questions and stepping aside. The more teachers put the power of learning in their students hands, the more prepared students will be for the 21st century.

QUESTIONS?