6Traits Digest #139 - Sunday, February 13, 2000
New stuff
by "Susan Nixon" <susan@desertskyone.com>
teachers' writing
by "Susan Nixon" <susan@desertskyone.com>
poetry project
by "Susan Nixon" <susan@desertskyone.com>
This site might have possibilities
by "Susan Nixon" <susan@desertskyone.com>
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Subject: New stuff
From: "Susan Nixon" <susan@desertskyone.com>
Date: Mon, 14 Feb 2000 12:29:51 -0700
Okay! All 5 pages are up. We didn't do anything with Conventions. We're
all *way* too excellent at that trait. =3D) If you do a writers =
workshop,
these will be invaluable tools for a springboard into other activities.
One thing which has been coming up over and over in my inservices need to
be emphasized here, because of last summer's online class. A lot of =
people
from that class are still on the list.
We need to read, read, read to our students, pointing out the trait
currently being taught. Even upper level teachers need to be reading so
students can hear the trait in use. We often ask our students to do =
things
when they have only a vague idea of what is required. Reading, and
pointing out the trait in the reading, will help students focus on what =
the
goal is.
This is especially essential in the earlier grades. Probably Kindergarten
will do more of this than anything else. Their job is to familiarize
students with the terms and begin the understanding of what each one
means. By the time a child is in second grade, he should understand each
trait and be able to identify it in books he reads. He should be able to
begin using the traits with mixed results.
By the time a child is in 5th grade, he should have a good grasp of the
traits and be able to use each of them somewhat consistently, at least at
an early level four. By the end of 8th grade, I would expect a student to
be able to consistently use the traits strongly. That leaves perfection =
of
techniques to high school teachers. =3D)
Susan Nixon
2nd Grade
Phoenix, AZ
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Subject: teachers' writing
From: "Susan Nixon" <susan@desertskyone.com>
Date: Mon, 14 Feb 2000 12:31:46 -0700
I have been editing a lot of teacher writing lately. We have become lazy!
We are writing more as we speak. Writing is more formal than spoken
language. I find many sentences where the subject/verb agreement isn't
present. There is a lot of slang in adult writing. I have reached the
point where the word "kids" makes me wince! It pervades all of our =
writing
about our students!
I know that as I have taught lessons to my students, and as I have scored
their papers, I have become much more conscious of the traits in my own
writing. I have tended to forget the purpose of my writing. When I write
to my friends, I can be sloppy. When I am writing for other purposes, I
need to remember the traits. E-mail is probably the source of a lot of =
our
relaxation! =3D)
I hope that when you find mistakes in grammar or usage on the website, you
will point them out to me. I know there are several mistakes in spelling
and even capitalization on the Storybits page. It was not my original, =
and
I cannot change it. I apologize. I decided that it was more important to
have the resource than to worry about perfection, in this case.
Thanks!
Susan, striving toward excellence, not perfection
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Subject: poetry project
From: "Susan Nixon" <susan@desertskyone.com>
Date: Mon, 14 Feb 2000 12:36:08 -0700
The 2000 poetry project will start March 7 and run through April 14. I am
setting up web pages for this year's participants. I am giving Edlist
and 6Traits teachers first chance to participate. I will post this later
this week on teachernet, if we don't have 25 participants by then.
For a look at what we did last year, see:
http://www.geocities.com/EnchantedForest/Tower/2137/Poetry99/
Each Monday, for 6 weeks, I will post a poetry format, not necessarily the
same ones as last year. Participants work that week on the poetry format
and forward completed poems to me by Friday, so I can post them on the web
site over the weekend. You may choose to post all poems to me, or you may
choose only the ones you consider successful, or you may rotate each week
among your children.
Your e-mail address may be posted on your page, if you choose, so that
readers may write to you.
You must have a permission slip from parents or guardians in order to have
a child's work posted on the site. I will trust you to obtain those, but
please do not send me a poem without parent permission. No last names =
will
be posted on the site. No photographs will be posted on the site. No =
city
locations will be posted on the site, only the teacher's name, grade level
and state.
If you have any questions, or would like to sign up, e-mail me at:
mailto:susan@desertskyone.com
Susan Nixon
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Subject: This site might have possibilities
From: "Susan Nixon" <susan@desertskyone.com>
Date: Mon, 14 Feb 2000 18:52:56 -0700
http://www.scouting.org.za/songs/
This has the words to a lot of campfire songs - religious, traditional,
scout, even Simon & Garfunkel.
You might find some creative writing lessons (creative lessons for
writing) using some of these.
Susan Nixon
2nd Grade
Phoenix, AZ
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