marcia/1st/GA - sharon, have you ever been to a conference put on for 4 blocks-either a workshop or leadership type conference?
sharon - no i haven't..... i am learning it on my own as i go..... well..... the ring and the books have helped tremendously
marcia/1st/GA - I am also self-taught except for all the help fromt he ring
lisa/2/nc - Sharon...there's a 4Blocks workshop here in NC in February -- the first Saturday -- not sure if it's full yet though
sharon - when i first started reading about 4 blocks, it just fit so beautifully with my own style...... and i felt it addressed my weaker points
marcia/1st/GA - I would really rather attend a writing conference, like 6 traits or something. I amnot sure if 6 traits really addresses first grade writing though. Do you know Lisa?
sharon - i'm trying to get my system to send me to one.....they're listening... so who knows?
lisa/2/nc - I don't know much about 6 traits
sharon - i ordered a book that they will be discussing at the chatboard..... wondrous words.... though i'll probably be more of a 'lurker' than a poster...... i'm really enjoying my MOT reading too much to shortchange that
lisa/2/nc - I finally broke down last year and bought a 6 traits book -- only to have my district decide to purchase a horrible program that is totally opposite of 6 traits and 4blocks
marcia/1st/GA - I guess my principal is aware that I am doing 4 blocks, although sometimes i don't feel like I am giving it justice. One of the fourth grade teachers was telling me that she was telling them about me doing it... Don't know why, but maybe someday they'll pay for rme to do something too
sharon - what program was it?
marcia/1st/GA - isn't wondrous words by Katie....
lisa/2/nc - Write From the Beginning
sharon - yes...... can't remember the last name though
marcia/1st/GA - how is it? What types of topics does she cover? I was thinking of that one too b/c of the way readinglady has promoted it on her website.
marcia/1st/GA - Woods
lisa/2/nc - we started this program at the beginning of the 2nd quarter this year.....and this is after I've had this group of kids for two years doing 4Blocks...
marcia/1st/GA - I think it's katie ray woods
sharon - i'm not sure marcia.... it was just so highly spoken of that i went with it
marcia/1st/GA - so your whole school doesn't do 4 blocks, does it Lisa
lisa/2/nc - my kids are good writers -- but this quarter I am going to be giving my kids "2"s in writing which means "making progress" (but not on grade level) which parents are going to just love to see (NOT)
sharon - marcia.... lisa...... i need to work on some lesson plans...... talk to you later, ok?
marcia/1st/GA - well, I ordered Marcia Freemans Teaching the Youngest Writers and I wasn't that imprssed with it. I don't know why. I probably should give it another look. I will bring different perceptions to it
lisa/2/nc - Marcia...my whole school is just in its infancy in terms of 4blocks...which is just incredible because my school is in the same district as Clemmons Elementary where 4Blocks was born
marcia/1st/GA - okay sharon, bye. I won't be long behind you. I need to get my lesson plans done too.
marcia/1st/GA - that is strange Lisa
Jen - I don't think so. Do you do 4 blocks? Where do you teach and what grade?
Melissa - trying to start it. Middle School SBH all subjects
Jen - I think that's great. I teach 2nd. We do some components but mostly stick to Guided reading and literacy work stations
naneb - melissa, I teach 6th grade
willy - I am getting ready to start 4 blocks. Help!
goody - Does anyone here teach the Houghton Mifflin series in addition to 4Block?
Betty - No.
Lisa/Canada - Not me either.
Betty - Is H.M. a language arts series?
goody - Reading. It covers all areas of language arts.
goody - We have begun using it this year and are trying to also use guided reading and 4Block.
Betty - We use Nelson and Collections for a basal series. Are you both 4Block newbies?
Betty - Newbies like me?
goody - We have used 4Block for two years.
goody - Do you find it hard to find time for everything?
Lisa/Canada - I have tried to use the four blocks for the past two years, but only manage to use portions of it.
goody - We, as everywhere else, are under great pressure to increase our test scores.
goody - What portions do you use most?
Lisa/Canada - This year our entire school (K-4) is attempting to commit to the guided reading portion.
Betty - It's really hard to find the time for everything, isn't it? I actually split up the writing and SSR time into one period in the afternoon, and only 3 times per week at that. My friend who does Gr. 2 does a reading focus one week and a writing focus the next, as she also finds it hard to fit everything in.
goody - What is your class size?
Betty - The portions I use most are G.R. and Word Block.
Betty - This is my first year trying it. So far I really like it. Have you noticed a difference in the achievement of your kids since you've been doing it?
Betty - Small class this year. Only 19 kids.
goody - I am comfortable with the guided reading and love the other parts of 4Block. I am a bit frustrated with trying to get my children to always try their best when they write.
Lisa/Canada - Me too.
goody - Yes, my kids did well last year. They did not, however, really perform well on the SAT test.
goody - The testing situation is different than guided reading. It is more worksheet style. We are trying to remedy that.
goody - We are working on test taking skills.
Betty - I have another writing program that I follow that I'm really happy with, based on Joanne Moore's Writing With Results. I understand that 4Blocks writing is based on Writer's workshop, which I never really got into.
goody - Do you have to give the achievement tests in second grade?
Betty - I'd also like to learn about 6Traits writing.
goody - 6Traits is what we are using.
goody - It is included in Houghton Mifflin.
Betty - In my province achievement tests are written in Gr. 3, 6 and 9.
goody - Lisa, what testing do you do? Do either of you give the DRA ?
Lisa/Canada - Betty, what province are you in?
Betty - Alberta. How about you.
goody - I like the information I get from the DRA, but it is so time consuming to give.
Lisa/Canada - Testing occurs in grades 4, 7 and 10 here and the media prints the results from the prior school year in the papers.
Betty - I gave the DRA a few years ago, but I found it was too time consuming, too. Very informative, though.
goody - Is the Writing With Results a real structured program?
Betty - What province are you in, Lisa?
Lisa/Canada - I'm from B.C. We use the Foundations Skill Assessment (FSA's)
goody - Our media is quick to print test results also.
Lisa/Canada - We are also using Stanford Diagnostics on our grade three's as a diagnostic tool.
goody - South Dakota has this year initiated a new computerized test of the state standards. The children take the test in fall and spring to see if I covered the state standards adequately.
Betty - Writing With Results in sort of structured but not really, It was developed by a teacher in Calgary, who now does workshops. In a nutshell, children learn to write from sequence pictures. (Beg, middle, end) and we teach them specific writing techniques using the pictures to springboard from. It really helps with kids who have trouble thinking of things to write about.
Betty - Hey Lisa, B.C. is where I grew up! We also use the Stanford Tests. We used them in Gr. 2 last year, and this year will use them with Gr. 1's , too.
goody - Can you believe there are only three of us on here?
Lisa/Canada - Did you find them useful for the earlier grades?
Betty - Does every grade in your state write these tests, goody?
goody - Our director of Special Ed says he does not believe achievement tests are valid for children below third grade because they have so much trouble with the techniques needed for testing.
goody - o, first grade students do not have to take them.
Lisa/Canada - Goody, do you find it stressful to have your students tested on their yearly learning?
goody - Yes, now I do. In the past I have not worried about it. We just did our best and let it go at that. Now, we are taken to task if the results are not good enough.
Betty - That's the stressful part. There are so many factors at play in test results. How are you taken to task?
goody - Our principal compares classrooms and points out areas in which we need to improve.
goody - How long is your school day and how many days a year do the students attend?
Lisa/Canada - So far, I think we are still in the 'do our best' stage. You work your hardest all year to teach all students, but to especially help those who need it. Like getting additional help for them, etc.
Lisa/Canada - School is from 8:50 - 2:50, with 1 recess and an hour for lunch. I think we go for about 192 days approx. Are your principal visits scheduled and reviewed with you?
goody - Reading comprehension has been on my mind. I have some who struggle with it. I plan to do some text-to-self, etc. activities to see if it helps.
goody - Yes, we have evaluations every other year. The test converstation is a seperate meeting.
Betty - The thing is, if teachers are going to be held accountable for test results, it needs to be ALL the teachers who have taught them in the past, not just the ones administering the test that year. Our L.A. tests and math tests have been really good in the primary grades lately, so but the math scores in upper grades need some improvement. So our division is having a math review. All of us who teach math were observed by a teacher from another school this year. Not evaluated, just observed. The teacher who visited me wrote some anecdotal notes about what I did in the lesson. The data will be compiled but with no names given. It will be interesting to see what they come up with.
goody - Our days are about a half hour longer. I have 21 students.
Lisa/Canada - The talk in our school has been leaning towards the seemingly inability for students to do well in the area of comprehension. Some of the grade three teachers have been pulling out the old SRA programs.
Betty - Our day is from 8:40-3:35 with 40 minutes for lunch. It's a longer day, but we get quite a few Fridays off to make up for it.
goody - Oh, my. I guess I am glad we are all striving to improve for the sake of the children.
Betty - Have you found 4Blocks to improve students comprehension in the couple of years you've been doing it?
goody - I remember SRA!
goody - I would not say that I have seen a difference but I have not been using the text-to-self stuff long.
Betty - Lisa, did you say your whole school is doing 4Blocks? In my school it's just me and another teacher, and we're introducing it to our collegues. Some interested, some not. Our administration is very interested, tho.
goody - So much of comprehension seems to be an inherent ability that the student has. Some kids just blow me away with their ability to remember and understand what happens in stories.
Lisa/Canada - Betty, our whole school is doing guided reading, and many of us are trying to incorporate at least one other block.
Betty - How did your school hear about it? It seems to be really big in the states, but I'm not finding many of my Canadian collegues know about it.
Betty - I'm so glad that it's not just me finding it hard to incorporate ALL the blocks.
Lisa/Canada - It all started with Working with Words. I got onto Patricia Cunningham a few years back and have been following her for awhile,
Betty - Working With Words is what got me hooked, too. I was really intrigued when I read about Making Words and it took off from there.
Betty - How is your Work To Rule campaign going? We will be taking a strike vote probably in January. It looks like most of the province will be out.
Lisa/Canada - I decided this year though, that after several years of trying,I just couldn't do it all. So rather than be turned off the entire process, I chose what I knew I could handle, and have gone from there. Quality, not quantity. We start phase 2 on Monday. Which is basically, no extra curriucular. We expect to be legislated back to work soon.
Betty - Is it true that you have to leave the school by a specific time and can't take any work home? How is your supervision handled?
Lisa/Canada - I only read today that Alberta was close to a strike a vote. We are an 'essential service', so can't strike. No, we are able to come and go when we please, no pressure. We can take all our work home. The principal and representatives from the board office do all supervision.
Betty - We don't have provincial bargaining, like you do. We bargain with our separate school districts, but most of them will be out on strike if things don't change. It doesn't look good. I am really hoping things will get better, as I don't want to strike!
Betty - Speculation is that we will be deemed an essential service as well.
Lisa/Canada - Oh, company...so far we are the only province in Canada to be deemed essential. I think actually, we are the only teachers in the world.
Betty - The talk is that we would be deemed essential very soon, and probably legislated back to work. BTW, I went to the University of Victoria. Loved it!
Betty - Is kindergarten mandated in B.C. yet?
Lisa/Canada - I received my degree at the North Kelowna Campus, but it's a U Vic Degree. I've been to UVic to visit, it's wonderful! I',m not sure about k, we have it but I don't know what is written in the books. By the way, how many guided reading groups do you have?
Betty - Well, during the last couple of years when I did the Fountas & Pinnell guided reading, I had three. This year, trying 4Blocks for the first time, my GR is whole class. Since it's grade one, it's taken awhile to introduce them to everything, and I haven't started the specific components of GR yet. (3 Ring Circus, etc.) How about you?
Lisa/Canada - I've ended up with 4, plus my top grade 3's are in a discussin group. They choose the novel and must come to a consensus of which one to read. We then meet weekly to 'discuss' the book, the discussion is student led. At the end they get to choose a project to do to represent the book.
Betty - How do you manage 4 groups? I guess you'd have to, with two grades.
Betty - That sounds like a good way to do it.
Lisa/Canada - Well, I don't meet with them everyday. I usually meet with them twice a week, which I know is not enough, but I am working at increasing this.
Betty - Twice a week is still good. It's more than they'd get if you weren't doing GR, I'll bet.
Betty - Do you have the other kids work at literacy centers?
Lisa/Canada - My biggest problem is literacy centers. I'm too much of a control person , I need to have tangible evidence to demonstrate the children are learning. So when I'm with a group the others are either silent reading, or doing spelling sheets or word skill sheets (which range from word families to comprehension sheets.)
Betty - That's what I did the last couple of years, too. Plus Accelerated Reading and I had a math center.
Betty - I wish there was a 4Block conference nearby that I could attend!
Lisa/Canada - Me too.
Betty - Do you visit the 4Block message board?
Betty - I have both Pat and Dottie's GR videos. They are pretty good.
Lisa/Canada - No, don't know where it is. This is also my first time in a chat room.
Lisa/Canada - In Canada I find there are more opportunities to attend workshops on 'Balanced Literacy' than the 4Blocks.\
Betty - Oh, you should visit it. It's part of teachers. net, right where we are. Go to where it says Chatboards, and click on the 4Blocks chatboard. There are a few experts who visit it regularly and they are a real help. There is a Goodies section there and that has a lot of useful lesson plans and templates, etc. We will also be attending Balanced Literacy workshops soon.
Lisa/Canada - Thanks for the info, I make sure I check it out.
Betty - I think you'll really like it. There are about 70 chatboards and 4Blocks is just one of them. Well, Lisa, it's been great chatting with you. I better go now. Goodnight!
Lisa/Canada - In Canada I find there are more opportunities to attend workshops on 'Balanced Literacy' than the 4Blocks.\
Jana - My school's principal has initiated 4 blocks at our school this year
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