Tip of the Week June 4, 2010
As we travel around the United States, we meet wonderful teachers who are implementing the Daily 5. Often they are trying the structure on their own. Weary of being the lone wolf, they frequently ask us, "How can I get my team/staff/principal to join me on this journey?" Nicole Provo was in this situation, longing for a collaborative group to grow with. Read on to see how she went from being a lone wolf to part of a pack. Lone Wolf -- My Journey to Find a PackBy Nicole Provo
It was about this time last year when I realized I was a lone wolf at my school. I was implementing Daily 5 in my classroom and I was feeling lonely. I knew there were many other teachers around the state and country implementing Daily 5, but I wanted people in my building to share and collaborate with. Based on conversations with the teachers in my building, I knew that many of them were not satisfied with the current structure of the literacy block. Some were doing reader's workshop and some were doing centers. I knew I had to do something. If you are howling the Lone Wolf Blues, here are some suggestions to get you started on your journey to find your pack.
The first thing I did was talk to my grade level team. They were willing to try it out and experienced success. However, for me a pack of three was not enough!
The next thing I did was invite my principal in to see it in action. When my principal came in and saw how engaged my students were in their tasks she got REALLY excited. She agreed that Daily 5 was something that would be great for all of our students and asked me to share what I was doing at a staff meeting. Administrative support is vital for any school-wide implementation.
I then provided a 2 hour after school workshop for interested teachers and my principal purchased books for those who were interested. I kept running out of books and had to order more! Almost everyone wanted one!
After the initial workshop I had with the teachers there were MANY questions. I formed a voluntary study group and focused the content based on the questions teachers were asking. I used the website to look for videos or articles that related to the questions teachers were asking. I would show them videos or share an article. We would discuss and then there would be more questions which provided me with the content for our next session!
Based on interest, our reading committee decided that we would implement Daily 5 (and CAFÉ!) school-wide the following year. It became a part of our school improvement plan.
My WONDERFUL principal supported us every step of the way. She purchased The Daily 5 and CAFÉ books, pensieve supplies, book boxes for every child, and even purchased a subscription to the website for our teachers. Each teacher also received a budget for books to enhance our classroom libraries. She also provided time at grade level meetings and staff meetings to discuss The Daily 5 and CAFÉ.
I am no longer a lone wolf and as I sit here and reflect on this past year, I am amazed at how far we have come. Our staff and students grew and learned together. We are all excited to start a new year with more confidence in our ability to implement the Daily 5.
FAQ
Q: Do you continue to ask the students to check in before each round of Daily 5 throughout the year?
A: We check in throughout the year, up to and even including the last day of school. The purpose and goal of the "Check In" is to provide students with...
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Books in the Home (Website)
We have thought for years the best predictor of attaining high levels of education for our students is their parents level of education. According to a 20 year study lead by Mariah Evans, University of Nevada, Reno, that is one predictor, but she had found another.
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My Favorites Files
"My Favorites Files" is a widget designed by our software engineers. This tool allows each member to save articles to read later, write notes on features, or create individual files of materials around topics and themes of your choice. The brief tutorial on "My Favorite Files" is available at this link:
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Registration Information for 2010 Summer and Fall Workshops
If your summer plans are already set, consider scheduling a working retreat and join us in the fall. How does Arizona, Maine, or Florida, sound? We thought so! Check out the beautiful places.
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Parent Pipeline - Using Dictionaries, Thesauruses, and Glossaries as Tools(Download)
When your students are ready to learn this strategy, be sure to start slow and provide many opportunities to practice. Introduce your students to the wonderful technology that can provide assistance in word learning, but also provide time to practice using the basics. Send home this Parent Pipeline for parents to use as a guide in helping their child be successful.
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Math Tools (Video)
In this video Joan explains the final category of the Math Daily 5 board...Math Tools..
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Organizing Reading and Math Teaching Materials (Video)
Christine came to us with an organizational dilemma, "How can I manage all my teacher materials?" We joined Christine in her classroom to help her organize the math and reading materials she must store in her meeting area.
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Retell the Story with Harry the Dirty Dog (Download)
I enjoy the simplicity of this story, plus I'm a pushover for dogs! The plot in the story is quite simple and can be narrowed down to a clear beginning, middle and end. As students practice retelling simple stories they will get the experience needed for more complex books.
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Video Updates
With the addition of our new video players with higher resolution and full-screen options, we are reposting many videos in this new format. As we make these improvements, we'll announce them in the newsletter. Here is an updated video you may want to revisit. Pam Pogson confers with Artur, a sixth grader in her class, holding him accountable for reading.
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Easy Access Pipeline Page
If you are wanting a quick way to access just the Parent Pipelines, this page was created just for you! Under the Literacy CAFE Menu on the right side of our home page, locate Parent Pipeline, voila!
http://www.TheDailyCafe.com/public/main.cfm Until Next Week!
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