Ethnography: July 30 (the last day)

Untitled

Part I: Prologue

            On the first day of the NVWP Summer Institute, a story walked in. He wasn’t a particularly large fellow, not a tall tale by any means; I guess you’d have to say he was a short story, and he was very sad.

            Sarah Baker, OFL, asked him what was wrong.

            “I’m a good story,” he said. “I’ve worked hard to meet all my story SOLs. But thus far, I feel incomplete. You see, I don’t have a title.”

            Peter had come over to listen to this sad story. “Ooh,” Peter said, “no title. For sure that could cause perspicacious irascibility.”

            “If you want,” Sarah said, “you can stay here with us. Maybe we’ll be able to help you find a title.” She turned to Amber. “Would that be okay with you?” she asked.

            “Sure,” Amber said. “Let me update the calendar. I’ll make you a folder on Google docs, too.”

            “But I don’t have a title,” the story said. “How can I have my own folder?”

            Amber thought about it a while. “We could use your initials. You’re an untitled story, right? So we can call you US.”

            Everyone liked the idea, but Peter noticed the team was not complete. “Should we check with Mark?” he asked.

            Sarah shook her head. “Mark’s over by the window, playing with his dongle. I think we should leave him alone.”

            “Incendiary!” Peter exclaimed.

            So the untitled story – or US, as he came to be known (although certain English teachers cringed when Sarah told them, “US is going to join the ISI”) settled in and looked to all the fellows for help.

            First up was Joe. “How can I get entitled?” US asked him.

            “Study your titling routines and processes,” Joe replied.

            Maggie added, “Find your titling territories. It’s not scary, it won’t make you pee your pants.”

            While US appreciated the advice, he didn’t see how that would help him become entitled.

            The next day he returned. “How do you title?” Sarah asked the group, but US thought, That’s fine for them, they already have titles. But how will ever I get one?

            Unfortunately, US had to leave early that day, so he missed hearing about cheese and chocolate. But as tasty as that sounded, he doubted it would have led him to a title.         
            “You have to go to Bootcamp,” Gaby said the next day. “Mine is ESOL but perhaps you can find a Title Bootcamp.”

            US agreed that might be helpful, but where would you find something like that? Being untitled, he didn’t even have a Twitter handle.

            “What you know stays with you,” Amy Frog said, but US thought, What about what you don’t know? Doesn’t that stay with you too? Besides, even her moose has a title.

            “You need to think about how titles are structured,” Katie offered. “After all, free verse is not always free.”

            “You’re trying too hard,” piped in John. “Come away with me on an island adventure. You might find a title there.”

            So US packed up with everyone else and went away. He thought they were going to an island, but instead they all just went to Winchester.

            The next day, someone he thought was named Progoff Dave said he might find a title in the silence. But the more he searched the silence, the sadder he became. Fortunately, there were tissues.

            Then Pete appeared. Surely Pete will understand the need of a short story to be entitled, US thought. But Pete already had a title for his story: that title was “PETE.” He didn’t seem all that interested in other titles.

            “You’re looking in the wrong place,” Janique offered. “You’ve been thinking of a title as a thing, but there should be action involved. Look for a title with strong verbs.”

            He tried a few: Untitling; Running With Titles, To Kill a Title, I Know Why the Caged Title Sings. But none seemed right.

            Next up was Amy W. “Who says you need a fricken title?” she asked. “If you don’t want one you don’t have to have one. Just tell everybody to stick it. Or,” she added,

“you could look for your title in Journalism and research.”

            US admired Amy’s spirit but he couldn’t get over the feeling that until he became entitled, he would be forever incomplete.

            “Maybe mentor titles will help,” offered Amy C. “If you read like a title, you might become a title. And once you have a title, you can persuade people it’s the right title for you.”

            US felt he was getting closer to becoming entitled, but there was still something vital missing. Dejected, he thought about leaving the ISI, but just then he saw the answer to all his prayers standing in front of the room. Yes, it was, it had to be: the Queen of Titles. Her desk was covered with them.

            Eureka, he thought. The Queen of Titles will save me. I’ll be entitled at last.

            “Can you give me a title?” he asked. “Can you make me feel complete?”

            But Michele shook her head in wisdom and sadness. “No one can give you a title,” she told US. “You have to find it for yourself.”

            US went back to join the group. The ISI was already past the halfway mark; time was going too fast.

            “Interview other titles,” Lauren suggested. “Find out how they got entitled. That might help you find your title too.”

            US was hopeful, but unfortunately, he discovered most titles don’t have much to say.

            Suddenly Mark, who had been sitting by the window trying to fit his dongle into his wordle, got up to speak. He’s a college professor, US thought; surely he’ll be able to help me get entitled. And while it’s true that Mark’s lesson was brilliant, no title came forth.

            “Use technology to find your title,” another visitor, Jen, suggested.

            “It’s political,” added Amber. “Stories are being given titles all the time without those stories having a voice in the matter.”

            “Just ask your students to come up with a title, no matter how much it sucks,” offered Nick. “They’ll even grade it for you.”

            “Look for symbols, turn to art,” offered Roxanne. “Isn’t this giant eye a giant eye whether or not it has a title?”

            “I agree,” said Diane. “Look to technology, to multi-genres. Although I must say I do empathize with your dilemma.”

            “It’s obvious where to find titles,” said Heather. “Start an online book club. The titles will come a mile a minute.”

            “De-grade!” cried Peter. “De-rubricate. De-rubricize?” For the first time since he memorized all 1079 pages of Infinite Jest at the age of three, Peter struggled to find the right word. “Make de-rubrification a reality!” he said at last.

            “Take the same approach with titles. De-title yourself. People place too much weight on titles anyway. Some people only read the title, they don’t ever even get to the story.”

            US had heard so many wonderful suggestions from so many smart and caring people. But he still felt incomplete; he remained untitled.

            What to do? The ISI had only one day left. He decided he would pay special attention on this final day. He’d write down everything that happened, and maybe somewhere, somehow, a title would be found.

Part II: The last day, as told by US (the untitled story):

            No frog food today. Hmm. A moose providing mousse to eat. I guess that’s no stranger than a story searching for its title.

            Peter and Sarah are out playing with sticks and stones. AmyFrog says, “It’s nine o’clock.”  She beats Mark to the punch, as yesterday he served as PeterLite, or perhaps, PeterHair. Today, he’s too interested in the mousse. (The ones in cups, not the hairy one. Although for the last day he’s been unable to get that moose voice out of his head. It’s very comforting.)

            Morning pages. What do you write on the last day? Mark says that if all goes well, soon I might have a little brother or sister. But he won’t get started on that until tomorrow, he says. I sure hope it doesn’t involve his dongle.

            There comes a time, when someone is missing or hasn’t arrived yet, that you don’t see an empty chair when you look, you see a missing face. I’m afraid that tomorrow, the space all around me will be filled with missing faces. But I think remembering will make them all smile.

            Amy W. is here, in pineapples. The group’s complete now.

            (You might be amused to know that Mark is tearing out his hair doing this. He’s so in love with revision I want to shout at him, “Why don’t you marry it?” He wants three days to set this aside and let it settle, another week to make changes. If he had to be ethnographer for a week he really would end up with less hair than Peter.)

            “All right, it’s 9:31,” Peter says, and tells us to use the bathroom (though not in as graphic a way as he has on other days.) I wonder how I’ll know when to go tomorrow?

            Amy C’s ethnography from yesterday: she’s got charts and slides and links. What if she shows a video? Is it too late to bring in a dance group to perform while I read mine?

            Wow! Amy’s write-up of what happened yesterday is even better than what happened yesterday. . .

            Mark says, Think of the ISI as a gift you’ve given to yourself. Now consider: who would you like to share this gift with? A fellow teacher? An administrator? A parent, child or spouse? There will be time to write, at your own pace, however you want to approach it.

            That’s one of two things slated for the morning. We go outside and Sarah explains the second thing: a prayer labyrinth. The sticks and stones make not just a path but a meditation space. Sarah says, “Find a rock that you like. Write on the rock what helps to make you resilient.”

            People find their rocks, write their words, walk through their space in their own ways and in their own time. I’m a story, made up only of words, and yet it’s nice to be among everyone moving through silence. The silence that remains with people even after they leave the labyrinth suggests they agree.

            What to write? It’s weird, but the words mean more written on a rock than just a piece of paper or a screen. It’s as if each word itself is a rock, has substance and weight. I write, “The best of us is always here.” Can I explain that? Will I need to? Probably not, because Mark will be the one reading this, and he and I have a special relationship.

            It makes me think about titles. I’ve been pretty resilient, even though I don’t have one. Maybe a title isn’t what makes you who you are, it’s just that part of yourself other people see first?

            Wow. Some people shared what they thought or wrote. Diane as an evolving sandwich, AmyFrog learning to listen to herself. Roxanne wanting to give her gift to so many others. Michele giving more gifts through her poem, the gifts of her voice and of her heart. Gaby will write a letter to the world.

            Surveys and evals and google docs, oh my.

            Ah. Lunch. . .

            The readaround. How to capture the essence of so many rich and powerful voices. Would it be cheating to say, You had to be there? Or: for complete reference, see “NVWP Anthology, Fairfax: NVWP Press, 2015.”

            I’m going to do it. Instead of describing all the readings, I’m going to enjoy listening to them. People will just end up blaming Mark, anyway.

            The clock moves forward.

            Suddenly. . .

            It happened! I can’t believe it! This is all so worth it – the early morning and late afternoon traffic; the desert heat in a crowded room; the strobe-light like Internet access; the smell of tar pervading the Johnson Center; the secret buildings George Mason refuses to post signs in front – all of it, who cares!

            We got certificates. Everyone – even me. It’s signed by all the staff, so you know it’s official.  And best of all – wait for it – this certificate gives each one of us a TITLE! Even me! I am officially a Teacher Consultant of the Northern Virginia Writing Project. At last, I am untitled no more.

            And yet, all that thinking I’ve been doing today stays with me. I know I felt incomplete without a title, but maybe that feeling was wrong. Maybe everything I was, and everything I am, was already there inside me. I didn’t know it, and not knowing it, I mistakenly thought it wasn’t there and could only come to me through a title. But it was in me all along, and that’s what this day, and these four weeks, has taught me (along with all those great demo lessons):  we have so much of value inside us, strength and wisdom and experience and love. And power, too. And the thing is, it’s in there whether we realize it or not.

            Of course, it’s easier to understand that and accept it, when you have a title. Not only that, but when you have a title, you know there will always be a place for you in the NVWP Table of Contents.

            -- Thank you, everyone. Mark

Katie's Statement of Inquiry and Research Reflection

As I prepare to enter my sixth year of teaching, I find myself at a crucial moment in my career. In the flurry of my first years as a novice teacher, I was excited to try new techniques, reflect on my practice, and revise when necessary. I was enthusiastic, passionate, and somewhat surprised to find so much joy and fulfillment in a room filled with middle schoolers. I finished my first years exhausted, but satisfied. Of course, there was still room for improvement, but I felt good about the work I was doing. I felt proud.

I owe much of this success to my adoption of the reading and writing workshop model as the driving philosophy behind my instruction. Following closely in the footsteps of Nancie Atwell, my students and I participated in a structured workshop that included the daily practice of reading and writing, with student choice being at the center of my instruction. I encouraged autonomy whenever possible, including allowing my students to choose the books they wanted to read and the topics they wanted to write about. My students were excited about reading and writing and I felt proud of the authentic experiences we were having together.

Unfortunately, the school I moved to at the start of my fourth year of teaching did not value student, or teacher, autonomy in the same way that I did. All 6^th grade language arts teachers were required to adhere to a strict curriculum that detailed each assessment and even the daily activities of the classroom. Bound by these obligations to my CT, I found myself struggling to fit in the practices I knew to be the most effective. Independent reading and authentic writing were pushed aside for menial SOL review. When I tried to talk to my colleagues about using the workshop model as the basic structure for our classes, I was told we had to stay focused on the curriculum and didn’t have time to think about that. To say that this was frustrating is an understatement. I was quickly losing my zeal for teaching and felt that everything I worked for, everything I knew to be effective and meaningful for students, everything I valued as a teacher was not valued by my colleagues. I was leaving school each day feeling defeated rather than fulfilled. I was no longer proud of the work I was doing. Although I wasn’t ready to leave teaching altogether, I knew I needed a change. For a multitude of reasons, I also knew this couldn’t happen at my current school so I started to pursue positions teaching high school instead, hoping that a new environment and context would help me find that passion again.

When I first received news that I was being offered a job at one of the top performing high schools in the county, I was ecstatic. The school has a good reputation and I felt honored to be accepted into their community. I also felt a little intimidated. I knew what worked as a middle school teacher, but I was suddenly less sure that the daily structure I used before would translate to a high school setting. I knew that I valued building time into each class for independent reading and writing, but I wasn’t sure how that would fit with the obligations of my new curriculum, which included teaching whole class novels, something I had completely done away with in my middle school class. As my last year of middle school teaching came to an end, the anticipation of starting to teach high school became more daunting and I was suddenly feeling very unprepared and unsure of what to expect. Any confidence I still had leftover from my earlier success was quickly dwindling.

When I learned that we would be given time to read and research as part of our NVWP ISI experience, I knew I wanted to focus on the structure of reading and writing workshop at the high school level. It was something I was already planning to think about over the summer and being given the time to read and develop some plans truly felt like a gift. These were the questions I hoped to have answered:

• What does reading and writing workshop look like in the high school setting?
• What might be similar or different from the middle school workshop?
• How can class time be structured to support independent reading and writing?
• What genres will we study and engage with as writers?
• How do these genres support the reading curriculum or tie to the literature we read together as class?
• Do students choose their own topics for writing?
• How does allowing students freedom or choice help prepare them for college writing assignments?

Obviously, this is a hefty list of questions to consider, especially because none of them have clear-cut answers. Thankfully, I already knew some of the books I wanted to revisit for my research. I had some exposure earlier in my career to the work of Kelly Gallagher and Penny Kittle, and was lucky enough to attend conferences by each of them. At the time, their work was inspiring, but a little overwhelming, especially because I felt that it pertained mostly to the high school setting. Now, it seemed crucial that I go back to their work and consider how I might try adopting some of their philosophies and structures in my own classroom. During my research I considered the following texts:

• Book Love by Penny Kittle
• Write Beside Them by Penny Kittle
• Readicide by Kelly Gallagher
• Teaching Adolescent Writers by Kelly Gallagher
• Deeper Reading by Kelly Gallagher

Sticking to the work of these two teacher leaders helped me focus my study without becoming too overwhelmed. Although there are other names I’ve learned of that I definitely want to check out in the future—the work of Katie Wood Ray is at the top of my list—I felt that my familiarity with Gallagher and Kittle was the best place to start. I also love that they both reference Nancie Atwell, whose work inspired my own workshop in the past.

           

In working through these texts and discussing ideas with other TCs and presenters during the ISI, I believe I have started to find answers to these questions. While there is no way to fully express everything that I gleaned from my reading and experiences this summer, I do believe I’m finally getting a clearer picture of what my reading and writing workshop will look like in the high school setting. These are my biggest takeaways:

What does reading and writing workshop look like in the high school setting?

According to Penny Kittle, a successful workshop relies on the following conditions:

• Time – Students have scheduled time to read and write independently each class period to help them create healthy habits
• Choice – Students have a choice in the books they read and the topics/genres they select for writing to encourage authentic engagement
• Response – Teachers plan for individual conferences to provide support and feedback based on student need
• Vision – Students analyze the craft of writing to help more carefully craft their own and are presented with a wide range of possibilities for reading
• Expectations – Teachers provide deadlines and closely monitor progress to develop students’ stamina
• Challenge – Students monitor their own reading and writing growth through regular goal setting and reflection

It was encouraging for me to see that the philosophy behind her reading and writing workshop was very similar to what I had already been doing in my classroom. This confirmed that a similar structure is not only possible in the high school setting, but absolutely necessary. It also affirmed my belief in student autonomy and its importance in meaningful learning experiences. I also love having this concise explanation to fall back on in case I ever need to explain or justify my approach.

What might be similar or different from the middle school workshop?

Based on what I know about the high school curriculum at my new school, the biggest difference will be the addition of reading whole class novels. While I was initially opposed to this, my research has led me to believe that there is a way to make this engaging for students. While these texts may not be students’ first choice, there is value in studying works of literature that are more challenging. Most importantly, Gallagher points out that this type of reading is only one part of the reading workshop. He suggests the following balance of reading in the classroom:

• Independent Reading – 50% - This includes reading texts that help students increase challenge, set and meet goals, and reflect on their reading
• Mentor Texts – 25% - This includes annotating texts in a specific genre to help students better write in that genre
• Literature Study – 25% - This includes whole class or small group novel study

Thinking about this balance made me feel a little better. I can participate in the curriculum my school has established without abandoning other types of reading completely. This gives me some guidelines for determining how much time to spend on each novel. Gallagher also offers some great strategies for engaging students with these texts and helping them through the challenge.

How can class time be structured to support independent reading and writing?

This was the most frustrating and enlightening part of my study. I was determined to find an exact structure that would allow me to plan each block down to the minute. Kittle offers some suggestions for allocating time in a class period, but I was frustrated to see that her two books contradicted each other slightly. The breakdown of a typical class period was different in each of her books! While I found this to be initially frustrating, it eventually helped me to see that there is no perfect structure. It is impossible to plan each minute of every class period and have them all look the same because the needs of the class change on a daily basis. Although I plan on having a typical schedule that each block follows, I now realize that this needs to be fluid and flexible. To start the year, I plan to follow this basic template and adjust when necessary:

• Book talk led by teacher, student, or guest
• Time for independent reading and conferring
• Notebook Work/Quick writes
• Read and write in response to poetry or other text
• Journaling or response to a prompt
• Mini lesson
• Practice reading strategies with difficult short text
• Sentence study and imitation
• Mentor text study and response
• Independent writing/novel study
• Craft writing and confer, or
• Write about/discuss a whole-class text
• Closure/share out

I know that there will be times when notebook work may need to be cut if students need more time for writing or a mini lesson might end up taking longer than I originally thought. I plan to be flexible depending on the unit we are in and the objectives of that specific class period. At this point, I imagine that each novel study will lead into a correlating writing project. While the focus of our independent time may be on unpacking a challenging text, the notebook work time could be used to brainstorm ideas for the upcoming project. Lauren Jensen suggested a staggered approach: a natural flow in focus from reading to writing rather than the two being completely independent of each other. No matter the focus of the unit, this structure guarantees that students will be actively engaged in reading and writing every day, which is something I feel strongly about.

What genres will we study and engage with as writers?

This is mostly yet to be determined. I’m not sure if my future colleagues have already established genres for each unit or not. However, I am coming away from the ISI with a lot of ideas of what I would like to do if given the choice. I’m very interested in incorporating authentic writing whenever possible, which is why Amy Carroll’s presentation on op-ed persuasive writing stood out as something I would like to try with my own students. I also want to try the profile writing that Lauren Jensen helped us experience. That seems to be a powerful way of combining genres as an end of year culmination piece. Gallagher and Kittle both offer tons of options and suggestions in their books. I plan to return to these texts once I have more information about my curriculum. 

How do these genres support the reading curriculum or tie to the literature we read together as class?

This was a question that weighed heavily on mind throughout my research. I want there to be some kind of correlation or connection between the texts we read and the writing projects we engage in without the writing depending completely on the text. While I see some value in rewriting scenes of Romeo and Juliet to fit a modern context, I don’t want that to be the only type of writing my students do. I want them to experience a variety of genres while also offering them choice. Most of my thinking on this topic came from my conversations with other TCs. They suggested establishing some essential questions that could link the text to the bigger writing project. For example, in studying Romeo and Juliet have students think about longstanding conflicts and the possibility of them ever being resolved. This could very easily translate into a research project that allows students the opportunity to explore real conflicts that have occurred or continue to occur around the world. This is the kind of connection I feel is necessary to give purpose to our reading and writing. At this point, my biggest challenge will be establishing the essential questions or themes that will link the reading and writing while also determining which genres fit most naturally with each text. This is obviously something I do not have the answer to at this point, but plan to investigate in the future.

Do students choose their own topics for writing?

This is something I feel very strongly about. Thankfully, Kittle and Gallagher tend to agree with me! However, I have been rethinking what it means to give students choice in terms of their own writing topics. In the past, I have given them complete free reign to choose anything they wanted. I now see this is one extreme end of the spectrum. On the other end is providing students with a specific prompt or topic that they must use in their writing. I’m now thinking that there may be some middle ground. In many of the demonstration lessons we heard about teachers providing students with an angle and then allowing students to choose their topic within those parameters. For example, Diane Myers had all of her students choose some kind of disability to study for their multi-genre research project. The students were able to choose whatever disability they wanted, but there was a common thread connecting all of their projects. Lauren Jensen also talked about this when discussing her work with profiles. Every student had to interview someone who had been affected by war in some way. She called this the “angle” and that term really resonated with me. The angle could point students in a certain direction, but still allow them some freedom to determine their exact path. This seems to be the best of both worlds: still allowing student autonomy, yet strategically connecting their work to a bigger theme. I’m very excited to try this in my own classroom.

How does allowing students freedom or choice help prepare them for college writing assignments?

This was something I really had never considered as a middle school teacher. My job was always to help them for “the future,” but as a high school teacher that future is a little more concrete. I was initially concerned that the practices I established in my English classroom would be too different from what students would experience in a college course, therefore not preparing them for what they would need to be successful. I was worried that unless I was teaching them specifically how to write a literary essay, they would be completely lost when asked to complete them later on. Now I see that my job is not to teach them the product, but rather the process. It truly does not matter what genre we are studying because the goal is not to have them master any specific genre. The goal is provide students the skills to study and master any genre they choose. Through consistent practice examining mentor texts, students will become more comfortable noticing conventions and techniques in any genre and will be able to apply them to their own writing. This is probably the most relevant skill I can teach my students to help prepare them for the future. Gallagher and Kittle are both huge proponents of using mentor texts to help students understand genre and writer’s craft. Their texts offer tons of resources to use for a multitude of genres along with different strategies for unpacking these mentor texts. I also liked hearing that so many of the TCs at the ISI used this strategy. While I’m hesitant to use the term “best practice,” it does seem to be the general consensus that this method is most authentic and helpful for students regardless of their age or level.

I feel very grateful to have had the opportunity to research and discuss what a reading and writing workshop can look like at the high school level. Before coming to the ISI, I was feeling nervous about my transition to a new school and had lost a lot of confidence in myself as a teacher. I was letting my negative experiences overshadow what I originally loved about teaching. Taking the time to learn and reflect on what I want my classroom to look like has given me a fresh outlook on what the future may bring. It was reassuring to see that many of the workshop structures I’ve used in the past coincide with practices used by other teacher leaders. This confirmed that I am definitely on the right track. But it also encouraged me to rethink how I might continue to tweak and improve my instruction to better fit my context and the needs of my students. I’m finally feeling recharged and excited again to get back into the classroom. This was the push I needed to launch me into the next phase of my career.

National Writing Project Survey

As your Institute Director has explained, the National Writing Project conducts a brief survey of invitational institute participants each year. The data collected from this survey help the NWP make a case for federal and non-federal funding. Results also provide valuable feedback to each site and to the National Writing Project. To protect your confidentiality, your name will not remain attached to this survey, and responses will be reported collectively.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING THE SURVEY

Please complete the survey during the last week of the institute, and preferably during the last 3 days.

The survey will take about 10 minutes to complete. To be on the safe side, set aside 20 minutes.

You will need to complete the survey in one session, because once you hit the SUBMIT button at the end of the survey, you will not be able to go back to add to or change your survey.

To complete the survey, simply click on the following link:

http://survey.nwp.org/s3/2015-institute-survey

Case-sensitive password: 418-nvwp

As part of our ongoing efforts to assess the quality and effectiveness of the invitational institute, NWP plans to send institute participants short follow-up surveys in spring of the two years following the institute. We ask that you provide your email address when prompted at the end of the survey so that we can contact you about those surveys. NWP will not use your email for any other purpose. 

If you have any questions or concerns please contact research@nwp.org. Thank you for your time!

Sincerely,

The NWP Research & Site Development Teams

NVWP ISI Reflections & Feedback

Thank you very much for your willingness to help us reflect on this year's ISI and inform our plans for moving forward. The reflection form is anonymous by design, although if you want to identify yourself, that's up to you.

You do not have to respond to every open-ended question - but we welcome all honest and critical feedback you are willing to give! Please complete no later than Sunday, August 2 at 11:59 pm.

The link to the form is here.

Closing the ELL Achievement Gap through Parental Involvement and Technology

Participating at the Northern Virginia Writing Project’s Summer Invitation Institute gave me the opportunity to research about what I can do to help close the achievement gap between the ELL population and the general education population. Due to my knowledge of previously published studies that demonstrate the benefits of parental participation as means to increase student achievement, I decided to focus more specifically on how technology could be used to assist with parental involvement. Most of the articles I found addressed the use of ipads for early childhood literacy building skills. One of those successful programs is organized by Mano en Mano (Hand in Hand) to serve the needs of the Maine Migrant Education Program. For more information, please visit http://www.manomaine.org.

However, I needed to find more information on programs that serve parents of elementary school-aged students. Our Summer Institute Director suggested for me to read Writing with Families: Strengthening the Home/School Connection with Family Scribe Groups by S. Arthur Kelly and Literacy in the Welcoming Classroom: Creating Family-School Partnerships that Support Student Learning by JoBeth Allen. Both books start from the premise that “All families have important experiences, skills, and bodies of knowledge” (Allen, 2010, p. 31) and that through family writing groups, “children and adults gain leadership skills, find their personal voices, gain empowerment in their communities and schools, and become creators of a strong school-family connection” (Kelly, 2006, p. 3).

Both books validated a parent’s contribution as the child’s first educator, as well as the value in a parent’s culturally or linguistically diverse background. Allen underscored the importance of creating partnerships with families through home visits, family-school journals, visual literacy; Kelly presented the complete curriculum for a five-week family scribe group.

Despite the fabulous ideas both authors mentioned, I still faced one huge obstacle. I did not know if ELL parents would be able to participate at the family writing events due to their demanding work schedules. According to the AFT,  “immigrant parents feel apprehensive about getting involved because of their limited English skills, prohibitive work schedules, lack of familiarity with mainstream culture and the public school system in the United States” (2006, p.15).

Due to this, I decided to launch my own blog (www.EsolTrenches.wordpress.com) with resources for ELL parents. Through this medium, I can still offer capacity-building to parents but at their most convenient time. My blog will offer parents the option to watch mini webinars that will clarify topics such as: What are word study sorts and how do these benefit the students?  What is the expected process for returning the weekly folder the general education teacher sends home? What is a parent-teacher conference? What are some reading strategies that parents can use to increase their child’s understanding of text? What are some writing activities that the parents can do independently and with their child?

Research has shown that “programs and interventions that engage families in supporting their child’s learning at home are linked to student achievement” (Henderson & Mapp as shown in Allen, 2010, p. 11). Building a family-school partnership through parent capacity-building can strengthen the relationship between parents, teachers, and students and therefore create more successful ELL students.

Now what??? The greater mission....

Rivas Addendum to Statement of Inquiry

This is what I came to ISI wanting to know.

I came to ISI wanting to know the strategies used by the area’s top performing colleagues and how I could improve my craft based on the strategies that they used. I also wanted to see presentations from various educators so I could gain the courage to be in front of an audience and be able to stand up, and be a voice that can inspire others.

This is what I did to discover what I wanted to know.

I reflected constantly on how my colleague’s strategies could be applied in my classroom, my school, and my district. I saw the power of an effective demonstration which reflects the passion of the educator, the success of the strategy in the classroom or school, and the participation of the audience.  

This is what I found out/next steps.

I realized that I indeed have something to share to a wider audience. ISI 2015 confirmed my vocation to help close the achievement gap between the ESOL population and the general population as a school administrator or through a leadership position at the district level. I have also started an online presence (www.esoltrenches.wordpress.com),  the goal I had established during the first week of ISI, so I can reach an audience that goes beyond my school.

Previously, I was aware that being a researcher was a crucial part of our role as educators. However, I have realized that I do not know as much as I thought I knew. While before, I used to skim over articles that fascinated me regarding brain-based education, behavior management approaches, or reading intervention programs; I have realized that I have to thoroughly understand the history of education, policy, the controversial issues affecting educators, the viewpoints of those who speak on the subjects, and the need to increase teacher participation as spokespersons for the issues that affect us. This is also another way that I can be viewed as a true professional and trusted resource in our field.

I did it. I am a writer.

Hey. So, I have written a lot in my life. It has always been assigned to me. I have never written poetry on my own. I have never written a short story on my own. I have never done a journal entry on my own. (That is stupid.) I tried a few times, really I did. I liked the idea of being a writer. I liked the idea of creating poems and having people read them. I liked the idea of writing about something that hadn't happened and making it seem like it had...and that it was significant. I tried to start stuff a few times...but then I always ended up thinking...well, this is stupid and going to do vodka shots and play drinking games with my friends. #morefun

I am so thankful to the NVWP. Without the trip to WInchester where I was forced to be by myself for 25 minutes alone in front of the Civil War museum...after having journaled and journaled for what felt like forever for the last 3 weeks...I wouldn't have been able to actually write something for me. (That is what I feel all that transactional writing I have done through out the years has been...It is someone else's idea/assignment, so it isn't me. It is fake. Even the journaling seemed fake because I was just writing down the random thoughts in my head. It wasn't organized; it didn't mean anything to me.)

Because of the NVWP...I finally wrote something that meant something to me on a personal level. WOW! The silly little idea of "Wertle the Worm Wanted More" became so much to me. It means so much to me. I don't have to wait until the anthology comes out; I am a writer! I feel it now. I just finished putting the finishing touches on the story. It is a relief it is done. It is scary, too. I care what people think of it. I guess that is part of being a writer. Crap!