Composing Workshop

Franki's post, "How Did They Make That," has gotten several interesting comments. In the post, she tells about her students deconstructing the Scholastic Book Fair video, not in terms of content, as she expected, but in terms of how it might possibly have been made.

One responder declared the video a marketing failure because the students looked beyond the content. Others agreed with Franki's positive take on her students' point of view.

But the comment I want to respond to today, in light of the hour I just spent working in iMovie and GarageBand making a video I could upload to YouTube so that I can share some huggable puppies with my friends, is from takini8:

"I think this generation are creators and producers. They are moving beyond the viewing that I did as a child. I watched videos and enjoyed them, they view critically and with an eye to creating. I think that's because they can create and publish so easily. I think its a really exciting perspective and look forward to what they do in the future. My problem is what to call writing today. I originally started calling writing workshop, author workshop, because I was focusing on authoring but now... what do you call it when they are blogging, creating photo essays and music videos? It's so much more than authoring."

What do I call Writing Workshop now? I call it Composing Workshop.

It's that time in the day when we use a creative design process to make things we want to share with an audience for some purpose.

We get an idea, try it out, tweak it until we get it just right, look at it through as many lenses as we can, then share it out with an audience.

It might be paper and pencil, word processing, a music composition, a comic, a movie with narration or a sound track, a photo essay, or (insert project here).

Yes, there are times when my students attend to the genres of paper-pencil composing required by our district and the State Standards. But once my students have a firm traditional grasp on the standards as defined by the state, they are encouraged to work with the standards/genres in the media of their choice.

Another message I hope to be communicating with my "composing workshop" is that the processes and skills that my students are learning are not to be used solely within the walls of school. My students, too, can have a personal composing workshop on a rainy Sunday morning sitting at their very own kitchen table during which they put aside all their other work/chores to make a video and compose the music for its soundtrack.

And now, because I know you're dying to see it, here is the puppy video I made this morning:

KidLitosphere Conference Panel

Mother Reader has asked me to join Jennie (Biblio File), Melissa (Book Nut) and Tricia (The Miss Rumphius Effect) in leading a panel discussion for book bloggers at the 2009 KidLitosphere Conference.

The big question is:

"What do book bloggers want to know more about?"

If you're a book blogger (and especially if you're a book blogger who's coming to the conference), what are the issues you'd like to discuss?

If you're a book blogger who's not coming, we'll report back on the discussion. If you could be a fly on the wall, what would you want to hear us chat about?

If you're a reader of book blogs, what do you look for in a book blog? What do you like or dislike? What is unclear or mysterious or wonderful or frustrating from your side of the blog?

Please leave discussion topic ideas and questions in the comments, or send them via blog email. There are no trivial or stupid topics or questions except the one you don't ask!

Poetry Friday -- Georgia Heard (Blog Tour)

Recipe for Writing an Autumn Poem

by Georgia Heard

One teaspoon wild geese.

One tablespoon red kite.

One cup wind song.

One pint trembling leaves.

One quart darkening sky.

One gallon north wind.

Many of us know and love Georgia Heard through her poetry and her professional books about teaching poetry. Her new book, A Place for Wonder: Reading and Writing Nonfiction in the Primary Grades (coauthored with Jennifer McDonough and published by Stenhouse), is a natural extension of all she's taught us about developing our students' love of reading and writing poetry.

Here's the exciting news: Georgia Heard and Jennifer McDonough will embark on a three-stop blog tour starting 10/19.

October 19: A Year of Reading (right here!)
October 21: Miss Rumphius Effect
October 23: Carol’s Corner

In their book, Georgia and Jennifer discuss how to create a “landscape of wonder,” a primary classroom where curiosity, creativity, and exploration are encouraged, and where intelligent, inquiring, lifelong learners are developed. They provide teachers with practical ways – setting up “wonder centers,” gathering data through senses, teaching nonfiction craft – to create a classroom environment where students’ questions and observations are part of daily work.

As a special treat, Stenhouse will wrap up the blog tour with a live webcast with Georgia and Jennifer on Oct. 26th at 8 p.m. EST. This will be a great opportunity to join a small group discussion with the two authors. ***Five participants for this live webcast will be chosen (names-on-slips-of-paper-drawn-from-a-bowl kind of chosen) from the comments in this post and the blog tour post on October 19.*** If you would like to have your name thrown in the bowl, be sure you mention that in your comment and include your email address so we can contact you if you win! No special software or equipment are needed to participate in the webcast – just a phone and your computer!

From now until the beginning of the tour you can also receive free shipping when you order A Place for Wonder. Just use code “blog” at the checkout when you order from www.stenhouse.com or by phone at 800-988-9812. The book will start to ship Sept. 25, so reserve your copy now!

For more information about Georgia Heard and her work:

Georgia Heard's website.

Georgia Heard was featured on The Miss Rumphius Effect's Poetry Makers Series.

The round up today is at Susan Writes.

"How did they make that?"

We learn so much when we listen to the little things kids say. We are getting ready for our Scholastic Book Fair in the library next week. Traditionally, we spend some time the week before book fair sharing the video that shares some of the books, shows clips of authors talking about their writing, etc. Today, when the DVD was over, I expected comments and questions about the books and the upcoming book fair. Instead, one of the kids raised her hand and said, "How do you think they made that video?" Then other kids jumped in and said things like, "Well, they had to do something with animation.", "I bet they used a video camera for the interviews and then put that in the computer.", "They must have had a green screen. Where do you get one of those?"

I loved this conversation for a lot of reasons. First of all, the kids are looking at things like DVDs and naturally wondering how they made it---realizing that they can "make" these things too. As a writing teacher, I know that so much of our work with young writers is helping them to see what authors do and teaching them to ask themselves, "How did the author DO that?" when they find some great element of writing. The fact is that with the new tools of technology, our kids are asking these questions on their own--really looking at something and thinking about how the creators DID that--how they might do something similar. They are so ready to jump in and create. So ready to look not only at the technical part of how these things are created. But soon they'll be ready to look at the craft of these pieces.

Yet ANOTHER Book I Could Read a Million Times

It is not easy to find Books I Could Read a Million Times. Usually my posts about my finds are few and far between. It takes a lot for a book to make it to this list. I mean, really, even great books get a little old after a while.

But, this week, I am adding yet another book to the list-- GUESS AGAIN by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Adam Rex. My friend Maureen let me know about this HYSTERICAL book. And let me tell you, it is funny every single time I read it (which is what makes it a book I could read a million times). I don't want to give too much away. The product description says, "Here is a book that will keep you guessing again and again and...." Not much else to say. It is a rhyming book. A book full of surprises. And did I mention it is HYSTERICAL! I've read it to classes from 1st through 5th grade and the laughing is pretty consistent across ages. (And there is always one child in every group who just can't STOP laughing--totally cracks up.) I even had to read a few pages to my husband who does not often laugh out loud. Although he did not laugh aloud, he did grin a little. You can't not smile.

So, that's all I can say. It is a great book--as a read aloud for any age or to just amuse yourself.

2 new dog books

I love Patrick McDonnell and absolutely LOVED his book SOUTH. So, I was thrilled to see his new book, WAG! This is a story about a dog named Earl. (I love that the dog's name is Earl--he is quite an adorable dog and the name is fitting.) The book answers the question, "What makes Earl's tail wag?" A great story with great illustrations. A perfect little dog story. And a great mentor text for young writers in writing workshop. Imagine what they could do if they learned from this author--a book to answer a question in a way that tells a story.

I also picked up LOST AND FOUND: THREE DOG STORIES by Jim LaMarche I am newly interested in finding more "collections" of short stories in picture book forms. I think these collections are a great tool to help kids think about story and theme.
In this book by Jim LaMarche, there are three dog stories. Each is short. 12ish pages each. Each one focuses on a different dog and his/her relationship. In each story, someone is

lost. In the first story, a little girl runs off with her dog and doesn't know the way home. In the second story, a little boy's dog sees something interesting, runs off and gets lost. In the last story, a child finds a lost dog. So many messages about the relationships between dogs and people. And so many messages about the ways we find our way back home, etc. A great read. I am sure the kids will love it!

CAN YOU MAKE A SCARY FACE? by Jan Thomas

I love watercolors and painting with kids. Did a tiny bit of it last year in the library

but not enough. (Would love to have an easel for tempera but am considering the downside to this....) Anyway, when I saw this post by Bill last year, I decided that we had to paint more in the library in 2009-2010. Young children's art--especially around favorite book characters--is just a happy thing. So, I was all ready to just copy the idea Lori that Bill shared.

As I was taking out the paints, I realized that CAN YOU

MAKE A SCARY FACE? would be a great book for the kids to paint around. As you all know, I am a HUGE Jan Thomas fan and decided that being surrounded by Jan Thomas characters could only

be a good thing. I remembered something Mo Willems said in his new DVD and in a Scholastic Interview,

"I look for simplicity of line, partially to focus on the emotions of the book and partially because I want the main character of each book to be easily copied by a 5 year old. My books aren't made simply to be read; I want them to be played."

As with pretty much anything Mo Willems says, this makes total sense to me--when kids can draw a character, they can do so much with the character in terms of thinking, creating storylines, etc. So, I have been keeping my eye out for those characters--the ones kids can draw. The new character in CAN YOU MAKE A SCARY FACE see

med to be a perfect one to try! (I am thinking the RHYMING DUST BUNNIES would be fun too!)

So, we gave it a try. It was an option/choice during library time for 1st and 2nd grades and about 1/2 of the kids chose to draw and paint. They had a ball and I had a great time watching them. Really, is there anything like watching 6 and 7 year olds paint? And to listen to their conversations while they are painting? Always such a happy time for them.

So, now I am surrounded by many, many renditions of this great new character. The paintings are hanging on a wall by a door and a few people have already commented on them--if they don't comment, they certainly can't help but smile as they walk past. I may never take them down.

Poetry Friday -- Patriotism

PATRIOTISM

by Ellie Schoenfeld

My country is this dirt

that gathers under my fingernails

when I am in the garden.

The quiet bacteria and fungi,

all the little insects and bugs

are my compatriots. They are

idealistic, always working together

for the common good.

I kneel on the earth

and pledge my allegiance

to all the dirt of the world,

to all of that soil which grows

flowers and food

for the just and unjust alike.

(the rest of the poem is here)

Unless you teach in a public school, you might not be aware that yesterday was Constitution Day. 222 years ago, our Founding Fathers signed the document by which our country is governed to this day. My Constitution Day lesson focused on the Bill of Rights and the UN's list of Universal Human Rights. We were more patriotic than usual yesterday, and more thankful than usual for our rights which are guaranteed and protected by the Constitution.

If you're working in the garden this late summer weekend, you can celebrate Constitution Day belatedly by pledging allegiance to the dirt under your fingernails.

The round up this week is at Becky's Book Reviews.

Two For the World...

How Many Donkeys?: An Arabic Counting Tale

retold by Margaret Read MacDonald and Nadia Jameel Taibah

illustrations by Carol Liddiment

Albert Whitman and Company, September 2009

review copy provided by the publisher

I can't wait to share this book with my class! For the first time, my Arabic-speaking students will be the experts as they help us to count to 10 in Arabic, moving across the page from right to left. ALL of the students will be delighted by this Saudi folk tale of a numbskull who can't keep track of his donkeys. He starts off with ten, but when he counts them as he's riding along, he only counts nine. Lucky him, when he gets off to recount the donkeys, the lost donkey reappears! (I LOVE stories where the reader is smarter than one of the characters!!)

One World, One Day

by Barbara Kerley

National Geographic, 2009

review copy provided by the publisher

With photographs from around the world, and sparse, but descriptive text, Barbara Kerley takes us around the world in one day, showing and telling us that the world's children have more in common than they might think. They all get up, clean up, and go to school. They all come home, and work and play and spend time with families. They all wonder, "What's for dinner?" They all rest and dream to get ready for one more day. Great for conversation starters about differences between classmates, as well as differences between cultures.

...and a bonus for Constitution Day:

Every Human Has Rights: A Photographic Declaration for Kids

National Geographic, 2008

review copy provided by the publisher

While you're talking about the Bill of Rights in the U.S. Constitution, you might want to read this list of rights for the citizens of the world, based on the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This book is illustrated with vividly descriptive photographs that are accompanied by poetry by children from around the world. Best for students in intermediate through high school (and beyond), this book is an important addition to upper level conversations about rights, freedoms and privileges.

Kidlitosphere Conference Meme

If you're still sitting on the fence, you've only got a couple of days to get your registration in for the 2009 Kidlitosphere Conference! Decide already! Come join the party!

I attended the first conference, but not last year's. I'll be there this year! YAY!!! Here's the attendee meme that Mother Reader started around:

Why did you decide to attend the Kidlitosphere Conference?

I wanted to be part of the "in" crowd and meet all the rock star bloggers! It also sounded daring and just a little bit risky to fly to Chicago to meet people in person who I knew only from their blogs.

Who was most like their blog? Who was least like their blog?

Go figure...EVERYONE was like their blog! We leak out so much personality when we write that this should not come as a surprise.

What surprised you at the conference?

How much fun it was. I'm not usually comfortable in a crowd of folks I don't know well, but it was truly like being with old friends.

What will you always remember about the conference?

Meeting Tricia of The Miss Rumphius Effect and Gregory K. of GottaBook, and making the contacts that resulted in presenting about blogging at NCTE with Jen Robinson, Liz Burns, and Susan Thomsen (and almost Kelly Herold, but work got in her way).

Did you blog about the conference?

Here and here.

Last year when we couldn't make it to Portland, the Central Ohio Bloggers got together and bought books.

Some other memes to check out (did I miss any?):

What Adrienne Thinks About That

7-Imp

Mother Reader

Miss Rumphius

Tea Cozy

Finding Wonderland

Jen Robinson