ASSIGNMENT SIX: DVD Reflection- Included in your text is a DVD containing video clips of Regie’s conferences with writers in the classroom. There is a detailed commentary accompanying the DVD on page 336 of her text. Please watch the DVD and then look at her teaching notes beginning on page 336 (Regie suggests just watching without notes first so that you don’t miss what she and the students are doing.) After both watching and reading her notes, write your reflection and please post a copy of your DVD Reflection to the blog.
*NOTE: If you experience problems playing the DVD please refer to the Writing Essentials companion website at www.heinemann.com/writingessentials for directions for playing the DVD. Look in the upper right hand corner for the link.
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Watching the video with Regie Routman in action was great! It was nice to see kids squirming, and to hear real children’s writing, and lessons not go exactly as I am sure she planned (“how can we spell /ow/???”). I appreciated also, seeing how she kept the sharing times short. There is something powerful about brevity, I think. I know that my students would start to lose interest if things did not keep moving! Also, I liked how Regie picked her battles. There were some things that she had the student be responsible for, and others that she help out with. For example, if the student was adding a longer phrase or sentence, Regie simply wrote it on a sticky note for the child to copy later. I am sooo going to use that idea!
ReplyDeleteI like, and even use, the ‘in front of the class, one person conference’ style that Regie demonstrated with Derek and the spelling lesson. I was surprised, though, how long she worked with him on some of the spelling errors, to the point where I really felt like she had lost the class. I watched that segment about three times, because I had difficulty focusing on what she was doing and was focusing instead on that sweet pea in the front who was totally not engaged in the lesson! Is that okay? I wonder if it would be alright to ask the class to think about how to spell the word and have them ‘check’ his choice. Or would that take away from his learning? I really had a problem with it!
One thing I loved about the DVD was the idea section!!! I am always looking for new writing topics, so I was thrilled to see some good ones. I especially loved the school procedures book. My girls like to make these mini-books (folded from one sheet of computer paper), and I think they would be great for something like the school procedures. I also really liked the Hero writing. What a great gift idea!
We're glad you enjoyed the video. I think that Regie’s whole group conference with Derek has made many of us “a bit uncomfortable” and question whether this was the best way to address Derek’s need…??? I would love to be able to chat about this with Regie. I hope that these clips do make you more comfortable and help support your instruction during future writing conferences with your own students!
ReplyDeleteI also enjoy watching Regie in action. Here are links to some other video clips she put together for her book Teaching Essentials and from a Google search on the web.
http://www.regieroutman.com/teachingessentials/videos.asp
http://www.regieroutman.com/inresidence/cnctn/player.aspx?file=Connections_Sessino_04
http://www.regieroutman.com/inresidence/wrtg/player.aspx?file=1_07_chapter01
http://vimeo.com/22093383
I liked seeing the conferences that Regie had with the kids. I really liked how they were informative and they were time conscientious. I really liked the little girl who wrote about her braces. You could tell she really put all of her emotions and her inner thoughts into that writing. I liked that Regie recognized that by telling her that she could really feel what she felt while writing it.
ReplyDeleteI also loved that she allowed Max to read it the first time and they celebrated it. Then she let him read it again and be silly with it. You could tell he really enjoyed writing it and being in the spotlight for doing something well. I think that is important and very indicative of many boys in my own class. They want to be funny but don’t know how. I want to do that poem about feelings and with a lot of dialogue and see what they do with it.
I have never done a individual conference this way, in front of the class. I have had Reader Theatre celebrations. But not a real conference, I like this idea. I will be trying this conference next year. I just wonder how many students she was able to conference with this day? I feel like they were pretty short but was this just one day with all the students? She said that if they wanted to share they could. How would you conference with all the students in this format? I feel like with my 37 students, I would see a lot of squirming after about 4 students. So maybe I would break it up day to day.
The spelling lesson that she showed was nice to see. It seemed a little long. I like it though as an initial lesson and then have each of the students follow in the same way and then watch as the check themselves. I like that she stays calm throughout the lesson as the boy struggles with her words. And that she shakes his hand and says he may never misspell “came” again. It makes them aware when they come to that word in their writing. I also like that they are writing on their own writing. When I think about using DOL exercises to try spelling. I think about how they could be using their own writing each day. I think that if I really teach them this procedure, that they will become better spellers and editers if they are always working on their own writing, just like Regie in this lesson.
Watching the videos was a great experience; although it did make me wish all the more that Regie would come to my school! It was very clear that students were enjoying sharing their work and took Regie’s comments seriously. I am the biggest fan of humorous stories and poems, so naturally I got a kick out of Max’s and Garrett’s poems and even Derek’s story as he developed it through the oral storytelling. Their classmates also definitely appreciated the work from all the giggles (I even had to giggle when Max couldn’t keep a straight face)! I especially liked how Regie invited Derek to share even though it seemed that his story was still missing the ending. It was a great teaching moment for expanding on appropriate details and strong endings. Students can still feel proud of their work and see that their work doesn’t have to be in published form to share and get feedback. I enjoyed the fact that Derek still got to share his story, albeit verbally, and Regie took notes for him so he could return to work and not forget what they had talked about. I get the feeling Regie goes through a few post-its, but I can understand why because I am so hesitant to write on a student’s work. I do occasionally circle or underline words that I want them to attempt respelling or I jot a note or word in the top space the way Regie had Derek do on the overhead.
ReplyDeleteI’m glad that I’m not the only one who was not totally impressed with the spelling lesson. To be honest, I found myself getting distracted part way through, even though I kept telling myself to focus. I assume that if I was not engaged fully then the students were not as well. I did like that she attempted to use words that Derek would have in his spelling repertoire, and I was clearly able to see how the word wall with the rhyme families highlighted would come in very handy for a lesson like this. If students had personal word walls, lists, or dictionaries I would have encouraged them to include those words. Or at least check to see that Derek adds them since they were his words and learning moment.
Hi Jessie.
ReplyDeleteI don't think she'd do all of them in one day. I know I wouldn't. I'd do what you said, maybe a couple or three. Sometimes it just may be one. BUT I'd keep a check sheet near my chair so that I was sure to get to everyone and that I could find something to confer about whole class if I needed to.
Hey Melissa,
I KNOW! I would love to have Regie come to our school. Maybe some day I'll be able to hear her in person. :)