Hi Writers, Summer is beginning, and it is time to say good-bye. It has been so much fun creating writing pieces with you. Let's finish our opinion pieces and share them with other kids, so students have fun all summer long. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA34NMImUtQ Thanks, Maddie and Joseph, for sharing your writing with all of us. We… Continue reading K/1 Writing Camp with Hoppy and Ranger: Final Session
Month: May 2020
From the mouths of babes
I struggled to decide what to write this month knowing that no words can justify what educators and children are feeling as we finish up school and prepare to embark on a summer and eventually a fall filled with unknowns. That got me thinking about what grounds us in our daily life as educators. What… Continue reading From the mouths of babes
K/1 Writing Camp with Hoppy and Ranger: Session 13
Hi Writers, Let's make something this week to help other kids while we are all stuck at home. Look at what Maddie did to start. She wrote a a list of all the things she loves to do. We can use these lists to write an opinion piece about what kids should do to have… Continue reading K/1 Writing Camp with Hoppy and Ranger: Session 13
Celebrating Literature in a Virtual Environment-Part 2
It IS possible to celebrate books virtually and to spread book love without physically being present with a student. We could not believe the excitement that students exhibited when presented with the Charlotte’s Web checklist for our virtual book celebration. The students eagerly and enthusiastically chose their topics for exploration and begin the process of… Continue reading Celebrating Literature in a Virtual Environment-Part 2
Grades 2-5 Writing Camp with Hoppy and Ranger: Final Session
Ranger and Hoppy cooling off in the river. Summer break is almost here, and it is time for writing camp to come to an end. Thank you for watching these videos and sharing your writing with me. I have loved learning with you. Here is our final lesson about writing book reviews. Remember, the reviews… Continue reading Grades 2-5 Writing Camp with Hoppy and Ranger: Final Session
Grades 2-5 Writing Camp with Hoppy and Ranger: Session 42
Thanks, Maxwell and Saphira, for sharing their writing. Hi Writers, It's our last week of writing camp, so let's make something that will have a BIG impact. School is almost over and kids need books, websites, and lots of digital texts to read all summer long. To help kids know what to read, let's write… Continue reading Grades 2-5 Writing Camp with Hoppy and Ranger: Session 42
Q & A Session with Kelly Yang
Kelly Yang, the author of Parachutes, answers a great series of questions on the craft of writing during this quarantine. A wonderful mentor video that can be used to spark conversations about how writing could be a tool to help us cope with this pandemic. Also a sincere message to support our Asian American community… Continue reading Q & A Session with Kelly Yang
Shared Reading: Kindergarteners Engage in Text at Home
How do we keep kindergarteners engaged in text each day in a remote learning environment? How do we keep kindergarteners coming back for more when there are many other things to distract them around their home? Shared reading! Click below to access videos of shared readings based on nursery rhymes and fun songs! You'll have… Continue reading Shared Reading: Kindergarteners Engage in Text at Home
A Stone Sat Still
Brendan Wenzel's latest book, A Stone Sat Still, is a perfect book to share during this challenging time. Using a variety of creatures and changes in nature, Wenzel teaches us a powerful life lesson in perspective. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P11LB4A-pjI Brendan Wenzel talks about A Stone Sat Still It’s long been said that perspective is reality. This pandemic… Continue reading A Stone Sat Still
K/1 Writing Camp with Hoppy and Ranger: Session 12
Hi Writers, Today is a big day at writing camp. My friend Jack, who is in kindergarten, shows how he says the sounds he hears. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2mPp2Zmeqg Thanks, Jack, for teaching all of us. Writers, give Jack's strategy a try and then share your writing with your teachers. HAPPY WRITING!
K/1 Writing Camp with Hoppy and Ranger: Session 11
Hi Writers, One way to connect with all the people we miss is to write letters. In this video, I'll show you how one teacher wrote a letter to a friend. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmG31QPxAB8 You can send your letters in the mail, take a photo and text it, or even email it. I can't wait to see… Continue reading K/1 Writing Camp with Hoppy and Ranger: Session 11
Grades 2-5 Writing Camp with Hoppy and Ranger: Session 41
Hi Writers, Let's finish our essays with powerful endings that impact our readers. Thanks to Mrs. Curtin's class, we have some thoughtful endings to study. https://youtu.be/Vyz-bOgzkVc http://www.studentssendinglove.com Please remember to share your writing with your teachers. If you would like me to see your writing, please add it to our Padlet Board and I will… Continue reading Grades 2-5 Writing Camp with Hoppy and Ranger: Session 41
Grades 2-5 Writing Camp with Hoppy and Ranger: Session 40
Ranger had a run-in with a porcupine. Hi Writers, Don't worry, we got the quills out and Ranger is fine now. I wish he would learn to leave the porcupines alone. Let's work on our essays to the heroes and helpers in our communities. https://youtu.be/Ok9vcLAdQCA Here is the writing I showed in the video. I… Continue reading Grades 2-5 Writing Camp with Hoppy and Ranger: Session 40
Virtual Indie Bookstore Crawl Leads to Summer Reading Stack!
The month of May began with lots of book mail. As always, my TBR list seems to be never ending. Though temporary, gone are the days of roaming bookstores to soak in that new book smell. Libraries are closed until further notice. Kindle reading is not my jam, and I struggle to make it through… Continue reading Virtual Indie Bookstore Crawl Leads to Summer Reading Stack!
Grades 2-5 Writing Camp with Hoppy and Ranger: Session 39
Students from the Brown School wrote essays to show how much they appreciate their custodians. http://www.studentssendinglove.com Hi Writers, Did you know that essays can be gifts to send out into the world? This week I am writing essays to celebrate all of the heroes and helpers in our communities. I hope you will join me.… Continue reading Grades 2-5 Writing Camp with Hoppy and Ranger: Session 39
Celebrating Literature in a Virtual Environment – Part 1
This is the first in a two part series about Book Celebrations in the Virtual Learning Environment. Both posts were written by Kate Merten and Ann Williams. Check back on 5/28/20 for part two! At home learning is the new normal for the remainder of the school year, and we are all working very hard… Continue reading Celebrating Literature in a Virtual Environment – Part 1
Ick!: Delightfully Disgusting Animal Dinners, Dwellings and Defenses by Melissa Stewart
Ick! Might be a word some educators might use when asked to describe parts of the remote learning experience. But one thing is for sure, remote learning has given us the opportunity to get to know our students in new and exciting ways. I've learned that one of my students is a diehard nonfiction fan.… Continue reading Ick!: Delightfully Disgusting Animal Dinners, Dwellings and Defenses by Melissa Stewart
K/1 Writing Camp with Hoppy and Ranger: Session 10
Hi Writers, Let's learn to make our characters talk in our writing. I can't wait to see what you create today. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDaVum24xqk Here are the lists that students created! Please add your writing to our Padlet Board if you would like me to see it. Don't forget to show your writing to your teachers. HAPPY… Continue reading K/1 Writing Camp with Hoppy and Ranger: Session 10
K/1 Writing Camp with Hoppy and Ranger: Session 9
Hi Writers, Let's learn a new way to add more to our narrative stories. I can't wait to see what you create today. Don't forget to share your writing with your teachers. If you want me to see your writing, please add it to our Padlet Board. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hBHBO5Ur_A HAPPY WRITING!
Online Resource: Kids Ask Authors Podcast
The closure of schools over the past few months means many students have missed out on author visits, book signings, and other connections with writers. In a time of social distance, how can we continue making meaningful connections between students and authors? Children’s book author/illustrator Grace Lin has stepped in with a new podcast: Kids Ask… Continue reading Online Resource: Kids Ask Authors Podcast
Grades 2-5: Writing Camp with Hoppy and Ranger – Session 38
Hi Writers, I hope you are having fun making something. Today I'll show you how I wrote about the life lessons I have learned in my letter to my future self. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9Zhka_cRtM HAPPY WRITING!
Grades 2-5 Writing Camp with Hoppy and Ranger: Session 37
Ranger and Hoppy enjoying the spring weather. Hi Writers, Let's add more to our letters to our future selves. Today I'll teach you how to think of the life lessons you've learned while you stayed at home. These will be lessons you will want to remember when you read this letter many years from now.… Continue reading Grades 2-5 Writing Camp with Hoppy and Ranger: Session 37
The Journey by Francesca Sanna
Francesca Sanna’s The Journey is a beautiful, powerful book that delivers a timely message to readers. It describes the journey of a brave family who must flee from their home to escape a war. Francesca Sanna created this picture book after interviewing refugees in Italy. Educators can use this book to teach a variety of… Continue reading The Journey by Francesca Sanna
Grades 2-5: Writing Camp with Hoppy and Ranger – Session 36
Mrs. Blumberg's Anchor Chart Hi Writers, This weekend I watched lots of teaching videos. I love the way Mrs. B teaches kids how to write a letter to their future self. I'll be working on my letter this week and sharing my thoughts with you. https://youtu.be/0hlsrzcYvGQ I hope you share your letters or whatever writing… Continue reading Grades 2-5: Writing Camp with Hoppy and Ranger – Session 36
Creating a Buzz Around Books
Creating a Buzz Around Books May 10, 2020 The laundry hums in the bathroom and I can hear someone walking around upstairs. If I'm distracted, the students probably are as well. One of the many concerns that we have as educators in this time of connected learning is keeping engagement and reading… Continue reading Creating a Buzz Around Books
K/1 Writing Camp with Hoppy and Ranger: Session 8
Hi Writers, Let's learn how to say more when we write so that our readers will enjoy our writing even more. I hope this video makes you smile and helps you make something today. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFuCxiMdY4w So many kids are sharing their writing with their teachers and adding it to our Padlet Board. I hope you… Continue reading K/1 Writing Camp with Hoppy and Ranger: Session 8
K/1 Writing Camp with Hoppy and Ranger: Session 7
Hi Writers, Let's learn a new way to think of a writing idea. Remember, if you know what to write, please write it. If you don't, you can try one of the strategies we learned or the strategy I teach today. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnmY2YyLb-k Don't forget to share your writing with your teacher. If you would like… Continue reading K/1 Writing Camp with Hoppy and Ranger: Session 7
Grades 2-5 Writing Camp with Hoppy and Ranger: Session 35 – Editing Choice Board
Hoppy ran across a stream and couldn't get back. Good thing my daughter was happy to go across and carry him back. Hi Writers, I created an editing choice board to help you make your writing the best it can be. To give it a try, watch my video and then click on the boxes… Continue reading Grades 2-5 Writing Camp with Hoppy and Ranger: Session 35 – Editing Choice Board
Conferring during Remote Learning
Week 6 of Remote Learning felt more like "assigning" and less like teaching: I knew in my heart that if I didn't change something, the next two months of remote learning were going to be painful. To get some conferring time in, I picked 3 topics I knew my students were working on, and divided… Continue reading Conferring during Remote Learning
Grades 2-5 Writing Camp with Hoppy and Ranger: Session 34
Hi Writers, Thanks to my friend, Mrs. Shepherd, I learned how to make choice boards on Google Slides. To give you more choices as writers, I created a revision choice board. This board is interactive and you can choose what you want to learn. I can't wait to hear how you revise your writing. https://youtu.be/voZ_E4jLf8I… Continue reading Grades 2-5 Writing Camp with Hoppy and Ranger: Session 34
Grades 2-5 Writing Camp with Hoppy and Ranger: Session 33
Hi Writers, Tessa, a fifth-grader, is writing moments from her life to capture this unique time in history. We can learn so much from other writers. I hope you find craft moves to try after reading Tessa's writing. I certainly did. https://youtu.be/GBO2d0czuSs Every day when I open our Padlet board, I smile. There are so… Continue reading Grades 2-5 Writing Camp with Hoppy and Ranger: Session 33