Friday, June 27, 2014

The Triple Dip! (Five For Friday!)

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***If you don't have time to read this whole long post....Please read #4. I'm asking for an opinion and I know you have one! Thanks!!


Well hello there again! I can't believe I've managed to post some thoughts three times in one week. It is so quiet in my house tonight. My daughter is having a campfire on the HOTTEST night so far this summer and my son is out with friends and I have no idea where my Cranky Bear is, but I think it has something to do with a car and a water tank!

I'm going to do a little double or triple dipping for my Five for Friday. I hope you don't mind. You wouldn't mind if it was ice cream so I know you won't mind it here. Here goes...

On this hottest night of the year I made this yummy snack for the kids toasting out by the campfire. I had my first in St. Louis and I think I've finally found a recipe to rival any I had there. You may have one or two and you may double or triple dip if you like!
Go on...Take one!



So I signed up for Instagram. I LOVE it. I may be late to the party, but I'm having as much fun as anyone else. I'm not sure what the etiquette is for how many times you can post, but I've double or triple dipped today. You can follow me if you want. I'm owlthingsfirst and I haven't figured out how to link my blog to it or if you even can. Come see the wild turkeys in my backyard, or my precious uke player!
Don't click to look inside. Do click to go to a great give away! An Apple For The Teacher is giving this book away AND hosting a book study to along. I really need to win because I need to do a better job planning ahead, getting organized AND saving time! Just click on the book to enter which I hate for you to do because then I don't have as good a chance at winning it.


I am reading along with a group of teachers Donalyn Miller's  Reading in the Wild. It is a powerful text on how to instill lifelong "wild" reading. This week we were to read the section on "Creating a Workshop Schedule That Works for You". One of the things we must keep in mind when setting up a schedule is what  we are required to include. That has me doing some wondering and questioning. Now if you have actually read all the way down to here, I hope you will give me your opinion of what I'm thinking about. I'll stop thinking about it if you think it can't be done. 
So my son has taken a couple of "flipped" classes. They watch video lectures at home and then have more class time to work and have assistance from the instructor. Then they can even go back and listen to the lecture again if they didn't get it the first time. It got me thinking about what I might be able to "flip". I have to teach the basal reader. It is one of my "required" inclusions! In order to make more time for independent reading practice in my classroom, I thought I could send the basal reader home each week with an assignment to complete at home. I would still use the targeted mini-lesson and word work, but I'd be able to use class time to practice the strategies with the students with self-selected books. Do you think it is worth thinking about? I'll leave you with one my favorite quote from this section. I'll leave number 4, anyway!
I hope you'll click on the quote to see some pretty amazing waysothers have set up their schedules for a workshop that works for them. It may work for you, too! 



I leave now to get back to a book I started this morning and have to finish. If you teach fourth or fifth grade this is a book you will want in your library. I love anything WWII and this is not disappointing me at all! A Jewish boy has to move with his family away from his beloved Paris to a safer place to avoid the Nazis. I'm almost to the part where he joins the French Resistance and goes back to Occupied France. Oh my goodness! Look there the book is right there below these words. How cool is that?





Did you catch the triple dip? 5 for Friday, Reading in the Wild, AND a Give Away. Have a great week! Next Friday is the 4th already! Why does time go more quickly in the summer?

4 comments:

  1. What an interesting idea...to send the basal story home. I kinda like it. Let me know how it goes!!
    Alyce

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  2. Fitting everything into my language arts block is hard enough without trying to squeeze in a basal story! I think sending it home sounds like a great plan. Does your series come with any online support? Although we rarely use it, our Texas Journeys has most of the resources available to assign electronically.
    Carol
    Still Teaching After All These Years

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  3. I started Donalyn's book a while back. I need to get to it again. I can tell I'm going to love it. I'd say sending home the basal is a good option. Definitely self-selected reading in the classroom is a non-negotiable. :)
    ❀ Tammy
    Forever in First

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  4. Never give up self selected reading! I am intrigued by flipped classrooms. I have seen a lot of it in our district with middle and high school. So glad you are on Instagram.
    Laurie
    Chickadee Jubilee

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Please give me a hoot!