Author Archives: Beyond The Apple
Close Looking (2): Using logos to develop critical thinking
You may know about close reading as a “thoughtful, critical analysis of a text that focuses on significant details or patterns in order to develop a deep, precise understanding of the text’s form, craft, meanings, etc.” (nieonline.com) But have you … Continue reading
Close Looking (3): What is this?
Spotted on the door of a classroom: When students enter this classroom, a “Wondering Prompt” such as an image, soundscape, or object invites them to look closely, listen closely, or read closely. Students begin each day with a mindset focused … Continue reading
What Does Problem Solving Look Like?
We can learn a lot by taking a close look at problem solving in action – particularly when the problem solver is very young and the challenge is just difficult enough to encourage them to build on what they know. … Continue reading
The Stories of Home
Daniel Wicks’ poem, A Voice to Tell Stories capture how a family’s stories are not only an integral component of a young child’s learning, they keep the family’s history alive. Share this poem with your school community and invite community … Continue reading
Using Home Language as the Foundation for English Language Learning – A Win Win Situation
Home Language: The language to which children are exposed in their homes and communities; it is the language that they use as their primary means of communication, and identifies them with their community. http://www.igi-global.com/dictionary/home-language/49406 The benefits of English language instruction … Continue reading
Close Looking (4): Lots and lots of angles
Share this image with your students image and ponder the thinking questions below. What is it? (If you’re not sure, search for “transformer towers”) How many different shapes can you see? How many different angles can you see? When does … Continue reading
Becoming a Writer: What We Learn From a Child’s First Stories
My son’s first story consisted of a series wavy lines and curlicues written in black marker across the back of a leather sofa. Upon completion, he declared, “Look! I wrote my story in grown up writing!” (For those of you … Continue reading
The Gradual Release of Responsibility: Canadian Style!
The gradual release of responsibility model requires an instructional shift from the teacher shift from assuming “all the responsibility for performing a task…to a situation in which the students assume all of the responsibility” (Duke & Pearson, 2002, p. 211).” … Continue reading
Know the Community; Know the Student
The term “funds of knowledge” refers to a community’s “historically accumulated and culturally developed bodies of knowledge” (Moll, Amanti, Neff, & Gonzalez, 2001). Regardless of the location, a school’s community has many funds of knowledge. Funds of knowledge … Continue reading
Re-framing Conversations About Disengaged Students
At a recent a professional learning session focused on re-engaging the disengaged student, we asked each participant to write a few words on a post-it to describe a disengaged student. The completed post-it notes were attached to a white board. … Continue reading
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