Agendas

2011-2012 School Year

2010-2011 School Year









NCTE Adolscent Literacy

21st Century Literacies

21st Century integration involves much more than technology: not only does it involve the integration of technology, but it will also engage students in the core competencies. One of the positive outcomes of the integration of technology within the classroom is that students will be prepared for present and future learning by gaining confidence in independent learning situations that involve the use of technology. Additionally, because so many students are already using computers, and we are headed into a digital age, it is necessary for students to have skills such as the ability to determine a credible source, the ability to collaborate with others through technology, as well as the ability to access information. Luckily, teachers do not have to be experts in "all things technology", but should be willing to learn about its integration along with their students. Some of the negatives that come along with a digital age is that students may entirely lose experiences such as working with actual texts, reading them, and citing them correctly. The reliance on a digital network is somewhat unstable, and so we need to ensure that students are prepared for a situation in which technology is not availible. Also, high standards need to be held and maintained; teachers must make sure that students are still engaging in quality and rigorous work, even if they are using a computer. Finally, the only gap that presents itself here is student access to technology both at home and at school. Additionally, a classroom reliant on technology must always prepare for its failure. Writing Now After a brief discussion about the article, we realized that we, in truth, already do much of what the authors suggest. Across the grade levels, we feel that we approach writing as a holistic process, valuing the students' creativity and ability to process their thoughts in an organic manner as opposed to a rigid linear approach. Apparently, some school districts still approach writing as a stringent process, delineated by "parts," and mastery of these "parts." The authors acknowledge that these myths are pervasive, and that a more holistic and collaborative approach to writing is preferable. We are confident that as a district we already treat writing as a multi-facted and creative process, with varied genres that challenge the students to move throughout different writing purposes with ease, thinking critically about their audience and purpose, and determining the best course of action, planning their ideas in a social construct, publishing their work along the way. Writing is not a "hard core," "once and done" type of assessment. It should be varied, authentic, powerful, engaging, and above all, provide the students with a voice. Specifically, we discussed the implementation of the writing structure, "It's Clear." Strengths Weakneses

Reader's Workshop

Writer's Workshop