Idea NotebooksPresented by:

Lila JorgePatricia KrivacStacey ShubitzThursday, June 8th, 2006

Professional Development Day

The 5 W’s of Idea Notebooks WHO

Students K-7 Faculty Administration

The 5 W’s of Idea Notebooks WHAT:

A place to find & collect new ideas

The 5 W’s of Idea Notebooks WHEN (pick what works for you):

Morning lineup/sitting in auditorium On the way to assemblies Transitional times/early finishers (in

class) Recess during inclement weather Waiting for after school to begin In the morning, evenings, weekends,

vacations

The 5 W’s of Idea Notebooks WHERE (pick what works for you):

Classrooms Hallways Auditorium Cafeteria Playground/Yard Field Trips Subway or bus At home

The 5 W’s of Idea Notebooks WHY:

“We can’t give children rich lives, but we can give them the lens to appreciate the richness that is already there in their lives. Notebooks validate a child’s existence.” --Lucy Calkins, Living Between the Lines, 35

The 5 W’s of Idea Notebooks WHY:

To provide a place for students to practice writing.

Generate texts Find ideas--Aimee Buckner, Notebook Know-How,

5

The 5 W’s of Idea Notebooks WHY:

To give children a place where writing matters to them.

To develop a love of writing. To find excitement in the act of

collecting ideas that hold meaning to them.

Implementation: Option A Teachers will model how to use the Idea

Notebook during the first week of school. During Writer’s Workshop

Students will carry their Idea Notebook to and from school beginning the first week of school.

Implementation: Option B Teachers will spend about two weeks “talking-

up” the Idea Notebook. Modeling how to use the Idea Notebook.

Countdown the days until the kids receive their Idea Notebooks.

Launch the Idea Notebook with some fanfare in your classroom.

What Goes In An Idea Notebook? Observations of people or situations Overheard conversations Sketches Snatches of talk Longer entries

Once kids feel comfortable using their Idea Notebook.

Early Literacy and Writing Concepts

According to the National Council of Teachers of English:

1. Young children possess knowledge about written language and a variety of forms of writing—stories, lists, signs—from an early age; quality instruction in the primary grades reflects children’s experience and knowledge.

2. All families engage with literacy and literacy-related experiences.

Writing Concepts (cont.) 3. Writing develops in non-linear ways and takes

multiple forms as it becomes more conventional.  4. The “language arts” develop in concert.

Drawing supports writing, writing supports reading; opportunity to use multiple expressions of language increases language learning and ability

5. Writing is a social activity; writing instruction should be embedded in social contexts.

Writing Concepts 6. Language learning proceeds best when

children use language for meaningful purposes. 7. Experience with a particular kind of writing is

the best indicator of performance; extensive reading and writing within a particular genre or domain increases successful performance.

8. Writing is effectively used as a tool for thinking and learning throughout the curriculum.

Writing Concepts 9. Students’ writing and language use reflects

the communities in which they participate.  10. Control of a written and spoken discourse

supports personal/political power. 11. The intent of education is to increase and

broaden our use of multiple social discourses, as well as to understand the implications of their use.

Considerations for Early Childhood Writing

Children need to know that writing is a social process that brings people closer.

Writing has many purposes and forms. *** Oral stories drawn from their own lives is

quintessential in the writing process. Students need to think of themselves as

authors. Teachers need to model all the many ways we

use writing.

Differentiation Sketching and labeling are the two best ways

to get them started. Give the students time to share their notes or

write to a partner/teacher. Capture students’ stories during centers, as

students unpack/pack, return from trips or vacation and create conversations on these moments.

What does it look like? Faculty/Administration:

Continue to use your Blueline Notebook (aka: your Writer’s Notebook) for this purpose.

Grab an Idea Notebook, like the one your kids will use, and carry that around if you prefer!

Students: That’s up to you. You’ll get to choose from a few small

notebooks; whichever one suits you and your students’ needs best.

So the kids are writing in little notebooks… now what?

Idea Notebooks should be semi-private. Encourage your kids to share their entries

with a writing partner or the class. Give students time to transfer Idea Notebook

jottings into their Writer’s Notebook so they can develop good jottings/sketches into seed ideas.

Next Steps Select an Idea Notebook. Develop short lessons to model the way

to create entries in an Idea Notebook. Decide how you’ll promote the use of

the Idea Notebook with your students.

Questions/Comments Does this mean kids can’t carry books with them like they

used to? Will there be Writing Certificates (similar to Reading

Certificates)? How do I prevent my students from using their Idea Notebook

for writing notes to friends? Tearing out pages? How do I assess the Idea Notebook? Should time be allotted during the school day for students to

write in their Idea Notebook or should this be done on-the-go? Do I have to carry a Writer’s Notebook with me everywhere I

go? What happens if a student loses his/her Idea Notebook? What do I do if my students run out of pages in their Idea

Notebook? Anything else that’s on your mind…

A final word about goals… We are striving to become a

community of writers at P.S. 171. If we show the kids that their

writing matters, then we’ll be on our way to building a thriving community of writers this fall.