Walking is good for solving problems — it’s like the feet are little psychiatrists.
Terri Guillemets
I’ve been reading lately about the craze of counting steps, and it’s likely only to get crazier now that Apple has announced a watch with all manner of physical tracking. It seems like every other person I meet these days is wearing a wristband tracking their progress towards the daily “10,000.” While there is no doubt walking is great for physical fitness, it may do even more for lifting the spirits and sparking new thinking after sitting inside for hours.
One of my favorite ways to break routine with students and colleagues in the fall has always been a “Walk and Talk.” The activity couldn’t be simpler. A brief article, issue, or idea is shared in the classroom, and then we pair up and go outside to walk and enjoy the sunshine while the partners discuss a focus question based on the reading or topic. After 20 minutes, everyone comes back to share insights and next steps.
Even someone on crutches appreciates the chance to amble outside and sit on a bench, soaking up vitamin D while chatting with a co-worker. Students have the opportunity to get their wiggles out, and often that leads to a surprisingly high level of focus on the task at hand.
If it’s a sunny day and you want to bring instant joy and appreciation to your agenda, schedule an impromptu walk and talk as part of a meeting or literacy workshop. Nothing slows down the fast pace of life more than a walk and talk.
This week we look at close reading. Plus more as always — enjoy!
Brenda Power
Founder, Choice Literacy
Free for All
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Gretchen Shroeder reinvents a classic high school assignment when she has her students do a close reading of Hamlet:
http://www.choiceliteracy.com/articles-detail-view.php?id=1910
Nancy Boyer from ASCD provides a basic primer of strategies and research in Closing in on Close Reading:
This Prezi from Kevin Hodgson on the fundamentals of close reading is concise and includes embedded video. It might be especially helpful for teachers who are visual learners:
http://prezi.com/cfnqfpgd3net/close-reading-of-texts/
This video from the Teaching Channel explains thinking notes, a strategy that encourages close reading in high school:
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Christy Rush-Levine uses striking texts that inspire multiple readings by her middle school students in Close Reading and Multiple Layers:
http://www.choiceliteracy.com/articles-detail-view.php?id=2033
Holly Mueller is Using Close Reading to Analyze Propaganda with her sixth graders:
http://www.choiceliteracy.com/articles-detail-view.php?id=2100
In this week’s video, Franki Sibberson’s fourth-grade boys lift lines from a favorite novel:
http://www.choiceliteracy.com/articles-detail-view.php?id=1606
Why save all the most enjoyable literacy activities for May or June? Gigi McAllister is Spreading Out the Fun all year long with literacy events and activities to break up routines:
http://www.choiceliteracy.com/articles-detail-view.php?id=2036
In an encore video, Katie DiCesare is Digging Deeper with Rereading with her first graders:
http://www.choiceliteracy.com/articles-detail-view.php?id=239
That’s all for this week!
