Student-centered – Page 8

global read aloud, Reading, Student-centered

Why the Global Read Aloud Matters

May 30, 2014June 24, 2014 Pernille Ripp

Wednesday started out as a normal day at school. I walked into the office to check my mailbox when our amazing secretary handed me a mystery package. I immediately looked at the mailing label and was astounded when I saw this.

Immediately curios, I ripped open the package and was surprised when I saw this

The package came from Cathy Kreutter, the librarian at the International School of Uganda, and she was reaching out to me continue the global connectedness started by the Global Read Aloud. Not only was I shocked, but I was also over the moon excited, because the other thing in the package was this…

A book, written by Cathy, based on the American Folk Tale “There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly” meant to tell readers more about Uganda. I couldn’t wait to read it to my students! And what happened next was pure magic.

Not only did I read it my students, who couldn’t believe the things they were learning. They also wanted to find out more about Uganda and had many questions. Next, I took the book to our 1st grade buddies and shared it with them. More questions and learning about Uganda happened. Then I swung by one of our kindergarten classrooms and shared it with them, with the same result. Within the span of an hour, 3 classes had learned and become curious about Uganda and Africa as a whole. All through the power of a book mailed to us because of the Global Read Aloud.

Yet, the power of this book has not ended. Our incredible librarian plans to share it next week with her classes and so we will see the seeds of curiosity planted in more kids. More kids will find Uganda ion the globe and know a little about this faraway nation where the Nile starts and lions roar. More kids will wonder about the world and what another child’s every day life is like. All through the power of a shared read aloud.

So this year, for the Global Read Aloud, I will encourage people who connect to send a picture book to their partners. A book that shares a little about them, that will deepen the connection between our homes. I will secretly hope that some will send one to me as well so my students can see just what this project has started.

Thank you Cathy for reaching out to me. That small gesture has started a wave of curiosity at our small school. To purchase your own copy of this book, please go here, I am telling you, the students will love it.

I am a passionate teacher in Wisconsin, USA, who has taught 4, 5th, and 7th grade. Proud techy geek, and mass consumer of incredible books. Creator of the Global Read Aloud Project, Co-founder of EdCamp MadWI, and believer in all children. I have no awards or accolades except for the lightbulbs that go off in my students’ heads every day. First book “Passionate Learners – Giving Our Classrooms Back to Our Students” can be purchased now from Powerful Learning Press. Second book“Empowered Schools, Empowered Students – Creating Connected and Invested Learners” can be pre-ordered from Corwin Press now. Follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

reflection, Student-centered

This is What Learning Looks Like

May 27, 2014May 29, 2017 Pernille Ripp

This past Friday, my incredible students participated in the 4th Innovation Day I have done. While it is a hard day for me because I tend to get bored, since I cannot jump in and teach, I always marvel at the energy and enthusiasm throughout the room. The sheer driven desire to create something fueled by their curiosity and imagination never ceases to astound me, and this day is always a highlight for the students. At one point, I tweeted out the following picture

photo (16)

captioning it, “This is what learning can look like…” Immediately, someone replied, “This is what learning SHOULD look like!” (Emphasis added by me). At first, I agreed, nodding, yes, this is what learning should look like. Then I stopped, thought about it, and I realized, no, this is not what learning should look like at all times.

If learning looked like this every day, I would go crazy. The mess, the noise, the scattered projects and directions, where I barely took part in anything, no thank you. And I wouldn’t be the only one. My students would not want learning to be like this every day either, how do I know? I asked them.

Instead, they told me that learning should look like this…

photo (6)

Like this…

Or like this…

Learning should look like this…

Or like this…

Sometimes learning even looks like this…

In the end, learning looks the way our students need it to look. Whether that means a teacher in the front setting up a foundation for exploration, students exploring their way through something, individual quiet contemplation and in-depth thinking, or even small groups teaching others; learning is many things, looks many ways, and feels many ways. It has to because we all learn differently, we all process things differently. We all need different things at different times.

If we run our classroom in one way, even if it is an incredible way in our eyes, we risk losing the love of learning from a child. Every child should feel at home in our rooms, every child should feel like they can learn. Every child should feel that the way they learn is right. So there is no one way that learning should look like. It should look however fits our kids best. And that changes often, just like our students do.

I am a passionate (female) 5th grade teacher in Wisconsin, USA, proud techy geek, and mass consumer of incredible books. Creator of the Global Read Aloud Project, Co-founder of EdCamp MadWI, and believer in all children. I have no awards or accolades except for the lightbulbs that go off in my students’ heads every day. First book “Passionate Learners – Giving Our Classrooms Back to Our Students” can be purchased now from Powerful Learning Press. Follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

Reading, reflection, Student-centered

How I Know My Students Are Reading at Home

May 25, 2014May 25, 2014 Pernille Ripp

I remember the reading logs well, my brothers hastily whipping them out Sunday night asking my mom to sign off that they had read x number of minutes. My mother never checked, she did not want to be the reading police, after all, she knew my brothers read. She didn’t care how many minutes or which book, all that mattered was that at some point their eyes met something to read. A great post by Angela Watson got me thinking, how do I know my students are reading if I don’t check their reading log? How do I know that at some point their eyes meet a text? There are many ways actually.

I watch their reaction. Kids who read want independent reading time. Kids who are in a great part of a book want time to find out what will happen next. Kids who slowly get their reading bin, who distract others on the way; those are the kids I need to check in with and help.
I keep an eye on their book bin. A whole book shelf in my room is the proof that my students read. Periodically I go look through their bins, noting which books a kid has and whether those book have changed. If they haven’t, I check in with that child.
We recommend. Another favorite in our room is the speed book dating. We quickly rattle off a book we love and why it should be read while the listener has their “I can’t wait to read ” list in their hand.
We show off our reading. I have my reading door outside of the room so that my students always know what I am reading and my students can recommend books on a bulletin board. Our reading is visible.
We discuss. Reading should not be a solitary endeavor so we make time to discuss our books and why they are the best or the worst book ever.
We reflect. I often ask students to tie in today’s teaching point with whatever they are reading right now. Whether it is in our thoughtful logs or on a post-it, students take a moment to think and apply and once again lets me see what they are reading.
We do monthly reading reflections. This year I really wanted to have a open dialogue with the students in regard to their reading life and although I do constant one on one or small group instruction, I wanted something more formal that I could file away and look at when needed. My students know they are not judged on what they write but rather that I use it as a way to start a conversation with them. I always appreciate their honesty and my actions show that.
We have great books. If you want kids to read, have great books. I do not know how much money I spend a year on books, I know it is a lot, but every time I am able to booktalk a book and see the reaction in my kids, it is worth it. Couple that with an incredbile librarian and my students are pretty lucky in the book department.
I lose a lot of books. Because I encourage my students to take our books home to read, I inevitably lose a lot of books. While it is hard to think of it from a financial standpoint, I also know that hose books are being read by someone. So yes, it is hard to constantly replace books (and expensive) but it is something that goes along with being a reading classroom.

So yes, while my district mandates a reading log, it is not the treasure trove of information that I need. What I need is conversation, observation, reflection, and interaction. So how do I know my students read? I ask them and listen.

Be the change, being a teacher, being me, books, Student-centered

Join Me for a Chat About Passionate Learners!

May 18, 2014 Pernille Ripp

What a fantastic few days it has been! From my book being released (gulp!) to people telling me they are loving it (even more gulp!) it has been incredible to finally get it out in the world. So tonight, Sunday May 18th at 7 PM EST, please join me, the CEO of Powerful Learning Press Sheryl Nussbaum Beach, and my editor John Norton for a chat about the book, how to give the classroom back to students and anything else you may like to discuss. There will even be prizes!

Here sis the official information, I hope to “speak” with you tonight!

Tweet about Passionate Learners!

Join Pernille, Powerful Learning Practice CEO Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach, and PLPress Managing Editor John Norton for a one-hour Twitter chat this Sunday, May 18 at 7pm EST. Use the hashtag #plpnetwork to follow along and participate! During the Twitter chat, get a deeper look inside Pernille’s book Passionate Learners and be entered to win a number of prizes!

Passionate Learners Live Webinar

Join author Pernille Ripp, PLP CEO Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach, and PLPress Managing Editor John Norton for a one-hour live webinar on June 22 at 7pm EDT. During this webinar, we’ll take a deeper look inside Pernille’s new book Passionate Learners: Giving Our Classrooms Back to Our Students.

On June 22, find out how even the smallest changes can make monumental differences. Pernille learned in her own classroom that trusting yourself and your students and sharing the power of the classroom with them can lead to great teaching and learning even within the boundaries of our confining standards, testing obsessions and mandatory curriculums.

Whether you are just beginning or well on your way in your teaching career, this webinar can inspire you to break rules, take risks, and eagerly pursue your journey toward a classroom filled with passionate learners. Register for the webinar and get entered in a prize drawing!

Get Webinar Ticket

Be the change, being a teacher, being me, Student-centered

Passionate Learners – My First Book Released

May 14, 2014May 18, 2014 Pernille Ripp

Two years ago, prompted by a blog post asking for ideas, I submitted a proposal for a book to Powerful Learning Press. I remember thinking that I was way out of my league, that I had no right to submit anything, and who did I really think I was. Yet, I knew from writing this blog and having many conversations with incredible people that some of the stuff I had written about had helped others. I knew that there were many teachers out there wondering how they could change the way they taught, wondering if it was okay to break the rules? So I hit send and then promptly forgot all about it, after all I was a new mom to twins and barely getting any sleep. I took a leap of faith, hoped for the best, but resigned myself to the idea that no one would probably be interested.

Now, I see what taking a leap of faith can do for you. Two years later the book that I asked if I could write, is being released. “Passionate Learners – Giving Our Classrooms Back to Our Students” is out today! The story that I hoped to tell about breaking the rules from within without alienating your entire support team, about working within a standards obsessed curriculum and still having students like learning, about assessing students without giving them grades is here. That book that I thought I maybe could write has been written and is now ready to be judged by you.

So I hope you like it, or at least, I hope it makes you think. I hope it offers concrete ideas that you can implement or help someone implement in their own journey to change. I hope you will help me create more passionate learners around the world.

If you would like to connect with me, please reach out. I can be emailed through p (at) globalreadaloud (dot) com

I also get to do a Twitter chat Sunday, May 18th at 7 PM EST

And finally I will do a live event on June 22nd 7 PM EST. To sign up for this, go here

Be the change, being a teacher, Reading, Student-centered

Who Cares About Reading Strategies?

May 1, 2014 Pernille Ripp

I saw him reading that bright green book, I snuck a closer look and recognized the cover. “Guinness Book of World Records” was perched on his lap. After independent reading, I asked him if he had any chapter books to read too. I don’t mind Guinness but I love when students have a little bit of everything to read. He told me no, and when I asked him why not, he said, “Reading is not my thing.”

This student has been taught every day in reading strategies. How to comprehend, how to figure out themes, how to connect and draw meaningful conclusions. He has diligently written post-its showing some thoughts, he has spoken to others about the books. He has discussed goals with his teacher. And yet, he doesn’t love reading, he doesn’t even like it, nor does he feel he needs to.

So then what does it matter if a student can tell me about theme? What does it matter if a student can give me text evidence? If there is no love of reading then what do we need reading strategies for? Sure, students may be equipped to move on in school and figure out the texts given to them. But the child who does not like reading will not reach for books to enlighten them, or books that will challenge them. They will not reach for books to transport them. Books will not be a needed companion. They will be okay with reading not being their thing and continue on that path. And I am not okay with that.

Who cares about reading strategies and teaching them if we are not uncovering at least a like of books? If we are not helping our students discover a book that they want to read, not because I told them to but because they want, whether it be fiction, nonfiction, or audio? Who cares about theme if a child thinks reading is torture? Who cares about connections when the most important one; the child connecting to the book, is missing?

Yes, we should teach students to be better readers but we should also help them uncover a love of books if it is missing. We should be professing our own love of books and urging them to find the right one that may convince them that reading bears value. Every year this should be our biggest focus, not the reading strategies, they come after.

I am a passionate (female) 5th grade teacher in Wisconsin, USA, proud techy geek, and mass consumer of incredible books. Creator of the Global Read Aloud Project, Co-founder of EdCamp MadWI, and believer in all children. I have no awards or accolades except for the lightbulbs that go off in my students’ heads every day. First book “Passionate Learners – Giving Our Classroom Back to Our Students Starting Today” can be pre-bought now from Powerful Learning Press. Follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.