About cut and paste

I had a thought while doing the cut and paste exercise today. Our paragraphs should have more than a linear order. They should be like a star, everything pointing to one key passage. I felt that was after reading the Murray stuff last night and I just had to drop it and go back to my paper, cut half of it out and re-do everything. I think it worked.

Demo Deb

First, I hope you know that my comment about Deb's writers being so good because of being in my class was complete sarcasm.

Second, I was excited to hear Deb's presentation today because even though we teach in the same building we don't get the opportunity to see each other in action. (I'm sure many of you feel the same way.) I really appreciate the discovery aspect of the lesson and am motivated to take some of this approach with some of my writing projects. Not only did Deb motivate me, but I also learned a lot about Belpre - information that I can now steal and teach my kids before they get to her!

Cut and Paste

I am really still unsure about this process - because the one I had was chronological it was relatively simple to piece together. I almost wondered if it needed to be cut up more? But when mine came back to me with chunks left out, and in a pretty much different order, I have to say it left me unsure what to do now. Start over? Leave it? Do it this way? I know the purpose was to see the possibilities...

"I've got the money, honey, if you've got the time!"

Our school's Special Programs Coordinator called me today and told me that they're extending the Title I monies to my "basic" 9th graders! I have money to spend, but only have a few weeks to decide how to use it in my basic freshman English classes. I'll roughly have 50 basic students. Any suggestions on how I can enrich my curriculum to promote thinking, learning, reading, writing...Please help!

Thinking Cap

Wednesday July 1st Blog-a-go-go

I hope you folks still have the steam to blog this afternoon. I'm proud of you all for the energy you are pouring into this summer institute.

Please blog a post about something important to you, and then comment on at least two of your colleagues' posts. Thanks.

Possible topics:
The Cut and Paste Revision Exercise
Deb's Demo
The Rewrite as a Different Genre Challenge
The Reading Rhetorically chapter you finished this afternoon.
Any random questions, concerns, or ideas regarding the Narrative Paper or the Inquiry Paper.
Any other random brain droppings that just won't go away.

Cheerios.

Murray

I understand each night why we are reading Murray. I took Don's advice and wrote my thoughts in the margins as I read. My epiphany was when I asked Carol yesterday what she felt my theme was. When she did not give me the answer I was looking for I realized more revision. 4:00 loomed, and we had to leave. The entire ride home my wheels were turning. Great choice of book and what a great inspiration Murray is.