WSCTE Newsletter March 2007

Workshop Success
Judging from the discussions and the evaluations, the WSCTE/ESD105 workshop, Building Literacy in a Content Rich English Curriculum was a success. The goal was to explore how we build literacy skills while still providing students with rich material, writing opportunities, and experiences. With four presenters and collaboration of participants, we all went home with new ideas…. definitely a worthwhile day.
If you are interested in hosting one of the workshops we have sponsored or are interested in creating a workshop that we may sponsor, please contact one of the board members at http://www.wscte.org/About%20WSCTE.htm or email webmanager@wscte.org.
Middle School and Elementary Voices Needed
WSCTE would like to address the needs of Language Arts at all levels. We need to hear from middle school and elementary teachers. What are your concerns? What issues are at the forefront of language arts at your level? What ideas can you share?
Writing a newsletter article can be a less intimidating way of venturing into writing for publication than writing for journals. Test the waters…. send us your ideas.
Secondary, Community College, and University members…we need to hear from you as well. Send articles, ideas, or questions to newsletter@wscte.org.

Those Surprising Seniors and Their Projects
My students often surprise me. After years of teaching that fact no longer surprises me, but each year some new selection, idea, group of kids, opportunity always comes along and makes me take a second look and be at least a bit amazed.
I know the power of setting high expectations for students, but I did not expect to see it with a group of students who had procrastinated and missed the deadline for their senior project--- maybe those who finished early, but certainly not the procrastinators.
This year has been our first year with senior projects. I won't go through our particular version of the projects other than to say that we have set the timelines so that students may work on the project from the middle of their junior year to the middle of their senior year. The deadline was the end of January. As this was our first year, students were more than a bit foggy on the process even though it was explained frequently and spelled out in detail on our web page www.evsd90.wednet.edu/srprojects. Some truly did not think that they would have to do this to graduate. Some just didn't realize that the first four letters in deadline are significant.
About 50 did not make it. They had to fill out an appeal to the principal who, depending on where the student was in the process, added additional hours to the project, required a much higher expectation on the presentation, or both. We met with the students to review the presentation scoring guide and give them tips and encouragement. We coached those who wanted extra help. But honestly, my expectation was that on presentation night my co-coordinator and I would be telling many students that they must present again because they did not make the score.
Here was my surprise. They were amazing. The scoring guide ratings are powerful-capable-acceptable-unacceptable. Student after student returned with checks straight down the powerful column. The energy level in coordinating room was powerful as well. They knew how they did before they saw the score. "I nailed it." "I think I did it." "That was actually fun." I asked them, "How would your presentation have been different if you didn't have to make the higher score?" They all agreed that they would have done an okay job, but not anything like they did.
Higher expectations…. perhaps a cliché, but it has me taking a second look. Maybe next year we should up the ante on all the presentations. I wonder what surprises that would bring.
Molly Berger

Writing and Reading Support Modules Available
OSPI has posted version 1 of the new elementary elaboration module, the high school persuasive writing module, and the middle school persuasive writing module on their website. They expect to have version 2 done for all three modules in time for the Summer Institutes. These come with detailed PowerPoint Presentations and handouts. They are definitely worth checking out.
http://www.k12.wa.us/assessment/WASL/writing/writingmodules.aspx
Reading modules have also been posted.
http://www.k12.wa.us/Assessment/WASL/Reading/ReadingModules.aspx

HEC Board College Readiness Project: If you didn't have a chance to look up this project last month from the Quick News e-mail, it is definitely worth your while to do so. Many of our colleagues from through out the state worked on this. What is particularly interesting compared to most standards documents is that this one includes student attributes such as
¢ Demonstrate intellectual engagement
¢ Take responsibility for own learning
¢ Persevere through the learning process
¢ Demonstrate ethical behavior
Read more at
http://www.learningconnections.org/clc/hecb.htm
Peace Poem
THESE WORDS
-Written for the March to End the War in Iraq held in Washington, D.C., Sept. 24, 2005.
They are coming, these words.
They are on a journey, these words.
They are on a mission to be heard and they will not be denied, these words.
They will not be denied because they are the will of the people and this is America where the will of the people will not be denied.
These words are for you, Mr. President.
They are for you, Mr. and Mrs. Congressman.
They are for you, Mr. and Mrs. Senator.
Are you listening?
These words are coming and so are the people who will speak them.
They are coming from across America.
They are coming from the small towns and big cities.
They are coming from the fields and mountains.
They are coming - black Americans and white Americans
and red Americans and yellow Americans and brown Americans.
They are speaking these words in the name of peace.
They are speaking these words to demand an end to this unjust war.
They are speaking these words because they want the bloodshed to stop.
They are speaking these words to you, Mr. President.
And to you, Mr. and Mrs. Senator.
And to you, Mr. and Mrs. Congressman.
Are you listening?
These words are a call to action.
These are Mr. Smith-goes-to-Washington words.
These are from-sea-to-shining-sea words.
They are a small voice crying out.
They are millions of voices crying out.
These words are an incantation of hope.
They are an exclamation of rage.
They are a cry of exasperation.
The force is with these words.
These words are leaves of sound swept up in a great wind.
That wind is blowing across the heartland from the Pacific to the Atlantic.
It is sweeping down from the mountains and across the plains
and from the Great Lakes and from the storm-wracked Gulf Coast.
These words are coming like a hurricane.
These words are coming like a tsunami.
These words are coming right at you, Mr. President.
And at you, Mr. and Mrs. Congressman.
And at you, Mr. and Mrs. Senator.
Are you listening?
These words are a warning.
They are a warning that the will of the people is not to be ignored.
These words are saying: Read Our Lips!
They are saying: Stop this madness!
These words are impatient.
They are angry.
These words have steam coming out of their ears.
They are fed up with platitudes.
They are tired of excuses.
They are weary of lies.
They are sick to death of this war.
These words are dedicated to those who have died.
They are dedicated to those who have been maimed.
They are dedicated to those on the battlefield still in harm's way.
They are offered as solace to those left behind.
These words come in grief.
They come bearing questions.
Why? they ask.
Toward what end? they ask.
At what price? they ask.
These words want answers, Mr. President.
They want answers, Mr. and Mrs. Congressman.
They want answers, Mr. and Mrs. Senator.
Are you listening?
They are coming, these words.
They are coming any way they can.
They have wheels, these words.
They are rolling across America.
They have legs, these words.
They are walking, they are crawling across America.
They have wings, these words.
They are speeding through the skies across America.
They are coming by plane and by train and by bus and by car.
Nothing can hold them back.
They are on the lips of the multitudes, these words.
They are both a curse and a prayer.
They are an accusation.
They are a plea for reason.
They are white doves of peace prepared to confront the hawks of war.
They are coming to your White House to roost, Mr. President.
They are going to land on your doorstep, Mr. and Mrs. Congressman.
They are going to perch in your hallowed halls, Mr. and Mrs. Senator.
Are you listening?
Are you listening now?

-Ed Stover 9/15/05

Resources
We receive requests to put information in our newsletter from various individuals and groups. We are more than happy to pass that information on to you as long as it seems legitimate. We are not endorsing these sites or contests but are just passing the word along.

Free Books for English Teachers : www.bookclubworks.com
Calling all teachers who never seem to have enough great books for their students or who would like to partner with a community book club.
Book Club Works is a grassroots, adoption-style program that matches you - those teachers in the trenches of literacy work - with the thousands of book clubs across the country who want to support your work by making sure you never lack for books again.
For English teachers, Book Club Works means a steady supply of great books. It means being adopted by a lit-loving, faithful book club that knows your work and your needs and will keep you well supplied with books and may partner with you in creating joint student/book club book discussions.
Book Club Works also accepts members working with:
· tribal schools
· homeless shelters
· battered women's shelters
· disadvantage schools
· disaster relief
· detention centers
· prisons
· under-funded literacy programs
· library outreach
Book Club Works wants you. Please join at www.bookclubworks.com. As we launch nationwide, thousands of book clubs will be looking for someone like you to adopt and support.
Book Club Works is an independent, grassroots program started by an author and her book club, Our Ladies of Perpetual Disappointment. We have no rules, no bureaucracy, no fees. Simply one book club adopting one teacher or other literacy worker and supporting his or her work with heaps of books.
We believe this synergism between teachers and book clubs can make a huge difference, that great books have the power to transform. Please join and start reaping the rewards.
We would be overjoyed if you'd include as much of this information as you wish and our web link in any websites, newsletters and other publications you put out.

For more information, contact Cindy Dyson at (406) 862-7054

Learn English http://www.learn-english.co.il
Learn English is a free, on-line, educational resource helping ESL and EFL students to learn English words. The flash site incorporates 40 topics, along with over 1,500 English words
and phrases. When you click on a word or phrase you can hear it spoken. The high quality audio was created in a sound studio.
The site is multilingual. The menus, transliterations and translations are in four languages: French, Hebrew Russian and Spanish. There is an English Only menu, for those who prefer not to use language translations and transliterations.
Both students and the teachers will find the site easy to use and very educational. As mentioned, the site is free for all.
Feedback (in English) is welcome.
Innovative Teachers Forum
Microsoft's applications for the 2007 Innovative Teachers' Forum are now available at
<www.microsoft.com/innovativeteachers>
This is a great opportunity for schools to receive recognition for their outstanding work as professional learning teams. The winners receive an all expense paid trip to the US Innovative Teachers' Forum on September 27-28 on the Microsoft campus and several of the winning US teams will go on to the World Innovative Teachers' Forum in Finland.

Job Openings-Details on web page
Lake Side School-Seattle

Newsletter submissions are welcome at anytime. Please e-mail them to webmanager@wscte.org.