Although one of my colleagues told me that she would summarize our discussion at our literacy Pro-D today so that the AJ Learns project would not be ALL my posts … well, she didn’t. So I posted. 😉 It’s not like I’m not learning – and our discussion today was excellent. I loved being able to discuss things with the whole group, talking about school-wide authentic assessment for reading and writing, talking about the resources we have and want; but I especially enjoyed being able to talk with the intermediates and go into more depth on some of the tools, lessons and ideas we use to get the skills of writing and reading across to our students. One of the most valuable things that came out of today, I think, was the discussion around using the same vocabulary, and using it from a young grade. This was something that was incredibly valuable for us in the numeracy project, and I see it being so in a literacy focus as well.

I also am pleased about our discussion on context and authentic reading and writing experiences for students. Grammar is important, and I certainly don’t want to discount it; however, for the concepts to really stick, students need to have context. It needs to be embedded in their own reading and writing, in their own interests and values.

(And now I’ve written almost as long on this blog as I did with my Wednesday AJ Learns post. Sometimes when I get started on something I love, I’m hard to shut up.

… well, you didn’t need to agree QUITE so emphatically!