Sep
18
And The Blogger’s Cafe Starts Again …
September 18, 2011 | 6 Comments
Last year, I blogged about my students’ experiences with the Livescribe Blogger’s Cafe. Nick Provenzano (@thenerdyteacher) initially inspired me to create a Blogger’s Cafe in the classroom, and throughout the year, this cafe evolved into more than just a writing space. This was an area where the students could reflect on what was happening in the classroom, and it was a place where I could really see what “active listening” looked like, as the students needed to listen, think, and write all at the same time. By recording and writing simultaneously, I can read what’s written, but also reflect later on what I hear. The Livescribe Blogger’s Cafe became a great way for me to reflect on my own teaching practices. Am I talking too much in class? Am I asking too many questions? Could I word my questions differently? How am I responding to what the students say and do? This Blogger’s Cafe helped to make me a better teacher and my students better writers, listeners, and thinkers, and that’s why I’m so excited to be doing it again this year!
On Thursday, September 15th, the Blogger’s Cafe officially opened in our classroom. The students learned how to backchannel, and two students tried to listen, reflect, and write during our Literacy Centre review. I was thrilled with the results! Below are two pencasts recorded during the Blogger’s Cafe.
I love how you can hear the students formulating their ideas quietly out loud as they write them. They are also helping each other out too, while never failing to listen to what’s happening in the classroom, and writing down their notes. They are experimenting with a different writing form. They are editing during the writing process itself. They are becoming more focused on recording ideas than on worrying about conventions, and when they do focus on conventions (i.e., spelling and punctuation), they are using these conventions in a meaningful way: to write for an audience. They know that their parents and other students will see their recordings, and they love that their notes matter. All of the students were eager to write at the Blogger’s Cafe, and I can’t wait to have more students writing this week!
How can you see using a Blogger’s Cafe in your classroom? I would love to hear your ideas too!
Aviva
6 Comments so far
OH. MY. GOODNESS! This is absolutely FASCINATING, Aviva! Oh, to be a fly on the wall of your room! I wish I lived close enough to visit! Perhaps you could get someone to get a fLip video of students in the Bloggers’ Cafe? What grade are these students? Thank you for sharing your work!
Thanks Linda! These are Grade 1 and 2 students. I was impressed with how well it went, especially so early in the year. I`ll try to work on a video recording too. Thanks for the great idea! I bet parents would like to see that too.
I appreciate all of your support!
Aviva
Are any of the Grade 2s last year’s grade 1s you had? That would explain a lot. I once looped with 3 &4 to grade 4 & 5. September picked up like we had just returned from Christmas break. It was amazing!
That was more of the experience that I had last year, but I have far fewer this year. Three of the 9 Grade 2′s I taught last year in Grade 1. The other six are new to me. A few of my Grade 1′s though, I taught back in JK. I also taught a lot of the siblings before and the students know me. That helps! I do love the looping concept. A couple of years ago, I looped with a large portion of my class when I moved from teaching SK to teaching Grade 1. Many of those Grade 1′s also joined me the following year in my 1/2 split. What a great experience!
Thanks again Linda! I’m excited to see what the rest of the year brings.
Aviva
OMG…In my 3/4 group, I had students from each of the 2 previous 2nd grades I taught and also K or 1 music the year before that. Some of the students I had for FOUR years! Only time I ever cried on the last day of school. It was a family. Those students are now in their 30s and parents themselves. One posted on my fb wall that she hopes her son “has a wonderful teacher like you to help me shape his life.” Best. Comment. Ever!
I can understand that for sure. I felt like that last year after some students I taught for three years left the class. What an awesome comment on your Facebook wall, Linda! I can’t imagine a bigger compliment.
Aviva