Jan+21,+2011

Grade 4 Team Meeting: January 21, 2011
 * ** Month:January ** || ** Start / End Time: 7:45 - 8:45am ** || ** Place: Paul's Room ** ||
 * ** Facilitator/Timekeeper:Caryn ** || ** Recorder:? ** || ** Purpose: **
 * Understanding = U **
 * Informing = I **
 * Recommending = R **
 * Deciding = D ** ||

RC is the writing process Writing Council wants samples to calibrate Car: bring a non-fiction and fiction piece Ralph can bring a wide range Str: the Tuesday meeting - between now and June SandB will be written (literacy and Math to be done by June) Teresa will be spending a week on each Grade Sorting Fiction: The rubric needs re-vamping in order to better clarify standards. Some discussion re: below standard/approaching standard Next Tuesday will be calibrating writing. All next Tuesday meeting Grade focussed. ||< Caryn 5 min || Maybe avoid GE or Voicethread Mary: blogging + math game Car: can VT be on desktop (probably not) Kids are in charge Food and snacks OK Str: kids can take parents to cafeteria at 10 Jamie aware of COL from last meeting COL is on A day EAL kids at WL time || 10 min || M; mikes helpful for DRA (snowflake / classroom?) - available from hub/ Caryn: snowflakes for team? R: sometimes end up in one class - library is a reasonable check out system. Jen: sufficient numbers? Ch: there seems to be Ch: a snowflake / class Ch: will check with Tara re: digital potography Ralph: audio books would be good for beginners (cheryl to check) Ch: will check on Math 300 Jen: shown i-pad applications + 'override' - checkout and read (we don't have it! but it's on the horizon) || Cheryl 5 min || To be discussed at next meeting ||  || The purpose of today's meeting was to reflect on our "**Expository**" (nonfiction) Writing Unit and look at samples of student writing from the unit. As agreed upon in October, each teacher taught to the Essential Questions and Enduring Understandings of the unit in their own way. (EQs: Why do writers write nonfiction? How do writers effectively communicate in nonfiction writing? How do writers gather, select and grow ideas?) While some team members focused on teaching the technique of writing a five-sentence paragraph, others extended this to writing a five-paragraph **essay**. **Report**-writing and **persuasive** writing were also covered. Resources used included Lucy Calkins (Breathing Life into Essays) and Ralph Fletcher (Nonfiction Writing).
 * Date:**
 * = **Task** || **P**
 * U**
 * D** || **Guiding Question(s)** || **Background / Process / Action** || **Person / Time** ||
 * < Writing Announcements ||  ||<   ||< Next Tuesday - what writing (narrative) looks like at 4th grade here
 * Looking at Writing ||  ||   ||   || 20 min ||
 * Celebration of Learning ||  ||   || Ch: 5th grades 20 became 40 minutes - keep this in mind.
 * Tech Wish List ||  ||   || No software but can be raised. math 300? Flip cameras already been ordered
 * **PARKING LOT** ||  ||   || Q: are we going to Grade for Algebra?
 * Notes on Jan. 25 Meeting - Discussing Non-Fiction Writing Unit ||  ||   || **Purpose and Past Agreement**

Most agreed that teaching this Lucy Calkins-based unit (as written) did not adequately meet the needs of the students. The feeling was that most fourth graders are not quite ready to write a persuasive piece at this point in the school year and need experience writing well-organized, informational pieces without adding the element of persuasion. Since the end-of-year persuasive unit has been successful in the past and prepares the students for the persuasive writing unit in grade five, persuasive writing need not be a major component of this nonfiction unit.
 * Discussion Points**

There was also discussion about how to teach the "five-paragraph essay" format/structure while giving students the freedom to write about topics of interest. While some students benefit from a lot of direction and structure, others are ready to choose their own topic. Also, some fourth grade students may only be able to master writing a five-sentence paragraph while others can manage longer and more detailed pieces.

It was noted that teaching nonfiction writing in the context of other areas of study (Science - Magnetism & Electricity, Social Studies - Influence, or Reading - Non-Fiction) provides a more focused purpose to the writing as students research content and express it in more sophisticated ways than in grade three. Providing examples and modeling the writing of such texts is particularly beneficial.

Numerous samples of nonfiction writing from several classes were shared and discussed. It is interesting to note that although the products from each class were varied, there was a high level of agreement by the team as to which pieces demonstrated that students were meeting expectations (3), and which pieces were approaching expectations (2). There were few examples of pieces which exceeded expectations (4) or were not meeting expectations (1).
 * Sharing Student Writing**

It was generally agreed that the format of an expository piece would include a topic sentence or introduction, supporting details or examples, and a summary or wrap-up. We also discussed the importance of having a clearly-defined **purpose** (informing, discussing, persuading, reporting, etc.) and a particular **audience** in mind when producing an expository piece.
 * Temporary Fixed "AGREEMENT"**

Since ISB's writing curriculum is currently under review, it was decided that further work on this unit will be done after additional guidance from the curriculum department when standards, benchmarks and assessments have been put in place.
 * DECISION**

__**A Definition of Terms - Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary**__ Why? Coming from different English-language backgrounds, we spent a good deal of time trying to understand one another's terminology. In the interest of promoting understanding, I have included this glossary of terms.
 * essay** - a short composition dealing with a single topic and typically personal in approach.
 * expository** - of or pertaining to exposition; explanatory
 * exposition** - the act of presenting, explaining or expounding facts or ideas
 * expound** - to set forth in detail, state; to explain, interpret
 * persuade** - to induce someone to do something; to induce to a belief; convince
 * report** - to relate, as information from investigation

Considering that at the start of the unit we did not come to a consensus as a team on the best way to teach the unit, I was surprised that our students' products were so similar. It goes to show that when the end destination is clearly defined and agreed upon, we as teachers can take our students along different routes and still achieve at the same goals.
 * Personal Note**

Respectfully submitted by Caryn Macky || Notes by Caryn ||
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