07.20.2010 eMinutes

The morning begins with grammar and a discussion of what to teach
Do we focus on parsing, sentence structure, and/or parts of speech?

When should students learn grammar and all that it implies?
Do they learn by using worksheets or in context. . . (surprise, surprise)

Completing Molly's workshop, minds filled with thought,
How do we teach grammar with the limited resources we've got?

Our day goes on, with our response groups, reworking the inquiry papers we write
Counting on those other eyes to catch those items which somehow miss our sight

e-Time: our chance to head to the computer labs
Loading e-mail, RWP, NWP, Delicious, and a little Facebook on our tabs

Aaaaaaah, lunchtime, the chance to get some food
Some of us heading to the Campus Marketplace, for whatever suits our mood

Pizza was a common thread, along with other healthy choices
Fishbowl time soon arrived, to help authors with their voices

Gina went first, with her inquiry paper about her historical webpage plan
To help her students educate themselves about the place in which they stand.

With his paper about visual organizers of every shape and size,
Greg was next in line with work for use to scrutinize.

Fishbowls done, we discuss them as tools, a place for students to learn
Fulfilling a need for revision help, a skill for which we yearn

Ending the day with learning logs, another chance for writing
Communicating our hopes, fears, insights and battles we've been fighting

July 20 ends in camaraderie, three days of ISI left to go
Soon we start preparing for the new school year, "The Big Show"

With everything we've learned here, it will be hard to say goodbye
But we'll meet again, sometime soon, surely time will fly