Antha's Podcast

BERTHA'S PODCAST

PODCAST CREATED BY KEYANIE DESIR-COOLS

This Limerick can be used by Grade One students to learn about the Zoo Animals found in Saint Lucia.

Keyanie Desir-Cools

Starting a writer's workshop in first grade

I came across this idea on Pinterest, where students in grade one can engage in a writers workshop. This will help students develop the necessary writing skills, which will be needed as they move up to the higher grades. When a teacher introduces writing at the early stages, students will develop an interest and motivation to write.
Here is the link: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/235805730468539860/



Bertha Alexander

Main Idea

Here are eight  reading passages which are designed for 3rd grade or 4th grade students to read and determine the main idea. This activity can be used to differentiate instruction. 
This reading activity can be used during whole group instruction, guided practice, independent practice, homework, literacy centers, or for assessment. Visit the link below to read more about this wonderful activity.

Link: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/364299057335441154/

Bertha Alexander

keeping track of students writing

Here is an interesting tool that a teacher can use to keep track of students writing as they go along. Hope you find this very useful. To read more about it, visit the website below.

 https://www.pinterest.com/pin/47921183513633113/

Bertha Alexander

link to blogs

Link to blogs

tabsnashrina.blogspot.com
denneryteachers.blogspot.com
lisavernkwa.blogspot.com
chrishminthel.blogspot.com
mafecildenis.blogspot.com

How to Write Poetry

Hello my my fellow bloggers, found this on the Oprah website. I found it very interesting therefore i decided to share with you all.

Love Peace Light

K. Desir-Cools

How to Write Poetry

Did you know that poems take root in the found objects and slammed doors of everyday life? You can write one. Really! Honor Moore leads the way.

Let's say I'm sitting in that room with you now. Take out a pad and pen, your favorite pen—the one that just slides across the paper. Be sure you have an hour or so, so you can take your time with each prompt.

12 Ways to Write a Poem

1. Make a list of five things you did today, in the order you did them.
2. Quickly write down three colors.
3. Write down a dream. If you can't remember one, make it up.
4. Take 15 minutes to write an early childhood memory, using language a child would use.
5. Write a forbidden thought, to someone who would understand.
6. Write a forbidden thought, to someone who would not.
7. Make a list of five of your favorite "transitional objects." Choose one and describe it in detail.
8. Write down three questions you'd ask as if they were the last questions you could ever ask.
9. Write down an aphorism (e.g. "A stitch in time saves nine").
10. Write down three slant rhymes, pairs of words that share one or two consonants rather than vowels (moon/mine and long/thing are slant rhymes).
11. Write three things people have said to you in the past 48 hours. Quote them as closely as you can.
12. Write the last extreme pain you had, emotional or physical. If the pain were an animal, what animal would it be? Describe the animal.

Tips

• Use one of the questions as the first line, each of the colors more than once, the slant rhymes, and the aphorism with a word or two changed.
• Try using any part of, or all of, the material in any way you want—a line from your dream might work well on its own or your description of the animal might better describe your great uncle.
• Let the poem be between 20 and 30 lines; let each line be 10 or more syllables long. Think of the poem as a dream or a psalm you are inventing, and don't force it. Write in your own speech, allowing its music and sense to speak through you.

No human experience is unique, but each of us has a way of putting language together that is ours alone. 

Read more: http://www.oprah.com/spirit/12-ways-to-write-a-poem#ixzz4PciMaXYC

Keyanie Desir- Cools

Poetry- Cinquains

Cinquains

A cinquain is a five-line poem that was invented by Adelaide Crapsey. She was an American poet who took her inspiration from Japanese haiku and tanka. Cinquains are particularly vivid in their imagery and are meant to convey a certain mood or emotion. 

This example of a cinquain was composed by Keyanie Desir-Cools and chrishner Ishmael

Enjoy 

Monkey

Brown, Hairy

Squeaking, Swinging, Walking

Steals and gobbles up bananas

Greedy!

Keyanie Desir-cools

Poetry Writing

Ohh todays class was amazing, after a tough morning we were all relaxed and just enjoying the afternoon. Miss Polius, our lecturer began the class with a limerick which we all enjoyed!

Ciara was a lady from France

Who went to an old fashioned dance

She danced really quick

And did a neat trick

But she left with a hole in her pants

A limerick is a humorous poem consisting of five lines. The first, second, and fifth lines must have seven to ten syllables while rhyming and having the same verbal rhythm. The third and fourth lines only have to have five to seven syllables, and have to rhyme with each other and have the same rhythm. 

Using Limericks is an interesting way of capturing students attention in order to introduce a lesson. Therefore I will be writng my own limericks for my lessons to display my creativity to students while at the same time capturing their attention. Miss Polius always introduce fun innovative ways to teach.  

ANTHBERTHKEYS

This is an educational video about the writing traits. Enjoy!!!

Writing Traits

The traits of writing include:

1. Voice

2. Ideas

3. Sentence Fluency

4. Conventions

5. Organization

6. Word Choice

7. Presentation



- By AnthBerthKeys

Drafting - MY Favourtie Fruit

The following is a piece written in class as part of our LIT 102 seat work activity. We were informed that we had to write a draft using our pre-writing points which we jotted down from the previous class on the topic, "My Favourite Fruit".

God must have thought of me when he blessed Mother Nature with this precious fruit! When the sun beams on its red, smooth skin its fruity smell comes straight into my bedroom window bombarding my nostrils. Although it is firm, i am still gentle whenever I pick it from my outside garden. As my knife cuts into its luscious skin , healthy juices flow especially when I cut it into cuboids or slices. I sometimes eat it just as it is with a pinch of salt which brings out its sweet tantalizing taste. At the market, my mother bought those that are huge and red like rosy cheeks. The mouth watering taste of them in my twister beckons me to pay $2 more for extra tomatoes at KFC. People sometimes confuse it for a vegetable. It must be its juicy and enticing taste that made Scientist deem the tomatoes as a fruit and not a vegetable. 

By Antha Daniel

Stages of Writing

Juel 1991 states that children go througn wriitng stages. These stages are:

 1. Immergent Writers Stage

 2. Beginning Writing Stage

 3. Fluent Writing Stage

 

Children posses different traits or skills at each stage. Easch stage is vital. The stages are as follows:

Emmergent Writers (Pre K - Grade 1)

BEHAVIOURS: drawing, scribbling, "non sense" marks, begins to write something that is more like letters. At pre schoool stage children will imitate what they see around thenm through writing, drawing or scribbling. By kindergarten students begin to form letters. Usually capital letters. Hence foreward phonetic spelling is attempted when spelling words. 

Beginning Writers (Grade 2-3)

BEHAVIOURS: Children at this stage approximately conventional spelling of words. The child can write sentences with most words spelt correctly. Also, they will write about stores taht they find personally meaningful. They also are able to use space between words when wrtiing sentences. Additonally, they can read what they have  written. Childrena t this stage attempts to use punctuation  and capitalizations in their writing. They also have variable handwritings and may sometimes reverse some letter sof teh alphabet such as b for d and 9 for b.

Fluent Writers (Grade 3+)

BEHAVIOURS: Writes expressively in many forms (story, expository, descriptive etc). Children at this stage uses a rich variety of sentences which are appropriate to the text forms. Furthermore, they have very good spelling competencies. These children also use the writing process when writing. Their words are usually spelt correctly. Additonally, their stories comprises of more than one paragraphs. Overall, their writing resembles adult writing. 

By Antha Daniel

Notice To Parents

NOTICE TO PARENTS!!

Parents, do you want to assist your child at home when it comes to writing? Well, I have great news for you. I am here to help. Before i share this life saving technique I will tackle one misconception by alluding that It is not difficult to help your child with his or her writing! I will share with you THE WRITING PROCESS that students are taught to follow to publish phenomenal pieces of writing. 

It is called the writing process because really and truly, attaining quality piece of writing does not come with one shot. Students must follow through these stages in order to bring forth their best piece of writing. Read carefully the attached poster in order to attain the knoweldge needed to help your child at home.

Please be informed that the Writing Process needs to be followed as slated below: 

1st - Pre Writing

2nd - Drafting

3rd - Revising

4th - Editing

5th - Publishing

Depending on your child's developmental level, I will advice you to be considerate with your child as he or she finishes and moves on to another stage in the writing process. Not all students can publish a piece in an hour or a day. So, praise and encourage your child once he or she has successfully completed a stage in the writing process.

This will indeed drive them to want to write until they are able to publish their work of art.

We are adults and we are still learning. I have learned a lot as it comes to writing by doing further research on the writing process. I encourage you parents to use this writing process yourselves when writing business proposals, conducting research reports or for any other personal writing endeours you may have.

We were once students being taught for the future. And now we have been entrusted with students so let us prepare them for the future whiles preparing ourselves as well. 

 Miss Daniel 

- "You must learn to be three persons at once; writer, characters and reader." - Nancy Kress

By Antha Daniel

Writing process activity.

This activity was one of the best ways to introduce the process of writing. We the students were given play dough by Ms Polius to construct a present that we wish to give someone. My creation was a yellow cat with black eyes. Although I'm not a lover of pets I decided to create a cat to compliment another creation which I designed at home. The idea came about because of my sisters, they are always fascinated by anything that I create. They look upon me as a role model and a resource person. I'm always intrigued by them to create new things, especially educational activities and scrumptious treats such as cakes.
My creation is dedicated to my lovely little ones. I love them😘😘.


To instruct, to guide, to inspire!
Bertha Alexander

10/21/16

2 Photos - View album

Descriptive Writing Part 1

Today's class was amazing, thanks to the course lecturer Miss Polius. Miss Polius made the class interesting and created a class that fostered students participation and discussion. We were introduced to one genre of writing, which was descriptive writing.  Miss introduced the class by reading a descriptive piece by a student. After, we discussed the passage, we looked at the different writing techniques that was evident in the piece. Also, we described the different tools that can be used when writing. We were also introduced to to the five senses cluster. The cluster is used to brainstorm ideas for any writer, the cluster includes what I see, how it sounds, what I smell, how it tastes and how it feels. After much discussion the students were required to choose a favourite fruit. Thereafter, we the students were given a few minutes to write our ideas using the cluster. Upon completion some students shared what was written on paper. We were then required to take our work home to add more ideas for the next class.
As a teacher in training this class was very informative and beneficial. I will employ the same teaching techniques and ideas that were used in today's class.

To instruct, to guide, to inspire!
Bertha Alexander

Date: 11.10.16

Literacy-rich Environment

The literacy-rich environment emphasizes the importance of speaking, reading, and writing in the learning of all students. This involves the selection of materials that will facilitate language and literacy opportunities; reflection and thought regarding classroom design; and intentional instruction and facilitation by teachers.

Reading is a fundamental skill that defines the academic successor failure of students. As noted by Barbara Foorman from the University of Texas, Houston Medical School, "88 percent of students who were poor readers in first grade were poor readers in fourth grade" (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development [NICHD], 2000, 9). Once students reach fourth grade, most of the information they need is given to them in textual format where the focus changes from learning to read, to reading to learn. Therefore, those poor readers may have difficulty interacting with content in the curriculum (Higgins, Boone, and Lovitt, 2002).




I encourage my students to read so they can become better writers!

Love, Peace & Light
Keyanie Desir-Cools

Little Authors

Writers of the Ciceron  RC Combined School


My students absolutely loves writing. I instill in them that they are all authors which encourages them to write more. They write me letters and short stories. One day their work will be bound and published.

love, peace & light
Keyanie Desir- Cools

Descriptive Writing

Good Day Everyone,

Today's Lit102 class will be about descriptive writing. Miss Polius has asked that we all come prepared to describe something or someone interesting to us. I will be describing my daughter, i can't wait!

Accoring to Readingrockets.com, the primary purpose of descriptive writing is to describe a person, place or thing in such a way that a picture is formed in the reader's mind. Capturing an event through descriptive writing involves paying close attention to the details by using all of your five senses. Teaching students to write more descriptively will improve their writing by making it more interesting and engaging to read.





love, peace and light
 Keyanie Desir-Cools

Congratulations to us!

Hooray!! We have created our very own Blog for our Lit102 class at the Division of Teacher Education at the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College. Stay tuned, because we will be updating you as we embark on this literature rich journey. We will be posting pictures, video clips and so much more.

Regards,

AnthBerthKeys