January OLW: CREATE-ing Anchor Charts

from Google Images

When I chose CREATE as my one little word, I knew that it would just add a spring in my step.  I had posted earlier on how CREATE-ing at home brought joy and comfort to my life.  The whole reason I chose "CREATE" was due to the realization that  I wanted to focus on bringing ideas, thoughts, possibilities, and seed ideas into existence...enjoying the process.

The other day, when I was envisioning an anchor chart for a lesson, I was reminded that the process of making an anchor chart should not only be a process, but that our focus should be about the process of making thinking visible.  I found myself going through a series of questions when visualizing what this chart might look like when we were done creating.

• Will the chart remind my students of a "shared experience"?
• Will the chart support the students in "thinking"and not just being told what to do? (Not just a set of directions)
• Was the thinking on the chart grounded in a common text?
• Will the chart make our thinking visible and promote a process of transferring to another reading experience? 

ANCHOR THIS...

The final product...a main idea anchor chart.  I decided to display the text (common text) and create our chart interactively (shared experience).  The post-its showed the thinking that it takes to determine the main idea (promoting a process) and records their responses (their thinking) while working through the concept.  If something is going to be posted in the classroom, I wanted my students to CREATE a chart that they would have ownership of and would spotlight our thinking together.  Remembering that reading is thinking, not completing a set of directions.

Use this to guide PLANNING your lesson/chart...

Check out more One Little Word reflections:
Maria
Erin