SLICE OF DAYS: DAY 18/31 Determining Importance

SLICE OF LIFE: DAY 18/31




As a literacy teacher one of the important things we teach is how to comprehend the text. There are many ways that help us to do this: connections to our lives, our world or other text; questioning, visualizing, synthesizing, and determining importance. My Slice of Life is focusing on the strategy of determing importance.

Tomorrow I take off for New York City and a whirlwind trip for professional reasons. Okay, so there will be some pleasure mixed in with it all. But basically we will spend loads of hours bumping up what we know about literacy. From visiting a school that was recommended by our friend, Carl Anderson, in Queens to listening to the top authors at Teacher College at Columbia University, we will be filled with information to bring back.

The part of determing importance came when I had to try to pack. Carl said to pack for cold weather AND warm weather because it could change any time...ummmm...sounds like Indiana! So, I had to narrow it down to one pair of pants, three tops, a pair of jeans and three sports tshirts or sweatshirts. Talk about determing what was really important and what was not necessary was really tough.

I am finally packed. The alarm is set for 4:45 and we will pull out of Jody's driveway and head for Indy at 6:00 a.m. I am planning on trying to blog each day I am there. So, the Slice of Life will live on in New York City!!