WELCOME TO THE BLOG, OAKLAND UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT!

We've tinkered long enough! We now formally launch this

Photo credit: from the Oakland North website, December 29th, 2009

blog, and if you are here reading this, it may be because you received an email invite. There is still much to be done on the site, but there is enough to get our conversations started. We hope that your enthusiasm for Reading Workshop and building a vibrant reading life for ELLs brings you here often to comment, connect, think and perhaps even contribute a post!

We recommend you start with the ABOUT US tab to see how the site is structured and then start exploring.

A shout out to the four schools in Oakland that form the core of the ELLs in Reading Workshop Inquiry Collaborative: Acorn Woodland, Ascend, Think College Now and Greenleaf. Thanks for your talent, dedication and your past and forthcoming contributions. And thanks to Leah Jensen for helping Mike Ray get up to speed on the blogging format.

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SPREAD THE WORD AND FOLLOW US BY EMAIL IF YOU FEEL SO INCLINED! The sign-up box is on the right column of this screen. 

And stay tuned for these new posts in the coming weeks:

• ELLs and Visualization in Reading Workshop by Dale Rogers-Eilers, OUSD Bilingual and ELL Specialist and former Manzanita SEED teacher
• Storytelling by Kyle Smith, 2nd Grade Teacher Leader from Think College Now--video included
• Yours-Mine-Ours: Choosing Just Right Books with Students by Chuck Erdmann, 4th Grade Teacher Leader from Greenleaf Elementary School
• Matching Students with Text: All Things Teacher's College by Jennifer Kaufman, Bilingual and ELL Specialist, OUSD

Look forward to working with you soon!

Michael P. Ray, Bilingual and ELL Specialist, OUSD
Jennifer Kaufman, Bilingual and ELL Specialist, OUSD