As I was working with one of my students during Practicum one day, I began to recall a discussion we had during our Reading Class one day in the beginning of the semester. During this particular conversation, we had been talking about all the possible ways of reading a book. Some of the suggestions included books on tape and looking at pictures, among many others. I followed the conversation and agreed with many of the comments made by my teacher and fellow classmates, but for some reason I was still questioning the validity of saying that looking at pictures can be considered reading. Im not sure why I questioned this. Looking back on my own experiences as I write this, I am realizing that even adults read through pictures nearly every day. It is a hard concept to think about though. After being educated in a system that has such a narrow view of literacy (You aren't "literate" until you can read a book fluently.), it's really difficult to not have that narrow view for yourself. My view has now been broadened! I fully believe in picture walking as a valid way to read a book. How many times do I flip through a magazine or newspaper, interpretting advertisements and stories only through pictures? How many times do you do the same?
Let's go back to the experience I had in the classroom which has led me to talk about this topic and the conclusions which I have reached. The best I can remember, it happened on our first day at Glen Alpine. The students were having their AR time, and I was up walking around watching students read, listening to students read, and occassionally stopping and sitting with a student and asking them to read to me. Well, as I was walking around I noticed "Will" sitting over in a corner reading a huge book. Wondering how he was handling all the words on the pages of the book he had, which was about Duke's basketball history, I went over and asked him some questions about his book. He told me a little about it and went on to read with me sitting there in the floor beside him. However, Will's reading had very little to do with the words on the page. He was looking at each picture on every page. And as he closely examined these pictures, he would attempt to read team names and player names on jerseys and predict what had been happening when the picture was taken. And he was so excited about it all! I would venture to say that Will would not have enjoyed this book in least, had he been made to sit there and attempt to decipher words, sentences, paragraphs, and pages, depsite the fact that Duke is his favorite team. Was Will getting anything out of this experience? Absolutely. First, he was using pictures to predict what was happening or to create his own story. This is a literary experience if there ever was one. At the very least, he had a book in his hands and was enjoying himself. This is a great victory in itself, considering the great fun many teachers and schools have taken out of reading in today's education system!
So a picture really is worth a thousand words. Or a least it can be. It's all in what you make of it. I hope to make my classroom a place where students can learn the value of being able to "read" a picture rather than a place where students are looked down upon for flipping through a book only for the pictures. I want my students to understand that books are to be used for learning and for our enjoyment, whether that means reading the words, the pictures, or both. Learning to read the words on the pages does eventually have to happen, but if it happens before a child is developmentally ready for it, then our efforts are worthless and only leave us with frustrated teachers and even more frustrated students. If I had a whole classroom full of Will's on my hands, I would be overjoyed. As long as my students have books in their hands and smiles on their faces, I can assure you I will be a very happy person!
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
Worksheet Mania!
Especially in today's society, there is one thing that never seems to change no matter what school I am in- worksheets. They are everywhere. I would even venture to say that it is impossible to get through one school day without a worksheet. This was true even when I was in school. It is true of the classrooms in my Mom's school. It is true of the classroom I am in for Practicum. Worksheets are not necessarily a bad thing, but when they are overused, they can be. Why are teachers so determined to use worksheets all the time? In my opinion, I think the main reason is that pulling a worksheet is just simply easier than taking the time to invent something creative for the students to do to learn. Especially in an age where so much emphasis is placed on testing and things of that nature, what teacher has the time to sit down and find something to do besides a worksheet? There are so many resources today that cater to teachers and their lack of time. Textbook companies send resource books full of worksheets, and then are the other random books of resources that are full of worksheets also. In my Practicum classroom, when we walk in the students are always finishing a math worksheet. Then, they have centers. Nearly every center is some type of worksheet. Then, when we leave, they are usually working on some type of worksheet. Not all of the worksheets my teacher uses are bad. Some of them are right on target in helping the students to understand a concept. They have a purpose and aren't just busy work. But some of them are simply busy work- especially the worksheets that the students work on during Centers. They always have a spelling worksheet to do, and it always involves having students sort by ABC order, among other things. Does that REALLY accomplish anything? Does that REALLY help learning to take place? Is it REALLY that important that a 2nd grader know how to put a list of words in ABC order? And after seeing the students working on these worksheets, I am convinced now, more than ever, that busy work accomplishes nothing except for keeping the students busy (hence the name!!). Is it possible that our students are suffering from worksheet overload?
Although I do hope that I can avoid falling into the worksheet trap once I become a teacher, I must admit that this is going to be very, very difficult. No matter how hard and tiring it may be, I hope that I will be willing to find the time to plan things other than worksheets for my students to learn from. If I find some great, purposeful worksheets along the way, then I will take advantage of my resources and use them. Most of all, I just don't want to be the teacher who uses worksheet after worksheet per lack of time and motivation to be creative! I don't want my classroom to be cluttered with worksheets, but instead with students who are busily discovering the joys of learning and books without always having to have a worksheet right in front of their face.
Although I do hope that I can avoid falling into the worksheet trap once I become a teacher, I must admit that this is going to be very, very difficult. No matter how hard and tiring it may be, I hope that I will be willing to find the time to plan things other than worksheets for my students to learn from. If I find some great, purposeful worksheets along the way, then I will take advantage of my resources and use them. Most of all, I just don't want to be the teacher who uses worksheet after worksheet per lack of time and motivation to be creative! I don't want my classroom to be cluttered with worksheets, but instead with students who are busily discovering the joys of learning and books without always having to have a worksheet right in front of their face.
Teaching My "Making Words" Lesson
I had a great time teaching my Making Words lesson the other day! Although I was not as prepared for some aspects of the lesson as I would have liked to have been, I feel like I improvised pretty well. I know that things are not always going to go as planned when I become a teacher, so I think that this experience was a great lesson in flexibility and how to adapt to your class' or group's needs without notice.
My three +'s and a wish are as follows:
+ I had all of my materials prepared and ready.
+ I was very patient with all of the students.
+ I was able to transition smoothly from word to word.
- I wish that I'd had a white board to write my words on.
Originally, I had planned to do my lesson with the whole class. I had planned to have the students make the words as normal, and then I would have used the White Board to write the words. I had not thought about the fact that if I did the lesson with a small group, then I wouldn't have a board to write on. And really, I hadn't even thought about the fact that she might have me do the lesson with a small group. I had told her I was fine with either and then just made the assumption that she would prefer that I do the lesson with the whole class. Oops!
The group she gave me to work with was perfect. It was group of six, which included two of her highest students, two of her average students, and two of her lowest students. I must say, though, that even the lowest students in this class really aren't that far below average. They seeemed to really enjoy the lesson. Although I never would have considered using the Making Words lesson as a small group lesson before now, I do think that it would be very effective if used as such. And I do believe that I may consider using Making Words as a small group lesson in my own classroom at times. I wouldn't use it all of the time, but I am certain that this type of lesson is an effective teaching tool, its a great skill to have, and it may give a little variety to your everyday, mundane reading group routine!
I can't wait to teach my Guided Reading lesson and see how it goes!
My three +'s and a wish are as follows:
+ I had all of my materials prepared and ready.
+ I was very patient with all of the students.
+ I was able to transition smoothly from word to word.
- I wish that I'd had a white board to write my words on.
Originally, I had planned to do my lesson with the whole class. I had planned to have the students make the words as normal, and then I would have used the White Board to write the words. I had not thought about the fact that if I did the lesson with a small group, then I wouldn't have a board to write on. And really, I hadn't even thought about the fact that she might have me do the lesson with a small group. I had told her I was fine with either and then just made the assumption that she would prefer that I do the lesson with the whole class. Oops!
The group she gave me to work with was perfect. It was group of six, which included two of her highest students, two of her average students, and two of her lowest students. I must say, though, that even the lowest students in this class really aren't that far below average. They seeemed to really enjoy the lesson. Although I never would have considered using the Making Words lesson as a small group lesson before now, I do think that it would be very effective if used as such. And I do believe that I may consider using Making Words as a small group lesson in my own classroom at times. I wouldn't use it all of the time, but I am certain that this type of lesson is an effective teaching tool, its a great skill to have, and it may give a little variety to your everyday, mundane reading group routine!
I can't wait to teach my Guided Reading lesson and see how it goes!
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Practicum Experiences
I have really been enjoying my Practicum experience so far. One can never know quite what to expect going into something like that, but I have been very pleased with my experiences. Furthermore, I feel that I am really taking a lot from the experience- I have seen things I felt were good, and things I felt were not so good. Either way, they are both allowing me to decide exactly how I want my own classroom to look and feel.
One great thing about Burke County is the small class sizes. No class can have more than 18 students, and when you come from a county where 25 or 26 students was the norm, 18 seems tiny. This size greatly cuts down on the amount of problems one could potentially have in the classroom, and it also allows the teacher to get to know her students better and to spend more time with each individual student. Although I will not have any control over my class size, I will always do my best to give them the maximum amount of time possible.
I could only hope for a class as well behaved as the one I am working in. The students rarely argue or act up, and when they do the issue is quickly resolved and handled without disrupting the entire classroom environment. There is not any sort of discipline chart hanging over their heads all the time. There are positives and negatives about this. I really like it because of the way it subtly takes the focus off of "what if bad behavior happens" and allows their attention to be other places. However, no matter how good a class may be, there are no guarantees that something serious will never occur. Students need to be aware of the discplinary protocol that will take place if they do act out in a serious way. This also covers the teacher if any issue were to come up over whether or not she was treating students fairly. Our teacher uses a lot of extrinsic motivation, of which I am not a fan. But whether I am a fan or not, it works. The thing I like most is that when students are arguing she tells them they need to go talk about it until they have one story. Then, they may come talk with her once they have agreed upon one story. They quickly decide what they want to tell the teacher, the person at fault apologizes, and they get back to whatever they were doing. This, in my opinion, is a genius way of teaching students how to talk their problems out on their own instead of being tattle tales.
In terms of instruction, I am a little disappointed. Because of the time we are at the school and the schedule of our classroom, we do not get to experience much instructional time. By the time we get there, they are already finishing up math time. Then, they have a very short reading lesson(which I will talk more about later on), followed by centers, specials, lunch, recess, read-aloud, AR time, and then they are ususally in the middle of some other type of lesson(either science or social studies) when we are leaving. I wish I could experience more classroom instructional time with the kids. However, I know that even though it seems like I am missing a lot, I am really not missing as much as I feel I am. It's just that the school day is so much shorter than we think it is. It's nearly impossible to make sure that everything gets fit in like it is supposed to .
The student's reading lesson that they have is really not a reading lesson at all in my opinion. The teacher takes a story out of the textbook, and plays the book on tape as the students follow along. There is no instruction at the beginning and she never asks them questions as the story is being read. There is usually some activity that she goes over with them after the story is over, but that is to be completed at the appropriate center, and the students only go to one center per day. So, that means some students may not complete the activity until Friday after they listened to the story on Monday. I do not feel that the students are learning anything from this, except how to copy answers from the teacher's example that they filled out as a class. The class we are in is full of exceptionally bright students, and they are all very capable of completing the worksheets on their own or with their center partners. If it were my classroom, the lesson time would be comprised of more than just listening to a story. I imagine it would probably look a lot like the Guided Reading Lesson model we have been taught. And although having students copy the answers we came up with as a class would probably be appropriate earlier on in the year, I would hope to have students finding some of their own answers by this point in the year. This would eventually move to having them finding all of their own answers even later in the year.
During read aloud time, the teacher uses book on tape whenever possible. I am not sure what her fascination is with books on tape, except that it saves her voice, but I would not use books on tape as frequently as she seems to do it. There is nothing wrong with them. They are a great option, but nothing can replace the expressions of a human voice and face reading a story! Also, it is a lot easier to stop and ask questions to make sure everyone is with you. As a classroom teacher, I intend to make sure that the majority of my read-alouds are read live rather than with a book on tape.
The last observation I would like to talk about is the use of AR in the classroom. I like that there is not much emphasis put on AR in the classroom. Each student has a goal for each nine weeks, and if they meet the goal there is a schoolwide reward day. The goals are very reachable for all the students in our classroom and they are set by the teacher. The feeling I have gotten from talking with her is that she sets the goal for each of them simply so that she can say that it has been done. It not something she really dwells on. However, when students are testing, they always take the book with them and look back for answers. I am not sure I agree with this. AR could be a great tool to help build some reading comprehension skills, but if the students are simply going to sit at the computer and look for answers as the questions come up, they may as well just pick a book theyve never read and take the test for it. Ive already written a whole blog on AR, but in short, if it were my classroom, this would not be allowed. I do plan to have a low-emphasis approach to the program. However, I also plan to use it for what it is good for- building some recall and comprehension skills. Otherwise, I feel it is just wasted time, and we all know there is no time for wasted time in classroom.
I am excited about what I have learned in Practicum so far. I cant wait to see what other types of experiences I get top have and what other things I might learn while working with these delightful Burke County children!
One great thing about Burke County is the small class sizes. No class can have more than 18 students, and when you come from a county where 25 or 26 students was the norm, 18 seems tiny. This size greatly cuts down on the amount of problems one could potentially have in the classroom, and it also allows the teacher to get to know her students better and to spend more time with each individual student. Although I will not have any control over my class size, I will always do my best to give them the maximum amount of time possible.
I could only hope for a class as well behaved as the one I am working in. The students rarely argue or act up, and when they do the issue is quickly resolved and handled without disrupting the entire classroom environment. There is not any sort of discipline chart hanging over their heads all the time. There are positives and negatives about this. I really like it because of the way it subtly takes the focus off of "what if bad behavior happens" and allows their attention to be other places. However, no matter how good a class may be, there are no guarantees that something serious will never occur. Students need to be aware of the discplinary protocol that will take place if they do act out in a serious way. This also covers the teacher if any issue were to come up over whether or not she was treating students fairly. Our teacher uses a lot of extrinsic motivation, of which I am not a fan. But whether I am a fan or not, it works. The thing I like most is that when students are arguing she tells them they need to go talk about it until they have one story. Then, they may come talk with her once they have agreed upon one story. They quickly decide what they want to tell the teacher, the person at fault apologizes, and they get back to whatever they were doing. This, in my opinion, is a genius way of teaching students how to talk their problems out on their own instead of being tattle tales.
In terms of instruction, I am a little disappointed. Because of the time we are at the school and the schedule of our classroom, we do not get to experience much instructional time. By the time we get there, they are already finishing up math time. Then, they have a very short reading lesson(which I will talk more about later on), followed by centers, specials, lunch, recess, read-aloud, AR time, and then they are ususally in the middle of some other type of lesson(either science or social studies) when we are leaving. I wish I could experience more classroom instructional time with the kids. However, I know that even though it seems like I am missing a lot, I am really not missing as much as I feel I am. It's just that the school day is so much shorter than we think it is. It's nearly impossible to make sure that everything gets fit in like it is supposed to .
The student's reading lesson that they have is really not a reading lesson at all in my opinion. The teacher takes a story out of the textbook, and plays the book on tape as the students follow along. There is no instruction at the beginning and she never asks them questions as the story is being read. There is usually some activity that she goes over with them after the story is over, but that is to be completed at the appropriate center, and the students only go to one center per day. So, that means some students may not complete the activity until Friday after they listened to the story on Monday. I do not feel that the students are learning anything from this, except how to copy answers from the teacher's example that they filled out as a class. The class we are in is full of exceptionally bright students, and they are all very capable of completing the worksheets on their own or with their center partners. If it were my classroom, the lesson time would be comprised of more than just listening to a story. I imagine it would probably look a lot like the Guided Reading Lesson model we have been taught. And although having students copy the answers we came up with as a class would probably be appropriate earlier on in the year, I would hope to have students finding some of their own answers by this point in the year. This would eventually move to having them finding all of their own answers even later in the year.
During read aloud time, the teacher uses book on tape whenever possible. I am not sure what her fascination is with books on tape, except that it saves her voice, but I would not use books on tape as frequently as she seems to do it. There is nothing wrong with them. They are a great option, but nothing can replace the expressions of a human voice and face reading a story! Also, it is a lot easier to stop and ask questions to make sure everyone is with you. As a classroom teacher, I intend to make sure that the majority of my read-alouds are read live rather than with a book on tape.
The last observation I would like to talk about is the use of AR in the classroom. I like that there is not much emphasis put on AR in the classroom. Each student has a goal for each nine weeks, and if they meet the goal there is a schoolwide reward day. The goals are very reachable for all the students in our classroom and they are set by the teacher. The feeling I have gotten from talking with her is that she sets the goal for each of them simply so that she can say that it has been done. It not something she really dwells on. However, when students are testing, they always take the book with them and look back for answers. I am not sure I agree with this. AR could be a great tool to help build some reading comprehension skills, but if the students are simply going to sit at the computer and look for answers as the questions come up, they may as well just pick a book theyve never read and take the test for it. Ive already written a whole blog on AR, but in short, if it were my classroom, this would not be allowed. I do plan to have a low-emphasis approach to the program. However, I also plan to use it for what it is good for- building some recall and comprehension skills. Otherwise, I feel it is just wasted time, and we all know there is no time for wasted time in classroom.
I am excited about what I have learned in Practicum so far. I cant wait to see what other types of experiences I get top have and what other things I might learn while working with these delightful Burke County children!
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Good Job?
I was really puzzled and curious a few weeks ago in class when Dr. Koppenhaver mentioned the possibility that we say Good Job! and give other verbal praises way too often. I began to question how that could be such an awful thing. I thought kids needed to be praised. I thought that they, or anyone else for that matter, needed to know when someone else liked something they did and wanted to tell them that they liked or enjoyed it. To find out more, I took Dr. Koppenhaver's suggestion and read the article, "Five Reasons to Stop Saying "Good Job!". Now that I have read the article and understand the point of view, I will have to say that I really agree with the points that are being made. However, I must admit that I was still a bit skeptical even after reading about 3/4 of the article. It wasnt until I read the last quarter of the article that everything started coming together and making sense.
The first part of the article that really struck me was the part which suggests that telling kids they've done a good job has more to do with our convenience and less with their emotional needs. As I read that, I began thinking back to all the times I have done some kind of teaching. I came to the conclusion that every time I taught, I had told someone they were doing a good job when they did something correctly. Then I tried to think back to the thought processes I went through as I taught. It suddenly dawned on me that Kohn hit the nail on the head with this one. I realized that my "good job" responses were simply an expression of my relief at not having to deal with correctly correcting an incorrect response. I imagine most other people find themselves in the same situation as me. No one ever seems to think it important to plan for those things. We'd rather just fall back on "No, not quite." and "Good job!". Life is much simpler that way.
Another thing that really hit home with me in Kohn's article is when he says that praise makes kids less secure instead of more secure. Just as before, I had to reflect back on my own experiences to connect with this point. And yes, my parents are guilty of being "good job- sayers". And yes, now that I have read this article, I do think I am less secure because of it. Even today, I find myself consistently thriving on someone telling I have done a good job with something. If I dont get a good job or some sign of approval, it disappoints me and I begin feeling like my work wasnt good enough.
How much breath could I save if I would just stop giving out "good jobs" when they aren't necessary? This is one thing I hope to work on during practicum. "Good job" really doesnt even mean anything anymore. It is just a response that comes out of the mouth without thought. What if I actually gave my approval(or disapproval) of a students' work by conversing with them about it- by making them feel that they and their work are valued, rather simply giving them the two word response that everyone gets no matter what the teacher really thinks? It is really going to take some hard work to change the responses I give students. How much do I really want for my students to be self-motivated though? My "good jobs" certainly aren't going to help them be proud and motivated. I want my students to know that their hard work and efforts are appreciated by the time and effort I put into talking with them about it. I want my classroom to be a place where motivation comes from being pleased with yourself, instead of coming from two simple words that are now meaningless. I need to start thinking through exactly how I will repsond to the things I like and dislike in my classroom. Otherwise, I am afraid I will just rely on the old fallbacks and once again become a "No, not quite." and a "Good job!" sayer. I really, REALLY dont want that in my classroom. After reading this article, who would? Who wouldn't want to have a healthier classroom environment such as this one, where "good jobs" are no longer spoken unless they are really meant?
The first part of the article that really struck me was the part which suggests that telling kids they've done a good job has more to do with our convenience and less with their emotional needs. As I read that, I began thinking back to all the times I have done some kind of teaching. I came to the conclusion that every time I taught, I had told someone they were doing a good job when they did something correctly. Then I tried to think back to the thought processes I went through as I taught. It suddenly dawned on me that Kohn hit the nail on the head with this one. I realized that my "good job" responses were simply an expression of my relief at not having to deal with correctly correcting an incorrect response. I imagine most other people find themselves in the same situation as me. No one ever seems to think it important to plan for those things. We'd rather just fall back on "No, not quite." and "Good job!". Life is much simpler that way.
Another thing that really hit home with me in Kohn's article is when he says that praise makes kids less secure instead of more secure. Just as before, I had to reflect back on my own experiences to connect with this point. And yes, my parents are guilty of being "good job- sayers". And yes, now that I have read this article, I do think I am less secure because of it. Even today, I find myself consistently thriving on someone telling I have done a good job with something. If I dont get a good job or some sign of approval, it disappoints me and I begin feeling like my work wasnt good enough.
How much breath could I save if I would just stop giving out "good jobs" when they aren't necessary? This is one thing I hope to work on during practicum. "Good job" really doesnt even mean anything anymore. It is just a response that comes out of the mouth without thought. What if I actually gave my approval(or disapproval) of a students' work by conversing with them about it- by making them feel that they and their work are valued, rather simply giving them the two word response that everyone gets no matter what the teacher really thinks? It is really going to take some hard work to change the responses I give students. How much do I really want for my students to be self-motivated though? My "good jobs" certainly aren't going to help them be proud and motivated. I want my students to know that their hard work and efforts are appreciated by the time and effort I put into talking with them about it. I want my classroom to be a place where motivation comes from being pleased with yourself, instead of coming from two simple words that are now meaningless. I need to start thinking through exactly how I will repsond to the things I like and dislike in my classroom. Otherwise, I am afraid I will just rely on the old fallbacks and once again become a "No, not quite." and a "Good job!" sayer. I really, REALLY dont want that in my classroom. After reading this article, who would? Who wouldn't want to have a healthier classroom environment such as this one, where "good jobs" are no longer spoken unless they are really meant?
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
On Your Mark... Get Set... Practicum!
So Ive got to be honest. I am not one to admit when I am scared about something, but I am scared out of my mind about starting our Practicum. I'm not really sure why. I've subbed many times both in elementary and high school settings. The first day I subbed, I was called that morning and asked to get to the school as fast as possible. I was just thrown into a Kindergarten class. I hadn't even been in there fifteen minutes when the class trouble maker is doing what he does best- making trouble. Little blonde pig-tailed Mariah bounces over to where I am standing and says, "Miss Jarrell, Tyreek just called my mama a b****." Wow. You'd think if I could handle that, I wouldn't be scared of anything anymore. Wrong. I am scared. I am excited. I feel completely unprepared, and I feel more prepared than ever.
Let's face it. School is just a big game the kids these days play... because they have to. How do you win? Well, if you're a slacker, you do what you have to do just to slide by with a passing grade. If you're an overachiever (that's me), you do what you have to do to make the A. What happened to going to school because it is a privilege and paying attention and trying to learn because you want to be the best you can be? I know. It was killed. Murdered. Slaughtered. Although I am one of the very very few students who never went to school simply because I had to, I was surrounded by the sentiment. And yes, it eventually begins to rub off on you just a little. Well, starting Monday, playing the game of school is no longer a choice. The game is over. This is the rest of my life. Yes, I still have classes to take and assignments to do. But thats not what it's all about anymore. That's scary.
I am really excited though. I feel like I have some really good lessons to teach, and I am interested to see how they go and what my cooperating teacher thinks of them. Will they go well? Will they flop? For once, it will be nice to experience classroom life outside of the Wake County Public School System. I want to get to know my kids, my classroom, my teacher. I feel like I have learned so much this semester. I was just talking with my mom on the phone a few minutes ago. I told her how excited I was because I was in a class that was learning some different teaching strategies than the other blocks. I dont want to be the same. I strive to be different. I strive to stick out from the crowd. I have learned how to be different and stick out in the school setting. Now on to the professional world. For me, this practicum is the beginning of that. How?
Well, I want to be the kind of teacher learns who to create a classroom environment where kids can be the learners they were made to be, and not just game pieces on a playing board. I want to be the teacher who can convince her students that learning is cool and fun, and that reading a book outside or inside or in a tent or in a hammock or under a tree is more fun than a sleepover with friends! I want to change this apathetic feeling and environment we have created in our classrooms. Literacy doesnt deserve this kind of treatment. I know I am fighting an uphill battle here- especially as a beginning teacher. But I know it will all be worth it in the end. If there is even just one child who leaves my classroom caring more about learning than when they walked in, I will have been successful. And no matter how scary it may be, practicum is my place to start figuring out how to make that happen. Let's go!
Let's face it. School is just a big game the kids these days play... because they have to. How do you win? Well, if you're a slacker, you do what you have to do just to slide by with a passing grade. If you're an overachiever (that's me), you do what you have to do to make the A. What happened to going to school because it is a privilege and paying attention and trying to learn because you want to be the best you can be? I know. It was killed. Murdered. Slaughtered. Although I am one of the very very few students who never went to school simply because I had to, I was surrounded by the sentiment. And yes, it eventually begins to rub off on you just a little. Well, starting Monday, playing the game of school is no longer a choice. The game is over. This is the rest of my life. Yes, I still have classes to take and assignments to do. But thats not what it's all about anymore. That's scary.
I am really excited though. I feel like I have some really good lessons to teach, and I am interested to see how they go and what my cooperating teacher thinks of them. Will they go well? Will they flop? For once, it will be nice to experience classroom life outside of the Wake County Public School System. I want to get to know my kids, my classroom, my teacher. I feel like I have learned so much this semester. I was just talking with my mom on the phone a few minutes ago. I told her how excited I was because I was in a class that was learning some different teaching strategies than the other blocks. I dont want to be the same. I strive to be different. I strive to stick out from the crowd. I have learned how to be different and stick out in the school setting. Now on to the professional world. For me, this practicum is the beginning of that. How?
Well, I want to be the kind of teacher learns who to create a classroom environment where kids can be the learners they were made to be, and not just game pieces on a playing board. I want to be the teacher who can convince her students that learning is cool and fun, and that reading a book outside or inside or in a tent or in a hammock or under a tree is more fun than a sleepover with friends! I want to change this apathetic feeling and environment we have created in our classrooms. Literacy doesnt deserve this kind of treatment. I know I am fighting an uphill battle here- especially as a beginning teacher. But I know it will all be worth it in the end. If there is even just one child who leaves my classroom caring more about learning than when they walked in, I will have been successful. And no matter how scary it may be, practicum is my place to start figuring out how to make that happen. Let's go!
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Three Ring Circuses and Book Clubs
Sometimes it is really difficult for me to imagine how I am going to keep things fresh, new, and interesting for the students in my classroom. I am scared that I will run out of ideas or that I will find one thing that I enjoy and continue to use it week after week after week, whether the students are still enjoying it or not. However, when I read the "Guided Reading" section of The Teacher's Guide to the Four Blocks those fears were eased greatly. Although I really liked all of the suggestions the book made, the two that stuck out most to me were the Three Ring Circus and Book Clubs.
I really liked the Three Ring Circus for its great flexibility, both with the students and the teacher. It also allows the same idea to be used over and over and over again for a length of time without becoming monotonous and boring to the kids. For the teacher, the Three Ring Circus allows the flexibility to work with different groups of students who may need extra support and assistance with different skills each day this format is used. Although I would never use the same format for more than three or four weeks in a row, if that, this format of Guided Reading does allow for that amount of extended use if the need is there. When I picture this going on in my classroom, I see a picture of my ideal classroom environment- some students working alone, some working together, and some working under assistance, but all toward one common goal. I have been thinking and thinking about modifications to this activity were I to use it in my classroom, but I cannot come up with anything I would change to save my life. I think this format has been so carefully planned and developed over time that there are very few things that could make it a better experience for one. However, the one thing I will be sure of when employing the Three Ring Circus in my classroom, is that the assignment of each individual is very carefully considered according to their needs before being made, and not rushed through or planned at the last minute.
The other format I really like is Book Clubs. Just as with the Three Ring Circus, I feel that this format for Guided Reading does a remarkable job at allowing everyone in the classroom a great deal of flexibility, and would allow for an extended (3-4 weeks) period of use. Another great thing about Book Clubs is that it really gives kids the chance to dig into their own personal interests. Sometimes students are assigned according to their interests, and sometimes according their reading level. It just depends on what everyone choices were. It also makes some really great opportunities for "themed weeks" throughout the year. Aside from those benefits, this format is also a great teaching opportunity for helping kids to begin to understand that they will not always get their way in life. And when they dont, it's not the end of the world. Once again, when I picture this going on in my classroom, I see another picture of my ideal classroom environment-students working together in small groups, but all toward a common goal. Essentially, I aim for organized chaos and lots and lots of learning and fun, but I also aim to never lose sight of making sure the needs of each individual child are met. And, once again... after much thought, I really can't think of anything I would change about Book Clubs as I understand them. The most important thing, I think, is to make sure that everyone gets their first choice fairly often. Kids know who put what as their first choice, and they will know if one child is getting their first choice all the time while another child never gets their first choice.
The thing I am most sure of is that I am very excited about getting to try these Guided Reading formats in my very own classroom someday.
I really liked the Three Ring Circus for its great flexibility, both with the students and the teacher. It also allows the same idea to be used over and over and over again for a length of time without becoming monotonous and boring to the kids. For the teacher, the Three Ring Circus allows the flexibility to work with different groups of students who may need extra support and assistance with different skills each day this format is used. Although I would never use the same format for more than three or four weeks in a row, if that, this format of Guided Reading does allow for that amount of extended use if the need is there. When I picture this going on in my classroom, I see a picture of my ideal classroom environment- some students working alone, some working together, and some working under assistance, but all toward one common goal. I have been thinking and thinking about modifications to this activity were I to use it in my classroom, but I cannot come up with anything I would change to save my life. I think this format has been so carefully planned and developed over time that there are very few things that could make it a better experience for one. However, the one thing I will be sure of when employing the Three Ring Circus in my classroom, is that the assignment of each individual is very carefully considered according to their needs before being made, and not rushed through or planned at the last minute.
The other format I really like is Book Clubs. Just as with the Three Ring Circus, I feel that this format for Guided Reading does a remarkable job at allowing everyone in the classroom a great deal of flexibility, and would allow for an extended (3-4 weeks) period of use. Another great thing about Book Clubs is that it really gives kids the chance to dig into their own personal interests. Sometimes students are assigned according to their interests, and sometimes according their reading level. It just depends on what everyone choices were. It also makes some really great opportunities for "themed weeks" throughout the year. Aside from those benefits, this format is also a great teaching opportunity for helping kids to begin to understand that they will not always get their way in life. And when they dont, it's not the end of the world. Once again, when I picture this going on in my classroom, I see another picture of my ideal classroom environment-students working together in small groups, but all toward a common goal. Essentially, I aim for organized chaos and lots and lots of learning and fun, but I also aim to never lose sight of making sure the needs of each individual child are met. And, once again... after much thought, I really can't think of anything I would change about Book Clubs as I understand them. The most important thing, I think, is to make sure that everyone gets their first choice fairly often. Kids know who put what as their first choice, and they will know if one child is getting their first choice all the time while another child never gets their first choice.
The thing I am most sure of is that I am very excited about getting to try these Guided Reading formats in my very own classroom someday.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Word Wall
It seems that in today's schools, there has been this shift towards rote memorization of so many things. Multiplication facts, sight words, and so much more. While the ultimate goal may be to know these things so well that the learner can recall them without assistance, this process of committing information to memory is much, much different than the straight rote memorization of facts. I know from personal experience, as do many others, that this method of memorization is ineffective and is only useful for a short period of time. For example, in Marching Band, we are required to memorize our music. Most of the time that means cramming it in 20 minutes before a performance. Do I remember that music 3 weeks later when I need to play it again? Nope! However, I was in the Steely Pan Steel Band for three semesters. We always had our music right in front of us, but there were a few pieces we played so often that I eventually just began to realize that I knew them from memory and didnt need to rely on the sheet music right in front of me anymore. I learned it, and memorized it because I played it over and over again. And I could still go back and recall and play those pieces again today if I needed to.
This is why I feel a Word Wall is important. It is there as a tool for children to use and refer to as they attempt to commit basic information to memory. Some people are opponenets of the Word Wall and view it as a crutch for lazy children who dont want to learn or memorize. But it is unreasonable for us to expect our students to commit something to memory without seeing and using it many many times. I will certainly not expect that of my students.
Simply putting the Word Wall up with no explanation of the words that are displayed on it does absolutely no good. I really liked the "five words per week" rule we talked about in class. I also think it is really important to remember not to introduce any more new words to students once there is only six weeks of school left. My favorite activity to use with Word Wall words that we talked about in class was the "Read My Mind" activity where students were given clues and had to guess the word the teacher was talking about. Not only is it a fun activity for kids, but it also gives them a little practice and experience using context clues to figure out if their word is right or wrong, and if they should choose another word or not. I think that would be a great activity for me to use in my classroom. I was really amazed at how many activites came up on Google when Dr. Koppenhaver searched "word wall activities". It is good to know that there are so many resources right at our fingertips. We should definitely be taking advantage of them! One of the webistes I visited had suggestions for activities children could do at home with their sight words. I think that sending home a list of suggested activities such as that is a brilliant idea! It is a great way to keep kids practicing constantly, as well as a great way to get parents involved in their child's education and what is happening at school. The one thing I would be careful of is to not make it a homework assignment. If the child is wanting to practice at home and is excited about showing their parents what they have learned, that is one thing. But I think daily homework with sight words would be overkill, especially keeping in mind the small amount of instructional time that is really needed to teach and practice these words and concepts in class, as well as the overall ineffectiveness of homework.
Just like I want to encourage my students to use their resources(word wall, etc) to help them figure out things they dont know, I also want to continue to use my newly found internet resources to keep fresh ideas and activities in the back of my mind at all times!
This is why I feel a Word Wall is important. It is there as a tool for children to use and refer to as they attempt to commit basic information to memory. Some people are opponenets of the Word Wall and view it as a crutch for lazy children who dont want to learn or memorize. But it is unreasonable for us to expect our students to commit something to memory without seeing and using it many many times. I will certainly not expect that of my students.
Simply putting the Word Wall up with no explanation of the words that are displayed on it does absolutely no good. I really liked the "five words per week" rule we talked about in class. I also think it is really important to remember not to introduce any more new words to students once there is only six weeks of school left. My favorite activity to use with Word Wall words that we talked about in class was the "Read My Mind" activity where students were given clues and had to guess the word the teacher was talking about. Not only is it a fun activity for kids, but it also gives them a little practice and experience using context clues to figure out if their word is right or wrong, and if they should choose another word or not. I think that would be a great activity for me to use in my classroom. I was really amazed at how many activites came up on Google when Dr. Koppenhaver searched "word wall activities". It is good to know that there are so many resources right at our fingertips. We should definitely be taking advantage of them! One of the webistes I visited had suggestions for activities children could do at home with their sight words. I think that sending home a list of suggested activities such as that is a brilliant idea! It is a great way to keep kids practicing constantly, as well as a great way to get parents involved in their child's education and what is happening at school. The one thing I would be careful of is to not make it a homework assignment. If the child is wanting to practice at home and is excited about showing their parents what they have learned, that is one thing. But I think daily homework with sight words would be overkill, especially keeping in mind the small amount of instructional time that is really needed to teach and practice these words and concepts in class, as well as the overall ineffectiveness of homework.
Just like I want to encourage my students to use their resources(word wall, etc) to help them figure out things they dont know, I also want to continue to use my newly found internet resources to keep fresh ideas and activities in the back of my mind at all times!
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Emergent Literacy
In our threaded discussion, I said that emergent literacy could be defined as "the phonological and phonemic awareness, and the reading and writing skills children develop naturally as they are exposed to, and have a chance to practice these things." Thus far, I would still say that this definition accurately reflects my beliefs about what emergent literacy is. Although this has the potential to change slightly as I learn more and get some experience under my belt, I think this is something that will largely remain the same over time for me.
When I first heard the idea of emergent literacy, it was very difficult for me to grasp. As we talked about it and spent some time discussing it, I began to realize what a simple concept it really was. I also realized that one of the reasons why I had such a hard time with it at first, was because this concept is so drastically different from the way I was taught in school, and the way many schools today are still structured. There is one set curriculum and each and every child is expected to meet or exceed that given set of standards without consideration of individual needs. Because I had never known anything else, I never thought there were any other possibilities. Now I know differently. After learning about it, emergent literacy makes all the sense in the world to me, and makes anything else seem foolish at best. What makes sense about pushing a child to do something before they are developmentally ready for it? I feel like that is only setting children up to fail. It's like asking a baby to stand up and walk before they have even learned to sit up on their own. It just doesn't make sense.
I would like to be able to implement emergent literacy into my future classroom. There are some things I am still struggling with and wondering about though. Although I would love to implement this type of learning model, I have my doubts about how that would go over in a school system that expects their students to meet a certain set of standards every year. If I teach at the Kindergarten or First Grade level, and my students are developmentally on schedule but not meeting standards, administrators are not going to be very happy with that, and my job is likely to be put at risk, depsite the fact that I know the students will be just fine if they continue on the path they are on. I feel like the way schools are set up being and run in today's society, that the idea of emergent literacy would fail miserably simply because all students were not necessarily meeting the set standards at the end of the year.
However, the one thing I am sure of is that anything besides emergent literacy is a big mistake. I am willing to risk it and give it a try. I think the biggest thing I can do to incoroporate the idea of emergent literacy into my classroom is make sure that I am offering several ways for students to complete assignments. I am really going to have put some effort in making sure that each student is doing developmentally appropriate and challenging work. This is going to mean making sure that I am spending lots and lots of time with each individual student, when it may have just been simpler to force them all to sit quietly and do their work while I sit at my desk and do mine. I NEVER want my classroom to look like that, but a place where each student knows that their time, their work, and their individual efforts and characteristics are valued and appreciated. Emergent literacy means allowing students to be who they are and to excel at what they are capable of, rather than pushing them to meet standards that force them to be someone they are not and to fail in the process. I hope that I will be successful in making the concept of emergent literacy an integral part of my classroom!
When I first heard the idea of emergent literacy, it was very difficult for me to grasp. As we talked about it and spent some time discussing it, I began to realize what a simple concept it really was. I also realized that one of the reasons why I had such a hard time with it at first, was because this concept is so drastically different from the way I was taught in school, and the way many schools today are still structured. There is one set curriculum and each and every child is expected to meet or exceed that given set of standards without consideration of individual needs. Because I had never known anything else, I never thought there were any other possibilities. Now I know differently. After learning about it, emergent literacy makes all the sense in the world to me, and makes anything else seem foolish at best. What makes sense about pushing a child to do something before they are developmentally ready for it? I feel like that is only setting children up to fail. It's like asking a baby to stand up and walk before they have even learned to sit up on their own. It just doesn't make sense.
I would like to be able to implement emergent literacy into my future classroom. There are some things I am still struggling with and wondering about though. Although I would love to implement this type of learning model, I have my doubts about how that would go over in a school system that expects their students to meet a certain set of standards every year. If I teach at the Kindergarten or First Grade level, and my students are developmentally on schedule but not meeting standards, administrators are not going to be very happy with that, and my job is likely to be put at risk, depsite the fact that I know the students will be just fine if they continue on the path they are on. I feel like the way schools are set up being and run in today's society, that the idea of emergent literacy would fail miserably simply because all students were not necessarily meeting the set standards at the end of the year.
However, the one thing I am sure of is that anything besides emergent literacy is a big mistake. I am willing to risk it and give it a try. I think the biggest thing I can do to incoroporate the idea of emergent literacy into my classroom is make sure that I am offering several ways for students to complete assignments. I am really going to have put some effort in making sure that each student is doing developmentally appropriate and challenging work. This is going to mean making sure that I am spending lots and lots of time with each individual student, when it may have just been simpler to force them all to sit quietly and do their work while I sit at my desk and do mine. I NEVER want my classroom to look like that, but a place where each student knows that their time, their work, and their individual efforts and characteristics are valued and appreciated. Emergent literacy means allowing students to be who they are and to excel at what they are capable of, rather than pushing them to meet standards that force them to be someone they are not and to fail in the process. I hope that I will be successful in making the concept of emergent literacy an integral part of my classroom!
Thursday, October 9, 2008
The Mystery Reader
Ever since this class began, I have found myself getting more and more excited about reading and reading instruction. I am constantly listening for great ideas that others may have, researching new ideas, and trying to think of my own creative ideas. I am beginning to come to the conclusion that any activity that results in one more child learning to enjoy reading is a success. Also, the more “tricks” I have up my sleeve, the better the chance that I will be able to connect with the needs of every child and the better the chance that I will be able to get every child interested in reading. Not only that, but the more I am able to vary the activities and instructional strategies I choose to use, the smaller the chance that students will become bored and uninterested, and the better chance that they will be on the edges of their seats waiting for their next opportunity to stick their nose in a book. I do believe that too much variation can do more harm than good, but a good balance is crucial!
Recently, I was talking with my mom over the phone about school. I love to tell her about what I am learning in my classes, and compare things I have learned with how her teachers do things in their classrooms. During this particular conversation, I began quizzing her about the different things they do to get the kids reading. She then told me about “The Mystery Reader”. Each week, a different student gets to be the mystery reader. On Friday, the teacher selects the mystery reader and sends home a book with them to practice reading. The student has all week to practice reading their book. On the next Friday, the mystery reader is revealed to the rest of the class, and they read their book. I was a bit skeptical about this idea at first. It definitely has some positives and negatives, but after having some time to think about it for the past few weeks, I think I have decided that I really like it and would like to incorporate it into my classroom somehow. At the very least, I now have a new addition to my bag of tricks for reading. The best part about it how excited it helps the kids get over reading. My mom tells me that every week, the class gets very excited about finding out whom the mystery reader is and what they are going to read, and that the mystery reader has so much fun keeping their role a secret from everyone else. Another positive thing is that it gives students confidence about their ability to read, as well as giving them reason to practice over and over again. The only thing is that the teacher must be aware of home situations and parental support, because this could be a bad experience for children who don’t have parents to listen to them and help them practice. The one thing I would consider changing about this activity for my own classroom is to somehow allow the child some kind of choice in choosing their book, or I would at least wait until I knew each of them well enough to pick a book they would enjoy and take an interest in. It is so exciting to me to think of the buzz of little voices in a classroom trying to figure out who the mystery reader is! Maybe this treat could be the new thing that makes Friday’s fun instead of those silly old treasure boxes!
Recently, I was talking with my mom over the phone about school. I love to tell her about what I am learning in my classes, and compare things I have learned with how her teachers do things in their classrooms. During this particular conversation, I began quizzing her about the different things they do to get the kids reading. She then told me about “The Mystery Reader”. Each week, a different student gets to be the mystery reader. On Friday, the teacher selects the mystery reader and sends home a book with them to practice reading. The student has all week to practice reading their book. On the next Friday, the mystery reader is revealed to the rest of the class, and they read their book. I was a bit skeptical about this idea at first. It definitely has some positives and negatives, but after having some time to think about it for the past few weeks, I think I have decided that I really like it and would like to incorporate it into my classroom somehow. At the very least, I now have a new addition to my bag of tricks for reading. The best part about it how excited it helps the kids get over reading. My mom tells me that every week, the class gets very excited about finding out whom the mystery reader is and what they are going to read, and that the mystery reader has so much fun keeping their role a secret from everyone else. Another positive thing is that it gives students confidence about their ability to read, as well as giving them reason to practice over and over again. The only thing is that the teacher must be aware of home situations and parental support, because this could be a bad experience for children who don’t have parents to listen to them and help them practice. The one thing I would consider changing about this activity for my own classroom is to somehow allow the child some kind of choice in choosing their book, or I would at least wait until I knew each of them well enough to pick a book they would enjoy and take an interest in. It is so exciting to me to think of the buzz of little voices in a classroom trying to figure out who the mystery reader is! Maybe this treat could be the new thing that makes Friday’s fun instead of those silly old treasure boxes!
Monday, September 22, 2008
Thoughts on Self Selected Reading
I am not sure why, but prior to our class discussions, the thought of having SSR as part of my classroom really did not excite me, and I wasn't convinced that I would utilize it. However, the more I find out about it and discuss it, the more I am completely convinced that a classroom just wouldnt be complete without it. I was astonished at how this time has impacted the lives of so many students. It was their time to read what they wanted. There is something empowering about that. Having control over what is being read has been overwhelmingly chosen as the number one motivator to read a book. I was recently down in Charlotte, visiting with my brother, who lives in West Charlotte, one of the most extremely poverty stricken regions of the city. As we walked around the neighborhood talking with neighbors, we stopped and talked to some kids who were sitting and talking on the porch. Two of them were holding books. I did my best to inquire about the books through all the chaos that was going on around us. What it came down to was that the books were things the girls wanted to read, and they were enjoying reading them. I thought that was pretty impressive for two preteen/teenage girls. They were proud of those books too. As soon as my brother started ragging them about whether or not they were actually reading the books or just holding them to look smart, they jumped on him and let him know that they were really reading those books!
To me, SSR should be a time where students are completely free to read whatever they want, wherever they want. That is a pretty broad statement. Of course there would be a few restrictions, but the restrictions would be minimal and only to ensure the safety and well being of all. The only restrictions would be that students could not read inappropriate things(ex: Playboy Magazine), or read in restricted or potentially dangerous areas of the classroom(in a cabinet, closet, etc). Other than that, it is their time to simply enjoy a good read. I would really like to have a reading center in my classroom where there are pillows, carpets, bean bags, and maybe even a comfy couch for students to sit on. I would also like to have special days where we can go outside to read, or have some kind of themed reading day in the classroom, like a camping trip or a pajama party!
Conferencing is an important part of this process, as well. Not only is it important in allowing a teacher to build meaningful relationships with her students, and allowing them to become comfortable discussing things with the teacher, it also an important tool in allowing the teacher to evaluate a student's reading and to assist the students when necessary. It is important that the students not be nervous about this time, but look forward to it and maybe even anticipate their turn. When conducting conferences, one thing I will always be sure to do is to listen to the student read a little of their book for me. The questions I ask are important, but the questions asked should be directed by the direction in which the student's responses lead the conversation. Asking what the book is about is always a good place to start. I think rather than splitting my time between conferencing and reading everyday, it would be more effective to conference with three students three days a week. Then the other two days can be used for my own SSR time as a model for students. Of course, each day would include a small amount of time to monitor and make sure everyone is on task. This way, I think I wouldnt feel so stretched trying to fit three different things into one very small amount of time.
One important thing about SSR is to make sure that students really are using the time to read, or at least pretend like they are reading. I think the idea we talked about in class with the timer is a great way to set a precedent for my expectations early on in the year. I will most definitely use that trick to let my students know that I want them to enjoy their time, but that that does not mean they can simply do anything they please. Reading time is time to read!
One thing I have struggled with in trying to decide what SSR will look like within the walls of my classroom is this: Do I allow students to take notes while they are reading? My first instinct says yes. If it is their time, they should be able to take notes on their reading if they like. However, I also feel like any teacher knows that that would only open up the door for bored readers to draw a picture, or write a note to a friend. Here is the alternative I would like to offer: After our SSR time has finished, I will give students another five minutes where they can do any of the following: write down some notes/draw a picture on what they read, continue reading, or finish any uncompleted work they might have waiting on them. I feel like this alternative allows note takers to take notes, without taking away from time that was intended solely for reading. For students who choose to write or draw, this work would not be graded since it is part of their own personal SSR reading. However, I will monitor while this five minutes is going on, and they are more than welcome to share their work with me during our conferencing time if they so choose.
As for my book collection, it is small in comparison to what it needs to be, but I think it is looking pretty good so far for a pre-service teacher who doesnt even have her own classroom yet. I have somewhere between 100-200 books waiting to be read by eager students right now. I am setting a goal to have about 500 by the time I enter my first year teaching. From there, I will keep on building.
My ultimate goal through SSR is for all of my students to enjoy reading and not to dread or be scared of a good book. If they are all sitting on the porch and read in their spare time like the girls in West Charlotte, I will know that I have done my job.
To me, SSR should be a time where students are completely free to read whatever they want, wherever they want. That is a pretty broad statement. Of course there would be a few restrictions, but the restrictions would be minimal and only to ensure the safety and well being of all. The only restrictions would be that students could not read inappropriate things(ex: Playboy Magazine), or read in restricted or potentially dangerous areas of the classroom(in a cabinet, closet, etc). Other than that, it is their time to simply enjoy a good read. I would really like to have a reading center in my classroom where there are pillows, carpets, bean bags, and maybe even a comfy couch for students to sit on. I would also like to have special days where we can go outside to read, or have some kind of themed reading day in the classroom, like a camping trip or a pajama party!
Conferencing is an important part of this process, as well. Not only is it important in allowing a teacher to build meaningful relationships with her students, and allowing them to become comfortable discussing things with the teacher, it also an important tool in allowing the teacher to evaluate a student's reading and to assist the students when necessary. It is important that the students not be nervous about this time, but look forward to it and maybe even anticipate their turn. When conducting conferences, one thing I will always be sure to do is to listen to the student read a little of their book for me. The questions I ask are important, but the questions asked should be directed by the direction in which the student's responses lead the conversation. Asking what the book is about is always a good place to start. I think rather than splitting my time between conferencing and reading everyday, it would be more effective to conference with three students three days a week. Then the other two days can be used for my own SSR time as a model for students. Of course, each day would include a small amount of time to monitor and make sure everyone is on task. This way, I think I wouldnt feel so stretched trying to fit three different things into one very small amount of time.
One important thing about SSR is to make sure that students really are using the time to read, or at least pretend like they are reading. I think the idea we talked about in class with the timer is a great way to set a precedent for my expectations early on in the year. I will most definitely use that trick to let my students know that I want them to enjoy their time, but that that does not mean they can simply do anything they please. Reading time is time to read!
One thing I have struggled with in trying to decide what SSR will look like within the walls of my classroom is this: Do I allow students to take notes while they are reading? My first instinct says yes. If it is their time, they should be able to take notes on their reading if they like. However, I also feel like any teacher knows that that would only open up the door for bored readers to draw a picture, or write a note to a friend. Here is the alternative I would like to offer: After our SSR time has finished, I will give students another five minutes where they can do any of the following: write down some notes/draw a picture on what they read, continue reading, or finish any uncompleted work they might have waiting on them. I feel like this alternative allows note takers to take notes, without taking away from time that was intended solely for reading. For students who choose to write or draw, this work would not be graded since it is part of their own personal SSR reading. However, I will monitor while this five minutes is going on, and they are more than welcome to share their work with me during our conferencing time if they so choose.
As for my book collection, it is small in comparison to what it needs to be, but I think it is looking pretty good so far for a pre-service teacher who doesnt even have her own classroom yet. I have somewhere between 100-200 books waiting to be read by eager students right now. I am setting a goal to have about 500 by the time I enter my first year teaching. From there, I will keep on building.
My ultimate goal through SSR is for all of my students to enjoy reading and not to dread or be scared of a good book. If they are all sitting on the porch and read in their spare time like the girls in West Charlotte, I will know that I have done my job.
Thoughts on Accelerated Reader
As a child, nothing pleased me more than to pick up a good book and to just read. I was "just good at it". I don't remember actually learning phonics or practicing reading books. I just always remember loving reading. Well, you say, it may be a bit difficult for me to empathize with the struggling reader who really has no interest in reading and just doesnt like to read. Well, maybe. I had my struggles too, though. But that's really not the point. Although I did enjoy reading, and for awhile there was nothing but intrinsic motivation, that didnt last forever. About the time I hit second grade, Accelerated Reader became a huge thing in schools. It also became my favorite activity. I lived to take an AR test. My fourth grade year I got the most points in the whole school. There were pizza parties, ice cream parties, and who knows what else. I would tell you without hesistation that my sole motivation was still intrinsic. But really? What elementary school child wont do something for some pizza and time out of class?
It never really dawned on me until some recent class discussions what an awful thing this program could turn into. I have always believed that it was an awesome, flawless program, and have falsely believed that because I loved it, everyone else would probably love it too. That's not the case though, I am quickly learning. One thing I noticed is that during our Fences and Ladders discussion in class, AR was mentioned more often as a fence than a ladder. The stories people told about how it was implented in their classrooms broke my heart. I really wanted their experience to be a good one like mine. Honestly, I dont remember how it was used in my classrooms. The real question: How do I take this new perspective and apply it to my classroom without further damaging the lack of motivation and pure hatred many students feel towards books. How do I use this potentially beneficial program for good and not for bad?
My first thought was, "Well, maybe I just shouldnt use it at all." I dont think that is the true answer though. It is just the easy way out. Like I said, it is a ladder for some, and a fence for others. I cant take it completely out of the mix. Really, I am still thinking about this. There are so many thoughts in my head that they are getting a little jumbled right now. This thinking, though, will probably be a never ending process. Here is what I feel is my best option. For USSR and other books students choose to read on their own time, AR will be a completely optional activity. If you feel like you want to take a test on the book you read, do it. This way there is no pressure on the student to take the test, or to not take the test. An extrinsic reward? Well, really I dont like extrinsic rewards. But if the student is motivated enough to take the test on their own free will, maybe, for every twenty points earned, they could choose the next book that I use for read aloud(out of the five-ish choices I give them). For the read-aloud book, students would be strongly encouraged to take the AR test, but it still wouldnt be a requirement. The only required AR test taking would be for in class books we read with reading groups during our Language Arts time, as a form of assessment and evaluation. However, I would be sure not to call it a test, and would do my very best to take the pressure off of the students. It would be counted in their grade, but not the sole determining factor of the grade.
In my head, this sounds like a great plan. I guess I wont know for sure until I get a chance to put the plan into action though. My only goal is to get students to enjoy reading. I will use whatever whatever means necessary to achieve it. Until it is achieved, I will continue to review and revise this plan of action. Until then, I will not be satisfied!
It never really dawned on me until some recent class discussions what an awful thing this program could turn into. I have always believed that it was an awesome, flawless program, and have falsely believed that because I loved it, everyone else would probably love it too. That's not the case though, I am quickly learning. One thing I noticed is that during our Fences and Ladders discussion in class, AR was mentioned more often as a fence than a ladder. The stories people told about how it was implented in their classrooms broke my heart. I really wanted their experience to be a good one like mine. Honestly, I dont remember how it was used in my classrooms. The real question: How do I take this new perspective and apply it to my classroom without further damaging the lack of motivation and pure hatred many students feel towards books. How do I use this potentially beneficial program for good and not for bad?
My first thought was, "Well, maybe I just shouldnt use it at all." I dont think that is the true answer though. It is just the easy way out. Like I said, it is a ladder for some, and a fence for others. I cant take it completely out of the mix. Really, I am still thinking about this. There are so many thoughts in my head that they are getting a little jumbled right now. This thinking, though, will probably be a never ending process. Here is what I feel is my best option. For USSR and other books students choose to read on their own time, AR will be a completely optional activity. If you feel like you want to take a test on the book you read, do it. This way there is no pressure on the student to take the test, or to not take the test. An extrinsic reward? Well, really I dont like extrinsic rewards. But if the student is motivated enough to take the test on their own free will, maybe, for every twenty points earned, they could choose the next book that I use for read aloud(out of the five-ish choices I give them). For the read-aloud book, students would be strongly encouraged to take the AR test, but it still wouldnt be a requirement. The only required AR test taking would be for in class books we read with reading groups during our Language Arts time, as a form of assessment and evaluation. However, I would be sure not to call it a test, and would do my very best to take the pressure off of the students. It would be counted in their grade, but not the sole determining factor of the grade.
In my head, this sounds like a great plan. I guess I wont know for sure until I get a chance to put the plan into action though. My only goal is to get students to enjoy reading. I will use whatever whatever means necessary to achieve it. Until it is achieved, I will continue to review and revise this plan of action. Until then, I will not be satisfied!
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Comentario: "Between the Wars"
A mí me gustó este documentario. Fue muy interesante y contuvieron mucha información que no sabía antes. Habló sobre las relaciones entre los Estados Unidos y los paises Latinoamericanos. En 1898 fue una revolución en Cuba y el presidente de los EEUU, McKinley, quiso ayudar. El presidente envió un barco, Battleship Maine, a Cuba para rescatar los ciudadanos americanos que fueron allí, pero el barco fue destruida. Entonces, McKinley demandó que Spain da Cuba su independencia. Spain no lo haría y declaró una guerra con lo EEUU. Los americanos estuvieron listos para pelear en la guerra. Mientras que este conflicto estaba pasando, el gobierno de los EEUU también entró en otras relaciones con los otros paises latinoamericanos. Por ejemplo, Mexico y Panama entre otros. Estos paises no quisieron los EEUU ayudándolos. Parece que nuestro país causa más problemas que ayuda.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Ejercicio voluntario
Leí el capítulo dos de "Visión de los vencidos" de Miguel León Portilla. Trata de las primeras noticias de la llegada de los españoles. Motecuhzoma mandó los nigrománticos decir lo que va a pasar en el futuro y cuando va a pasar, pero ellos no sabían nada. Entonces apareció un macehual que dijo que había unas gente extrañas "de carnes muy blancas, más que nuestras carnes, todos los más tienen barba larga y el cabello hasta la oreja les da. . ." Muchas transacciones occurieron entre los nativos y los españoles cuando llegaron a centro de la ciudad.
A mi, parece que esta cuenta es del punto de vista de los indios y no de los españoles porque las descripciones me recuerdan de unas de las cosas que discutimos en la clase sobre las diferencias en las puntas de vista de lso indios y los españoles. Me parece interesante, pero es poco difícil leer. Es interesante porque las descripciones son tan detalladas y también es muy específica. Aunque hay mucha vocabulario extraño en este cuento, estoy alegre que yo leí porque me dio una nueva perspectiva de la cual puedo pensar en este parte de la historia.
A mi, parece que esta cuenta es del punto de vista de los indios y no de los españoles porque las descripciones me recuerdan de unas de las cosas que discutimos en la clase sobre las diferencias en las puntas de vista de lso indios y los españoles. Me parece interesante, pero es poco difícil leer. Es interesante porque las descripciones son tan detalladas y también es muy específica. Aunque hay mucha vocabulario extraño en este cuento, estoy alegre que yo leí porque me dio una nueva perspectiva de la cual puedo pensar en este parte de la historia.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Tarea: Resumen de las doctrinas de Rotterdam y Moro
Erasmo de Rotterdam y Tomás Moro tuvieron una gran amistad. Esta amistad formó porque los hombres compartieron doctrinas filisófico-religiosas similares. Las ideas de los hombres pueden ser resumidas en una palabra: humanismo. Ellos quisieron reexaaminar y reevaluar la teología cristiana según la literatura y las ideas de los filósofos clásicos. Los dos hombres tomaron posiciones en contra del luteranismo. La idea de una sociedad idealista o una utopia describa las doctrinas más precisamente. Aunque es una idea controversial, Rotterdam y Moro se abrazaron los rasgos que distinguir una utopia de otra sociedad: tolerancia de todo el mundo y armonía entre todos edades, personalidades y todas otras cosas que puedan causar una controversia. Aunque me gustan la mayoría de las ideas que compartieron estos buenos filósofos, no son realistas ni posibles en un mundo donde hay humanos. Quizás si no hubiera pecado en el mundo, esta sociedad perfecta sería una posibilidad para nosotros.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Tarea: Las grandes civilizaciones precolombinas(II)
Pg. 31
Ejercicio D: ¿Cierto o falso?
1. Tanto en la cultura azteca como en la inca la comunidad era mucho más importante que el individuo.
Cierto (pg 27)
2. Los aztecas eran descendientes directos de los admirados toltecas.
Falso- Los aztecas no eran descendientes directos de los toltecas. De hecho no eran descendientes directos de ningunas tribus. (pg 19)
3. Cuando los incas conquistaban una nueva región permitían que sus nuevos vasallos continuaran hablando su lengua local y adorando sus propios dioses.
Falso- “Cuando los incas conquistaban una región le imponían su lengua,… y su religión oficial.” (pg 26)
4. A veces los aztecas permitían un cierto grado de autonomía a los pueblos que conquistaban, siempre que les pagasen tributo.
Cierto (pg 20)
5. Las mujeres aztecas tenían más o menos los mismos derechos que los hombres.
Falso- Según el libro la mujer azteca tenía una gran desventaja y tenía muchas responsabilidades. (pg 22)
6. Moctezuma vivía de una manera más bien modesta.
Falso- Moctezuma vivía de una manera más suntuosa y por eso “empezó a ser tratado como una divinidad.” (pg 23)
7. El oro y la plata eran utilizados por los incas para acuñar monedas.
Falso- El oro y la plata eran utilizados “con gran pericia.” (pg 24)
Ejercicio E: Opiniones
1. Solemos referirnos al “imperio azteca” y al “imperio inca”, pero,estrictamente hablando, en realidad sólo uno de los dos merece el título de imperio. ¿Cuál de ellos y por qué?
Sólo los incas merecen el título de imperio porque cuando conquistaban una nueva región “le imponían su lengua,… y su religión oficial.” Pero los aztecas permitían poco autonomía.
2. En el texto de esta unidad se ha calificado de “repugnante” y “aberrante” la práctica de sacrificios humanos por los aztecas. Hoy día, sin embargo, algunos piensan que es condescendiente y hasta racista criticar de esa manera los usos y costumbre de otras culturas basadas en criterios occidentales. ¿Qué piensa usted?
Estoy de acuerdo que es condescendiente. Aunque la práctica de sacrificios humanos sería aberrante hoy en día, no podemos juzgar las cosas que otras culturas hicieron hace muchos años porque no estuvimos allá para experimentar la cultura.
3. ¿Encuentra algunas similitudes entre el papel de la mujer en la sociedad azteca y el que desempeña en las modernas sociedades occidentales? Comente.
Hay muchas similitudes entre el papel de la mujer azteca y la mujer moderna de la sociedad occidental. Unos ejemplos incluyen la preparación de los alimentos y el derecho del divorcio. Una diferencia es que las mujeres aztecas se esperaban que tuviera muchos hijos para compensar el alto nivel de mortalidades militares.
4. Nos parece criticable el hecho de que Moctezuma tuviera en su palacio un “zoológico” de seres humanos anormales. Sin embargo, los reyes europeos tenían bufones y enanos (dwarfs) en sus cortes, y aún en la actualidad hay individuos poderosos que se rodean de personas que los entretienen, los adulan y viven de ellos. ¿Conoce usted algunos casos como estos, por ejemplo, en el mundo de los deportes, de las finanzas o del espectáculo? ¿Qué opina de ello?
No conozco ningunos casos específicos, pero sé que muchos individuos poderosos tienen cocineros personales y sirvientas. Opino que este estilo de vida es muy perezoso y causa mucha gente ser tratado injusto, como animales en vez de una parte del ser humano.
Ejercicio D: ¿Cierto o falso?
1. Tanto en la cultura azteca como en la inca la comunidad era mucho más importante que el individuo.
Cierto (pg 27)
2. Los aztecas eran descendientes directos de los admirados toltecas.
Falso- Los aztecas no eran descendientes directos de los toltecas. De hecho no eran descendientes directos de ningunas tribus. (pg 19)
3. Cuando los incas conquistaban una nueva región permitían que sus nuevos vasallos continuaran hablando su lengua local y adorando sus propios dioses.
Falso- “Cuando los incas conquistaban una región le imponían su lengua,… y su religión oficial.” (pg 26)
4. A veces los aztecas permitían un cierto grado de autonomía a los pueblos que conquistaban, siempre que les pagasen tributo.
Cierto (pg 20)
5. Las mujeres aztecas tenían más o menos los mismos derechos que los hombres.
Falso- Según el libro la mujer azteca tenía una gran desventaja y tenía muchas responsabilidades. (pg 22)
6. Moctezuma vivía de una manera más bien modesta.
Falso- Moctezuma vivía de una manera más suntuosa y por eso “empezó a ser tratado como una divinidad.” (pg 23)
7. El oro y la plata eran utilizados por los incas para acuñar monedas.
Falso- El oro y la plata eran utilizados “con gran pericia.” (pg 24)
Ejercicio E: Opiniones
1. Solemos referirnos al “imperio azteca” y al “imperio inca”, pero,estrictamente hablando, en realidad sólo uno de los dos merece el título de imperio. ¿Cuál de ellos y por qué?
Sólo los incas merecen el título de imperio porque cuando conquistaban una nueva región “le imponían su lengua,… y su religión oficial.” Pero los aztecas permitían poco autonomía.
2. En el texto de esta unidad se ha calificado de “repugnante” y “aberrante” la práctica de sacrificios humanos por los aztecas. Hoy día, sin embargo, algunos piensan que es condescendiente y hasta racista criticar de esa manera los usos y costumbre de otras culturas basadas en criterios occidentales. ¿Qué piensa usted?
Estoy de acuerdo que es condescendiente. Aunque la práctica de sacrificios humanos sería aberrante hoy en día, no podemos juzgar las cosas que otras culturas hicieron hace muchos años porque no estuvimos allá para experimentar la cultura.
3. ¿Encuentra algunas similitudes entre el papel de la mujer en la sociedad azteca y el que desempeña en las modernas sociedades occidentales? Comente.
Hay muchas similitudes entre el papel de la mujer azteca y la mujer moderna de la sociedad occidental. Unos ejemplos incluyen la preparación de los alimentos y el derecho del divorcio. Una diferencia es que las mujeres aztecas se esperaban que tuviera muchos hijos para compensar el alto nivel de mortalidades militares.
4. Nos parece criticable el hecho de que Moctezuma tuviera en su palacio un “zoológico” de seres humanos anormales. Sin embargo, los reyes europeos tenían bufones y enanos (dwarfs) en sus cortes, y aún en la actualidad hay individuos poderosos que se rodean de personas que los entretienen, los adulan y viven de ellos. ¿Conoce usted algunos casos como estos, por ejemplo, en el mundo de los deportes, de las finanzas o del espectáculo? ¿Qué opina de ello?
No conozco ningunos casos específicos, pero sé que muchos individuos poderosos tienen cocineros personales y sirvientas. Opino que este estilo de vida es muy perezoso y causa mucha gente ser tratado injusto, como animales en vez de una parte del ser humano.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Tarea: Las grandes civilizaciones precolombinas(I)
Pg. 14
1. ¿De donde y por donde creemos que vinieron los primeros habitantes de América?
Creemos que vinieron en una serie de emigraciones procedentes del Asia y por el Estrecho de Bering. (pg 3)
2. ¿Qué países actuales comprende la región arqueológica que llamamos Mesoamérica? ¿Por qué podemos considerarla como una sola zona cultural precolombina?
La región comprende los siguientes países: México, Belice, Guatemala, El Salvador y la parte oeste de Honduras. Podemos considerarla una sola zona cultural precolombina porque los pueblos que existían en esta zona antes de la llegada de los españoles poseían muchas características en común como la agricultura, la arquitectura, el sistema de escritura jeroglífica, la religión y más. (pg 3)
3. ¿Qué importante diferencia hay entre la idea del universo que tenían los mayas y la nuestra?
Los mayas creían que el universo había sido ya creado y destruido cuatro veces, y que ahora estamos en el quinto ciclo. Es decir que concebían el futuro como un proceso cíclico, pero nosotros lo concebimos en un sentido lineal y con tiempo infinito. (pg 3)
4. Mencione dos o tres características distintivas de la cultura olmeca.
La primera característica es que mucha gente consideran esta cultura ser la primera civilización de Mesoamérica o “la cultura madre” de toda la región. La segunda característica es su estilo artístico con gigantescas cabezas de piedra. (pg 5)
5. ¿En que dos regiones de Mesoamérica fue especialmente importante el período clásico?
El período clásico fue especialmente importante en las tierras bajas de Guatemala y regiones aledañas de México y Honduras porque los mayas tuvieron unos logros impresionantes en ese tiempo. (pg 5)
6. ¿Por qué sabemos que Teotihuacán fue una ciudad del clásico y no del posclásico?
Sabemos porque poseyó las características que asociamos con ese período: la escritura jeroglífico, el calendario mesoamericano y el sistema numérico. (pg 6)
7. Comente uno de los logros culturales de los mayas que le parezca particularmente brillante.
El logro que me parece más brillante el sistema jeroglífico. Este sistema era muy complicado y no ha sido descifrado por completo. Demuestra la inteligencia de los mayas y su habilidad crear los sistemas para comunicar entre ellos. (pg 8-9)
8. ¿Cuándo usaban los mayas la “cuenta larga”?
La usaban cuando necesitaban medir períodos de más de 52 años. Les permitía registrar en monumentos largos períodos de tiempo contados. (pg 8)
9. Describa un códice maya.
Un códice maya consistía en unas largas tiras de corteza de árbol que eran dobladas en forma de acordeón. Los mayas pintaban misterios signos y figuras animales y humanas sobre ella. La tradición fue transmitida por las generaciones de los mayas. (pg 9)
10. ¿Por qué no han quedado muchos códices?
Los códices no han quedado porque “fueron destruidos por el paso del tiempo o por el celo religioso de los conquistadores, quienes consideraron que eran “obras del diablo”.” (pg 9)
11. ¿Qué características tuvo el período posclásico?
El período posclásico es conocido como una época militarista e inestable. También esta época experimentó un incremento en los sacrificios humanos. (pg 11)
12. ¿Qué fue Tula? ¿Por qué parece ser una ciudad típica del posclásico?
Tula fue el capital del imperio de los toltecas. Parece ser una ciudad típica del posclásico porque estuvo llena de figuras militares y tuvo una imagen de violencia y militarismo. (pg 12)
1. ¿De donde y por donde creemos que vinieron los primeros habitantes de América?
Creemos que vinieron en una serie de emigraciones procedentes del Asia y por el Estrecho de Bering. (pg 3)
2. ¿Qué países actuales comprende la región arqueológica que llamamos Mesoamérica? ¿Por qué podemos considerarla como una sola zona cultural precolombina?
La región comprende los siguientes países: México, Belice, Guatemala, El Salvador y la parte oeste de Honduras. Podemos considerarla una sola zona cultural precolombina porque los pueblos que existían en esta zona antes de la llegada de los españoles poseían muchas características en común como la agricultura, la arquitectura, el sistema de escritura jeroglífica, la religión y más. (pg 3)
3. ¿Qué importante diferencia hay entre la idea del universo que tenían los mayas y la nuestra?
Los mayas creían que el universo había sido ya creado y destruido cuatro veces, y que ahora estamos en el quinto ciclo. Es decir que concebían el futuro como un proceso cíclico, pero nosotros lo concebimos en un sentido lineal y con tiempo infinito. (pg 3)
4. Mencione dos o tres características distintivas de la cultura olmeca.
La primera característica es que mucha gente consideran esta cultura ser la primera civilización de Mesoamérica o “la cultura madre” de toda la región. La segunda característica es su estilo artístico con gigantescas cabezas de piedra. (pg 5)
5. ¿En que dos regiones de Mesoamérica fue especialmente importante el período clásico?
El período clásico fue especialmente importante en las tierras bajas de Guatemala y regiones aledañas de México y Honduras porque los mayas tuvieron unos logros impresionantes en ese tiempo. (pg 5)
6. ¿Por qué sabemos que Teotihuacán fue una ciudad del clásico y no del posclásico?
Sabemos porque poseyó las características que asociamos con ese período: la escritura jeroglífico, el calendario mesoamericano y el sistema numérico. (pg 6)
7. Comente uno de los logros culturales de los mayas que le parezca particularmente brillante.
El logro que me parece más brillante el sistema jeroglífico. Este sistema era muy complicado y no ha sido descifrado por completo. Demuestra la inteligencia de los mayas y su habilidad crear los sistemas para comunicar entre ellos. (pg 8-9)
8. ¿Cuándo usaban los mayas la “cuenta larga”?
La usaban cuando necesitaban medir períodos de más de 52 años. Les permitía registrar en monumentos largos períodos de tiempo contados. (pg 8)
9. Describa un códice maya.
Un códice maya consistía en unas largas tiras de corteza de árbol que eran dobladas en forma de acordeón. Los mayas pintaban misterios signos y figuras animales y humanas sobre ella. La tradición fue transmitida por las generaciones de los mayas. (pg 9)
10. ¿Por qué no han quedado muchos códices?
Los códices no han quedado porque “fueron destruidos por el paso del tiempo o por el celo religioso de los conquistadores, quienes consideraron que eran “obras del diablo”.” (pg 9)
11. ¿Qué características tuvo el período posclásico?
El período posclásico es conocido como una época militarista e inestable. También esta época experimentó un incremento en los sacrificios humanos. (pg 11)
12. ¿Qué fue Tula? ¿Por qué parece ser una ciudad típica del posclásico?
Tula fue el capital del imperio de los toltecas. Parece ser una ciudad típica del posclásico porque estuvo llena de figuras militares y tuvo una imagen de violencia y militarismo. (pg 12)
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