Comments on Article Reading

I found this article very easy to relate to (on the first 2 pages ONLY). In the very beginning of the article, the author talked about the possible reasons more and more teachers stray away from using technology to its full potential. I read on further to discover that teachers do not feel capable to do this because of lack of training and/or experience with these methods/tools/programs of technology. For example: I am somewhat familiar with the Adobe Photoshop and Dreamweaver (I think), but have never heard of Corel Poser or Bryce. What are they anyway????? Not knowing DOES cause draw-backs and stray-aways! I found the terms and words used in and throughout the article, to be quite unique. Never heard of some of them before! For instance, visual essay and alphabetic literacy. OOPS! There's that LITERACY word again! To be very, very, very, quite honest... I found this endless article to be very, extremely, ultimately, truthfully, undoubtedly hard and difficult to read. I could barely keep up with it. Maybe I'm just tired, or maybe I just didn't find it interesting enough to retain. Who knows???????? At this point, I'm just ready to get outta USM SPRING 2009 SENIOR BLOCK SEMESTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Conley's Chapter 11-Developing Content Area Writers...this should be good!

In Conley's chapter 11 of the text, he talks about the importance of writing! Writing demonstrates understanding, which leads to deeper levels of comprehension, evaluation and analysis. The development of one's writing enables the "writer" to "see" his/her improvements and accomplishments. It also allows for the writer or "composer" (on a musical note) to see where changes, edits, deletes, etc. should be made. Writing allows for SHARING IDEAS and THOUGHTS, BELIEFS and OPINIONS. Without the apparent uses and everyday needs of writing, we would live our lives with much more stress and worry. "If in all God's wondrous created beauty, one cannot find a reason, meaning, or purpose to write, what's the point?"-quote from me.

As all of us are aware, there are many forms/types of writing. We technically use them everyday. For my lesson today at South Forrest, I asked my student to create and write an invitation to a birthday party-informational text! He really seemed to enjoy it! Observing in too many schools, I've seen the routine of copying! "Copy this and copy that... and when you're finished, copy this too!" I bet these children could copy board work with their eyes closed! I think that writing should be more than just "wrote memorization"... That does make some sense, doesn't it?

Teachers should teach their students how to become strategic writers (Conley's text-pg.312 @ bottom of page). Modeling should take place, guided practice should follow, and gradual releases (from the teacher) after that. Of course, this can take days, weeks, months. But helping your students to "get their feet wet" will allow them to later establish themselves as strategically proficient writers. Students should be taught to manage and monitor their own work/writing. Quick Writes are great for scaffolding young novice writers. Most children love the idea of a quick write & they're very easy to incorporate in any classroom. Asking students to keep Learning Logs are also great tools of suggestion to help "grow" beautiful writers. Basically, the possibilities are endless and this chapter opened up my eyes, even more, regarding developing writers!

Chapter 8- Were We Supposed To Do This One? On Blogger??

Chapter 8-Building Vocabulary Knowledge and Strategies... and Beyond (Just Kidding)

Technical vocabulary... Sounds tough doesn't it? Usually, when there's a difficulty, it's a technical one. Right? Well, not exactly. Not all the time. Technical vocabulary simply means unknown words. Conley suggests that these technical "babies" are often the center of attention when teachers think about and regard "traditional" vocabulary teaching and instruction. Hmm... Do continue.

There are many different ways of knowing and understanding words. All students are brought into the school systems with some sort of vocabulary background. These pre-determined and already learned and established words are known as well-established words. On the other hand, just acquainted words remind me of just that... An acquaintance; a person yelling out an occasional "Hi" or a spontaneous wave of the arm when seen. Students are only familiar with these just acquainted words . They have yet to discover its meanings.

Gosh, I feel so repetitive... Teachers should base instruction on the emphasis of making personal connections with the individual student. While reading the chapter, I found out where to begin with vocab instruction . The List-Group-Label is an interesting method. It enables students to see and make connections with unfamiliar vocabulary. Semantic Mapping is also a great method used. I used/incorporated concept cards in my lesson at South Forrest. The student I'm tutoring was unfamiliar with the 3 vocabulary words I chose from the narrative we read during today's lesson. On a piece of construction paper, he wrote out the words and definitions from the dictionary. Then, he created his own sentence using the vocab words. We ran out of time, so he didn't' get to draw a picture of the word. Other than the time issue,I think it worked rather well and proved successful.

Smart Board/Promethean (did I spell that right?) Experience

To be quite honest, I have had very limited experience with the Smart Board and Promethean Boards. Last semester in Dr. Foxworth's class, we briefly talked about the Promethean board. A lady came in and lectured on it for about 45 min to an hour.. I've never really had any hands-on experiences with these tools of technology. I have seen them at South Forrest Attendance Center this semester. Some teachers solely rely on them (not good), while others rarely turn them on (not good). Where's the balance on this thing?

Chapter 7- Activating Prior Knowledge & Increasing Motivation

All students are cognizant and mentally specialized, if I may, in select areas of intelligence of some sort. For example, students may be experts in areas ranging from sports(baseball, hockey, stick ball, etc.) to academics (mathematics, English, etc). All children (and adults) have mental file folders entitled: prior knowledge or schema (a fave word from intermediate block). Some folders may be jam-packed and overloaded with data,memories,experiences,faces and places. Where as others may be new, bright, crisp yellow folders still enveloped in its clear Saran wrap-like packaging. Pardon the analogy.

There is nothing more challenging than a student who is unmotivated. Not only is he/she paving his/her way toward educational injustice and voluntary neglect, he/she is also making the teacher's job twice as hard. Unmotivated students are the hardest to teach and instruct, simply due to their lack of motivation and "drive". What's a teacher to do??? Answer: Activate their prior knowledge! Find out what interests your students. Make connections. Give an interest inventory. Take a classroom poll on who likes this and who likes that. Allow them to verbalize their interests to you and the class. Get them involved. Develop a sense of classroom community.

Students are always more likely to stay engaged in something they find interesting and/or something they already know about. Encourage students to pull out those file folders that are tucked away in the many crevices of their brains. Teachers can help students "open" and activate these "file folders" by providing many different techniques and strategies. Anticipation guides are a great tool for this. However, as with any technique/strategy DO NOT OVER KILL IT! Using one tech/strat will weaken the effectiveness of any lesson/concept/idea. Pre-Reading Plans (PREP)also activate prior knowledge. The K-W-L is one of my favorites. I won't OVER KILL IT, I promise. I like the K-W-L (Know, Want to know, Learned) because it provides the student with a written visual of what they already know regarding a topic, what they want/hope to learn regarding a topic, and what they learned afterwards regarding a topic.

As with every aspect of education, teachers should remember to remain patient, as hard as it may be at times, with their students. Teachers need to be encouraging and visibly passionate regarding all students' success. They should possess a caring attitude. They should set high yet realistic goals and expect high yet realistic outcomes. Sound impossible??? Trust me... It's not.

Expository Lesson Plan

Curriculum Standard: (For third grade)-MS Frameworks: Earth and Space Science
4. Develop an understanding of the properties of Earth materials, objects in the sky, and changes in Earth and sky.
b. Compare and contrast changes in the Earth's surface that are due to slow processes (erosion, weathering, mountain building) and rapid processes (landslides, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, floods, asteroid collisions).

Big Idea: Rapid changes the planet goes through-Writing descriptive paragraphs on the explainable yet mysterious quirks of Mother Nature (specifically volcanoes)

Preparation:
1. Introduce to the class the elements and writing mechanics of what makes a thoughtful and descriptive paragraph.
2. Given a particular topic, other than volcanoes, model for the class the steps taken into completing a descriptive paragraph.
3. Answer any questions the students may have regarding writing descriptions and paragraphs.
4. Let the students know that they are going to listen as you read an Expository text about volcanoes.
5. Make sure students understand what the word expository means.
6. Introduce the text, Eruption! The story of Volcanoes
7. Ask students if and where they've seen volcanoes. Ask: "Were they erupting like the one on the front cover of the text?"
8. Ask if they've ever seen any other types of changes in the Earth's surface i.e., landslides, avalanches, floods, etc.
9. Make a quick list of the different observed changes in the Earth's surface on the board.
10. Relate this list to volcanoes by telling the students that these are all rapid or fast changes that occur on the Earth's surface from time to time.
11. Read the expository text, Eruption! The Story of Volcanoes to the class.
12. While reading, let the students know that they will write a thoughtful paragraph of how volcanoes are formed. They will also include additional information they may have found interesting while listening to the book.
13. Finish reading and provide a model paragraph of what they are to do individually, by writing it on the board. Take key words and points, write them down and let students see how you can make complete sentences using them. Students may make suggestions to the teacher regarding what to write.

Guidance:
1. Students brainstorm and list descriptive key words from the text before writing the paragraph. The teacher will provide assistance, if needed.
2. Students begin putting the key words into complete sentences.
3. The teacher walks around and provides any additional help and assistance to those who may need it.
4. The teacher lets the students know that putting 5 of these paragraphs together make up an essay.

Application:
1. Introduce the concept of essays and begin a gradual transition and shift into them after several more assignments regarding paragraph formation.

Assessment:
Teacher generated rubric/checklist on written paragraph (include writing mechanics and grammar)

Teacher Blog Link!

I chose this blog because I feel like I can relate to the teacher. I liked the pictures she took and posted on the blog. I liked the activity she incorporated in her classroom. Here is the link to her blog
Click Here to Visit Mrs. Puglisi's site!

Chapter 5-Understanding & Using Texts

While reading this chapter, I realized the importance of the incorporation and integration of texts in today's classroom. I totally agree that literature is used to broaden and enrich students' understandings in all content areas. (pg. 125) This chapter also made me think back... way back... during my earlier experiences with classroom text. When I was younger and in grade school, especially in the younger grades, I don't remember much additional text being read or taught to me and my former peers. To my best recollection, the teachers "stuck" with the required/assigned textbook throughout the school year. We read from chapter to chapter. took tests, and moved on to new material. It seemed like a never-ending cycle. Looking back, I realize now how boring this was.

I think it's wrong to not allow a child to read what interests him/her. I saw this while reading the chapter. This is sooo wrong, in my opinion. Of course, the text needs to be/should be age appropriate, but students should not be given ultimatums regarding texts. I think that too many times, this is what happens and children lose their interest and love for reading. If a child is allowed to read something that interests them, they are more likely to become better readers, which ultimately enables them to become better comprehenders (is that even a word?) I found the short section of motivation and texts very interesting. As we all have learned and know, teachers need to help students make personal connections with text while reading and learning.

The chapter progressed on to list and describe the different types of text. We are all aware of them. I think that informational texts can be integrated in all subject areas and I like the idea of using documents the students see on a daily basis (schedules, checks, receipts, and music transcriptions... just to name a few). Teachers should be careful with using this type of text, however, because too much information may complicate the students understanding and comprehension of what's discussed in class. In today's "rushed" society, digital texts are growing in popularity. I'm using digital text right now and so are you. The Fry Formula is also discussed in the chapter. We've done a little Fry in a couple of classes. I think it's a good tool, but many times it's not used correctly. All in all, teachers should pick a variety of texts that are interesting to students. They shouldn't pick too difficult material, yet not too easy. Let's help change the world and make learning fun!!!

going & going and... Ongoing Assessment- Chapt.4

Assessment should be an every day routine for the teacher. It needs to be continuous and on going throughout instructional classroom time. Thinking back from last semester, I recall learning about the different types of assessment, examples of each and when to implement them. This chapter talks about some of the same things, as well as new ones. While students are learning, teachers should be updating their knowledge regarding their students. (pg.85) This is/should be an everyday routine/process. The reading attitude & Interest surveys are good starter assessments for teachers to administer. In Mrs. Whitcomb's class (CIR 412L), we are administering these 2 surveys next week to the student we will be tutoring through out the semester. I was excited to see the connection from class to class!

I liked the idea of day-to-day conversations with students. Personally, I think that more teachers should do this. Based on my field experience from semesters passed, I have seen none. These teachers were so pressed for time, they often left out the communication aspect of student learning. Classroom conversations are good tools for teachers to use with students who are having difficulties with text, concepts, etc. The book suggests some questions the teacher could ask to help redirect the student's thinking. When planning for assessment, the teacher should always bring in the students' prior knowledge into classroom lessons. Students should be able to make connections between their lives and the texts and concepts taught. Doing this, will help and aid the students' further understanding, which should ultimately lead to comprehension. Teachers should use multiple assessments because no one single assessment determines what students care about, know, or want to know. LOOK for patterns in & during assessments!!!!

Basically, the chapter went on to talk about content assessment (Content Area Reading Inventory), classroom tests, portfolio assessment, mandated assessments (state), standardized tests and interpreting assessment. I really like the idea of portfolio assessment. When I was in high school, my AP English teacher required we keep a portfolio of all our work. She even asked that we keep any and every sheet of scratch paper/ rough draft of every essay, report, etc in the folder. I always wondered why. But now, I see her intentions and its significance. Toward the enc of the nine weeks, we'd grab our folders and choose one assignment to revise for another grade. Each year, we were given a new portfolio. The others remained silently in her filing cabinet... waiting to be unleashed!!! :) Toward the end of my senior year, she handed out all of the portfolios from previous years (including my 12th grade one) and allowed us to "look back" and reflect on our work through out the years. That was pretty memorable! Some of the stuff I'd completely forgot about! I still have those portfolios! And even though I did complain about her thoroughness from time to time, today I am grateful for having such an accomplished teacher!

One of 13 Principles-Chapter 3

#11 Professional development for teachers and administrators that is both long term and ongoing (pg. 76)

I think that as with assessment, which is continuously going, professional development among educators and administrators is as well. I think that Conley wants the reader to understand the importance of P.D. I'm thinking that professional development is like staff development. As all of you know, this is when teachers and administrators get together and discuss issues, etc. I think that without professional development, there would be a decline in student learning and academic success. But that's my opinion. Basically, I believe that Conley's intentions are those listed above.

Conley's Chapter 3-First Posting

While reading chapter 3, I noticed the usual re-occurrence of the acronym, NCLB. Until taking education courses, I never realized the significance, relevance and ultimate importance of No Child Left Behind. The author's of the text state that NCLB mandates that teachers use proven and effective teaching and learning practices. (pg 62) Remember-ALL programs, assessments, etc. that are incorporated and utilized in today's classrooms should be based on proven scientific research. I found the organizing principle, idea, and content objective read quite informational. These are included in our content area literacies and text based approaches.I agree with the authors of the text when stated the teachers who focus on textbooks while ignoring state standards GAMBLE with students academic performance. Remember-Sometimes textbooks are extremely limited... (pg. 64) The term Critical literacy ties well into this chapter, in my opinion. If I'm not mistaken, critical literacy helps students read, write, and learn (successfully?? It's what I'm thinking.)with a critical eye! My two questions regarding this chapter are related to one another. 1. Could backwards mapping be similar or used in conjunction with/to concept mapping? 2. What other literacy techniques can be used with backwards mapping?