The idea of this past reading was how the media has shaped how we view ourselves and our society. It is human nature to use the views of others to define our own views, at least in an early stage of development. Later on we may oppose these views, conform to or try and ignore these views. However, they always play their role.
When I was young I was obssessed with heros, well... I still sort of am. My first obsession was popeye, I used to eat cans of spinach while sitting in front of the television when I got home from kindergarten and my parents encouraged this because I was eating healthy. Throughout school I struggled to a degree with not being a bigger guy and when I was in high school and undergraduate college at purdue I got heavily involved with weight lifting and body building. Many people can not believe that the pictures of me at this age are actually of me, and that's because it required so much work just to pack on a few pounds of muscle, I am genetically not a large guy and if I am not in the gym for 3 hours a day I will wither away to my present size. In desperate moments I considered using steroids but thankfully I have a cousin who tried some and looks like a freak so it was never really an option for me. But, if anything can be said about this experience it is that I fully understand the negative affects the media can have on self image.
For many, like me, the consequences are not that serious. It is more of a right of passage we are all forced to walk through in a society which has no formal right of passage. We must struggle with our identity and how the media portarays people like us and decide what type of person we truely wish to be. Should we give into the pressures the media gives and become "masculine men" and "feminine women" and all that entials through the medias aka societies mind. Or do we break free and define ourselves through our own lens. Unfortunately many people never make it to the stage of self definition and they mold their lives off of this "ideal" image. Even worse still are those who are completely emotionally or physically destroyed by the unrealistic or misrepresentations the media portrays as ideal. I couldn't count how many girls I have known who have struggled through at least a minor eating disorder. (not that any eating disorder could ever be deemed truely "minor")
When it comes to racial stereotypes and the idea that there needs to be black princesses and white servents and all of that stuff I personally think that people who make a big deal about this and point out the lack of diversity are actually causing people to notice that all the princesses are white and servents are black. And when I really think about that, its not even true. I can think of so many examples where this is not the case. And the idea that we should adopt a person of every background for everyrole is just making an issue out of nothing. But, it doesn't really affect me too much so I will just continue to roll my eyes and shrug when someone ggets all bothered over cinderella being white and try not to point out that princess jasmine is persian and ciderella was also a white servent so what do they want? oh well, if it does bother someone then all my sympathy to them, but I believe that there was no malicous intention when they decided to color a girl one way or another and harm can only be taken if it is continually pointed out and we live in a world of diversity and there are tons of examples of that within the media when it comes to ethnicity. Beauty and gender roles are another matter, but I think they are slowly getting better. And its not like making a bunch of princesses fat would really help, thats not healthy either! The focus should be on helping children define themselves and being able to look objectively at the media.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Multimodal Texts
The main thing that I took away from this reading was that while I personally think that it is a great idea to include other forms of texts in the classroom we are adding another important lesson that children need to be taught. There is a difference in what will work for a book and what will work for other medians when it comes to texts. We already know this is the case, as students and teachers, when dealing with novels, biographies, news articles and business letters; but, what about the less conventional medians such as the text message and advert? Each genre comes with its own guidelines, and I am not sure if it is a good thing to teach all of the rules in the classroom and different guidelines, let the kids do what they want and introduce rules gradually, or just stick to the conventional for writing and use alternatives for reading. All suggestions have possibilities, and there are many more options as well.
The one problem is that children may try to use text speak when writing a research paper or something like that. So, it is important to teach different styles and why different styles are used in different genres.
The one problem is that children may try to use text speak when writing a research paper or something like that. So, it is important to teach different styles and why different styles are used in different genres.
Literacy Moves On
This article starts out by pointing out that children are eager to talk about what they know and are interested in.And, I whole heartedly agree, actually I am not sure how you couldn't, and more importantly a child who is already interested in a topic is naturally going to work harder on perfecting when in the classroom. So, what does this suggest for use in the classroom? The rest of the world is changing their strategies with text to draw in children, why isn't the classroom?
Solid point, I liked comparing and contrasting what Janet Evans had to say with the Multimodal Texts passage by Eve Bearne because I feel that while Evans makes a great point it is important to try and establish the caveats in bringing in texts with different rules. Having said that, I think that the classroom does need to evolve after all society has!
Solid point, I liked comparing and contrasting what Janet Evans had to say with the Multimodal Texts passage by Eve Bearne because I feel that while Evans makes a great point it is important to try and establish the caveats in bringing in texts with different rules. Having said that, I think that the classroom does need to evolve after all society has!
Sunday, November 7, 2010
MGRP reflection
Alright, it's over it's over. I really enjoyed the research aspect of this paper, but the making up my own genre's bit was a little bit trying at times. I just sat looking at a long list of options and couldn't decide where to begin. I hope I chose the right five, I feel that I did, but I guess I will let my grade determine the effectiveness of my work.
My favorite bit would have to of been the poem I made, it was funny and I looked up thousands of idioms in order to find the right ones for my purpose. There are a lot of funny sayings out there, most of which I have never heard of but I would love to start using in my everyday conversations with peers just to see their expressions. Most will think that the I have found my way into the Elmers if I try using in an everyday conversation. But, on the other hand, some expressions are old that we use now, and our children will have no idea what they are but then their children will once again use the expression. Words are like fashion, it goes in cyclical trends but the old one day will eventually become chic again. Well, I can't see anyone using plum as an anything in the future but who knows.
If the MGRP had one hidden benefit it would be reorienting me with the microsoft sweet and formating options! I can't wait to turn this in and feel that sense of relief which I have waited so long for!
My favorite bit would have to of been the poem I made, it was funny and I looked up thousands of idioms in order to find the right ones for my purpose. There are a lot of funny sayings out there, most of which I have never heard of but I would love to start using in my everyday conversations with peers just to see their expressions. Most will think that the I have found my way into the Elmers if I try using in an everyday conversation. But, on the other hand, some expressions are old that we use now, and our children will have no idea what they are but then their children will once again use the expression. Words are like fashion, it goes in cyclical trends but the old one day will eventually become chic again. Well, I can't see anyone using plum as an anything in the future but who knows.
If the MGRP had one hidden benefit it would be reorienting me with the microsoft sweet and formating options! I can't wait to turn this in and feel that sense of relief which I have waited so long for!
Thursday, November 4, 2010
My "messed up" teaching philosophy (off topic)
Okay, so this is an off topic post. I know that my views on education are a lot different than most in our class so I thought I would just spell out what my philosophy is and if anyone wanted to talk about it with me I think it would be great. Because, any oppurtunity to see someone elses perspective is an oppurtunity to grow in my opinion.
My overall philosophy is that students need to fail. They need to be consistently taken to the point of failure and they need to know that life goes on and failure is inneveitable if you are pushing yourself as hard as you should. This is in stark contrast to the mentalitly of most American teachers that I have come across. The idea of students making 90's or above in all of their subjects consistently is just a sad sign that they are not being pushed hard enough and they are capable of so much more.
It is my opinion that everyone is unique and special in their own way and these differences should be encouraged. Children are capable of so much more than we are currently giving them credit for. They are capable of failing and picking themselves up and being better for it, it is my experience that the parents are the ones that have the hardest time with this concept.
I know that to many it may come off as cruel to fail everyone in the class if they are not trying hard enough but to me it seems quite cruel not to. We are in a safe learning environment when we are inside of the classroom. And students need to learn what they are capable of within this environment instead of setting them up for failure once they have entered "the real world".
In many ways this is quite a hard way to teach. You have to take each student as an individual and push them to their own individual limits. no student should have to stay behind and wait for the rest of the class to catch up to where they are at, and no student should ever be expected to accept mediocraty. There are close to 6.6 billion people in this world, and each one has a unique nature about themselves, when a student is within my classroom I would like for them to learn how to seperate themselves from the masses.
The common criticism I have gotten when expressing this mindset is that I am not teaching the students to become apathetic and caring. However, it is my opinion that quite the oppposite is true. When pushing a student to become the very best that they are capable of they often find failure and shortcommings within themselves which makes them more understanding of those around them who are struggling. It is also promoting a global environment in which people the professionals are more capable and the people who shouldn't be doctors or lawyers because their strengths lie in other fields are not in positions of power just because their parents had the money to send them to nice universities.
Yes, some students are left behind. In the classroom I am in now there is a student which is holding the entire class back because of how slow he is. This frustrates me to know end, why should the one affect the many? If I was the teacher I would simply move the class on as they are ready to progress with or without him, and I know this seems heartless but it is the job of him and his parents to get him back the the level he needs to be at. I would have an easier time explaining this to one set of parents than explaining to 30 sets of parents why I did not get their children to the level they need to be at. If there was a way to provide seperate instruction for this student outside, I would gladly offer it but bar that I don't feel that it is fair that this child is getting 90's on tests because they are making the levels of tests low enough for him to do so.
My overall philosophy is that students need to fail. They need to be consistently taken to the point of failure and they need to know that life goes on and failure is inneveitable if you are pushing yourself as hard as you should. This is in stark contrast to the mentalitly of most American teachers that I have come across. The idea of students making 90's or above in all of their subjects consistently is just a sad sign that they are not being pushed hard enough and they are capable of so much more.
It is my opinion that everyone is unique and special in their own way and these differences should be encouraged. Children are capable of so much more than we are currently giving them credit for. They are capable of failing and picking themselves up and being better for it, it is my experience that the parents are the ones that have the hardest time with this concept.
I know that to many it may come off as cruel to fail everyone in the class if they are not trying hard enough but to me it seems quite cruel not to. We are in a safe learning environment when we are inside of the classroom. And students need to learn what they are capable of within this environment instead of setting them up for failure once they have entered "the real world".
In many ways this is quite a hard way to teach. You have to take each student as an individual and push them to their own individual limits. no student should have to stay behind and wait for the rest of the class to catch up to where they are at, and no student should ever be expected to accept mediocraty. There are close to 6.6 billion people in this world, and each one has a unique nature about themselves, when a student is within my classroom I would like for them to learn how to seperate themselves from the masses.
The common criticism I have gotten when expressing this mindset is that I am not teaching the students to become apathetic and caring. However, it is my opinion that quite the oppposite is true. When pushing a student to become the very best that they are capable of they often find failure and shortcommings within themselves which makes them more understanding of those around them who are struggling. It is also promoting a global environment in which people the professionals are more capable and the people who shouldn't be doctors or lawyers because their strengths lie in other fields are not in positions of power just because their parents had the money to send them to nice universities.
Yes, some students are left behind. In the classroom I am in now there is a student which is holding the entire class back because of how slow he is. This frustrates me to know end, why should the one affect the many? If I was the teacher I would simply move the class on as they are ready to progress with or without him, and I know this seems heartless but it is the job of him and his parents to get him back the the level he needs to be at. I would have an easier time explaining this to one set of parents than explaining to 30 sets of parents why I did not get their children to the level they need to be at. If there was a way to provide seperate instruction for this student outside, I would gladly offer it but bar that I don't feel that it is fair that this child is getting 90's on tests because they are making the levels of tests low enough for him to do so.
Monday, November 1, 2010
SeedFolk
Is anyone else concerned that the lot in seed folks was being used to dump dangerous chemicals and now people are eating the crops grown there?!
This story was very simplistic and the message was clear, people want to have value and worth. Even though the simplisticity of the story did come off as too stereotypical at times the idea of people wanting to actually make their own good mark on the world is something which I loved.
The story, seedfolks, started with a vietnamese girl planting lima beans in honor of her father. And it ends with her planting lima beans, once again too early in the year but we will see this as a success and not a failure of common sense. Once she planted the seeds the initial reaction was that she was up to no good. Which is a safe assumption in a vacant lot in the ghetto, but I loved the way that the accuser became the savior of her crop.
I also liked how not everyone had the noblest of intentions as they were farming. Several wanted to turn a profit such as the father with his lettuce and the kid who wanted to grow pot. However, everyone seemed to find some worth in their efforts. There is always a positive result when we try to make the world a better place. And that is what I took away from this book and even though in the real world it may not be as blatently obvious I believe this to be true.
The Multigenre part of the reading was a bit dull. I am trying to put together my stuff to hand in next week, but I am swamped with a million other projects. So, I am planning on pulling an all nighter tonight and knocking out everything that I need to do this week.
This story was very simplistic and the message was clear, people want to have value and worth. Even though the simplisticity of the story did come off as too stereotypical at times the idea of people wanting to actually make their own good mark on the world is something which I loved.
The story, seedfolks, started with a vietnamese girl planting lima beans in honor of her father. And it ends with her planting lima beans, once again too early in the year but we will see this as a success and not a failure of common sense. Once she planted the seeds the initial reaction was that she was up to no good. Which is a safe assumption in a vacant lot in the ghetto, but I loved the way that the accuser became the savior of her crop.
I also liked how not everyone had the noblest of intentions as they were farming. Several wanted to turn a profit such as the father with his lettuce and the kid who wanted to grow pot. However, everyone seemed to find some worth in their efforts. There is always a positive result when we try to make the world a better place. And that is what I took away from this book and even though in the real world it may not be as blatently obvious I believe this to be true.
The Multigenre part of the reading was a bit dull. I am trying to put together my stuff to hand in next week, but I am swamped with a million other projects. So, I am planning on pulling an all nighter tonight and knocking out everything that I need to do this week.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Poetry
I feel like I might be in the slight minority after having read others' posts, I have always liked poetry, and this has always seemed like the easiest thing for me to teach students. When I was teaching overseas the idea of grouping together similar sounding words, which is probably the simpilist form of poetry, encourages children because they are able to compose something which actually sounds good quite easily.
On the other hand, some of the ideas presented in this book made absolutely no sense and I am looking forward to class to gain clarification. What is an I Am poem? Which songs that are popular today have lyrics which would even roughly be considered as good poetry? I know that songs do exist, and some rap is amazingly lyrical, but these songs are simply not on the radio and if they are I have never heard them.
I feel that poetry is a good way of expressing a variety of senses in a short composition. A good poem should not only tell you something, but it should make you feel something and think. I tried teaching poetry the first time after reading "Never More-by Edgar Allen Poe" this was such a bad idea! The kids did not understand the poem, and they didn't have a clue what to write when I asked them to get out their pens and paper. The second time I taught them to write Buddha Death Poems, they are simple and profound and more than that they are easy to understand, well superficially at least. This was a much better lesson and I was thinking about different things which I might take from this reading to adapt my style of teaching poetry from now on and I am at a loss. Maybe it will just take me a while to turn over the thoughts and adapt them with my own experiences, but once again, I am really looking forward to class today.
What's your favorite poem and why? Mine is Life Story by Tennesse Williams, because it makes me laugh everytime I read it.
On the other hand, some of the ideas presented in this book made absolutely no sense and I am looking forward to class to gain clarification. What is an I Am poem? Which songs that are popular today have lyrics which would even roughly be considered as good poetry? I know that songs do exist, and some rap is amazingly lyrical, but these songs are simply not on the radio and if they are I have never heard them.
I feel that poetry is a good way of expressing a variety of senses in a short composition. A good poem should not only tell you something, but it should make you feel something and think. I tried teaching poetry the first time after reading "Never More-by Edgar Allen Poe" this was such a bad idea! The kids did not understand the poem, and they didn't have a clue what to write when I asked them to get out their pens and paper. The second time I taught them to write Buddha Death Poems, they are simple and profound and more than that they are easy to understand, well superficially at least. This was a much better lesson and I was thinking about different things which I might take from this reading to adapt my style of teaching poetry from now on and I am at a loss. Maybe it will just take me a while to turn over the thoughts and adapt them with my own experiences, but once again, I am really looking forward to class today.
What's your favorite poem and why? Mine is Life Story by Tennesse Williams, because it makes me laugh everytime I read it.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
MGRP the process and the first readings
I officially hate my computer, or this site, or myself, where is my last post? Does everyone get that little pop up box which asks you to write what you see each time? I think my stuff only goes up half the time, it's probably some popup blocker setting I have on my computer.
Anyways, in summation of what I previously wrote. Wow, there are a lot of potential genre's to choose from. I know that I will do a comic because I found a cool site which allows you to use actual marvel character's to build a panel which I think will work out quite nicely for this assignment. But, besides that I feel, like many people, that there are too many options.
The MGRP went quite well despite changing my stance halfway through my research and having to rewrite the entire paper. But, that is the sign of good and open minded research in my opinion. When I started my paper it was my belief that slang had no place in the classroom. It was lazy speech and if children are learning to spell or use grammatical rules slang just confuses everyone. However, since slang and idiomatic expressions are a part of our everyday life it is something that every student will need to be familiar and fluent in if they are to succeed in this world.
There should however, be a clear defining line between when and when it is not appropriate to use slang. I don't really care if a certain way of speaking is the way that their parents speak. Students should not talk to one another like that in the classroom because it is not good preparation for the caliber of working environment that I would like for my students. I do not want to discredit or take away their cultural identity I just want to prepare them for being a sucessful member of society. Therefore, they will get more than enough practice at home speaking within their local vernacular. I am going to teach the "proper" way.
Anytime slang or idioms are used in the classroom it will be used to open up a lesson of what it means, why it means that, and where it can be used. To use these words carelessly just leads to misunderstandings and limits the potential for learning oppurtunities.
Anyways, in summation of what I previously wrote. Wow, there are a lot of potential genre's to choose from. I know that I will do a comic because I found a cool site which allows you to use actual marvel character's to build a panel which I think will work out quite nicely for this assignment. But, besides that I feel, like many people, that there are too many options.
The MGRP went quite well despite changing my stance halfway through my research and having to rewrite the entire paper. But, that is the sign of good and open minded research in my opinion. When I started my paper it was my belief that slang had no place in the classroom. It was lazy speech and if children are learning to spell or use grammatical rules slang just confuses everyone. However, since slang and idiomatic expressions are a part of our everyday life it is something that every student will need to be familiar and fluent in if they are to succeed in this world.
There should however, be a clear defining line between when and when it is not appropriate to use slang. I don't really care if a certain way of speaking is the way that their parents speak. Students should not talk to one another like that in the classroom because it is not good preparation for the caliber of working environment that I would like for my students. I do not want to discredit or take away their cultural identity I just want to prepare them for being a sucessful member of society. Therefore, they will get more than enough practice at home speaking within their local vernacular. I am going to teach the "proper" way.
Anytime slang or idioms are used in the classroom it will be used to open up a lesson of what it means, why it means that, and where it can be used. To use these words carelessly just leads to misunderstandings and limits the potential for learning oppurtunities.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
My research for the multi-genre research paper is going quite well so far. I have 2 excellent sources that apply directly to the research paper portion and about four more for the comics and other writings the paper should include. My topic is going to be about the difficulty ESL students face in an English classroom because of the heavy usage of idioms in daily language. I was interested in this topic because as a former ESL teacher idioms have been the thorn in the side of my students once they became students in America.
The class I worked in Wednesday isn't really writing at all yet. They were copying one sentence which they saw on the board to a piece of paper and most of the students weren't even able to do this! I am not sure what to do for writing exercises in this course, most of the students can barely read let alone write a simple word. I hope that we are able to have some free writing craft lesson with the students eventually. I would like to see each of them write out a story they are excited to tell. And it almost pains me to say this, but I would be happy if they all even used creative spelling techniques. I know I know, this goes against the fabric of my being as a hyper critical teacher. However, they are honestly barely learning a thing now, and something is better than nothing. Once they get some momentum going in the right direction then we can direct them to learning the rules. But, most of the class is at a stand still.
The science interview went quite well, the students answered the questions in more or less the way I was hoping they would and I am sure that I will be able to build a highly effective science lesson from what I know. I am hoping to include a writing and reading lesson in with the science lesson. This is quite ambitious, especially because of how far behind the class is. But, it is possible.
The class I worked in Wednesday isn't really writing at all yet. They were copying one sentence which they saw on the board to a piece of paper and most of the students weren't even able to do this! I am not sure what to do for writing exercises in this course, most of the students can barely read let alone write a simple word. I hope that we are able to have some free writing craft lesson with the students eventually. I would like to see each of them write out a story they are excited to tell. And it almost pains me to say this, but I would be happy if they all even used creative spelling techniques. I know I know, this goes against the fabric of my being as a hyper critical teacher. However, they are honestly barely learning a thing now, and something is better than nothing. Once they get some momentum going in the right direction then we can direct them to learning the rules. But, most of the class is at a stand still.
The science interview went quite well, the students answered the questions in more or less the way I was hoping they would and I am sure that I will be able to build a highly effective science lesson from what I know. I am hoping to include a writing and reading lesson in with the science lesson. This is quite ambitious, especially because of how far behind the class is. But, it is possible.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Potential real world application!!!!
Well, I am not sure if anyone feels a lot of pressure in writing a perfectly crafted blog now that we have completed the crafting writer’s book, but I sure do. Actually after sitting down and practicing using several of the craft lessons outlined in these books I’ve decided that I need to continue doing a lot of independent work with my writing. I believe I previously mentioned my admiration for the supplemental text “the Elements of Style” by Strunk and White; well, I had to run out and buy another copy this week because my previous edition has gone missing.
Our cohort has finally made it inside of our elementary classrooms, yay! I am very excited at the prospect of presenting a craft writing lesson in a real world environment, and I feel that the teacher I have been placed with, Miss Ingram, will allow me to do so. While the idea of presenting a writing assignment to a group of barely literate first graders would have intimidated me before having taken this course, I now feel up to the task. After all, they are not illiterate, I am sure that every child in this classroom can at least scribble something down which we can build upon.
I’ve taken the book the “the Elements of Style” and began to search through it for an appropriate lesson topic and there was absolutely nothing that I could directly translate into a lesson suitable for a first grade classroom. However, with the help of the book, and to illustrate what I have gained by having read this book, I believe I can use a lesson explicitly taken from the text and as I grow as a teacher and writer build my own lessons. The idea of having a student draw a picture and then write about what they drew was our first reading topic. This would work exceptionally well in a low level classroom like the one I am currently in.
Our first science lesson is going to be on the topic of melting and freezing, so I was hoping to incorporate the use of adjectives to a writing assignment. To draw a picture of their favorite season and describe what they like about it using climate related words. “I love winter because of the cold snow and hot drinks.” Or, something along those lines at the very least. I am inspired by the passages in chapter ten of this week’s reading which told of a student reliving her feelings when she wrote about a plane trip. This is exactly what we want from our students when they tell a story. We want them to feel what they write so that they are able to in turn own the lesson.
The assessment section of the book will in turn become an invaluable resource once I get to work in a real world setting. While, a lot of the concepts seemed a bit abstract at the moment, because I have not yet personally held a conference with a student in regards to their writing, I am hoping to “own” these lessons once I put them into practice.
I liked the idea of first encouraging the student by telling them what they have done write, while I sometimes find faults in Hale's examples as she translates them to her own life, the fundamental idea remains well rooted. I have this fear that the students will hear the encouraging words assume they have done well enough and become complacent. I know that when I put my first student through conference I will have to stick to the script so to speak. It is just so easy for me to tell kids that they are doing great, keep up the good work and oh by the way would you like to work on such in such for next time. The conferences given in this book often used the method of making the student tell the teacher what they have learned. This seems like such a great method! Now, the students have discovered what they want to improve upon and they are able to own the lesson. I can't wait to try this out and I hope that we are able to present at least a couple craft lessons over the semester.
Our cohort has finally made it inside of our elementary classrooms, yay! I am very excited at the prospect of presenting a craft writing lesson in a real world environment, and I feel that the teacher I have been placed with, Miss Ingram, will allow me to do so. While the idea of presenting a writing assignment to a group of barely literate first graders would have intimidated me before having taken this course, I now feel up to the task. After all, they are not illiterate, I am sure that every child in this classroom can at least scribble something down which we can build upon.
I’ve taken the book the “the Elements of Style” and began to search through it for an appropriate lesson topic and there was absolutely nothing that I could directly translate into a lesson suitable for a first grade classroom. However, with the help of the book, and to illustrate what I have gained by having read this book, I believe I can use a lesson explicitly taken from the text and as I grow as a teacher and writer build my own lessons. The idea of having a student draw a picture and then write about what they drew was our first reading topic. This would work exceptionally well in a low level classroom like the one I am currently in.
Our first science lesson is going to be on the topic of melting and freezing, so I was hoping to incorporate the use of adjectives to a writing assignment. To draw a picture of their favorite season and describe what they like about it using climate related words. “I love winter because of the cold snow and hot drinks.” Or, something along those lines at the very least. I am inspired by the passages in chapter ten of this week’s reading which told of a student reliving her feelings when she wrote about a plane trip. This is exactly what we want from our students when they tell a story. We want them to feel what they write so that they are able to in turn own the lesson.
The assessment section of the book will in turn become an invaluable resource once I get to work in a real world setting. While, a lot of the concepts seemed a bit abstract at the moment, because I have not yet personally held a conference with a student in regards to their writing, I am hoping to “own” these lessons once I put them into practice.
I liked the idea of first encouraging the student by telling them what they have done write, while I sometimes find faults in Hale's examples as she translates them to her own life, the fundamental idea remains well rooted. I have this fear that the students will hear the encouraging words assume they have done well enough and become complacent. I know that when I put my first student through conference I will have to stick to the script so to speak. It is just so easy for me to tell kids that they are doing great, keep up the good work and oh by the way would you like to work on such in such for next time. The conferences given in this book often used the method of making the student tell the teacher what they have learned. This seems like such a great method! Now, the students have discovered what they want to improve upon and they are able to own the lesson. I can't wait to try this out and I hope that we are able to present at least a couple craft lessons over the semester.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Crafting Writers part deuce
As a summary, walks us through several key concepts about craft writing exercises followed by several lessons. After reading last week’s reading I hadn’t bothered looking ahead at this week’s assignment and I must say that I am pleasantly surprised. The explicit nature of instruction gives me a lot more confidence in trying this with my future class. I am, however, still a little nervous about choosing an appropriate topic for my theoretical class’s ability level.
Just to spitfire some ideas I have thought of taking the lessons presented and assigning them to an approximate grade level. I know that each group will present a specific requirement independent of any overarching standardization that we as teachers could impose. But, a ballpark estimate seems to be in order here. Sentence variety, is a fairly basic concept and I feel that I could try to teach this to a first grade classroom by the end of the first semester. However, inside sentences seems to be beyond the scope of a first grader. I would guess that this would be an appropriate craft lesson for second or third graders on upwards. Feeling+as+action’s craft lesson would probably be most appropriate for third graders and all lessons are possible by the beginning of first grade.
Having shown my ignorance of the different ability levels of children of different ages I am wondering how to find out. I know the standards are ridiculously low in the lower grades, and I would never teach to the standard. I would, however, like to know the average levels of different age groups. Would anyone know where to find information like this?
The next chapter focuses on determining an individual student’s level and then working with that specific student in the most effective manner possible. While, this is very helpful I would still like a guideline as to where a child should be at on average, not at a minimum. Maybe my mindset is currently too concerned with empirical measurable data, but that is my only real concern thus far with the book.
We are then given instructions for outlining an effective conference with a student and then the follow up steps which will help us plan craft writing to suit their specific needs. I can’t wait to get in the classroom and put these methods to practice! I love sitting an individual student down who is struggling with a subject and showing them their strengths and seeing the barriers to learning fall down effortlessly for them. While reading I was reminded of my student John who was the class bully at twice the second largest students size. I actually tutored him individually for several months before he opened up completely and went from a very limited vocabulary to the star student in my classroom. John was the brightest student in the classroom and he was finally starting to act like it thanks to his ability to believe in himself. I loved this parallel I was able to make from my student John to the example student, Jonathan, which Hale writes about.
Once again, the explicit layouts are comforting in this book. I feel that even if I might fail in small areas of craft writing when starting out the book is a comforting support system with it’s easy to follow examples. On top of the specific reading I was able to think of the diagram we have seen projected several times on Mondays showing us were the skills meet and when we should moderate. Teaching seems to be more of an art-form than science. Teaching is a balancing of three forces; presenting usable knowledge while hindering the qualms and encouraging the growth of a pupil. I really hope that I am able to become an effective teacher, and I feel that proper implementation of what this book presents to us will be an enormous first step.
Just to spitfire some ideas I have thought of taking the lessons presented and assigning them to an approximate grade level. I know that each group will present a specific requirement independent of any overarching standardization that we as teachers could impose. But, a ballpark estimate seems to be in order here. Sentence variety, is a fairly basic concept and I feel that I could try to teach this to a first grade classroom by the end of the first semester. However, inside sentences seems to be beyond the scope of a first grader. I would guess that this would be an appropriate craft lesson for second or third graders on upwards. Feeling+as+action’s craft lesson would probably be most appropriate for third graders and all lessons are possible by the beginning of first grade.
Having shown my ignorance of the different ability levels of children of different ages I am wondering how to find out. I know the standards are ridiculously low in the lower grades, and I would never teach to the standard. I would, however, like to know the average levels of different age groups. Would anyone know where to find information like this?
The next chapter focuses on determining an individual student’s level and then working with that specific student in the most effective manner possible. While, this is very helpful I would still like a guideline as to where a child should be at on average, not at a minimum. Maybe my mindset is currently too concerned with empirical measurable data, but that is my only real concern thus far with the book.
We are then given instructions for outlining an effective conference with a student and then the follow up steps which will help us plan craft writing to suit their specific needs. I can’t wait to get in the classroom and put these methods to practice! I love sitting an individual student down who is struggling with a subject and showing them their strengths and seeing the barriers to learning fall down effortlessly for them. While reading I was reminded of my student John who was the class bully at twice the second largest students size. I actually tutored him individually for several months before he opened up completely and went from a very limited vocabulary to the star student in my classroom. John was the brightest student in the classroom and he was finally starting to act like it thanks to his ability to believe in himself. I loved this parallel I was able to make from my student John to the example student, Jonathan, which Hale writes about.
Once again, the explicit layouts are comforting in this book. I feel that even if I might fail in small areas of craft writing when starting out the book is a comforting support system with it’s easy to follow examples. On top of the specific reading I was able to think of the diagram we have seen projected several times on Mondays showing us were the skills meet and when we should moderate. Teaching seems to be more of an art-form than science. Teaching is a balancing of three forces; presenting usable knowledge while hindering the qualms and encouraging the growth of a pupil. I really hope that I am able to become an effective teacher, and I feel that proper implementation of what this book presents to us will be an enormous first step.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Crafting Writers
Teaching specific craft writing is teaching specific tools to a student that may not be immediately obvious when studying the broad scope of writing. (pg.11 Crafting-Hale) "...shows student's one particular way to write at a time so that each one is small enough to hold in their hands and own."
The goal is to allow the student to write in their own voice, and style. To own their own writing. While this is probably a nightmare to grade as a teacher, it is more likely to keep the students interested in developing their own writing techniques for years to come.
I feel that craft writing is a great way to teach a class of students that has a wide range of ability levels. The student who has not read much on their own will naturally struggle, and s/he is presented with an almost formulaic way to produce voice in their own writing which will encourage them to write more on their own. And the student who's independently well read is presented with the tools necessary to use their favorite author’s techniques to create a writing they enjoy.
Most students will try to recreate their favorite author’s style while attempting to write creatively. I remember trying to write like Roald Dahl when I was asked to write a short story in class, and consequently getting low marks. Dahl like many authors breaks a lot of grammatical rules, and without understanding the techniques he was using my words become incoherent jumble.
Which brings up the basic lesson I learned from English class, you must learn all the mechanics and rules to eventually learn that all may be broken at the whim of a talented author.
It is best to encourage the students to write as they would like by giving them the tools they will need to do so. While there are too many craft techniques to ever teach any one person I feel that eventually we as teachers should teach students how to purposefully read. Just as we, as teachers, are encouraged to dissect writings in search of useful techniques our students must eventually learn to do. While this is outside the scope of what we have read so far in this book, I feel that it is the next necessary step in the process.
While reading this book I started thinking of how I was taught to write, and how that has shaped the type of writer I am today. My mother, and English teacher, would physically harm me if she witnessed my consistent disregard for grammatical rules when I write.
As a journalist my pieces were often just scribbled down as an e-mail in an internet cafe and accompanied by a picture or two, I had reverted to the techniques they teach in the lower grades! Yet, it was what was required to function.
This is an example of what I have sent into a newspaper, the Bangkok post, for publication about a year or so ago.
“Aprox. 300 Red shirts march. 19:00 explosions heard. 19:25 Riot police arrive, tear gas everywhere…too windy just irks red shirts. More rioters coming out. 23:00 police set up camp, guns everywhere. Very few injuries no fatalities. Red shirts locked down and seem to be set on staying, both sides at stalemate.”
There is no style,or voice in this writing and the laws of grammar are blatantly ignored. But, it has served it's purpose. My pictures were published and an editor pieced together my description into a more legible article. And this is how I write when in the field. Function above style. Should we teach students this type of writing? I think not, it is something that we naturally do when the situation arises. And different situations call for different styles of writing; which is why teaching craft writing is such an important part of the English education process. A student must eventually be able to adapt their writings to fit their immediate needs.
Writing for an online publication requires shorter paragraphs making it easier for the reader to break up main ideas. While on a “battlefield” just getting the facts down and watching your surroundings is the main objective. However, while in a classroom setting it is important to follow the rules of grammar and adapt one’s personal style to fit within these rules. (I think that I may have been off topic a bit, but these are some of the thoughts that occurred to me while I was reading today.)
It is my current, and rather inexperienced, opinion that craft writing should be taught as a way to encourage students to write independently at home. It is a tool which will motivate students to learn the rules and mechanics because they can see the beginnings of their own voice within their writing. Craft writing will keep their attention and excitement while they work diligently through the necessary rules, mechanics and memorizations which are inherent to any language. The book gives a lot of useful craft techniques, and I am going to enjoy practicing them over the next couple of weeks. And even though Ms. Hale mentions that a teacher doesn't necessarily have to take it upon themselves to seek out craft techniques, I agree with her when she suggests that it is best. Performing purposeful readings in search of craft techniques will make us all more "fit" to teach and find craft techniques in our students work.
The goal is to allow the student to write in their own voice, and style. To own their own writing. While this is probably a nightmare to grade as a teacher, it is more likely to keep the students interested in developing their own writing techniques for years to come.
I feel that craft writing is a great way to teach a class of students that has a wide range of ability levels. The student who has not read much on their own will naturally struggle, and s/he is presented with an almost formulaic way to produce voice in their own writing which will encourage them to write more on their own. And the student who's independently well read is presented with the tools necessary to use their favorite author’s techniques to create a writing they enjoy.
Most students will try to recreate their favorite author’s style while attempting to write creatively. I remember trying to write like Roald Dahl when I was asked to write a short story in class, and consequently getting low marks. Dahl like many authors breaks a lot of grammatical rules, and without understanding the techniques he was using my words become incoherent jumble.
Which brings up the basic lesson I learned from English class, you must learn all the mechanics and rules to eventually learn that all may be broken at the whim of a talented author.
It is best to encourage the students to write as they would like by giving them the tools they will need to do so. While there are too many craft techniques to ever teach any one person I feel that eventually we as teachers should teach students how to purposefully read. Just as we, as teachers, are encouraged to dissect writings in search of useful techniques our students must eventually learn to do. While this is outside the scope of what we have read so far in this book, I feel that it is the next necessary step in the process.
While reading this book I started thinking of how I was taught to write, and how that has shaped the type of writer I am today. My mother, and English teacher, would physically harm me if she witnessed my consistent disregard for grammatical rules when I write.
As a journalist my pieces were often just scribbled down as an e-mail in an internet cafe and accompanied by a picture or two, I had reverted to the techniques they teach in the lower grades! Yet, it was what was required to function.
This is an example of what I have sent into a newspaper, the Bangkok post, for publication about a year or so ago.
“Aprox. 300 Red shirts march. 19:00 explosions heard. 19:25 Riot police arrive, tear gas everywhere…too windy just irks red shirts. More rioters coming out. 23:00 police set up camp, guns everywhere. Very few injuries no fatalities. Red shirts locked down and seem to be set on staying, both sides at stalemate.”
There is no style,or voice in this writing and the laws of grammar are blatantly ignored. But, it has served it's purpose. My pictures were published and an editor pieced together my description into a more legible article. And this is how I write when in the field. Function above style. Should we teach students this type of writing? I think not, it is something that we naturally do when the situation arises. And different situations call for different styles of writing; which is why teaching craft writing is such an important part of the English education process. A student must eventually be able to adapt their writings to fit their immediate needs.
Writing for an online publication requires shorter paragraphs making it easier for the reader to break up main ideas. While on a “battlefield” just getting the facts down and watching your surroundings is the main objective. However, while in a classroom setting it is important to follow the rules of grammar and adapt one’s personal style to fit within these rules. (I think that I may have been off topic a bit, but these are some of the thoughts that occurred to me while I was reading today.)
It is my current, and rather inexperienced, opinion that craft writing should be taught as a way to encourage students to write independently at home. It is a tool which will motivate students to learn the rules and mechanics because they can see the beginnings of their own voice within their writing. Craft writing will keep their attention and excitement while they work diligently through the necessary rules, mechanics and memorizations which are inherent to any language. The book gives a lot of useful craft techniques, and I am going to enjoy practicing them over the next couple of weeks. And even though Ms. Hale mentions that a teacher doesn't necessarily have to take it upon themselves to seek out craft techniques, I agree with her when she suggests that it is best. Performing purposeful readings in search of craft techniques will make us all more "fit" to teach and find craft techniques in our students work.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Sound Systems
Wow, there is a lot of material to cover in this one post so I will try to keep it as short as possible without missing anything too major. First of all; the stages of development are worth noting. It makes sense that different methods should be used at different stages, however I feel that an advanced student might become bored with a classroom that adheres too readily to this layout. I feel that it is completely possible to have students in three separate phases all within one lower level grade. After all, the child who's parent's read to him will come in well prepared while the neglected child might be way behind.
The linguist lessons in this book were interesting, as someone who has taught English as a second language I was noticing some of the common mistakes my students made within the charts. Now, wouldn't pronunciation play a key part in the child's ability to pick up on a phonetically based writing workshop? Say for instance a child who grows up in the Midwest would spell hill differently than a child from the Bronx because of the varying pronunciations. Yet, the students will learn rules such as e=eh in pen, when they are pronouncing the words pin and pen the same because of local dialect.
Another part of the book which I had trouble with was the terms they expected us to know. I had no idea what cvc on page 7 meant, a classmate had to explain consonant vowel consonant for me to understand what they were talking about. This is probably common knowledge, but I had never heard of the abbreviation before today.
The book also suggests to break a class up into homogeneous groups. However, our math book warns against this strongly. Which is correct? Is a homogeneous group better for literature while a heterogeneous is better for math, or is this just a difference of opinion due to teaching styles?
The linguist lessons in this book were interesting, as someone who has taught English as a second language I was noticing some of the common mistakes my students made within the charts. Now, wouldn't pronunciation play a key part in the child's ability to pick up on a phonetically based writing workshop? Say for instance a child who grows up in the Midwest would spell hill differently than a child from the Bronx because of the varying pronunciations. Yet, the students will learn rules such as e=eh in pen, when they are pronouncing the words pin and pen the same because of local dialect.
Another part of the book which I had trouble with was the terms they expected us to know. I had no idea what cvc on page 7 meant, a classmate had to explain consonant vowel consonant for me to understand what they were talking about. This is probably common knowledge, but I had never heard of the abbreviation before today.
The book also suggests to break a class up into homogeneous groups. However, our math book warns against this strongly. Which is correct? Is a homogeneous group better for literature while a heterogeneous is better for math, or is this just a difference of opinion due to teaching styles?
First blog entry taken from old site
WOW, sorry to everyone that followed my other page, I didn't realize I was posting on another site I had set up. How many of these things have I made now???
A teacher realizes that her student's are taking writing assignments seriously online, but not in class. This causes her to research using technology in the education classroom as a learning tool. Through collaboration with IU she begins to implement an online class assignment.
The first run was successful, but the second trial was doomed by a mistake which takes the computer's away from the students. However, the article seems to conclude that the classroom must adapt to technology if we are to teach our students effectively.
While I agree with this conclusion, technology must be used. It gives the students a feeling of importance by publishing their work so that anyone can read. The immediate feedback and ability to retort gives the students a feeling of voice and importance. However, there are a lot of technical issues which must be considered. For me, this is the third time I have written this blog entry and if that were to happen to a student I feel that they might become frustrated and just give up. I'm not sure how an English grade should be determined by computer aptitude, and this is just one of many issues that may arise in the classroom if computers were solely used.
A teacher realizes that her student's are taking writing assignments seriously online, but not in class. This causes her to research using technology in the education classroom as a learning tool. Through collaboration with IU she begins to implement an online class assignment.
The first run was successful, but the second trial was doomed by a mistake which takes the computer's away from the students. However, the article seems to conclude that the classroom must adapt to technology if we are to teach our students effectively.
While I agree with this conclusion, technology must be used. It gives the students a feeling of importance by publishing their work so that anyone can read. The immediate feedback and ability to retort gives the students a feeling of voice and importance. However, there are a lot of technical issues which must be considered. For me, this is the third time I have written this blog entry and if that were to happen to a student I feel that they might become frustrated and just give up. I'm not sure how an English grade should be determined by computer aptitude, and this is just one of many issues that may arise in the classroom if computers were solely used.
Every Mark on the page
I loved this article, and as a soon to be teacher I have already made a mental note to start each school year with an explanation to the parents of what I expect of the students. This article goes along well with my idea that the early years need to focus on encouraging learning and not punishing mistakes.
I believe, as the author of this article does, that mistakes are often a very good sign. A mistake can actually be a progressive step forward such as inventive spelling. By nourishing the process instead of hindering the mistakes we are encouraging students to learn for themselves and to remain excited about school.
As a teacher of younger children I remember the first months of school filled with excited faces which gradually changed into the older faces of students who hated school. And, a lot of this was because the methods other teacher's and the student's families used. A mistake on a page means that it is to be rewritten ten times correctly. After a couple of months my students hated turning in papers, because they knew what every mistake would mean for them. It destroyed their confidence and desire to learn. If I had been able to clearly communicate with the parents I would have loved to have told them "mistake's are ok, and not neccessarily a bad thing at all."
The article talked about how different "errors" could be interperted and I feel that it is worth noting that almost everything was positive. While I am sure shs selected the optimal piece for writing this article, it also gives a lot of great examples. I would have liked to of had a couple more bad mistakes pointed out though. Perhaps, the child is writing from right to left, which shows they have not yet grasped the layout of writing. Or something along those lines I may have given a bad example.
I believe, as the author of this article does, that mistakes are often a very good sign. A mistake can actually be a progressive step forward such as inventive spelling. By nourishing the process instead of hindering the mistakes we are encouraging students to learn for themselves and to remain excited about school.
As a teacher of younger children I remember the first months of school filled with excited faces which gradually changed into the older faces of students who hated school. And, a lot of this was because the methods other teacher's and the student's families used. A mistake on a page means that it is to be rewritten ten times correctly. After a couple of months my students hated turning in papers, because they knew what every mistake would mean for them. It destroyed their confidence and desire to learn. If I had been able to clearly communicate with the parents I would have loved to have told them "mistake's are ok, and not neccessarily a bad thing at all."
The article talked about how different "errors" could be interperted and I feel that it is worth noting that almost everything was positive. While I am sure shs selected the optimal piece for writing this article, it also gives a lot of great examples. I would have liked to of had a couple more bad mistakes pointed out though. Perhaps, the child is writing from right to left, which shows they have not yet grasped the layout of writing. Or something along those lines I may have given a bad example.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
FOOD COURT!!!!!
Literacy Dig
The group I was in, the purple folder group, chose to visit a mall’s food court in search of literacy in the everyday world. I was actually surprised to find several different versions of writing; news reports, advertisements, advisory instructions, menus, and academic. While menus, advertisements and instructions were expected when visiting a place where food is served it was the way in which they were presented which is worth noting. There were enough pictures on the menu to order without the ability to read English, and the signs such as slippery provided a graphic representation of the caveat. While this is necessary due to the high volume of people who cannot read because of education faults, age levels or the lack of time spent in an English country the graphics themselves hold a visual understanding which pick up where words in their written form fail.
Upon entering the food court itself we walked past a Newspaper dispenser, there was no one in the food court actually reading a paper but these were there none the less for anyone to purchase and read while lounging in the food centre. There was a soap dispenser which gave written instructions for those in preparation of dining which was located in the direct center of the table cluster. And the menus themselves hung over the places to order food and where often accompanied with pictures of the food items along with combination specials unique to each location. One of the discussions I personally heard was between two college students after they had walked along each restaurant looking at the menus. “do you see anything good?” the other student responded “no, too expensive for what you get” and they both walked off.
There was a younger student working on his homework while his mother helped commented and corrected what he was doing. And there was a lady using a computer but besides that there wasn’t a lot of reading going on at the mall’s food court.
There were advertisements for shops all around which the owners of the shops would like for all of us to read but most try to ignore. And there were a couple of signs tucked away in the corner by the restrooms which said “slippery” and “closed, sorry about the inconvenience”, but neither of these signs was currently being used.
It was my specific task to observe the layout of the area and take artifacts. The tables were arranged in a concentric pattern with four aisles converging in the center where the sanitization center was. Restaurants lined about a quarter of the perimeter with an aisle on one side which went to a restroom and a hallway on the other side which went to the stores. There was a stand of gumball machines and sweets near the restroom. Hopefully my photos upload properly since the napkins and condiment packet were the only artifacts which I was able to find to grab.
The group I was in, the purple folder group, chose to visit a mall’s food court in search of literacy in the everyday world. I was actually surprised to find several different versions of writing; news reports, advertisements, advisory instructions, menus, and academic. While menus, advertisements and instructions were expected when visiting a place where food is served it was the way in which they were presented which is worth noting. There were enough pictures on the menu to order without the ability to read English, and the signs such as slippery provided a graphic representation of the caveat. While this is necessary due to the high volume of people who cannot read because of education faults, age levels or the lack of time spent in an English country the graphics themselves hold a visual understanding which pick up where words in their written form fail.
Upon entering the food court itself we walked past a Newspaper dispenser, there was no one in the food court actually reading a paper but these were there none the less for anyone to purchase and read while lounging in the food centre. There was a soap dispenser which gave written instructions for those in preparation of dining which was located in the direct center of the table cluster. And the menus themselves hung over the places to order food and where often accompanied with pictures of the food items along with combination specials unique to each location. One of the discussions I personally heard was between two college students after they had walked along each restaurant looking at the menus. “do you see anything good?” the other student responded “no, too expensive for what you get” and they both walked off.
There was a younger student working on his homework while his mother helped commented and corrected what he was doing. And there was a lady using a computer but besides that there wasn’t a lot of reading going on at the mall’s food court.
There were advertisements for shops all around which the owners of the shops would like for all of us to read but most try to ignore. And there were a couple of signs tucked away in the corner by the restrooms which said “slippery” and “closed, sorry about the inconvenience”, but neither of these signs was currently being used.
It was my specific task to observe the layout of the area and take artifacts. The tables were arranged in a concentric pattern with four aisles converging in the center where the sanitization center was. Restaurants lined about a quarter of the perimeter with an aisle on one side which went to a restroom and a hallway on the other side which went to the stores. There was a stand of gumball machines and sweets near the restroom. Hopefully my photos upload properly since the napkins and condiment packet were the only artifacts which I was able to find to grab.
auto revert
Sorry about the confusion. For some reason, unknown to me, blogspot decided to reactivate a long forgotten blog I created and I am not sure where my class posts have went. I am rewriting my last two submissions, or actually adding to what I have saved in a word document then resubmitting.
I hope these go through properly...But, this is probably a good argument against using a website like blogger with younger students. If all of their old personal posts popped up as mine have and decided to delete the new posts they would probably fail the course or just become frustrated and give up.
Having said that I think that technology is great, and the problem is easily fixed.
I hope these go through properly...But, this is probably a good argument against using a website like blogger with younger students. If all of their old personal posts popped up as mine have and decided to delete the new posts they would probably fail the course or just become frustrated and give up.
Having said that I think that technology is great, and the problem is easily fixed.
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