Pirates

Internet Workshop and Blog Publishing Post:

 This article is informative and should be read by pre-service teachers as well as more “seasoned” educators.  The first thing that grabbed my attention was using computer technology to teach the “values of good citizenship” (p. 3).  Citizenship across time is one of the standards on the Social Studies SCOS, it is also an important factor in being a responsible computer user.  I think that these things go hand in hand and can be integrated flawlessly.  Being a good citizen has added meaning when you think of it in terms of what that meant 60 years ago and what that means in this age of advanced technology.

The use of blogs and internet research does go beyond the use of textbooks as indicated in this article.  Textbooks are so limited in what they can teach.  They do nothing to aide in building a sense of community, which blogs can do effortlessly.  The internet provides sites, charts, data, and photos that all students can gain insight from, textbooks are limited due to being written at a certain grade level and with a certain purpose.  Students can also spend more time researching themes within the unit they are most interested in.  Students are able to find research that they can argue with or agree with, due to additional research.  They are encouraged to investigate and form their own opinions based on their investigations.  Computer research seems to encourage looking up more than one site.

This article demonstrates how teachers can maximize their instructional time by bookmarking sites.  This is an idea that I may have overlooked.  This will keep students on track and out of trouble.  I had no idea that there were search engines specifically designed for children.  This makes me feel much safer about students independently searching for information. 

Too often when teachers rely on textbooks for building content knowledge, they demand that children search for only the one “right” answer.  This article proves that with thoughtful internet research and student workshops students can create their own viewpoints based on their own research.  This makes learning personal, which is much more valuable than reading and answering questions at the end of the chapter in a textbook.

When I worked in my Practicum placement, we read a few books about pirates to the students over the course of a few days.  The students did not know if pirates were real, they genuinely did not know.  The teacher had a tough time explaining to the students that there were in fact real pirates and their place in history.  I believe that through a unit similar to this those children would have completely understood the role of pirates in shaping Colonial America.

I do believe that blogs are useful tools in today’s classroom.  When reading the section, Publishing with Blogs, I thought about how exciting it would be to have children become pen pals with a classroom from another district that was also studying pirates and share the information that each classroom learned.  Another important aspect of blogging is sharing student’s works with their parents.  I think that in addition to sharing students work, teachers should use blogs to show examples of how to solve student’s homework problems.  I think that too many times parents are lost when it comes to helping their children with homework. 

Using blogs to discuss current events is a great idea, also.  Children must have the opportunity to talk about things that they hear about in the news.  Blogs with sections for current event discussions allows the chance for this happen.  I think that it would be nice for children to this anonymously.

This article makes me feel as though, with a little preparation computer research based units will be an unmatched learning tool.

Swashbuckling Adventures on the High Seas:

This makes this Unit of Study so user friendly.  I think that these organizational tools will be useful to any type of learner.  They are made so that students can place personal meaning into what they are learning.  The double entry diary calls for reading, writing, rereading, and discussing.  This ensures that learning will take place.  The terms that students will come across is helpful for students to know what words to keep an eye out for. 

The data retrieval chart is an organizational tool that requires students cite their work, which teaches children responsible researching skills.  The chart also helps students see what information is most important.  It creates a focus of study.

Twin Text Study:

The idea of integrating fiction and nonfiction into unit of study is a good idea for many reasons.  Some children gravitate towards fiction books and others towards nonfiction.  Using both types of books will appeal to most students at some level.  Children will learn new things about pirates through both types of books. 

The guided questions provided in the article will help children to remain focused while reading.  Teachers can do this in advance to help children stay motivated and on task.  This will benefit diverse learners, as well.

I think that using twin text studies would be beneficial in all areas of curriculum.  Science and health units could be enhanced by using this approach.

Response: Integrating Instruction-Level Social Studies Trade Books for Struggling Readers in Upper Elementary Grades

Children should not think of school as being frustrating.  They should feel challenged, not cheated by their teacher.  But, we are cheating students if we do not provide them each day with opportunities to feel successful.  Jon, the child mentioned in the article has to choose whether or not to read or to pretend to have read.  This is not fair to him.  Jon is not able to build interest in what he is reading before he has to put it down.  I think that with the information put forth in this article I will know how to help students like Jon.

The statement, “Kids not only need to read a lot but they also need lots of books they can read right at their fingertips” challenges teachers to fill their bookshelves with books at all levels.  I learned in Dr. Fitts’ diversity class the importance of supplementing history textbooks with other books for the purpose of having non-biased books, but now I see other reasons to do so.

I found the research supporting the growth in reading fluency with children who are provided classroom-level-matched texts motivating.  This is enough to make me utilize the “The List” when I chose books for children to read to integrate with Social Studies lessons.

When I read the section on what comprises a good children’s book, I thought about my personal reading experiences.  My favorite books are ones that have expanded my awareness, as mentioned in this section. I read The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns this summer and my level of empathy for those in the Middle East grew immensely.  These are works of fiction, but are based on real-life events.  They made me feel as though I have a personal connection to what is going on in that war-torn area.  The idea that good books do not, “overtly teach or moralize,” is something that I have not put too much thought in.  But, after reading this I think that it would bore the reader to be outright preached to when reading about social studies.  It is also important to realize that real human experiences must be described.  Children will not learn anything about historical events if they are based on false information.

The idea that the literary unit should be based on a common reading context is freeing for me to think of, as a teacher.  I should not feel as though all children must read the same book for the unit to be successful.  I think that to expand upon this, the idea of students reading different books, as mentioned in the unit on slavery, would provide the classroom a rich book discussion on what each child learned.  There would be no need for children to know the reason that they are reading different texts.

I think that all children deserve success at whatever level they are at.  The book list provided will make that easier when I am teaching.  As I see in my intern classroom and in my children’s classes.  Individuals at different levels make up each class, successful teachers are the ones who are able to see them as individuals and implement ways to meet each child where they are at and allow opportunities for them to grow.

Poetry and Book Responses

Poetry

My thoughts on poetry are that it is personal, not right or wrong, can rhyme or not, must have meaning to the author, insightful, not fun for all, but should be, and can be about anything at all.

I enjoy writing poetry because even though there are rules for some types of poetry such as Haiku, there are not rigid rules for all types of poetry.

I think that when children are taught free verse poetry they feel free to write about what they want to.  They learn to embrace poetry and make it personal.  Poetry should not be feared!

Brown Angels:

I mentioned in class and in a previous post the poem, Love That Boy.  I would love to frame this poem for everyone who knows and loves a little boy.  My father-in-law and my husband would agree that I can hold my Charlie and “feed him cherry pie”, but they will, “get him bye and bye.”  That is just one stanza out of the four that I can relate to.  I not only like this poem because I relate to it, but I love the rhythm of this poem.

I find humor in the poem, They.  It makes me think of the older generation scoffing at younger generations.  I can hear shoes shuffling on a dirty wood floor, when I read the line, “A-scuffling and A-snuffling”.

I do not know if Walter Dean Myers has grandchildren, but when I read his poems, I hear him reciting the poems to his grandchildren, with a sparkle in his eye and contented, pride in his voice.

all the small poems and fourteen more:

I will have this book in classroom; it will be an awesome tool to use when introducing poetry to my students.  I think it would be fun to pass around a box filled with various items and have the children write a short free verse poem about the item.  I think it would be fun to have the children match the poem to the item.

I carry a horse chestnut in my pocketbook, so I related to this poem.  As I read it I wanted to hold the chestnut in my hand.  Because as the poem says, “it just, Fits the hand.”

LOVE THAT DOG:

So many times I read children’s literature from a girl’s viewpoint.  This book is great because the writer is a little boy.  So many children and adults can relate to this book.  Jack evolves from a child who does not like or understand poetry to a poet, himself.  His poems are so personal.  I think that it is neat that the poems that Miss Stretchberry used are printed in the back of the book.  My Yellow Dog, by Jack is very thoughtful.  Jack prefaces this poem with such exciting vocabulary; his mind was, “pop-pop-popping” because he never knew a poet could do that.  Students will learn about poetry through Jack and his poetry.

My Name and Love that Poetry!

My Name:

My mom chose my name.  She had a Sunday school teacher named Connie Felker; this lady was also her neighbor.  She loved going to visit Miss Felker.  Miss Felker was not married and had no children, so she doted on my Mom and her brother and sister.  She always had “Connie Cookies” for them when they came to visit.  My Mom decided to honor her by naming me Connie.  I have a sampler that this lady cross-stitched for me when I was born.  I also have the recipe for Connie Cookies and make them often.

I love having a name that has a special meaning.  Growing up, I felt special because no one else had my name.  I have never met anyone my age who shares my name.  I have met only a few people who are older than me named Connie.

Connie is a diminutive of Constance.  My preacher, Mr. Bridges always called me Constance, he knew that he would get a reaction from me and he loved it!   According to behindthename.com, “Constance is the medieval form of Constantia and was introduced to England by the Normans.”  It was the name of William the Conquerer’s daughter.  Meanings associated with Connie are, “Fidelity, Firm, Tactful, Shrewd, the One with simple tastes,” according to www.baby-names-meanings.net.  I think that these descriptions are true for me.

Searching howmanyofme.com, I discovered that there are six other Connie Wyant’s living in the U.S.  A google search showed me that one of these Connie Wyant’s is a criminal!  She is currently in jail in Tennessee!  Howmanyofme.com also stated that, “there are 316,156 people in the U.S. with the first name Connie, it is the 202nd most popular first name.”  Wyant is not a very common last name; the site told me that it is the 5185^th most popular last name in the U.S.  Out of the 308,445,291 people in the U.S., 7,080 people have this last name.

I do not think you can give anyone a greater honor than naming you child after them.  I think that it creates a unique tie to previous generations.  I am honored to be named after someone who was so special to my mom.  When I named my children I gave them names of special family members.  I hope that when they grow up, they will have an opportunity to do the same.

Love That Poetry:

These techniques are going to be used in my classroom when I teach.  I think that it is much more fun to write poetry as an adult than a child.  When I was in school and had to write poetry, I felt like I had to do it in a particular way to make the teacher happy.  Now when I wrote poetry I write about hings close to my heart and it has more meaning.  After reading this I feel like poetry is in the hand of author.  Beginning a poetry lesson with Free Verse allows children to be more creative.  I think that it is also important for children to write about themselves or things that they know.  I think that gentle reminders to focus on precise nouns, descriptive adjectives, vivid verbs, and sensory details will ensure that the children are writing good poetry.  When I read that in the article, I thought that it would be great to post in my classroom.  I will definitely use this plan when I teach poetry, it is good for all ages.

Love That Dog will be a great book to have in my classroom.  Children will like to read this because it is from a child’s viewpoint.  I love that we see this child evolve from a child who does not necessarily like poetry to a child that is inspired to write and read poetry.  He is so excited about Mr. Walter Dean Myers coming to his school, he says, “All of my blood in my veins was bubbling.”  This line makes the reader feel his excitement.  I cried when I read his poem about Sky, his dog dying.  I thought that it would be a good idea to have Mattie write a poem about Chloe, our dog, who died this summer.  So, she is writing it in my journal, right now.

My favorite Walter Dean Myers poem is, “Love That Boy.” The lines, “Love to call him in the morning, love to call him, ‘Hey there, son!’” makes me think about what a privilege it is to be able to call my son’s name each day.  Another line that I found especially touching is, “He’ll be a long stride walker, and a good man before he done.”  This sounds like a song to me.  It also helps me to picture that boy growing up into a fine young man!  I did not know this poet before I read the books, but know I would like to know more about him.

Mattie’s and Charlie’s hands

Notebook Know-how and HOT blogging Response

HOT Blogging:

I think that blogging to promote higher order thinking skills is a fine idea.  Any tool that teacher’s can use to promote critical thinking in children is beneficial.  However, the poverty level of the families in my area is very high.  These children do not have access to computers or the internet away from school.  This fact puts these children at an unfair advantage over children whose parents are able to provide computers, as well as internet access.  The rural area that I live in does not have cable access.  High-speed internet access via satellite or mobile broadband comes at the cost of $60 per month.  This is not an option for most parents. 

Children are spending over six hours a day with their peers doing schoolwork, at school.  When they come home they should spend this time actively pursuing other interest or outdoors.  Children spend too much time in front of computers, televisions, and video games.  They need to be able to physically interact with one another.  Children at the middle-school age are losing the art of conversation, they rely on cell phones to text message one another.  I think that Literature Circles and Reading Groups provide a means for promoting higher order thinking skills.

I do agree that classroom blogs are an innovative method for getting parents and other family members involved in the classroom.  I think that it is imperative for our children to be taught new literacies.  I want the children I teach to be competitive with children from other areas, and other countries.  I continue to learn how to integrate technology into the classroom and want my children to learn the latest technology, also.

The examples of classroom blogging listed in this article are very interesting.  I thought the classroom news blog and showcase blogs would prove to be very informative for parents.  Children would be very proud to see that their work on the internet.  They could invite their grandparents and others to view their accomplishments. 

But I do not want blogging to take the place of crucial social interaction. I do not think children’s blogging should take the place of family time, or extra-curricular activities. 

Notebook Now-How:

This book is very informative about successfully implementing writing journals into the classroom.  In my limited experience with journaling in the classroom, it seems as though these journals are the first thing to fall by the wayside as the school year moves on.  This book provides details on how not to let that happen.  The author details how to use this book.  I took to heart the section on Notebook Expectations for the teacher and the student.  The example, on page sixteen about Rex and how he got his name is one that will show up in every teacher’s classroom.  Her reply, “Rex, stop right there, I think you are on the verge of telling me…GO ahead and start writing” is a prime example of how to do it right.  I will also implement the launching strategies, such as “Questioning.”

The purpose of this book is to provide a guide to successfully implement journal writing into our classroom.   I believe that after reading this book, I will never be able to find an excuse against journal writing.  It is something that I have taken up and given up many times over the 30 years.  I have 3 journals, currently that I have started and taken extended breaks from. 

I love to write, as well as read.  I love to go back and compare feelings and experiences that I had ages ago to what is going on in my life now.  My goal as a teacher is to encourage a love of reading and writing in my students.  The goal of journal writing in my classroom will be to provide students with a safe place to record their thoughts and ideas.  I also agree that journal writing is an excellent instrument in getting children to be successful writers, grammatically and otherwise. 

I think that I would not be too much of a stickler on students organizing their notebooks.  I would the front to back kind of teacher.  Students would have the option of organizing in a certain matter. 

Launching the notebook was informative chapter.  I love the looks of a marbled composition notebook.  It seems to lend itself to creativity.  The idea of being able to pull pages out, does not appeal to me.   I think that each of the launching ideas are significant in creating ideas for students to write about.

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