I Poetry Response and The Not So Jolly Roger Response

Writing an I Poem last semester was the most rewarding writing experience that I have had.  I wrote it for an assignment in Dr. Fitts’ class.  It brought so many memories back to me; things I had not thought about for years and years.  It was actually very emotional, but in a good way.  My family members, immediate and extended, were all touched in some way by this poem.  So, I do believe that a deeper understanding of who I am was gained in writing it.  This supports what I read in the PowerPoint.

I observed in the evidence shown in the PowerPoint that the children who wrote I Poems learned a great deal about the subjects they wrote about; they internalized the information they researched.  In I Am a Sand Grouse, Olivia does an excellent job of immersing herself in the life of a sand grouse.  The line, “I love my babies to the moon and stars” touched my heart.  That little girl became a mother sand grouse in this poem!  Her illustration said to me that in doing her research she learned to love sand grouses.  I am sure that this is an assignment that will stick with her for years to come.

In reading the section on how research about the poetry was collected, I liked the idea of using video interviews to collect data.  There cannot be a method of documenting what children learned that is more accurate than this.  I think that this was a good means of documenting the information. 

Publishing the poetry is an awesome way for children to see that the work they do is important.  It validates all of the hard work that they have put into their final product.  The books that the classes create are informative, as well as entertaining.  I love getting books home that my Kindergartener’s class creates, even if it is lined paper stapled together.  It makes me, as a parent feel as though the teachers care that much more about their students if they are willing to make a book out of the class’ work.

I think that I Poetry is an excellent tool for students to create a deeper understanding of themselves or any topic in the curriculum.  I cannot imagine young Olivia learning as much about a sand grouse if she did not create her I Poem.  She was able to create a beautiful piece of poetry giving her ownership over what she decided to create and learn.

The authors of the PowerPoint contend that when students are able to manipulate ideas, they develop a deeper understanding.  I could not agree more.  When teaching math, we would not dream of teaching without manipulatives, so it seems that when children can manipulate information for themselves they would develop a deeper understanding. I Poetry allows children to internalize information and create something new with what they have learned which is completely in line with what we know about developing higher level thinking skills.

I read The Not So Jolly Roger last week.  I feel as though I could write an I Poem about Blackbeard at this point, but I feel as though I need to do more research to write an accurate poem.  I think that I would have to develop a stronger knowledge base about the pirate lifestyle and find sources to compare what I learned about him in this book to.  I think that this book is an enjoyable quick read, I saw Blackbeard through the eyes of three young, imaginative boys.  I know that some of the information about him was right on the mark, but still need to check on some information.  This book appealed to me, and my eight–year old daughter.  I think that Fourth Grade boys would love this novel and want to read more about Blackbeard and pirates in general after reading it.  It reminded me a little of The Magic Tree House series – an informational text mingled with a fictional work. I definitely will have the Time Warp Trio series in my classroom!

Advertisement