Instructional Strategy Synthesis Paper

I hate to say it and I risk sounding a little corny but I did learn from writing that paper. I was allowed to really sit and visualize how these particular strategies can look in my classroom. Whenever I read a novel in my room many of the students do not have the schema to allow them to make connections. When some of these strategies are in place discussions arise, students prewrite and often learn best. I hope to take what I've learned this summer and successfully implement them into my teaching.

Readers Writers Project

I think I totally underestimated this paper. I had an idea for awhile and that was teaching grammar using kids own work. I had researched this a bit last year for another class and I wanted to stick with it. I did find that the genres were the most challenging. I feel that my persuasive letter to other teachers is sorta cheezy but I really don't know another forum to reach teachers. I already had the powerpoint idea for the parents. I don't know, maybe I am just too hard on myself or something. Another thing that worries me is that my survey to the student and the teacher doesn't really support 100% the research I found. For example, research shows that students learn grammar better when it is 'contextualized'. That is a hard concept to explain to a 12 year old who is taking your survey over summer break. What I found is that most teachers do not have the time nor the avenues to teach grammar in an effective way and when they do,they often do not see this being used in the students work.

I'm I worrying too much?

Technology

In class on Tuesday we were exposed to many different technologies available to us and our students on the web. I really enjoyed spending some time just experimenting with the different avenues available to me. I spent a lot of time with the Toondoos which I can see my students getting very excited about. There were some webbing sites that I found interesting but I just don't know how that can could work in my room. I think it might be useful for background infor when we are reading a novel. For example, my students love "Out of the Dust" by Karen Hesse, about a young girl surviving during the Dust Bowl. However, just as you expect, many of the students have no schema with the Great Depression. I think the webbing would work wonders there.

I think a technology class would benefit me greatly. I often don't know the basics of programs and I feel like a grandma:)

Writing in the Classroom

I am probably going to have a very differen perspective on writing compared to the other students in class. I have taught 7th grade language arts in JCPS for six years. As most everyone knows the 7th grade year is the year writing is assessed in Kentucky and most of this burden falls on me. Every year our CSIP mandates that teachers of all content areas besides math are to complete a writing piece in their class for possible portfolio inclusion. The only problem is, these pieces come back to me and they are horrible. The teachers have no experience teaching the writing process and they often hand me the rough drafts and I go from there. Students lack instruction on characteristics of genres and then it is down hill. I would personally like for all content teachers in the middle grades to read these chapters regarding writing.

Yesterdays activity with writing theories was interesting for me. It was good for me to be around beginning teachers who do not specialize in writing and hear their theories and opinions regarding writing. What is funny is I do not consider myself a writer. I know, I know this is not the sort of thing Linda Rief would want me to say but I became a teacher to teach literature, but in our state writing is shoved down the kids throat so much. Did you know that Rhode Island and Kentucky are the only two states who do the writing portfolio? I could go on and on about my beliefs but for the most part kids either have a natural grace for writing or they don't. It's like basketball, you can improve, but let's face it, you have to have some natural talent, ambition and an ear for good writing.

Book Trailer Project

I think that this assignment would be cool to do in the classroom. Chris, Stacy and I are focusing on the novel, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. After talking about author Gregory McQuire and the way he writes through the bad guys perspective (Wicked, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, Mirror, Mirror) we thought that it would be cool to direct the book trailer in the perspective of the Queen of Narnia. Is she really a bad woman? Or is she simply protecting what is hers? Since so many people have been exposed to this book and movie we knew he had to take a different spin to make it appealing.

I am wondering when I do this in my classroom if it would be better to select the groups myself or have the kids select their own working groups. This is always a debate because some kids do motivate their friends but we also know many kids will sit and do nothing while the rest of the group does it all. I wonder if I should have multiple novels on hand or if I should give them complete control of picking their own novel. I just worry that they will pick books that are beneath their reading level. I would like for them to challenge themselves.

The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (Wednesday)

The language arts/english group has decided to read The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe for our young adult literature assignment. I have to admit that I never read the movie as a kid or as an educator but I had seen the movie so I felt confident that I would enjoy the book and I have. It has been discussed that this book contains many Biblical references and is symbolic of Jesus and those who betrayed him. I don't remember many stories from my Sunday School classes but I too can see these references. Stacy had to remind me of the story on Lillith,
Adam's first wife, and this led to the discussion of perspective and "a woman scorned". I'll write about our spin on the trailer tomorrow. I really think this assignment would be powerful for 8th graders. I'm already deciding how I would do it in my room.

Achievement Gap Drama

I found since my teaching career began that closing the achievement gap with "at risk" students is imperative to "the board". This is a hot topic in education and I wish I knew the answers. I understand that teachers need to make lessons relevant to the students' lives. I understand what Jackson and Cooper mean when they talk about "keeping it real" with students. I think this is a natural talent and how do you teach it to beginning teachers is beyond me. I like the idea of the thinking maps, especially the circle map and the way it would generate discussions. My hope would be to start the students using a graphic organizer of this form and eventually have the student stray away and begin using this form of thinking independently. We'll see this fall.