Chapter 7 is all about small group instruction. I'm thankful for this chapter because of its insight into self-management of the groups which has been one of my fears as a teacher. Tovani mentioned that the groups should be flexible in members (meaning they wouldn't be the same kids in the same groups all of the time). She also mentioned designating a quiet area for students who haven't completed the pre-discussion work to do so before joining a group. I thought both were excellent suggestions, the first of which I want to do in several ways. I'd like to have seating charts for my classes, but I'd like to mix up those charts throughout the year. Or I could do "appointments" like my health/lifetime skills teacher did: every student gets a picture of a clock with twelve slots that they must keep in their binder (and the binder must be with them in class in case of spot-notebook checks); students then move about the room, asking each other to be their appointments for a certain "time" slot; once those slots are filled, our teacher would ask us throughout the year to meet with our "two o'clock appointment" for discussion time.
Tovani also mentioned attaching assignments to the ends of discussions so that students would have something to do after their discussion to signal they are ready to move on in the lesson plan. I haven't quite been able to think about how to implement this since all of my experience teaching has included whole-class instruction about a group activity then waiting for each group to finish so I could again offer a whole-class explanation for the next activity.
I had to start and stop the reading because of my attendance at a mock trial (see previous entry), but I think making connections was my best reading strategy this time around.
Tovani, C. (2004). Do I really have to teach reading?: Content
comprehension, grades 6-12. Portland, ME: Stenhouse.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Choice Reading Response 17- Mock Trial Journal Entry
A criminal justice major, my friend asked me to sit as a jury member on her class' mock trial tonight. The prosecutors wanted to prove that Phoebe was intentionally murdered by her jealous roommate Vicky; the defense wanted to prove that Phoebe was in fact suicidal, and her death had been by her own hands--not Vicky's. During this trial, the jury was allowed to read Phoebe's diary entry, dated the night before she was found dead in her dorm room. The diary entry was short, but it quickly dismissed the idea that Phoebe was suicidal. However, because the prosecutors were looking to convict Vicky of first degree murder, and the jury deemed all of the other evidence at the trial inconclusive, Vicky was found not guilty.
One of the witnesses read the journal entry aloud before one of the prosecuting attorneys passed it to the jury. When I received the entry, I was suddenly struck with how impacting inflection would've been when reading aloud. The entry was punctuated with several exclamation points and a smiley face (determining importance). Clearly this couldn't have been from a depressed girl's journal (inference). Even when another attorney read the entry again in his closing statement, his voice still didn't reflect the excitement I read in her written tone.
Regardless, we the jury found Vicky not guilty. While evidence was inconclusive for first degree murder, evidence for suicide was also inconclusive. Although Phoebe's counselor mentioned Phoebe's occasional pessimistic, down-on-her-luck moments, this entry obviously showed that she didn't intentionally kill herself that same evening (inference). On the other hand, I wondered if Phoebe wasn't just hiding her feelings, or if she had written the wrong date for the entry and something upsetting had occurred soon after to push her over the edge. I think I wondered this because of my own experiences with suicide (making connections). I've had a couple of friends confide in me their desires to kill themselves; I had even considered it myself during my high school years. While Phoebe didn't show signs of depression, that didn't mean she wasn't considering it. On the plus side, like my other friends (still alive, I'm thankful to say), she reached out to a counselor for help for the other aspects of her life.
Unfortunately, when the jury made its decision, the professor for the class announced that Vicky had indeed killed Phoebe. On the plus side, this is only a mock trial, so no one's dead or being convicted/released; and even if it were true, I could only hope that being deemed not guilty of first degree murder would've changed Vicky's ways.
Journal Entry. Mock trial for Criminal Justice class of Evangel University. Professor Myers.
One of the witnesses read the journal entry aloud before one of the prosecuting attorneys passed it to the jury. When I received the entry, I was suddenly struck with how impacting inflection would've been when reading aloud. The entry was punctuated with several exclamation points and a smiley face (determining importance). Clearly this couldn't have been from a depressed girl's journal (inference). Even when another attorney read the entry again in his closing statement, his voice still didn't reflect the excitement I read in her written tone.
Regardless, we the jury found Vicky not guilty. While evidence was inconclusive for first degree murder, evidence for suicide was also inconclusive. Although Phoebe's counselor mentioned Phoebe's occasional pessimistic, down-on-her-luck moments, this entry obviously showed that she didn't intentionally kill herself that same evening (inference). On the other hand, I wondered if Phoebe wasn't just hiding her feelings, or if she had written the wrong date for the entry and something upsetting had occurred soon after to push her over the edge. I think I wondered this because of my own experiences with suicide (making connections). I've had a couple of friends confide in me their desires to kill themselves; I had even considered it myself during my high school years. While Phoebe didn't show signs of depression, that didn't mean she wasn't considering it. On the plus side, like my other friends (still alive, I'm thankful to say), she reached out to a counselor for help for the other aspects of her life.
Unfortunately, when the jury made its decision, the professor for the class announced that Vicky had indeed killed Phoebe. On the plus side, this is only a mock trial, so no one's dead or being convicted/released; and even if it were true, I could only hope that being deemed not guilty of first degree murder would've changed Vicky's ways.
Journal Entry. Mock trial for Criminal Justice class of Evangel University. Professor Myers.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Choice Reading Response 16- 1001 Ways to Save Money...
I've mentioned several times already, and I know I'll keep mentioning it: this book I chose to read is from the Library Sale. 1,001 ways to save money...and still have a dazzling wedding is full of tips for skipping the extra expenses that the wedding industry so desperately wants women to use. While I'm not planning on getting married for a good long while (if ever), I do find the idea of planning weddings to have fascinating aspects. Since I'm not a very girly girl, I don't know everything about weddings. Heck, I just found out that weddings have cocktail hours because of the TLC show Four Weddings. I figured this book would be interesting to read.
Full of information from the engagement to the honeymoon, this book has tips for everything. Check out trunk sales for bridal gowns. Have a limited open bar at the ceremony. Leave wedding gifts in someone else's home while on the honeymoon instead of in the new, but empty, home. This book also has tips on creating some non-traditional elements for a wedding. Have a wedding ceremony of flower girls instead of bridesmaids (which will save a lot of money on attire). Use zinnias, ivy, and tulips as flower arrangements instead of a bunch of roses.
I flipped around in this book to different sections that appealed to me at the time. I read some of the tips outloud to a friend, and I asked questions about certain aspects of the book. I didn't understand why the groom was supposed to purchase jewelry for his bride's wedding reveal or her wedding night lingerie. I didn't know that a rehearsal dinner was really more of a bridal party get together than an actual rehearsal for the wedding.
Naylor, S. 1,001 ways to save money...and still have a dazzling wedding. 3rd ed. McGraw-Hill, 2009.
Full of information from the engagement to the honeymoon, this book has tips for everything. Check out trunk sales for bridal gowns. Have a limited open bar at the ceremony. Leave wedding gifts in someone else's home while on the honeymoon instead of in the new, but empty, home. This book also has tips on creating some non-traditional elements for a wedding. Have a wedding ceremony of flower girls instead of bridesmaids (which will save a lot of money on attire). Use zinnias, ivy, and tulips as flower arrangements instead of a bunch of roses.
I flipped around in this book to different sections that appealed to me at the time. I read some of the tips outloud to a friend, and I asked questions about certain aspects of the book. I didn't understand why the groom was supposed to purchase jewelry for his bride's wedding reveal or her wedding night lingerie. I didn't know that a rehearsal dinner was really more of a bridal party get together than an actual rehearsal for the wedding.
Naylor, S. 1,001 ways to save money...and still have a dazzling wedding. 3rd ed. McGraw-Hill, 2009.
Reading Response 14- What Makes a Hero?
Professor Crawford used several text literacies in our short unit on Essential Questions: What makes a hero? She used music, music videos, song lyrics, articles, group and class discussions, and a movie trailer. In order to understand their relation to the unit, we had to understand what we were "reading". Each text required a different literacy to understand the meaning within each text.
A hero can be anyone from any background. Regardless of social status, past history, profession, personality, or anything else, any individual has the power to be a hero. Heroes can reveal a number of qualities, including but not limited to self-sacrifice, courage, strength, endurance, perseverance, morality, and responsibility.
My heroes are people who upset the social balance and encourage an upheaval of cultural norms. Most often these people are martyrs. Although they are murdered for their outrageous change, their influence only spreads. People like Paul introduced the idea of husbands submitting and loving their wives enough to lay down their own lives for their wives' during the cultural era where women were seen but not heard. He also named an unheard of, for that time, number of women who strengthened the new church's power. These people are bold, courageous, and sacrificial. They press on despite the hard times, and they rely not on their own strength, but God's.
A hero can be anyone from any background. Regardless of social status, past history, profession, personality, or anything else, any individual has the power to be a hero. Heroes can reveal a number of qualities, including but not limited to self-sacrifice, courage, strength, endurance, perseverance, morality, and responsibility.
My heroes are people who upset the social balance and encourage an upheaval of cultural norms. Most often these people are martyrs. Although they are murdered for their outrageous change, their influence only spreads. People like Paul introduced the idea of husbands submitting and loving their wives enough to lay down their own lives for their wives' during the cultural era where women were seen but not heard. He also named an unheard of, for that time, number of women who strengthened the new church's power. These people are bold, courageous, and sacrificial. They press on despite the hard times, and they rely not on their own strength, but God's.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Choice Reading Response 14- Chicken Soup for Teens
Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul is a compilation of short stories, quotes, and poems written for, by, or about teenagers and their experiences. The book is divided into sections about relationships, friendships, families, learning, and several other topics. I know that several Chicken Soup books exist, and since I happened to be at the Library Sale where about five of these books appeared, I figured I'd pick them up and read them. I assumed they must be good if they keep putting more of them together for a variety of topics.
Written as a compilation, the authors explicitly give their purpose for the book (to encourage teens) and how to read the book so that teens can make it their own. Taking their advice, I have been jumping around in the book, skimming the table of contents for titles that appeal to me, and reading them as nightly devotionals. I think the main reason I enjoy this book is because it helps me get into a teenager's shoes and see through their eyes. This is especially important for me to do if I want to build relationships with my future high school students. Additionally, not only are some of the works written by adults looking back on their younger years, but some of these perceptive pieces of art were created, experienced, and submitted by teens. I even made a few personal connections with the stories about friendships, about suicide, and about parents, but I didn't connect so well with the lovey-dovey relationship ones. Regardless, I hope this book continues to help me be a confidant, a good listener, and an active helper to my kiddos during their struggles.
Canfield, J & et al. (1996). Chicken soup for the teenage soul: 101 stories of life, love and learning. Deerfield Beach, FL: Health Communications, Inc.
Written as a compilation, the authors explicitly give their purpose for the book (to encourage teens) and how to read the book so that teens can make it their own. Taking their advice, I have been jumping around in the book, skimming the table of contents for titles that appeal to me, and reading them as nightly devotionals. I think the main reason I enjoy this book is because it helps me get into a teenager's shoes and see through their eyes. This is especially important for me to do if I want to build relationships with my future high school students. Additionally, not only are some of the works written by adults looking back on their younger years, but some of these perceptive pieces of art were created, experienced, and submitted by teens. I even made a few personal connections with the stories about friendships, about suicide, and about parents, but I didn't connect so well with the lovey-dovey relationship ones. Regardless, I hope this book continues to help me be a confidant, a good listener, and an active helper to my kiddos during their struggles.
Canfield, J & et al. (1996). Chicken soup for the teenage soul: 101 stories of life, love and learning. Deerfield Beach, FL: Health Communications, Inc.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Choice Reading Response 13- Gambit Comic
At the Library Book Sale a couple of weeks ago, I noticed a section of graphic novels. While a majority of this section consisted of jumbled Shounen Jump magazines, a couple of comic books found their homes there as well. It was here that I found Gambit. As a Marvel fan but never an official comic book reader (I'd always found graphic novels to carry more bang for their buck), I figured now was as good a chance as any to work on a comic book collection. Since I've yet to write a response about a comic, I figured this response was a good excuse to do so.
Gambit is an X-Man with the ability to fire explosive projectiles from his hands. Usually, Gambit needs only resort to his physical fighting capabilities to fend off foes. The comic opens with a Creole folkstale about The Tithe Collector. The TC has something to do with the two guilds in New Orleans--the assassins and the thieves, Gambit being one of the latter. After an assassin kills one of Gambit's dear friends, Gambit delivers vengeance. During his mission, however, he encounters his once dead brother-in-law Julien who bears strange news: Gambit's wife, thought dead, is alive. In search of answers, Gambit ventures to New Orleans.
Although I was able to follow the story easily enough, the comic contains full page advertisements which interrupt reading flow. Additionally, because the Marvel universe is so wide, the comic is barely self-contained. Certain plot lines connect back to other issues or are yet unclear, and certain off-handed comments are the same way. As much as I like reading comics and graphic novels, I notice I usually have to read them twice: once for the story/words and again for the art.
Marvel Comics. (2003). Gambit: At last! The cajun x-man in his own limited series! New York, NY: Marvel Entertainment, LLC.
Gambit is an X-Man with the ability to fire explosive projectiles from his hands. Usually, Gambit needs only resort to his physical fighting capabilities to fend off foes. The comic opens with a Creole folkstale about The Tithe Collector. The TC has something to do with the two guilds in New Orleans--the assassins and the thieves, Gambit being one of the latter. After an assassin kills one of Gambit's dear friends, Gambit delivers vengeance. During his mission, however, he encounters his once dead brother-in-law Julien who bears strange news: Gambit's wife, thought dead, is alive. In search of answers, Gambit ventures to New Orleans.
Although I was able to follow the story easily enough, the comic contains full page advertisements which interrupt reading flow. Additionally, because the Marvel universe is so wide, the comic is barely self-contained. Certain plot lines connect back to other issues or are yet unclear, and certain off-handed comments are the same way. As much as I like reading comics and graphic novels, I notice I usually have to read them twice: once for the story/words and again for the art.
Marvel Comics. (2003). Gambit: At last! The cajun x-man in his own limited series! New York, NY: Marvel Entertainment, LLC.
Reading Response 12- Draper Chapter 10
This chapter, all about literacy in Visual Arts classrooms, deciphers some misconceptions about literacy. Especially in heavily visual classrooms like art (or heavily aural classrooms like music), literacy is usually forced in through traditional print texts. However, the vignette reveals the cooperation between the literacy specialist and the visual arts teacher without resorting to this traditional paper-and-ink idea of literacy.
I found the vignettes to be the most helpful in grasphing the chapter. Because of Mrs. Greene content area in the visual arts, students most likely wouldn't read textbooks or write papers. Her initial hesistation to team up with a literacy specialist proves her fear of yanking her content area in the wrong direction. Instead, her ability to make text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world connections with visual media made the literacy relevant to students. Her text included physical items that connected to the culture: clothing, lunchboxes, magazines, etc. Using these non-traditional non-print items, Mrs. Greene was able to help students understanding their ideas about themselves as they related to the culture. In having them create their own visual pieces, she helps students bring the text to life and make it applicable to themselves.
As an English teacher, I found this classroom lecture exceptionally useful. I think I would be able to create a similar lesson with similar items, but instead of connecting it to a visual artist's style, I could connect it to an author. Instead of having my students create vests (which would still work in an English classroom anyways, I think), I could have them write a journal response or a short story which incorporated that day's lesson.
Draper, J. (2010). (Re)imagining content-area literacy instruction. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
I found the vignettes to be the most helpful in grasphing the chapter. Because of Mrs. Greene content area in the visual arts, students most likely wouldn't read textbooks or write papers. Her initial hesistation to team up with a literacy specialist proves her fear of yanking her content area in the wrong direction. Instead, her ability to make text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world connections with visual media made the literacy relevant to students. Her text included physical items that connected to the culture: clothing, lunchboxes, magazines, etc. Using these non-traditional non-print items, Mrs. Greene was able to help students understanding their ideas about themselves as they related to the culture. In having them create their own visual pieces, she helps students bring the text to life and make it applicable to themselves.
As an English teacher, I found this classroom lecture exceptionally useful. I think I would be able to create a similar lesson with similar items, but instead of connecting it to a visual artist's style, I could connect it to an author. Instead of having my students create vests (which would still work in an English classroom anyways, I think), I could have them write a journal response or a short story which incorporated that day's lesson.
Draper, J. (2010). (Re)imagining content-area literacy instruction. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
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