2/27/11- LA lesson plan

I will be using the picture book Flotsam. One of the main themes in the text that I want to emphasize is the idea of expressing curiosity. Since the book is all illustrations with no text I also want to emphasize the importance of using illustrations to convey meaning. The GLCES that I plan to use are:
S.DS.02.01 Engage in substantive conversation
—remaining focused on subject matter
—with interchanges building on prior responses
—in the context of book discussions, peer conferencing, or other interactions.
R.NT.02.04 Identify and explain how authors/illustrators use literary devices
—illustrations to depict major story events
—title
—comparisons (metaphor/simile) to reveal characters’ thoughts and actions.
My lesson is going to flow with doing an introduction of rules of discussion and what I plan to do during the lesson. Then I am going to read Flotsam and stop during critical illustrations for understanding and ask certain discussion questions. After the reading I am going to re cap certain ideas that came up while reading and put these ideas up on the board. Discussion is going to partake before and after the reading, so the discussion will be as a whole class on the carpet circle. Then I am going to have the students return to there seats for the next activity. Next, I am going to have the students make their own illustrations of what their curiosity of what under the sea looks like. Having them make this illustrations is the other assessment for this lesson.

2/20/11-Student Motivation

When trying to think of a student is not very motivated to read is hard because I think my CT does a great job of providing an ample amount of time for students to pick the books of their choice and then be able to have reading time for read the books of their choice. Instead of just having reading time when the student has to sit and their desk and is being punished. Regarding the highly motivated lietacy student, she enjoys reading and writing and tends to finish her other work quickly in order to spend more time reading. She has a very high reading level and I think that she enjoys being able to read chapter books when most of the students are still reading pciturebooks. I also see her as not as social, more mature, than most of the other students in her class. When it is time to be working silently she is able to read to herself unlike most of the other students.
Regarding the lower literacy student, I think his main motivation is that he would rather enjoy getting a laugh out of his classmates than reading or working. I think that because he is one of the lower level reading students he does not feel as comfortable with reading and would rather act as the "cool kid" than the "dumb reader." I do think that he wants to become a better reading and writer but I also think he has not figured out what tools to use to become successful.

Digital Denizens

I believe that I am a digital native according to Mark Prensky's explanation.  I also believe that many of my peers would consider themselves the same. We have grown up with technology being introduced to us in school as well as at home.  We were taught by teachers to use technology and begin to feel comfortable to use it as a resource for information.  As a college of education student it is a requirement to have a lap top making myself and other students in our program familiarize themselves to not only a desk top, but a lap top.

I feel that children are learning a lot through the use of technology.  They are able to play literacy 'games', such as listening to stories online and then answering questions or going through the letters of the alphabet.

I feel that since technology is forever changing not only are children and adults who didn't grow up with technology emergent learners, but we all are and will forever be.  Every year there is something new to enhance our lives through the use of technology.  For some I believe that it is harder than others though to learn how to use the technology.  I personally have a hard time learning new technology because I am unfamiliar with technology terms.  I feel this relates to ELL because if they are having a hard time learning English and technology description is all in English it would create a problem for them.  Yet, at the same time I know that I personally can use the pictures that help describe things or are a icon for a certain program to help me figure things out.  I feel that the pictures would help ELL as well.

As we discuss in class it is very important to make sure we are using a lot of teaching styles I find this connects to technology because when using the computer for example you have text, pictures and sound. 

2/4/2011

As discussed in the readings, there are many different types of classroom talk. One of the most important reasons for classroom talk (as discussed in the McGee reading) is to provide a time for students to express their thoughts and for the teacher to be able to assess the students comperhension. Unlike recitation talk, which is much like just letting the teacher know that your have memorized/mastered certian skills/infomation. Talk should be used more as a time for discovery and a time for a deeper understanding or connection to literacy. This type of talk is referred to response-centered talk. One reasoning behind using response-centered talk is so students will be able to gain that personal connection to the literature. When a student is emotionally connected to the literature, there is a better chance that the student will be become more interested/invested into reading that certian literature piece. One way to have the student become conntected to the reading is by having response-centered talk.

In order to successfully conduct response-centered talk, the teacher needs to be able to scaffold the students. As shown in the McGee article, the teacher was more of just a mediator and just called on the students and let the students do most of the talking. I think this is an affective way to scaffold the students in a response-centered talk. This way the students will be able to come up with their own ideas and make their own connections instead of the teacher doing this for them. When the students come up with their own understandings and connections, the more likely the student will become invested into the literature peice.

I have not really seen much discussion in my classroom. In the times that I am there is more for math and social studies the only discussion is when the students are answering the questions for the math work. My CT does encourage the studetns to raise their hands and share their ideas when they are reading out of the textbook or any activity that they are doing. What types of classroom talk are you guys seeing? Does your CT do much scaffolding in the classroom? For what activities are you seeing it used? :)

Where I am from...

    As we discussed in class this week, it is important to invite students to share with their class who they are, who their family is, where they are from, some of the traditions they share, the culture they are a part of, and any other information they want to share about who they are. This not only helps the students get to know each other, but for the teacher to get to know the students, families and backgrounds. This activity also gives students a sense of pride as an individual and shows them that so many people can come from so many back grounds but can all work together and learn from one another.
    Aside from the poems we talked about in class, what are fun ways you could do this kind of activity with a classroom of students? Have you seen this done in your placement?
   Since we started later in the school year this past fall, I don't feel as though I got to see my CT set up such ties with her students and their families. Bringing in family members as experts is a great idea since the parent of a student might actually be an expert in an area we have to teach some day. I remember going to school with the local optomitrists daughter and he came in one week and taught us our science lesson on human organs and tissues like the eyes and how much fun it was. It also changed up the pace a bit as we didn't have to listen to the teacher read from the science book that week :)
      I think it is very important to know the values, morals, and standards set up for their kids as a teacher to know what they expect out of education. I have heard my CT tell misbehaving students that their father or mother wouldn't allow them to act a certain way at home and it's not allowed at school either. I think that helps a lot because students realize certain rules set up at home carry outside their house as well.

January 21, 2011

I hope to learn a lot about supporting diverse learners in my classroom through the use of literacy skills.  I feel like without having literacy skills children are unable to move forward in other areas of the classroom so it is very important to take away as much information from this course as possible.

I hope to be teaching in a suburban environment and community, yet I understand with today's economy I may not be able to be picky about a job.  With this said I hope to learn about all communities especially urban, because I feel there will be a lot of job openings in urban areas in the near future.  I also hope to gain a lot of resources and ideas from this course to help me next year.

In this course I hope to..

1. Become a learner (Know where to find resources/text to help my students)
2. Gain competence & skills in how to teach literacy to all learners
3. Understand how to communicate with families/communities about their child's learning if they too are illiterate