Presentations Day #3

So today, the presentations again were pretty well done. The first group, Write like this Book Club did a pretty good job explaining their topic pretty well in the ignite talk. It was kind of hard to keep up with it a little and they didn't seem very prepared as far as the powerpoint presentation goes since it was not timed like an ignite talk. You could kind of tell in their presentation that they needed to rehearse more... but they still effectively explained their book to me. As far as their activity, I think they could have been more engaging, but it was still crazy to see how when you read things more than once, you can get something completely different the second time, like how the poem was read backwards. Overall they did a great job, and I would use this in my class. The second group that went was the Non Fiction Book Club. Their presentation was very well done as well... again just needed a bit more practice. As far as the activity, I think it would be good for all ages. It helps people like me when organizing their thoughts, like the KWL chart. I could also see myself using the KWL chart in a classroom. Maybe not all the time, but to get students to do that on their own. Again, great job.

20 Key Words

1. Literacy
2. Ethnography
3. Learning
4. Context
5. Textual
6. Co-Construction
7. Modeling
8. Social-Context
9. Identities
10. Culture
11. Education
12. Standards
13. Knowledge
14. Connection
15. Collaberative
16. Academic
17. Literature
18. Passion
19. Success
20. Syntax

Presentations Day 2

Today, my group was able to teach the class about the book we read, Wondrous Words. We quickly highlighted the different elements of how students can be good readers and writers. It was interesting being up in front of the class, not so much for the ignite talk but for the class activity. Having to explain in great detail the assignment that was given to the group made me realize that if you are not very clear with directions, things can get easily confusing, not saying our group didn't do a great job. It was fun walking around listening to the groups come up with different was to formulate short snippets of sentences they thought were important from the reading. I had a great time acting as the "teacher" from this assignment and look forward to doing the same in the future.

Presentations Day 1

So for the first day of presentations, it was poetry. I think they did a great job explaining how to understand poetry a little bit better. I was kind of confused at some points but I thought I  got an overall understanding of their presentation better. During their activity, they broke down, and told us to write words that we think of when we are about to take a bath. This helped me to look at poetry in a different way, a much more simple way than I have been usually taught. Overall, this first presentation was pretty good.
For the second group of the day, they were almost perfect. The group talked about creative writing, and preventing writers block, within the classroom. Their ignite talk was really well thought out, clear, and did a great job explaining their topic. The activity they did was by far my favortie, going on a vacation. Each group was given a different climate and we had specific questions we had to answer while going on the trip. I found it to be an extremely fun and creative way to help creative writing. I cannot wait until I can use this in a classroom for my own students. It is a fun and easy way you can get students brain flowing, and prevents any potential writing struggles.

Co-Authoring Classroom Texts

Why did I chose these pictures from Co-Authoring Classroom Texts? The first picture was selected because in Maier's classroom, author Larson describes there being over 6,000 plus books around the room for students to choose from. One of the reasons for such success in her classroom, Maier had an abundant option of books the kids could select to read. The second picture depicts the one-on-one confrences the teacher had to help her students improve their reading and writing. It shows her dedication and devotion to her students success. Next, one of the most important points made in the article was that she set her students up to be authors. To me this is showing that she wants her students to have the confidence to feel like they are writers, not students writing. I think too many students have trouble writing for the simple fact that they don't have the right tools to be confident in their writing ablility... and that is exactly what Maier did by treating her students like authors. Lastly, the author describes how Maier had a personal connection with each of her students, and they all knew each other's personal lives inside and out, which helped them in the classroom. Each student was diverse in their own way, which lead them to be cohesive when working together.

Teaching Identities.

Each teacher takes on a different identity, and plays a different role in your life. As we read in the article, some teachers we may be compatible with their teaching identity, some we just don’t ever seem to understand. I can say that I have had teachers form all end of the spectrum.

            In elementary school, second grade to be specific, I had a teacher who would literally yell at us on the top of her lungs. From day one, she had struck fear into our minds. The class of 8 year olds stayed fairly on task, if you ask me but it was not a learning environment that I would wish on anyone. We as young students were more focused on whether or not we were going to get in trouble for doing something a normal 8 year old would do. I don’t think this teacher had the identity of “scary” teacher just to be mean, but I feel like she was very old fashioned and felt there was no other way to control a classroom than to yell when we acted up.    

            On the opposite end of the spectrum, I have had many inspirational teachers that have given me the confidence in not only school subject matters, but also life itself. I plan on obtaining a double credential, a multiple subject and a single subject concentrating in history. If I find myself with the little ones in elementary school, I want my teaching identity to be a cheerleader. At a young age, I think it is essential that you are making it clear to your students that you are there for them no matter what, supporting them. Young children are already hard to keep attention for long spans of time, so if you keep them engaged and show them you care; I believe they will be most successful.

            If I find myself in a high school classroom, the teaching identity I hope to be is a mentor. High school is the time to buckle down before students leave to the real world for college. There is so much more than teaching a student what year the US won it’s independence, or what the Pythagorean theorem is. Teachers at a high school lever should be making their students aware of the real world and what lies ahead. I was a great student who was engaged all four years of high school, but the one teacher inspired me the most was not a great academic teacher, instead he was a coach that helped me feel more prepared than ever before I graduated high school. Teaching identities go all across the board from one end of the spectrum to the other, it’s all how you use that identity to you advantage. 

Book Club Selection

After looking at our Book Club options, I chose Wondrous Words: Writing in the Elementary Classroom. I like how the book focuses directly on how to teach writing in an elementary school classroom. It talks about experiences from all ages and all different levels of writing. The author, Katie Wood Ray explains how students learn to write from their reading. It also teaches how students can use the usefulness of prewriting and reading aloud. I think the book is going to give me a lot more strategies on how students can connect their reading and writing together. Personal experiences are what helps me a lot to see what worked for people and what didn’t. This book looks like it is simple, yet complex on what is being explained. This book got 4 ½ stars on its review, and nothing but positive feedback from teachers and future teachers. If this book is good, I hope to read more books from Katie Wood Ray, since she has many other books that have gotten great reviews as well. I am excited for this assignment because it really is diving into what we are passionate about, teaching.