Margaret


 * __ 6.14.11 __**

Looking at the timeline in the //Foundations// text really put when literacy and schooling became part of everyday life. I think of reading and writing as being simultaneous, but in reality it did not start out that way. In a way I take being able to read and write for granted because it is part of the foundation of teaching in the modern age. Though, there are students, ELL and English-speaking that come to school without the basic foundations for learning how to read and write. It is important to note that without these skills (reading and writing) children will not be able to get a job when they become adults that will give them stability.

I also thought about what Dr. Paxton said in class the other day when she said, "...one minute of concentration for every year-old you are." I am twenty-five and that means I only have 25 minutes of focus! Thinking about this in more depth I looked at my study practices and how long I can stay focused on an assignment/task before taking a break. I found that I need to take a break every 1/2 hour for 5 minutes in order to refresh and refocus. Keeping that in mind, how are we as teachers supposed to expect young children and even young adolescents to pay attention for 20-45 minutes of constant instruction? It also relates to students being able to sit and read for a set amount of time and being able to comprehend what they are reading.


 * __ 6.16.11 __**

I really found Chp. 3 in Section II of the __Smart Answers__ text really interesting. I didn’t really think of big books and enlarged text as an important teaching/reading tool for students. When I see books with larger print I think of them for use in special education classes for students that have low/limited vision. I never thought of them as a tool for a general education classroom.

Garan points out in the chapter that using large print books teaches many different skills that are vital parts of comprehension. My certification is going to be specialized for the primary grades and using big books and large print would be really helpful for me in teaching young children some of the foundations of reading like directionality. Big books would be easier for a classroom of 30 children so that all of them can follow along during circle time or read aloud’s.

I also found some really good ideas to use in the classroom, like on pg. 28 where Garan talks about creating a classroom big book with butcher paper. This would really be a great class project to have children create a page for the book with their own picture (and writing, depending on grade level). It would get students thinking of the relation of speech to print, text has meaning, and that words expand on images. I am really finding this particular text helpful to expanding my teaching style when it comes to reading and writing lessons.

June 16, 2011

It is very cool to see the students on the carpet squares as the teacher reads from the "Big Book." If you haven't seen a lesson you need to check it out. Most of the students are very involved and love to follow along with the reading. The teacher acts as a model using his/her finger to sweep from left to right. The concepts about print (CAP) are picked up more readily through modeling.

I would be very interested in how you would incorporate this into your primary class. Please share when you have ideas... - Josh Creating all types of texts, even Big Books, is an effective strategy to use with older struggling students. It gives them a chance to be an author and to engage in the complex task of matching text to purpose. Dr. P.

On page 93 of __Classroom Strategies__, in the “Hands on Reading” section I thought about incorporating the DASH approach to learning with this technique. The book talks about technical non-fiction and how it should be introduced as its own genre. I agree with Beuhl and was reminded of a course I took last summer on Curriculum that looked at the DASH approach to teaching science. Technical reading/non-fiction would be a good way to incorporate with science projects like creating a cardboard model car in the classroom. Students would have to look at technical manuals about cars. Students would be learning how to read technical texts in an interesting way that was “hands-on” and developmentally appropriate. DASH looks at using hands-on approaches when learning about scientific themes and could see myself implementing Beuhl’s strategy in the classroom for a joint class project like this.
 * __ 6.20.11 __**

When I was reading __Smart Answers__ text, section V on DIBELS I wondered why so many schools in the surrounding area use it as an assessment tool for measuring student’s fluency though research has shown that it is based on speed, and speed is counter-productive to educating students in this aspect of reading. Garan also points out that it is expensive (costing $1 for every child scored = $5 million/year). One argument for use in the classroom that I can see is that it would be quick and easy for teachers to administer to check to see if the student is gaining skills in fluency; however, there are more cons then there are pros to this assessment tool. The cons being discriminatory towards minorities and ELL’s, expense, “barking at print,” and most importantly that DIBELS does not help comprehension.

Has anyone who uses DIBELS found it to be an effective tool in gauging students’ fluency and comprehension? Also, how often to you find yourself using it to assess?

Molly – Great question! DIBELS offers data in some areas, but is very minimal in the areas of fluency and comprehension. It will be interesting to see how your peers respond. Dr. P.

**__ NOTES __**
 * Idea to use in the classroom – pg. 87 of the Beuhl text “Follow the Characters,” enlarge graphic picture/laminate and post to a bulletin board to review with students throughout lessons and circle discussion (Brandy & Nicole).
 * __ Scaredy Squirrel __ – use with enchanted learning website handout strategies (Julie).
 * ** Books: **__ A New Barker in the House __ ; __Forces of Nature__; __Going Green: A Kid’s Handbook to Saving the Planet__

Molly~ Yeah, you would think the research would be the deciding factor on whether to use the program or not, but the administrators buy into the seller's scheme. To answer you question about the effectiveness of DIBELS, I must say that it creates more stress for the students and the teacher to achieve the goal by the time the minute is up. Fluency and comprehension are hard to assess with DIBELS. I would supplement by using another program geared towards fluency and comprehension success. To answer your other question, when we used DIBELS we did a monthly assessment with students at tier 3(in need of support). The students at tier 2 and tier 1 on DIBELS only test quarterly. Not sure of how often other schools assess. Nicole

**__6.22.11__**

I really found the sample mini-lesson on page 122 of the __Literacy Lessons__ helpful in understanding how to approach the dialogue journal method/strategy mentioned in the chapter. It really broke down in steps to help me have an idea of how to create an effective lesson for any books that I choose. I could see this type of lesson being used with students from 1st or 2nd to high school. It is just a really good method for creating peer discussion and expanding comprehension/vocabulary. While reading Chapter 5 in __Literacy Lessons__, I found some very useful information to use in my research paper. Since this chapter examines how to teach vocabulary effectively I can utilize it as a resource in my research paper for this class (looking at effective teaching strategies for vocabulary).

__ **6.24.11** __

In the Beuhl text, I found some more of his strategies to be very hands on and easy to use for a primary level classroom. I really like his graphic organizers, especially the K-W-L chart because as he shows for his example of Rattlesnakes, I can easily visualize using it to talk to students before starting a theme or topic in the science and social studies subjects. I also really liked the Magnet Summaries idea. What I like about it, is that it gets the students to focus on the key ideas/points and vocabulary terms, it really gets to the point of what they read for classes. Mind mapping was another one of his strategies I liked as well; however, it is a more finely tuned version of the K-W-L chart and I'm not sure that it would be appropriate for the age ranges I'll be working with. Power Notes on pg. 125 was a technique I wish I had learned when I was in middle school into high school. It is so much easier than doing a formal outline and makes more sense to me than a really detailed outline. You can pair it with the K-W-L chart as well to make it more appealing for visual learners and I really appreciate that aspect of it because that is how I learn best. I am really finding this text useful and can really see myself being able to utilize some of these strategies in the classroom. Molly - You continue to build excellent connections between what you are reading and your classroom practice. Well done. Dr. P.

__**6.27.11**__

From the __Literacy Lessons__ text, I found the connection of vocabulary to electronic media to be really interesting. I find the use of technology in the classroom to be important component to teach young children of the newest generation because electronic media is part of our ever evolving world. When I create a presentation for class I try and add a YouTube video or an interactive program off of the Internet to make it more appealing. Utilizing the Internet and YouTube is engaging to people at every age level. The text mentions that electronic games cannot only be interactive but focus on problem-solving strategies while using critical-thinking. The example of using Google Earth to locate tourist attractions (i.e. Mount Rushmore, Statue of Liberty, Grand Canyon, etc.) would be a great way to segway into a social studies unit. I also like the idea of looking at the MOMA online. It is getting harder and harder to receive funding for field trips since those are the first things to be cut to save money. This way students can still feel like they are "visiting" the museum, but do it right from the classroom.

__ **6.29.11** __

Leah and Josh's presentation today really got me thinking about ESL/ELL students and how to make sure to meet their needs in the classroom. When Leah mentioned that grammar usage comes later and vocabulary learning comes first in student's learning of a new language it got me thinking about when I learned to speak another language. I remembered that I learned the vocabulary first and the grammar second as I progressed in becoming more familiar with speaking the language. The information from the PowerPoint really put into perspective what my role as a teacher should be when making accommodations for ESL/ELL students as well as how to make sure that these students are fully immersed in a "language bath" of vocabulary.

6/30/11 Molly, I agree with what you said regarding ELL learners. I took Spanish for 4 years, and I remember how easy it was to remember the vocabulary, but how difficult it was to put it into a sentence correctly. I thought the information Leah and Josh gave about the language bath made a lot of sense. Next time I have an ELL in my class, I am definitely going to immerse them in vocabulary! Caitlin


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