When first meeting "J" I was a little worried about his reading level because he walked in with "Diary of a Wimpy Kid", a book that I knew was below a 4th grade level. However, I also feel that if a student desires a certain genre of book and it doesn't fit their level, then so be it because it is more important to get that student to develop the love to read. Yet, when speaking with "J", he told me just that: that he doesn't really like to read except for this book, which he has read over and over. He said that his mom has tried to get him to read the Percy Jackson series but that he didn't like it. We spoke some more and I began to mention other books that I knew were similar to Wimpy Kid, like the "Dork Diaries".
Our next meeting he was excited to tell me that he had placed a library hold on the "Dork Diaries", I was happy to hear that he was venturing on, but soon realized when I heard him read that this boy needed to be in a far more higher level. He read fast and at the end, looked at me with a smile and said, "Did I miss anything" This boy knew that he was being timed and checked for errors, of which he made none. My partner said he did great but that her only advice was that he slow down at the end of sentences because he doesn't stop. She made the fabulous analogy that it was like running a stop sign and crashing into the next sentence.
During the week I felt bad that I had recommended such an easy book for him: "The Dork Diaries" so I went to the public library and used their website. If you click on the KIDS section you can put the name of a book, I used "Diary of a Wimpy Kid", then click BOOKS LIKE IT, then I clicked a higher reading level and out comes a list of the suggested books. I quickly printed this out and brought it to him for our next meeting. When I handed him the list, he glanced at it and them help up a Nancy Drew book, saying that he was reading this now. GREAT, I thought! However, I noticed the following week that he hadn't read very much in the book, so I'm not too sure how much he is loving it.
Overall, "J" is on a great path to becoming a reader. He needs to slow down a bit when reading a loud, but I think that he reads fast mostly because he knows he is being timed. Our goal is for him to expand his reading genres and to say, "I love to read!" At this time we will concentrate on EALR 3: 3.1. Read to learn new information, and 3.4. Read for literary experience in a variety of genres.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Friday, February 4, 2011
Not Just any Piece of Paper
In class we learned how to fold a piece of paper into a box. Easy, right? Well, not really,not if you are attempting to teach geometry at the same time. It started with the teacher asking us, as we sat with a 8.5 X 8.5 piece of paper in our hands..."What shape is it you are holding?"
Easy, we said... it's a square! "How do you know?" she asks. Well... we just know! "Wrong! Tell me why it is a square!"
We began to shout out all sorts of things: "because it is a quadilateral", "because it has 4 equal sides", "because it has all right angles", "because the opposite sides are all parallel", "because it has 4 vertices"
"Prove it to me!" shouted our teacher
Then geometry became hard!
We eventually learned that by folding and re-folding we were able to prove that we had a square and for someone like myself, who hasn't had a geometry lesson in over 25 years I actually caught on and could "SEE" it! This made me realize, once again, how hands on manipulatives helps the brain! Even a manipulative like a simple piece of paper that could later be turned into a box and where the teacher asked, "Prove to me the volume"
Easy, we said... it's a square! "How do you know?" she asks. Well... we just know! "Wrong! Tell me why it is a square!"
We began to shout out all sorts of things: "because it is a quadilateral", "because it has 4 equal sides", "because it has all right angles", "because the opposite sides are all parallel", "because it has 4 vertices"
"Prove it to me!" shouted our teacher
Then geometry became hard!
We eventually learned that by folding and re-folding we were able to prove that we had a square and for someone like myself, who hasn't had a geometry lesson in over 25 years I actually caught on and could "SEE" it! This made me realize, once again, how hands on manipulatives helps the brain! Even a manipulative like a simple piece of paper that could later be turned into a box and where the teacher asked, "Prove to me the volume"
Monday, January 24, 2011
All in the Eyes of the Beholder
I enjoyed my math class today. After going onto Gapminder we were placed in groups and had to make a graph that "tells a story" That's it! Seemed simple enough, right? But what I found out was that we all read a graph differently and we want to correlate different information. It made me realize that our minds all work in very different ways. Once my group was able to agree on what we wanted to display, how to label, what colors to use, etc.. we felt that we had it all covered! What we didn't realize until it was pointed out to us was that we failed to place the year of our findings! OMG! What a major mistake! But you forget even the simplest things when you are trying to work with so many different minds and are attempting to get all the facts.
Walking around and seeing everyones graphs I was amazed at the info that was displayed. Some graphs I could tune in to very easily when some of my group members could not. And there were other graphs that I had to rely on my group to explain to me.
In the end when we all came together as one our professor stated, "It is important to get your students to read a graph, but it is more important that a graph can stand on its own!"
I get that! Now, if I can only be taught to read a road map!
Walking around and seeing everyones graphs I was amazed at the info that was displayed. Some graphs I could tune in to very easily when some of my group members could not. And there were other graphs that I had to rely on my group to explain to me.
In the end when we all came together as one our professor stated, "It is important to get your students to read a graph, but it is more important that a graph can stand on its own!"
I get that! Now, if I can only be taught to read a road map!
Assessing the Writing
Analysis:
We had the pleasure of doing a writing analysis on a 4th grade boy named, “J”. “J” read two pieces of writing, one a narrative that seemed to be an introduction letter to his teacher. This piece was shown to us as a final draft so it didn’t give us much to analyze. However, it did help us to know a little about “J”. It said that he has been told by past teachers that he talks a lot, is loud, and has to sit alone because he disturbs others, but that he really likes to do math. When we asked about whether he likes to write, he answered that he likes math. The second piece of writing that he brought was about his hamster, Hammy and it was this writing that we chose to analyze.
Meaning of the Piece:
“J” was very excited to read to us his story on his hamster, Hammy. He wrote about waking up and seeing his hamster on the dresser, who then jumped down and began to speak and how this was going to be the most exciting day, “the day all animals could talk.” The writing continues with the adventure of Hammy talking and “J” attempting to get the hamster off of him. He writes about asking her, “stupid questions” and thinking that he is “hallucinating” yet his first draft jumps around a lot and you wonder things like how does “J” know his hamster is out of the cage upstairs when he is downstairs. He also uses no adjectives to describe during the first draft, something that his teacher must have also commented on since words like the “dull” coffee table and “dirty” bedroom were added in his next draft.
Six Traits Assessment:
The ideas of the paper did consist of one main idea, that one day “all animals” could talk, the writing was only about one animal, his hamster. We were able to understand that the point of the story was to tell us of a journey with the hamster as it ran around his home, free and talking as she went. Overall, he is in the beginning developments of defining the topic, even though it is still basic and very general.
The organization definitely needs to be worked on. There never seems to be clear paragraphs with a topic sentence, supporting details, and a conclusion. Transitions to move from one paragraph to another aren’t there either. Overall, it seems to be lacking a clear sense of direction since his events seem to be going from one direction to another.
We felt that “J” tried very hard with voice. You could tell by reading the piece that he seemed sincere, that his writing had a purpose because he really did wish his hamster could talk and take him on an adventure. We felt that “J” probably really wanted to “pinky wrestle” with his hamster and that J probably had different thoughts about what Hammy would do if she was loose in the house and maybe wondered if she thought that she, “loved this house!” But, unfortunatley, he never seemed to be fully engaged with his writing.
“J’s” word choice definitely could be expanded on. His first draft had no adjectives in it and in the second draft adjectives were added but just basic ones like, “exciting” day, “cotton” shirt, “dirty” bedroom and “dirty” floor. Yet, he also used words in his first draft like “was I hallucinating” and “I totally freaked out!” We could tell he attempted to use colorful language, but his word choices could be expanded on to give his story a more powerful and engaging message.
We felt that both sentence fluency and convention are the biggest areas that J needs to work on. You could tell that “J” enjoyed writing about his beloved pet, but the story jumped around a lot (how did we get from the bedroom to the kitchen and back again) and he went back and forth with referring to Hammy as “he” then later as “she”. This shows that his problems with grammar and usage are not serious enough to distort meaning, but are not accurately applied all of the time.
Spelling:
“J” seems to be a great speller. Looking at the draft it seemed he made few to no spelling errors. The only one’s we noticed was “awnswered” and “hulusinating.”
While doing the spelling assessment on “J” he breezed through the words, never needing them in a sentence except for “cellar”. The only words he misspelled was “civilized” and “opposition.” This would place him at the early to middle intermediate stage in reading and writing.
Lesson Plan
Objectives
Student will apply writing conventions appropriately, use word function properly, and indenting paragraphs when necessary.
Standards
EALR :1. The student understands and uses a writing process.
Component: 1.4. Edits text.
1.4.1. Applies understanding of editing appropriate for grade level.
EALR 3. The student writes clearly and effectively.
Component 3:3. Knows and applies writing conventions appropriate for the grade level.
3.3.5. Applies usage rules.
3.3.7 Applies paragraph conventions.
Materials
Two unedited paragraphs to show on projector
Copies of unedited paragraph for students to edit
Lined paper and pencil to write out new edited paragraph
Instructional Strategies:
Our overview is to have Jack learn how to begin new paragraphs and know when to transition to the next paragraph, check for grammar errors, spelling errors and to detect whether the paragraph is interesting enough to keep readers engaged. Our demonstrations will include not only the how, but the why as well so the students will be able to transfer the skills to broaden meaning for them (Routman, 147). We will also be pointing out how writing takes time and will include rereading and rethinking throughout the process in order be sure that your piece conveys what is intended and is clear and engaging to the reader (Routman, 148). We will be doing this lesson as a way to frontload. Doing this before expecting our students to write in the future will ensure that they understand our expectations, the task they will be assigned, and so that they will be prepared to succeed at this, and future, writing assignments (Routman, 220-221).
Teacher will begin by showing students an unedited, one-page paper on the projector. Using the “I do, we do, you do” strategy, instruction will begin by explaining the process of a properly written paragraph.
The teacher explains that a properly edited paper is organized with each paragraph having a topic sentence, 2-3 supporting sentences that focus on the main idea, has a closing sentence and that the paragraph is interesting.
The teacher continues editing the paper shown on the projector showing the class where a new paragraph should begin, by looking for the topic sentence. The teacher inserts the paragraph symbol where necessary and instructs students to add the symbol to their paper as well. The teacher will think out loud searching for the next topic sentence, asking for student feedback. When it appears that all students understand how to separate paragraphs they will be instructed to work independently at their desks to finish editing the paper until all necessary sections have been marked with the paragraph symbol. The teacher will then bring the class back together and they will talk about where the paragraphs should be separated.
The teacher will perform the same tasks as illustrated above - one task at a time, until the paper has been completely edited. The following tasks will entail determining whether the supporting ideas are interesting, if not, the teacher (and students) will insert adjectives to make the sentence(s) more interesting. Spelling, grammar, and punctuation will also be corrected. (This lesson will take place over several days).
Finally, the teacher will show another un-edited paper on the projector and ask the class to work together to make the corrections. The teacher could give hints such as, “Oh, I see we have four mistakes in this paragraph” or “I see that the pet in the story is referred to as he, and as she – does that make sense?” or “What adjective could we use to describe this word and make the sentence more interesting?”
Once the entire class correctly edits the paragraph, the teacher will give each student an unedited paper to correct on their own. They are to correctly re-write this paragraph on their lined notebook paper to turn in for assessment.
After this, the teacher will then be able to assess the students to make sure they are ready to apply this on their future writings (assignments)done in class.
Assessment:
The teacher will be able to assess each student’s final edited paper, looking for paragraph organization, correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
Works Cited
Routman, R. (2005). Writing Essentials: Raising Expectations and Results While Simplifying Teaching. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
We had the pleasure of doing a writing analysis on a 4th grade boy named, “J”. “J” read two pieces of writing, one a narrative that seemed to be an introduction letter to his teacher. This piece was shown to us as a final draft so it didn’t give us much to analyze. However, it did help us to know a little about “J”. It said that he has been told by past teachers that he talks a lot, is loud, and has to sit alone because he disturbs others, but that he really likes to do math. When we asked about whether he likes to write, he answered that he likes math. The second piece of writing that he brought was about his hamster, Hammy and it was this writing that we chose to analyze.
Meaning of the Piece:
“J” was very excited to read to us his story on his hamster, Hammy. He wrote about waking up and seeing his hamster on the dresser, who then jumped down and began to speak and how this was going to be the most exciting day, “the day all animals could talk.” The writing continues with the adventure of Hammy talking and “J” attempting to get the hamster off of him. He writes about asking her, “stupid questions” and thinking that he is “hallucinating” yet his first draft jumps around a lot and you wonder things like how does “J” know his hamster is out of the cage upstairs when he is downstairs. He also uses no adjectives to describe during the first draft, something that his teacher must have also commented on since words like the “dull” coffee table and “dirty” bedroom were added in his next draft.
Six Traits Assessment:
The ideas of the paper did consist of one main idea, that one day “all animals” could talk, the writing was only about one animal, his hamster. We were able to understand that the point of the story was to tell us of a journey with the hamster as it ran around his home, free and talking as she went. Overall, he is in the beginning developments of defining the topic, even though it is still basic and very general.
The organization definitely needs to be worked on. There never seems to be clear paragraphs with a topic sentence, supporting details, and a conclusion. Transitions to move from one paragraph to another aren’t there either. Overall, it seems to be lacking a clear sense of direction since his events seem to be going from one direction to another.
We felt that “J” tried very hard with voice. You could tell by reading the piece that he seemed sincere, that his writing had a purpose because he really did wish his hamster could talk and take him on an adventure. We felt that “J” probably really wanted to “pinky wrestle” with his hamster and that J probably had different thoughts about what Hammy would do if she was loose in the house and maybe wondered if she thought that she, “loved this house!” But, unfortunatley, he never seemed to be fully engaged with his writing.
“J’s” word choice definitely could be expanded on. His first draft had no adjectives in it and in the second draft adjectives were added but just basic ones like, “exciting” day, “cotton” shirt, “dirty” bedroom and “dirty” floor. Yet, he also used words in his first draft like “was I hallucinating” and “I totally freaked out!” We could tell he attempted to use colorful language, but his word choices could be expanded on to give his story a more powerful and engaging message.
We felt that both sentence fluency and convention are the biggest areas that J needs to work on. You could tell that “J” enjoyed writing about his beloved pet, but the story jumped around a lot (how did we get from the bedroom to the kitchen and back again) and he went back and forth with referring to Hammy as “he” then later as “she”. This shows that his problems with grammar and usage are not serious enough to distort meaning, but are not accurately applied all of the time.
Spelling:
“J” seems to be a great speller. Looking at the draft it seemed he made few to no spelling errors. The only one’s we noticed was “awnswered” and “hulusinating.”
While doing the spelling assessment on “J” he breezed through the words, never needing them in a sentence except for “cellar”. The only words he misspelled was “civilized” and “opposition.” This would place him at the early to middle intermediate stage in reading and writing.
Lesson Plan
Objectives
Student will apply writing conventions appropriately, use word function properly, and indenting paragraphs when necessary.
Standards
EALR :1. The student understands and uses a writing process.
Component: 1.4. Edits text.
1.4.1. Applies understanding of editing appropriate for grade level.
EALR 3. The student writes clearly and effectively.
Component 3:3. Knows and applies writing conventions appropriate for the grade level.
3.3.5. Applies usage rules.
3.3.7 Applies paragraph conventions.
Materials
Two unedited paragraphs to show on projector
Copies of unedited paragraph for students to edit
Lined paper and pencil to write out new edited paragraph
Instructional Strategies:
Our overview is to have Jack learn how to begin new paragraphs and know when to transition to the next paragraph, check for grammar errors, spelling errors and to detect whether the paragraph is interesting enough to keep readers engaged. Our demonstrations will include not only the how, but the why as well so the students will be able to transfer the skills to broaden meaning for them (Routman, 147). We will also be pointing out how writing takes time and will include rereading and rethinking throughout the process in order be sure that your piece conveys what is intended and is clear and engaging to the reader (Routman, 148). We will be doing this lesson as a way to frontload. Doing this before expecting our students to write in the future will ensure that they understand our expectations, the task they will be assigned, and so that they will be prepared to succeed at this, and future, writing assignments (Routman, 220-221).
Teacher will begin by showing students an unedited, one-page paper on the projector. Using the “I do, we do, you do” strategy, instruction will begin by explaining the process of a properly written paragraph.
The teacher explains that a properly edited paper is organized with each paragraph having a topic sentence, 2-3 supporting sentences that focus on the main idea, has a closing sentence and that the paragraph is interesting.
The teacher continues editing the paper shown on the projector showing the class where a new paragraph should begin, by looking for the topic sentence. The teacher inserts the paragraph symbol where necessary and instructs students to add the symbol to their paper as well. The teacher will think out loud searching for the next topic sentence, asking for student feedback. When it appears that all students understand how to separate paragraphs they will be instructed to work independently at their desks to finish editing the paper until all necessary sections have been marked with the paragraph symbol. The teacher will then bring the class back together and they will talk about where the paragraphs should be separated.
The teacher will perform the same tasks as illustrated above - one task at a time, until the paper has been completely edited. The following tasks will entail determining whether the supporting ideas are interesting, if not, the teacher (and students) will insert adjectives to make the sentence(s) more interesting. Spelling, grammar, and punctuation will also be corrected. (This lesson will take place over several days).
Finally, the teacher will show another un-edited paper on the projector and ask the class to work together to make the corrections. The teacher could give hints such as, “Oh, I see we have four mistakes in this paragraph” or “I see that the pet in the story is referred to as he, and as she – does that make sense?” or “What adjective could we use to describe this word and make the sentence more interesting?”
Once the entire class correctly edits the paragraph, the teacher will give each student an unedited paper to correct on their own. They are to correctly re-write this paragraph on their lined notebook paper to turn in for assessment.
After this, the teacher will then be able to assess the students to make sure they are ready to apply this on their future writings (assignments)done in class.
Assessment:
The teacher will be able to assess each student’s final edited paper, looking for paragraph organization, correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
Works Cited
Routman, R. (2005). Writing Essentials: Raising Expectations and Results While Simplifying Teaching. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
itouch touching a classroom
Having the iTouch in a 4th grade classroom has been a very fun experience. This is mostly because most of these students live in a lower economic area and have only heard about the technology and never experienced it themselves. So to see their excitement was a fun thing to see.
The first student I had use the Touch was a girl who is still unable to tell time on an analog clock. So I had her use the Telling Time app. She was so engrossed with the "game" that she never realized she was learning. This was proven to me after recess when I asked her what time it was. She looked at the clock, hesitated briefly and answered. I gave her a smile and told her she can now tell time! She was excited!
The next child is ELL. She struggles with her math. So I had her use Sum Stacker with the Spanish words. But as she worked on the Spanish I wrote the words in English to show her what it looks like. It was slow going but she eventually caught on. I am not sure this was necessarily a great thing to do with an ELL, but I think she felt included in the math lesson that day so to me it was successful.
The last student I used Pearl Diver. This student had difficulty understanding a number line. With Pearl Diver the student was able to figure out the sum and then place it on the line. The benefit of this was that it was again a "game" that the student thought they were playing, not a math assignment.
Overall,if students think they are playing a game I let them think that then later tied it into learning and helped them to make that connection. It was great!
The first student I had use the Touch was a girl who is still unable to tell time on an analog clock. So I had her use the Telling Time app. She was so engrossed with the "game" that she never realized she was learning. This was proven to me after recess when I asked her what time it was. She looked at the clock, hesitated briefly and answered. I gave her a smile and told her she can now tell time! She was excited!
The next child is ELL. She struggles with her math. So I had her use Sum Stacker with the Spanish words. But as she worked on the Spanish I wrote the words in English to show her what it looks like. It was slow going but she eventually caught on. I am not sure this was necessarily a great thing to do with an ELL, but I think she felt included in the math lesson that day so to me it was successful.
The last student I used Pearl Diver. This student had difficulty understanding a number line. With Pearl Diver the student was able to figure out the sum and then place it on the line. The benefit of this was that it was again a "game" that the student thought they were playing, not a math assignment.
Overall,if students think they are playing a game I let them think that then later tied it into learning and helped them to make that connection. It was great!
Monday, January 10, 2011
question and re-phrase for understanding
Question and rephrase, question and rephrase is what I learned in my math methods class today. By questioning your students on what they are doing and why only enriches their own thinking and helps them to take an active role in their learning. By using more process questions requires students to think in much higher levels. The things that I can do as a teacher to make this happen is to ask my question and wait a few beats to allow students to process and be able to develop a thoughtful response. Also by asking the students to re-phrase what has been said will require them to all become active listeners. It is easy for me to become the one to re-phrase what has been said, but it will mean so much more to a students if they do that.
I also realized how using manipulatives in a classroom is a great way to teach. Why start with the concrete? We should start with the abstract then explain the concept to reach the concrete. Although I had a hard time understanding the algebraic manipulatives that were used today, I think that is because I was having to "un-train" what I have learned in the past and re-train to see this new way. However, to introduce the abstract first is a fantastic way to do it!
I also realized how using manipulatives in a classroom is a great way to teach. Why start with the concrete? We should start with the abstract then explain the concept to reach the concrete. Although I had a hard time understanding the algebraic manipulatives that were used today, I think that is because I was having to "un-train" what I have learned in the past and re-train to see this new way. However, to introduce the abstract first is a fantastic way to do it!
Saturday, January 8, 2011
idealism vs. realism
I'll admit that this has been my most difficult week. The reason being is that I have now run head on into "office politics" and it has been a hard thing to swallow. Office politics are an interesting thing because you know what you believe in and what you want to change for the better, yet you have to play the game in order to remain in good standing. For me it is more that although I know my cause is great, I do not have the power to make the change. Yet, as I write this I wonder how so many great leaders like Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks were able to make a change?
Another thing that has me doing a lot of soul searching is idealistic views. Is it so terrible to have these when in a classroom? Can you have an idealistic view of a student on his/her learning or a lesson plan or classroom management and still make it work? I strongly feel that you can and that it is these idealistic views were never believed in, then we would be living without any change. Is that what we really want for our students?
Another thing that has me doing a lot of soul searching is idealistic views. Is it so terrible to have these when in a classroom? Can you have an idealistic view of a student on his/her learning or a lesson plan or classroom management and still make it work? I strongly feel that you can and that it is these idealistic views were never believed in, then we would be living without any change. Is that what we really want for our students?
Monday, January 3, 2011
And the Equation is........
During class today I was reminded once again how people look differently at problems and come to solve them in different ways. Today, as I worked with my table groups and then watched others present to the class, I learned that we all approach problems and "see" the math very differently. I immediately see patterns and am challenged with finding the correct equation, my partner was able to figure out an equation instantly. So I was able to learn from her and the others and soon realized that there are many ways to solve a math problem. This is something that I will have to keep in mind when teaching my own class; that just because I have a way of solving a problem, I need to keep in mind that my students may see it differently. This could become an implication within my class if I let it, but I am certain that I will be open to the realization that "my way" is not the only way. My question would be if I allow a student to present to the class how they solved it, will that in turn confuse other students? I don't think it would as long as I explain that this is just one way to go about it.... but you never know....
Thursday, December 9, 2010
The A-Ha Teacher
Well.. I finally met that one teacher! You know the one, the one that we learn about in school. The one that seems to follow every single reading that was written about GREAT teachers. I have studied and studied about education for the past 5 years now and have read more than my fair share on pedagogy, creating a classroom of learners, democratic classrooms,etc.. I have been in training to mold myself into every great educator that I have read about and every time I have wondered, "Does someone like this even exist?" I have been trained on the what not to do's and the what you should do and always wondered if I can do.
Yet, today ended my time with a teacher just like this. My Dyad teacher, who is my "A-HA teacher" He is everything we have studied to be. He runs his classroom with more respect than I ever realized existed, where every child feels, no, KNOWS that they are important. I could go on and on but you got the idea. Basically, this teacher has made me once again believe that great teachers exist and that I can become one of them! I end this quarter with new vigor.... and believing... that I can become a great teacher!
Yet, today ended my time with a teacher just like this. My Dyad teacher, who is my "A-HA teacher" He is everything we have studied to be. He runs his classroom with more respect than I ever realized existed, where every child feels, no, KNOWS that they are important. I could go on and on but you got the idea. Basically, this teacher has made me once again believe that great teachers exist and that I can become one of them! I end this quarter with new vigor.... and believing... that I can become a great teacher!
Monday, December 6, 2010
Teaching through Technology
I had to share this from the CoolCatTeacher blog that I follow. I like what Vicki has to say about getting teachers to begin teaching through technology. Take a look....
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