Vocabulary Instruction & Reciprocal Teaching

I never realized how many different activities and reading strategies there were out there! These vocabulary strategies have been especially eye opening and helpful. I know that having these different strategies will keep my students interested and engaged while learning a book. What is also great about these strategies for The Capture is that they can be used not only for this book, but for many others also. It allows a future teacher to see a direct example from a book that they are reading and helps them apply it to another book. Seeing these examples is what is going to help me understand them better and understand what is important to focus on in a particular book.

The vocabulary PowerPoint taught me the importance of having more than just a vocabulary lesson in your classroom. Having children memorize specific vocabulary words helps them learn,  but not as much as reading does. Reading vocabulary words. Words that interest them, or that they find in a book that they have to look up and find the meaning. This is much more important to their learning and will be much more interesting to them! While reading The Capture it has been helpful to me to write down words that even I am not familiar with. Having these words in my notebook allows me to go back to them. I can use them again and again because they are with me in my notebook. I think it is important for students to do this also. Also, writing down the synonyms for this word helps the student remember the definition and use it. Using the word in a sentence is also important because students have to think of a situation where this would be appropriate. It causes them to use their noggin in a more comprehensive way, than just memorizing a definition and spitting it back out.

I think reciprocal teaching is a great way to keep students invovled in their readings and yet not overwhelemed. Splitting the students in to groups of four:

• Summarizer
• Questioner
• Clarifier
• Predictor

…allows the students to be involved and feel important. They have to pay attention to what they are reading so they can contribute to the discussion, yet they aren’t going to be overwhelmed by having to do every job listed. It is also important that not every student has the same role each time. This will give them experience and will help ease them into the correct way of thinking when they have to read on their own. How would the teacher make the groups for this sort of reading strategy?

GLOG:

http://meyerses.edu.glogster.com/soren/

Multitext Vocabulary

The Morphology was a very important article for teachers to read because it discussed the importance of vocabulary being taught in a classroom. Most of the points the article talked about I was already aware of. I know that vocabulary is important in the classroom because it not only widens a children language, but it makes them smarter, if they understand the definition of the word. The article talked about the importance of morphemes. Morphemes are so important to a child’s knowledge. It helps a student figure out a word that they might not know, just by the different parts of a word. Teaching this to a child would benefit them the most if they were taught this early on, and they would be able to use this method the rest of their lives. Last year in Schlagal’s class we learned that children are taught morphemes at an early age. This is the  start for them to learn how to read. Students can sound of morphemes that are familiar to them are can also use this method to decode the meaning of the word. As a child I probably learned some morphemes, but they never stuck. I still am not familiar with a lot of morphemes and hope to be more familiar as a further my teaching degree!

 

 

OWLS

Internet Workshop & Blog Posting:

I agree with this article completely. I think it is so important for teachers to involve technology within their classes lesson plans. Technology is the way that students understand and learn. In this day and age kids like technology. They are surrounded by the it all the time, this is what they know. They will learn and be so much more engaged in an activity when it involves technology. This article provides teachers many ways to integrate technology into their lessons.

Through the internet workshops, students are able to be independent learners. They can explore the websites, and find what they like or what they find helpful to them. As a teacher, you cannot just allow students to search whatever they please on the internet. A teacher must have some child-friendly websites at hand and accessible for the students. Not only to give the students relevant websites, but also the student must be able to read and understand the websites! This is so, so important. If students are struggling to comprehend the website, then the student might as well not be on the website at all, because they are not understanding. Also, it is important for the teacher to asses their students knowledge about the internet. Students should have a good understanding about research bars and what to type in and how to narrow down a search. If this is not the case then the teacher should plan accordingly for his/her students. Students should also be taking notes throughout this process of researching. If the students are jotting down ideas/concepts this will allow them to remember the websites that helped them and the information. Later on, the students should be allowed time to discuss and share what they had learned also!

When students start off blogging, they need to have some sort of structure to base their blogs off of. Although they should feel comfortable to share their opinion and their work, this is not like their personal journals. Blogging should have a of a focus on correct punctuation and grammar. The three main points to online blogging are to provide commentary and reflection on recent events or daily happening, create online journals or diaries, and it also gives them a place to publish their work. This allows parents to stay involved and to see what their child is doing at school. It also gives students practice with their writing and gives them a sense of accomplishment. They know that what they are doing in class has meaning and will be published for others’ eyes.

Adaptations

-can occur not only in animals, but also humans

-physical adaptations: body structures allow an animal to find and consume food, defend itself, survive its environment

-behavioral adaptations: distinctive and learned

Mrs. Coupe’s class website is a great way to have your class practice their technology skills and learn about animal adaptations in a fun way. Students could choose their favorite animal, which would already draw their attention to the project. They not only would learn about animal adaptions, they would also learn about different parts of the world. The specific area of focus could teach the children about land forms, or climate. Allowing students to have the opportunity to work with computers and research is so important. When students graduate to higher levels of education they already need a wide experience of practice working with computers and the internet. This project gives them plenty of practice and experience.

http://lcoupe.wordpress.com/animal-adaptations-june-2011/

Owls

Owls are the most beautiful, fascinating creatures. I have always loved owls, but after researching them and learning educational information about them, I am even more intrigued by this creature. First of all, I did not know the owls can easily be forced into extinction, because of an environment deterioration. I also did not know that the reason why owls can completely move their head around their bodies is because their eyeballs do not move. Owls have 3-D hearing, which is a concept I have never heard of before. Also, I find the way that owls eat their prey disgusting. I can’t believe they rip of the poor heads of the animal. I would much rather prefer to see a snake eat a meal, which all happens in one gulp. Another cool fact was that I found, was that owls lived near the age of dinosaurs.

BARN OWLS

1. List the barn owl’s scientific name. Tyto Alba
2. What does a barn owl look like? (color, size, etc.) What kind of sounds does it make? Mostly gray with some dark lines and some pale spots on the feathers. They have a heart shaped face and are between 32-40 cm in length. Females are actually a little bit larger than the males are.
3. Describe the habitat of a barn owl: Where do they live? What kind of shelter do they need? They are found in virtually all habitats, but are mostly found in woodlands. They like to have some sort of shelter such as a hollowed out tree, or sometimes even a cave.
4. How is the barn owl especially equipped to catch its prey? (Describe its camouflage and other adaptations.) They have the luxury of silent flight. Their prey cannot hear them when they are about to attack. Barn owls also perch lower to the ground in order to be closer to their prey. The color of barn owls also allows them to be hidden and camouflage in with their surroundings.
5. What do barn owls eat? Where do they find their food? Barn owls eat small rodents. They find their food particularly in open grasslands.
6. Describe any “special talents” of the barn owl. Most are nocturnal, but it has been said to see a barn owl our in the middle of the day.
7. Describe the life cycle of a barn owl. (including reproduction) They breed at anytime of the year depending on the amount of food availability. Mostly this happens twice a year. The owl will have between 3 to 6 eggs. Barn owls have very short life spans. Most die within the first 1-2 years of birth.
8. What are some cool “WOW” facts that you learned? That barn owls are found on all continents! Also, most barn owls live between 1-2 years and one owl lived for 25 years! CRAZY!

Double Entry Diary

From the book:

Page-3 paragraph 1

“It was hot in Georgia and Martin wanted to swim in the pool, but the sign said WHITES ONLY.

Martin was thirsty, but the sign said WHITES ONLY.

Martin needed to pee. WHITES ONLY.”

What this means to me:

The author wrote “WHITES ONLY” in all caps. I think the author was trying to emphasize the meaning of those two words during that time period. It must have been very frustrating for Martin, who wanted to do all these different activities, but couldn’t because of the color of his skin.

These signs were important back then because it represented to thoughts and ideas of people back then. Most people thought that blacks and whites should be separated.

(Students could have researched and recalled information about this time period before or during the reading of this book. Third grade: 1.06 Read independently daily from self-selected materials (consistent with the student’s independent reading level) to:

• increase fluency.
• build background knowledge.
• extend vocabulary.)

I am reminded of another time period in history when women had similar discriminatory rules against them too. This was all because they were females and not males.

From the book:

Page-6 Paragraph 2

“‘The way things are,’ his father preached, ‘is not the way they always have to be. In the next world, people of all colors will live together and respect each other.’”

What this means to me:

Since this book is taken place in a previous time period I understand that the quote is foreshadowing what really happens.

I wonder if Martin’s dad knew how soon the changes would occur. I wonder if Martin’s dad truly believed what he said or if just said that to make Martin feel better and have higher hopes.

(SECOND GRADE 2.04 Pose possible how, why, and what if questions to understand and/or interpret text.)

This quotes is also important because Martin’s father was a preacher. Baptist churches were a place where African Americans could go and they could all be together as one. Faith was most of what they had. Knowing that Martin’s father was preaching this to what seemed like ‘half of Atlanta’ gives those people hope. Many people during this time frame needed hope and someone who could lead them to positive change.

I am reminded of my own life by this quotes. When days aren’t going well I always try to stay positive and think positive thoughts. Also, hearing words of encouragement always lifts my spirits.

(Second grade: 3.01 Use personal experiences and knowledge to interpret written and oral messages.)

From the book:

Page-8 Paragraph 1

“Martin’s mother closed her eyes and turned her head from side to side like she was reading a book she knew by heart. ‘Some ignorant white people think they are better than colored people,’ she said, hugging Martin close. ‘But don’t you ever forget that you are just as good as anybody.’”

What this means to me:

The author uses a simile in this passage. The simile about her reading Martin’s emotions like a book really does a great job at describing the feelings of African Americans during this time period. I think this happened so often and that his mother had seen it so many times, it was like a book she had known by heart. Although most books you know by heart are enjoyable, but this situation certainly is not.

This is important again, because it mentions black people or Africa Americans as ‘colored people.’ This is a derogatory term used to describe them.

I loved this quote because it shows how much hurt and heart the African Americans had for each other. They were being discriminated against because of the color of their skin, nothing else. It wasn’t fair for them at all.

From the book:

Page:10 Paragraph 3 & 4

” That winter a colored woman refused to stand and move to the back of the bus so that a white man could sit down. She was arrested and sent to jail.

‘The time has come for action,’ Martin told his congregation. ‘Don’t ride the buses until we can sit wherever we please.’”

What this means to me:

I wonder if this small  request really started the change of equality.

I am confused because sometimes I think them not riding the buses almost made the white people happier, because there was more room for them to sit on the bus.

This is an important story because Rosa Parks was the woman who got arrested. She was an elderly woman, who was being forced to give up her seat to a young white man. There were plenty of seats on that bus, I just can’t understand why that man felt entitled to the same seat over the woman.

I can imagine a picture of this bus issue in my head, but it doesn’t make sense to me. I understand why and the reasons for segregation. Its just hard to understand and think about how life could have been that way, since everything is so different now.

(Third grade: 3.02 Identify and discuss similarities and differences in events, characters, concepts and ideas within and across selections and support them by referencing the text.)

From the book:

Page:26 Paragraph 1

“Abraham looked for a job.

Help Wanted, the signs said.

But underneath: NO JEWS.

In America, he’d heard, everyone was treated fairly. He would travel across the ocean, become a teacher, and send money back home.”

What this means to me:

I think the signs in Poland had the exact same meaning as the WHITES ONLY signs in America. The only difference was that one was being discriminated by their religion and the other by the color of their skin.

(Third grade: 3.02 Identify and discuss similarities and differences in events, characters, concepts and ideas within and across selections and support them by referencing the text.)

It confuses me when Abraham had heard that everyone had been treated fairly America, which was not true. All whites were treated fairly, but not he African Americans.

The words ‘Help Wanted’ are italicized in the book. I think this is because it’s almost like the author was being sarcastic. If the shops needed help that bad, then they would have taken help from anybody, not just non-Jewish people.

http://wellreadchild.blogspot.com/2008/05/as-good-as-anybody-by-richard-michelson.html

Shared Reading & Picture Books

The main points to focus on for shared reading lessons are comprehension, vocabulary, text structures, and text features. These can be done through Big Books which really helps teachers model readings while the younger students can watch and follow along. For younger students this helps improve their phonemic awareness. This is very important and helpful for them to see the words that the teacher is reading and also having him or her point out the different words to the students.

Comprehension provokes thought, questions, different ideas, predictions, and observations. This is important for students to do because helps the students become more engaged in their readings. They aren’t just reading a book just to read it. They are learning and understanding the ideas that the book entails.

“I don’t really read that way, and if I don’t read that way it’s not really an authentic shared reading and think-aloud, right?”

I completely agree with this quote from one of the teachers in the article. Comprehension questions should be natural. (Automatic vs. artificial) Teachers should ask questions that arise in their own head when they read the story. The students need a good model of what kinds of questions they should be thinking about while reading.

Vocabulary in the texts are almost never defined. Also, teachers do not have enough time to go through every word in a book that a student does not recognize or understand at first glance. Students must learn to use context clues, word parts, and if all else fails they can use resources. Context clues and word parts are known as inside word strategies and resources are known as outside word strategies.

When I am reading a book I normally use context clues to figure out the meaning of an unknown word. I never had really thought about word parts. When I have a classroom I want to make sure I emphasize the importance of understanding word parts and how much it can help a student figure out a word that they do not know. Word parts include prefixes, suffixes, roots, bases, word families, and cognates.

When all else fails students should not just skip over a word that is not understood. They need to have dictionaries available to them or another resource for them to look up the definition of a word.

Text structures allow students the luxury of knowing what is going to happen during a story without completely knowing what is going to happen.  Example text structures are compare/contrast, problem/solution, cause/effect, sequence, and descriptive.

Text features important words or phrases to remember or recognize. “Zorgamazoo” did this with a lot of the words in the book. Other ways of highlighting text features are through headings, captions, illustrations, bold face words, graphs, diagrams, glossaries, etc.

Freedom Summer

Sometimes teachers skip the first couple of pages in a book because they are not that important. In Freedom Summer, reading page number one is so important. This page explains the background on what the book is about and the importance of the story to our history. I would want to make sure the students knew about the Civil Rights Act and had a good understanding on what it was about. After the first questions a teacher could ask their students, “Why was the civil rights act important?” “Do you think what happened to the blacks was fair?” “How would you have felt?”

Page-3

John Henry Waddell is in green bold and bigger then the rest of the words in this text. I think he is probably one of the main characters and we should remember that name.

Also, when the author wrote “step-step-stepping it,” I think this is a neat way to play up the words.

Page-6

Clarifying/questioning: I wonder if John Henry and his friend will be able to swim in the same pool at the end of the book.

Page-8

The author does a good job at describing the boys skin with good descriptive words like “browned butter”and “pale moths that dance around the porch light at night.”

I also see a few similes:

“smells like pine needles after a good rain”

“smell like a just-washed sock”

Page-11

“My heart does a quick-beat.” I think the author is trying to tell us that the boys were nervous. Recalling the information we learned at the beginning of the book, whites and blacks were not allowed in the same place. Isn’t it odd to think that they couldn’t purchase from certain stores also?

Page-12

“…Everybody Together–

lunch counters, rest rooms, drinking fountains, too.”

On this page “Everybody Together” is capitalized. I think this has great importance in the book. A lot of changes are going to be made the next day.

Page-17

“run-run-running”

There’s that repetition of words again. I like the way that sounds.

Page-20

Will Rogers is angry that he has to fill up the pool. I think that Will Rogers is a good guy, he just had to fill up the pool unwillingly.

Page-24

“I want to see this town with John Henry’s eyes.”

John Henry’s friend doesn’t understand what he goes through. He wants to understand what he goes through everyday. He doesn’t understand why things are the way they are at this point.

Page-27

“I swallow hard and my heart says yes.”

When he says this I think it shows that he wants John Henry to come into the store and pick out his own ice pop, but is reluctant because he knows not everyone feels the same way about John Henry as he does.

 

Discussion: What has changed in America since the time period in the book?

Sustained Silent Reading

Since my field experience this semester I can already point out many children in my classroom that would benefit from this form of guided/learned reading. I look around the classroom and I see students reading books that are completely beyond their level of reading comprehension and their level of word comprehension. I find students ‘reading’ chapter books, who have trouble decoding words in simple picture books. The time they spend ‘reading’ these books is a waste. They look like they might be on task, when in actuality they are just looking at the words and pretending.

I think it is so important for students to have a certain amount of time each day to spend on reading. This time spent is completely useless if the student is wasting their time trying to read books that are not on their level of comprehension. When students have time to read in a classroom they should be reading books that meet the needs of their interest and are engaging, and also on the correct level for the student.

The DRA self assessment seems like a good idea at first.  Although, when a student is already having trouble with reading comprehension or decoding, they are most likely going to have a problem with understanding what sorts of questions are being asked of them.  The Student Reading Survey was pointless to most students. They were copying signs on the walls about reading, or they just wrote down what they thought would be good. They students didn’t actually understand what they were writing.

In the article it went through the process that teachers had to go through in order to find what worked for the students. I thought it was very meaningful for the teachers to provide lessons on connections, predicting, questioning, visualizing, and summarizing. During our IRI example on Friday the student was a great reader. He hardly messed up on any of the words and had no problem with decoding. On the surface he seemed like a wonderful reader and could have been at the top of his class. When asked questions about the story he could not answer them nearly as well as he could read. Just because a student can read well does not mean they are excellent at reading comprehension. I was one of those students. I still am sometimes. It takes work and practice. I am a great reader and I can read just as fast as anyone else my age, but when it comes to comprehending a text, I might have to read a passage a few times before I really understand what is going on.

Providing students with the opportunity to become better at reading comprehension is so important in the classroom. My favorite idea that I got out of the reading was having a follow-up activity for a student after they read a book, or a section of a book. This keeps the teacher informed on what the student is retaining from what they are reading and also helps the student recall information. I also, enjoyed the Drop Everything & Read program. I remember doing this in my classroom in elementary school, but I don’t remember my teacher participating with us. It is very important for a teacher to be a good role model for their students.

Another idea I had to motivate students who are on a lower level is to read to them a book that is on a level a little higher than theirs. The book should also be extremely engaging for those particular students. If they like the book and you leave them with a cliffhanger half way through they will be so much more inclined to want to become a better reader so they can finish the book!

Extending Acrostic Poetry Into Content Learning: A Scaffolding Framework

In this article it explained why teaching poetry can be difficult. In class we talked about the different ways to introduce poetry. I confess that when I learned about poetry I found it very hard to do. I became frustrated and was never taught poetry in a way that was enjoyable. If poetry in taught in the ways that we have discussed in class or in the article I don’t think poetry can be all that scary to students. Poetry needs to be introduced to students in a way where they understand the many different forms. They need to be reassured that everyone can write poetry. It’s not hard! Doing so will allow students to throw away the belief that their poetry can be “wrong” or having the feeling that their creations are being judged.

I also, like the idea of teachers modeling their work in front of their students. Also, having other students display their work will provide comfort to students who might be a little nervous about sharing their work.

Acrostic poetry and thought provoking poetry that causes students to interpret can enlighten students, but it can also cause students to become bored and frustrated. I feel like students should be introduced to poetry in a fun and creative way. When poetry is introduced to a student it should be free writing and a teacher should provide many different examples. When teachers first introduce students to poetry with specific poems that require certain requirements it confuses the students.

Hot Blog

This article allowed me to see the significance of blogging in the classroom. Blogging is an innovative way for students to share their opinions, work, questions, and class discussions. It allows students to work with the computer, which is also important for our students. Being able to be technically able and understand the new ways of media is important. Students need different ways to learn. They need to be able to express themselves other than in a classroom setting. Having their artwork or other forms of assignments accessible to on the internet makes them feel important. They are able to share their work with other students, their parents, or even other relatives. Teachers can mediate their students work and give feedback.

Blogging in the classroom also is a great way to show parents what their students are doing during the day. In my classroom I would especially like to have blogging so students can see the progression in their work. Having a class website that all students have access to will help create a family like environment. Students will have a sense of pride in their work.

Mrs. Coop’s classroom page was one of my favorites. I liked the different categories of websites by class subject. It is important to have organization within the classroom and should be organized on the websites too. I also liked all the work that was available on the website that was made by the children. This is a way that the kids can reflect on their projects and refer back to. I think its great that the website also had a spot for children to check their homework and upcoming assignments. It will help the students stay on task and allows the parents to stay on top of their child’s work also.

ZorgamazoO

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading “Zorgamazoo” so far. This book brings me straight back to my childhood. It reminds me of the books I use to read as a kid. It is amazing how the author perfectly rhymed each sentence. Some find this book hard to follow unless reading it aloud, but I find it quite easy to follow. I find myself laughing at the main character and her drive for adventure and curiosity. I am looking forward to seeing what happens next with every turn of a page. I also like how the author emphasized meaningful words by making them larger or smaller or even changing the font style. I have already asked my teacher, for student teaching, if I could read this book to my third grade class when I start coming full time. She is very excited to listen to the book because I have been so enthusicatic about “Zorgamazoo.”

I can’t wait to read “Zorgamazoo” to my third grade class!It is such a fun and interesting book. The book is filled with words that even I don’t know the meaning to. I think it would be a cool activity for the kids to write down words that they don’t understand. They could look up the meanings in the dictionary and use them in a sentence. This will help them broaden their vocabulary and practice writing also.

“Zorgamazoo” allows children to use their imagination. The text is full of descriptive words and keeps the reader intrigued.

Chapter 1: Why Notebook?

I really enjoyed the first chapter of  ”Notebook Know-How.” It it always interesting to read about the experiences of different teachers. They have so many stories and advice that can help a future teacher like me. I enjoy making my own mistakes, but it is also nice to learn from others mistakes at times. The idea of having children write in their own writer’s notebook is inspiring. I remember writing in my free time at home and being able to say whatever I wanted. Writing just for fun allows you to be free and express yourself in ways that aren’t possible to do when you are writing for something. Free write is more fun for students because they get to write as much or as little as they want. They don’t free like it is a chore or an assignment. They don’t get angry or push the activity away. They make their own rules and they write what they want. As a teacher I hope they my children will be excited about free writing. I hope that is something that they look forward to do everyday, almost as much as recess (this might be pushing it a bit though).  When having a writing notebook I think it should be introduced early on in the semester. Children should write in this during quiet time, or maybe after they are done with an assignment. They shouldn’t be given any rules. They still should be expected to write in their notebooks, but the teacher shouldn’t give many guidelines. The children should also give the teacher the option of being allowed to read their notebooks or not. This way the children can really write what they want.