"Untracking English"
Christensen Chapter #8
"Many students who come from remedial or regular classes are bright. But the abilities they bring to class often go unrecognized because they aren't the skills traditional education has prized: reading and writing" (171).
No truer words have been spoken. When I read this chapter I had to stop and say "WOW" when I read that, because I saw an example of this in real life just a couple weeks ago during my Pre Internship. I have been continusously blown away by this 6th grade boy in the English class. The topic of this quarter is "Loss", so the class was reading a short novel by Ralph Fletcher, dealing with loss. My mentor teacher asked the kids to take a piece of contrution paper and divide the back into three sections," National, local, and personal loss" then he had then list different kinds of loss. Then he had them flip over the paper and draw a picture representing loss. As I walked around the classroom peering over these kids shoulders I saw pictures of soldiers in Iraq, the tornado that hit Tennessee, and the school shooting at NWU. But, when I peered over this one boys shoulder I saw a beautiful displays of colors of mutliple designs within a circle, it was beautiful. I sat down next to him, and I asked, " what does this picture represent?" The boy looked at me and said, "This is how I felt when my brother died." I wanted to tear up right there, because I saw it. I saw the craziness of his mind when he found out, and every color had a different emotion that he felt. It was amazing!
If this boy had had a different teacher, and I am sure has had the traditional teacher and always will, I am not so positive that that drawing, that meant so much to him, would be accepted as a peice of literature. Or how many teachers would ask about it, rather than handing it back and scorned him for doodling instead of drawing the assignment. He is an amazing thinker and he is very intelligent becasue he thinks so abstractly, but how many schools, how many teachers notice or take the time to notice the potential of a non traditional form of intelligentce. My teacher and I had a great discussion about allowing students the oppurtunity to find thier own individual ways of learning and expression of learning. This had to be one of my favorite and most influencial moments as an intern and for a future teacher.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
"So What's Your Story"
Gilmore Chapter #7
I like the way Gilmore expresses the differences in creative writing and research writing. They are like two different countries: the United States and China. Both are countries but both have their differences on how the country is ran and the government and economies are developed. This analogy is good for research writing and creative writing. Both are forms of literature, but how they are developed and the criteria for both are completly different.
I am definitly a better creative writer than I am a research writier, which sucks because I am a history major and all I do is write research papers. But, I actually enjoy writing creativly and I love researching, but I do not like writing about the research to the way WMU history department wants me to.
I don't know if i had mentioned this before, but my mentor teacher's teaching philosophy is amazing when it comes to reading and writing, and it compares to Gilmore's very nicely. Gilmore says that we had better make writing fun because, in turn, it will make students better at reading and writing. My mentor teacher explained to me that the hardest part for teachers when reading a book for class, is to keep the students engaged until the climax, because once they reach the climax of the book they are hooked and most likely will be motivated to read. However, he said if in your cirriculum there is a book to read and you find it boring and think it will not fit your class, DO NOT HAVE THEM READ IT! He said once you force them to read or write something that is boring, you kill reading and writing.
Gilmore Chapter #7
I like the way Gilmore expresses the differences in creative writing and research writing. They are like two different countries: the United States and China. Both are countries but both have their differences on how the country is ran and the government and economies are developed. This analogy is good for research writing and creative writing. Both are forms of literature, but how they are developed and the criteria for both are completly different.
I am definitly a better creative writer than I am a research writier, which sucks because I am a history major and all I do is write research papers. But, I actually enjoy writing creativly and I love researching, but I do not like writing about the research to the way WMU history department wants me to.
I don't know if i had mentioned this before, but my mentor teacher's teaching philosophy is amazing when it comes to reading and writing, and it compares to Gilmore's very nicely. Gilmore says that we had better make writing fun because, in turn, it will make students better at reading and writing. My mentor teacher explained to me that the hardest part for teachers when reading a book for class, is to keep the students engaged until the climax, because once they reach the climax of the book they are hooked and most likely will be motivated to read. However, he said if in your cirriculum there is a book to read and you find it boring and think it will not fit your class, DO NOT HAVE THEM READ IT! He said once you force them to read or write something that is boring, you kill reading and writing.
"You're Just My Type"
Gilmore Chapter #6
Yes, this chapter is a great chapter to allow me to vent! I like technology. I think it makes life and jobs a lot easier, to a certain extent. However, I definitely get frustrated with technology almost every single day. Gilmore had brought up some good points in his arguement for pro technology. How technology is used in classrooms is almost a bitter sweet experience. It provides a student multiple ways of learning, and is easier on the teacher to make different teaching methods easier and more fun for the students. Sometimes, however, technology fails and becomes more frustrating then easier and conducive to learning.
My mom is a 4th grade english teacher at Olivet Middle School. She has been teaching for 31 years and have one teacher of the year multiple times. BUT, the woman knows nothing about technology! She is great with students, classroom management, ect... but when it comes to technology she is lost. She tries to learn more about it, because it is her job requirement. She repeatedly keeps telling me that the more experience with technology I get, will be better, because education is headed down a technological advanced classrooms. EW!
I and the schools have to remember not every student has access to a computer at home or have a way to make it to the library to use a computer. As a teacher I have to realize the frustration that comes with assigning computer assignments. One more comment on having students send me thier papers via email... OH NO! I hate recieving emails, and I hate sending them. Unless the student is absent I think it is an aweful idea to send a paper through email... That is something I will not change... you loose the individual interaction and connection if your cirriculum is based around technology!
Gilmore Chapter #6
Yes, this chapter is a great chapter to allow me to vent! I like technology. I think it makes life and jobs a lot easier, to a certain extent. However, I definitely get frustrated with technology almost every single day. Gilmore had brought up some good points in his arguement for pro technology. How technology is used in classrooms is almost a bitter sweet experience. It provides a student multiple ways of learning, and is easier on the teacher to make different teaching methods easier and more fun for the students. Sometimes, however, technology fails and becomes more frustrating then easier and conducive to learning.
My mom is a 4th grade english teacher at Olivet Middle School. She has been teaching for 31 years and have one teacher of the year multiple times. BUT, the woman knows nothing about technology! She is great with students, classroom management, ect... but when it comes to technology she is lost. She tries to learn more about it, because it is her job requirement. She repeatedly keeps telling me that the more experience with technology I get, will be better, because education is headed down a technological advanced classrooms. EW!
I and the schools have to remember not every student has access to a computer at home or have a way to make it to the library to use a computer. As a teacher I have to realize the frustration that comes with assigning computer assignments. One more comment on having students send me thier papers via email... OH NO! I hate recieving emails, and I hate sending them. Unless the student is absent I think it is an aweful idea to send a paper through email... That is something I will not change... you loose the individual interaction and connection if your cirriculum is based around technology!
"Can We Leave Yet?"
Gilmore Chapter #5
The time has come in the semester when I go into freak out mode. It is a time where all assignments are assigned and you have the rest of the semester to figure out when you will work on each assignment and when you will complete them. This weekend, yes i am a nerd, I made a poster chart, because believe it or not this is my most stressful semester in college yet! I created a chart of assignments and dates, then I split them all up in three deadlines. I felt more at ease and less scattered once the list and organized assignments were right in front of me and hung on my wall. So, when Gilmore speaks of the importance lists are to a students education, he could not have spoken more true words.
Lists can help a student to become more organized, and once thoughts are organized it is easier to learn and remember, in my experience. Therefore, using lists to prep for AP testing, is a great way to prepare students in recalling the information were suppose to remember throughout their high school career.
One last remark, revison strategies can get complicated and slightly overwhelming for students, so having a check list to break down what needs to be done would make a student less frustrated with the assignment in general, as a result, the assignment will come back the way I had expected, instead of all thrown together in a frenzie!
Gilmore Chapter #5
The time has come in the semester when I go into freak out mode. It is a time where all assignments are assigned and you have the rest of the semester to figure out when you will work on each assignment and when you will complete them. This weekend, yes i am a nerd, I made a poster chart, because believe it or not this is my most stressful semester in college yet! I created a chart of assignments and dates, then I split them all up in three deadlines. I felt more at ease and less scattered once the list and organized assignments were right in front of me and hung on my wall. So, when Gilmore speaks of the importance lists are to a students education, he could not have spoken more true words.
Lists can help a student to become more organized, and once thoughts are organized it is easier to learn and remember, in my experience. Therefore, using lists to prep for AP testing, is a great way to prepare students in recalling the information were suppose to remember throughout their high school career.
One last remark, revison strategies can get complicated and slightly overwhelming for students, so having a check list to break down what needs to be done would make a student less frustrated with the assignment in general, as a result, the assignment will come back the way I had expected, instead of all thrown together in a frenzie!
Monday, February 18, 2008
Christensen: Chapter #7
PORTFOLIOS
There have been many times where I sit and think of sctivites and strategies to use in my future classroom, and portfolios were always a part of the thought process. I only thought it was a good way to keep up on the students work and teach them organizational skills, as well as, responsibility for keeping their work. However, reading Chirstensen chapter I have realized that one portfolio can be used in many different ways when used as an evaluation tool.
Christensen explains that each student keeps every written assignment, good or bad, in the portfolio, and at the end of the year they are to evaluate and analize their progression. I really enjoy this technique because it is during their evaluation that the student recognizes thier strengths, weaknesses, and most importantly their own individual writing style. All three: strengths, weaknessesm and individual writing styles, are great stepping stones in the progress process of a students writing.
One more positive reflection from this chapter is in doing this analyizing of your own work, students will have evidence right in front of them showing the reasoning of why they had to do what they had to do. Professors have stressed that you have to know why you making students do something, and that they have always said that at lease one student will ask "why do we have to do this, it isn't like we are going to use this again?" I think when students will look at the progress and write and evaluation the student will learn the answer to that question, and become a better writer because of it.
PORTFOLIOS
There have been many times where I sit and think of sctivites and strategies to use in my future classroom, and portfolios were always a part of the thought process. I only thought it was a good way to keep up on the students work and teach them organizational skills, as well as, responsibility for keeping their work. However, reading Chirstensen chapter I have realized that one portfolio can be used in many different ways when used as an evaluation tool.
Christensen explains that each student keeps every written assignment, good or bad, in the portfolio, and at the end of the year they are to evaluate and analize their progression. I really enjoy this technique because it is during their evaluation that the student recognizes thier strengths, weaknesses, and most importantly their own individual writing style. All three: strengths, weaknessesm and individual writing styles, are great stepping stones in the progress process of a students writing.
One more positive reflection from this chapter is in doing this analyizing of your own work, students will have evidence right in front of them showing the reasoning of why they had to do what they had to do. Professors have stressed that you have to know why you making students do something, and that they have always said that at lease one student will ask "why do we have to do this, it isn't like we are going to use this again?" I think when students will look at the progress and write and evaluation the student will learn the answer to that question, and become a better writer because of it.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Gilmore #4
Getting It Together
I liked the parts in this chapter that ellaborated on getting offended and the ability to ask questions about your writing. There have been two very current and distenct instances this past week on my writing submissions for my classes. Two way different classes, two very different writing styles, and two way different professors: as a result, two way different suggestions.
I just want to say, when students eagerly look at the paper they poured hours of labor to create and find hundred of corrections or suggestions on the front page, our hearts sink. However, it is what these comments say that "make or break us."
I had to do this huge experiment and write a paper on my results. I got my paper back and saw a lot of writing, being that I am not a very confident writer in the first place, my heart sank. But this time it was different. This professor enjoyed my writing style and she actually said that. She made funny likeably comments, like it was actually fun for her to read my paper. Yes, there were some suggestions made, that will definitly help me with my next paper, but overall, I felt successful and confident to write that next paper.
On the other hand, in my other class, I had to research and present my research. Once again I saw a paper with hundreds of ink marks on my paper. Trust me, after awhile they just looked like markings on a piece of paper. i was so hurt by what was writtin and how it was written, it actually made me loose my previously new found confidence. It made me not want to write anymore papers for this professor, becasue deep down I felt I had done a fine job. But, in that one instant, I lost confidence in that class and in my writing.
These two experiences has shown me what kind of english teacher I want to be. I wont mark every little pointless correction just to make myself seem more powewrful or important then my students. I will not write little hurtful comments that did not need to be written. But I will help each student to be proud of thier own personal writing style, and to perfect it. Every one is different and it is reflected in thier writing, who am I to say that style is wrong. I am the one the students can come to for help thier writing style, not to change it!
Getting It Together
I liked the parts in this chapter that ellaborated on getting offended and the ability to ask questions about your writing. There have been two very current and distenct instances this past week on my writing submissions for my classes. Two way different classes, two very different writing styles, and two way different professors: as a result, two way different suggestions.
I just want to say, when students eagerly look at the paper they poured hours of labor to create and find hundred of corrections or suggestions on the front page, our hearts sink. However, it is what these comments say that "make or break us."
I had to do this huge experiment and write a paper on my results. I got my paper back and saw a lot of writing, being that I am not a very confident writer in the first place, my heart sank. But this time it was different. This professor enjoyed my writing style and she actually said that. She made funny likeably comments, like it was actually fun for her to read my paper. Yes, there were some suggestions made, that will definitly help me with my next paper, but overall, I felt successful and confident to write that next paper.
On the other hand, in my other class, I had to research and present my research. Once again I saw a paper with hundreds of ink marks on my paper. Trust me, after awhile they just looked like markings on a piece of paper. i was so hurt by what was writtin and how it was written, it actually made me loose my previously new found confidence. It made me not want to write anymore papers for this professor, becasue deep down I felt I had done a fine job. But, in that one instant, I lost confidence in that class and in my writing.
These two experiences has shown me what kind of english teacher I want to be. I wont mark every little pointless correction just to make myself seem more powewrful or important then my students. I will not write little hurtful comments that did not need to be written. But I will help each student to be proud of thier own personal writing style, and to perfect it. Every one is different and it is reflected in thier writing, who am I to say that style is wrong. I am the one the students can come to for help thier writing style, not to change it!
Gilmore Chapter #3: Awk! Frag! (Revising Style)
I think it is true to say that students have been bred to fix the red errors and turn their papers back in and everything will be alright. We have been bred since elementry school to become lazy with revision. First no one wants to rewrite an entire paper after just completing and handing it in. Heck no! That would be the last thing I would want to do. As a result, when teachers only leave grammer suggestions and allow students to make the corrections and resubmit, they are stick to what the teacher wrote on their papers with thier red ink, rather than focusing on the content.
Content is the most important part in writing a paper, in my opinion. Content and effectively expressing the content. Which in my case is the hardest part. I can find, develope, and understand completly what I am writing about, however, effectively writing my arguement or expressing the facts in a nice flowing matter is my persoanl downfall. I took a history class one time and the very well known professor confessed that they had submitted a book they had worked on for years. The publishers didn't care too much about the content, and basically asked for them to redo and resubmit, which in their case meant starting from scratch. OUCH! I guess my point is, I did not find out that it is possible that you might want to start from scratch, in some cases, if you paper isn't effective and the content isn't persuasive.
Revision is important, and it is even more important to teach the different ways and levels of revision. We have to put the stop on the laziness of students and teachers with only stopping with grammer, and start focusing on what really matters, the actual messege the paper is offering!
I think it is true to say that students have been bred to fix the red errors and turn their papers back in and everything will be alright. We have been bred since elementry school to become lazy with revision. First no one wants to rewrite an entire paper after just completing and handing it in. Heck no! That would be the last thing I would want to do. As a result, when teachers only leave grammer suggestions and allow students to make the corrections and resubmit, they are stick to what the teacher wrote on their papers with thier red ink, rather than focusing on the content.
Content is the most important part in writing a paper, in my opinion. Content and effectively expressing the content. Which in my case is the hardest part. I can find, develope, and understand completly what I am writing about, however, effectively writing my arguement or expressing the facts in a nice flowing matter is my persoanl downfall. I took a history class one time and the very well known professor confessed that they had submitted a book they had worked on for years. The publishers didn't care too much about the content, and basically asked for them to redo and resubmit, which in their case meant starting from scratch. OUCH! I guess my point is, I did not find out that it is possible that you might want to start from scratch, in some cases, if you paper isn't effective and the content isn't persuasive.
Revision is important, and it is even more important to teach the different ways and levels of revision. We have to put the stop on the laziness of students and teachers with only stopping with grammer, and start focusing on what really matters, the actual messege the paper is offering!
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