Stacey Fisher Reply Post

After reading your post I’m quite envious of your classroom. Unfortunately in my placement there is not much literacy instruction, instead the teacher will stand in front of the class and read chapters from a book or the students will silent read.

When you talk about the “book bag” that contains 3-5 books at their reading level do you know if they had to take a test to determine their reading level? Also, are these books rotated every week? That is really awesome that your teacher has a ton of books and uses them to accompany her other lessons. As Kayla mentioned in her post, I am also curious about this at home reading reprogram. I love this idea and unfortunately my mentor teacher seldom allows the students to take any of her classroom books home. Several of the students have even shared that they do not have books at home which is very unfortunate. Since these are first grade students do parents sign off that their students indeed read at home, are they required to answer any comprehension questions, or provide re-telling details or anything so the teacher is certain the students actually read? Again, as Kayla mentioned, I am curious to know how this reinforcement system works and if it seems to be working with those students.

I loved hearing about the Tier literacy classrooms. Do you think that the other students know about the different tiers or levels? In my fifth grade room there are two different spelling tests given every Friday. List A is for more advanced students and list B is for those students with special needs, who are ELL, struggle in this content area, etc. and when questioning other students about these lists (during my first week) several students said that list A is for the "smarter people" and list B was for the students who struggle in this area. Again, I think the 4 different classrooms that can focus on the students needs more individually is important.

I also really like how the students are given an hour of computer time every Thursday but it does raise some questions. First, you mentioned that 40 minutes was spent with them reading online stories from a program and taking a quiz on it. For the last 20 minutes are the students able to use other software or programs on the computer? As first graders I’m curious to know if these students can even functionally use the keyboard or if they have a “computer” special during the week and have additional time outside of this literacy computer time on Thursdays. Using the computers in my fifth grade classroom is a big deal and the students enjoy working on them.

The digital denizen that best represents me would be a cross between a digital immigrant and a digital native. As technology becomes a bigger part of our everyday lives I have began to use more of it as an adult. However, I’m still unfamiliar with the full potential of various electronic tools, especially within the classroom (smartboards, the elmo, etc.). I didn’t even have a cell phone until I was in eight grade and the phone was large in size and could only make and receive calls therefore it did not have internet or text messaging. In my fifth grade classrooms the students talk about their phones, iPads, tablets, laptops, etc. and it is scary to think about the future and the role technology will play.

Kayla's Response Post 1/21

It was great to hear how another classroom is incorporating literacy into their daily schedule! I liked the idea of the at home reading program where each student is expected to read 1-15 minutes every night. I was wondering what the positive reinforcement for this behavior was? If it was something naturally related to what they did such as, receiving a new book since they read a specific amount of minutes, or if instead it was something not related such as a candy. This would be important to know since if it was something such as candy I would be worried that this is causing the student to become extrinsically motivated to read. Could the student get confused on what behavior is being reinforced since candy has no connection to reading? Another issue that could arise is that giving a student something such as candy might be reinforcing their behavior of eating unhealthy rather than reinforcing their behavior of practicing their reading skills. However, if the reinforcement is something such as letting the student receive a new book than the student is then going to read more which is reinforcing their behavior of reading.

I was also intrigued to hear that your fourth grade class gets an hour of technology time every Thursday. I found it interesting that this time was used to only read from an online source and take a quiz about the story that they read. What are students missing out when they are only seeing one online resource? I think that an important part of using technology is to learn what it is capable of doing. Although I strongly agree that it important to cross subjects and use literacy in any subjects that you can I think that it is also important to let students explore the internet (in a safe way) to learn what it offers us as learners. Perhaps while reading their story online they could also use the internet as a dictionary to look up words they don’t know or look up historical contexts about the story they are reading. This would be helpful for students since they can learn how helpful technology can be for them.

I also wanted to mention the idea of taking a quiz on the story they read. I think it is excellent to assess student’s comprehension on stories they just read but I don’t think that we should stop there. As I learned while reading the Langer article, “Understanding Literature” there are four major stances in the way that readers interpret the text; being out and stepping in, being in and moving through, being in and stepping out, and stepping out and objectifying the experience. Being out and stepping in are the initial responses to the text, being in and moving through are making inferences and using background knowledge to develop meaning, being in and stepping out is making text to self comparisons, and lastly, stepping out an objectifying the experience is where the students judge and evaluate the text. As Langer states in the article, “There is an ever emerging new horizon of possibilities that defines what the literary text means to the individual reader”. This is important because in order for students to truly interpret what they read they need to go through these four stances. What are the questions asking in the quiz that the students take after reading online? I wonder if they ask students to make text to self comparisons or if the questions are based on things explicitly said within the text. 

Allison Altenberger 2nd Blog Post

Describe how literature is included in the literacy curriculum in your classroom.  Based on today’s readings and your own ideas, what thoughts do you have about additional ways to incorporate literature into the curriculum?

In the Okemos curriculum, it says that in first grade students need to be able to know different genres, explain parts of text, make text to self and text to text connections, compare and contrast pieces of literature and to be enthusiastic about reading. 

Literacy is used across all subjects in my classroom. Every day my mentor teacher reads multiple children's books to the class. They always have story and snack in the morning. During that time she will usually pick a story that involves a lesson, a topic that relates to the current month, an upcoming holiday or is about what they are currently learning. Each child has their own "book bag" that contains between 3-5 books at their current reading level. There are at least two opportunities each school day for these students to practice reading their books. Depending on the day they either read them to themselves, have a buddy read or read to the MT or myself. My mentor teacher has an extensive collection of children's books. When teaching science or social studies she always has a book to accompany her lesson. By using books for those subject areas, the students are seeing a variety of genres. The students also have an at home reading program, where they are required to read at home for 1-15 minutes every night. There is a positive reinforcement system set up for that program. A significant part of the Okemos curriculum is to have reading be a key component of each student's school day and to incorporate reading as much as possible. To meet the district reading standards, the school has designed a program called "Good Fit Reading." Every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday the students in all four first grade classrooms go to their designated literacy rooms. One of the classrooms is for the Tier I students, two classrooms have the Tier II students and one classroom has the Tier III students. During those 40 minutes, the students work on reading and writing for their level. That program seems to really assist students with their reading skills and improving their reading. A large part of the reading from our class was about students reading at the appropriate level (for ELL) and using technology to keep students engaged. The students in my class take weekly reading assessments to monitor that they are progressing. Also, each Thursday the students in my class get an hour of computer time. 40 minutes is spent with them reading online stories from the program called RAZ-Kids. They read the book at the level they are currently at and take a quiz on it. The students get really excited about that program.  The students in my classroom are exposed to children's literature constantly. 

I feel that my mentor teacher and the school has the students engaged in reading and books as much as they can in the school day. I never hear students complaining about having to read and they always get excited when it is time for them to pick out new books. I think as long as it is continued to be combined with other subject areas  and my mentor teacher keeps having her in depth book talks, they will be on track to meet the curriculum standards. As a fellow enthusiast of children's literature, I can see myself using the same format that is used in this classroom. 

When taking the "digital denizen" quiz, I found that I am between a digital immigrant and a digital native. 

Allison Altenberger January 14 Reply Post

List of my goals for my learning during this course:
1. I want to learn more about children's literacy and how I can better teach it in my future classroom
2. Obviously I would like to learn a lot. I especially would like to learn about material that I can use in my classroom and apply to my future students.
3. I would like to do well on all of my assignments. I take my grades very seriously and would like to continue doing well in my education classes.
4. I enjoy receiving tips or advice from people who have been in the education field. It can be tips about classroom management, how to improve lessons, how to be a better teacher, anything. I take those tips very seriously and have maintained a list to reference when I have my own classroom. Any pieces of advice is always welcome.
5. I would like to learn more about myself as an educator and to see how I can improve my teaching or ways I would like to adapt.
6. I would like to stay organized. This course seems to be quite overwhelming, so I want to help myself however I can to not be overstressed about it.

In what type of school or community I would like to teach in:
My major is Special Education, with the focus on Learning Disabilities. My subject area major is social studies and I also have a minor in English. My ideal teaching job would be an elementary resource room  teacher. I have shadowed different Special Education rooms and have found the resource rooms to be my favorites. I have really enjoyed my placement in a general education first grade classroom this school year. I have been finding that since they are learning math and beginning to read I can use some of my Special Education knowledge to help them. I would not be surprised if at some point during my career I teach something such as that.

What do I want to learn about literacy instruction to help me reach my goals?
 I really enjoy children's literature. I would like to know more about how to select a good book for students. I would also like to learn more about how to get students who resist reading, to read. I would like to know about what appeals to young readers and how to get my students engaged and excited about reading. Learning about those would help me become a better educator. I think learning how to give my students good literacy instruction is the main aspect that would help me reach my goals.

How does the jigsaw article I read help me think about the kind of teacher I want to be?
This week I read the article about ELL students called, "Assessing English-language learners in mainstream classrooms." As a Special Education teacher I want to support inclusion and help my future students however I can to participate in general education. A significant part of this article was how to keep ELL students participating in general education classrooms and how to help them be successful. I liked the part in the article when the author said that an educator should find out what the student can do, not just focus on what they cannot. As a Special Education teacher I think that statement is very true and will remain a focus of my career. It also emphasized that students have various backgrounds and it is crucial to understanding the students needs. That can especially relate to what a student knows and how they view education. As a teacher I want to know my students well enough to understand their backgrounds and see how that shapes/affects their education. As a Special Education teacher I will be working with students who are diverse. This article helped me see how I can assist each of those students and their educational needs. It also helped me understand how some students need different types of assessments and different educational plans. It helped me re-enforce that I would like to be an effective teacher to diverse students.

Stacey Fisher's January 14th Blog Post

Make a list of your goals for your learning in the course. 

• Make sure to complete the assigned readings and do these as soon as possible! 
• Take notes to help me remember things discussed in class that I can use in the future. 
• I am really interested in learning how to ensure all students especially those who may have special needs, are ELL/ESL, come from different cultures, socioeconomic backgrounds, have a wide range of abilities, etc. can all learn from the same lesson. I am currently in a fifth grade classroom in Lansing and there is a wide range abilities in the classroom. One student, a refugee from Africa with only a few years of formal education struggles with both reading and writing while another student actually skipped the fourth grade and excels in this subject area. After knowing all of your students and how they learn I am curious as to how a teacher is able to meet the needs of ALL students in the classroom. Using multiple means of representation, visuals, manipulatives can help and I am hoping to learn how to tailor literacy lessons so  the students can understand the content and are engaged as well. 
• I’d also like to learn how to motivate students to want to read and write. As a young learner I remember having several bad experiences with this subject area and it resulted in a lack of motivation for reading. All last semester and this semester too I have only observed the students in my classroom silent reading or the teacher reading to the students. Writing is incorporated throughout the other subjects and the students do have a weekly spelling test. I’d really like to learn ways to make reading and writing fun and enjoyable, how to incorporate manipulatives, hands on activities, and also how to get the students up out of their seats and involved in their own learning. 

In what type of school and community context do you hope to teach?

I am a Special Education- Learning Disabilities major and while I do not necessarily have particular hopes regarding any type of school or community I have always had an interest in rural education and would love to work with K-4 students. However, I am currently in a fifth grade room and absolutely love it. So, as long as I am able to work and teach children I believe I will be happy! 

What do you want to learn about literacy instruction to help you reach your goals? 

As a future Special Education teacher I want to learn how to specifically ensure all students have an equal opportunity to learn. By this I mean what can be done to help those who are struggling. In my current classroom I am concerned as a handful of students are only getting more and more behind. As Kayla mentioned, I want to learn strategies that will help catch these students up. In several other classes I have learned ways to make learning more fun for the students so I am looking for those techniques or activities that can help foster a child’s education specifically in literacy.

 

How do the jigsaw articles you read for today help you think about the kind of teacher you want to be?

 I read the article focusing on rural education. This article talked about place-based education (PBE), which connects students’ unique knowledge of their community to school curriculum. PBE provides a learning benefit because standards are taught through an environment, community or culture that students know. As a teacher it is important to bring the students together and learn and appreciate one another. Learning about each other in terms or culture and background and providing the students with authentic experiences will be very beneficial. This article also talked about virtual field trips as students and districts in rural districts may be unable to fund or provide resources for an actual field trip this is an alternative. Virtual field trips involves exploring places around the world, if the school has technology the article provided a website (www.field-trips.org) that can be used which has various curriculum-based topics, objectives, targeted vocabulary words, associated national standards, and other website links. Taking students to the zoo virtually and learning about animals and conservation could be a great starter to a literacy lesson. The students can use the computer lab, classroom computers if applicable or the teacher can navigate through the national zoo website in the classroom. Students can then use classroom books about animals, biomes, or conservation and do some more investigation, possibly make posters to inform others, create a zoo pamphlet, a diorama, etc. Instead of just reading a book to the students about the African safari or lions the students can choose their own animal, place in the world, biome, etc. and be responsible for learning about that topic.

The article states “statistics reveal that low-education counties have one in four adults, ranging in age from 25 to 64 years, without a high school degree and may be affected by resource inequalities and discrepancies” (Lester, 2012). Although the lack of resources may be difficult to work with I truly think that it is the teachers that matter. Having a great teacher that is committed to making a difference and not giving up on the students is a key factor to success. While using technology is nice and the students love it using the internet is not neccessarily crucial for success in reading and writing. After reading today's article I just want to be that teacher who makes a difference and makes reading and writing enjoyable in the classroom.

January 14th Kayla Post

Goals:

• -       I hope to broaden my understanding of various teaching methods. I am only comfortable and familiar with methods I have personally seen and I would really like to see how other methods are implemented and their outcomes.
• -       I hope to become better at choosing which teach strategies are helpful to different learners. All students learn differently so I hope I can become knowledgeable on how to select the strategies I will use with which students. Since my focus is on Special Education I am specifically curious on what teaching methods and strategies will help me with my learners with special needs.

Notes:

•           I hope to work in an urban school district because I feel that this is where I am needed most. I want to teach in an area where I can make a difference for the students I am working with.
• -       Specifically, I am interested in learning how to teach special education students that have been left behind in literacy. I want to know various teaching strategies that I can use to catch these students up to their peers.
• -       Specifically, the “Teaching for all Children” reading showed me that I want to be an informed teacher. The article pointed out that most teachers in urban areas do not feel that they struggle in their reading or literacy knowledge but that they struggle in their understanding of their students’ lives. I want to have a better understanding of how it feels to be a student living in poverty then coming into the classroom and being told that they need to learn literacy. Students in poverty have many more concerns than just their schoolwork. In order to be a successful teacher in an urban school I need to realize what my students go through each day so I have resources available for them in my classroom. I want to learn how to teach diverse learners so I am not caught off guard in my first year of teaching.