My final semester of classes flew by! I can not believe I am writing a semester reflection. It feels like just yesterday was the first day of Teaching Language. As I look back over the semester I feel like Teaching Language has been an immensely helpful class. One aspect in particular that I liked were the books chosen. I think that every single book had something valuable to teach about writing. For instance, Nancie Atwell's book In the Middle taught me all about workshops. I had never even considered using a workshop in a writing class, but Atwell's book has given me something to consider. She went in-depth and discussed how they work and the benefits of having them. This book also gave me numerous handouts that I could incorporate into my teaching of writing. Even a book like Making Comics proved to be helpful in the teaching of writing. Scott McCloud's book gave great information about how to make a comic book meaningful. This book gave me so many ideas for assignments I would like to use next semester with my students. The book list this semester was helpful. I plan to add all of these books to my bookshelf. I know they will come in handy!
I also enjoyed the writing workshops and demonstrations that we did this semester. With the demonstrations, I now have a variety of activities that I can incorporate into my classroom for any given writing assignment. I am glad that this was one of our assignments because it did provide all of us in the class with new strategies that we can use with our students. I also liked the writing workshops because I think it helped me to become a better more polished writer. It also made me realize that it is important to write with your students. I know that I am leaving out a TON of assignments that I enjoyed, but these two were the ones that impacted me the most.
Finally, this semester has taught me about my beliefs on the teaching of writing. I had always assumed that teaching writing was going to be boring and dry. I recall numerous middle school and high school English classes that included very uninspired writing lessons. Luckily, I learned that teaching writing is fun. As a teacher I plan to make writing exciting. I want to include writing lessons and assignments that allow students to be creative and interact with one another. I am also very interested in setting up a writing workshop. I think that Atwell's ideas are very interesting. Her book gave me plenty of help in making a writing workshop a reality. Overall, this class taught me that writing is not boring. Writing can be fun, interactive, and creative. I plan on using a lot of the strategies and books from this class to make my teaching of writing memorable to my students.
On another note, I wanted to provide you all with the link to a ning that I have been recently reading. It is called English Companion and it is run by Jim Burke, who wrote Writing Reminders. There are thousands of English teachers on here. There are also numerous groups on the ning ranging from "Teaching Texts" to a group devoted to "New Teachers". I have found so many lesson ideas and helpful tips on here. I highly suggest that you all check this ning out!
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
On Writing Reminders
Throughout the semester, I have been reading Jim Burke's Writing Reminders. Aside from Atwell's book, I think that this is probably one of the best books I have read for this class. I enjoyed that the book opened with a chapter on writing with your students. This semester has taught me that this is very important. Students need to see that you write as well. Besides the first few chapters, there were so many useful lesson ideas in this book. For Example on page 191-195 there is an entire lesson plan for writing portfolios. Burke is pretty much writing an entire lesson plan on this for English teachers use. He has even included a grading rubric that can be used. I also like that he provides recommended resources. If I wanted more information on a lesson, I could simply look at the resources provided.
One aspect of this book that I really enjoyed was the fact that Burke used student examples throughout. When he described a lesson idea, there was almost always student examples provided. For instance, there are student's graphic organizers filled out, examples of pre-writing, final drafts, peer-editing examples, etc. I liked this because it shows what you can expect from your students. I also think that I could use these in a class to model for students. Once students see a model of the particular assignment, they better grasp what their task is for the assignment.
Finally, another aspect of this book that I liked is that Burke provided creative writing lessons as well. There are plenty of writing lessons on expository writing and narrative writing, but he also provides lessons that involve creative writing. On page 329, Burke provides an entire lesson on writing poetry. I found numerous assignments I would like to do next semester in this section. One idea in particular is the letter poem. I would like to use this with The Diary of Anne Frank. I think it would be a good way to assess students comprehension of scenes from the play. I would have students take a scene and turn it into a letter poem from Anne to her diary. For me, I think that creative assessments are much better than the traditional test. I think that my students would get a lot more out of writing a poem then they would out of taking a test.
Overall, I liked this book immensely. I have found numerous ideas that I plan to use next semester with my classes. My cooperating teacher recently gave me another book by him, Reading Reminders, that I plan to read over break. I am sure I will find even more helpful ideas in this book!
One aspect of this book that I really enjoyed was the fact that Burke used student examples throughout. When he described a lesson idea, there was almost always student examples provided. For instance, there are student's graphic organizers filled out, examples of pre-writing, final drafts, peer-editing examples, etc. I liked this because it shows what you can expect from your students. I also think that I could use these in a class to model for students. Once students see a model of the particular assignment, they better grasp what their task is for the assignment.
Finally, another aspect of this book that I liked is that Burke provided creative writing lessons as well. There are plenty of writing lessons on expository writing and narrative writing, but he also provides lessons that involve creative writing. On page 329, Burke provides an entire lesson on writing poetry. I found numerous assignments I would like to do next semester in this section. One idea in particular is the letter poem. I would like to use this with The Diary of Anne Frank. I think it would be a good way to assess students comprehension of scenes from the play. I would have students take a scene and turn it into a letter poem from Anne to her diary. For me, I think that creative assessments are much better than the traditional test. I think that my students would get a lot more out of writing a poem then they would out of taking a test.
Overall, I liked this book immensely. I have found numerous ideas that I plan to use next semester with my classes. My cooperating teacher recently gave me another book by him, Reading Reminders, that I plan to read over break. I am sure I will find even more helpful ideas in this book!
Sunday, December 6, 2009
On Making Comics
Scott McCloud's book, Making Comics, proved to be an informational read for me. I am not much of a comic person, so this book gave me plenty of information about them broken down into simple, understandable definitions. For instance, on page 15, there are six definitions of panel to panel transitions. I found these definitions to be easy to understand, and helpful. I also think that the pictures helped to provide even better help. For instance on page 232, McCloud describes four different "tribes" of comic artists. When describing these artists, McCloud not only used words, but he used pictures as well. For someone that is a visual learner, I think that the pictures helped to explain a lot about comics.
I really enjoyed the format of this book. I think the fact that it was written like a comic made a much greater impact. If it had been written strictly as a book with no pictures, I think the whole purpose would have been destroyed. The book was written to teach others about how to make effective comics. What better way than to learn through an extended comic. And again, I think that the pictures helped to clarify topics that were foreign to me. For example, on page 192 McCloud talks about various pens as they pertain to precision in comic drawing. I think that if I had strictly read about this I would have been completely lost. The fact that he included pictures helped to clarify this section. There were actual examples of how each pen worked and what they looked like.
Next semester I am teaching the play The Diary of Anne Frank. Before even reading this book I was planning on having students complete some type of comic book activity. I think that this book taught me so much valuable information. I plan to take this information and incorporate it into my activity next semester. I especially think that the chapter on "The Power of Words" was exceptional. Personally, I never knew so much went into including just the right words or into word/picture combinations. Page 130 gave me a nice list of seven different combinations. Throughout chapter three these combinations were explored more in-depth. I plan to utilize a lot of info from this chapter into my activity. I want students to think about how they want to portray the characters and what types of words they want to use. Chapter three taught me that words make an important impact on comics and I want my students to consider this when completing their assignment.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I learned a ton about how to make an effective comic. I plan to take this information and use it next semester.
On another note, I have been reading a little bit. I recently started reading The Diary of Anne Frank. I have begun to devise some lesson ideas and once break hits I will spend more time finalizing them. I have also been looking at various novels to teach next semester. My cooperating teacher has let me choose any novel that I want. Hyre has a lot of options! So far I am thinking either Night, The Outsiders, The Pigman, or The Chocolate War. I still have a month before I have to finalize anything, so I will be probably re-read some of these novels and then arrive at a decision.
I really enjoyed the format of this book. I think the fact that it was written like a comic made a much greater impact. If it had been written strictly as a book with no pictures, I think the whole purpose would have been destroyed. The book was written to teach others about how to make effective comics. What better way than to learn through an extended comic. And again, I think that the pictures helped to clarify topics that were foreign to me. For example, on page 192 McCloud talks about various pens as they pertain to precision in comic drawing. I think that if I had strictly read about this I would have been completely lost. The fact that he included pictures helped to clarify this section. There were actual examples of how each pen worked and what they looked like.
Next semester I am teaching the play The Diary of Anne Frank. Before even reading this book I was planning on having students complete some type of comic book activity. I think that this book taught me so much valuable information. I plan to take this information and incorporate it into my activity next semester. I especially think that the chapter on "The Power of Words" was exceptional. Personally, I never knew so much went into including just the right words or into word/picture combinations. Page 130 gave me a nice list of seven different combinations. Throughout chapter three these combinations were explored more in-depth. I plan to utilize a lot of info from this chapter into my activity. I want students to think about how they want to portray the characters and what types of words they want to use. Chapter three taught me that words make an important impact on comics and I want my students to consider this when completing their assignment.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I learned a ton about how to make an effective comic. I plan to take this information and use it next semester.
On another note, I have been reading a little bit. I recently started reading The Diary of Anne Frank. I have begun to devise some lesson ideas and once break hits I will spend more time finalizing them. I have also been looking at various novels to teach next semester. My cooperating teacher has let me choose any novel that I want. Hyre has a lot of options! So far I am thinking either Night, The Outsiders, The Pigman, or The Chocolate War. I still have a month before I have to finalize anything, so I will be probably re-read some of these novels and then arrive at a decision.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
On The Professor and the Madman
I enjoyed reading The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester. At first, I figured it was going to be very boring and extremely dry, but in fact, it proved to be quite an enjoyable read! Right from the very beginning I was hooked! Toward the end of the preface Governor of the asylum says "Dr. Minor is most certainly here. But he is an inmate" (xiii). I will admit that I was not expecting this! This brief preface drew me into the book and piqued my interest. Once I continued into chapter one, my interest was kept. I enjoyed reading about Minor's background and why he was in the asylum. I think, for me, the best part of the book was reading about Minor. I found him to be such an interesting individual. I think it was amazing how he wrote so much for the Oxford English Dictionary, yet he was considered insane. One particular area that I found fascinating to read about was the ward notes on Dr. Minor. On page 124, there are notes showing Minor's insane claims. June 1875: "The doctor is convinced that intruders manage to get in--from under the floor, or through the windows..." It is so odd to see that someone so brilliant was also clinically insane.
Another aspect of the book that I enjoyed was the fact that it provided details about word origins and how the dictionary was written. With word origins, I thought it was interesting that the word "bedlam" came from the Bethlehem Hospital for the Insane (18). Again, on page 28, there is a word origin for "protagonist". The book showed how this word would appear in the dictionary. There would be the spelling, etymology, and pronunciation of the word. Next, there are a string of six supporting quotations. Then, the quotations are divided under two headings. And then the process continues on. What I found interesting about this part of the book was that I have never considered how a dictionary was put together. This book provided good information on the processes that were involved in the production of the book. On page 151, there is an entire section about how words were properly defined. It was such an involved process. First words had to be defined according to the class of things that it belonged to. Then the word had to be differentiated from other members of that class, etc... These sections of the book provided fascinating information about the process of putting the book together.
Overall, I really did enjoy this book. I found the lives of both Murray and Minor to be quite interesting! It was also fascinating to see how such a huge book was put together. It was an involved process that took years and years to complete. It was not an overnight event. I probably would never have any need to teach this book, but I think that it provided good information about something that students in English classes use often-the dictionary.
Also, I read and commented on an article about modeling in teaching and social networking. It is a really good post by Bud the Teacher that I recommend you all read. One important item said by Bud was that we, as teachers, should be the same person in real life that we are online.
Another aspect of the book that I enjoyed was the fact that it provided details about word origins and how the dictionary was written. With word origins, I thought it was interesting that the word "bedlam" came from the Bethlehem Hospital for the Insane (18). Again, on page 28, there is a word origin for "protagonist". The book showed how this word would appear in the dictionary. There would be the spelling, etymology, and pronunciation of the word. Next, there are a string of six supporting quotations. Then, the quotations are divided under two headings. And then the process continues on. What I found interesting about this part of the book was that I have never considered how a dictionary was put together. This book provided good information on the processes that were involved in the production of the book. On page 151, there is an entire section about how words were properly defined. It was such an involved process. First words had to be defined according to the class of things that it belonged to. Then the word had to be differentiated from other members of that class, etc... These sections of the book provided fascinating information about the process of putting the book together.
Overall, I really did enjoy this book. I found the lives of both Murray and Minor to be quite interesting! It was also fascinating to see how such a huge book was put together. It was an involved process that took years and years to complete. It was not an overnight event. I probably would never have any need to teach this book, but I think that it provided good information about something that students in English classes use often-the dictionary.
Also, I read and commented on an article about modeling in teaching and social networking. It is a really good post by Bud the Teacher that I recommend you all read. One important item said by Bud was that we, as teachers, should be the same person in real life that we are online.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
On Kohn's "The Trouble with Rubrics"
I recently read the short article "The Trouble with Rubrics" by Alfie Kohn. After going through the article, I strongly disagree with what Kohn is saying. Kohn kept bringing up the argument that rubrics are "a tool to promote standardization, to turn teachers into grading machines..." I think that rubrics are a helpful way to grade students. When a student has a rubric they know what they are being graded on and what needs to be included in their paper in order to receive credit. In a way, the entire class is receiving a standardized rubric, but as a teacher I am going through and taking my time grading student papers. I do not plan to rush through my grading and circle any number that I please. Rubrics are helping both the students and the teacher know what elements need to be included in the paper.
Finally, another argument that Kohn brought up dealt with rubrics taking away students creativity. A sixth grader is quoted in the article as saying, "The whole time I'm writing, I'm not thinking about what I'm saying or how I'm saying it. I'm worried about what grade the teacher will give me, even if she's handed out a rubric." When I read this to myself I thought how many kids honestly feel this way? Kohn only provided one example! I talked with some of my friends about rubrics and they all agreed that they think they are helpful. My friend Nate said something along the lines of rubrics help him to know what he needs to include in his assignment. I agree with my friend. For me, rubrics are great. They help me to know exactly what I am being graded on and what specifically needs to be included in an assignment.
In general, I think rubrics are a wonderful instrument to use in the classroom. Not only do they help teachers, but they assist students in completing their assignments as well.
On a completely different note, I have really been enjoying the writing strategy demonstrations we have been doing in class. I have gotten a bunch of great ideas that I can use in my classroom. I plan to incorporate some of them next semester!!
Finally, another argument that Kohn brought up dealt with rubrics taking away students creativity. A sixth grader is quoted in the article as saying, "The whole time I'm writing, I'm not thinking about what I'm saying or how I'm saying it. I'm worried about what grade the teacher will give me, even if she's handed out a rubric." When I read this to myself I thought how many kids honestly feel this way? Kohn only provided one example! I talked with some of my friends about rubrics and they all agreed that they think they are helpful. My friend Nate said something along the lines of rubrics help him to know what he needs to include in his assignment. I agree with my friend. For me, rubrics are great. They help me to know exactly what I am being graded on and what specifically needs to be included in an assignment.
In general, I think rubrics are a wonderful instrument to use in the classroom. Not only do they help teachers, but they assist students in completing their assignments as well.
On a completely different note, I have really been enjoying the writing strategy demonstrations we have been doing in class. I have gotten a bunch of great ideas that I can use in my classroom. I plan to incorporate some of them next semester!!
Sunday, November 8, 2009
On Image Grammar
I just finished reading Image Grammar by Professor Noden. Going into the reading, I was a little unsure of what to expect. I have spent so much time in grammar classes that are strictly worksheets and more worksheets, and this had always been my view on how grammar should be taught. Thankfully, Professor Noden's book was so helpful! It provided me with a ton of innovative ideas for teaching grammar! One aspect about the book that I liked was that it provided numerous strategies at the end of each chapter. One strategy in particular I liked was Strategy 3: Travel into the Twilight Zone on page 62. This activity has students examine the opening sequence of the television show. Students examine the parallel structures and repetition that Rod Serling used. I like that at the end of the activity the students are given a template of the introduction and they have to fill in the blanks to create a parody. I think this is a fun and interesting way to teach and assess repetition and parallel structures. Instead of a worksheet, students get to create a parody to demonstrate what they have learned.
Another aspect that I liked about the book occurred in the opening section. At the beginning of the book, Professor Noden made an important statement about image grammar. He said, "One of the clearest ways to define brush strokes for students is by showing models and having them imitate" (5). I think this is by far the best advice about teaching image grammar. In order for students to fully comprehend the concepts that are being taught, it is imperative that examples are shown. I really like that the examples shown are from famous authors, students, and Professor Noden. This gives the students a wide range of examples to view. It is also interesting to see how world famous authors use these techniques in some of the most well-known works of literature.
I also really liked that a CD was included with a wealth of resources to use. Every handout is provided along with images that students can use to help them write. I like that the student section can be uploaded to a website and actually used by entire class. Professor Noden put a lot of time and effort into this Cd and it definitely shows!
Finally, something else I noticed as I was reading the book was an activity on on imitating famous writers. One writer in particular was Edgar Allan Poe. I wish had looked at this book sooner because I would have liked to used this activity! Maybe in the spring when I am teaching grammar I can come back to it.
Overall, I enjoyed this book!!! It showed me that there is an alternative to boring worksheets! I do not need to drill my students on the rules of grammar. Instead, I can teach grammar in a fun and more hands-on way.
Aside from this book, I recently began reading The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien. I've only read the first two stories in it, but I am hooked! I have never really been a fan of war stories, but this collection is enthralling! I wish had more time to read, but I think over Thanksgiving I may finally have a chance to catch up on some much needed reading!
Another aspect that I liked about the book occurred in the opening section. At the beginning of the book, Professor Noden made an important statement about image grammar. He said, "One of the clearest ways to define brush strokes for students is by showing models and having them imitate" (5). I think this is by far the best advice about teaching image grammar. In order for students to fully comprehend the concepts that are being taught, it is imperative that examples are shown. I really like that the examples shown are from famous authors, students, and Professor Noden. This gives the students a wide range of examples to view. It is also interesting to see how world famous authors use these techniques in some of the most well-known works of literature.
I also really liked that a CD was included with a wealth of resources to use. Every handout is provided along with images that students can use to help them write. I like that the student section can be uploaded to a website and actually used by entire class. Professor Noden put a lot of time and effort into this Cd and it definitely shows!
Finally, something else I noticed as I was reading the book was an activity on on imitating famous writers. One writer in particular was Edgar Allan Poe. I wish had looked at this book sooner because I would have liked to used this activity! Maybe in the spring when I am teaching grammar I can come back to it.
Overall, I enjoyed this book!!! It showed me that there is an alternative to boring worksheets! I do not need to drill my students on the rules of grammar. Instead, I can teach grammar in a fun and more hands-on way.
Aside from this book, I recently began reading The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien. I've only read the first two stories in it, but I am hooked! I have never really been a fan of war stories, but this collection is enthralling! I wish had more time to read, but I think over Thanksgiving I may finally have a chance to catch up on some much needed reading!
Friday, October 16, 2009
Modern Library Writer's Workshop
The Modern Library Writer's Workshop was one of the most helpful books I have read on writing. It addressed so many different aspects of writing, like getting started, characters, style, and producing a finished piece. The very first aspect of this book I noticed was the commentary from different authors. This was one of my favorite parts of the book. My favorite author, Ray Bradbury, was utilized numerous times throughout the book. For example, on page 8, Bradbury describes how he gets his writing ideas from free association. I think it is really interesting to see the process that famous authors use to write.
Chapter one proved to be a very helpful chapter for me. The biggest problem that I have with creative writing is getting started. I can never come up with an idea or topic that I want to write about. Chapter one gave some great advice about getting started with writing, for instance, find a story in your childhood. The author, Stephen Koch, says that if you have a good imagination you will move past the chosen event in your childhood and create something unique. This is a piece of advice I am definitely considering for my upcoming writing. I have so many vivid memories from childhood and I think that any one of them would make a great story.
There were two other sections of the book that I found to be really interesting and helpful. The first part was on page 159 when Koch talked about authors that were single drafters. I can not even imagine how an author can write an entire novel and have it ready to be printed without editing and producing numerous drafts. Kurt Vonnegut and John Updike were two of the single drafters mentioned. It's pretty remarkable that they are able to complete their work in one draft. I know I could never do that!
The final section I found really interesting was on page 174, "The 10-Percent Solution." Simply stated, this solution requires the writer to eliminate 10-percent of his or her work. It seems like a pretty easy solution, but for me, I think it would be difficult going back through my work and eliminating aspects of it. Luckily, Elmore Leonard created a check list that I find helpful. He says to go back through your work and cut out anything that makes your eyes glaze over or does not hold your interest.
Overall, this entire book provided valuable writing information. Whether you are a novice at writing fiction or an expert, I think that the book had something for everyone.
On another note, I read the link that Professor Kist sent to us this morning about the teacher in Australia using facebook. I found the article to be fascinating. I can honestly say that I was surprised that his current students had contacted former ones and asked them for help on an upcoming exam! I guess this is just something else that we as teachers need to keep in mind when we are using social networking in the classroom! I also read and commented on another blog entry that the teacher in Australia wrote about helpful iPhone applications for teachers. I never considered using a cell phone as a tool to help me manage things like my lectures (using a voice recording software).
Chapter one proved to be a very helpful chapter for me. The biggest problem that I have with creative writing is getting started. I can never come up with an idea or topic that I want to write about. Chapter one gave some great advice about getting started with writing, for instance, find a story in your childhood. The author, Stephen Koch, says that if you have a good imagination you will move past the chosen event in your childhood and create something unique. This is a piece of advice I am definitely considering for my upcoming writing. I have so many vivid memories from childhood and I think that any one of them would make a great story.
There were two other sections of the book that I found to be really interesting and helpful. The first part was on page 159 when Koch talked about authors that were single drafters. I can not even imagine how an author can write an entire novel and have it ready to be printed without editing and producing numerous drafts. Kurt Vonnegut and John Updike were two of the single drafters mentioned. It's pretty remarkable that they are able to complete their work in one draft. I know I could never do that!
The final section I found really interesting was on page 174, "The 10-Percent Solution." Simply stated, this solution requires the writer to eliminate 10-percent of his or her work. It seems like a pretty easy solution, but for me, I think it would be difficult going back through my work and eliminating aspects of it. Luckily, Elmore Leonard created a check list that I find helpful. He says to go back through your work and cut out anything that makes your eyes glaze over or does not hold your interest.
Overall, this entire book provided valuable writing information. Whether you are a novice at writing fiction or an expert, I think that the book had something for everyone.
On another note, I read the link that Professor Kist sent to us this morning about the teacher in Australia using facebook. I found the article to be fascinating. I can honestly say that I was surprised that his current students had contacted former ones and asked them for help on an upcoming exam! I guess this is just something else that we as teachers need to keep in mind when we are using social networking in the classroom! I also read and commented on another blog entry that the teacher in Australia wrote about helpful iPhone applications for teachers. I never considered using a cell phone as a tool to help me manage things like my lectures (using a voice recording software).
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