The four main components of book club, teacher read aloud, shared reading, independent reading, and writer’s workshop, are all seen within my classroom. So far I have been reading from a chapter book called Ida B. Applewood. This story is above perhaps half of the class’s instructional level but is still at a fully age appropriate level. This is good for the students because they are able to hear an entertaining story without having to struggle through some of the harder vocabulary. I read with a lot of intonation and prosody which is something else that I think would be lost upon many if they were to take on this book individually. The best thing (I think about a read aloud) is that it lets the reader’s passion for reading shine through and hopefully be absorbed by the listeners.
We don’t do shared reading quite like Book Club Plus suggests, it is more of a “Johnny, read number 1…Sallie, read number 2” kind of thing, so perhaps that one isn’t seen in my classroom. But we do have independent reading each day for at least 15 minutes. During this time students read their choice of book from the guided library. Students know their letter and are encouraged to read at that instructional level but are free to choose a lower or higher book if they want.
Just this week we are started book club and I will be very interested to see how it plays out. To begin groups will not be student led at all, but fully teacher lead. Students will read their books outside of club. So far it appears that will be following the book club plus model fairly closely.
The different literacies can be seen in my classroom all throughout the day. Starting with morning meeting each student is given an opportunity to both speak and listen and we try to develop their social literacy by encouraging them to be open with one another and hold self facilitated conversation. Good old fashion reading literacy is being driven home currently because we are preparing for the MEAP. During this time we directly teach comprehension strategies as suggested in chapter three. For writing students get to use a daybook which helps facilitate both reading and writing practices and conventions.
As we delve into bookclub in the coming days I look forward to comparing more deeply the philosophy found in our book to what I see in the classroom.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
Seminar 3 Post - Kendall Philip
How does this book club model compare and contrast with what you are learning about literacy instruction in your classroom context?
Literacy instruction in my classroom context is similar to what I have been reading about in Book Club Plus! The philosophy of my grade level team is that students should be given equal opportunities to engage in and work with a variety of literacies. Students are given these opportunities during, what we call, “Reader’s Workshop” and “Writer’s Workshop”. Students are directed to pick a book of a certain genre and level from the media center to work with during literacy block. Thus far, I have seen students work independently on both reading and writing, as well as in guided reading groups. We are in the process of finishing up our DRAs, which will tell us more about each students individual reading level. Every student in my classroom is unique and their reading levels resemble that. Literacy block should be a time for all students to make meaningful text to text, text to self, and text to world connections through different literacy centered opportunities. I look forward to seeing the ways in which my classroom integrates and overlaps with some of the aspects of Book Club Plus! It would be great to see students given opportunities to respond to texts through pictures at some point. So far, students have been responding to reader responses (using words and sentences) in their journals.
Where do you see reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing and other literacies in your classroom literacy program?
Overall, I see reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing integrated into all subject areas, and throughout the entire school day. More specifically, I see reading and writing during our literacy block. Students are expected to read for about 20 minutes independently, fill out a reading log, and then answer a reader’s response question in their journals. Students all write independently in their “writer’s notebooks” too. These notebooks are safe places for students to write freely and generate ideas (sometimes with prompts from my CT). Students are given opportunities to listen and speak during Making Meaning lessons, as well as throughout all subject areas. During Making Meaning, students interact with both myself and their partners. Also, throughout the day, we use the document camera a lot for students to see various pictures and pieces of text. My students also view educational movies on the television in our room, which is another opportunity for them to experience literacy.
What opportunities do students have to write into a text, through a text, or out of a text?
Students have opportunities to write into a text during social studies. This week, students completed a packet on the city of West Bloomfield. There were places throughout the text for them to draw pictures, color, and write their own ideas about the community. Students also write into a text during math. They have student journals where there are various blanks places for them to answer questions and record their answers. It is an excellent way for students to interact with text that correlates with each math lesson. Students write out of text after independently reading. They respond to a reader's response after reading, which to me, is an opportunity for students to write about a text.
Literacy instruction in my classroom context is similar to what I have been reading about in Book Club Plus! The philosophy of my grade level team is that students should be given equal opportunities to engage in and work with a variety of literacies. Students are given these opportunities during, what we call, “Reader’s Workshop” and “Writer’s Workshop”. Students are directed to pick a book of a certain genre and level from the media center to work with during literacy block. Thus far, I have seen students work independently on both reading and writing, as well as in guided reading groups. We are in the process of finishing up our DRAs, which will tell us more about each students individual reading level. Every student in my classroom is unique and their reading levels resemble that. Literacy block should be a time for all students to make meaningful text to text, text to self, and text to world connections through different literacy centered opportunities. I look forward to seeing the ways in which my classroom integrates and overlaps with some of the aspects of Book Club Plus! It would be great to see students given opportunities to respond to texts through pictures at some point. So far, students have been responding to reader responses (using words and sentences) in their journals.
Where do you see reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing and other literacies in your classroom literacy program?
Overall, I see reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing integrated into all subject areas, and throughout the entire school day. More specifically, I see reading and writing during our literacy block. Students are expected to read for about 20 minutes independently, fill out a reading log, and then answer a reader’s response question in their journals. Students all write independently in their “writer’s notebooks” too. These notebooks are safe places for students to write freely and generate ideas (sometimes with prompts from my CT). Students are given opportunities to listen and speak during Making Meaning lessons, as well as throughout all subject areas. During Making Meaning, students interact with both myself and their partners. Also, throughout the day, we use the document camera a lot for students to see various pictures and pieces of text. My students also view educational movies on the television in our room, which is another opportunity for them to experience literacy.
What opportunities do students have to write into a text, through a text, or out of a text?
Students have opportunities to write into a text during social studies. This week, students completed a packet on the city of West Bloomfield. There were places throughout the text for them to draw pictures, color, and write their own ideas about the community. Students also write into a text during math. They have student journals where there are various blanks places for them to answer questions and record their answers. It is an excellent way for students to interact with text that correlates with each math lesson. Students write out of text after independently reading. They respond to a reader's response after reading, which to me, is an opportunity for students to write about a text.
Seminar 3
One of the ways that my CT has incorporated the book club model within my class's literacy curriculum right now is through individual reading and read aloud. The fourth grade students in my class spend at least 20-40 minutes reading their "Just Right" books as part of their Literacy curriculum for the day and to fill in any free time during other subjects. We have also incorporated a whole-group activity, where I have been reading a chapter book to them for the past few weeks and we discuss and predict events that will or have occured in the story. We recently finished the book and drafted a summary chart for the book, listing it's genre, main characters, plot, and a rating.
A lot of emphasis is placed on writing in our literacy program. The students have multiple composition notebooks (one for every subject and 2-3 for Literacy). They have an "Ideas Notebook", where they can respond to prompts about their environment, school activities, etc, and a "Writer's Notebook", where they write more structured paragraphs about topics that they've learned in school. Their Social Studies and Science notebooks are used as a textbook and a notebook. Often my CT and my students' science teacher will give my students worksheets to cut and glue into their notebooks as references, as well as "fill in the blank" sheets to answer questions, describe situations, or review for tests and quizzes.
Of course, I observe my students speaking, listening, and viewing all day long in every subject. I find its very important to incorporate as many of the five senses as possible to ensure that every child has a chance to be engaged and be provided with the best way of comprehending new information.
A lot of emphasis is placed on writing in our literacy program. The students have multiple composition notebooks (one for every subject and 2-3 for Literacy). They have an "Ideas Notebook", where they can respond to prompts about their environment, school activities, etc, and a "Writer's Notebook", where they write more structured paragraphs about topics that they've learned in school. Their Social Studies and Science notebooks are used as a textbook and a notebook. Often my CT and my students' science teacher will give my students worksheets to cut and glue into their notebooks as references, as well as "fill in the blank" sheets to answer questions, describe situations, or review for tests and quizzes.
Of course, I observe my students speaking, listening, and viewing all day long in every subject. I find its very important to incorporate as many of the five senses as possible to ensure that every child has a chance to be engaged and be provided with the best way of comprehending new information.
Online Module Task 4- Reflecting on the Community- Kendall Philip
What did you notice?
While exploring the West Bloomfield Township Public Library, I noticed the amount of people who were there. Before going to the library, I assumed that people may not be there because of the time (dinner time). I was happy to see that people of all ages were at the library enjoying and exploring literacy and technology. Physically, the library was huge, and made up of three different sections. There are sections for young adults, children, and the main library with a large section for tables and computers. The inside of the library was very modern and beautiful. Everything was very accessible and the colors were vibrant in the kid’s wing, which made the atmosphere very exciting. I was very excited to see all of the awesome resources for community members of all ages. Even in the kid’s [large] section of the library, there were computers and audio sets for them to use, as well as a reading stage, play areas, and various games involving literacy.
What surprised you? What didn’t surprise you?
I was surprised, as I mentioned above, by the amount of people at the library. There were about 30 people using the computers in the main area; most of them looked like high school and college-aged students who were doing homework. There were also about 20 kids and parents/tutors in the kid’s section of the library as well. I was not surprised by the amount of literacy I observed throughout the library. Members of the community were taking part in all aspects of literacy, speaking, listening, looking, writing, reading, etc. Literacy was also in a variety of forms throughout the library; there were bulletin boards, book shelves with the genres labeled, computers, music, books, paper, theatre section (for kids), audio materials, etc. I absolutely loved exploring this library; I cannot wait to go back and partake in some of the activities this year.
How has this community experience helped you learn about your school, students, and families?
This community experience taught me a lot about the possible resources that my students can use, right in the community. In talking with my students about the library, I have learned that many of them take trips there with their families. Knowing that students take time to go to the library tells me that students and their families find literacy to be an important part of developing as a learner. I would love to take a class field trip to the library or just continue to encourage kids to go by keeping them updated with upcoming events at the library. I also learned that the library can be a great place for ELL students to go and explore too. There are an abundance of resources catered to kids or adults learning English, and vice versa.
How will this experience help you in your teaching?
I think this experience will help me in my teaching because I can now check-out books from the library and encourage my students to do the same. I see the library as a new resource for both myself and my students. Page 449 in the Compton-Lilly article says, “Heath noted that even children who were considered deficient by school standards brought rich experiences and understanding to the classroom that teachers could build upon, access, and develop.” I also think exploring the community of my students will allow me to better understand their interests and experiences. This will facilitate me in my quest to make connections from the students to the academic content. As Heath mentioned in the article, every student comes to the classroom with their own knowledge and experiences. It is the job of the teacher to pull that knowledge and those experiences out of the children to both gain insight into their world and work to make meaningful connections.
How will it influence your thinking about your students’ as literacy users and learners?
Exploring the West Bloomfield Township Public Library will influence my thinking about my students’ as literacy users and learners in a few ways. Being at the library reminded me of how much technology is a growing part of my students’ everyday lives. This means I need to say on top of the newest technologies as well. At the library, students were able to grow and develop as literacy users and learners through the diversity of books and available technology. I strive to keep my students interested in what we are doing in the classroom by bringing in hands-on literacy opportunities as well as opportunities to explore literacy through different medias (reading, writing, listening, speaking, viewing.)
While exploring the West Bloomfield Township Public Library, I noticed the amount of people who were there. Before going to the library, I assumed that people may not be there because of the time (dinner time). I was happy to see that people of all ages were at the library enjoying and exploring literacy and technology. Physically, the library was huge, and made up of three different sections. There are sections for young adults, children, and the main library with a large section for tables and computers. The inside of the library was very modern and beautiful. Everything was very accessible and the colors were vibrant in the kid’s wing, which made the atmosphere very exciting. I was very excited to see all of the awesome resources for community members of all ages. Even in the kid’s [large] section of the library, there were computers and audio sets for them to use, as well as a reading stage, play areas, and various games involving literacy.
What surprised you? What didn’t surprise you?
I was surprised, as I mentioned above, by the amount of people at the library. There were about 30 people using the computers in the main area; most of them looked like high school and college-aged students who were doing homework. There were also about 20 kids and parents/tutors in the kid’s section of the library as well. I was not surprised by the amount of literacy I observed throughout the library. Members of the community were taking part in all aspects of literacy, speaking, listening, looking, writing, reading, etc. Literacy was also in a variety of forms throughout the library; there were bulletin boards, book shelves with the genres labeled, computers, music, books, paper, theatre section (for kids), audio materials, etc. I absolutely loved exploring this library; I cannot wait to go back and partake in some of the activities this year.
How has this community experience helped you learn about your school, students, and families?
This community experience taught me a lot about the possible resources that my students can use, right in the community. In talking with my students about the library, I have learned that many of them take trips there with their families. Knowing that students take time to go to the library tells me that students and their families find literacy to be an important part of developing as a learner. I would love to take a class field trip to the library or just continue to encourage kids to go by keeping them updated with upcoming events at the library. I also learned that the library can be a great place for ELL students to go and explore too. There are an abundance of resources catered to kids or adults learning English, and vice versa.
How will this experience help you in your teaching?
I think this experience will help me in my teaching because I can now check-out books from the library and encourage my students to do the same. I see the library as a new resource for both myself and my students. Page 449 in the Compton-Lilly article says, “Heath noted that even children who were considered deficient by school standards brought rich experiences and understanding to the classroom that teachers could build upon, access, and develop.” I also think exploring the community of my students will allow me to better understand their interests and experiences. This will facilitate me in my quest to make connections from the students to the academic content. As Heath mentioned in the article, every student comes to the classroom with their own knowledge and experiences. It is the job of the teacher to pull that knowledge and those experiences out of the children to both gain insight into their world and work to make meaningful connections.
How will it influence your thinking about your students’ as literacy users and learners?
Exploring the West Bloomfield Township Public Library will influence my thinking about my students’ as literacy users and learners in a few ways. Being at the library reminded me of how much technology is a growing part of my students’ everyday lives. This means I need to say on top of the newest technologies as well. At the library, students were able to grow and develop as literacy users and learners through the diversity of books and available technology. I strive to keep my students interested in what we are doing in the classroom by bringing in hands-on literacy opportunities as well as opportunities to explore literacy through different medias (reading, writing, listening, speaking, viewing.)
For Seminar 3 - Amy Benson
I see most of the components of the Book Club model in my classroom. My students participate in Writers Workshop every day. Lately they have just been finishing up a personal narrative story but they are moving into writing text to-(self, text, etc.) comparisons. We usually have a teacher read aloud about two times per week. These are typically shorter picture books, even though my students are in third and fourth grade. My CT uses these texts to help explain more complicated ideas (such as the phases of the moon) and also to develop reading comprehension strategies. I have not yet seen any shared reading but independent reading is a major part of my classroom. My teacher incorporates at least 30 minutes of independent reading time every day. Sometimes students are reading a book of their choice and other times they are reading an assigned book. Lately my fourth grade students have even been doing a structured book club activity; they meet in small groups and talk about discussion questions based on the book they are reading. It is interesting to see all of the various Book Club Plus components in action in my own classroom.
My CT is also spending a little time each day focusing on helping students become better speakers. My students each brought in a small box filled with a few of their “treasures” and each day two students share what they brought with the class. After sharing, other students can comment on what they thought their classmates did well (i.e. “you spoke loud enough for everyone to hear”). Though this does not exactly fit in with Book Club Plus, students are still learning the many components of being effective public speakers.
I know that my CT is familiar with the Book Club Plus model and therefore I see a lot of strong comparisons in my classroom. One chapter that stood out to me in particular was chapter 3, Making Meaning with Text. The graph of Teacher’s Roles in Instruction on page 31 was very familiar to me. When my CT teaches a comprehension strategy she always begins by explaining it explicitly and giving an example of it herself. She then has the students try out the strategy in their own reading and eventually is only there to periodically remind students to use it.
My CT is also spending a little time each day focusing on helping students become better speakers. My students each brought in a small box filled with a few of their “treasures” and each day two students share what they brought with the class. After sharing, other students can comment on what they thought their classmates did well (i.e. “you spoke loud enough for everyone to hear”). Though this does not exactly fit in with Book Club Plus, students are still learning the many components of being effective public speakers.
I know that my CT is familiar with the Book Club Plus model and therefore I see a lot of strong comparisons in my classroom. One chapter that stood out to me in particular was chapter 3, Making Meaning with Text. The graph of Teacher’s Roles in Instruction on page 31 was very familiar to me. When my CT teaches a comprehension strategy she always begins by explaining it explicitly and giving an example of it herself. She then has the students try out the strategy in their own reading and eventually is only there to periodically remind students to use it.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Community Exploration
1. Where/What will you visit? Why did you choose to go there?
We initially chose places we wanted to visit in search of finding evidences of math. But since we also wanted to be connected to the community--Novi, which has a culturally diverse student body--we sought out a way to look for that same cultural diversity in the community as well as other important things. We planned to check out a variety of different restaurants (looking for the multicultural aspect), paradise park (our students talk about this all the time), and the newly renovated public library (all of the teachers said we've got to see it. We may decide to check out more areas in the community tomorrow since we weren't thinking too much about literacy just yet. I think a return trip to the library is definitely in order. It would also be way cool to check out a sporting event of our students if possible.
2. What do you expect to see, hear, learn?
I hope to see kids at the library. Many kids. Kids with their parents or kids there alone. Often when I pop into my local library I see maybe two kids in the children area but mostly its just adults. So I hope to see lots of kids taking advantage of all the different things that their library has to offer them.
I expect to learn that there are maaaaaaaany different places and ways that literacy is connected our students. Because we are so used to them, it's easy to just pass over things that could be helpful to our students learning literacy, like signs and video games and symbols (men and women bathroom pictures). I expect that once we're out and actively searching for them we will find many.
3. How do your visits confirm or disconfirm your expectations?
Our visits will tell us this. Later, our detailed notes will help.
4. Relate 1,2, and 3 about specifically to literacy.
Whoops, guess I was kinda doing that all along.
The library was way cool. I was glad to see students when I went there after school and I was also happy to see so many different forms of learning taking place. I think that I was slightly (and happily) surprised to see this because I had a sulking feeling that perhaps this would not be the case. But there were kids with books, on computers, on computers with head phones, and checking out the interactive map.
At Paradise Park I felt like a little kid. What a cool place. Its educational value may not have been apparent at first, but I think that it can actually serve as a powerful tool and linking inside-the-classroom work with outside-the-classroom experience, making that work feel real and authentic. It was surprising how at Paradise Park and overall there was so much literacy and so many different kinds present, but you really had to look for it.
The volume of different kinds of restaurants available in Novi was one thing that wasn’t surprising. The cultural diversity in our classrooms is reflected in the community and that leads to different pallets and different cuisines. I’ve noticed, more so during lunch trips than community visits, that while the culture of the restaurant is the same as patrons who dominate its tables, there are always people from different cultures present too.
I see my students as “multi-learners”. Due to both their community around them, but more so the global era we find ourselves in today, my students absorb information in a multitude of ways. The strong parental support of Novi families greatly supports this. Knowing this about my students will help me to teach them because I understand that to be as effective as I can be I will need to use a variety of instruction and learning methods.
It’s like the Learning to Change video. The outro of it shocked me: “it’s the death of education, but the dawn of learning.” As an educator I wasn’t sure how I felt about that at first, but I think I understand what it’s getting at now. The old ways are diminishing (and good riddance), today’s education—a different kind of learning—is accomplished so differently, that we need to rethink our schema of education as a whole. Novi is a community where this is happening. Deerfield is one of the schools talked about in the video, where new things are being tried all over the world. To reach my students as literacy users I will try to match that and try new things.
We initially chose places we wanted to visit in search of finding evidences of math. But since we also wanted to be connected to the community--Novi, which has a culturally diverse student body--we sought out a way to look for that same cultural diversity in the community as well as other important things. We planned to check out a variety of different restaurants (looking for the multicultural aspect), paradise park (our students talk about this all the time), and the newly renovated public library (all of the teachers said we've got to see it. We may decide to check out more areas in the community tomorrow since we weren't thinking too much about literacy just yet. I think a return trip to the library is definitely in order. It would also be way cool to check out a sporting event of our students if possible.
2. What do you expect to see, hear, learn?
I hope to see kids at the library. Many kids. Kids with their parents or kids there alone. Often when I pop into my local library I see maybe two kids in the children area but mostly its just adults. So I hope to see lots of kids taking advantage of all the different things that their library has to offer them.
I expect to learn that there are maaaaaaaany different places and ways that literacy is connected our students. Because we are so used to them, it's easy to just pass over things that could be helpful to our students learning literacy, like signs and video games and symbols (men and women bathroom pictures). I expect that once we're out and actively searching for them we will find many.
3. How do your visits confirm or disconfirm your expectations?
Our visits will tell us this. Later, our detailed notes will help.
4. Relate 1,2, and 3 about specifically to literacy.
Whoops, guess I was kinda doing that all along.
The library was way cool. I was glad to see students when I went there after school and I was also happy to see so many different forms of learning taking place. I think that I was slightly (and happily) surprised to see this because I had a sulking feeling that perhaps this would not be the case. But there were kids with books, on computers, on computers with head phones, and checking out the interactive map.
At Paradise Park I felt like a little kid. What a cool place. Its educational value may not have been apparent at first, but I think that it can actually serve as a powerful tool and linking inside-the-classroom work with outside-the-classroom experience, making that work feel real and authentic. It was surprising how at Paradise Park and overall there was so much literacy and so many different kinds present, but you really had to look for it.
The volume of different kinds of restaurants available in Novi was one thing that wasn’t surprising. The cultural diversity in our classrooms is reflected in the community and that leads to different pallets and different cuisines. I’ve noticed, more so during lunch trips than community visits, that while the culture of the restaurant is the same as patrons who dominate its tables, there are always people from different cultures present too.
I see my students as “multi-learners”. Due to both their community around them, but more so the global era we find ourselves in today, my students absorb information in a multitude of ways. The strong parental support of Novi families greatly supports this. Knowing this about my students will help me to teach them because I understand that to be as effective as I can be I will need to use a variety of instruction and learning methods.
It’s like the Learning to Change video. The outro of it shocked me: “it’s the death of education, but the dawn of learning.” As an educator I wasn’t sure how I felt about that at first, but I think I understand what it’s getting at now. The old ways are diminishing (and good riddance), today’s education—a different kind of learning—is accomplished so differently, that we need to rethink our schema of education as a whole. Novi is a community where this is happening. Deerfield is one of the schools talked about in the video, where new things are being tried all over the world. To reach my students as literacy users I will try to match that and try new things.
Online Module Task 2- Community Exploration
1. Where/What will you visit? Why did you choose to go there? I decided to visit the Walled Lake City Library for my Inquiry 1 investigation. I had overheard a few of my students mention that they had visited the library to check out books or use the computers and I was interested in seeing what other kinds of literacy they were able to use at that location.
2. What do you expect to see, hear, learn? At the library, I expect to see many kids (between ages 5-18) and adults (18 and older) reading, surfing the web, playing games, or attending one of the events that the library puts on. I anticipate hearing whispers and quiet conversations between kids and adults. I expect to learn the different parts of the library, the procedures of checking out the books or signing up to use a computer, who comes to the library in Walled Lake, and their reasoning for coming.
3. How do your visits confirm or disconfirm your expectations? So far, the majority of the people that have been at the library have been adults. I haven't seen many kids at the library (probably due to the time that I'm going...after 6pm). This has surprised me. I would've expected more children to be at the library at that time. Other than that, my expectations were correct. There were a lot of people reading and using the computers. There were not any events taking place at the time, but there were small reading groups scattered throughout the library.
4. Relate 1,2, and 3 about specifically to literacy. A library is one of the few locations where you are able to see just about every aspect of literacy taking place. It is very common for a person to read, write, speak/communicate, listen, and watch/look in a library. This is one of the reasons why I chose this location. I was able to witness every aspect taking place in the Walled Lake City library. I witnessed people taking notes from a book they were reading, have conversations with another person, and listen to another person read a story out loud.
Online Module Task 4- Reflecting on the Community- Amy Benson
After spending some time in the Novi community I noticed that overall the area is very nice. It’s clean, modern, developed and unique. The area is unique because it is home to dozens of different multicultural restaurants. Though Novi does have its fair share of chains, there are many privately owned eateries as well. I was surprised by the sheer volume of these restaurants. I was also surprised by some of the types of cuisines that we found, such as Middle Eastern. Judging from the population of students in my classroom, I was not surprised to find as many Asian and Indian restaurants. However, it was interesting (I’m not sure if I would also say surprising) to find that many Asian restaurants have everything written in both Chinese or Japanese and English. I think that this is representative of the Novi population in general; many people visit these restaurants even if they are not totally familiar with the cuisine.
This experience has helped me learn a lot about where my students are coming from. It’s probably safe to say that many of my students may speak a second language. Also, even those students who do not are at least exposed to the idea of it when they go out and about in their community. This experience will help me in my teaching because I will be better able to pick materials that students can relate to. I think I could also use the community surroundings to highlight different cultures and give students ideas of places where they can go to see these things for themselves.
Finally, this experience has gotten me to think of places around the community in terms of literacy. This will help me tremendously when I think about what I want my students to be able to know and do. My students will need to be culturally literate; this could mean focusing on how children behave in other cultures. My students will also need to be able use literacy to make and communicate a choice. For example, if a student was out to eat at a Thai restaurant, they would have to be able to read the menu and descriptions to make a choice, and then communicate that choice to the server in a way that the server can understand. Literacy is everywhere and this experience has helped me to think about how to better prepare my students to learn and use that.
Compton-Lily sums it up nicely when she says that “Teachers can also learn important information by visiting students’ homes to get to know families, become informed about their interests and literacy practices and become familiar with their funds of knowledge that family possesses” (pg. 456). Although I did not visit any homes, I think this quote can also be applied to visiting different places in the community. It is important to note that through experiencing the community where our students come from, we are gaining a better understanding of what funds of knowledge they are already coming to school with. Students learn a lot both in and out of school, and it is essential for teachers to be aware of that.
This experience has helped me learn a lot about where my students are coming from. It’s probably safe to say that many of my students may speak a second language. Also, even those students who do not are at least exposed to the idea of it when they go out and about in their community. This experience will help me in my teaching because I will be better able to pick materials that students can relate to. I think I could also use the community surroundings to highlight different cultures and give students ideas of places where they can go to see these things for themselves.
Finally, this experience has gotten me to think of places around the community in terms of literacy. This will help me tremendously when I think about what I want my students to be able to know and do. My students will need to be culturally literate; this could mean focusing on how children behave in other cultures. My students will also need to be able use literacy to make and communicate a choice. For example, if a student was out to eat at a Thai restaurant, they would have to be able to read the menu and descriptions to make a choice, and then communicate that choice to the server in a way that the server can understand. Literacy is everywhere and this experience has helped me to think about how to better prepare my students to learn and use that.
Compton-Lily sums it up nicely when she says that “Teachers can also learn important information by visiting students’ homes to get to know families, become informed about their interests and literacy practices and become familiar with their funds of knowledge that family possesses” (pg. 456). Although I did not visit any homes, I think this quote can also be applied to visiting different places in the community. It is important to note that through experiencing the community where our students come from, we are gaining a better understanding of what funds of knowledge they are already coming to school with. Students learn a lot both in and out of school, and it is essential for teachers to be aware of that.
Online Module Task 2- Amy Benson
Okay- I’m not sure if I did this right but here are my answers the questions given in part 2 of our online module. At least, I think these are the questions we were supposed to answer?
1. Over the past few weeks my group has noticed that Deerfield is a very multicultural school. As a result of this, we have decided to visit a number of different restaurants in the community that highlight the various types of cuisine we often see during lunch and snack time. We have chosen to visit these places to get a better feel for where our students come from and what their home (eating) life may be like. Novi is a very multicultural community in general, so it seemed like the obvious choice.
2. I expect to see and hear other languages than English. I expect to learn which cultures are most prevalent (simply judging by number of restaurants we can find) and maybe more about how people from these cultures interact. For example, students may address adults differently in one culture than another.
3. After spending some drive driving around the community we found a variety of different cuisines. We found a few that I wasn’t expecting, such as Middle Eastern, and many that I was expecting, such as Japanese and Indian. At these restaurants we saw a lot of Asian writing on menus and quite a few dishes that I was not familiar with. Though I did not hear many other languages, I heard a few accents.
4. I expect to see a lot of interconnections between reading and writing at the restaurants we visit. Customers will have to read and understand menus, recite their orders to a server, and use the correct amount of money to pay their bill. Even though customers may be from another country they will have to understand numeracy in order to be able to pay. Another new literacy I might see is cultural literacy. As I mentioned above, it will be interesting to observe how the community members interact at the various restaurants. Finally, I expect to see text written in multiple languages so that all customers can read and understand things such as menus, specials and meal descriptions.
1. Over the past few weeks my group has noticed that Deerfield is a very multicultural school. As a result of this, we have decided to visit a number of different restaurants in the community that highlight the various types of cuisine we often see during lunch and snack time. We have chosen to visit these places to get a better feel for where our students come from and what their home (eating) life may be like. Novi is a very multicultural community in general, so it seemed like the obvious choice.
2. I expect to see and hear other languages than English. I expect to learn which cultures are most prevalent (simply judging by number of restaurants we can find) and maybe more about how people from these cultures interact. For example, students may address adults differently in one culture than another.
3. After spending some drive driving around the community we found a variety of different cuisines. We found a few that I wasn’t expecting, such as Middle Eastern, and many that I was expecting, such as Japanese and Indian. At these restaurants we saw a lot of Asian writing on menus and quite a few dishes that I was not familiar with. Though I did not hear many other languages, I heard a few accents.
4. I expect to see a lot of interconnections between reading and writing at the restaurants we visit. Customers will have to read and understand menus, recite their orders to a server, and use the correct amount of money to pay their bill. Even though customers may be from another country they will have to understand numeracy in order to be able to pay. Another new literacy I might see is cultural literacy. As I mentioned above, it will be interesting to observe how the community members interact at the various restaurants. Finally, I expect to see text written in multiple languages so that all customers can read and understand things such as menus, specials and meal descriptions.
Online Module, Task 2- Community Exploration
1. Where/What will you visit? Why did you choose to go there?
- For my Inquiry 1 investigation, I have chosen to go to the West Bloomfield Township Public Library located at 4600 Walnut Lake Road in West Bloomfield. I have chosen to explore and observe this location because I know many of my students live in the area and enjoy spending time reading at the library. As always, I want to find more ways to experience what my students are interested in.
2. What do you expect to see, hear, learn?
- When I take time to visit the library, I expect to see people of all different ages enjoying the books and using the technology. Furthermore, I expect to see a variety of book shelves with sections for every genre. I also expect to see a designated area for children to explore resources, as well as an adult section where most sophisticated resources will be located. I expect to hear mostly whispers and quiet conversations. The library should be a place to concentrate and focus, while still having various opportunities to explore and learn. While visiting the library, I expect to learn a lot about the community and how other cultures within the community use the library, refer to resources within the library, as well as what sorts of programs the library uses. I hope to see differentiation at the library in that there are many valuable resources for all cultures within the community, considering that West Bloomfield is a very diverse city. I hope to see a resources which cater to ELLs, programs for children and teens, and sections where adults can research and explore more sophisticated texts/materials.
3. How do your visits confirm or disconfirm your expectations?
-My visits to the West Bloomfield Township Public Library both confirm and disconfirm my original expectations. Each time I visited, I went after school, around 5 p.m., which may have affected how many overall people were present at the library (my visits were around dinner time). As expected, however, I saw people partaking in using the computers (technology) and reading various genres of text. I also found areas within the library which catered to ELLs (translation texts/materials), programs for children and teens, and sections where adults can research and explore more sophisticated texts/materials. For both kids and teens, and adults, there were calendars with all of the different programs for the months of September and October. The library also has a website, http://www.wblib.org, which is an excellent resource for community members to research books and upcoming events.
4. Relate 1,2, and 3 about specifically to literacy.
- At the library, I expect to see all types of literacies, including reading, writing, listening, and communicating. I also expect to see some new literacies, such as visual and digital throughout the library. I expect to see the community using the computers to blog use, use the internet, and use various sites of public communication (such as Facebook). I expect to see all types of writing while at the library; there will be a variety of texts categorized by genres which contain writing. I also expect to see computers which will provide opportunities for the community to write using a keyboard.
- For my Inquiry 1 investigation, I have chosen to go to the West Bloomfield Township Public Library located at 4600 Walnut Lake Road in West Bloomfield. I have chosen to explore and observe this location because I know many of my students live in the area and enjoy spending time reading at the library. As always, I want to find more ways to experience what my students are interested in.
2. What do you expect to see, hear, learn?
- When I take time to visit the library, I expect to see people of all different ages enjoying the books and using the technology. Furthermore, I expect to see a variety of book shelves with sections for every genre. I also expect to see a designated area for children to explore resources, as well as an adult section where most sophisticated resources will be located. I expect to hear mostly whispers and quiet conversations. The library should be a place to concentrate and focus, while still having various opportunities to explore and learn. While visiting the library, I expect to learn a lot about the community and how other cultures within the community use the library, refer to resources within the library, as well as what sorts of programs the library uses. I hope to see differentiation at the library in that there are many valuable resources for all cultures within the community, considering that West Bloomfield is a very diverse city. I hope to see a resources which cater to ELLs, programs for children and teens, and sections where adults can research and explore more sophisticated texts/materials.
3. How do your visits confirm or disconfirm your expectations?
-My visits to the West Bloomfield Township Public Library both confirm and disconfirm my original expectations. Each time I visited, I went after school, around 5 p.m., which may have affected how many overall people were present at the library (my visits were around dinner time). As expected, however, I saw people partaking in using the computers (technology) and reading various genres of text. I also found areas within the library which catered to ELLs (translation texts/materials), programs for children and teens, and sections where adults can research and explore more sophisticated texts/materials. For both kids and teens, and adults, there were calendars with all of the different programs for the months of September and October. The library also has a website, http://www.wblib.org, which is an excellent resource for community members to research books and upcoming events.
4. Relate 1,2, and 3 about specifically to literacy.
- At the library, I expect to see all types of literacies, including reading, writing, listening, and communicating. I also expect to see some new literacies, such as visual and digital throughout the library. I expect to see the community using the computers to blog use, use the internet, and use various sites of public communication (such as Facebook). I expect to see all types of writing while at the library; there will be a variety of texts categorized by genres which contain writing. I also expect to see computers which will provide opportunities for the community to write using a keyboard.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)