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.