Emily Edison

Trino's Choice

ALAN book chat response

While a chat room isn’t a traditional method of learning, this book chat was quite informative. If my future classroom is more middle school or high school, I would probably use this type of setting. However, it would also depend on the socio economic status of the children since some students may not have a home computer. I found that the chat room was very non confrontational and relaxed. I think students are more likely to ask more questions electronically than face-to-face. I thought Dwight MacPherson was very interesting and willing to answer questions. Although at first I was somewhat surprised that he chose the sheriff to be the ‘bad guy,’ after his explanation his decision made more sense. While most place law enforcement on a higher standard, it is important to remember that all are fallible regardless of education or occupation. Despite my former wariness of graphic novels in the classroom, I think they could help the struggling reader since this group usually relies heavily on pictures. Also, since graphic novels aren’t traditional ‘school books’ this may heighten interest in reading. The ALAN book chat brought up numerous valid questions and discussions. 

Chapter 15 reflection

"You come from all nations, from all ethnic groups, as a boy or a girl. You are from rich families and poor families. You've seen parents divorce, siblings leave home, and grandparents die. You speak many languages. You go to school in small towns and large cities."

page 301

It is imperative for educators not to stereotype struggling readers. Also, since all struggling readers are different, educators should have a variety of tool to help.

"We wonder how we can convince you that a single state-mandated test is important when you've arrived at school fearful of failure or hungry or saddened by another night of loneliness. We question how to attend to individual needs when each year classes are more crowded. We ask how to grow as professional when districts continually restrict the number of days we can attend local, state, and national conferences." 

page 301

While education is essential, sometimes a student's home-life has added stress or lack of necessities. It is important to realize that a student has a life outside of academics. Although a teacher must respect a child's privacy, the classroom should have a safe welcoming atmosphere. 

Chapters 12 &13 reflection

Chapter 12

"The problem, however, isn't with the spelling list; the problem is in presuming that all students should have the same list."

page 250

The above was very interesting to me, since it defies traditional spelling methods. While I think this would be beneficial in the long run, I am somewhat concerned with the comparisons between students. However, students are pretty perceptive, they probably already have at least an idea of who is/are 'the brain(s)' and who is/are 'the dummies' of the class. Not to say that those who know certain words are smarter than those that don't. The previously mentioned students have just developed academically more rapidly than the latter. 

"Post a list of spelling demons that all students are required to spell correctly at all times."

page 255

I think this is a great idea. Not only does it ease the frustration of "Teacher! How do I spell ____" over the same tricky words; it also allows the students to become more independent and thus more confident spellers. 

Chapter 13

"Where does the first-grade energy go? When does that spark in their eyes--that demand that you listen to them--disappear? When does apathy replace activity and reluctance to learn replace an insistence for always knowing more? These difficult questions are more easily answered when we remember that as students move through the grades, they come to value their peers more and more. Fitting in , finding a group, and forming relationships with peers become more valuable than stickers on homework papers or nods of approval from the teacher."

page 259

In my opinion, in most cases, not only do students' demeanors change, so do teachers'. In the first grade or even a few subsequent grades further, teachers are excited about the learning process. There are encouraging and helpful posters throughout the room. There are colors everywhere. The room almost beacons those who enter to shout a thought. Yet, in the higher level grades, excitement turns to exam preparation, posters are replaced by emptiness  and the walls are silenced in white paint. Teachers can only excite learning, and thus receive answers, when they themselves change the school's  sterility. 

Chapters 10 &11 reflection

Chapter 10

"One of the best ways to improve fluency is through the repeated rereading of texts..."

page 217

I have found the above statement to be quite true during my field placements. If a student has difficulty decoding throughout a sentence, he/she is prompted to re-read it. This allows the student to practice the words again and increase his/her fluency. Also, book bags are used to encourage students to re-read entire books. This helps them not only with fluency, but also with reading comprehension or even to notice other elements of the text. Re-reading should be an aspect of any future teacher's classroom. 

"Whether done out of kindness, offered out of frustration, or offered because we don't know other strategies, telling the dependent reader the word encourages more dependence."

page 217

Although a student's reading can be painfully slow, teachers and peers must remember that learning to read well is a process. I think sometimes we as the listeners are too impatient to encourage correct decoding and fluency skills for time's sake. We are actually doing students a disservice rather than aid if we automatically give them the word. 

Chapter 11

"Once called 'word families' rime patterns help readers identify chunks of words quickly. Instead of decoding phoneme by phoneme, readers decode by onset and rime."

page 233

In my limited teaching reading experience, this has really help students recognize patterns in words. I used manipulative paper letters for the students to spell a word such as 'cat,' and would have them make it into the word 'bat.' Usually, after about three words, one child would discover the pattern. I think this would also help older students. 

"...remember that studying prefixes, suffixes, and root words not only helps with vocabulary but helps them move through big words quickly."

page 241

As much as I hated studying root words growing up, I now realize how consistently I use this knowledge to either decode a word or figure out a definition. It also can help one explain a concept or word to another. For example, a word may have the prefix 'sub,' by explaining that 'sub' means under, the listener can better form their own definition or word picture. In order for readers to become independent, we as educators, must give them a variety of tools. 

When kids Can't Read chp 8&9 response

Chapter 8

" 'Just because the book is done, doesn't mean that the thinking is done...' "

pg 138

To many educators, and in turn  most students, the opposite preconceived notion is valid; when a book is finished, 'you' can be done with it. After all, the students have probably answered questions verbally or manually. However, isn't this a disservice to the students? One of our jobs as educators is to encourage a continual love of learning. As the author's co-worker suggested "instead of asking _______ what he did understand, shouldn't you be helping him figure out how to understand?"  The goal cannot be to bubble in the correct answer or draw about the plot. While these are good tools, educators must have the higher goal of the students' further will to learn and for the students to increase their background knowledge. 

"Students read a story and then decide who the somebody is, what the somebody wanted, but what happened to keep something from happening, and so, finally, everything works out."

-page 145

I think a  SWBS chart would greatly assist students in summarizing a text. This will help them break down the task into steps, think through the story, and possibly discuss the text more with their classmates. 

Chapter 9

"Vocabulary Treat

Ingredients

5-10 great words you really could use

1 thesaurus 

map colors and chart paper

1 game like jeopardy or bingo

1 teacher who thinks learning is supposed to be fun

Mix 5 to 10 words into the classroom. Have students test each word for flavor. Toss with a thesaurus to find other words that mean the same. Write definitions on chart paper and let us draw pictures of words to remind us what they mean. Stir often all week by a teacher who thinks learning is supposed to be fun. Top with a cool game on Fridays like jeopardy or bingo to see who remembers the most."

-pg 177

I found the author's entry of the vocabulary casserole as compared to the vocabulary treat insightful. In order for students to learn vocabulary it must be relevant and reusable. Students learn best when the lesson correlates with a hands activity or game. School doesn't have to be a boring quiet drudgery! As educators, we must show students how exciting and helpful learning can be.  

" ' Yeah, but the kids don't feel that bad because they don't ever really have to use the words....I never really expected that they'd learn them to actually use them. It never bothered me that there were so many because I always must have known deep down that they were only learning them for a test. Not to really ever use them.' " 

-page 182

In my opinion, the traditional way of teaching vocabulary is too sterile. As the author pointed out in her experiment with the other teachers, most if not all educators, couldn't live up to their expectations for their students since there were too many words and most words were random and rarely used. How can educators expect students to have a large vocabulary by merely listing words with their definitions? As the author also suggested, students learn their vocabulary by the words they hear consistently, how much they read, and hands on activities.