Presentation Day 3

The last two presentations were really interesting.  Both of the groups were well prepared, had a lot of valuable information to give, and there activities were fun and engaging. The first groups activity was the one with the reverse poem.  This activity really captured my interest because it was like a give and take.  I learned from it and now I can practice this activity in my future class.  I believe that a lot of the peers were amazed when they discovered that the poem was double meaning.  Sometime noticing the little things can completely change your perspective.  Over all this group did a very good job.

The second group was very organized as well, and a lot of valuable information was discussed.  They showed that the book has important content that is beneficial to us as future teachers.  One aspect of the ignite talk they could have changed a bit, would be to have another group member speaking as well. Going back and forth between two speakers got a little dull.  On the other hand this groups activity part was simple but engaging.  The KWL chart is something very useful even to us as college students.  This activity could be used in the classroom as a foundation for a research project.  I know that I have used this chart in the past and I know I will use this in the future as well.

Presentation Day 2

On Thursday I got to play the role of the teacher. The ignite talk was well structured and all the main points were talked about.  Then I got to lead the activity part, and I was honestly pretty nervous at first because we didn't have a specific guideline to follow.  As a group we planned out the activity but we decided to improvise when giving the instructions.  The reason for this is because, as future teachers, we must understand that sometimes specific plans don't go as planned. We wanted to practice being able to think on our feet while speaking, and being able to include ideas or make changes according to our observations.  Personally, this was a little challenging to me and confusing to the audience but as the activity evolved things began to fall into place. Overall, I am glad we had this opportunity to learn and to practice.

The group that went before us was also very well structured. Their ignite talk was very informative and went smoothly. I also really enjoyed  their activity because it is something that I can definitely see me using in my classroom. It is fun and it gets the audience to work as a group and create their own poem.  This can be really creative and you can use it for any age group, from k-12.

Presentation Day 1

I remember being taught poetry in elementary school, and it has always been difficult for me. I remembered having difficulties creating one and was really discouraged by the idea of being the author to my own poem.  Even though poetry is personally not something I am very passionate about, I do know that I will be teaching this in my near future.  The first group’s presentation was very intriguing to me because it reminded me of simple ways I can introduce poetry to the classroom.  It will probably be difficult to teach but there are ways to make it fun and educational at the same time.

The second group’s presentation was very informative as well.  It demonstrated how one simple activity can get a whole class engaged.  We were given simple instructions and from there we were allowed to get as creative as we wanted to.  As adults, this was a little difficult to do, but it would be second nature for the elementary school kids.  This is an activity that I think every teacher can use in their classrooms and would highly benefit from.  Not only will the children be enjoying this activity, but they will be expanding their minds and writing creatively.  

Formulaic Writing

There is many ways teachers can create meaningful reading and writing experiences in their classrooms. It can be a difficult task to accomplish, but I do believe that we can take all of our personal experiences with past teachers/ professors to learn from.  We were asked in class to create a pinterest account and to search for classroom ideas.  I found a vast variety of creative ideas I can later use in the classroom to create an effective environment.  This is just one resource I can look further into to see what has worked for other educators in their classrooms.  In the CCCSS I read that some teachers approach creating a meaningful reading and writing experience by giving us a “broad      range of high-quality, increasingly challenging literary and informational texts.” By giving the students such type of literacy, they will gain knowledge on various textual elements and structures.  Students will gain extensive literacy habits that will help them build a foundation for their future success. This method is probably used for every grade level, but the complexity of the texts varies depending on the age group.  The text stated, “Building knowledge systematically in English language arts is like giving children various pieces of             a puzzle in each grade that, over time, will form one big picture.” I believe this is a true statement, because in order to excel in a subject you must be capable of challenging yourself in other to progress. What Wiley is trying to imply in his article, is that as future teachers we should not stick to a specific structure that has been taught for so long.  We should encourage different pedagogies and be consistent with them. To achieve this method of instruction, a lot more practice and skill will be required.  The best way to get through to the students would be by having an engaging classroom and group discussion. The next step would be to put in practice what we have learned. I would say that I have probably encountered this type of formulaic writing a few times, but I never really had a clear understanding.  I believe that after taking this course, I have more clarity and I made some realizations I had not made before. Wiley mentioned how this formulaic writing can be presented to the students, and this course has done exactly that. Now, I am aware, and can familiarize on how I can improve my own literacy and writing skills and later introduce this concept to my classroom. 

Co-Authoring ClassroomTexts

The reason I chose this picture is because the article states that "Maryrita Maier’s classroom was a
place where the teacher and students were learning together as real players.” In this picture we can see the classroom coming in as one, like a team.  The teacher is reading them a book and they all seem very engaged.  The article also depicted how books were easily attainable for the students, and that read-alouds were given at a rate of 120 books a week. The picture shows a read - aloud being given and it seems as the students are allowed to discuss the reading being made. In the background of the picture we see a vast variety of books, so this represented that image that was described in the beginning of the article, in which Maier's class would have an impact on people when they walked in. She had a ton of books and this image demonstrates so.

The second image I chose was to represent a part of the article that really captured my attention.  It was discussing the teacher's way of teaching.  She began by sitting down in the carpet with the students, just like in the image above.  Then she began to just have a conversation with them by starting to say, " I have so many ideas, floating in my head today." All the children were paying attention to her and listening to what she had to say.  She began to tell them stories about her life that she could possibly write about. This got the kids intrigued in the conversation, since she set a very comfortable environment for them.  Slowly the kids began to participate and share their own ideas of what they could write as well. The girl in the yellow shirt, raising her hand, made me visualize this specific setting that was described in the article. One by one students began sharing their opinions.

Finally, I chose this image to demonstrate Meir being supportive to each and every individual in her classroom. She seems to be having a one on one, to assist the student on constructive writing.  "Maier incorporated mini lessons in the ongoing construction of authentic texts, thus grounding students’ understanding of the basics of writing in real writing." By providing a mini lesson, in which students became active participants in writing and reading.  The image just represented how Maier facilitated the activity of writing by helping the student out, but taught the students to "self-monitor" and learn to fix their own mistakes.

Blog 4

What I can relate to the most in Rodriguez's article is loosing the connection I once had with my family.  I am not saying we do not share a family bond anymore, but to some level there is something that separates us.  Just like Rodriguez, my parents were born and raised in Mexico and only received a high school education.  When I started attending elementary school, I was so intrigued by everything. It was just a very new environment to me, and I looked up to every single one of my teachers. I would highly respect them and would look up to them as role models. In my eyes, they had this type of authority that was different from that of my parents.  When I was in second grade, I was really advanced in my studies. I would absorb all that was taught to me like a sponge. It got to the point where I had to be sent to third grade classes to learn new material. My siblings would pick on me because I love school and would call me a nerd. At 4th grade, I was finally enrolled in a full time English class, and no longer taking bilingual classes. By this time, I knew I could not count on my parents help on my homework assignments. Sometimes I would turn to my older siblings for help but for the most part I would be learning on my own. By the time I was in middle school, I became and honor roll student and even received multiple scholarships. My family was proud of me, of course, but they did not fully understand the time and effort behind my studies. At this point in my life, I realized how important education was in my life. I had gone so far from when I first started.  High School was my turning point, I did not feel much support and I slowly started to drift away from my schooling. With the help of teachers and friends I quickly got back on track and realized that I wanted to continue with my road to success. I moved miles away from home to attend college. I was not afraid to leave my family and my hometown, I was up for a risk. My relationship with my parents grew some what distant and I felt as if they could not relate to me.  I did not fully understand why things were the way they were, but after reading Rodriguez's article I realized the issue.  It's not the distance that made us drift apart, but rather the fact that they can not relate to what I am doing here. My parents have been role models for me but in life aspects.  Then there is my other life, which is school, and I know I can not sit down and have a conversation about what I have been learning in my classes with them.  This has been a little difficult because school is my main priority in my life and it is what I came to do here, get an education and achieve my goals. So after reading Rodriguez's article I had some clarity and felt like I could relate to in many aspects.

Roles that teachers have played in my Life

Throughout my school career I have encountered every type of teacher.  I have had the stereo typically nice teacher who has an apple in her desk and I have had the strict teacher who slams the ruler on the desk.  I had the disciplinary teacher once who was super strict and demanding. The type of teacher who does not take any foolishness from anyone and that follows every code of regulation.  Some might even find it intimidating and know better than to ask for a bathroom break.  I've had the type of teacher who was too sweet and most students would take her classroom as a break from other classes. I still remember walking into the noisy classroom with paper airplanes flying across the room and her on top of a chair trying to shush us up.  Simply, having this teacher would mean getting an easy A.  I felt as if a lot of the students would take advantage of her sweetness and would not take her serious.  I have had the teacher who was very liberal and open minded.  She was seen as a “hippie” and would set a very comfortable environment.  There were literally beads hanging from the ceiling, candles lit on the window sills and incense burning on her desk.  Since she was not demanding, she was seen as a laid back and “cool” teacher.  Having this amount of freedom forced us to be responsible and take matters into our own hands.   Then I had the “ready to retire” teacher who seemed to be angry most of the time.  For the most part this teacher resented his students and was not afraid to show it.  He did take his job seriously and taught his material well, but you can just tell that he really did not want to be there.  Also, I have been taught by the “new” teacher.  The personality is “young and hip” and knows how to befriend her students.  When it comes down to business she will bring out her motherly side and make sure everyone is on the same page.  She would even have heart to hearts with students, regarding school work or even personal issues. Her goal was to win the hearts of her students and making sure that in the end we would turn out successful people. Just like Williams stated on his article, every teacher has played a different role, and each teacher has her own style of getting through to her students. 

  I have learned a thing or two from every teacher I have encountered.  I do have to say that the teacher who made the most impact in my life was my 12^th grade English teacher.  She was the “new” teacher that I described earlier who was really cool and even a friend at times.  What I liked the most was that she was genuine and she truly cared for every individual in her class. She gave the class inspiration to succeed in life and to never give up.  All in all, I would describe her as a mentor, who was not only a friend but also guide for us.