Thursday, April 7, 2011
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Harder than I thought..
Just recently my teacher has been having me grade the student's writing pieces. She gives me a rubric that is divided into 4 domains. The domains are Ideas, Organization, Style, and Convention. Each domain gives components of a paper that fail, meet, or exceed the standard. I thought this would be easy considering that the rubric is so specific, but I have found it is very difficult. My main difficulty was the Convention domain. The other domains only had about 2 or three components, however; the Convention domain had about 8 different components. It was very hard to label that section as fail, pass, or exceeds because there were too many components to be graded as a whole. It was also difficult because I wanted to judge the success of the students based on the peformance of the other classmates. I feel like the rubric was so strict that it needed a curve of some kind. My teacher explained that if I judge them purely based on the rubric it would be best because I would be able to compare the student's work more acurately. I feel like grading writing is soo subjective and I wanted to be fair. I had to keep going back and changing scores. My teacher said that means I was doing it correctly. I had no idea how difficult and time consuming it could be!
Monday, March 21, 2011
Chapter 12
Multigenre research papers seem like a wonderful way to get kids engaged in learning. I love that the assignment gives enough freedom for children to learn about their own interests and be able to present the information in way that is meaningful for them. This way kids are motivated to do a research project because they are learning about something that is interesting to them. When I become a teacher I will definitely have assignments like this for my students. As a child I remember that the projects that I enjoyed the most were always the projects where I was given freedom to express my ideas and interests in my own ways. I have always been interested in art so when I was given an option to make a diorama or some type of visual aid with my project I always made a better grade. I was not mad that I had a book report because I was able to report it in a way that was enjoyable for me. In return I learned way more, and to this day those projects stand out the most.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Making Connections
While reading the chapter on managing predictable distractions I was able to relate a lot to my experience in my field work. I like that this book makes situations very relatable to real life teaching scenarios. I agree that teachers should think in advance about possible issues that might take away from learning. It is our goal to teach children in an environment that promotes positive learning experiences so thinking in advance of ways to cut distractions is very smart and saves learning time in the long run. I have noticed that my teacher does a lot of the things that were discussed. For example she is constantly having conferences with students by moving around the room. I have noticed that if she is on one side and I am on the other children the children tend to stay on task because we are relatively close to all of them. Also students know that they can ask for assistance easily without having to leave their desks. My teacher allows students to sit where they want, as long as they are on task. The class doesn’t have room for a beanbag area but it does have two large tables that the students are allowed to work out if they want to have more room. Noise has been an issue in our class. My teacher is not as lenient as I would be however they do not have to be silent. I have noticed that a lot of the noise is created by students sharing their ideas and getting excited either to me or another class mate. A lot of the children will get excited and talk really loud. I am hesitant to tell them to quiet done when they are getting excited about something educational, but it does get loud sometimes. I think that having quiet zones is a very good idea, but our classroom is kind of small so I don’t know how well that would work. It seems like if it was used for punishment children might not enjoy writing as much, however I do agree that there is a noise level that is negative for those who are concentrating. My teacher is very good at managing transitions. She will usually begin the focus lesson on the carpet, and then allow working time at desks. The children come back to the carpet at the end and a lot of times she will share the work and allow the children to discuss and ask questions. I think having a closing is essential it allows children to talk and gives the children time to hear what their classmates are working on.
I agree with the author that writing workshop kits are not simply quick recipe guides to the perfect lesson. It takes a lot more than what is simply said in the plan. However I do think they could be helpful in using as a general idea that can be modified. I think that there are some situations that students should have freedom of choice, but I do think that some guidance and suggestions for topics etc. should be given. I know I have had instances in my writing experience where I had no freedom and had to write specific things (I hated it). I also had experience with no structure where I found it very hard to write on “anything”. Sometimes you just need something to give you that motivation or interest to write. In theory it sounds good to say “just write” but I defiantly appreciate a minimal amount of structure.
Monday, February 14, 2011
CHAPTERS 14 17 19
This Friday I was able to take part and observe in a lot of the practices that were discussed in the chapter titled Conferencing. During writing period my mentor teacher explained to me that she was going to meet with each child and individually help them work on their persuasive pieces that they have been developing. I observed her asking them questions about how their writing was going, and also asking them to explain their pieces to her. This was much like the “research” part of conferencing. She then would pick a mistake that the child seemed to have the most trouble with, ad help them learn how to correct it and why it was wrong. I realized through our reading that this is the “deciding” part of conferencing. My teacher would write notes on the child’s paper while they were discussing and editing. The child would then use these notes to go back and change and edit their papers. I did not observe my teacher making a record that she was keeping, only one for the child to use for guidance. After I observed my teacher I was able to hold conferences with many children following her same procedure. In one case I worked with a child who was writing a lot, but kept repeating the same ideas. He and I went through his work and highlighted sentences that were repeated throughout the writing. When he saw how many times he repeated the same idea, I told him I would teach him a really cool way to organize his thoughts so that he wouldn’t repeat them. I taught him how to make a graphic organizer, and how he could have multiple ideas and add more details. He was really excited and it seemed to work out very well. I think this would fall under the “teaching” part of conferencing,
While I was conferencing I was able to observe a really precious moment between two of my children. They were talking really loud and I was going to tell them to quiet down, but when I came to their desk I realized that they were editing each other’s work. I was so surprised when the excited boy said to me “Look Ms. Simons we can help each other!” I realized that such a supportive community could not be fostered if my teacher didn’t allow some type of healthy noise. If the children were told to write in silence something like this would have never happened.
I agreed with the way the author suggested to evaluate a writing piece. I have had so many bad experiences with teachers giving me a rubric that was so vague that I didn’t even know what was expected. Having a detailed rubric that allows students to evaluate multiple aspects of their writing is essential for them, because it allows them a chance to learn from their mistakes. It gives them a chance to grow and develop into their full potential.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Chapters 9- 10 -13
In chapter nine it talks about the teacher's role in the writing workshop. The teacher's job is to create an environment in which students are comfortable and willing to share. It also discusses the importance of having structured routines in place so that if a teacher was not in the class the students will still be able to learn and grow as writers. I have actually been able to observe my mentor teacher taking on these kind of roles in the classroom. My teacher creates an open environment in which the children are not ashamed to say "I don't get it" and they love to share their ideas with others. She does this by respecting the children and the children respect her and each other in return. She encourages the children to help their classmates, and always shows interest in their ideas. Her interest in their ideas motivates the children to want to share more. I love how she never tells the children that their ideas are not good; she always finds something positive to say.
Having a broad range of resources available to the children is also important in a classroom environment. In my classroom I have noticed that the bookshelf is not very extensive. One of the girls in my class is struggling in reading. I asked her if she likes to read, and she said that she likes comic books. Unfortunatley our classroom does not have any comic books, but I think if it did she would be more motivated to read.
I like how the book pointed out that teachers don't always have time to model writing during class. I agree that even though teachers are busy they should use past examples of their writing pieces to share with their students. It lets students know that their teacher values writing and is not just teaching it to cover a standard.
Having a broad range of resources available to the children is also important in a classroom environment. In my classroom I have noticed that the bookshelf is not very extensive. One of the girls in my class is struggling in reading. I asked her if she likes to read, and she said that she likes comic books. Unfortunatley our classroom does not have any comic books, but I think if it did she would be more motivated to read.
I like how the book pointed out that teachers don't always have time to model writing during class. I agree that even though teachers are busy they should use past examples of their writing pieces to share with their students. It lets students know that their teacher values writing and is not just teaching it to cover a standard.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Here goes nothing
Writing Workshop
Honestly , until about a week ago I had never owned a laptop that actually worked. I am familiar with facebook and writing papers but other than that I feel very uncomfortable using a computer. This class makes me kind of nervous, because I feel like I am not as computer savy as my classmates. However, I am glad this course will push me out of my comfort zone and help me become a writer using a different medium. I like to to write, but I have always found more satisfaction using a traditional pen and paper. This blog will be my attempt to adapt to the modern world, so here goes nothing..
The concept of having a classroom writing workshop seems very foreign to me. I have never had any personal experience with this, but I wish I had. Writing was always used as a punishment in my classrooms. Essays were always seen as assignments or practice for AP Exams. It wasn't until I got to college that I began writing for enjoyment. The satisifaction that I got from writing about what I wanted was more of a learning experience than anything that I experienced during school. The book Writing Workshop, by Katie Ray coincides with alot of the beliefs that I already have about writing. For example I like how the writing workshops are organized in a way that students are encouraged to write with some "real-world outcome in mind, some purpose for the writing beyound just gettting it finished". I strongly believe that if students don't see a point or purpose to what they are writing about then they arn't going to put alot of effort into it. If students are just writing to make the teacher happy then I don't think it is beneficial to their growth as writers. I like that the workshop allows alot of personal freedom for the students to pick thier topics to write about. I can't remember a time in high school when my teacher gave an option for us to pick a topic to write about. There was always a prompt or dictated topic. This always made me feel like I was being forced to write, and in turn made me have negative feelings toward writing in general.
Writing is a essential skill that students need to practice and develop over time. It is needed to communicate ideas and to support their lives.Teachers need to spend the time to help students develop and appreciate how valuable this skill is. Writing workshops are a great way to help students develop a confidence and an identity in their writing. Anyone can be a writer. The overall success of a writing piece is majorly dependent on the satisfaction of the writer.
Honestly , until about a week ago I had never owned a laptop that actually worked. I am familiar with facebook and writing papers but other than that I feel very uncomfortable using a computer. This class makes me kind of nervous, because I feel like I am not as computer savy as my classmates. However, I am glad this course will push me out of my comfort zone and help me become a writer using a different medium. I like to to write, but I have always found more satisfaction using a traditional pen and paper. This blog will be my attempt to adapt to the modern world, so here goes nothing..
The concept of having a classroom writing workshop seems very foreign to me. I have never had any personal experience with this, but I wish I had. Writing was always used as a punishment in my classrooms. Essays were always seen as assignments or practice for AP Exams. It wasn't until I got to college that I began writing for enjoyment. The satisifaction that I got from writing about what I wanted was more of a learning experience than anything that I experienced during school. The book Writing Workshop, by Katie Ray coincides with alot of the beliefs that I already have about writing. For example I like how the writing workshops are organized in a way that students are encouraged to write with some "real-world outcome in mind, some purpose for the writing beyound just gettting it finished". I strongly believe that if students don't see a point or purpose to what they are writing about then they arn't going to put alot of effort into it. If students are just writing to make the teacher happy then I don't think it is beneficial to their growth as writers. I like that the workshop allows alot of personal freedom for the students to pick thier topics to write about. I can't remember a time in high school when my teacher gave an option for us to pick a topic to write about. There was always a prompt or dictated topic. This always made me feel like I was being forced to write, and in turn made me have negative feelings toward writing in general.
Writing is a essential skill that students need to practice and develop over time. It is needed to communicate ideas and to support their lives.Teachers need to spend the time to help students develop and appreciate how valuable this skill is. Writing workshops are a great way to help students develop a confidence and an identity in their writing. Anyone can be a writer. The overall success of a writing piece is majorly dependent on the satisfaction of the writer.
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