I think looking at different teacher blogs was very helpful.  I hope to have a blog for my classroom when I am a teacher.  It is a great way to post information about the content and about the class schedule.  I think looking at different teacher blogs has helped me get a better understand about what works and what does not work.

I will continue to find resources on the internet.  I can not imagine teaching without being about to research ideas on the internet.  I know that I take it for granted, but I hope to continue to use the tools that I have been given.

I might continue with the blog.  If I do, it will be more for me than for anyone else.  If I keep up with this blog, it will only be for me to keep track of the different resources I continue to find online.

In this lesson plan, students read a novel as if they were going to direct it as a movie.  Students will read the novel and divide into the crucial scenes.

I would use the discussion questions.  I would also have students make a list of scenes that they are excited to see before they watch the movie.  Students will have different ideas and things they are excited about.  I would also use the Glossary of Film Terms to make students more aware of what they are looking for when they watch the film.  If they are going to read the novel with a director’s eye, then they are going to need to be aware of the terms directors are familiar with.  I would also use the self-assessment tool provided in the lesson plan.  The more I learn about assessment, the more I become a fan of self-assessment.

I like the idea of students reading a book with the eye of a director.  Many young adolescents are loving movies that are based on books.  This lesson plan gets students to read the books before watching the movie.  I like the idea of students being able to compare and contrast the differences between the movie and the book.  It requires students to think about why certain scenes might have been edited or changed.  Some parts might have been abbreviated for time.  Students thinking about this is really important and beneficial.  I like these parts of the lesson plan, which is why I would use it.

This lesson plan is about responsibility in the context of the Holocaust.  This lesson uses video, discussion, and work sheets to create an interesting and relevant conversation.  I like this lesson plan because it creates a point, but it also helps students learn about History.  The video is of a Holocaust survivor being interviewed.  This would be a great primary resource for students to see.

I would use this lesson plan, but not all parts.  There are a lot of great ways to start discussion, but I would not use all of the work sheets.  I would definitely use the interactive work sheet that follows along with the short video.  I would use the discussion starter, which deals with the different types of responsibility.  I would try to relate the idea of responsibility to students’ every day lives.

I like this lesson plan’s flexibility.  I like the organization of events, and the resources it provides.  I also like that this lesson plan sets the classroom up for similar lesson plans about character traits.  I know that most schools have a character education program, and this lesson plan is definitely relevant.  This lesson could even be used in an AA program instead of a History class.  This lesson plan could be integrated with many content areas.  This video and lesson could be related to numerous pieces of literature.

Vocabulary can be taught and used in many different ways.  Students can understand vocabulary in many different ways, including context, etymology, prefixes, suffixes, and with relating words.  I think many students will find different ways of learning vocabulary more useful.  I think a lot of it depends on the students’ learning styles.  As a teacher, I should keep all of these ideas in mind.  Vocabulary is more than just definitions.  This article is really helpful in dissecting the different vocabulary ideas.

Related Websites:

I really enjoyed looking through these extra websites.  There are some really great examples of “I” poems and of multigenre projects.  I like the idea of an ABC book.  I have seen this first hand in one of my internships.  The Oceanography ABC Book was a great look at how this multigenre project works.  I enjoyed seeing the curriculum standards it applied to.  I am glad I saw the “I” poem that related to the Great Depression.  I usually think of Language Arts when I think of “I” poems.  “I” poems can be used in all content areas, and this is a great example to look at.

The article discusses the problems with traditional research papers.  The author makes the point that teachers hate research papers just as much as students do.  The article also has  examples of different genres used instead of research papers.  There are examples of these different types from actual students.  I think that using these different genres can make students more interested in the subject.  The presentation of this information can be much more interesting and relatable, and more enjoyable to students and teachers.  I thought the list of the different genres uses is really useful.  I will want to hold on to this article for my future years teaching.  I think the idea of using a wedding inviatition for a multigenre project is really interesting.  The use of different genres for reasearch papers allow teachers and students to be more creative.

Questions:

1.  Are all genres acceptable for all subjects?

2.  How will I grade different genres fairly?

3.  What kind of models should I create?

“I” Poems are a great way for students to read and write.  They allow students to become acquainted with themselves and the characters that they are reading about.  There are multiple uses for “I” poems.  You can use them to respond to read alouds.  They can be descriptive poems that allow students to understand idenity a little more closely.  Students can also write them from the point of view of a character in a novel.  Reading and writing “I” poems is an interesting exercise in character development.  Students can put themselves in the shoes of someone else, which can help them understand characters and stories a little better.  They also help students use creative writing in a way that is helpful and thoughtful.  The article focuses on using “I” poems with specific literary works, but “I” poems can be used for many different kinds of works and with many different situations.

Questions:

1.  How do I get students to put thought into “I” poems?

2.  What are other uses of “I” poems?

3.  What are the different ways students can present these?

Your Name: Megan Anderson

Name of Strategy: Learner Memos

Source (Where did this come from?): Wisconsin Education Association Council

Link to the Strategy: http://www.weac.org/news_and_publications/education_news/2005-2006/readingroomdec05.aspx

Give a thorough description of the strategy and how it will be implemented. This should be a summary of the strategy according to the original source:

This strategy involves students exposing students to the idea of memory, and the complexities of the way the brain holds on to memories.  Learner Memos help remind students of the ideas and concepts that they are learning about through reading and writing.  Sticky notes, learning logs, writing in the margins, and systems of note taking are all examples of learning memos.  When students have an understanding of how and why they remember certain things and forget others, they will begin to understand the importance of Learner Memos.

Explain what part of the standard course of study is addressed by this activity.

Sixth Grade NCSCOS for Language Arts:

1.04 Reflect on learning experiences.

Students will be able to reflect on the things that they can remember, and how they were able to do so.

Explain why you think this strategy will work. How does the strategy help your students learn?

Students will learn to take responsibility for their own work and memory.  Students have the opportunity to figure out what they think is important enough to make a learner memo for.  It requires students to evaluate their own memory, and the way that they read certain texts.  I think it will work on some level, but it is also a very vague idea.  Students will have different learner memo strategties, which would be interesting to see.

Your Name: Megan Anderson

Title of Strategy: Reading with Imagination

Source (Where did this come from?): Wisconsin Education Association Council

Link to the Strategy:  http://www.weac.org/news_and_publications/education_news/2007-2008/readinginroom_imagination.aspx

Give a thorough description of the strategy and how it will be implemented. This should be a summary of the strategy according to the original source:

This strategy has a few different steps.  Some of these steps are useful, while others could be taken out of the process.  The teacher brings in an object for the students to describe in their own writing.  You might also consider having students separate into partners, and have them describe the object verbally.  Continue to give students examples in class that involve description.  This will help students to become more comfortable with imagery in their reading and in their writing.  Other activities to help students read with imagination would be to have them describe text as an eye-witness, a movie clip, or with first impressions.  Responding to text in any of these ways is a useful way for students to continue to be exposed to reading and writing with imagination.

Explain what part of the standard course of study is addressed by this activity.

Sixth Grade NCSCOS for Language Arts:

1.02 Explore expressive materials that are read, heard, and/or viewed.

This strategy can help students explore expressive materials with more imagination and thought.

Explain why you think this strategy will work. How does the strategy help your students learn?

This stategy will work because it is simple.  It involves having students become more comfortable with imagination and description.  It helps students learn what makes descriptive writing successful, which will help them to become better readers and writers.

Your Name: Megan Anderson

Name of Strategy: Using Graffiti as a Reading Tool

Source (Where did this come from?):  Wisconsin Education Association Council; Doug Buehl

Link to the Strategy: http://www.weac.org/news_and_publications/education_news/2003-2004/read_graffiti.aspx

Give a thorough description of the strategy and how it will be implemented. This should be a summary of the strategy according to the original source:

This strategy requires the teacher to first model how to underline and high light passages.  Students often overdo highlighting and underlining.  It is sometimes hard to pick out what piece is important.  After this step, have students do this part individually.  A good way to do this is to provide students with texts that have large margins, or with sticky notes to use on their own.  Then give students colorful pens, markers, etc. for them to make their comments with.  This “graffiti” will be more efficient and understandable.

Explain what part of the standard course of study is addressed by this activity.

Sixth Grade NCSCOS for Language Arts:

2.01 Explore informational materials that are read, heard, and/or viewed

This strategy allows students to make notes of things they are trying to understand.  The notes help the reader make sense of the content.

Explain why you think this strategy will work. How does the strategy help your students learn?

I think that this strategy will work, but it is not merely the use of fancy markers that will help the students.  Helping the students to actually understand why we underline and highlight certain works and sentences is the most important part of this.  The modeling in front of the class is the most beneficial part of this stategy.

Your Name: Megan Anderson

Name of Strategy: FQR Chart

Source (Where did this come from?):  This came from the Wisconsin Education Association Council

Link to the Strategy:  http://www.weac.org/news_and_publications/education_news/2006-2007/readingroommarch07.aspx

Give a thorough description of the strategy and how it will be implemented. This should be a summary of the strategy according to the original source:

To use this strategy, a student will make a Chart with three columns.  The first column will be filled with Facts, the second with Questions, and the third with Responses. The student can use this chart of organization during reading any content area.  The facts column will involve the main ideas and concrete information from the reading.  The questions section will address what students are still curious about during and after the reading.  The response column allows students to relate the new information with their own personal background.

Explain what part of the standard course of study is addressed by this activity.

Sixth Grade NCSCOS for Language Arts:

1.04 Reflect on learning experiences.

This activity creates a thoughtful and organized way for students to reflect on their own learning.

Explain why you think this strategy will work. How does the strategy help your students learn?

This strategy will work because it is an organized way for students to reflect, respond, and understand what they have been reading.  If the reading is complex, this activity especially helps the student learn what he or she wants to learn.  This strategy will also be successful because it allows students to connect questions and facts to their own experiences (in the response column).