I hope you will join me in the spirit of sharing ideas and teaching each other. At the same time, we can try out a bit of modern technology. We'll find out together what a blog can do towards understanding ideas and whether we want to use it in the future with our students.Enjoy!
22 comments:
just seeing how this works
Are we supposed to start this reading blog this week? Or does it start after next class??
Hi there,
There's no blog entry for this week -- we'll just get used to it and try it out. You can post where in your program you are and what grade you hope to teach.
Hi guys,
Just getting a head start on this. Like I mentioned in class I just finished 401/402 and will do my 405 practicum in the fall. I'm not sure what grades I want to teach; the junior grades have great curriculum, however the senior grades will have less management issues ( one of the joys of teaching physics and math is that you get the "good" kids).
PS-I didn't mention it in class but my favorite author is Jane Austen, then Mark Twain.
Alrighty .... this is my comment regarding the article about on 'perfect' programs. I was thinking that if the admin people are being questioned as to why their students are not 'performing' upto someone expectations (parents, politicians...etc), having a 'perfect program' policy really makes pointing the blame really easy, as clearly 'it is not a question of the ability of the teachers or the quality of the institution, but a clear example of our program not being 'perfect,' so dont worry next year we'll get the 'perfect program.'
Its a really interesting model of education because now the responsiblity to 'educate' is taken out of the teacher hand's really, as if they follow the perfect program and the students still 'fail' clearly it can't be the teacher..... I'm kind of insulted by that.
Makes for the possiblity of 'lazy' teachers.
My current fictional hero is Darth Vader, although there may be some debate as to his hero status.
Hi everyone,
Wow! My first blog message. I have finished 401/402 and 405 all in high school classes. I hope to teach grades 8-12 and maybe middle school:)
Hello everyone, I have completed both my 401/402 and my 405. I complted my 401/402 in North Vancouver in a grade one class. I finished my 405 in Burnaby in a grade 2/3 class. I have always wanted to be a primary teacher. I would love to teach anywhere from k-3.
Hello all,
This BLOG idea is new to me - all of my friends have pressured me to join Facebook but I resist - I guess I'm old fashioned. I'm looking forward to learning a bit about technology while participating in educational discussions on the pedagogy behind reading.
I have completed my 405 and have been TOCing in Surrey since the beginning of May. I did my practicum in a grade 6 class but I have only been a TOC at the High School level...I'm slowly being drawn to the teenagers (grades 8-12) - is that bad thing??? I look forward to getting to know you all.
Hello everybody!
We all have heard about blogging, but it has never occurred to me that I myself can be a blogger as well. I have not discovered any of these tormenting cravings to share my writing with the world. Oh no!!! But there I am now. Thank you Susan for including this technological phenomenon of 21st century in our Reading Course. My plan for the near future is to successfully finish 404 and 405 and become high school Math and only Math teacher. I do not have any preferences in regards to grade; however I am fully aware how does it taste to teach the most challenging Grade 9. I am still looking forward to this test. See you all next week
Hello everyone. So, I've finished 401/402 and 405 and I was at Burnaby North Secondary School teaching Science 10, Biology 11, and Chemistry 11. I would like to teach both Biology or Chemistry in the future or even better a combination of both along with junior science classes. I love secondary classes and can't wait to have my own some day.
Hello everyone,
I did my 401/ 402 practicum in a grade 2/3 class, and my 405 practicum in 4/5 class and both were in the Burnaby district. I loved them both, but enjoyed getting to do big projects with the grade 4/5's. I am up for teaching any grade in elementary, but think I prefer 2-5. I really like the grade 4 curriculum. I haven't had any interviews yet, but have applied to Van district, and on the Apply to TEach for Burnaby and WEst Van. Does anyone know about the APply to TEach stuff? I'm finding it really confusing.
See you next week
Hello fellow educators,
The overall climate of this particular endeavour seems very positive, and exciting. In my experience,reflective thought and collaboration have been the key ingredients for stimulating my intrinsic motivation.I can see how the blog method will allow for better use and extension of the ideas and materials that we share during this course.
I completed my 405 practicum in April of this year, and I will complete my BED as a second degree with a minor in Learning Disabilities this Summer.
I taught a Grade 7 class at Chalmers Elementary in Delta for my 401/402, and a Grade 6/7 class at Gibson Elementary in Delta also for my 405. I would love to teach a Grade 4, or a Grade 11 literature class. However, I truly enjoy the whole process of teaching, so I know I will enjoy the challenges of whatever Grade that I encounter.
Hey guys,
I'm exicted to have such a wide range in educators in this class. Its going to be interesting hearing from all the different perspectives.
I have completed my Educ 401/402 at BBY Mountain, and Educ 405 at BBY central. I taught Science 8 and Biology 11 at both schools. I look forward to a semester where I'm not marking or lesson planning every night!
Alright so here is my first Journal Post...
Reading log 1 – Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Topic – phonemes
- okay so this seems to be rather straight forward to me in a very logical sense. ‘This’ being that in order to be successful at reading it really does help if you first understand the basic building blocks of not only reading, but language. Sure, I’m certain that there are people/children out there who ‘spontaneously’ come to be able to read, but for me on a very basic intuitive level (own personal experience of learning, my experience as an educator and father, all contributing to this intuition) tell me that creating an environment where the basic concepts and skills are fostered, learnt and understood lends well to future success in any skill. So, I ask, why would reading or language acquisition be any different, and, just so you know language acquisition happens from the ground up as well. … word bits, word relations tied to life experience, and then word meaning.
Anyway … I need to be more open with this topic, as I tend to get very resistant to discussing it in a manner that is productive, as I’ve already formed an option that has suited me fine and done me well.
- and now that I’m thinking about it again. Why is it so strange that when people are having fun… they are more likely to learn, purely because they want to. Why why… is this a new concept? And, if its not, then why is it presented like a new concept. It seems to be that this is just an example of academia taking what should be common sense to anyone who was a student (and who remembers being a student), would know, and thus have the sensibilities to apply as a teacher/educator. Why do we need to have academia tell us this is so? … is it because academia has replaced the role of cultural Elders in modern western society? AH, wouldn’t that be an interesting topic to argue about.
Topic – book styles
- right so the second part of class was looking at different books that you may use/encounter in the class. Thinking about what the may be used for in your class, and how you can use them.
- this was pretty good. The exposure to the different style of books was really nice, and having people voice their opinions on how and why they would use the book that they chose was really valuable.
- I noticed that as I was looking at the books that I was fairly wiling to use any book at any age level. I could see how the book could be used across several skill levels. Even beginner books, I can see being used in the middle school level as tools to demonstrate explicitly, and through discovery learning the different elements that make up reading and the process of learning to read. You could fore example have a middle school class in groups write and illustrate a beginning level reader. When I think about books as tools to teach about reading, it makes sense to me that at the upper levels you would talk about the mechanics of books/stories, just as you talked about the mechanics of words at primary levels. And, then on the flip side, using ‘older’ books for younger kids as examples of what can be done, as read alouds so that the students are exposed to more complex ideas and more ‘mature’ concepts.
Hi there everyone,
Susan has kindly helped me get connected to our class blog. - I'm still not quite sure what my difficulties were, but am pleased to be up and running with the rest of you :).
I have just completed my Education 405 practicum in a grade two/three class in North Vancouver. I was part of the Social Justice (Inquiry as Stance) module with Matthew Cooke and Rhonda Philpott. Prior to 405, I finished my 401/402 practicum at Nelson Elementary School in a grade three classroom.
While I enjoy working with all ages, early primary is the area that I am most passionate about, and I would love to have my own kindergarten class one day!
I look forward to this literacy learning journey with you all!
- Laura H.
Comments week2
As a child reading did not come easy to me. I didn’t seem to remember or be able to retain the concepts of what was being taught. Maybe what was being taught wasn’t very interesting and I got frustrated. Today in our 473 class is was nice to see the linguistic terms that represent the process of learning to read, it gave me the spark to want to know as much as I can. I think the teacher has to be fluent in these concepts to be able to impart the connections of reading skills for the student. The teacher also has to give out the positive effort to make the children be more comfortable, starting from their level, giving them time to read, having fun with the reading program. I will be writing about the start up of a reading program for my topic of interest because I think the pieces of the puzzle won’t fit together unless you have a well thought out structured reading program, that all children can participate in. I think the connections that children make when reading are very important for them to learn well. This helps the child by supporting their prior knowledge, sharing your own experiences, which creates a picture for them. I lerant that there are so many variables in a child’s ability to read staring from their home life, to their early experiences before school. Pre-school gives them a good running start for example.
By now we have all learned or come to realize the crucial role that early literacy experiences play in a child’s life. While some children are read to in the womb, others may not even know what a read-aloud experience feels like when they arrive for their first day of formal schooling. I was fortunate enough to be on the first end of this spectrum growing up. My family home was as “print-rich” as a kindergarten room, offering me the opportunity to engage in a plentitude of diverse reading and writing experiences. I loved to scribble down notes on index cards at the pretend library my sister and I created amongst the pillows in the living room. And my, how we cherished our bed time story read alouds tucked under our parent’s comforter with a generous pile of books lingering at our toes. You would think, after hearing about my early literacy encounters, that I have taken pleasure in reading countless books from the time that I entered grade school. Sadly, although I did explore and enjoy many novels in elementary school, it was often only because my parents still read with me at night. By the time I entered high school, aside from holidays I was pretty much only reading the books that I had been assigned in English class or my texts from other courses. Both curricular and extra curricular demands meant that there wasn’t a lot of time left over for reading with my parents before bed, and I didn’t seem to possess the same passion for reading that I had exhibited in my early primary years. I wasn’t reading for pleasure, but only out of necessity. How is it, that a child who knew every nursery rhyme and begged her parents for just one more story at bedtime, didn’t persist to become a life long reader?
We have touched on the “pleasure factor” in class, and the enormous influence it can have on helping students to develop in to life long readers. Our text chapters also illustrate the importance that “feeling” plays in making both reading and writing an enjoyable activity for children. While I was always involved in choosing my own literature at the library growing up, my parents did have some rules about the books they wished to see my sister and I read. Quality literature that consisted of acclaimed Canadian authors was on the top of their list. While I feel thankful for the places these wonderful books took me to, I do have to wonder if I would make more time to read today if I had been permitted some more time with Betty and Veronica or the works of RL Stine? I feel that my personal experience raises some questions for us prospective or current educators. I think that many of us would argue that any kind of reading is optimal to no reading. How do we create a balance though, between books that we know will draw children in and works that will further expand students’ scope of the world and the English language in the classroom? Do we need to ensure that children are reading “quality” literature? What is “quality” literature? Last class we were able to take a closer look at a wide variety of children’s books, and gave some thought to how we might use various works when helping children to develop literacy skills. What was interesting to me was that we were all able to come up with reasons as to why we thought a particular book or work would be enjoyable or helpful (out of such a diverse collection). Does this fact then support the idea that all literature is equally valuable in literacy instruction?
Just a few thoughts to ponder over☺. - Laura
I found this weeks reading on Teaching Phonemic awareness to be incredibly interesting and useful. The ideas presented for teaching reading to children used the same basic principles that are useful in teaching science and math at the secondary level. I found this to really confirm my beliefs that teaching is an art, and that a strong educator can teach any subject. The idea of using rules as a means of teaching was questioned for the cases in which the rule doesn’t hold, as confusing students. This parallels with the school of thought that teaching math as a series of algorithms and steps, actually limits a students ability to think mathematically, and may even limit the amount of pleasure and success a student feels in completing the material. Rather by allowing the students to discover the steps and determine the method on their own, they will feel a greater joy and motivation to excel in the subject matter. In addition the thought of invented spelling shows that students are more motivated when they are doing the discovering themselves. This idea should be taken into account for all subjects and educating purposes. The idea of Action Phonics which, “requires students to move their bodies, which tends to reinforce students’ memories of the letters and sounds”, also parallels the theory of learning styles. We are told time and time again in science and math of the need to appeal to kinesthetic learners, and the same is true of learning to read. I really connected with this article, it showed that learning needs to be eclectic and fun to be successful.
Reading Journal 3
What struck me this week when considering the readings and activities is just how important it is to access prior knowledge to enhance learning. At the earliest level, when teaching children phonemic awareness and phonics, the child’s large vocabulary of words that are relevant to him/her can be utilized when reinforcing the connections between letter and sound. I can see how much more difficult it is for children who don’t have English as their first language to grasp reading and writing because they little to draw on- it’s all new rather than a building of something familiar. It makes me wonder how I would go about reaching those children, and I’ve realized that a really important first step is to have a wide range of reading materials, in regards to content and reading level, in the classroom. For ESL students, the big books would be perfect for building their vocabulary while they are learning sounds and letters.
I also have been thinking about how I’ll reach the multi levels of abilities in the class. I was really impressed with the number of really great ideas that came from the class on building a lesson from the magazine. In a very short period of time, everyone came up with something that was really doable. I realize that there is so much to be gained from collaborating with other teachers. If I have an idea and am unsure how I could tier it to the various learning styles and needs, running it by another teacher or two will most likely result in some great strategies. Besides other teachers, our class text book has many lesson ideas. I think by being conscious of the diverse needs and considering them when making my lessons, I’ll find ways, through resources, other teachers, or my own imagination, to address the various learning styles and developmental levels.
Extending The Reading Experience At Home
As a prospective educator, my personal philosophy of education and learning includes the belief that parents and caregivers play a crucial partnership role in the journey through school. We have examined the great disparity that can exist in Kindergarten, between children who have arrived at school very accustomed to literacy experiences and other students who may not have had the same amount of exposure to print. While this inequality may mean that the same individuals who were not read to frequently before school will go on to receive less or no scaffolding at home, I feel that teachers can work to narrow this gap in many cases. There is a lot that we can do as educators to help parents and caregivers gain the knowledge, skills and confidence that might be needed to support their children in their reading and language development at home. I have met parents who have both the time and resources to read to their young children throughout the day, but for whatever reason are not aware of or do not fully understand the impact that this kind of activity can have on a child during emergent literacy. Other parents in similar situations have expressed to me their anxiety in not knowing what kinds of experiences to provide for, or engage in with their children at home in order to help them develop basic literacy skills. I feel that if care is taken to provide non-threatening and supportive learning opportunities for parents, many will use their new skills and understandings with their children outside of the classroom, which in turn can enhance the learning environment at school.
For some parents and caregivers, after school teas that teach how to maneuver cheerios at the breakfast table in an “Elkonin Box” fashion or offer the chance to look over some new children’s books, could be the answer early childhood classrooms are in need of. For many others however, such meetings are not a viable option. What can we as educators do, for the children that we know have no one at home to “make up their own poetry” with or “practice reading and spelling rimes” with (Chapter 5 handout)? I completed my 405 practicum in an “Inner City” designated school, and it became clear to me that while parents and caregivers are always partners in my mind, they may not always be able to be partners in reading for example and we therefore have to look for ways to lesson this discrepancy in the classroom. At my practicum school, there was a support worker who could assist children after school with these kinds of activities. Our readings do illustrate another option that many of us brought up in our group-brainstormed lessons last week with the magazines. I see a peer or buddy from a higher grade as a fantastic opportunity to extend reading experiences. In chapter four of the handout readings, the authors state, “older students needing help in phonemic awareness could be paired up with younger students”. It is clear that not only the younger students in this kind of a buddy situation can benefit. At another school I spent some time at, this kind of program was actually facilitated everyday in the hallway. The intermediate students were clearly becoming more confident in their literacy skills, and the primary students were so excited and motivated to learn with their older buddies.
There are certainly a variety of school and classroom settings. Each of us will encounter many different home contexts as well with our students. While I don’t feel that I have the answers at this point in time to ensure that children have the opportunity to extend their reading experiences outside of the classroom, awareness is always a first good step.
In this weeks textbook reading (Chp 3) I came to a paragraph that really hit home for me. To me it stressed the importance of creating understanding as a means for learning rather than memorizing. The paragraph stated that “ having students memorize definitions of words as a means of building their meaning vocabularies cannot succeed, because understanding a word means that you do NOT have a definition stored in memory for it”. This was a big “aha moment” for me, I remembered all the courses I have taken in which I memorized definitions and methods for an exam, and then forgot everything within a few weeks of the exam. Later, I would feel disappointed in myself that I couldn’t remember or apply the knowledge I knew I had learnt just months prior. Now I realize that this wasn’t a lack of intelligence on my part, but a failing of the education system as a whole. The curriculum in general could really benefit from taking the ideas and research of teaching kids to read and applying it to education at all levels.
This was a great first class. I had a wonderful time looking at the different types of books that are out there for readers and the levels that they are applied to. It really helped to focus and understand the direction that this class was going to take. I love being immersed in literature.
I have completed 401/2 and withdrew from my 405 practicum for various reasons. I hope to redo my practicum in January. My interest in school is 8-10 science and biology. I hope that this course will help me to be better equipped to help my students succeed in science and help them with science literacy and comprehension
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