Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Chapter 15 in Wk
The part I found interesting in chapter 15 is, "never doubt that teachers constantly look to research, to practice, to experience to know how best to help students who struggle."
The reason I liked this the best is because a good teacher never stops trying or stops learning themselves. Whenever I do become a teacher I want to be like this, I want my students to know I care for them and want them to succeed. A good teacher does everything in their power to help a struggling reader or learner over all. Also, a good teacher in some way or another, tells their students this. We want our students to succeed especially since we have succeeded. I had a lot of great teachers in my life and I strive to be like them. I want all of my students to succeed and become great readers and learners and we never stop trying.
The reason I liked this the best is because a good teacher never stops trying or stops learning themselves. Whenever I do become a teacher I want to be like this, I want my students to know I care for them and want them to succeed. A good teacher does everything in their power to help a struggling reader or learner over all. Also, a good teacher in some way or another, tells their students this. We want our students to succeed especially since we have succeeded. I had a lot of great teachers in my life and I strive to be like them. I want all of my students to succeed and become great readers and learners and we never stop trying.
Chapter 13 in WK
Giving students plenty of opportunities in the classroom to participate is very important. That's why I found these ways of participation important for the classroom: "they have the opportunity for personal reflection that hey can choose to share with no one or perhaps only with me, they have the opportunity for small group discussion with others whom they choose, and they have the opportunity to speak up in the large group setting."
I think this is important because first as teachers, we want to know what our students are thinking because that helps us know whether or not they understand. Also, having all these different kinds of opportunities gives every kind of student a way to participate. Some students don't like to participate in large group discussions but will in a smaller group discussion. I know when I was younger I didn't like the larger group discussions because I didn't want to feel dumb in front of my peers. Also, there are also those students who love being the center of attention so they will definitely participate in the large group discussions. Finally, having students write journals is a great way for feedback without having them share to anyone but the teacher. This clearly gives every student the confidence to share what they know.
I think this is important because first as teachers, we want to know what our students are thinking because that helps us know whether or not they understand. Also, having all these different kinds of opportunities gives every kind of student a way to participate. Some students don't like to participate in large group discussions but will in a smaller group discussion. I know when I was younger I didn't like the larger group discussions because I didn't want to feel dumb in front of my peers. Also, there are also those students who love being the center of attention so they will definitely participate in the large group discussions. Finally, having students write journals is a great way for feedback without having them share to anyone but the teacher. This clearly gives every student the confidence to share what they know.
Chapter 12 in WK
The part I found interesting in chapter 12 were the suggestions for improving spelling. More specifically I found the first one, spelling word walls, the best suggestion. "Post a list of spelling demons that all students are required to spell correctly at all times."
I know when I was growing up I wasn't necessarily a bad speller however there were some words, more common words, that I had trouble with. For example, I had trouble with the simple word meant, February, piece and grammar. However, if I had a word wall to look at to help me with the words then I would not have had as much trouble. Also, if these word walls are up teachers need to make sure to use these words in the classroom. That way the students come in contact with these words more often. I think these word walls would be very helpful in a classroom and help students learn how to spell the more easy words more quickly.
I know when I was growing up I wasn't necessarily a bad speller however there were some words, more common words, that I had trouble with. For example, I had trouble with the simple word meant, February, piece and grammar. However, if I had a word wall to look at to help me with the words then I would not have had as much trouble. Also, if these word walls are up teachers need to make sure to use these words in the classroom. That way the students come in contact with these words more often. I think these word walls would be very helpful in a classroom and help students learn how to spell the more easy words more quickly.
Book Chat
I found the book chat over Kid Houdini very overwhelming. It was really hard to get in all your questions if any. Also, it was obvious that not everyone knew all of the rules so that made it hard to get everything done. However, besides that, the book chat was interesting. The author seemed very laid back and easy to talk to. He also seemed very interested in talking to us so that made it easier to talk to him. He did manage to answer all my questions I think. I also think most of the questions that were asked were very interesting and made the time go by fast. I would definitely do this again but only if everyone knew what was going on and knew all of the rules. It is a very good idea.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Chapter 11 in WK
In chapter 11 I found a whole section very interesting. I found the suggestion number 9, teaching prefixes, suffixes and root words, interesting.
The reason I liked this part is because vocabulary is a huge part of students and their recognition of words. As long students know what these words mean they will have an easier time recognizing the word. Also, teaching the prefixes and suffixes helps them see how word meaning can change with just a couple of letters added onto the word. After they can recognize the root word and you add a prefix or a suffix, many students have trouble with the word. However, if they can recognize the root word first then they should be able to recognize the word with a prefix or suffix added. The word form is an easy word to recognize for most students but when the word changes to informational it can be hard for a student to recognize and say this word. Finally, teaching how the prefixes and suffixes change the meaning will ultimately help them recognize these words.
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