Week 12

What do good readers do?

Make predictions, use prior knowledge, relate the text they are reading to their own lives, build vocabulary, they dig deeper and think outside of the box. Active when they are reading, look at text structure, they infer, thinking constantly and reacting to the text of what they are reading, and the ideas they are getting from their ideas and the ideas of their peers.

How can teachers help develop comprehension?

Teaching comprehension strategies, building students vocabulary, engaging students in discussion and writing, allow them to discuss amongst their peers their ideas and allow students to evaluate the ideas of their peers and compare and contrast their ideas with one another, to broaden their horizons in comprehension. Build students’ knowledge base, and provide rich experiences in reading and comprehension.

How can teachers help their struggling readers?  

Apply the same techniques and strategies they use when improving comprehension. The only difference is the teacher will make and enforce these techniques more strongly with the struggling readers and make it more intense. The teacher will also monitor and pay closer attention to the struggling readers to keep track of if they are making progress or not, and what they can continue to do for these students.

After watching this video, I was able to take many of the strategies and techniques and apply it to when I become a teacher and how I can use these ideas and strategies with my own students of the future. This video demonstrated how to help struggling readers, and how to help develop comprehension to all students inside of the classroom. These effective strategies play a huge role in a student’s academic life when it comes to reading and comprehension and it is our job as future teachers to make sure we enforce these strategies with our students to make them strong and effective readers. 

Dibels vs. QRI-5

In my opinion, the QRI-5 is a better assessment tool than the Dibels. Although this was my first time using the Dibels, and last week was my first time assessing a student with the QRI-5, I found the QRI-5 a more effective and influential assessment, that benefits both the student and the teacher. The Dibels, I found to be too complicated. Due to the fact, that maybe, the assessment grading is technology-based, however, I feel that it slows down the assessment between the student and the teacher. I felt I was too fixacted on learning how to use the Dibels technology tool, rather than focusing on the students assessment and results. The QRI-5 gave me and the student the opportunity to prepare them first, and to boost their confidence by starting on a lower grade level than their actual level. The Dibels did not allow the student to build enough confidence on the assessment they were about to face. The Dibels did give a few examples, however, I do not feel it was enough to give the students the confidence and assurance that they will do probably do well on the assessment. What I did like about the Dibels was the fact that it gave tools and suggestions on what to do with the student based on their result. The Dibels gave the teacher an idea and stepping stone on what measures to take with a struggling student and even a student that outstanding results. With the QRI-5, it was up to the teacher to create tools, strategies, and measures on what to do with struggling students. The Dibels, in my opinion, was not a direct and concrete source in finding out a students struggles and difficulties. The QRI-5 attacked more areas than the Dibels did, such as prediction, sufficeient comprehension questions, and allowing the student to create their own idea of what the story they will be reading is about. The Dibels did not allow that. The Dibels did not have comprehension questions. It only allowed the student to retell ideas, which doesn't give me, as the teacher, a concrete idea of if the student was sufficient in comprehension. Overall, I perfer the QRI-5 assessment over the Dibels. Perhaps, If I had been more familiarized with it, I would give the Dibels more credit, but as of now, I found better results with the QRI-5.

Observations 04/08/11

On April 8, 2011, was the last day of my observations, but the most enjoyable day during my stay with Mrs. Hershafts 3rd grade class. I was able to witness my students dance the Samba in a dance recital that was held during the school day. I was also able to complete the QRI-5 assessment with my ELL student Stephanie, which she found to be a fun activity. Both, Stephanie and I learned a lot about each other, and developed a bond, something I did not expect to happen. In addition to all of this. I received a stack of "thank you" and "we will miss you Ms. Green" cards from all of the students in the class. This was one of the most touching moments of my life, and my first time encountering that. It made my stay with Mrs. Hershafts class all worth it :-)

Writing Community

Discuss the components of an effective writing program and why they are important.

Personal Componants: Allow students to make connections to their real life and t heir writing. Also also the students to create writing pieces that are relatable to their own life and the lives of their peers as well.

Inventions: Allow the students to create their own writing pieces and stories, to help enhance their creativity and expand their horizons in writing and even reading.

Conventions: Allow students to edit their own work or even have peer editing to also enhance their skills in editing and realizing their own mistakes.

How might you rearrange your schedule to create more time for students to write in general and, in particular, for students to write about their personal experiences?

A teacher may rearrange the class schedule by incorporating writing in other subjects, even if it is in the smallest form. For example, in mathematics, students can create their own word problems, or write a math strory, in which can incorporate math and writing. The teacher does not necessarily have to rearrange the class schedule, just incorporate writing in creative and effective ways, in other school subjects.

How can you create ways for students to make personal connections in different subject areas through writing?

By creating assignments that will make the student assimilate writing in that particular subject. As mentioned in #2, the teacher have the students create stories or writing pieces on the subject they are learning. In #2, I gave an example of how the student can utilize writing in the subject of Math. Even in the subject of Science, students can write about what they are learning, complete creative projects such as "pop-up books" or timelines, or anything that will make the student write in one form or another.

How can student work help you decide which conventions to teach?

A students work can help because, we, as the teachers, will be able to see what areas we need to work on with our students and what areas our students are struggling in and what areas are excelling in.

When can you promote student inventions and experimentation with different formats in writing

You can promote student inventions and experimentation with different formats in writing at any time. Promoting writing with students is beneficial at any time, with any subject, and at any moment. We want our students to become efficient and excelling writers. We also want them to be versatile and felxible with their writing, not just fixated on one subject area, but creative and imanginative in all areas and all subjects.

Observations on 3/11/11

On Friday, March 11, 2011...I began working with my ELL student. I am working with an advanced ELL student, that is in the 3rd grade. During this time, the students are working on a Poetry Unit. They are learning to write various forms of poetry and luckily I was able to witness many of the student's ideas and concepts in their poetry. The ELL student I am working with is such an intelligent and articulate student. Her writing and speech are very advanced and the cooperating teacher informed me that she is one of the top students in the subject of reading. As I worked with her, I was able to see her ideas and thoughts in what kind of poem she wanted to write. They are currently writing "Color Poetry". I look forward to working with her at the end of this week to see what other great ideas she has for her poem and all her poetry she plans to complete during my obervations.

COCA

I found the COCA to be an excellent source of assessment. I feel sometimes teachers lose sight of the children grasping comprehension because they are so focused on making sure the student can actually read what is in front of them. The COCA focuses on so many aspects of reading, that I feel is not provided in other assessments I have witnessed being given to students. For example, running records. I feel in running records, not enough light is shed upon comprehension. With the COCA, various aspects of comprehension are being met. The COCA also sheds light on grammar and language, which I find to be very important, especially for students of that age group.

What do you find to be negative aspects of the COCA? What would you do to improve this?

Christopher Myers-A Writer's Story

What I found most inspirational about this video is how Christopher wrote and illustrated books that were relatable to children. He writes and publishes books that most kids could find relates to their own life, and that makes him an even more astounding children's author. There are always children that are struggling with the acceptance of being different. Children at a young age do not grasp the concept that it is okay to be different, because they want to follow trends and be like their friends and want to feel included with the rest of their peers. Christopher makes it known in his literature that it is okay for children to be different. This can be applied to learning how to read because it lets children know that even if they do fall behind or they take longer than others to learn and grasp a particular subject, that it is okay. I relate this to my own experiences because working with children, I notice that children do not like to be different or viewed as special. They want to be like everyone else and want to fit in. They become frustrated and aggravated when they are falling behind and are so anxious to catch up that they are unable to work to their fullest potential, because they lose site on what is important, and that is being able to get the concept of what they are learning. The more we push and expose the idea and concept that being "different" is okay,  the more inspired and aspired our students can become.

What are some ways teachers, and even ourselves, can promote and instill in student's minds, that being different is okay?