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Dyson (Hope Webber)

Readerly Exploration 8

The Pine Cone Wars: Studying Writing in a Community of Children

Readerly Habit: Reflect on the contributions of reading experiences to reader identity in an effort to better articulate who he or she is as a reader

Application: Based on your successes and struggles reading this text, write down two or three goals for yourself as a reader for your next reading assignment.

Big Idea: Dyson states “Through analytic accounts of classroom life, I have aimed to capture the inevitable interplay between the official classroom community, with its values and practices, and the unofficial one generated by children. This interplay can be both beneficial and challenging for all concerned: official literacy practices can generate and become a resource for unofficial childhood practices; and, at least potentially, those unofficial practices may inform and even transform official possibilities,” (p. 305).

Nugget of Information: I found it interesting that Dyson states in her article that educators are not the only agent in student learning. Sometimes I find myself putting the sole responsibility of student learning on myself and other teachers by thinking that if I do not teach my students one specific thing, they will not learn it. This is incorrect, as there are many things that contribute to student learning, and the responsibility of teaching and learning is not solely on one person.

My Readerly Exploration:

           I had a hard time with this reading. I had never seen this strategy in practice and had never heard of it, so I was confused for the first few pages of the article. After finishing the article, the big idea was more clear, so I went back and read those first few pages again, this time fully understanding the purpose and topic. Another struggle I had was due to the fact the I did not print this article, and it is more difficult for me to focus when reading on the computer as opposed to reading from a printed document.

           In light of these struggles, I made a few goals for future reading assignments. If I have a hard time understanding the text after one page, I will skim the entire article for key details that can be lifted out of the article to help me understand the beginning of the reading. Additionally, I could talk with a friend who has done the reading and ask what it is about so that I have a good idea of the topic as I enter the reading. I could also search for information about the author, and in some cases, that could clue me in on what the author researches and I can use that information to understand the purpose of the text in advance.

           After coming up with these goals, I applied a few of them to this specific reading to ensure that I really do get the point and understand the article. I asked someone if they’d seen this done in practice, and she told me that in her classroom, the teacher set up her students in pairs and they would create a scene together, draw it, and then write one or two sentences describing the events that occurred in the scene. This helped me visualize the concept more, which was helpful to me.

           Overall, I think that these are things I will use in the future. It took me a lot of time to reread the article since I was confused the first time, and it would have been more beneficial if I had paused in my confusion and done some research, asked a friend, or skimmed the text completely to gain an understanding of where the writing was going. In the future, it will be helpful for me to do that, especially with articles that I cannot directly know the topic based on the title or abstract. This task helped me deepen my understanding for course content as I had to do other research to understand this article, and I learned more about this practice from talking with my peer.

Multimedia Component:

https://education.illinois.edu/faculty/ahdyson

This is a page regarding Dyson and helped me feel more connected to the literature as well as learn about the concepts in her writing in a deeper way.

Dyson, A. H. (2008). The Pine Cone Wars: Studying Writing in a Community of Children. Language Arts, 85(4), 305–315. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.messiah.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ788596&site=ehost-live&scope=site

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Sipe Exploration (Hope Webber)

Readerly Exploration 7

Hope Webber

Talking back and taking over: Young children's expressive engagement during storybook read-alouds(Sipe, 2002)

Readerly Habit: Engage in the reading process to increase the likelihood of text comprehension (pre-reading, reading, responding, exploring, applying)

Application: As you read, highlight excerpts from the chapter that reflect the author’s purpose.

Big Idea: The purpose of this article is to identify, define, and explain five categories of young readers’ expressive engagement during read alouds and flush out exactly how to use the continuum of the five responses to further passion, pleasure, and engagement in reading.

Nugget of Information: I found it very interesting that actions many teachers consider “acting out” or “misbehaving” during read alouds in class are actually just ways of response that enable a child to enter into the story, making it his or her own. These expressive responses should be used to further emotional connection to literature, but are frequently diminished and brushed away as poor behavior. The overall message the author conveyed was straightforward and meaningful, as it shifts read alouds from observational to interactive, which is important for literacy development. I also liked that the author states that one can maintain complete control of the classroom while also fully encouraging and participating in these kinds of responses.

My Readerly Exploration:

For this readerly exploration, I highlighted any phrasing that reflected the author’s purpose. Before doing this, I did a “walk-through” of the text, just like we do in my Kindergarten classroom. I looked at bolded terms and the phrases surrounding them, I read the title a few times to ensure I understood it, and skimmed the first page to find the clearly-stated purpose of this article. Doing these things helped me understand what I was getting into as I began my reading.

After doing this, I read the article carefully, highlighting anything that represented the author’s purpose and supporting details to his main idea. After each paragraph, I paused long enough to think through what I had just read. This helped me to make connections later in the article with what I was reading.

From this exploration, I was able to more easily gain understanding on the author’s point of view. Doing the walk-through was therapeutic and helped me to slow my pace and focus less on the time I was taking, and more on the work I was doing. I felt more in touch with the author and with his main points, as well. Additionally, I was able to come up with examples I have seen in my placement for each of the five responses! We are learning about fish in my placement, so I read a book about caring for fish to my kindergarten class today. While reading this article, I remembered one student making gills with his hands on his neck as I taught about gills through a read aloud. This is dramatizing! Taking the time to think through each example and try to recall a time when my students have done so was reinforcing for me.

In doing this, I was also able to diligently think through each thing I highlighted. “Is this really a main point, and does it reflect the author’s purpose?” Asking myself this question helped me to evaluate the article and its quality, as well. I generally do not pay attention to diagrams in articles, but since my exploration was centered around zoning in on the purpose, I did so for this article. The diagram helped me a lot! It reinforced the author’s point, and furthered his claims as it displayed the five responses as a continuum that increases in participation. Also, I felt these points connected well with the section regarding cultural contexts and classroom characteristics, as the author provided educators a way to implement supporting these expressive responses.

Overall, this exploration helped me to slow down and remember that regardless of how much work I need to do, my work is meaningless if I do not take the time to do it correctly. I also enjoyed applying strategies I use with my students in my own reading, and that helped further my understanding. I cannot say I will do this each time I have a reading for a class, but I hope to do this more often, especially when I am confused or feeling behind in a course. For my multimedia component, I have attached a link to a sermon I listened to on slowing down our pace and the importance of doing so. This has helped me in the past few weeks to regain the ability to relax and trust that all of my work will get done, and I will miss something important if I rush through this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwXyxfwG_9A

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Holdaway

Readerly Exploration #6

Shared Book Experience: Teaching Reading Using Favorite Books (Holdaway, 2001)

Readerly Habit: Explore the world through reading by using texts to answer questions about the world or generating new questions about the world from texts that are read.

Application: Take yourself on a field trip to a place on campus that connects with the big ideas of your assigned reading(s).

Big Idea: Instructional reading times are frequently painful for both student and teacher, and is not characterized by anything that represents story time. In order to make reading a less painful process, it must be done through a more natural and successful approach such as “shared book experience.”

Nugget of Information: I found it very interesting that book handling affects a young learner as much as it does. The students’ ability to hold a book while reading significantly impacts the learning process, which I did not realize.

My Readerly Exploration:

For my readerly exploration, I took myself on a field trip to the library. I gathered a few books I loved as a child and flipped through them. I pointed to the words as I read, I touched the pictures, and I inspected the books. Then, I placed the books on the table and turned the page simply while reading without touching or spending as much time as I wanted on each page. I did this in an attempt to mimic the article’s claim that students become better readers when they are able to handle the book themselves, flip through it, point, and ask questions. I felt a lot more connected to the book and to what I was reading when I was able to handle the book fully. Additionally, I enjoyed the experience and was more engaged when I could touch the book and interact with it.

           This experience reminded me of when I was in ninth grade English class, and we were reading Stargirl. My teacher read the book to us from her chair in the front of the room, and occasionally we were allowed to ask if we could borrow the book to reference specific pages or events. I did not really understand the book at all, and did not enjoy it either. We had fill in the blank notes for when we read it in class, and were supposed to use those to study for the exam. I was actively disengaged, other than to make sure I had the correct words in each blank. When I read Stargirlon my own in tenth grade, I really enjoyed it and got a lot from it. I was able to fully immerse myself in the book, diving in so I could connect with the characters and understand each event that took place in the story.

           I was also reminded of when I was in second grade and attended Back to School Night before the school year started. I looked around the classroom library and found some books I really enjoyed that I read with my mom – the Junie B. Jones series. Seeing books from one of my favorite series that I had not read yet made me excited to go to school in the following weeks. I remember going to Mr. Ferguson’s selection, choosing a Junie B. Jones book I had yet to read, and sitting on the rug while flipping through my book.

           These two experiences that come to mind as I think about book handling and interest in favorite books help me to connect with and understand this article in a deeper way. Although I found the article slightly difficult to get through (although that could be due to the fact that it’s Fall Break right now), this exploration helped me to want to reread the article and understand the point of it more. I appreciated doing this particular habit, as it was relaxing and enjoyable for me to recall memories of both positive and negative reading experiences, largely due to book handling.

Media Component:

I also took a video of myself doing this but I can’t get it to upload to Tumblr, so you’ll have to imagine! :)

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Readerly Exploration #5

Richardson Intro & Ch. 1

Readerly Habit:Engage in the reading process to increase the likelihood of text comprehension (pre-reading, reading, responding, exploring, applying)

Application: Before you read, learn something about the author(s) of the assigned course reading(s) and note how what you learned impacts your motivation and/or your purpose for reading. 

Richardson Introduction

Big Idea: The goal of guided reading is to help readers confidently, proficiently, and independently process increasingly challenging texts.

Nugget of Information: I enjoyed learning about the assess-decide-guide framework in which teachers assess a student’s reading level, decide their strengths and needs, and guide them into finding their ZPD in order to properly scaffold.

Richardson Chapter 1

Big Idea: It is important to have small-group differentiated instruction that supports students in developing reading proficiency.

Nugget of Information: I like the idea of doing a Reader’s Theater during literacy centers as a fun activity that encourages reading with expression. Sometimes, it is hard for me to read with good expression as an adult, so I am sure that can be challenging for young readers as well. This seems like an effective technique for guiding students in practicing expression and dialogue.

My Readerly Exploration:

           Before reading the introduction and first chapter, I googled Jan Richardson’s name in order to gain motivation for reading the assigned text. I was less interested in this textbook than I am in Debbie Millers, as I have flipped through the Richardson text before and have not felt much excitement about reading it. Additionally, I really enjoy the Miller text, as it feels more like I am invited into her classroom. I had these preconceptions that Jan Richardson’s text would be unlike the Miller text, and somehow that thought transferred into the thought that Richardson’s text would be less useful than Miller’s. As I began the exploration, I decided to learn more about Richardson and her credentials and personality before reading.

           As I read about Jan Richardson’s education and explored her personal website, my heart softened at how welcoming she is. She has a tab of her website for professional development through which people can sign up for P.D. with her or a trusted colleague. Her conferences are posted and she has a tab labeled “Literacy Tips” containing a tip regarding instruction or small groups.

           Doing this helped me realize that just because a textbook is not set up the exact way I prefer does not mean the textbook is not credible or useful. This eliminated many preconceptions I had regarding the textbook, as well as some nervousness regarding guided reading. I do not know really anything about guided reading, so this readerly exploration helped me to understand it before reading the assigned chapters. This also helped me to be familiar with the person writing the text. I think knowing who the author is helps when reading the text to be familiar with their standpoint and their motivation for reading. Understanding a person’s area of study and passions also guides what they write, so knowing that Richardson cares about literacy for children guides why she wrote textbooks helping educators be stronger literacy teachers.

           I feel this has made me a stronger reader of official textbooks. I struggle with enjoying textbooks and reading the material to truly understand. I tend to read in order to take notes rather than to understand the main point and find ways to apply the knowledge. Doing prior research on the author helped me to see the importance of understanding the point of view from which the text was written.

Multimedia Component: http://www.janrichardsonguidedreading.com/literacy-tips

This is the link to Jan Richardson’s website! It was very helpful :)

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Hope Webber Sim. Journal 2

Hope Webber (2 October 2018)

Simulation Journal #2

Part I.

Within our simulation, your first deadline for your Unit Plan pilot project is fast approaching and you will have to submit Part I to Mrs. Fletcher this week. In your In-Service trainings, she’s been walking you through Messiah School District’s approach to instructional design using the Systems Model and has also begun to explain the district’s instructional plan template bit by bit. However, she hasn’t had time to answer all of your questions and seems to expect that you will complete parts of the Unit Plan before you’ve had a chance to really gain your confidence with the process. Not only that, but she’s asking you to do things for which she never intends to provide professional development for you at all, such as how to design a strong scope and sequence for a thematic unit of study.

Describe how you have felt “giving it a go” when you know there are very real expectations (deadline from your fictional principal and grades from your real professor) and share some things you’ve learned about yourself as a professional as you’ve undertaken this task.

           I had mixed feelings about the unit plan’s intensity and fast-approaching due date. I was frustrated by the level of collaboration it took, as I prefer to be graded by my own work and not group work. I felt like I was under a lot of pressure since I am most interested in understanding the content, and I would rather receive a poor grade and truly understand content than receive a perfect grade and not understand. This mindset is hard in group work because I have to make sure I do a good job to ensure my group does not do poorly, but I also need time to process the tasks at hand and try them over and over to understand the content. That was a challenge for me in this, as I felt extra pressure in that area.

           Additionally, I felt stressed knowing that the due date was strict and my group needed to meet for collaboration. That was difficult (just as in real life) because finding time in our schedules to collaborate is limited. It was hard because I felt we were somewhat prepared to do this assignment and had access to the PowerPoints, but there were so many groups that needed help, we did not have as much help with it as we would have liked. However, I feel like that did not matter in the end, because we completed it to the best of our abilities and I feel confident that I understand how to do each portion of the assignment well. If I am wrong and did need additional support, I am confident I can go to office hours and het that help. This was a major comfort during the assignment because I know that the end goal is mastery, not a high score.

           I have learned a few things about myself as a professional as a result of this project. Firstly, I need to be sure I fully consider any of my group member’s needs while also considering my own as we collaborate on tasks. I also learned that I need to read through all criteria for tasks and process how I want to accomplish my end goal, as I felt overwhelmed looking at this project one step at a time. Personally, I need time to fully evaluate my goals and process how I want to get there before diving in. I also learned that I am fairly assertive and confident in this kind of work. When I felt I knew what I was doing, I expressed that to my group members and felt comfortable correcting any errors we had without hesitance.

Part II.

How does reflecting on our simulation in this way help you think about our course driving question differently? (Driving Question: How can teachers create effective instruction that is good for children and maintains the integrity of their philosophy within the constraints of administrative and other external mandates?)

           In the simulation, I felt there was not much support from administration (Dr. Fischer was very helpful, but Jessica Fletcher was not present). I felt like we had to fit our information into a certain template with particular goals in mind and we could not sway from that. Additionally, I felt like there were tight constraints and deadlines and we were not necessarily fully equipped to work within that.

           However, I see the importance in working hard to making sure my work is well-written and my instruction is effective even within tough constraints. When we were working in class, I felt overwhelmed knowing I had to rely on my peers to do their portion of the work, but realized I needed to trust my group members and focus on making my personal portion effective and as correct as I could make it. When I felt stressed about this assignment, I calmed myself down but recognizing that working hard at this and mastering it will make me a better educator and therefore, make it good for the children I will be educating.

Multimedia Component:

This week has been very stressful and overwhelming, and I have been feeling like I really cannot work much more without accidentally falling asleep for a long time. This has been a huge encouragement to me tonight and has helped me to stay focused and relaxed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0wRw-dbmy8

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Hope Webber (2 October 2018)

Readerly Exploration #4

Worthy (2015), Reading with Meaning, Ch. 4

Readerly Habit:Engage in the reading process to increase the likelihood of text comprehension (pre-reading, reading, responding, exploring, applying)

Application:After you read, document your initial response to what you’ve read. Consider how the ideas you read about made you feel and what they made you think about.

Part I:

What Are the Rest of the Students Doing? Literacy Work Stations in Two First-Grade Classrooms(Worthy, 2015)

Big Idea: This article is a study of the effectiveness of literacy stations. To summarize the text, “…but to encourage educators to critically examine their purpose for all instructional practices, to use them flexibly and in ways that are appropriate for their particular contexts and students, to continually evaluate their effectiveness for all students, and to keep the focus on what research tells us is the most effective for literacy engagement and achievement- purposeful reading and writing.” (Worthy, et al., 2015, p. 185).

Nugget of Information:I really enjoyed that the authors of this article explained Diller’s expectations for literacy centers alongside what the subjects were doing and saying in interviews. Specifically, I enjoyed the concrete steps laid out: model instruction, guided practice, independent practice, and reflection as a group. I respond well to lists and well-articulated plans, so this was helpful to me as I can connect these steps to what my mentor teacher does in our classroom this year.  

Reading with Meaning, Chapter 4

Big Idea: The big idea of this chapter is incorporating schemainto every aspect of literacy in the classroom, including think alouds, thinking through text together, and connecting to characters. Guiding students through making connections will greatly enhance their ability to construct meaning.

Nugget of Information: Miller ends the chapter with explaining why it is important to go through character development with students. This means talking about their characteristics, what we can learn from them, and how we can use that to find a big idea. This was helpful for me because it is very straightforward and gives a way to help students recognize character development even at a young age.

Part II: My Readerly Exploration

           I used this readerly exploration to apply Dr. Fischer’s technique of slowing down and being more aware of my pace in assignments. During reading, I tried to mentally think through my thoughts, pausing occasionally to consider what I was reading and how it helped me as a teacher. This helped me a lot, as I jotted notes of what I was thinking rather than main ideas in the passage. I was able to go back and see my exact thought process, and I saw questions being answered the further I read. Reading these two texts alongside the other was helpful for me, as I have been heavily doubting the efficiency of work stations for literacy. I have been wondering how the teacher monitors other students, how students stay on task, etc. The article addressed that directly using data, and unpacked the benefits and drawbacks of literacy centers.

           Miller’s chapter was also helpful for that reason. She was honest in saying she felt frustrated with students at times, and there were many times they did not answer the way she would have liked them to. This portion of Miller’s text was highly useful to me because I appreciated the vulnerability and transparency in that. She did not deny it is challenging and that she often doubts her students, but instead opening claimed that there are large challenges involved in this process. In particular, I appreciated when she noticed students taking a long time to settle into group work, and she gave them some time, and when she returned, they were doing exactly what they were supposed to. She explained that if adults need time to prepare and settle in, we can assume the same about children.

I thought her chapter, when read after the article, helped me to figure out a nice middle ground on my opinion of workshop. These readings helped me to reconsider my opinions, and this readerly habit helped me to consider reading and taking notes about my thought process rather than on the exact writing itself. This will help me grow as a reader because I will be able to answer my own questions clearly, make further connections with the text, and gain a deeper understanding of the importance of the content of different texts.

Worthy, J., Maloch, B., Pursley, B., Hungerford-Kresser, H., Semingson, P., Hampton, A., &

           Jordan, M. (2015). What Are the Rest of the Students Doing? Literacy Work Stations in Two First-Grade Classrooms. Language Arts, 92(3), 173–186.

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Miller: Ch. 2-3

Readerly Exploration #3

Reading with Meaning

Debbie Miller

Chapters 2-3

Readerly Habit: Explore relationships with other people through reading by using texts as a shared experience with another person/other people or to gain insight into the perspective of another person.

Application: Choose an excerpt from your assigned course readings and share with a family member to get his or her insight and perspective on it.

Part I:

Chapter 2

Big Idea: The routines and structures put in place for workshop and mini-lessons are crucial to student learning, and modeling what good readers doat the beginning of the year sets the stage for true learning and an increased love of reading.

Nugget of Information: I love how Debbie Miller expressed that workshop is a time to share ideas and should be a forum for discussing, rather than a time to lecture. Her statement about a child’s need to be reflective on their reading was interesting because I think we often assume that since children are not reading intensive literature, they do not need time to process what they read.

Chapter 3

Big Idea: Allowing children time to select books that will challenge and interest them is one of the most important parts of September in the classroom. It is important to provide time, choice, and a variety of materials to help the love of reading grow.

Nugget of Information: I liked how Miller shared that she created a chart in her classroom for students to recommend books to others. I think that allows students to view reading as an activity that can be done together and is an outlet for sharing and growing together.

Part II: My Readerly Exploration

           To complete this readerly exploration, I shared with my boyfriend’s mother, a third grade teacher (we can call her K), a large portion of Debbie Miller’s text. We discussed numerous things Miller does in her classroom, including frequent and numerous read alouds, workshops, classroom libraries and book selection, and most specifically, the classroom list regarding what readers do and where they read. K shared with me that she does not do many workshops, as she has found large group instruction and “together” activities to be the most effective in her classroom. I was honestly encouraged to hear her say that she has found her large group techniques highly effective, as I frequently wonder how much planning literacy centers will take me in my future classroom. I tend to like large group instruction, and I enjoy the unity of the entire class working on one thing together, which K agreed with. However, during our discussion, K stated that she wishes she could do workshop for literacy, but her classroom is not set up for it. We also discussed the list of what readers do that Miller made with her students. K said that is a technique she would like to use in her classroom.

           Our conversation was beneficial because it sparked other conversations about reading and math instruction. I think it is very important to talk to other teachers who have a lot of experience and hear about what has or has not worked for them. I am being taught different techniques than perhaps those older than me, and I am sure that in a few generations, or even sooner, even more different methods will be taught. I value the time I spend discussing what I am learning with others, and even more so than that, time spent with other teachers who can give me insight and ideas for my future classroom and teaching. This readerly exploration is one I plan on doing in the future (outside of course work) in order to hear from others and discuss how we can better educate our students.

Multimedia Component:

As I read this chapter, I reflected on Debbie Miller’s claim that reading aloud numerous books each day is highly beneficial for students. As I discussed this with K, I remembered being read aloud in elementary school so I found the Hungry Caterpillar and listened to it!! Here’s the link! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75NQK-Sm1YY

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Hope Webber: Fischer (2017); Miller (2013)

Readerly Exploration #2

Fischer (2017); Miller, Ch. 1 (2013)

Readerly Habit: Reflect on the contributions of reading experiences to reader identity in an effort to better articulate who he or she is as a reader

Application: Talk to one classmate about what stood out to him or her in the assigned course reading(s) and share how your reading process was similar or different.

Part I:

“Reading with a Crayon: Pre-conventional Marginalia as Reader Response in Early Childhood” (Fischer, 2017)

Big Idea: The big idea of this article is focused mainly on the following research question: What purpose does drawing in picture books serve in early childhood reading experiences? The author, after flushing out her research, points out that perhaps the common dislike among adults regarding children drawing in books is due to a lack of genuineness in the transferring of books from adults to children.

Nugget of Information: This article contained many nuggets of information I found interesting, but the one I found perhaps the most intriguing is the concept that children use drawing in books as a means of play and communication. In the study, Elijah was playing with the characters in the book as he drew and scribbled in the margins. I find this to be incredibly fascinating and overwhelming. The child, without instruction or demonstration from another person or adult, transferred his knowledge about playing with toys to playing with the characters in books. This concept shocked me as I read this article. This has not been anything I have considered before, and it is so interesting that Elijah interacted with the characters and setting in the book.

Reading with Meaning, chapter 1: Guiding Principles (Miller, 2013)

Big Idea: The big idea from this chapter is based on establishing a teaching environment which encourages and supports the learning that takes place within literacy. Miller gives her overarching principle of teaching: Explain why we are here, why what you are learning matters, and the hard work involved in getting there. The big idea that can be drawn from this is that as educators, we need to create a classroom that invites students to learn and to interact with literacy.

Nugget of Information: This chapter was full of nuggets of useful information! One thing that stood out to me in particular was Miller’s section on her personal reading habits. I identified with her statements about considering herself a good reader simply because she was a fast reader, even though reading fast puts an end to interacting with the text. She gave the advice to have conversations with yourself as you read, which I found to be an interesting way to think about interacting with text and truly taking it in.

Part II: My Readerly Exploration

    To dig deeper into these texts, Nakia Levi and I had a conversation regarding our reading processes and things we found interesting throughout these texts. As I read the article, I found myself wondering if the child, Elijah, considered himself a character in his play, or the narrator. When I said this to Nakia, she stated she had not thought of that. She thought of finding books with scribbles to enhance her learning of this project, and then realized that the scribbles in books are far less significant than the process by which the scribbles appear. I had not considered that- the process matters more than the end result in this case. I connected that with the process of learning- the process (learning, investigating, and thinking) is far more important than the end result (assessments and grades). “The physical scribbles are meaningless unless you know the context in which they were created,” Nakia stated in our conversation (Nakia Levi, 2018).

    We also discussed the format of Fischer’s article. I generally do not enjoy research articles, but I enjoyed this one because the author gave the results at the beginning of the article, which gained my interest and kept me engaged in reading. Nakia stated she had similar feelings, and she appreciated the background the article gave prior to the more intensive information. We agreed that we tend to read the end of articles (“results”) first rather than reading it from beginning to end because it can be frustrating to wait for the end of the article to see what point the author is making. I thought it was interesting that our learning processes were similar in this sense.

    As Nakia and I discussed Debbie Miller’s chapter in Reading with Meaning, we began by asking each other questions about things that were unclear to us. For instance, I explained to Nakia the visual given for workshop time since she did not fully understand the goal of the visual. Similarly, I did not understand one of Miller’s statements regarding her students being “with her” and Nakia was able to explain that to me. I gained a lot from this because it is rewarding to explain something to someone and have them comprehend your explanation, and it was beneficial for me to better understand the text due to Nakia’s explanation. As a reader, I do well with charts, visuals, and pictures, whereas Nakia enjoys written text more in this context. I found that interesting as we discussed the chapter because it showed us that we are different kinds of readers. Additionally, we made similar connections to the text. When Miller explained gradual release of responsibility, we discussed how that relates to when we learned to drive.

    This application helped me to understand how readers differ and the importance of discussing text with different types of readers. Nakia made comments that I had not considered, which helped me to form more coherent thoughts about the text and pushed me to further explore the concepts. She also explained things to me I had difficulty understanding, which helped me to understand the goal of the text in more depth. This journey of discussing, sharing, and reflecting has shown me the ways I can improve as a reader and how I can better help others become more interactive with reading.

For a multimedia component, I have attached two photos from one of my favorite books growing up. I love this book so much, I brought it with me to college! I scribbled on the pages as a child, but only on cover and introductory pages... how interesting!

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Simulation Journal #1 Hope Webber

Part I: Now that you’ve made it through your New Teacher Orientation in our simulation, talk about an instance in which what is expected of you in this district might be at odds with your teaching philosophy and/or an instance in which what the district says they believe might be at odds with how things are actually run.

Wow, New Teacher Orientation was a BLAST! It was overwhelming at times, but overall, I think it will help me in a huge way in my journey as a third-grade teacher in Boyer Elementary. As I reflect on things shared by Jessica Fletcher in orientation, I can think of two things that just slightly oppose my personal (working) teaching philosophy. Firstly, we discussed the curriculum and Pennsylvania’s standards, alongside how I, as a teacher, will be evaluated. Jessica Fletcher (alias for Sarah Fischer) said student test scores would factor into faculty evaluation. I understand this is not by “law” of the district - it is a state regulation (I think? Maybe I will be more sure in Teacher In-Service coming up), but this still confused me. While I think it is important to take into account student scores, this could easily be skewed, causing teachers to begin “teaching to the test.” Something I, as a Messiah College student, appreciate is Dr. Fischer’s new system of grading in which there are no points. I think that makes education return to its core meaning, which is mastering content and understanding the topics that are being taught. When test scores are taken into account, it may force teachers into following a strict guide for learning rather than allowing us to charge students to surround themselves in learning and knowledge, which would enable students to explore and engage in learning in a way that forms them into a well-rounded and educated person. Again, I may be misunderstanding a portion of the evaluation, but overall, I want to support learning in an engaging and creative way.

Another thing we talked about during orientation is Teacher of the Year! An exciting incentive for being a phenomenal teacher. However, I think it is important to consider our motive as teachers - I do not want my motivation for being an incredible teacher an award; rather, I want to be the best teacher I can be in order to better the lives and education of my students, pushing them to grow and encouraging deep learning and understanding. Although it would be incredible to be awarded Teacher of the Year (along with 39 of my colleagues), I do not want that to be the reason I teach well.

Part II: How does reflecting on our simulation in this way help you think about our course driving question differently? (Driving Question: How can teachers create effective instruction that is good for children and maintains the integrity of their philosophy within the constraints of administrative and other external mandates?)

The simulation and reflection have helped me to reconsider the depth and integrity involved in our course driving question. First of all, I have been thinking about how I define good in this context. What constitutes my instruction as good? How can I further the knowledge of little ones with good instruction while remaining biblical and obeying those in authority over me? This simulation thus far has shown me that I may be immersed in a district that asks things of me I may think are unfair (such as recreating the entire curriculum for the year!), and if that happens, it is part of my job to adhere to authority and follow their plan. However, it is up to me to determine how I can do that in a way that maintains my integrity and how I can guide my colleagues in creating something good for our students as well. I have been deeply considering how to define good in this context, and here is what I have come up with so far:

“Good for children means that the instruction I deliver is easily understood by my audience. The content is appropriate for my students and will help them to understand the world on a larger scale. Good for children means that what I teach will further their knowledge and foster a love for learning to the best of my ability.”

Keep in mind, this definition will fluctuate frequently over the next several months and beyond, but I hope to continually process what I learn and apply that to how I can better educate my students, valuing them as people above all else.

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Hope Webber Cambourne (1995); Britsch & Meier (1999)

Readerly Exploration #1

Cambourne (1995); Britsch & Meier (1999)

Application: Identify a major current event/headline happening at the time the article was published to consider how the text might have been conceived or received.

Part I:

“Toward an educationally relevant theory of literacy learning: Twenty years of inquiry” Cambourne, 1995

Big Idea: The big idea from Cambourne’s article is centered around the following question: “How could a brain which could master such complex learning in the world outside school be considered deficient with respect to the kinds of learning that were supposed to occur inside school?” (Cambourne, 1995, p.183). He answers this in part by suggesting that perhaps the conditions in which we learn in schools need to change. In literacy specifically, Cambourne states that engagement is key to success in learning, and outlines four main principles of engagement that should guide a healthy classroom climate.

Nugget of Information: There were many nuggets of information I found interesting and new as I read this text. The author’s explanation of crucial processes in the classroom (transformation, discussion/reflection, application, and evaluation) stuck out to me since that aligns well with every reading I have done in my junior year thus far. Every text that has been assigned has outlined and emphasized the importance of self-reflection and evaluation as an educator. While self-evaluation can be emotionally exhausting, it molds each of us into educators with a greater ability to help students. I appreciated that Cambourne emphasized the importance of these processes, and explained how each one can be accomplished.

“Building a Literacy Community: The Role of Literacy and Social Practice in Early Childhood Programs”

Britisch & Meier, 1999

Big Idea: This article’s big idea revolves around strengthening literacy community in younger students. The authors outline three main ways by which this goal can be accomplished: a greater use of writing and drawing materials in the classroom; shared story reading so that an exchange of comments can occur, fostering community; and lastly, ensuring students are not receiving unequal educational outcomes regarding age-appropriate goals.

Nugget of Information: I appreciated this article’s emphasis on fostering a community of literacy that does not rely on the reading level of the individuals involved. The authors outlined three critical themes regarding literacy learning and fostering community, which I found helpful for envisioning my future classroom’s focus on literacy. The three themes include literacy ownership, making literacy inclusive, and the role of the thinking process in literacy. I found these themes interesting because it verbalizes and clarifies the necessary steps for creating a love for reading within the classroom that is not individualized. These themes make literacy available for everyone, and they provoked thought on the need for learning to be communal and available.

Part II: My Readerly Exploration

           In order to dig deeper and become a true explorer of these two articles, I decided to find events that were current at the time these articles were published in order to evaluate how these articles would be received by education professionals. I searched for a timeline of events in America relating to education, and was able to see how education has progressed since 1776! It was intriguing to see the progression of how politics have affected educational standards over the years. I zoned in on the events that occurred between 1990 and 2000, and found a few specific ones that could have shaped the way educators received these articles. One that stuck out was the publication of the book Race and Culture in the Classroom: Teaching and Learning Through Multicultural Education by Mary Dilg. I went to the library and skimmed portions of the book, and found that a common theme within is fostering community in the classroom, charging each person to respect peers and colleagues. The author, an English teacher of adolescents, explains the importance in listening to students before teaching them.

           I thought this was an interesting book to compare to these articles, because it is evident that America was becoming more culturally aware and diverse. Cambourne compared learning one’s native language, which is “highly successful complex learning” (Cambourne, 1995, p. 184) that takes place outside of the classroom. I felt the book connected with both articles, and this research was thought provoking for me: were many educators hyper-focused on inclusion and community during this time, or were so few focused on those crucial aspects of the classroom that many authors felt pressed to do research on these topics? This question sparked yet another search for current publications and events during that time. I found a few events relating to cultural inclusion, which was so exciting for me to stumble upon! Does that mean these articles, though not explicitly fighting for racial inclusion, can be loosely tied together with current events? I think the answer is yes! This was an exciting thought process for me, because I continually was sidetracked by more related events occurring between 1990 and 2005. Finding connections between current events and works published in the same field was thrilling.

           To be completely vulnerable, this exploration pushed me further than I wanted to be pushed. I did not expect to find so many connections between current events and the articles I read for class, and I also did not anticipate gaining so much understanding through go beyond the article and researching on my own. This would be useful for me to do throughout college and beyond, as it guided me in understanding why the authors were researching and writing about these topics relating to literacy. I also found the website I used helpful, as it explicitly lists each education-related event with hyperlinks to additional resources. I bookmarked the website and plan on using that to further my knowledge of America’s educational history. Understanding current events and searching for connections within course content was stretching, but truly helped me to consider more deeply why it was necessary for such research to be done.

References:

Britsch, S. J., & Meier, D. R. (1999). Building a Literacy Community: The Role of Literacy and Social Practice in Early Childhood Programs. Early Childhood Education Journal, 26(4), 209-215.

Cambourne, B. (1995). Toward an educationally relevant theory of literacy learning: Twenty years of inquiry. Reading Teacher, 49 (3), 182.