Thoughts on the Piratical Unit of Study Readings

I really enjoyed the readings that we had for this week. The piratical study that is discussed in “Pirates in Historical Fiction and Nonfiction: A Twin-Text Unit of Study,” along with the classroom activities that are provided in “Swashbuckling Adventures on the High Seas,” and the technological integration ideas presented in “Internet Workshop and Blog Publishing” gives a wonderful view of how teaching an integrated lesson with a Social Studies content can be accomplished. I totally agreed with the idea that teachers are committed to their students and welcome opportunities to implement the best practices to help them learn. While obstacles can sometimes stand in the way of progressive learning, as this unit of study shows, there are multiple ways of providing students with varied learning experiences that can help them reach a higher level of learning.

Implementing non-fiction and fiction text about the history of pirates is a valuable approach to build the reading comprehension skills of students. It is also a wonderful way to engage students in the subject they are learning about and will help them to increase their knowledge base as it encourages the use of their imagination. Using the Double-Entry Diaries as a way to record not only the information obtained from the readings but also to record what that information means to the student is a good activity to help students develop a deeper thinking about the subject. Providing students the opportunity to do individual research while guiding and promoting that research through technology gives students a connection to what they are learning and they are better able to relate to their subject. Finally using a Data Retrieval Chart, to record and organize their observations, helps students to analyze their findings and create a variety of projects to demonstrate their knowledge.

I think that a unit such as this piratical unit could be implemented in any classroom and would prove to be a much more effective way of teaching than many methods that are seen in classrooms today. Teachers need to provide students with a variety of learning methods in order to keep them engaged and facilitate their higher order thinking skills. Students today are many times more technological than their teachers. In order to keep them engaged it is imperative that educators today meet them where they are and help them extend their 21st Century skills into efficient meaningful learning experiences. These readings can give teachers the groundwork for an excellent integrated unit and prove that these teaching methods can be implemented.

Integrating Instructional-Level Social Studies Trade Books for Struggling Readers in Upper Elementary Grades

WOW, that is a mouthful! This resource is as valuable as it’s title is long. I believe that the ultimate goal, all teachers have for their students, is to see them succeed. In a normal classroom, teachers are teaching to many different level learners. When students that are not on grade level are given instructional text that are too difficult for them, they become frustrated and are not being given the opportunity to develop the skills needed to improve their reading ability. The suggestions made in this article seem like common sense but with so much pressure placed on teachers to get students up to grade level, it is easy to see how many simply do not have the time or the resources to research and find multi-level trade books for their struggling students. Dr. Frye has taken the grunt work out of locating these resources. Not only does she define the importance of providing multi-leveled trade books but she also provides educators extensive lists of titles to incorporate into instruction.

Requiring struggling readers to read grade leveled text only inhibits their growth in reading. When the text is to difficult, they have trouble deciphering the language, which lowers their level of fluency and comprehension, and causes them to become frustrated. If it takes a struggling reader twice as long to read an assignment as it takes their peers, they are only going to progressively fall farther and farther behind. When this happens, the ultimate goal of student success in the subject is impossible. Not only are they behind but they are frustrated and the enjoyment of reading has been lost.

The dilemma teachers face is how to provide materials that meet the learner’s level but also connect to their grade level curriculum goals and standards. Accountability ultimately falls to the teacher for the success of their students in learning the grade level material and expecting students to learn by supplying them with information they cannot comprehend doesn’t make any sense. Taking the initiative to match students to trade books that are content related, and appropriately instructional-leveled texts gives them the opportunity to succeed. This approach not only helps students succeed in learning subject material such as Social Studies, but as Dr. Frye states, “the teacher aims to increase students’ word recognition automaticity and comprehension (including literary analysis), as well as improving their motivations for reading and academic self-esteems.” Being given texts that they can read, are enticing, and are readily available to read will motivate struggling readers as well as improve their self-esteem in reading.

I have passed this resource along to three friends of mine that are fourth and fifth grade elementary teachers. They have mentioned quite a few times how difficult it is to find texts that all of their students can read while still teaching the content areas. I think that the literary lists that Dr. Frye has provided in this article is an invaluable tool for educators. Although students may be reading different text, they will still be gaining the same content knowledge. Isn’t that the ultimate goal, not necessarily to have all students on the same level but to see all students succeed?

Poetry; My Thoughts

I have really enjoyed writing my own poems this week. I remember growing up writing poetry often. Usually my poems had to do with love because as a hormone driven teen that was my main focus. I haven’t written poetry in a long time so this opportunity to has inspired me to rekindle a lost passion.

To be completely honest, I don’t really like the free verse poems that we read last week. My personal interest is in poetry that rhymes or that has a recognizable rhythm in the language choice. For many children I know that it is difficult and sometimes frustrating to create rhyming poetry therefore, I would not require this in my classroom. I see the importance in allowing children to experience writing poetry in free verse. It provides a wonderful outlet for children to express themselves without confinements of standard grammatical rules.

I really appreciated the guidance offered by the “Love that Poetry” handout. There are some wonderful lesson ideas on how to encourage students to write poetry within the classroom. Since I didn’t really enjoy the free verse poems, I think this handout will be a great resource for me to use in my classroom to help students relate to these types of poems. Sharing examples of free verse such as William Carlos Williams’ The Red Wheelbarrow, or Kenneth Koch’s-The Tyger and allowing students to “borrow” pieces gives them the freedom to express themselves. By showing students that poetry doesn’t require a certain structure, or need to obey the rules of convention, teachers provide them a doorway of communication that they may have never experienced before.

Reflection on Love That Poetry including “Brown Angels”, “all the small poems”, and “Love That Dog”

I really enjoyed the article “Love That Poetry” and I feel like I would definitely use these suggestions in my classroom when writing poetry with my students. I think my favorite idea is using free verse. I think that having students begin thinking about poetry in the context of what they like about poetry, and then what they don’t like about it, opens a door for them. Some students are going to love poetry but they may have preconceived notions about what poetry is suppose to look like. Other students are not going to like poetry nor are they going to want to write poetry. For example the boy in the book, “Love That Dog.” He was able to begin his writing honestly by telling how he felt about poetry even though he didn’t think he liked poetry. Showing children that all poetry doesn’t have to have rhymes, or look a certain way, or sound a certain way, they are given the freedom to express themselves without the constraints that are sometimes placed on them. Modeling this is so important to encourage students. Teachers can do this by telling stories, reading free verse poetry to the students, or sharing their own poems with the class.
I also loved the idea of making the “Ordinary Extraordinary, I think with children this is a wonderful technique to help children discover the art of observation. This activity reminded me of a Science assignment we had this week. We were to take home a pinecone and spend some time getting to know it. We had to observe it throughout the week and record it’s attributes in a way that was meaningful to us. Our records of observation needed to be detailed enough that we could choose our pinecone out of a group of pinecones and be able to prove that it was ours. Having to really observe the pinecone at this level was a real challenge for me but once I got started, I was able to notice things that I hadn’t seen at first and was able to write what I saw. This is a great tool to teach children to see things in a different and unique way as well as show them that we all see things differently. In the book, “all the small poems,” an excellent example of this can be see in the poem “safety pin.” The way that Valerie Worth, can take a simple safety pin and give it the attributes of a small fish seeing a thin shrimp, is a wonderful example of imagery.
I think using the love poems is also a good idea. Children enjoying sharing details about the things they love whether they are in kindergarten or fifth grade. Poetry is a great outlet for students to share and release feelings that they might otherwise not share. The poem about “Friendship” in, Brown Angel’s by Walter Dean Myers really hit me. I thought it was an excellent example of how words can be used to express what people mean to you. I also loved the story in Love That Dog, by Sharon Creech titled “My Sky.” While it was a sad story, I feel that many children and adults could relate to that story. The little boy was able to express what had happened to Sky through word and that is a precious thing. I would like to think that even though writing about that experience was probably sad, it also probably gave him some comfort to be able to share his tragedy with others.
I have always loved to write poetry and I will make it a point to share that love in my classroom. The book Love That Dog really gave me an understanding of how I can encourage the students in my classroom to emerge as writers.

The History of My Name: Chase Ivosic

I have always loved my name. When I was growing up I was the only “Chase” in my area and I liked the uniqueness that came with that. It didn’t surprise me to find on the website, www.howmanyofme.com, “that more that 99.9 percent of the people with the first name Chase are male”. As I have gotten older, I have met some males that share my name but I am still the only female I know named Chase. I can tell that my name has risen in popularity because many times when I am out with my children, I will hear a mother calling her son Chase. I learned from researcher, Stefanina Hill, on www.helium.com, that I am right. In the 1970’s, the name Chase ranked as the 809th most popular name for baby boys in the US and by 2006, it had risen in the ranks to number 83. It is still apparently a unique name for girls though because the same research shows that in 2004, Chase ranked as the 998th most popular name for baby girls. I’m rather satisfied that my name is not more common among females because it makes me feel special. As if my given name isn’t unique enough, the name I took from my husband is even more obscure. “Ivosic” is originally a Slavic surname and from the information on www.howmanyofme.com, there are less than 114 people in the US with that last name. That site also says that I am the only Chase Ivosic in the US, so I guess I truly am a one of a kind, at least as far as my name is concerned.
According to www.behindthename.com, and www.associatedcontent.com, my name originated in Old France and was first a surname during the Middle Ages. The word “chacier” meant “to catch” or “seize”. After the Norman invasion of England in 1066, the word was anglicized to “chase.” During this time it was traditional to call a person by their occupation so around 1350, Huntsmen were given the surname Chase. In the English language, according to the Encarta Dictionary, the word chase means to pursue. The term “the chase” is still used today to refer to hunting.
My mother gave me my name. I have known all of my life how she chose it and it is not a method that brings me great pride or joy. When my older sister was born, she was the most beautiful baby my mother had ever seen; therefore she named her Mona Lisa after the famous painting. When I was born, I was not so glorious. I was apparently a scrawny, red, screamer and my mother thought I was the ugliest baby she had ever seen. She thought I looked very unique and she wanted to give me a name that reflected that and so she adorned me with Chase. While I wish my story could have been more sentimental or touching, I am thankful for the name my mother chose. I have always believed in being an individual and am not fond of conformity so my name seems to fit me perfectly.

Response to HOT Blogging

          Today students are surrounded by technology in just about every facet of their lives. By using blogging to tap into their higher order thinking skills teachers provide their students with another opportunity to enhance their learning.  I feel that the idea is an excellent opportunity to engage students in communicating about their learning experiences but I also wonder how feasible blogging would be for many students outside of the classroom. 

            If I was teaching in an environment where I knew that all students had access to computers outside of the classroom, then I would be more likely to incorporate blogging into my instruction. If some students have more of an opportunity at home to contribute to the blog then I feel that would be unfair to students that didn’t have the access at home to contribute. I would have to put much consideration into how I could make sure that all of my students would have an equal opportunity to add to the discussions on the blog if I were to incorporate a blog that required them to do so.

            As I deliberated on how I could insure that my students would all have equal access to the blog, I considered providing students time in class to complete their postings. In line with the idea of having students write in their writer’s notebook for their morning work, I thought that would be a good time to let them work on blogging. The major drawback I see with that idea is that much of the computer use that I notice when I have been in the classroom revolves around students completing some type of reading test. It seems that when students finish their morning work they are expected and encouraged to take their reading tests. The accountability that is set up for them to obtain a certain level of points or percentages related to tests on reading makes taking and passing these tests a priority for the students so I wonder how much time they would be able to devote to participating in blog discussions.

            I did like the idea of the classroom news blogs and the showcase blogs. My son’s fifth grade teacher was excellent at keeping his classroom website updated daily with class information and homework assignments. It was wonderful to be able to just pull it up and see what was going on in class so that I could keep up with my son. I believe having a blog that students and parents could access that gave classroom information, allowed them to ask questions or express comments, and highlighted success would be a great benefit to everyone. Creating a showcase blog where family members could go to and view their students contributions would not only give the families an opportunity to view items that they may not otherwise get to see but would also give the students a since of pride that they were creating for an audience.

            If I were to incorporate a blog into my classroom instruction, I would probably create one that combined different aspects. I would like to have a news page to keep parents informed about our class happenings. Providing a place for students to show their work to the world would also be an important aspect of my blog. While I would want student participation on the blog, I feel that if I require my students to write responses, then it will be my responsibility to ensure they have an equal opportunity to do so. I think it would be a wonderful idea to discuss with the whole class any changes in the blog each day and possibly assign groups of students certain days to contribute to the blog.

            I understand that different areas are going to have different views on incorporating this type of technology into the classroom. It can seem like one more thing that will take time that teachers don’t have. I think as educators, we have to see the big picture in relation to teaching in the 21st century. Students are inundated with technology every where they turn and by giving them the opportunity to engage with technology in the classroom, we are helping them use technology in a way that engages them and enhances learning. As Aimee Buckner relates in the Writer’s Notebook, having students write, not just what they write, is the important idea in creating writers. I can see how contributing to a class blog allows students to express themselves and also gives them another outlet for writing.

Response to Notebook Knowhow by, Aimee Buckner

            I am really enjoying reading Notebook Know-How. I remember being in elementary school and having to write in my journal each day. The teacher would give us a prompt to write about and we were expected to elaborate on that prompt. Many times, the prompt had no relevance to anything we were interested in and I found it difficult to write.  I like the idea of allowing students to write whatever has meaning to them in their notebooks. Giving students the creative freedom to make their notebooks whatever they want, provides them with a useful tool to enhance their writing.

            I have never really considered the idea that the process of writing, no matter what is being written, contributes to writing fluency. It makes sense after reading the first chapter that if consistent reading builds fluency then consistent writing will do the same. Instead of focusing on the importance of what we want our students to write, just having them write each day, contributes to their success as a writer. As with any other skill, becoming a good writer cannot happen without practice. By having students use the notebook to write in each day, they get to practice writing and soon it becomes a habit to write. The notebook gives students a tool to not only develop their writing, but provides them with a place to record their ideas and feelings that they can reflect on anytime they want to.

            I love the step by step guidance of how to get the notebook started in the second chapter.  The advice about creating a storytelling environment in the classroom, the example of modeling writing in the notebook and allowing the students develop a curiosity about  it, and then providing the students with their own notebook when they all have a story they are ready to tell is a wonderful progression to get students writing. The strategies that Buckner details of how to implement writing lessons into the notebooks have helped me to think of ways to generate writing ideas I had not considered before.  Allowing the students to organize their writings and notebook in a way that is meaningful and understandable to them gives them ownership of what they write. The strategies for setting up expectations for the notebook are important because there has to be some way to assess the students progress, but allowing the students to create their notebooks in such a way that represents themselves is just as important.

            I believe in the importance of having students write and I want to incorporate daily writing my classroom. My goals are to help my students develop a love for writing as a means to express their ideas, feelings, and expand on their imagination. I am sure that I will use some of the launching strategies in my lessons. Using the writing from a list seems like it would be an easy way for students to generate topics for writing. While many of the fluency strategies that are in the second chapter are good, I really related to the daily pages strategy. Many students enter the classroom each morning to find a worksheet on their desk that is disguised as “morning work”. Most of this “morning work” appears to me to be busy work to keep the students occupied while the teacher gets the day organized. Seizing this opportunity to have the students write in their notebooks as a way to start their day is an excellent way to develop their writing skills.

Welcome to Chase’s world!!

I’m so glad you could come visit in my blog world. I am looking forward to using this blog to communicate with my classmates during this semester. I think this is going to lots of fun!!