What a wealth of information we have been presented about pirates. I am finding that I have held many misconceptions about pirates and I would presume that many of the students in my classroom will have some of those same misconceptions. In reading the pirate literature, I have been surprised to find so much historically factual information contained in text that are not only simple but also enjoyable to read.

 “The Not-So-Jolly Roger” was a very entertaining story to read and I can see how it would peak students interest in learning more about pirates. I think fourth graders would enjoy relating to the adventure that the “book” takes the boys on and the suspense of what Blackbeard will do to them would definitely keep young readers engaged. All three of my boys have enjoyed the “Magic Tree House” series of books and this story reminded me of those books but it seemed to be a slightly simpler read. When my 9 year old read this story, he really enjoyed it very much. His favorite part of the story was when Blackbeard shot the guys that buried his treasure because he told them to guard their treasure.

While the book, “What If You Met a Pirate” is filled with factual information about pirates and their lives, it was very entertaining to read. Most informational text that I have had experience with has been either hard to understand or honestly just plain boring. This book is written in such a way that it not only provides accurate information but it makes the reader want to dig deeper into the text to continue learning. The illustrations in the book not only make it very appealing, they help to provide a clearer picture of some of the things that relate to the life of a pirate. I was surprised to learn that much of the visions I have about the appearance of pirates was inaccurate. I had pictures in my head of Captain Hook or Jack Sparrow, not ordinary sailors that just happened to plunder from prize ships. I was also surprised to learn that sailing on a pirate ship was actually a much better job that sailing for the royal navy. My preconceptions led me to believe that being a sailor in the royal navy would be a prestigious occupation but apparently it was a life filled with brutality and degradation.  I liked the maps that were included in this book and the descriptions that went along with the different areas where pirates sailed. I was surprised to find that pirates literally have covered the globe at different points in history. The detail that this book gives about the jobs pirates held on the ship, the democracy that was in place among pirates, the types of weapons they favored, and the different sailing vessels they used provides such a clear picture of what being a pirate was really like. While this text did point out the good standing relationship that some pirates had with Queen Elizabeth I, I wish accurate information about the few female pirates that existed had been included.

I read “Pirate Diary” after reading the other two books and I am glad that I did. I think that would be the order I would have my students read the text. It helped me to relate some of the aspects of pirate life that Jake wrote about in his journal to the information I had ascertained through reading “What If You Met a Pirate”. I loved the journal format of this book.  I think that it is a great example to show students that even a boy pirate kept a journal just like they are doing! While Jake’s journal really is an entertaining story, it is filled with loads of historically accurate information about the life of pirates, the life of people living in the 1700’s, and the role of the English government during that time. One of the things that I really liked about this book was the way it introduced vocabulary. Many new vocabulary words were introduced and then immediately followed by a descriptive definition. For example, on page 35, the text says, “we must sail many leagues to port, then go about (which means change direction) and sail the same distance to starboard! Zigzag sailing like this is called “tacking’ or “wearing.” In just this one sentence students would learn the definition of “go about, tacking, and wearing” in simple to understand terminology. There are multitudes of examples of this use of vocabulary teaching throughout the book. I also liked how the book described actions of the pirates as they would have actually happened. Instances such as being flogged with the cat-of-nine tails, writing and signing of the pirate articles, the amputation, death and burial of Ahab, and many other instances gives the reader the sense of what that lifestyle was truly like.  I could go on forever on this book because I believe it has so many wonderful aspects that would help students to gain a deeper understanding of the life of a pirate.

Now on to the I Poem power point. I can see through the evidence presented in the power point how using the format of poetry to present information can deepen students understanding of content. It makes sense that if students not only read and collect data on a topic but do so with the expectation that they are going to transfer their findings into a creative outlet such as an I Poem that they will be more engaged in what they are researching. By researching a topic and transforming the factual information into poems that requires the use of imagery and creative word choice, students develop a deeper understanding of their topic. I really liked seeing the example of how Sam moved through the process of gathering information in the graphic organizer, to creating the web, then writing his rough draft, and then creating his final I Poem about a mountain lion. It is very apparent that he not only learned a wealth of information about the mountain lion but also about the environment it lives in as well as information about its survival. This process seems to integrate many different learning opportunities. This one project combines research with Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies. I think that by having my students conduct investigations in this way to create I Poems in the classroom, I will provide them with multiple avenues for learning.

Modeling strategies to decipher confusing vocabulary also helps students realize that they have options when they aren’t sure of words. Modeling the use of context clues aloud, using the outside-the-word and the inside-the-word strategies aloud, and if those fail then modeling how to use other resources to learn vocabulary helps students see the options they have to help them when they come across a word they don’t know.

The examples and the advice from the 25 teachers used in this research makes so much sense that it is hard to understand why some people feel that shared reading is only for younger grades. I think that it is difficult to model thinking but I think that it is very beneficial for students to see how to think about what they are reading. We give students examples for how to do math problems, science experiments, and how to play games. It makes sense that they would benefit from being given an example for how to develop their reading skills.

I found completing the Internet Workshop to be very easy and informative. I liked the idea of having the sites for finding the information already listed. When doing research, I find that I spend a lot of time looking through sites unless I get lucky and hit just the right site the first time. This process requires a countless amount of time for me to find good information so I can imagine how long it would take students. Having the sites already bookmarked for them enables them to focus more on the information and less on the search. I think as a teacher, another advantage of having the sites already available is that your students will have accurate information and will be able to focus on the information that you want them to learn. If allowed to search on their own, the students could find different information, some of which might not be accurate or applicable.

I don’t have a lot of background knowledge on the subject of pirates therefore I found conducting the Internet Workshop informative. I didn’t know that pirates, buccaneers, and privateers were even close to the same things. I had an image in my mind of what a pirate was but that image came mainly from the fictitious pirates portrayed in movies and children’s fictional books. I have heard the words buccaneers before but for some reason I associated them with cowboys instead of pirates and I associated privateers with businessmen. Using these websites to learn more about what pirates were, where they came from, where they lived, and their lifestyles has given me a truer understanding of piracy. While I like internet exploration, I also like that the unit on piracy integrates other types of resources as well as the internet.

I found it interesting that not all of the websites contained the same information about buccaneers. I found variances between where they came from, and in the origin of the name buccaneer. Some of the sites were much more detailed than others but each site shared much of the same information just presented differently. Being able to compare the information on each site in the DRC was a useful way to distinguish differences in my findings. Comparing more than two websites gave me more of a research base to decide what information was the same in more places. This helped me make a choice about what information I believed to be correct.

I was extremely impressed that three of the sites we visited were created by students in either elementary or middle school. Showing students that other children have done this research and created a place for them to obtain this information would seem to be a real motivator for students. I’m sure that I will use the idea of Internet Workshops into my classroom.

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.

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?

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.

          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.