Friday, August 28, 2009
Group C Vignette Blog
Integrated Language Arts Work Groups and NCTE/IRA standardsView the NCTE/IRA vignettes at your level in the pdf standards handbook and then post entries on Class Blog Engage in an online discussion group on our class blog. 1)propose “meaty” fat questions to discuss,2) make connections to your teaching and work with students, and how the standards play out in your classroom, 3) make connections to your work 4)Please respond to two of your classmates’s entries in your study group.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Hello
ReplyDeleteHi Ashley and Mary. This is Heather testing the blog for our vignette discussion.
ReplyDeleteHello ladies! this is Mary checking the vignette connection!
ReplyDeleteI am feeling a little overwhelmed with all this work! I am missing my little girl! She is going to be 3 months on Sept. 6th!
ReplyDeleteAwwww... is she your first baby?
ReplyDeleteI'm soooo mad! I just wrote to both of you in response to the elementary vignettes 3, 6, and 7 and the entire thing is missing because my husbands google account popped up instead of mine and it erased my comment. AGGGGGGG!!!!
ReplyDeleteHere's a shorter version of what I just did because I'm mad and am not re-doing the whole entire thing I had just written that got deleted somehow. Anyways, I'm early with this because I figured I better keep up so that I don't get behind because I'm taking two other classes this semester as well.
ReplyDeleteVignette 3 (Elementary):
I really liked that the teacher allowed her students to chose topics they were interested in to do research. Because the students were invested in the research on water purification they took the research seriously. I think it is extremely important for teachers to teach their students about multiple medias for research. The students were obviously familiar with local resources: the newspaper, verbal communication: they contacted the water department, and electronic media: the database that directed them to free pamphlets, movies, etc. on their research topic. If their teacher had not taught them about multiple medias available for research they would not have been as well equipped for finding information regarding their project. I think that sometimes teachers forget about all the means available for research and only teach about encyclopedia research. This vignette shows the importance of teaching students how to conduct research using multiple medias.
Vignette 6:
I thought it was so important for the teacher in this vignette to hold a conference with the boy who did not want to read during the silent reading time. By helping him to find a book based on his interests and suggesting a specific book title I feel as this contributed to the boys success in finding a book he was interested in and actually enjoying reading. I start the year in my classroom by having my students take a reading interest inventory and also by meeting with them to find out some of their interests and their thoughts on reading. By conferencing with each of my students and looking at their reading interests survey/inventory I am better able to assist my students, especially my reluctant readers in finding a book they will enjoy. Do you guys do anything specific in your classrooms that would be helpful in helping reluctant readers find a good book fit for them?
Vignette 7:
I liked that the teacher was holding a whole group mini lesson to teach her students about the reading strategy picturing. However, I felt as though the teacher would have been more successful in her modeling of the picturing strategy if she had actually done a read aloud and then a think aloud showing how she was actually using the strategy at that moment in front of the class. By simply telling the kids what she does when she reads, it is not the same as physically modeling with her own reading through a read/think aloud. What do you guys think? Do you agree or disagree with me? I did like how she then allowed her students to try the new strategy in their own reading and apply what they had just learned directly. Also, the last step the teacher did with having her students share was so important because the students were able to learn that a strategy can look different for each person depending on the person or the situation (the book they are reading, etc.)
Well I will check back by the 7th to see if you guys responded to me and I will respond to you. Thank you!
Sincerely,
Heather
Vignette 3 (Elementary)
ReplyDeleteHeather,
I agree with your viewpoint on the importance of teaching students multi media resources when doing research. I am guilty of not teaching my students about these different resources. I was inspired by what this teacher did and how engaged her students were. I am going to work on teaching my students about other resources besides encyclopedias and books to find information about their research project on a Native American tribe.
Mary
Vignette 6 (Elementary)
I related a lot with this teacher because many of my students tell me that they can't find any good books to read, even though I have over 500 books in my classroom library on a variety of topics and genres. I also give an interest inventory at the beginning of the year, and use Fountas and Pinelle's first twenty days to start off ou reader's workshop. I also use R5 which is an approach to engage relctant readers. I can bring the book into class to show you. I found it very beneficial last year, and will definately be using it this year.
Mary
Vignette 7 (Elementary)
Heather,
I definately agree with you that the teacher should model the strategy for the students, using a think aloud. That is the best way for them to see what it looks like. I introduce my students to all six Nancy Boyles strategies at the beginning of the school and then briefly discuss each one. Throughout the year I focus on one particular strategy, while empahsizing that all good readers use more than one as they read. I like how the teacher in this vignette had her students share out how the strategy worked for them. I haven't done that before, I usually ask them to share where in the story they used a particular strategy. I am going ot work on having students share how the strategy worked for them more. I think it will be helpful for other students to hear others viewpoints on a particular strategy.
Mary
Mary,
ReplyDeleteI would definately love to see that R5 book you were talking about that you use to help find ways to motivate your students to read and help them make reading selections. I've never heard of R5 before! I also liked how the teacher in vignette 6 read some of the book she was recommending to the boy outloud to him first. I don't usually do this. I do have the student read to me an excerpt from the book to make sure it is an appropriate level for him/her. Do you think this was a good idea that the teacher had to read the book aloud to her student first? I thought it was a good idea because I feel as though the boy's interest was peaked because he actually got to hear some funny parts from the book as his teacher read aloud to him.
Heather
Good afternoon ladies! After reading the vignettes and your responses I was excited to share my observations with you...
ReplyDeleteVignette 3:
First, I must say that I strongly agree with what both of you said with regards to using multi-media. Many times I find that my students go directly to the internet when conducting research and completely disregard the many other resources available to them. I especially liked the fact that these students spoke directly with someone from the water department. When students are actively researching the information they feel more empowered. Another thing I wanted to comment on was how creative this teacher was for allowing the students to conduct the research. There are so many times when students are simply reading the information from a text and can not truly understand the information because they have not experienced it. The process these students went through provided them with a valuable experience and ultimately aided in their comprehension. One final thing I thought about after reading this vignette was the importance of creating inderdisciplinary units. This was a wonderful activity because they were practicing so many different skills: whether they were conducting the research, working with peers, interacting with the community, and presenting to their peers, they were all demonstrating the attainment of valuable skills.
Vignette 6:
I know that these vignettes are referring the elementary students, although even at the high school level I see many students who are reluctant readers. This year I have decided to focus a great deal of time on independent reading. Every Friday my students will be participating in SSR where they are strongly encouraged to read a book that they truly enjoy. Many students did not have a problem choosing a book, although I did run into many students who "couldn't find a book they liked". During our library trip, I had many informal conferences with the students where I asked them what types of books they enjoy reading and what interested them the most. Also prior to this library trip, I had each student write a couple sentences explaining what types of books they enjoyed and why. Heather, and Mary, I really liked the way you two conduct the reading interest survey. I would love to see what one looks like. That survey sounds like an effective way to find out what students enjoy reading. Mary, I would also be interested to see the R5. I have never heard of it before, although it sounds like it would really help with the reluctant readers.
Vignette 7:
ReplyDeleteHeather, I completely agree with you about the modeling and the read aloud. It is one thing to tell students what you are doing, and another to show them. With a read aloud the students would probably be more engaged, and would be able to more effectively conduct the strategy on their own. One thing I might do prior to demonstrating this strategy of "picturing" is conducting a book walk with the students where they could make predictions about the book they would be reading. Typically book walks would take place when the whole class is reading the same book, although I think a book walk could also work when reading independently. When students can make predictions about what they are about to read, they can confirm their inititial guesses, and more effectively picture what they are reading because they have already established background knowledge with their predictions.
I think it might be an interesting addition to this strategy if each time the students stopped to picture what they were reading, they could make notes in a reading journal. For example each time they pictured something in their head, they could jot down a couple words, or symbols that would illustrate the picture in their head. Do you think this would help or hinder the reading process. I think it might be an intersting addition to the strategy yet at the same time might interrupt the reading fluency.
Mary, that is a great idea to briefly introduce the students to the 6 Nancy Boyles strategies at the beginning of the year. It would show the students they are a variety of ways to help them if they are stuck. I also liked the way she had the students explain how the strategy worked for them. I would definitely like to do that more in my classrooms.
I'll check back tomorrow to see any additional comments or suggestions. Talk to you ladies soon.
~Ashley
Heather,
ReplyDeleteI will definately bring in the R5 book to class! I also think it is a good strategy to try, reading the book to the student, then having them read a section. I usually have them read a section to me as well, to see if itis just right for them.
Vignette 3
ReplyDeleteAshley,
I agree with the additional point you brought up about the importance of the students having direct contact with water department. It made the project more hands on and helped them understand the viewpoints more. I also agree with your point about creating more interdisciplinary units. This vignette shows how successful they can be!
Vignette 6
Ashley,
The interest inventory is in the back of the R5 so I'll bring a copy of it on Monday! The R5 program is really easy to incorporate into your reading time.
Vignette 7
Ashley,
I like the idea of having them record their thoughts or what they were picturing as they read, especially in the beginning when they are learning these strategies. It's a good way for them to monitor their thinking and understanding of the text.
The Nancy Boyles strategies, and her approach to teaching them have been the foundation for my reading program. One thing I need to do more with them is have the students share out where they used them more and how using the strategies helped them. Her book "Constructing Meaning" is a great resource.
Vignette
Ashley,
ReplyDeleteI definately agreed with what you said about modellling a picture walk with your students for a read aloud with your whole class. I think this strategy would definately come in handy when transfering over to your students reading independently as well. I think that once your students see how to do a picture walk they would be more likely to begin using this great pre-reading strategy on their own before their own reading. Also, as far as the interest surveys go I just ask students questions on a word document such as: Do you like to read? What types of books do you read? Name the last two books that you've read? Do your parents read? How often would you say you read? Why do you read? What was the worst book you ever read, and why do you think you disliked it so much? What was the best book you ever read and why do you think you enjoyed it so much? Do you think that you are a good reader? why or why not, explain. For younger kids there is a template I have somewhere that has a smiley face, straight across face, and sad face to answer more simple and general questions. However, for the upper grades I would go with the lengthier written responses to truly gauge how each of your students feel about reading and what types of material they enjoy reading. You can add any other questions to the ones I gave you on your own word document for students. I hope this helps.
Heather
Hello ladies, well we had very interesting conversation regarding vignettes 3, 6, and 7 in the elementary schools. Now, it is time to begin discussing vignettes 1 and 2 from middle school.
ReplyDeleteVignette 1 (middle school):
This eighth grade class seems to be part of a very important author study. The students are able to select books based on characters lives or themes/events happening in the story in which they feel like they can somehow connect or sympathize. I think that by the teacher allowing the students in this vignette to choose their book/books he is helping students to be more invested in their reading. For example, Janice chose books by an author whose characters usually were missing a parent. She choose this author because her own father was in jail for killing her mother and she was now without parents. I think it is so important as a teacher to get to know your students and their lives outside of your classroom because their lives outside of your classroom will definitely impact decisions in what reading material they are interested in and also what topics they will be writing about. For example, I had a student in my fifth grade classroom in Marlborough that always wrote about the death of her father. When she was a toddler she had remembered the EMT's coming and taking her father from her house because he had went into cardiac arrest and never woke up. This event definitely impacted her writing choices and as a teacher it would be important for me to be sympathetic to why she was writing about this event in her life. Do you guys think that it is important as a teacher to know a students outside lives when it comes to how a student behaves in school and by the choices they make? Explain what you think with examples and situations if you can.
Vignette 2 (middle school):
This vignette of the sixth graders was very important in showing how the boundaries blur between reading and writing and how the two subjects can be combined to teach other strategies such as study strategies. The students were studying mammals in their science class and were going to have to read, research, and present a report/project anyways. Therefore, the teacher took the opportunity to use time in class to practice on other non-fiction reading about mammals and he modeled for the class different study strategies such as underlining, annotating, and summarizing through visual depiction models. In the end, the students had to mimic the study strategy that the teacher had modeled for them ahead of time by creating their own visual organizer to show one particular mammal that they would then present for the class on the overhead they created. I liked how this teacher took a research project and took the opportunity to integrate another purpose for the reading such as how to study and take notes. This goes to show that some situations can lend themselves to other teachable moments. Can you guys share a time when you took one activity you were doing in class and were able to teach something else from it. Please share a time when you did this in your own classroom if you can. For example, once I was teaching QAR (Question Answer Relationships) to my students and we were using non-fiction text for the first time in the classroom during this reading activity. My students had never been exposed to much non-fiction before, so I taught mini lessons on how to read non-fiction text and how it was different from reading fiction text in the classroom. Even though the main focus of the lesson was to teach QAR, I was also able to incorporate learning how to read non-fiction texts at the same time.
Heather
Vignette 1 Middle School
ReplyDeleteHeather,
I definately agree that it is essential and beneifical to get to know your students on a personal and individual level. I felt so bad for the children in this vignette they had a lot of growing up to do at such a young age. Especially the girl who's father was in jail for killing her mother. I can't even imagine what she must be going through. I thought it was great how in touch the teacher was in this vignette. I try to learn as much as I can about my students and let them know that they can come to me and talk about their problems. I will never forget my second year of teaching one of my student's mom had been battling cancer, and we thought she had beat it. Then in the spring she passed away. I remember her dad coming to me and telling me and then we sat and talked with her about it. I felt so bad for her, and didn't really know what to do for her. Her dad was also trying to take on te role of both parents and work a full time job. He eventually decided that they should move in with his sister so she could have a consistant female influence and support. I often wonder about how she is doing. Losing your mom at such a young age has to have a dramatic influence on a young girl.
Mary
Vignette 2 Middle School
Heather,
I agree with your view on the teacher's integration of more than one purpose for reading. I thought her modeling of creating a learning web was a great way to show students how to organize their thoughts as they read. The vignette also demonstrated how using this organizer assisted students in creating their presentations and summaries. I have used many different types of organizers to assist my students with reading and writing. One strategy that I use for both is called the Story Grammar Marker. This is a manipulative organizer that identifies the different parts of a story. Students use it to retell their stories and also to create their own story. I also use many different books as models during writer's workshop. I think that reading and writing naturally interelate.
Mary
Mary,
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with what you said about vignette 2 how reading and writing interelate. I remember what Dr. Weiss said in his class once about how without knowing how to read then you would not know how to write. In order to write you need to be able to read. Pretty much on an everyday basis in my classroom for the last few years I've definately integrated both reading, writing, and content areas all together. It's funny sometimes how administrators call it a reading block, or writing block, or science block because in reality you are using more than just one subject at a time when you are learning. For example, in a science lab students might be writing a lab report for their experiments on the senses. Well the written lab report has a lot of writing, even though it was being done during the "science block."
Good afternoon Ladies,
ReplyDeleteVignette 1 Middle School
After reading this vignette and the responses shared by both of you, I agree about how important it is to understand background information about the students. When we know more information about the students' backgrounds we can adjust lesson plans accordingly in order to help each student get the most out of the material. I think it is also important that the students understand background information about each other because it is infomally teaching them about compassion and understanding for others. Many times students (and teachers) are so quick to judge a student and their actions in class. When we and the other students understand the personal experiences of others we can ultimately create a safe learning enviornment. After reading this vignette I was trying to think of other activities that would help the students get to know each other better... I thought maybe they could take on the role of interviewers and interview anotehr classmate. Once they have interviewed a peer they would then create a biography on that student and share it with the class.
On a different note, I wanted to make a comment on the teacher's choice to spend class time introducing young adult literature to the students, and the teachers choice to allow the students to read a book of their choosing! During my development reading class and reading in the content areas class the professors really stressed the importances of affective domain and helping students truly enjoy reading. By allowing the students to choose books that they wanted to read, the teacher was truly creating this affective domain. Furthermore, I thought is was a great idea for the teacher to allow students time to share their thoughts with each other. Ultimately the teacher was providing multiple opportunities for students to become engaged in the reading process.
Vignette 2 Middle School
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this vignette, it reminded me that the boundaries are in fact blurred between reading and writing. The students needed to be able to use effective reading strategies in order to understand the information, and ultimately record that information. In this vignette it seemed as though writing served as an assessment tool to determine whether the students were able to effectively read and understand the material. I thought writing was also used as a means to convey information to the rest of the class. What role to you ladies think the writing played in this vignette?
I also thought this vignetted emphasized the fact that reading should not simply be taught in the English/language arts classroom. This teacher did an excellent job providing the students with reading strategies that can be used in the science classroom. Reading strategies are things that should be emphasized in all content areas! When the students in the vignette had those reading strategies, they were able to more effectively conduct research, record information, and convey that information to the class. The sequence of those events relied heavily on the students ability to read and understand the non-fiction texts, and primary sources. When the boundaries are blurred between reading and writing, the students are ultimately getting much more out of the lesson.
Mary, I completely agree with what you said about the way reading and writing naturally interrelate! It is extremely difficult to practice one skill without the other. Heather I also like the way you emphasized the importance of mini lessons. This vignette truly demonstrates the way a mini lesson can be flawlessly intertwined into a major assignment such as a research project.
Mary and Ashley,
ReplyDeleteI am starting the discussion on Middle School Vignettes 3 and 4, which are our final vignettes to focus on.
Vignette 3:
I really liked how the teacher in this vignette allowed his/her students who were from many different countries to chose their own method of presenting their cultural stories to the class. I think it is important to include some choice in your classroom. For example, one way choice can very easily be included in the classroom is through projects. For example, after studying Native Americans in my fifth grade classroom last year my students were allowed to choose their own method for presenting the material they had learned as long as their projects met the objectives and learning goals. Can you give me an example of a time when you gave your class choice? Do you think it is important to include choice within your classroom? Explain.
Vignette 4:
I really liked how this teacher taught characterization by having his/her students begin by writing about what they thought the protagonist of their short story was like based on references from the text. Then, they worked in groups to discuss what they thought the character "Squeaky" was like. Next, the students had to visualize the character and draw a picture of what they though Squeaky looked like. They also had to include references directly from the text to prove why they drew Squeaky the way they did. I like this way of teaching characterization and also visualization. Again, this goes to show that it is beneficial to sometimes teach more than one thing at a time and intertwine other concepts amongst something you are teaching, which we talked about in another vignette earlier on in prior readings. What did you girls think about the teacher reading aloud to her eighth graders? I thought it was great that she was reading aloud to her class. I think sometimes upper elementary, middle school, and high school teachers forget the importance of reading aloud to their classes. Read alouds help to model fluent reading to students.
Sincerely,
Heather
Ashley,
ReplyDeleteI really like your idea of having the students interview each other and create a biography about the one another. I've used scavenger hunts in the past where students go around and learn more about each other.
In response to your question for Vignette 2,I think writing played a crucial role because it helped students to organize their thoughts and identify the important information to remember.
Vignette 3-Middle School
Heather,
I agree with what you said about student choice being important. I also liked how the teacher motivated these children to read by having them do this activity in their native language. They were also motivated to do their own video of their folktale. The teacher also provided an opportunity for self reflecting and brought in the home connection by having students and parents work together to write out their own family stories to share. This activity also provdied students an opportunity to learn more about other cultures.
There are many ways I provide my students with choice in the classroom. In reader's workshop they select their own "just right" reading book. In writer's workshop they get to select many of the stories they write about. In science I use the jigsaw approach to studying the ecosystems. Students are broken into groups and within those groups they decide what ecosystem they will research and bring back and teach to their group. I social studies students get to research a native american tribe of their choice. I try as often as possible to bring in student choice because I find that students are more engaged in their learning.
Vignette 4-Middle School
Heather,
I also liked how the teacher implemented this lesson. The use of a read aloud was a great way to capture the students interests. I also liked how she used a lot of cooperative learning in this lesson. There was more emphasis on expressing thoughts orally and listening to others viewpoints. I think this is important because students are able to see the character from many different angles. Having students use text support is a great strategy to help them monitor their thinking and understanding of the text, or in this case the character. The teacher also used many multiple intelligences in this lesson, through the use of drawing and group discussions. I also thought the use of sentence starters demonstrated the teachers knowledge of his/her students ability. Sentence starters are a great tool to use because they help students select a starting point for reflection.
I have noticed in all of these vignettes how in tune the teachers are with their students needs and interests. I think that it is essential for all teahcers to posses this understanding of their students, because then you are able to help them succeed!
Good morning Ladies,
ReplyDeleteMary with regards to a previous blog, I really liked your idea of scavenger hunts for getting students to know one another. Also with regards to the role of writing in a previous vignette, I initally thought it was primarily for assessment purposes, but Mary, you bring up a great point that writing was also crucial when helping the students organize their thoughts. Its amazing how even though the major assignment was research, and present, writing played more than one role in the activity.
Vignette 3 Middle School
First, I completely agree with both of you when you spoke about the importance of choice. I thought it was great that the teacher gave the students choice when presenting the material to the students. Choice ultimately empowers the students and helps students develop independence.
I really enjoyed this vignette because it seemed as though the students were gainning so much out of the activity. Not only were they studying folktales, but they were learning how to understand and appreciate other cultures, learned how to work with other (parents, peers, etc.), learned how to effectively present material depending how what you want to convey to the audience, and finally they were able to practice self reflection. The video taping aspect of the activity was crucial for self reflection. So many times whether it be in writing or projects, I don't emphasize the importance of self reflection. When I think about it, and I am writing a paper for class, I engage in self reflection naturally, as I assume you ladies do as well, although, I forget that students need that guidance when learning how to self reflect. The video tape was a perfect way to introduce self reflection
I also wanted to make a comment about this vignette and the way it embraced native languages yet at the same time helped students refine their own English. I assume it is difficult for teachers working primarily with ELL students when trying to teach students English, yet at the same time respect and embrace their native language. This activity did just that. The teacher helped all students understand, respect, and appreciate their own and peers native languages.
Vignette 4:
ReplyDeleteMary, and Heather, I agree with both of you that the use of the read aloud was a great aspect of this activity. Even at the High School, I have recently started doing more read alouds with the students. For the most part, when I read out loud to my sophmores, it helps them become more engaged with the story, especially when I am guiding them with questions.
During this activity, it seems as though the teacher did a great job helping the students at all stages of the reading process: before, during and after reading. Not only did she encourage the students to make predictions, but she also guided them with questions, and ultimately had them reflect on the development of the character. I noticed that even though the teacher was providing direct instruction about characterization, it seemed more like the students were actively engaged, and in a way were teaching themselves about characterization. For example when the students were asked to discuss their first impressions, and vizualize what they were reading. Furthermore, Mary, you brought up a great point about multiple intellegences. I completely agree with you on that.
One thing that I think might be beneficial to this activity, is if the teacher spent more time helping students make text to self or text to text connections. I feel like all students can relate with the idea of competition and compassion. I think it would have been a great idea to include a writing activity where they could record and discuss ways they have experienced similar situations. When the students make those connections, they usually can more effectively understand the character and the development the character made throughout the story.
On a final note, Mary you made a comment about how "in tune" these teachers are with their students. I completely agree with you! Each vignette discusses the way teachers carefully create activities which will work best with his or her students. Furthermore, in all of these vignettes, the teachers did not simply focus on one skill or topic. The teacher's created activities which cobine combine multiple skills and learnings. This seems to be such a natural and effective way to help students succeed.
This group did a wonderful job making connections across a wide span of grade levels. Lots of insightful comments were made and ideas were elaborated on during the course of this in-depth response to the vignettes.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the need to not assume that kids have the online research skills they need. How can they be sure the info on line is authentic, accurate and up-to-date and what can they do identify any biases?