Hannah Bontrager
Prof. Schurman
29 January 2012
Blog 5
I really liked how they tore apart the idea of understanding. I've never really thought about what it means to understand, and as I was reading I found that I myself participate in some of the steps they discussed. In my head, I ask different questions to solve things and I relate things by association to help remember them. I really liked that they suggested having students work in groups or to develop a creative way of portraying what is in their thoughts. I believe that if students are given different ways to express their learning then they will learn more readily. Different students learn differently, so when they are given an opportunity to learn in a way that relates to them better or in a way that they excel, then they will be more excited about learning and understanding what they are being taught.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Chapter 6 Blog 4
Hannah Bontrager
Prof. Schurman
24 January 2012
Blog 4
I really liked Burke's strategies for talking about literature. I agree that for students who don't like to read, it is important to explore why and ask them questions about it. I feel like if students understand the reason for reading and how it relates to everyday life and that they use reading skills everyday in conversation that they will be more apt to want to read. The whole time I was reading, however, I couldn't help but think that most of these strategies would be most effective in an elementary classroom. I know that there are a great deal of high schoolers who "hate to read" and that these tactics could work for them too, I guess I just feel like the strategies could be taken more in depth in an elementary question. So I guess my question is how can I as a secondary teacher bring these strategies into my classroom in a more mature way?
Prof. Schurman
24 January 2012
Blog 4
I really liked Burke's strategies for talking about literature. I agree that for students who don't like to read, it is important to explore why and ask them questions about it. I feel like if students understand the reason for reading and how it relates to everyday life and that they use reading skills everyday in conversation that they will be more apt to want to read. The whole time I was reading, however, I couldn't help but think that most of these strategies would be most effective in an elementary classroom. I know that there are a great deal of high schoolers who "hate to read" and that these tactics could work for them too, I guess I just feel like the strategies could be taken more in depth in an elementary question. So I guess my question is how can I as a secondary teacher bring these strategies into my classroom in a more mature way?
Friday, January 20, 2012
Chapters 3 & 16 Blog 3
Hannah Bontrager
Prof. Schurman
20 January 2012
Blog 3
I loved these chapters! You and I actually covered a few of these ideas when we talked after class that first day. The idea of how I want to use technology in my classroom related so well to chapter 3. We are raising up a generation who is targeted for all of the new technology. So why not encourage that? Or at least accept it? Use it in the classroom to keep the students engaged. Give them Kindles instead of textbooks or use blogs like these to post assignments instead of turning in papers. Going onto chapter 16, I love the idea of breaking past stereotypes. Wanting to work in an urban-type area myself, I love the idea of wanting to work with culturally and racially diverse students. I also agree with the thought that sometimes the textbooks expect to much out of the student, reading level wise. If the book is to hard to read and comprehend the students will be frustrated and discouraged. I am not saying that this is an excuse not to read, but maybe put the textbooks down and give different ways to explain the material, but still manage to broaden the students' vocabulary so that one day, maybe even by the end of your class, their reading levels go up and they will not have as hard a time reading more difficult material. Give them daily journals to read and analyze with words they maybe do not see every day. Being a teacher is all about being creative and finding different ways of making the students, with all different types of learning, understand the material. I, for one, cannot wait to start!
Prof. Schurman
20 January 2012
Blog 3
I loved these chapters! You and I actually covered a few of these ideas when we talked after class that first day. The idea of how I want to use technology in my classroom related so well to chapter 3. We are raising up a generation who is targeted for all of the new technology. So why not encourage that? Or at least accept it? Use it in the classroom to keep the students engaged. Give them Kindles instead of textbooks or use blogs like these to post assignments instead of turning in papers. Going onto chapter 16, I love the idea of breaking past stereotypes. Wanting to work in an urban-type area myself, I love the idea of wanting to work with culturally and racially diverse students. I also agree with the thought that sometimes the textbooks expect to much out of the student, reading level wise. If the book is to hard to read and comprehend the students will be frustrated and discouraged. I am not saying that this is an excuse not to read, but maybe put the textbooks down and give different ways to explain the material, but still manage to broaden the students' vocabulary so that one day, maybe even by the end of your class, their reading levels go up and they will not have as hard a time reading more difficult material. Give them daily journals to read and analyze with words they maybe do not see every day. Being a teacher is all about being creative and finding different ways of making the students, with all different types of learning, understand the material. I, for one, cannot wait to start!
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Chapter 10 Blog 2
Hannah Bontrager
Prof. Schurman
18 January 2012
Blog 2
I really enjoyed reading chapter 10. I like how if first addresses the different types of literacy skills, it really helped thinking about them when i had a more explained version to help develop my thoughts. It was also really interesting to see how many different types of literacy skills there were, I guess I really did not have an idea of how many different skills students could, or could not, possess. I was really interested in when Friedman had to say about what kind of people we will need in coming years, and how he goes on to give the different examples of what students will need to be great at, "collaborators and orchestrators, synthesizers, explainers, leveragers, adaptors, green people, personalizers and localizers" (Beers 152). The chapter then goes onto explain what all of these areas mean in terms of how they can be used. Then the author give several examples of how we, as teachers, can help our students to develope these skills in the classroom. Things such as using group work, having students re-do assignments using different methods to find different answers or having students change seats every few weeks so that they hear and learn from different students from different backgrounds. Overall, I really enjoyed this chapter, I especially liked how it gave examples I could use in my classroom to help my students grow, not only as individuals but, as members of society that are prepared for their future and for the world that awaits them.
Prof. Schurman
18 January 2012
Blog 2
I really enjoyed reading chapter 10. I like how if first addresses the different types of literacy skills, it really helped thinking about them when i had a more explained version to help develop my thoughts. It was also really interesting to see how many different types of literacy skills there were, I guess I really did not have an idea of how many different skills students could, or could not, possess. I was really interested in when Friedman had to say about what kind of people we will need in coming years, and how he goes on to give the different examples of what students will need to be great at, "collaborators and orchestrators, synthesizers, explainers, leveragers, adaptors, green people, personalizers and localizers" (Beers 152). The chapter then goes onto explain what all of these areas mean in terms of how they can be used. Then the author give several examples of how we, as teachers, can help our students to develope these skills in the classroom. Things such as using group work, having students re-do assignments using different methods to find different answers or having students change seats every few weeks so that they hear and learn from different students from different backgrounds. Overall, I really enjoyed this chapter, I especially liked how it gave examples I could use in my classroom to help my students grow, not only as individuals but, as members of society that are prepared for their future and for the world that awaits them.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Chapter 1 Blog 1
Hannah Bontrager
Prof. Schurman
15 January 2012
Blog 1
When
reading chapter 1 I couldn’t help but become a little frustrated with how our
government feels education should be handled. At first No Child Left Behind
(NCLB) sounded like a great idea to me, raising the academic standard and
helping students to succeed seemed, to me, like how school should run. After
reading this chapter, however, I began to like NCLB less and less. Hearing
about Derek and his home life and how, even though he had made amazing
improvement on the TAKS test, he was forced into a remedial literacy course
because he didn’t meet the “standard score” infuriated me. I feel as teachers
that we should, yes, hold our students to a high standard, because I believe
that students will rise to the occasion if they are pushed and if they feel
like their teacher believes in them. That being said, I think that teachers
also need to take into account the student’s home life and circumstances, be
willing to give extra help or arrange to stay after school with a student who
otherwise couldn’t work on their homework adequately at home. This chapter
really touched my heart because someday I hope to teach in a lower income or
urban-like area. I want to be able to go where good teachers are needed the most.
I want to be able to give hope to the students like Derek and tell them that
somebody loves and believes in them.
Jeremiah 29:11
”For
I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and
not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
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