I really liked the Multigenre Autobiography and I would like to use that in my classroom. I think it would really get the students thinking about different texts. I know when I used to think about text I didn't think about shows, movies, or music. I think it can really open students minds. I think this could lead into a good unit on poetry too because it is a text that most students are not very familiar with. I would like students to bring in the lyrics to their favorite songs for us to analyze as a class too along with classic poetry.
The Cleveland International Film Festival was a fantastic experience and I plan on going every year from now on. I know students in my classroom might not be able to go to a film festival to experience different types of movies. But they might be able to watch one of their parents favorite movies or rent a movie from the library. I would like my students to watch a movie that they wouldn't normaly watch and write a film review for it. Writing a film review will make them think about the movie more like a text.
I enjoyed alot of the readings from this class. My favorite as the Costanzo text. I never thought about teaching films by themselves in my classroom until I read this book. I always thought I would only be able to use a film if it was a movie based on the books we were reading or something. I'm really excited about teaching film as text.
The articles we read in this class were very interesting too. I don't think I would have students write cell phone novels but I would like them to blog if at all possible. If students don't have access to computers they can always "blog" the old fashioned way with a journal. I might even have students write short "posts" and we can post them on the bulletin board in the classroom so other students still have a chance to read others "blogs".
The graphic novels we read in this class were very interesting. I don't think I would choose these particular graphic novels to teach in my classroom but they were interesting. I think graphic novels would be very good for struggling or reluctant readers. I want all of my students to enjoy reading. This would be a good start for those students who don't enjoy reading yet.
I would use some of the ice breakers we did in this class. I liked the count to 20 because it brought us together as a class. We wanted to get to 20. I also liked the different ways we were broken up into groups. I would use those ideas because then students can have fun while getting into their groups.
All in all I think this was a very informative class. There were alot of interesting ideas. But there was also alot of stuff due the last month of class which made it very overwhelming. I wish things were a little more spread out.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Foot: Graphic Novels
Text and Dialogue
Balloons
In Pinocchio all text balloons were round. In Naruto there were two different kinds of text balloons, the round ones were used for regular dialogue, for excited or emotional speech or for yelling the balloons were jagged.
Captions
In both graphic novels captions were in square boxes. In Pinocchio they were used in the beginning to tell the back story and a little throughout the rest of the story for "flashbacks". In Naruto there were not many.
Emanata
Naruto used a lot of lines to show motion, like when they were fighting. There was also swirly lines when there was magic. Pinocchio also used lines when Pinocchio was jumping through the air. There was also fire when the vampires died.
Labels/signs
In Pinocchio Geppetos shop is labeled. In Naruto there are a lot of Japanese signs on buildings. There wasn't a whole lot in either books but there were more in Naruto.
Lettering
In Pinocchio all of the lettering for dialogue is the same. The lettering for sound effects is a different font and it isn't in balloons. In Naruto the font and size of the letters differ depending on emotion and action. Lettering for sound effects is large and often imitates the sound.
Sound Effects
In Pinocchio there are not many sound effects. In Naruto there are a lot of sound effects. There are sound effects for just about all actions and emotions.
Visual Features
Characters
In Pinocchio the characters are not very detailed. All the eyes are blank. In Naruto there are tons of details. Everything is very intricate.
Objects
There are not many objects in Pinocchio. There are only necessary objects such as buildings, trees, etc. There are a lot of objects in Naruto and they are very detailed. The objects in Naruto are more realistic than the objects in Pinocchio.
Icons
The main icon in Pinocchio is his nose. It is what made him different from everyone else. Now it is how he kills the vampires. His nose is what makes him who he is. The main icon in Naruto is his headband. It represents his journey into adulthood.
Scenery
There isn't much scenery in Pinocchio. Most panels focus on the characters. In Naruto there is a lot of scenery. Everything is realistic.
Depicted action
There is a lot of action in both books. Pinocchio has a lot of killing. I don't think anyone dies in Naruto but there is a lot of fighting. Naruto had a lot more closeups of fighting.
General Layout and Design
Borders
In Naruto the borders are for the most part clearly defined and pretty consistent. In Pinocchio the borders vary a little bit but not much.
Gutters
The gutters in Naruto are clearly defined and always there. In Pinocchio the gutters vary. Sometimes there are not gutters between the panels at all.
Panels
In both novels the panels are all different sizes. In Naruto the characters always stay in the panels except for extreme action. In Pinocchio the characters don't always stay in the panel.
Open Panel
In Naruto open panels are used for extreme action. In Pinocchio open panels are used for something very important.
Splash
In Naruto there is a two page splash at the climax of the novel. In Pinocchio there are a few full page splashes and one double page splash with little panels around it at the climax.
Angles and Frames
Bleed
In Naruto balloons bleed into other panels with extreme emotion, but characters rarely bleed into other panels. In Pinocchio characters sometimes bleed into another panel and his nose bleeds into other panels.
Close-up
Close ups are used in both novels when showing extreme emotion.
Heat shot
This is used in both novels to show emotion and dialogue.
Head-shoulder shot
Again this is used in both novels to show emotion and dialogue.
Full-figure shot
These shots are used in both novels when there is action or more than one character in the panel.
Longshot
These shots are used in both novels. Usually characters are very far away.
Extreme longshot
These are used more in Naruto when characters are so far away you can barely see them.
Reverse
Used in both books for back and forth dialogue.
Rhetorical techniques applied in text, visuals, and design
Exaggeration
In Naruto emotion, fighting, and character faces are greatly exaggerated. The action and fighting were exaggerated in Pinocchio.
Empathy/identification
I think readers can identify with Naruto because he is a young man and he just wants to be an adult. He tries his hardest to pass his tests but he still chases girls and gets into trouble. Readers can identify with Pinocchio because everyone knows the original story of Pinocchio and they want to see what else will happen to him.
Mood/tone
The mood of Pinocchio is very dark. The panels are shaded very dark and it seems like everything happens at night. The mood of Naruto is light and funny. He is a teenager who plays jokes which helps lighten the mood. Even when he is fighting he is making jokes.
Simplicity/complexity
Pinocchio is a very simple story. He wants to avenge his fathers death. The drawings are very simple too. Naruto is more complex. There are a lot of characters and a lot of different things going on, a lot of different side plots. Even the drawings are complex.
Irony/satire
It is ironic in Pinocchio that his father became a vampire and he ends up killing him when he screams that he isn't his father and his nose grows. It is ironic in Naruto that the "loser" kid ends up being the strongest one.
Realism/icons/symbolism
I think the drawings and the look of Naruto are very realistic. The buildings and scenery are realistic. Pinocchio is not realistic. But his nose is symbolic of his power. Just like Naruto's headband is symbolic of his power.
Order/disorder
There is a lot of order in the way Pinocchio is set up. The panels are easy to follow. Naruto is not so easy to follow. I have never read a book that is read backwards before and it was difficult for me.
Juxtaposition
Both books deal the juxtaposition of good vs. evil but I think it is more evident in Pinocchio. He his good and he fights vampires who are obviously evil. In Naruto the town thinks he is evil because of the nine tailed fox that is inside him. But he thinks of himself as good.
Relationships
Both Pinocchio and Naruto both only have a very few close relationships. Naruto has his group that he is training with and his teacher. Pinocchio has his vampire fighting team.
Point of View
Pinocchio is in Pinocchio's point of view most of the time. A couple times it is from a different point of view to show something important. In Naruto there are many different points of view to show all the action throughout the whole story.
Balloons
In Pinocchio all text balloons were round. In Naruto there were two different kinds of text balloons, the round ones were used for regular dialogue, for excited or emotional speech or for yelling the balloons were jagged.
Captions
In both graphic novels captions were in square boxes. In Pinocchio they were used in the beginning to tell the back story and a little throughout the rest of the story for "flashbacks". In Naruto there were not many.
Emanata
Naruto used a lot of lines to show motion, like when they were fighting. There was also swirly lines when there was magic. Pinocchio also used lines when Pinocchio was jumping through the air. There was also fire when the vampires died.
Labels/signs
In Pinocchio Geppetos shop is labeled. In Naruto there are a lot of Japanese signs on buildings. There wasn't a whole lot in either books but there were more in Naruto.
Lettering
In Pinocchio all of the lettering for dialogue is the same. The lettering for sound effects is a different font and it isn't in balloons. In Naruto the font and size of the letters differ depending on emotion and action. Lettering for sound effects is large and often imitates the sound.
Sound Effects
In Pinocchio there are not many sound effects. In Naruto there are a lot of sound effects. There are sound effects for just about all actions and emotions.
Visual Features
Characters
In Pinocchio the characters are not very detailed. All the eyes are blank. In Naruto there are tons of details. Everything is very intricate.
Objects
There are not many objects in Pinocchio. There are only necessary objects such as buildings, trees, etc. There are a lot of objects in Naruto and they are very detailed. The objects in Naruto are more realistic than the objects in Pinocchio.
Icons
The main icon in Pinocchio is his nose. It is what made him different from everyone else. Now it is how he kills the vampires. His nose is what makes him who he is. The main icon in Naruto is his headband. It represents his journey into adulthood.
Scenery
There isn't much scenery in Pinocchio. Most panels focus on the characters. In Naruto there is a lot of scenery. Everything is realistic.
Depicted action
There is a lot of action in both books. Pinocchio has a lot of killing. I don't think anyone dies in Naruto but there is a lot of fighting. Naruto had a lot more closeups of fighting.
General Layout and Design
Borders
In Naruto the borders are for the most part clearly defined and pretty consistent. In Pinocchio the borders vary a little bit but not much.
Gutters
The gutters in Naruto are clearly defined and always there. In Pinocchio the gutters vary. Sometimes there are not gutters between the panels at all.
Panels
In both novels the panels are all different sizes. In Naruto the characters always stay in the panels except for extreme action. In Pinocchio the characters don't always stay in the panel.
Open Panel
In Naruto open panels are used for extreme action. In Pinocchio open panels are used for something very important.
Splash
In Naruto there is a two page splash at the climax of the novel. In Pinocchio there are a few full page splashes and one double page splash with little panels around it at the climax.
Angles and Frames
Bleed
In Naruto balloons bleed into other panels with extreme emotion, but characters rarely bleed into other panels. In Pinocchio characters sometimes bleed into another panel and his nose bleeds into other panels.
Close-up
Close ups are used in both novels when showing extreme emotion.
Heat shot
This is used in both novels to show emotion and dialogue.
Head-shoulder shot
Again this is used in both novels to show emotion and dialogue.
Full-figure shot
These shots are used in both novels when there is action or more than one character in the panel.
Longshot
These shots are used in both novels. Usually characters are very far away.
Extreme longshot
These are used more in Naruto when characters are so far away you can barely see them.
Reverse
Used in both books for back and forth dialogue.
Rhetorical techniques applied in text, visuals, and design
Exaggeration
In Naruto emotion, fighting, and character faces are greatly exaggerated. The action and fighting were exaggerated in Pinocchio.
Empathy/identification
I think readers can identify with Naruto because he is a young man and he just wants to be an adult. He tries his hardest to pass his tests but he still chases girls and gets into trouble. Readers can identify with Pinocchio because everyone knows the original story of Pinocchio and they want to see what else will happen to him.
Mood/tone
The mood of Pinocchio is very dark. The panels are shaded very dark and it seems like everything happens at night. The mood of Naruto is light and funny. He is a teenager who plays jokes which helps lighten the mood. Even when he is fighting he is making jokes.
Simplicity/complexity
Pinocchio is a very simple story. He wants to avenge his fathers death. The drawings are very simple too. Naruto is more complex. There are a lot of characters and a lot of different things going on, a lot of different side plots. Even the drawings are complex.
Irony/satire
It is ironic in Pinocchio that his father became a vampire and he ends up killing him when he screams that he isn't his father and his nose grows. It is ironic in Naruto that the "loser" kid ends up being the strongest one.
Realism/icons/symbolism
I think the drawings and the look of Naruto are very realistic. The buildings and scenery are realistic. Pinocchio is not realistic. But his nose is symbolic of his power. Just like Naruto's headband is symbolic of his power.
Order/disorder
There is a lot of order in the way Pinocchio is set up. The panels are easy to follow. Naruto is not so easy to follow. I have never read a book that is read backwards before and it was difficult for me.
Juxtaposition
Both books deal the juxtaposition of good vs. evil but I think it is more evident in Pinocchio. He his good and he fights vampires who are obviously evil. In Naruto the town thinks he is evil because of the nine tailed fox that is inside him. But he thinks of himself as good.
Relationships
Both Pinocchio and Naruto both only have a very few close relationships. Naruto has his group that he is training with and his teacher. Pinocchio has his vampire fighting team.
Point of View
Pinocchio is in Pinocchio's point of view most of the time. A couple times it is from a different point of view to show something important. In Naruto there are many different points of view to show all the action throughout the whole story.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Pytash: Final Reflection
Wow what a semester!!! I can't believe this semester is almost over. I really enjoyed this class this semester. It was great knowing everyone from last semester. I liked focusing on The Great Gatsby because we could really dig into the text and find some interesting teaching techniques.
I also liked the blog. It helped keep me focused and I knew when I needed to get readings done and I was able to see what the rest of the class thought about the readings too without having a loud group discussion in class. I learned a lot from reading others blogs.
I enjoyed the Expert Group Presentations and the Facilitating Classroom Discussions projects. I think they gave us great experience and it made me comfortable because I was teaching in front of people I knew and not a room of strangers.
I wish we had more time for the Firestone Project. I think it is great that we got to go back to Firestone but there wasn't a lot of time after the going to Firestone to complete the project. I wish we had time in class after going to Firestone to talk about the project before it was due.
The Pairing the Classics and Young Adult Literature is the most challenging assignment of the semester. It was really hard to find the time to read the two books for that assignment because of everything else going on this semester. But I do think it is a great project. I would like to pair young adult literature with classics when I am a teacher.
I think I learned a lot in this class. Not only from the homework and assignments but from my fellow classmates too. Thanks everyone for a great semester.
I also liked the blog. It helped keep me focused and I knew when I needed to get readings done and I was able to see what the rest of the class thought about the readings too without having a loud group discussion in class. I learned a lot from reading others blogs.
I enjoyed the Expert Group Presentations and the Facilitating Classroom Discussions projects. I think they gave us great experience and it made me comfortable because I was teaching in front of people I knew and not a room of strangers.
I wish we had more time for the Firestone Project. I think it is great that we got to go back to Firestone but there wasn't a lot of time after the going to Firestone to complete the project. I wish we had time in class after going to Firestone to talk about the project before it was due.
The Pairing the Classics and Young Adult Literature is the most challenging assignment of the semester. It was really hard to find the time to read the two books for that assignment because of everything else going on this semester. But I do think it is a great project. I would like to pair young adult literature with classics when I am a teacher.
I think I learned a lot in this class. Not only from the homework and assignments but from my fellow classmates too. Thanks everyone for a great semester.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Foot: Pleasure Reading/Watching
I read all the Harry Potter books before I saw the corresponding movies and I'm glad I did. I was able to form my own opinion of the characters and what I thought they would look like. I was so surprised to find that when I saw the movies all of the characters were exactly how I pictured them in my head! I was disappointed that the movies didn't include everything from the books. I was happy when I found out the final book was going to be broken up into two movies. I wish they had done that with all of the books. They could have made each book into a 5 hour movie and I would have watched it. I am such a Harry Potter nerd that my sister bought me a replica of Harry Potters wand for Christmas one year.
Even though everything from the books wasn't included in the movies I think these are some of the best movies made from books that I have ever seen. I really hope J. K. Rowling writes more books. I think she is such a fantastic author that she shouldn't stop at Harry Potter. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE WRITE MORE!!!!!!!!!!
Pytash: Chapter 7
My favorite part of this chapter was the assignment for Julius Ceasar where the students pick from four characters: Antony, Caesar, Brutus, or Cassius and write a persuasive essay explaining their choice. This kind of assignment will show exactly what the students know. If the student didn't read the play carefully enough they won't be able to write a fully developed essay.
I also like her test questions for Julius Ceasar. Multiple choice questions don't show what students know. Jago's short essay questions will show what students know. I also think it is a good idea to go over the answers in class the next day. This way students can understand why they got something wrong.
I think creative projects, papers, and essay questions are important to be able to assess student understanding. Students will learn more this way too.
I also like her test questions for Julius Ceasar. Multiple choice questions don't show what students know. Jago's short essay questions will show what students know. I also think it is a good idea to go over the answers in class the next day. This way students can understand why they got something wrong.
I think creative projects, papers, and essay questions are important to be able to assess student understanding. Students will learn more this way too.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Pytash: Canonical Text Wiki Reflection
Bo Rhinehardt
Canonical Text Wiki Reflection
It was very hard to find twenty different multimedia hyperlinks for my Canonical Text. Almost every website I went to was a site where you had to pay to get a lesson plan or something. I think teachers should be more open with their teaching ideas so it isn’t so hard for new teachers to find information. I think this is a great way for teachers to share what they know about teaching, or what they know about a particular book. I think I will continue my blog from this class to share my teaching ideas with other teachers. I wish more teachers would share their ideas. It shouldn’t be this hard for new teachers to find lesson plans, essay questions, or projects for their students. If more teachers shared their knowledge with each other teachers would become better at what they do and maybe students will learn more.
I found different project ideas, essay questions, test questions, fun trivia, and creative projects. All of the questions will help students dig into the novel and develop their ideas for papers or projects. I think all of the questions are higher thinking questions, not just content questions.
All of the projects are developmentally appropriate for high school students. My favorite project that I found is the video project where students do a “news cast” with the events from the novel. Another version of that could be a newspaper.
Students don’t all have to do the same thing. Students could be given a choice of what project they want to do and that would be good for diverse students. Not all students learn the same and a choice of project would be good for students so they can show their knowledge in the best way possible.
I learned that this text is centered on the French Revolution and students could do a project discussing the French Revolution. This would be a great book to read while the students are learning about the French Revolution in their Social Studies class.
This text would be a great book for papers or creative projects. This isn’t the kind of book that you just have to read and answer questions about. This is a book students can really dig into and get a lot of information out of.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Foot: Pleasure Reading/Watching
I have been noticing lately there are a lot of movies that are coming out that were adapted from books. Every time I see a movie that was a book, I want to read the book first. I read all the Harry Potter books before I saw the movies. I also read the Twilight series before I saw the movies. There are a lot of other books out there that I want to read before I see the movie.
I want to read Eat, Pray, Love before I see the movie. I know Julia Roberts is in the movie so it will probably be good. But I want to read it first. I just feel like I get more out of the book and the movie if I read it first. If I see a movie before I read the book then I can't help thinking about the characters on the screen. I would rather form my own images in my head while reading.
Another book I want to read before I see the movie is Water for Elephants. I saw the previews for the movie and it looks very interesting. I won't be able to get Reese Witherspoon out of my head when I read it since I already saw the previews but she looks like she plays a good part anyway, so hopefully I won't be disappointed.
I read The Devil Wears Prada before I saw the movie. I really liked the book. The movie was good, I think they did a great job casting the characters, however the ending was different and I didn't like that. There are several movie versions of books where they change a plot line or an ending and I don't like that at all.
One of my favorite TV series was a set of books first. True Blood was adapted from a series of books written by Charlaine Harris. The books are very good. The main character Sookie is a little different than I pictured her. There are also a lot of plot differences from the books. There are a lot of little side plots in the show that were not in the books. But I really like the show anyway. I try to separate the show from the books in my mind because there are so many differences. If I think too much about the differences then I can't enjoy watching the show.
If they keep making movies from books, I am going to have a giant stack of books I need to read and there will be a lot of movies I won't get to see in the theater because there is no way I will get the books read before the movie is out of the theater. Oh, well. That is what DVD's are for.
I want to read Eat, Pray, Love before I see the movie. I know Julia Roberts is in the movie so it will probably be good. But I want to read it first. I just feel like I get more out of the book and the movie if I read it first. If I see a movie before I read the book then I can't help thinking about the characters on the screen. I would rather form my own images in my head while reading.
Another book I want to read before I see the movie is Water for Elephants. I saw the previews for the movie and it looks very interesting. I won't be able to get Reese Witherspoon out of my head when I read it since I already saw the previews but she looks like she plays a good part anyway, so hopefully I won't be disappointed.
I read The Devil Wears Prada before I saw the movie. I really liked the book. The movie was good, I think they did a great job casting the characters, however the ending was different and I didn't like that. There are several movie versions of books where they change a plot line or an ending and I don't like that at all.
One of my favorite TV series was a set of books first. True Blood was adapted from a series of books written by Charlaine Harris. The books are very good. The main character Sookie is a little different than I pictured her. There are also a lot of plot differences from the books. There are a lot of little side plots in the show that were not in the books. But I really like the show anyway. I try to separate the show from the books in my mind because there are so many differences. If I think too much about the differences then I can't enjoy watching the show.
If they keep making movies from books, I am going to have a giant stack of books I need to read and there will be a lot of movies I won't get to see in the theater because there is no way I will get the books read before the movie is out of the theater. Oh, well. That is what DVD's are for.
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