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.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Pytash: Chapter 6
The majority of this chapter is a lesson plan for The Odyssey. I think this lesson plan will be very helpful if I ever teach The Odyssey. I think it is great that she includes an entire lesson plan in this chapter. Like she says at the beginning of the chapter teachers are expected to invent all of their lessons on their own and I agree that it would help all teachers if teachers collaborated more often.
I also agree that students need to read outside of class. It would take too much time away from class discussion to let the students read anything entirely in class. They need to read and think outside of class.
I also agree that students need to read outside of class. It would take too much time away from class discussion to let the students read anything entirely in class. They need to read and think outside of class.
Pytash: Chapter 4
I really liked this chapter. I agree that if students learn to identify literary elements they will understand the text better. I like how this chapter lists the most common elements of fiction. I also think Freytag's Pyramid is very important. If students learn how to map out a story it will give them a way to think about the story. They will have to think about what they are reading so they know how to map it. I also think it is important to give students a list of the different literary terms so they can get to know that language.
Pytash: Chapter 2
"Why don't kids know more words? The obvious answer is that they don't read enough." That was the quote that grabbed my attention when I read this chapter. The second thing that grabbed my attention when I read this chapter is that when a student is handed a copy of Great Expectations in ninth grade they are familiar with fewer than 80% of the words in that book. That is not OK with me.
I like the idea to give the students a bookmark to write down words they are not familiar with. That way when there is a class discussion the students will have something to talk about. I also like the Do/Don't list. It has some good ideas. Such as: Keep lists of new words posted around your classroom for constant reference. Try to use these words as you teach.
I think it is very important for students to keep track of words that they have problems with. If they just skip over those words they will never know them. If they keep track of them and take the time to talk about them and learn the meaning they are more likely to remember it.
I like the idea to give the students a bookmark to write down words they are not familiar with. That way when there is a class discussion the students will have something to talk about. I also like the Do/Don't list. It has some good ideas. Such as: Keep lists of new words posted around your classroom for constant reference. Try to use these words as you teach.
I think it is very important for students to keep track of words that they have problems with. If they just skip over those words they will never know them. If they keep track of them and take the time to talk about them and learn the meaning they are more likely to remember it.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Foot: Firestone
I think the Firestone experience was a good one because the students got one-on-one attention from the tutors. I just wish I could have helped him more. My students’ biggest problem was social studies and I don’t know much about social studies. I think helping students with reading comprehension will help them in all aspects of testing. I think if my students are having problems with social studies, besides talking to their social studies teacher to make sure they get extra help in that class, I can have my students read non-fiction books paired with fiction books to get them interested more in social studies. I think test prep needs to be fun for students. I like the idea of playing some kind of game with my students, like Jeopardy, to get them to remember information.
I think schools emphasize test prep too much. I think it overwhelms students because all they are worried about is “cramming” for the test. I don’t think they should feel like they are cramming for a test. I think the material teachers teach should make students feel prepared for tests. I think teachers need to make the content more interesting for the students.
While I was at Firestone High School
I think standardized test preparation can be merged with multi-modal literacies. I don’t know if it would be an easy merge because everyone is so used to the way they prepare for tests now. I think using multi-modal literacies will make the information more accessible to students because students now have grown up with different types of texts. They know how to use computers, and phones, and games. Those things just need to be included in schools so students understand the information easier.
When my student told me he was having problems in social studies I asked him if his teacher was helping him prepare for the OGT’s at all. He said she gave him part of a OGT practice test. I think teachers need to do more than just had a student a practice test and say have at it. I think teachers need to sit down with their students to find out exactly what their problems are. I gave him a larger practice test and went over every single question with him and whenever he had a question we looked it up on my smartphone and I explained everything I could. I let him keep the test and the answer key so he could study. He is lucky enough to have a computer at home and he said he would look up anything else he had questions about.
Social Studies must be a really hard subject to teach because the students need to memorize a lot of information. I think reading non-fiction books in an English class will help students be more interested in social studies.
I also go the opportunity to sit in on a math class while I was at Firestone last semester and that math teacher spent 50 minutes on two equations. I don’t know much about math but I think they should be able to go over more information than that in 50 minutes. I’m not sure what could be done for students to prepare better for the math part of standardized tests, but I had a math teacher that played math games. I think math based video games might help students. Learning reading comprehension will help students with word problems in math.
I think reading is very important and I don’t think students read enough. Students need to be given the opportunity to read more books that interest them. Reading
I hope to get my students interested in reading. I want them to read because they want to…. Not just because they have to. Students also need the opportunity to write too. Writing will help them find their own voice and to respect the things other people write. The only class I saw any students write anything was in Mr. Parks English class. I think students should write in most of their classes but especially English class. They should be able to write more than just papers. That is why I want my students to have some kind of newspaper project because writing an article is different than writing a paper. Different kinds of writing are important because students will need to read different kinds of writing for standardized tests. If they get to write different things it will be easier for them to read them and understand them for the test.
Foot: Contemporary Film Review
The film I saw was called (818) which is the area code of the place the movie takes place. It is about a has-been TV actress who is married to the owner of air conditioning stores. Her children are spoiled and she is having an affair with her husbands cousin. Her husband has kind of a midlife crisis after his youngest daughter dies and everyone blames him. He decides to change his will to give away all his money to charity because that is what his dead daughter would have wanted. The has-been actress and her lover decide to kill her husband.
This movie is a comedy because almost nothing goes right. Other people die in this movie too and people go to jail. I don't want to give away the ending in case anyone has the chance to watch this movie. It was a really funny movie. My favorite quote is, "We are talking about the LAPD, that's like being investigated by a crossin guard."
A. Personal Issues- This movie is full of family delemas. The wife is cheating on the husband. One daughter has an eating disorder. The father goes through a midlife crisis. The son even makes a comment that he misses where they used to live because they were a real family then. The whole family falls apart because of the actions of one person. The kids do end up maturing by the end of the movie. I think they are the only ones who learned anything. I think this aspect of the movie struck a chord with me because I am divorced so I understand a family that falls apart.
B. Techniques- At the beginning of the movie they had a cartoon version of the main character. She was a TV actress and used to be famous and they animated her early career, kind of like a montage. The music was really interesting. I have never heard music like that before. Other camera work I liked what the few times they showed commercials for the air conditioning store. They would showing them filming the commercial and then zoom out and the commercial would be on a TV and the camera would zoom out some more and someone would be watching the TV. I think that is and interesting technique.
C. Acting- I think the acting was very good. The funny thing was, the lead actress was a TV actress. So Beth Broderick who played the TV actress in the movie was really a TV actress in real life. I think she did a great job acting like a spoiled diva. Ryan Hansen who played the spoiled rich son also played a spoiled rich kid in Veronica Mars. I think he is typecast because I think he plays a really great spoiled rich kid. I don't think anyone was miscast. I think everyone who was cast did a great job in their roles.
D. Plot- I think the plot was very convincing. Even though the audience knows everything that is going on through the whole movie I was still wondering who would get accused and who would go to jail and if anyone would get away with anything. I wasn't bored at all.
E. Themes- I think this movie shows a very dysfunctional family. People need to realise they need to keep their families strong. During the Q and A session at the end someone commented that the movie portrayed how the people of L.A., California really are. Someone from the audience grew up in the (818) area code an they said that the people there are exactly like the movie portrayed.
F. Genre- The Director of the film spoke before the movie started and he said it was a comedy. But I think it is much more than that. It is very very funny but there is murder in it. It isn't a murder mystery because the audience knows everything that is happening. I think it is more like a murder comedy.
G. Representation- All of the men in the film are represented like sex crazed morons. All the men in the movie want to have sex with the has-been TV actress. All the women at first seem different but they all like to shop. I think the men are represented the way they are because the has-been actress still wants to be famous and wants everyone to want her and she accomplishes that by sleeping with everyone. The women only care about having money and money is the reason everything in the movie happened.
H. Ideology- I think this movie kind of challenges marriage because the main character is married twice through the movie and both relationships fall apart because of money and greed. People need to realise that relationships need to be built on more than money.
This movie is a comedy because almost nothing goes right. Other people die in this movie too and people go to jail. I don't want to give away the ending in case anyone has the chance to watch this movie. It was a really funny movie. My favorite quote is, "We are talking about the LAPD, that's like being investigated by a crossin guard."
A. Personal Issues- This movie is full of family delemas. The wife is cheating on the husband. One daughter has an eating disorder. The father goes through a midlife crisis. The son even makes a comment that he misses where they used to live because they were a real family then. The whole family falls apart because of the actions of one person. The kids do end up maturing by the end of the movie. I think they are the only ones who learned anything. I think this aspect of the movie struck a chord with me because I am divorced so I understand a family that falls apart.
B. Techniques- At the beginning of the movie they had a cartoon version of the main character. She was a TV actress and used to be famous and they animated her early career, kind of like a montage. The music was really interesting. I have never heard music like that before. Other camera work I liked what the few times they showed commercials for the air conditioning store. They would showing them filming the commercial and then zoom out and the commercial would be on a TV and the camera would zoom out some more and someone would be watching the TV. I think that is and interesting technique.
C. Acting- I think the acting was very good. The funny thing was, the lead actress was a TV actress. So Beth Broderick who played the TV actress in the movie was really a TV actress in real life. I think she did a great job acting like a spoiled diva. Ryan Hansen who played the spoiled rich son also played a spoiled rich kid in Veronica Mars. I think he is typecast because I think he plays a really great spoiled rich kid. I don't think anyone was miscast. I think everyone who was cast did a great job in their roles.
D. Plot- I think the plot was very convincing. Even though the audience knows everything that is going on through the whole movie I was still wondering who would get accused and who would go to jail and if anyone would get away with anything. I wasn't bored at all.
E. Themes- I think this movie shows a very dysfunctional family. People need to realise they need to keep their families strong. During the Q and A session at the end someone commented that the movie portrayed how the people of L.A., California really are. Someone from the audience grew up in the (818) area code an they said that the people there are exactly like the movie portrayed.
F. Genre- The Director of the film spoke before the movie started and he said it was a comedy. But I think it is much more than that. It is very very funny but there is murder in it. It isn't a murder mystery because the audience knows everything that is happening. I think it is more like a murder comedy.
G. Representation- All of the men in the film are represented like sex crazed morons. All the men in the movie want to have sex with the has-been TV actress. All the women at first seem different but they all like to shop. I think the men are represented the way they are because the has-been actress still wants to be famous and wants everyone to want her and she accomplishes that by sleeping with everyone. The women only care about having money and money is the reason everything in the movie happened.
H. Ideology- I think this movie kind of challenges marriage because the main character is married twice through the movie and both relationships fall apart because of money and greed. People need to realise that relationships need to be built on more than money.
Foot: Film Festival Experience
I am going to start with my Film Festival Experience. I went to see (818) with my mom today at 2:30 pm. We got there really early so we could eat first. I haven't been to Tower City since I was a kid but it hasn't changed much. It is still pretty much exactly as I remember it except there are different stores now. The whole place was decorated for the Film Festival. There were posters everywhere. After we ate we walked around a little bit to kill some time. We picked up our tickets at about 45 minutes before our film was supposed to start. After we picked up our tickets we stood in the line for our movie and waited to be seated. About 15 minutes before the film started a Film Festival Volunteer led us into the theater where we found our seats. In my next post I will talk about the film.
After the film there were a couple people there to answer questions about the film. One of the people was the producer. The other one was Beth Broderick, the lead actress in the movie. She was in Sabrina the Teenage Witch and she is one of my favorite TV actresses, and I got to meet her!!!!
This was the best experience ever. I think I will go to the Cleveland International Film Festival every year. When my kids are older I want to take them too. I think this is a great experience for anyone. It isn't like just going to a regular movie. Besides the movie being really good, my favorite part of the whole experience was the Q and A session after the movie. The producer and Beth Broderick answered questions the audience had about the movie. I will definitely be going next year.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Foot: Great Films and How to Teach Them
My favorite chapter of this book is Chapter 7 because it is all about movie genres. I like this because it would be a great way to get students to understand literary genres. I would like to use movies in my classroom and I want my students to appreciate the film versions of the books they read. If there is a film version of a book I have my students read I want them to see it after they read the book. I want them to compare the book and the movie. It would make a good project. And if there isn't a film version of a book they are reading they could make a project of taking a scene from the book and filming it. They could also write a paper about if a movie was a different genre.... For example if a Western was turned into a Musical, how would it change?
Chapter 8 was also very interesting to me because it is all about how different people are represented in films. It can be different than how people are represented in books. In movies camera angles and the actors that play the characters are very important. In books the way characters are described determines how the reader sees the characters. I think it is important for students to see both aspects of a story.
Chapter 8 was also very interesting to me because it is all about how different people are represented in films. It can be different than how people are represented in books. In movies camera angles and the actors that play the characters are very important. In books the way characters are described determines how the reader sees the characters. I think it is important for students to see both aspects of a story.
Foot: I'm So Totally, Digitally Close to You
When I read this article I started thinking about my Facebook habits. On page three of the article it says, "For many people - particularly anyone over the age of 30 - the idea of describing your blow-by-blow activities in such detail is absurd." I agree with this comment. I am 30 years old and I can't imagine telling everyone every little thing I am doing. I post something when it's important or exciting. I don't tell my entire life story, and I don't post something 20 times a day.
I also agree with the rest of the article about keeping up with all my friends. I have over 200 friends on Facebook. I know each and every one of them because most of them I went to high school with. I do exactly what the article says, I skim through the news feed and and if anything important pops up I can talk to that friend about it. Also when I see my friends in person I don't have to ask how they have been doing because I have been keeping up with their Facebook pages and I already know what is going on but we can start talking like we left a conversation and not miss a beat.
I like Facebook because it is a great way to keep up with my friends. I also like the idea that updating Facebook can make you more aware of who you are.
I also agree with the rest of the article about keeping up with all my friends. I have over 200 friends on Facebook. I know each and every one of them because most of them I went to high school with. I do exactly what the article says, I skim through the news feed and and if anything important pops up I can talk to that friend about it. Also when I see my friends in person I don't have to ask how they have been doing because I have been keeping up with their Facebook pages and I already know what is going on but we can start talking like we left a conversation and not miss a beat.
I like Facebook because it is a great way to keep up with my friends. I also like the idea that updating Facebook can make you more aware of who you are.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Foot: You're Leaving a Digital Trail
I honestly don't care if "They" track a GPS chip in my phone or if "They" track my Google searches. I don't have anything to hide. If it would help doctors to track the flu patterns and they could save a lot of people from getting sick I don't see a problem with any of it. People post so much on Facebook and on blogs there isn't much privacy anyway. I understand that there is always a possibility that this can be used badly but I would rather save a lot of people by tracking data than worry about my privacy. The government could put up cameras everywhere and be able to watch me wherever I go and I wouldn't care. They would get really bored watching me anyway. I think there would probably be less crime if the government could watch everyone all the time.
I understand that this article ties into the book Little Brother that we read earlier in the semester, but even when I was reading that book I didn't see any problem with the "Big Brother" type of technology. I wish at least law enforcement was able to watch the city with cameras or something. If there were cameras everywhere then criminals couldn't get away with as much stuff. If people were more accountable for their actions maybe they would act better. I would love to see a world where there was no crime because people couldn't get away with it.
I understand that this article ties into the book Little Brother that we read earlier in the semester, but even when I was reading that book I didn't see any problem with the "Big Brother" type of technology. I wish at least law enforcement was able to watch the city with cameras or something. If there were cameras everywhere then criminals couldn't get away with as much stuff. If people were more accountable for their actions maybe they would act better. I would love to see a world where there was no crime because people couldn't get away with it.
Foot: I (heart) Novels
Before reading this article I didn't know people wrote novels on their cell phones. I guess you could do pretty much anything on phones now. I have a smartphone and I can go online and get an app for just about anything. I can even post to this blog from the Blogger app I have on my phone.
I can't believe the people who have written cell phone novels got them published too. Some of them were even adapted for manga, and film. It is really hard to believe that they have that large a following. It's even harder to believe that a lot of people look down on the people who have written cell phone novels. Even the authors of the cell phone novels don't think of them as real literature. It seems that a lot of these cell phone novels are based on true stories and I think these people are brave to put their stories out there for everyone to read.
I think this would be a good assignment for students. I think they need to learn different ways to write. They need to know that stories have not always been told at once. A lot of stories were told in serial form. It would help the students realize that their stories have to keep making sense especially when they are written in serial form because the audience could wait a week or even a month before they get the next installment. I think a good way to have the students execute this assignment would be a class magazine or something. Or if all the students had access to computers they could each have a blog. Students need to be exposed to different ways to get their stories to an audience.
I can't believe the people who have written cell phone novels got them published too. Some of them were even adapted for manga, and film. It is really hard to believe that they have that large a following. It's even harder to believe that a lot of people look down on the people who have written cell phone novels. Even the authors of the cell phone novels don't think of them as real literature. It seems that a lot of these cell phone novels are based on true stories and I think these people are brave to put their stories out there for everyone to read.
I think this would be a good assignment for students. I think they need to learn different ways to write. They need to know that stories have not always been told at once. A lot of stories were told in serial form. It would help the students realize that their stories have to keep making sense especially when they are written in serial form because the audience could wait a week or even a month before they get the next installment. I think a good way to have the students execute this assignment would be a class magazine or something. Or if all the students had access to computers they could each have a blog. Students need to be exposed to different ways to get their stories to an audience.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Foot: Publish or Perish
Most of the time when I go shopping for books I go to Borders. That is my go-to bookstore. I remember the first time I saw the Sony e-Reader sold at Borders. I couldn't understand why anyone would want to read a book that wasn't really a book. I hate reading on the computer, I print out all the articles we need to read for class because I can't stand reading them on my computer. Finally, I took a good look at the Sony e-Reader and read everything I could find about it. It's not like reading on a computer screen. The screen of the e-Reader is just like a book. You can even "flip" pages with a swipe of your finger. I bought an e-Reader because I thought it might be interesting. It is...... I still buy real books but I buy alot of e-Books because I like that I can bring a whole library of books with me on vacation but it's just the size and weight of a small hardback book.
I don't think I would ever just buy e-Books because I still like to flip through my books. Sometimes it is easier to find a spot in a real book. I can highlight, anotate and bookmark pages in my e-Reader..... But I still can't give up my real books.
I don't think I would ever just buy e-Books because I still like to flip through my books. Sometimes it is easier to find a spot in a real book. I can highlight, anotate and bookmark pages in my e-Reader..... But I still can't give up my real books.
For Christmas I bought each of my children a V-Reader made by V-Tech...... They are kindof like my e-Reader but they are for children..... For the most part they have book cartrages that they put in the V-Reader. They can have the books read to them by the reader or they can read them by themselves. They also have reading games on them so they can work on their comprehension, spelling, and other reading skills. I can also connect their readers to my computer and download other books for them. My kids love their V-Readers because they can use them by themselves.
This whole article is about how everyone is afraid how e-Readers are going to destroy the publishing industry. My personal opintion is that we will need both for a long time. I know I'm not going to give up my real books anytime soon.
Foot: Video Games in the Classroom
When I first started reading this article I didn't think I could understand how video games help students learn. I liked that the teacher Al Doyle expected his students to chart the patterns of the robots in the game on pieces of graph paper. I also liked that they got to design their own games. I understand how doing this is teaching them problem solving. I think its cool that there is an entire school devoted to teaching students using video games.
I remember when I was in sixth grade computers were still relatively new in my school. Each classroom didn't have their own computers but we had a computer room and we had a computer class twice a week. I liked my computer class because we got to play games on the computer. One of the games which was my favorite looked like a race track and a car drove around the track but it only went as fast as you typed. You had to type the words that floated in the middle of the track so your car would go. Before we played this game for the first time we played other computer games to help us remember which fingers we were supposed to use for the different letter keys on he keyboard. At the time I remember wondering why the keys weren't in alphabetical order. I really liked these games, everyone in my class thought they were fun. At the time I didn't really think I was learning anything, I just thought it was fun to make my car go faster by typing the words. I now understand that gaming can help students learn because now as an adult I can type 60 words per minute. I wouldn't have been able to do that if we hadn't used those games. I don't know if everyone in my class learned to type as well as I can but the games worked for me.
I also think it's neat that the school in the article wanted to set up Rock Band for the teachers to unwind with. That would be really cool.
I remember when I was in sixth grade computers were still relatively new in my school. Each classroom didn't have their own computers but we had a computer room and we had a computer class twice a week. I liked my computer class because we got to play games on the computer. One of the games which was my favorite looked like a race track and a car drove around the track but it only went as fast as you typed. You had to type the words that floated in the middle of the track so your car would go. Before we played this game for the first time we played other computer games to help us remember which fingers we were supposed to use for the different letter keys on he keyboard. At the time I remember wondering why the keys weren't in alphabetical order. I really liked these games, everyone in my class thought they were fun. At the time I didn't really think I was learning anything, I just thought it was fun to make my car go faster by typing the words. I now understand that gaming can help students learn because now as an adult I can type 60 words per minute. I wouldn't have been able to do that if we hadn't used those games. I don't know if everyone in my class learned to type as well as I can but the games worked for me.
I also think it's neat that the school in the article wanted to set up Rock Band for the teachers to unwind with. That would be really cool.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Foot: Make-up Assignment
I really enjoyed doing the multi-genre autobiography and I think it would be a great tool to use in the classroom. Not only would it help me get to know my students but it would help the students get to know each other too. Students who know each other and who are comfortable around each other are more likely to join class discussions.
Also, by watching other students multi-genre autobiographies students can learn about texts they didn't know about before. Maybe they didn't know a movie was a book first, or that it was also turned into a play. It could be a great start on a paper comparing the different forms of one story.
Students could also use this project as practice for a bigger project about their favorite author. it is important that student learn and know how to use technology, and this project could be a great start for students who don't know much about technology and great practice for students who know a lot about technology.
I would love for my students to really dig deep for their multi-genre autobiographies and choose things that really meant something to them and then find a pattern in what they find. there is always a pattern in what people like. It can show these students who they really are. They might learn a lot about themselves and each other.
Also, by watching other students multi-genre autobiographies students can learn about texts they didn't know about before. Maybe they didn't know a movie was a book first, or that it was also turned into a play. It could be a great start on a paper comparing the different forms of one story.
Students could also use this project as practice for a bigger project about their favorite author. it is important that student learn and know how to use technology, and this project could be a great start for students who don't know much about technology and great practice for students who know a lot about technology.
I would love for my students to really dig deep for their multi-genre autobiographies and choose things that really meant something to them and then find a pattern in what they find. there is always a pattern in what people like. It can show these students who they really are. They might learn a lot about themselves and each other.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Pytash: Chapter 5
I really enjoyed this chapter because poetry was really something I struggled with in high school. I think it is an interesting idea to include familiar song lyrics in classroom lessons. Song lyrics might be easier for students to interpret and analysis and it can help them get their feet wet in poetry.
I like the thinking aloud exercise because a lot of times students don't know how to start to think about a poem and if the teacher shows the students how to think out loud they will get used to doing it and will eventually be able to do it when they read to themselves.
Jago also has her students to free write before a class discussion so she is able to call on any student and they should have something to say. She gives students questions that will have exploratory answers; "Maybe Wordsworth is thinking. . ." "I wonder if. . . ."
I think this chapter will come in handy when it is my turn to teach poetry.
I like the thinking aloud exercise because a lot of times students don't know how to start to think about a poem and if the teacher shows the students how to think out loud they will get used to doing it and will eventually be able to do it when they read to themselves.
Jago also has her students to free write before a class discussion so she is able to call on any student and they should have something to say. She gives students questions that will have exploratory answers; "Maybe Wordsworth is thinking. . ." "I wonder if. . . ."
I think this chapter will come in handy when it is my turn to teach poetry.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Pytash: Chapter 3
I never realized how much goes in to chosing books for a classroom. I really enjoyed the lists of books Jago gives her 10th grade students. The list of fourteen definitions of a classic were also interesting. The first one, "The classics are those books about which ou usually hear people saying: "I'm rereading..." never "I'm reading..." I have noticed that I say that about classics that I am reading.
Jago said her 10th graders read a total of twenty books. That is alot of books. I don't think I read that many books a year. I think those are high expectations. I would never ask my students to do something I don't think I could do myself.
I really like that she has her students keep a log of all the books they read throughtout high school. I wish I had a list of all the books I read back then.
The Criteria for Choosing Books was my favorite part of the chapter because, I always wondered how teachers choose books for their students. I am going to make sure to always have this book on my shelf so I can go back and look over the criteria for choosing books so I can best serve my students.
Jago said her 10th graders read a total of twenty books. That is alot of books. I don't think I read that many books a year. I think those are high expectations. I would never ask my students to do something I don't think I could do myself.
I really like that she has her students keep a log of all the books they read throughtout high school. I wish I had a list of all the books I read back then.
The Criteria for Choosing Books was my favorite part of the chapter because, I always wondered how teachers choose books for their students. I am going to make sure to always have this book on my shelf so I can go back and look over the criteria for choosing books so I can best serve my students.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Foot: Pleasure Reading (again)
I just started reading Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter. It is written by Seth Grahame-Smith, he is the author of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. So far this is a really interesting book. As far as I know all the facts about Abraham Lincoln are correct... I looked some up online to make sure. The only difference between this book and an biography about him is that there are vampires in this story. I think a book like this could help students learn more about Abraham Lincoln without them realizing it. The vampire bits just seem like they are scary stories or myths people believed at the time. Even if you overlooked all the vampire bits you will still learn alot about our 16th President of the United States.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Foot: Pleasure Reading
I am very interested in the iPad but I already have two laptops and a desktop computer. I was trying to figure out a way to justify buying an iPad anyway. So i googled the iPad to learn more about it. I ran accross a blog by a teacher who uses her iPad in her classroom. She is an English teacher and I found her blog very interesting and I thought everyone else would like to read it too.
http://www.thenerdyteacher.com/2010/08/using-my-ipad-in-classroom-this-year.html
http://www.thenerdyteacher.com/2010/08/using-my-ipad-in-classroom-this-year.html
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Foot: The Battle For Facebook
I just finished reading The Battle For Facebook and I think I am probably the only person in our whole class who doesn't think Mark Zuckerberg is a jerk. I think he just happened to be the one who launched his site first. The article even said that the idea of an online social network was buzzing around Harvard. Just because a couple people had the same idea at the same time doesn't mean that Mark Zuckerberg stole an idea from anyone.
I don't know why he fired most of his friends or why he alienated alot of people. The only people who know that are Mark Zuckerberg and his former friends. I don't really care why. All I know is he is the inventor of the biggest social network ever. I have a Facebook app on my phone. I am never without my Facebook. Since I am so busy with school, work, and my kids Facebook is how I connect with all of my friends.
To me this article just made it seem like Mark Zuckerberg did alot of work on Facebook. The article even said he lost a girlfriend because he was always on his computer writing code. He wants Facebook to be the biggest thing ever and he doesn't want anyone to take that away from him or to get in the way of his dream. I don't see anything wrong with that.
I don't know why he fired most of his friends or why he alienated alot of people. The only people who know that are Mark Zuckerberg and his former friends. I don't really care why. All I know is he is the inventor of the biggest social network ever. I have a Facebook app on my phone. I am never without my Facebook. Since I am so busy with school, work, and my kids Facebook is how I connect with all of my friends.
To me this article just made it seem like Mark Zuckerberg did alot of work on Facebook. The article even said he lost a girlfriend because he was always on his computer writing code. He wants Facebook to be the biggest thing ever and he doesn't want anyone to take that away from him or to get in the way of his dream. I don't see anything wrong with that.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Foot: Not so "Pleasurable" Reading
I am sick to my stoumach. I am sick and tired of reading about teachers who have sex with minors. I just read this article
http://www.dreamindemon.com/2011/01/26/police-female-teacher-and-teen-boy-busted-mid-coitus/
and it makes me sick. Teachers are adults, they are in charge of childrens educations. They should know better than to have sex with students. Maybe if they made becoming a teacher harder there would be less perverts in the field.
When I look at high school students, that is exactly what I see.... HIGH SCHOOLSTUDENTS!!!! They are CHILDREN!!!! Anyone who thinks otherwise shouldn't be a teacher. I'm so sick right now I can't stand it!
Someone needs to think of a way to weed out the perverts before they become teachers. They are going to give teachers a bad name.
http://www.dreamindemon.com/2011/01/26/police-female-teacher-and-teen-boy-busted-mid-coitus/
and it makes me sick. Teachers are adults, they are in charge of childrens educations. They should know better than to have sex with students. Maybe if they made becoming a teacher harder there would be less perverts in the field.
When I look at high school students, that is exactly what I see.... HIGH SCHOOLSTUDENTS!!!! They are CHILDREN!!!! Anyone who thinks otherwise shouldn't be a teacher. I'm so sick right now I can't stand it!
Someone needs to think of a way to weed out the perverts before they become teachers. They are going to give teachers a bad name.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Foot: Oral History of the Internet
I just finished reading the Oral History of the Internet. I didn't know that they just kind of "accidentally" discovered the Internet. It seems like none of them think they did anything really big at the time. They were just winging it. It was interesting how the article went chronologically from the moment the Internet was invented to now. I remember when my family got our first computer. I think it was 1992 and I was 11 years old and we had AOL. There was e-mail, chat rooms, and games and that was pretty much it. If I had a report for school I still went to look in the encyclopedias. Our computer had a word processor on it and I was so happy that I could type my papers on the computer and print them out instead of using the typewriter. The paper that went into our printer was a real ream of paper, the pages were connected and the edges had holes to help the paper go through the printer. When it was done printing I had to tear the pages out of the printer and then separate the pages and tear off the edges with the holes. When I read the article I was remembering how computers have changed as I was growing up. It was like re-living that time in my life. It was really neat.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Foot: Pleasure Reading
Pytash: Chapter 1
I enjoyed the Seven Guiding Principles for Literature Teachers. The following is what I found important from each one.
1. Students Must Read
- Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development. It is very important because it gives students the chance to control their learning because they learn with the aid of a teacher or more knowledgeable peers. They are not just lectured to.
My favorite part of that section is the quote from Vygotsky: "the only good kind of instruction is that which marches ahead of development and leads it."
2. Don't Confuse Reading for Pleasure with the Study of Literature
- This section says students should read two very different kinds of books. The first one acts as a mirror, which means the students can relate to the story. The second one acts as a window which allows students to experience other worlds, other times and other cultures. Students need both kinds of books.
This section also mentions Oprah's Book Club. Oprah started hosting a new segment called "Traveling with the Classics." Her first selection was John Steinbeck's East of Eden. I have not read that book yet but this section makes me want to read it.
3. Dont' Simply Assign Difficult Books; Teach Them
- This section really made me think. It said that sometimes teachers abandon the classics because they think their students won't be able to understand it. This section says that it's not enough to just hand the students the book and expect them to understand it on their own. Teachers need to walk their students through difficult books and help them understand.
4. Reading Literature Requires Language Study and Builds Vocabulary
- This section stresses that students who come to school with rich vocabularies thrive and those who arrive with a language gap never seem to make up the difference. The book also says that instruction can make a difference. This book recommends that every teacher should read Bringing Words to Life: Robust Vocabulary Instruction. It said that that book should be mandatory for every teacher. That is very interesting to me. It must be a pretty good book. I can't wait to read it.
5. Reading Literature Build Background Knowledge
- This section is very important because people don't think about how much background knowledge is important until they read something to which they have no background knowledge. The more a student reads different kinds of books, the more background knowledge they will acquire.
6. Reading Literature Educates Students' Imaginations
- I think the most important part of this section is the first two sentences. "Good literature is disturbing. It forces readers to examine the lives of others objectively from the inside out." Students need to be exposed to things they are not used to because it gives them the chance to be exposed to worlds and experiences they have never known.
7. Metaphorical Thinking is a Life Skill
-This section shows that students use metaphors all the time without even knowing it. They think of metaphors only when thinking about English class. It is very important for students to understand the power of a good metaphor.
1. Students Must Read
- Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development. It is very important because it gives students the chance to control their learning because they learn with the aid of a teacher or more knowledgeable peers. They are not just lectured to.
My favorite part of that section is the quote from Vygotsky: "the only good kind of instruction is that which marches ahead of development and leads it."
2. Don't Confuse Reading for Pleasure with the Study of Literature
- This section says students should read two very different kinds of books. The first one acts as a mirror, which means the students can relate to the story. The second one acts as a window which allows students to experience other worlds, other times and other cultures. Students need both kinds of books.
This section also mentions Oprah's Book Club. Oprah started hosting a new segment called "Traveling with the Classics." Her first selection was John Steinbeck's East of Eden. I have not read that book yet but this section makes me want to read it.
3. Dont' Simply Assign Difficult Books; Teach Them
- This section really made me think. It said that sometimes teachers abandon the classics because they think their students won't be able to understand it. This section says that it's not enough to just hand the students the book and expect them to understand it on their own. Teachers need to walk their students through difficult books and help them understand.
4. Reading Literature Requires Language Study and Builds Vocabulary
- This section stresses that students who come to school with rich vocabularies thrive and those who arrive with a language gap never seem to make up the difference. The book also says that instruction can make a difference. This book recommends that every teacher should read Bringing Words to Life: Robust Vocabulary Instruction. It said that that book should be mandatory for every teacher. That is very interesting to me. It must be a pretty good book. I can't wait to read it.
5. Reading Literature Build Background Knowledge
- This section is very important because people don't think about how much background knowledge is important until they read something to which they have no background knowledge. The more a student reads different kinds of books, the more background knowledge they will acquire.
6. Reading Literature Educates Students' Imaginations
- I think the most important part of this section is the first two sentences. "Good literature is disturbing. It forces readers to examine the lives of others objectively from the inside out." Students need to be exposed to things they are not used to because it gives them the chance to be exposed to worlds and experiences they have never known.
7. Metaphorical Thinking is a Life Skill
-This section shows that students use metaphors all the time without even knowing it. They think of metaphors only when thinking about English class. It is very important for students to understand the power of a good metaphor.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Foot: Little Brother/ The Socially Networked Classroom
I started reading Little Brother and I noticed a whole bunch of different kind of technologies. The students all had their own laptops provided by the school. There were metal detectors at the front doors. There are cameras all over the school that used to have face recognition software but now they have gait recognition software. I have never heard of gait recognition software before, maybe it is made up and maybe it is real, I don't know, but I think it's cool. The library books even have tags in them so the librarians can track exactly where each and every library book is. There is even more technology when the kids in the book get picked up by Homeland Security when there is a terrorist attack. I started thinking about all the technology in the book when I started reading The Socially Networked Classroom. Dr. Kist talks about different ways to incorporate technology into the classrooms. I like the idea of every student having a laptop. In Little Brother the laptops provided by the school have programs on them that restrict the websites and programs the students can run. I think that is a good idea because students only need to work on school things while they are at school. I think it is important for all students to have access to different kinds of technology. I think if students learn to use different kinds of technology in school they will be better prepared for life after school. I hope to teach my students how to use different types of technology in my classroom.
In Chapter 2 of The Socially Networked Classroom Dr. Kist talks about the Multigenre Autobiography assignment that we also have to do for this class. I think it will be easy to find images from movies, books, and TV from when I was growing up. I am very excited about working on my autobiography. I have searched for any images yet but I have a lot of thoughts going through my head about all the things I grew up with.
In Chapter 2 of The Socially Networked Classroom Dr. Kist talks about the Multigenre Autobiography assignment that we also have to do for this class. I think it will be easy to find images from movies, books, and TV from when I was growing up. I am very excited about working on my autobiography. I have searched for any images yet but I have a lot of thoughts going through my head about all the things I grew up with.
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