Field Experience Reflection (4-25-13)

Field Experience

 

1. How many hours did you complete? 5 Hours

2. In a short paragraph or bulleted list, how did you spend your time?

I spent my time observing different teachers teaching reading in a variety of ways. Some teachers were incorporating read alouds and reader response activities and other teachers were using literacy centers to give students opportunities to work with sight words, writing, technology, and hands-on word play.

3. How did the experience help you to strengthen at least one Kentucky Teacher ?

These observations showed me how to strengthen Kentucky Teacher Standard 4.1, because I saw a variety of instructional strategies used that aligned with learning objectives and actively engaged students. All students were involved with literacy and working towards learning objectives, yet they were engaged and worked cooperativeley with other students.

 

4. Talk a little about one thing you learned because of this field experience.

From this experience, I learned how to better engage students with literacy activities and differentiate instruction based on learning styles and preferences. I learned that students are able to meet objectives with hands-on activities and independent writing activities that allow for expanded and creative thinking instead of predetermined answers.

Reading Log and Wiki Connections (4-25-13)

Reading Log

Genre / Titles Read

             I.      Non-fiction/Informational

1)      Go Ask Alice by Anonymous.

 

          II.      Poetry

1)      Hate that Cat by Sharon Creech.

2)      Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein.

 

       III.      Modern Fantasy         

1)      I, Jack by Patricia Finney.

2)      Both Sides of Time by Caroline B. Cooney.

3)      Holes by Louis Sachar

 

 

       IV.      Historical Fiction       

1)      The Teacher’s Funeral by Richard Peck.

2)      Henry’s Freedom Box by Ellen Levine.

 

          V.      Multicultural/Traditional        

1)      Hiroshima: A Novella by Laurence Yep.

2)      The Skin I’m In by Sharon Flake.

3)      The Green Frogs by Yumi Heo.

 

       VI.      Realistic Fiction

1)      Baby by Patricia MacLachlan.

2)      Runaround by Helen Hemphill.

 

    VII.      Picture Books

1)      The Wednesday Surprise by Eve Bunting.

2)      A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever by Marla Frazee.

3)      Lilly’s Big Day by Kevin Henkes.

4)      Amanda Pig and the Really Hot Day by Jean Van Leeuwen.

5)      The Chicken-Chasing Queen of Lamar County by Janice Harrington.

6)      The Boy Who Loved Words by Roni Schotter.

7)      The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka.

8)      A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka.

9)      A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead.

10)  The Wall by Eve Bunting.

11)  Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by Mo Willems.

12)  Goldilocks and the Three Bears by James Marshall.

 

 

Wiki Checklist

Instructions: Write the number of entries for each category you posted into on the Course Wiki

 

____ Social Studies

____ Science

____ Math

____ Music

__1_ Art

__1_ Reading/Language Arts

____ Physical Education

____ Other

 

Go Ask Alice (4-25-13)

 

Go ask Alice. (1998). New York, NY: Aladdin Paperbacks.

Genre: Presented as a Non-Fiction Diary (The origin of the book is sometimes challenged, and publishers have listed the book as fiction.)

Age: 12 and up (I would suggest an older audience due to the graphic nature of drug experiences, some sexual violence, and language.)

Summary: This real life diary chronicles the life of a struggling young teen as she faces the horrors of a life entangled with drugs. This diary will take the reader through the initial drug exposure of someone and the downward spiral that follows.

Reflection: The cover illustration is a prime example of the dark nature of this book and what it entails. The shadowed, half-hidden face is exemplary of what the main girl in the story becomes. Although this book could possibly be challenged by parents or teachers, it is a detailed account of the horrible life that drugs bring. This narrative writing tells a devastating and eye-opening story about a girl that gets caught up in drugs and her life spirals out of control as a consequence. The format is written chronologically as a diary in which the anonymous author tells about her daily happenings before drugs, while on them, and life after. The theme in this story is overwhelming and the editors even plainly noted the purpose of the book in the pages leading up to the diary’s beginning.

“Go Ask Alice” is based on the actual diary of a fifteen-year-old drug user. It is not a definitive statement on the middle-class, teenage drug world. It does not offer any solutions. It is, however, a highly personal and specific chronicle. As such, as hope it will provide insights into the increasingly complicated world in which we live.”

The reader may draw many conclusions from this story, but will almost definitely be outraged at the availability of drugs and angry at the amount of devastation to a person’s life caused by drugs.

I would recommend this book to any young adult, because I think that hearing a first-person account of how drugs can be so enticing and then ruin your life would be eye-opening for many teenagers.

I would ask the students to keep a diary as well about how they are feeling after certain sections of the book. I would also ask students to write questions they would like to ask the main girl in the story and what they would like to tell her. It would be a great way to let the students know about local resources to help people who are in trouble and battling with these same issues.

Book Talk: Henry's Freedom Box (4-21-13)

Levine, E., & Nelson, K. (2007). Henry's freedom box. New York: Scholastic Press.

What if the only life you knew was of slavery and pain? 

What if your whole family could be taken away from you in one quick sale?

Henry Brown is a slave in Virginia in 1849 that hopes to one day find an escape from this cruel world of slavery. He finally finds happiness when he meets the love of his life and makes a family with her. The days are long and the nights are longer, never knowing where he or his family will end up. When tragedy strikes Henry’s life, he will stop at almost nothing to be free, even if it means mailing himself in a box across the country. The only thing between him and freedom is a wooden crate and the miles from Richmond to Philadelphia. Henry Brown is risking everything for what he knows to be right.
Will he make it to his destination?
Will he be caught in his journey?
Based on an account from the Underground Railroad, read this heartbreaking and inspiring story to find out just how far someone will go for freedom. 

Book Talk: Runaround (4-13-13)

 

Hemphill, H. (2007). Runaround. Asheville, N.C: Front Street. 

Have you even been in love? If not, would you like to be? You will fall in love with the eleven-year-old main character, Sassy, who is ready for love herself. Except there is a problem… she’s not sure how to get a boy to like her! Read along and laugh, cry, and be thoroughly embarrassed with Sassy as she tries her best to find the kind of love she reads about (secretly) in her favorite “Love Confessions” magazines. Without a mother to ask her questions to, Sassy enlists the help of those around her. Ms. Dallas, the baby-sitter, Lula her older sister, and her father have their own (and very different) ways of teaching Sassy about love, but nothing prepares her for the whirlwind that is Boon Chisholm. With his older-than-her charms, reputation around town, and flirty demeanor, she’s sure to find what she’s looking for. Or won’t she? Although this novel is set in the 1960’s, in the heart of Kentucky, nothing about love and life has changed. Anybody who reads this is sure to relate to the loveable, yet tomboyish Sassy, who is on her quest for love. Sassy finally gets the nerve to tell Boon how she feels…

“Finally, she drew a heart on clean paper and wrote in a clear, solid hand. ST + BC Forever. Do you feel the same?”

Will Sassy find true love?

Read Helen Hemphill’s Runaround to find out the answer, along with discovering  all of the bumps in the road of finding your first love, growing up, and discovering what all the fuss is about.  

Where the Sidewalk Ends (4-7-13)

Silverstein, S. (1974). Where the sidewalk ends: The poems & drawings of Shel Silverstein. New York: Harper and Row.

Genre: Poetry- Juvenile

Age: 6-8 (However, poetry is GREAT for all ages to enjoy!)

Summary: This is a collection of funny poems, all by Shel Silverstein, with interesting and silly characters that will put a grin on any reader’s face. Both short and long poems, with a fun and carefree essence cover the pages and invite readers to fall into this crazy world of poetry.

Reflection:This collection of poetry warms my heart. This is the one and only book I am reviewing that I have read before. Reading this as an adult is even more fun than reading it as a child, because I can appreciate some of the humor more than I did then. Shel Silverstein is a talented author that writes a variety of poems that are entertaining for both adults and children. Each poem has a single illustration. The simple, black ink drawings are not the focus of the book, yet they give the reader a starting point for their imagination. Almost all of the poems are written in rhyme, although each poem has a different rhythm, some flowing easier than others.

 Some of the poems are written in a concrete style, which adds interest to the text and captures the reader and puts them inside the poem.

This collection will always be one of my favorites and should be a staple in any person’s book collection. 

The Green Frogs (4-1-13)

Heo, Y. (1996). The green frogs. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co.

Genre: Traditional Literature- Korean Folktale

Age: 4-7

Summary: This is a retold folktale about a couple of frogs who do the exact opposite of what their mother tells them to do. Every day for years, the mom hopes they will change, but they continue to disobey. When the mother is about to die, she predicts her boys will disobey her burial wishes, so she tells them the opposite of what she wants. In their only effort to ever please their mother, they do exactly as she asks, which leads to a bit of trouble.

Reflection: This Korean folktale begins as a silly, lighthearted story, with the green frogs creating havoc as they disobey their mother. The oil paints and pencil illustrations take up an entire page next to a page of text. There is very little negative space on the page with illustrations, but the opposite page with words is surrounded by negative white space.

Each page also has a different drawing pattern adding detail and interest to the illustrations. 

Notice the frog foot pattern across the floor

Notice the flower pattern on her blanket

Notice the patterns on little frog's pants and  the mama frog's dress

At the end of the story, the reader learns the “true” reason why green frog croak when it rains. Students might find the importance of obeying their parents after reading this tale. The students would relate to the green frog characters and enjoy this silly story. 

The Skin I'm In (4-1-13)

Flake, S. (1998). The skin I'm in. New York: Jump at the Sun/Hyperion Books for Children. 

Genre: Multicultural

Age: 10 and up (Young Adult Chapter Book) 

Summary: In this eye-opening tale about a 13-year-old girl named Maleeka, readers are taken through a journey of a young girl who is ashamed of the color of her skin and her homemade clothes. Maleeka is getting along just fine by trading homework for pretty clothes with the mean-talking Charlese, but things get stirred up when a new teacher comes into town and joins the staff. Ms. Saunders, in her fancy outfits, takes the school by surprise when she puts hope into the minds of many students at McClenton Middle School, including Maleeka Madison. Ms. Saunders has a rare skin condition that the middle schoolers love to make fun of, but her struggle with self-esteem and new-found confidence is an inspiration for girls like Maleeka.

Reflection: This multicultural tale of a young girl named Maleeka was both heart-breaking and inspiring. The young African American girl has skin darker than most girls of her race and she struggles to find peace with this and the loss of her father. Maleeka is the protagonist in the story, because it is from her first person narrative point of view, we learn about her struggle within. The story is even written with a tone and language specific to her. For example: On page 16, it says, “When the second bell rings, I run to Miss Saunders’s class like somebody set my shoes on fire. It don’t help none. Soon as I walk in, I know I’m in trouble. Everybody’s got their head down and they’re writing. Miss Saunders nods for me to take out paper and get to my seat. ‘What does your face say to the world?’ is written on the blackboard. I laugh, only it comes out like a sneeze through my nose.” Although there are other types of conflict in the story, the main conflict is person vs. self, because Maleeka is struggling to find a confidence in herself she never knew she had. She is becoming more comfortable with the way she looks and finding things she is good at, such as writing. For example, on page 119, Maleeka comes to a profound realization, “Some of us is the wrong color. Some is the wrong size or got the wrong face. But that doesn’t make us wrong people, now does it?”  This reminds me of myself in middle and high school. (Text-to-Self Connection) Although I did not struggle with color identity, I was always worried about how I looked and how I fit in. I worried all the time about what people thought and I never realized that I had many special talents that made me different from my classmates. I think many students in middle and high school could relate to this main character and her struggle. As a teacher, it would be interesting to ask students what they imagine Maleeka is doing with her life now or ask them how Ms. Saunders got so many students to believe in themselves and how she was different from the rest of the staff at the middle school. I would recommend this to many students at this age, because it gives them the opportunity to see the world from a difference perspective and learn that although we all have differences, we are more alike than we know. 

My favorite quote from the whole book is when Maleeka writes in her diary and shows the reader the changes that are happening within her mind. 

Dear Diary:

Remember the acorn.  Even when you don't see it growing, it's pushing past the dirt.  Reaching for the sun.  Growing Stronger.

-Maleeka