Group Projects

I really enjoyed the group projects because there was a lot of creativeness and originality shown. The story on Tikki Tikki Tembo, No Sa Rembo....... was not really my kind of story but their presentation of their little skit was awesome. The group that had Adrian, Jennifer, and Sarah did good too. They did theirs on Lemony Snicket: A Series of Unfortunate Events. Oh yeah, I was in that group also. I forgot- must be the herbel tea that I had this morning.

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I came across a book called Dead Guys Talk written by Barbara Joosse. It's the middle of summer, and the Scarface Detectives (Willie, Kyle, and Lucy) are starting to get bored. Suddenly they recieve a map of the town cemetary as well as a note pleading for help. A different note tells them that someone wants to sell the graveyard and move the bodies. However, according to the note, the dead people do not wish to leave. The detectives investigate to determine who the greedy seller is and try and figure out a way of stopping the plans. The biggest mystery of all is who their client is. Could it be one of the dead bodies in the cemetary? Can dead guys talk?

There was another book I started looking at called Poison Plate. It is written by M. Sobel Spirn. After the death of Mark's parents, he is sent to move in with a family that owns a restaurant. When someone breaks into the restaurant one night, all eyes turn to Mark, suspiciously. When a famous food critic is poisoned, Mark is once again frowned upon. Will he be able to prove his innocence and find the real culprit? Or will he be blamed for serving the diabolic dish?

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As I was looking around the library some more, I stumbled upon a book by Linda Sibley called Footprints of a Thief. This is a story about a person breaking into a coach's office and taking the money that was supposed to pay for new basketball uniforms. There were three sets of footprints left at the scene. One belonged to the coach. The second set belonged to the custodian that had been cleaning in the office. The last set belonged to one of the players. Detective Kevin Anderson is recommended to try and solve the case. Apparently he is great at solving crimes, and he hopes he can find the criminal.

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This book entitled Death Mountain caught my eye when I was walking through the library at my job. It's by Sherry Shahan and it's about a group of people that go hiking along the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Suddenly, a deadly storm descends upon the mountain. Lightning strikes and everyone scrambles for safety and shelter. The two main characters, Erin and Mae, become separated from the group. As the days pass, the two girls must rely on their own determination and skills, as well as each other. They face danger, hunger, freezing nights, exhaustion, and injuries.

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I knew that the name Sarah L. Thomson looked familiar when I ran across it. As a kid, I used to look at many of her books dealing with animals. These are wonderful books for kids because they have a ton of information about all types of animals, including: Amazing Snakes, Amazing Dolphins, Amazing Sharks, Amazing Gorillas, Amazing Tigers, and Amazing Whales. I never really liked to read, so these books were wonderful because they had colorful pictures and interesting information about that particular animal. She also has picture books! The one that interested me the most is called Pirates, Ho! It's a rhyming picture book about pirates who aren't as fierce and crafty as they might think. They brag of their courage and dastardly deeds but face mean storms at sea and hand-to-hand battles. There is also a mix of ghost stories thrown in the story. She has many, many books!

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I found this awesome author by the name of Bernard Most. He is great at making the real-life connection for students. For example, one of his many books is called How Big were the Dinosaurs? He describes the size of the biggest dinosaurs by comparing them to familiar things in a child's world. He compares the size of T-Rex's tooth to a child's toothbrush. He also says that Triceratops was so big, not even his head would fit through their bedroom door. He states that Stegasaurus' plates were as big as school bus crossing signs. Kids would definitely be entertained and gain knowledge because the next time they look at their toothbrush, doorway, or a bus crossing sign, they will imagine how big dinosaurs actually were. In the future, they will activate prior knowledge and be a step ahead because they will have a pretty good idea of the sizes of dinosaurs.

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We all like things that we can relate to. Since I was born and raised in San Antonio, TX, I love hearing stories about the Battle of the Alamo. Sherry Garland wrote this story called In the Shadow of the Alamo. It is about a fifteen year old boy that is drafted into Santa Anna's army in 1835. The boy, Lorenzo, is taken through a horrifying journey to Texas, where he witnesses and engages at the Battle of the Alamo as well as the Battle of San Jacinto. He also goes through the tragic retreat back to Mexico and is left with permanent scars for life. The battles are intertwined with stories of the women and children who followed the soldiers. It sounds like a wonderful drama that features the point of view of yet someone else in the tragic battles.

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I randomly stumbled onto an author and illustrator by the name of David Biedrzycki. Let me tell you something Slick- just looking at the cover of these books makes you want to open them. There could be wonderful book walks because the pictures are extremely attractive. He teaches many aspects through his literature and illustrations. In 2000, he released this book called Dory Story. It is a book that's about the sense of adventure, awe, and danger that the ocean inspires while presenting a bit of marine ecology. The sea creatures in the book are exquisitely drafted in colors that turn bright and friendly to deep, dark, and ominous. There is pratically a photographic reality to the art. I highly recommend that everyone look into David Biedrzycki and check out or buy his books. It's a great way for children to learn many subjects and have fun at the same time.

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I stumbled across an author by the name of Sybil Downing. She writes a lot about womens' rights. She wrote this one book entitled The Binding Oath. It's about a woman living in a man's world where the KKK, bootleggers, and crooked cops are at large in the state of Colorado. The story takes place in 1922. Liz O'Brien is one of only two female reporters for the Denver Post. One day, while getting a big story interviewing the KKK, she suspects that the KKK members are up to something. They claim that they want to recall the city's new district attorney, but she thinks they're interested in something beyond politics. O'Brien takes it upon herself to investigate, despite the wishes of her superiors, who tried to dissuade her. She quickly uncovers two murders, a bootleg operation, and a KKK conspiracy to take over the entire state. I've always admired such a brave and confident woman when she truly expresses how she feels.

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I found a story by an author named Jane Kurtz. It is called Do Kangaroos Wear Seatbelts? It's about a little boy anticipating a trip to the zoo as his mother straps him into his car seat. Like most children, he would rather run free than to always be holding his mom's hand or wear a seat belt. At the zoo, the little boy poses questions to his mom like, "If I were a monkey, would I have to wear a helmet?" Of course, she responds in a motherly way. She makes the connection clear that no matter if you're human or animal, mothers take care of their young ones by keeping them safe and close. Many children get annoyed when parents are too protective and nagging all the time. This book is great because it shows that parents do what they do to protect their children, not to harm them. They do what they do because they know better; they're more experienced and they've been through it all!

Favorite Author

This blog is dedicated to my personal all-time favorite author, Louis Sachar. In elementary, I remember reading There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom. However, the series of Wayside School stories that he wrote are even better. It's about a school that was accidentely built backwards- instead of one floor of 30 classrooms, there are 30 floors with just one classroom on each . The focus is on Mrs. Jewel's classroom on the 30th floor. Miss Zarves teaches on the nineteenth floor. There is no nineteenth floor. Get it? Good, explain it to me. The schoolyard instructor's name is, go figure, Louis! It is awesome and kind of weird at times, but they are the types of books that you cannot put down. You must read the "next" chapter. In high school, our reading assignment was to read Holes as a freshman. This is one case where I read the book before seeing the movie. Not by choice- the movie didn't exist yet! [;)]

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I looked up an author by the name of Peg Kehret. She wrote this one book titled The Ghost's Grave. It's about a boy named Josh that thinks he is going to spend a long, boring summer with his aunt. The tables turn when he meets a ghost of a coal miner that was killed in an explosion. The ghost, Willie, has been waiting for someone to dig up his leg and rebury it with the rest of him so that he can finally rest forever. Josh does agree to do this favor, but finds a lot more than just a leg- he finds a box of cash also. Who buried it, and why? And how far will they go to get it back? This story was the winner of young reader awards in PA, NH, TN, WA, and SD.

Stilleto Stoners

FINALLY- the blog everyone in class is waiting for me to write about (especially the professor). As you've guessed, I definitely have the schema to relate to this article. This is the way I see it: After a hard day of work, some people like smoking a cigarrette, and some like having a beer or a glass of wine. Besides the law, what is the difference in these rituals as opposed to smoking a bowl or a joint of marijuana. It is all done for the same reason- to calm some nerves and feel better. There is a very common misconception (just to keep kids away from it) that smoking weed causes one to be lazy and therefore cannot succeed in life (like the retarded commercials on T.V.). Just becuase someone smokes some greenery doesn't make them losers. There are two kinds of stoners in this world- aesthetic stoners and addicted stoners. The addicted stoners are the ones that let pot run their lives. They smoke when they wake up, before work, during work, after work, before dinner, and before they go to sleep. They can't make a decision unless they are high. They are angry without it. These are the ones I would personally call losers. I have plenty of friends that are these type of stoners- most of these guys live paycheck to paycheck and I've referred to them as "pathetic" sometimes. The women in the article are obviously aesthetic stoners. Weed doesn't run their lives- it's just a bonus at the end of the day. I know a teacher that is very effective and successful- but he enjoys a hit of chronic at the end of the day just as much as the next person. He doesn't share this with anyone, nor does he condone it to anyone. This is what he does. This is his personal life. This brings me to my last point. In the classroom, the teacher should be the best damn teacher he or she can be. Outside the classroom, teachers have different ways exhaling and releasing. This is nobody's business- as long as it's not interfering with anybody's life, who cares what they do? People that make such a big deal about pot are people that have never been exposed to it, and they have nothing better to do than criticize sometimes. What they need to do, honestly, is take a hit and shut the hell up!

Chapter 7

I've always loved me some picture books! I'm a visual learner, what can I say? Picture books define a wonderful relationship between literature and art. Another reason I always enjoyed picture books is because they eliminate one step in comprehending- trying to "picture" the story in your head. Instead, the illustrated story is right in front of you. Sometimes, being limited to a selection of genres was the reason I didn't enjoy reading. In this case, picture books came to the rescue because picture books are not a type of genre, but a form rather. Picture books can be extremely beneficial to students because they offer so much. The text doesn't have to be read to understand the gist of the story. Think-alouds through walk-throughs really get the children thinking and trying to make text-to-text or text-to-self connections. When they can make that connection, they enjoy learning more and participate more often. I love that there are several different types of art that can go into picture books. To put it simple, picture books are like a box of chocolates because you never know what they'll look like inside- that's what makes them so interesting. When I briefly skim through a picture book, my level of anticipation goes up a notch because now I feel I must read it. I enjoy the wordless picture books because the reader's opinion is definitely the only one that matters. If there isn't any text or very little text, then what the reader thinks cannot be wrong. There must be a variety of picture books within the classroom because these are extremely popular with children. We can teach writing through picture books.

Chapter 5

As a kid, I always hated poetry. I think it was because I would recognize so much emphasis on rhymes and the structure of the poem, rather than trying to decode or figure out what exactly they were trying to get across. In high school, they finally made me realize that poetry has endless meanings sometimes. That is, there are some pieces in where the author leaves the ending (or some part) entirely up to the reader. There is no right or wrong answer- but sometimes it drives you nuts because you are left in suspense... forever. I always enjoyed reading poetry with alliteration and onomatopoeia. It is easier to work with and remember words that have the same onset or are similar to one another. I've always been a simple person, so I only liked poetry if the messages were in front of you as opposed to hidden. If I had to choose a favorite form of poetry that I enjoyed the most, it would definitely be Limericks. I like the nonsense and humor that comes from these types of poems. I now understand that poetry is an important part of children's literature and must be implemented at a young age. Students must be exposed to different types of poetry, including multicultural poetry. The more students are exposed to poetry, the better chance they have at making a real-life connection with the poetry that's all around us. As we've said before, students work better toward something if they have the schema, or prior knowledge, for it. They must live poetry.

*Author to keep in mind for children't literature: Leonard Kessler has been creating books for children for the past 55 years. Visit this site for examples of his books: http://www.purplehousepress.com/Kessler.htm

Maya Angelou's interview

I really enjoyed watching the interview in class, especially when she actually recites a few poems during the interview. There is something about her voice that is soothing to the ear. She has been such a wonderful inspiration to people all over the world and continues to touch lives. Even when she dies, which she looks pretty good for 80+, she will still continue to touch lives because literature never dies. Her poems and blessings will continue until the end of time. She encourages students to come out of their shells and perform at the best of their ability. All of the neglegence and prejudice that our society is put through is not an excuse to throw away lives- atleast not anymore. Youth must learn to rise above all the negative in order to have the confidence and resources to produce more positive. She preaches for safe streets and effective schools, but in the end, it's how bad YOU want it! Children really are the future of us and everything around us. They help us escape. They are the antidote to sadness. Their smiles alone should make any good role model want to give them everything they positively have to offer.

Chapter 3 blog

It's hard to imagine that a person with such fluent reading could do so little or no comprehending of what has just been read. Comprehending involves thinking, rather than just reading words and decoding print as the book says. Learning is built off of what we already know and what we can relate to. Reading as a kid, I would always try to imagine a picture in my head since I am a visual learner. It's funny how our minds work- we take something in and try to make a connection to something we already know about or might have heard about. We make the attempt to attach meaning to what we think and is important. If you cannot make any connections with the context, you are probably having a hard time understanding what is being read. It is very important that teachers make reading and comprehending a part of students' everyday lives. We must know what the students are interested in learning and try and match their interests as best as possible (still meeting TEKS). Scaffolding is a tremendous method to student independence- students build skills so that they know what to do if someone weren't there to help them. We want students to build their vocabulary as much as possible. I, like most, enjoy aesthetic reading as opposed to efferent reading. We must find text that is suitable and age-appropriate for our children to read. Activating prior knowledge is the first key to comprehending. This is how the real life connections are made. Guided reading, reinforcing concepts and promoting critical thinking and response are all wonderful ways of building comprehension. Learning is about effective questioning, not just answers. Different students will be on different levels of comprehending. This is known through careful assessment of the students to see how well they are reading and comprehending. Re-tellings and reflections are a crucial part of comprehension because it tells the teacher what the student learned about the reading. When students write in journals or write letters, they are learning. We need to expose students to wonderful literary works.

Chapter 2

I think it's very important to start exposing children to other cultures and ethnicities at a young age. Children need to see that there isn't just one way of living, one way of eating, one way of learning, etc... Students must understand that it's not only one color that makes a painting (for example) successful- each color has its unique purpose but wouldn't be anything without the others. Everyone must come together, like colors, and acknowledge each other to make the big picture look good. The more we know about other cultures and practices (surface and deep), the less we will tend to focus on our differences. There is so much to be learned all over the world, but the first step is acceptance. The truth is that, even within our own cultures, we have differences. The perfect example is eating at a friend's house and having different table rules. So the objective becomes clear- learn how to accept as many different ways of living as possible. Easier said than done! Students from other countries must adjust not only to a new school, but a new school culture as well. Most of these students have their backs against the wall to begin with, which is why many of them never get the chance to graduate. Not only do they miss out on graduating, chances are that any dreams they might've had have been shot. Sadly to say, it's not only today's students that need to pratice accepting other cultures, but the teachers as well. They tend not to show minorities the attention that they need. I like the idea of labeling major items in your classroom with different languages- or atleast the ones that might be spoken in that class, or at a child's household. Therefore, there is good chance, these days, that all the children in these types of classrooms are learning spanish, german, and chinese/japanese. Parents must encourage their children that it is awesome learning about other cultures. What would this world be like if all 6 billion of us worked M-F, bbq'd on saturday, and went to church on sunday? That spells B-O-R-I-N-G! That's like coloring a rainbow with only a brown marker available. Teachers must have a wide variety of literature available in their classrooms- meaningful literature. There must be books about the little Indian girl, or the foriegn exchange student from Asia, or the African-American boy going to school. As I was walking through Target over the weekend, I happend to pass by the literature stand. To my surprise, there were a lot of books that were culturally relevant to many, and not just Dora. These are fabulous ways of getting students to want to learn about other cultures. Let them become bests friends with a book of that sort, and they will look forward to other books that have similar themes. In the end, the bottom line is that all children deserve an equal opportunity to read and understand the idea of great cultures all over the world. Accpetance within the education system is the responsibility of students, teachers, staff, and parents.

Author Profile Websites

Some people may have the a lot of the same websites, but I tried to look for a few that no one else would have. Here are a few websites that have helped me out so far with my researches. The first one is www.childrenslit.com. Most the of authors listed on this website have their own websites. The authors that have their own websites also have a complete booklist. The next site a stumbled upon was helpful in getting to know the author's personal life a little better. If you log onto www.bethanyroberts.com/childrensbookauthors.htm, you can find a biography on most authors. If you read about an author, the light bulb in your head will go off the next time you run across that name. At www.underdown.org/topsites.htm, there is a list of several children's book authors. The good thing about this website is that it has a brief description of an author's website before you actually click on it. At www.teachersfirst.com/100books.cfm, you can find the 100 books selected by the National Education Association in 1999. I realize that this was a decade ago, but most of the books should still be acceptable. The thing I liked is that you can break authors down into age-group categories and says that name of the story and the authors. The last one I visited was the easiest website to use. At www.education.com/topic/childrens-book-authors/, you can browse children's literature authors by age, grade, or topic. It also gives real advice to teachers on what kind of emotions are running through your child's mind, what their social lives should be like, and how their school and academics should be going. They have this information for all the grades. There are FAQ's (frequently asked questions) from parents and trust me, these are probably the same questions that we wonder every day when we're around kids.

Chapter 1

Sweet! I finally recieved my books and was able to read Chapter 1. I like how in the text, it really emphasizes the importance of having various types and genres of literature. This is a crucial part when teaching literature because as the book says, the good teachers install a love of learning and a love for literature. If more kids have a choice on what they want to read, I believe more students would want to read. I want to make sure my classroom is flourishing with wonderful literature. Comfortable spots and areas in the classroom is another vital element because it tells the children that learning is important and fun. If teachers just tell the children to pull out their textbook at their desks and start reading, half of the kids won't read anything. However, I think that if the students have a choice of which type of literature they want to read, as well as have a comfortable spot to go to (i.e. magic carpet, beanbag, pillow), they will have a great time reading. The students need to understand that reading is a part of everyday life. At a young age, most don't appreciate gaining knowledge. They don't realize that reading is knowledge. Students should be asked to read several times throughout the day, as well as jot down what they've read about. Getting students to want to read is obviously the greatest challenge, and the book agrees. This is where I believe that the passion and commitment of a teacher comes into action. The students will be able to tell how much the teacher enjoys reading by the way the teacher carries themselves about reading (spoken and body language). Teaching students to want to read is very important. There could be extreme disappointment later on in life if the child doesn't like to read. By the way, I do believe that all children can learn! "Teachers" that think otherwise are simply lazy, and should be called something else. I agree that as long as someone is alive and breathing, that individual is learning every day. No one person in this world knows it all. There are just people that know more than others. Most of the time, these are the people that enjoy reading almost anything. I enjoyed reading about the Ohio State University Model. This is simply everything a child needs to do to become a successful reader. In theory, I think it's a wonderful model. Once the teacher finds a great collection of books for their children, yet another challenge is incorporating them in with the lesson. This is where creativity needs to be at its best. Students need to ask difficult and open-ended questions. Teachers need to make sure that praise and feedback is given to the students. Positive feedback should outweigh the negative, but we all know this is easier said than done.