Free Reading: Game of Thrones

*A Note Before Beginning*

Sorry to those reading for the closeness of these articles together on the blog. I have been annotating and formatting the posts as I went along!

A Game of Thrones

     "A Game of Thrones" is the first of an epic novel series written by George R.R. Martin. Set in the medieval times in the kingdom of Westeros, the story erupts as the rulers of the kingdoms, and the banner kingdoms above them, fight for power and favor, among other things. At first, the intricate and lengthy list of kingdoms, banner, kingdoms, rulers, families, and symbols, may feel a little overwhelming; I know that it was for me. However, if you look at the back of the book, there is a glossary with all of the terms clearly outlined. The main kingdoms, or houses, can be summerised under their house "animal," which are symbolic of the nature and actions of the houses throughout the novel. First, the Stag is the symbol of House Baratheon, the King's house. The King is married to Queen Cersei Baratheon, previously of House Lannister, whose symbol is the Lion. Lord Eddard Stark is the guardian of the North, and his house symbol is the Direwolf. Under this kingdom and symbol is also House Arynn, ruled by Lady Stark's sister and nephew. Finally, the symbol of House Targaryen is the Dragon. House Targaryen was not too lately dethroned from Kingship, massacred as a people, and the few remaining were banished to a distant desert land. Each of the chapters of the book are titled by a character's name. That chapter may be written from the viewpoint of that character, or concerning the plotline of that character.

     Chapter one is entitled "Bran." Bran is a legitimate son of Lord Stark, neither the youngest or oldest. However, it is obvious that some special favor isbeing payed to Bran from the beginning. Perhaps he will end up as the ruler in the end? It will take some time to see. 

What is a Hero and Who is Mine?

A hero is sacrificial,
A hero is kind and good.
A hero could be your big brother,
Or one who serves the homeless some food.

A hero is not just confined
To be being Asian, super, or a man.
A hero could be a Spanish teacher
Who lends a struggling student her hand.

So whether you have special powers,
Arrest criminals or fight fire,
Regardless of your impact on the many or the one,
That "one" could be the next hero, inspired.

My hero is Mother Teresa. Her selfless compassion for others makes her a hero in my eyes. She obtained fame not by an effort to do so, but by so avidly helping others that others could not help but be drawn to her. She laid down her own comfort  to serve God and others. She was an example of how one can impact, even save, the lives of others through focused, sacrificial services of compassion fueled by passion. I appreciate the idea that it is possible for anyone to be hero by the standards that she set.

AOW: Citizenship

What Is A Hero? Mariah Carey... Or Asians.

This Blog Inspired Me...

So, I never really blogged consistently until now. However, I really enjoyed writing this blog, and I found it inspiring me to keep up a blog outside of this one for the class. Well it is a bit more of a mixed-media type of set up, I figure that plays into different technological and other such literacies. Thus, I decided to post the link here for my other blog, too, and combine my TWO electronic literary worlds.

http://themostawesomethingslist.tumblr.com/

Just in case you want a fun break from the school-related writing!

What Makes A Hero?

Courage-Selflessness-Compassion-Motivation

AOW 11/9/11

Rough Draft Budget For Spanish Field Trip

     For my field trip, I will be taking my 8th grade Spanish class to Leslie's Bakery on Glenstone Ave. First, a request for the trip will be sent to the principle's office. Once approved, a permission slip will be sent home to the parents. The slip will warn parents of students with applicable allergies (peanut, dairy) to let me know in advance so that other plans can be made for the allergic students. Also, besides informing that parents of the travel plans for the day, the form will request that parents send students with two dollars each to assist in the cost of the bus, as well as any spending money the students might wish to use at the bakery.The two dollars and permission slips will be turned in the week before the trip. Students who are unable to attend due to neglect to turn in permission slips, or for other causes, will remain in the office with quiet work pertaining to the subject being studied (food unit). On the day of the field trip, first period students will load onto the bus at 8:50 a.m. We will arrive at Leslie's around 9:10 a.m. Students will be encouraged to show respect to those working in the store and to use vocabulary whenever appropriate. A head count will be taken before students enter the store. Students will be given adequate time to browse the bakery and adjacent Latino market, make purchases, and engage in conversation. At 9:45 a.m., students will return to the bus, head count will be taken, and students will return to the school at 10 a.m. dismissal bell. This way they will have necessary time to visit their lockers in passing. The same procedures will be duplicated for the next class beginning at 10:05 a.m.

AOW: Blake & Harry

Technologies Used In The Spanish Classroom

          Around The World In 80 Schools is a program for foreign language teachers that allows teachers from target countries to place "wanted adds" on the site. These adds request the teacher's name, what language and grade they teach, and hours of availability. Once a suitable partner teacher is found, the teachers are able to formulate a curriculum together that involves students interacting with each other via a Skype-like program. In this way, students from all over the world are able to experience language immersion from right in their classroom! 

Sam Hoover Interview

-21st Century Literacies: Being prepared to use the most means of communication to reach the most possible people.

I Noticed...
-Advertising literacies as a means of drawing in the crowd
 *Photography
 *Videography
-Livestream
 *Multiple technological and social media literacies used simultaneously
-Find what is fun and make it a priority
-He had a great handle on differentiated instruction
-"I have a camera that will be going constantly..." - Learn from yourself.
-Students have the world at their fingertips these days, so there is no question they don't have an answer to. This leaves everyone vulnerable and transparent. This opens the door for their feedback.
-Self-esteem directly correlated to "likes" and "retweets"; Failures give social media a more authentic touch.

I Wonder...
-If I could make my teacher site interesting  enough using those literacies to get my students excited for school Spanish classes in advance?
-It's not worth stressing over how all these literacies will pull together. Is it not better to use what you know?
-What technological items would be most beneficial to appealing to different types of learners?
-Has the ratio changed for how much the teacher is responsible for learning vs. how much the student is responsible for their own learning?
-Social media failures are the equivalent to authentic relationships?
-Should students and teachers be able to be friends on Facebook?

Applications to My Content Area...
-Make teacher sites interesting
-Film classes often to learn from your own teaching
-Use technology such as blogs and Twitter to keep parents and students in the loop
-Ask students for feedback more than just stuffing subject material down their throats
-Skyping in class is AWESOME!!!
 *Around the world in 80 schools program
-Text answers to questions in class

Unit of Study

Text:
-All objects with which people make meaning

*** 20 References: Lit., Posters, Videos, Pictures and Graphs, Maps

Literacy:
-Negotiating & Creating vs. Reading & Writing
   + Negotiate Verb Carts -> Create Multilingual Conversation

Recognize text-like objects that students must engage with in a literate way

Interacting with text in a meaningful way requires knowledge of the content and processes associated with each discipline.

*** http://www.lumosity.com

AOW 10/31/11

Brain Based Learning

Spanish Language instruction is able to pull from several different exercises to emphasize well-rounded mental learning. Strong emphasis on sounds in diction, studying French art, and formulating sign language movements to coordinate with vocabulary are all ways to instruct while keeping all parts of the brain in consideration. Positive feedback in class will foster a more relaxed environment that will encourage an even more creative mental process in students in the future. It is essential to stay in your personality, while still striving to be encouraging and exciting. Show students the purpose in seemingly "silly" encouragement practices.

Class Notes 10/24/11

For Wednesday, pick a Draper chapter between 3-10 to read and respond to.

Non Traditional Non Print Texts

Speaking/Listening and Conversation Assessments

Spanish Art and Theater Review

Cultural Studies

Travel

Spanish Songs and Pneumonic Devices

Holiday Activities (Alters on Dia de los Muertos)

Traditional Print Texts

Text Books

Practice Drills

Other Books and Poetry

Communications Like Emails and Letters in Spanish

Verb Charts

Tests and Quizes

Maps

Joe and Autumn's Article, 10/24/11

What Makes A Good Teacher

     - Knowledgeable about METHODS of teaching, as well as subject area

     - Good communication skills

     - Preparedness on structures

     - Ability to be accessible and adaptable to students

       * Passion for teaching as well as content area

       * Personable

       * Interesting and fun personality

     

   

Class Notes 10/12/11

How To Motivate Students:
-Collaboration With Other Teachers
-Show Personal Interest
-Stick to Your Guns
*** Do you teach students or curriculum?
Anticipation Guide
*What's True For Me About Reading?*
-You (the reader) can question the author
-You never stop learning about yourself as a reader
-I would rather read books that I can connect with emotionally
-If the story is not exciting from the get-go, I tend to get impatient
-I can deal with a book being long, as long as the story is fascinating
-Just because other people say a book is really good, it doesn't mean it's true
-Sometimes is nicer to read fiction because it's a good escape from reality, though some biographies can be interesting, too.

*Remberber (It still makes me smile!!!)

Reflection On The Text Book Writing Sample

I chose this text because I will more than likely be using it or one very similar to it in the near future in my own classroom. It will help students manipulate the Spanish language more effectively through an increase in essential vocabulary, as well as extended horizons in culture. My text book teaching sample helps students to understand previously unknown text and vocabulary, read with purpose, and remember what they read. I made a point to avoid mind-numbing practices, and strived to make my lesson interesting and original. I believe that I planned to teach the text in an appropriate way. This is important text that would be difficult to overteach. I believe I found the "sweet spot" because there are activities that involve students to synthesize the information in a creative and fun way, while allowing students to get a firm grasp on the vocabulary through sensory connections.

Confrontation Scenario

Design a confrontation scenario when student gets a bad grade, and write your response to the situation. Support with text.

A student misses a Spanish class before a test. He misses a great review session, but he has been in possession of the vocabulary list that was tested for a few weeks, and he was aware of the date of the test. His father calls, infuriated, when the student receives a poor grade. In response, I would stay cool (like a ref during a heated sports game) and validate the concern of the parent (coach). I would explain the situation from my perspective, and keep an open mind to allowing the student to make up the test, after studying, for an average of points. The author makes connections between the participants of a sports game to those involved in the lives of the student (the parent, the teacher, and the students themselves). Also, the author urges parents to get involved in the "practice" and benefit of the "player" as well as the "team". However, there is also sufficient warning to the teacher to give grace to the "coach," or parent, because the parent will always view the student as a "winner." To build upon this concept, perhaps it would be beneficial for the "coaches" to have more frequent meetings with the "refs" in order to keep everyone more fully informed in the first place?

Things To Do:

- Print the citation for your text on the photocopy
     *APA style
     * Author A (et.al.). (year). Title of textbook: Subtitle. Springfield, MO: Publishing Company.
- Choose two OR three places in the text (discrepancy)
- Use updates syllabus on ANGEL
- 5 different parts of assignment
     *Photocopy of texts with writing
     *Choose 2-5 parts that would be hard for understanding (highlight)
     *Write short narrative explaining focus on issues and why
     *Tovani Pg. 128 worksheet (saved to desktop)
     *Meaningful activity using vocab from textbook (not crossword or word search)
     *Comprehension Constructor: Overarching thing that they are going to do with the text (think synthesis                                                                                                                                       and manipulation)
-Go through reading responses and cite in texts

Tovani Chapter 6

"No one is smart enough to remember all that he knows."

    - Mark Twain

Tovani discusses the concept of holding thinking to remember and reuse. He starts the chapter by describing a drill he used in his class where he required his students to "read" a picture. Tovani begins by stating that students should begin making note of when they are thinking while reading by marking texts. While at first it can be frustrating, it is proven that students who mark their texts by highlighting or sticky notes are more likely to return to that text to reread or study it for tests. Students must be shown how to correctly mark texts in order for their efforts to be truly successful. He offers the example of Aaron, a difficult student who seemed to not even desire to put in the effort to be successful at annotation. However, after accidentally showing his paper to the class, Tovani discovered that Aaron had read the article, he simply failed to make the connection as to what he should write. Instead, he attempted to be intimidating and sarcastic. Now, Aaron has progressed greatly, and Tovani uses this example to encourage teachers not to become frustrated with students who appear to be failing. After this, Tovani offers several different ways in which teachers can encourage annotation and held thinking, without being boring or repetitive. Activities such as Whole-group thinking and double-entry diaries can encourage students to think about text in a new light. I plan on using some of the strategies that Tovani offers in my classroom someday, when students have difficulty understanding vocabulary or concepts in their secondary language.

Tovani Chapter 5

In chapter 5, Tovani discuss responses to the question "Why am I reading this?" He recommends that teachers, when choosing a curriculum, do not expect students to cover and analize huge amounts of information on the first read. He sympathizes with history teachers, because they have such a magnitude of information to cover in a limited amount of time. Tovani implies that perhaps curricula should require less information be covered at a time, so that teachers will not feel obligated to require students to "read" so much information, without actually understanding what they read. The book discusses different mental voices that students may encounter while reading material. The first is a narrative sort of voice, where the student does not truly engage, they simply recite the text in their head. The second is a more discussion-oriented type of voice, in which the student has the opportunity to engage, but must avoid the temptation to go into a distracted mindset. The author claims that students should be the ones responsible for setting the curriculum, so that they can move at their own ace and truly gain mastery of the presented material. Tovani's recommendations for ways to keep students on top of curriculum material, and away from their reciting mental voice, involve being selective about what you present for your students to read, and provide students with a projected way in which you will manipulate the information that they gain from the reading. I had the honor of studying under a teacher in high school in honors English who truly understood the concept of selective reading assignments. Because of her choices of pieces that were unusual but interesting to the students, we were all able to do more than just pass her class, but attend it with enjoyment.

Reflection On "Waiting for Superman"

As much as I would love to see America change for the better, to be entirely honest my first reaction to this film is fear. Fear as someone who wants to teach someday. Fear as someone who wants to have kids who will grow up to be successful. Why is the betterment of the entire country on MY shoulders? I feel an Atlas Complex developing... It also saddens me that the U.S. has fallen so low in the educational standing.

The Help

    I have decided to combine my choice reading blog posts into a more extensive post, because my points would have been too repetitive, and the intricacies of the connections are better expressed together than apart. For my choice reading, I have been actively reading "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett. In this book, set in the 1960's in Jackson, Mississippi, Stockett delves into the previously unattested for lives of black maids and housekeepers in a time where equality was more of a pipe-dream than a reality, and women worked like slaves even after having gained rights just to feed their families. In "The Help," Skeeter, the protagonist white character struggling to find the balance between marriage (which is expected of her) and a professional career in writing (which is what she expects for herself) approaches all of the black maids in her home town and asks them to be daring enough to share their testimonies with her so that she may compile them into an article so hard-hitting that she might gain notoriety in the publication world. The first maid she interviews is Aibileen Clark, a black maid who is in the process of raising her seventh white child. Due to the fact that she lost her own son, the author implies that Aibileen's obvious love for her "adopted" children stems from a place of replacement, a desire to fill the holes in her heart left by loss with the love of the children she is responsible for. Due to the fact that the child she is raising, Mae Mobley, is the daughter of a mother who is neglectful as a side-effect to severe postpartum depression, Aibileen's love for her is truly that of a mother. Another central character is Minnie Fay, Aibileen's best friend and fellow housekeeper. Her unbridled tongue gets her in trouble and fired frequently, but eventually she ends up in the home of a welcoming (though clueless) woman, Celia, who's bubbly and glowing exterior acts as a mask to the tragedy that fills her life as she repetitively miscarries her children. The rough-and-tumble Minnie Fay is exactly who she needs to provide her with the knowledge and strength that she certainly cannot provide for herself. Finally, the antagonist is Hilly Holbrook, a cruel woman hiding behind a wall of empty religion, who represents everything superficial and judgemental about the segregated time. In all, Stockett crafts a masterful tale of motherhood, family, and courage that should be considered a piece of classic literature by authors and readers, alike.
     I was able to form connections to the maids in the story, as my best friend is the nanny in a home where the parents would rather not come in any sort of contact with their children at all. She feels personally responsible for rearing the children in a love that is nothing short of maternal. The relationship between her and her children reminds me of the relationship between Aibileen and Mae, although Ashley certainly is not as subdues as Aibileen. This connection is only magnified by the fact that Ashley feels that after almost five years, she may soon have to leave her job, as Aibileen is forced to leave Mae. A quote that really moved me emotionally and stood out to me as a main point of the author was the quote that Aibileen repeats to little Mae Mobley on a daily basis, "You is smart, you is kind, and you is important." Aibileen spends the majority of the book embedding this mantra into Mae's mind, as she knows the importance of instilling Mae with a sense of self-worth, especially in the face of the abuse of her mother. Some questions that I would ask would be:
1. What happens to Mae and Aibileen's relationship after Aibileen leaves?
2. Where did Skeeter find a job permanently? Did she take the knowledge she gained from her research with "the help" and instill a greater sense of meaning in her readers?
3. Did Aibileen go on to write many other works, as was her dream?
4. Was Celia ever successful in creating a family of her own?
I find myself placing happy endings on all of the loose ends that the author leaves to simulate real life experience. I suppose I am more of a romantic than a realistic reader. Also, as much as I have never really enjoyed historically based books before, I find myself much more inclined to read historical fiction when there are so many emotionally accessible characters and themes. The focus was more on the people than on the propaganda, and I believe that that is why so many people, including myself, have found this book to be so wonderful. It was easy to formulate a hatred for Hilly, because her cruelty was based out of Christianity, which is the religion I practice as well. In my heart, I dislike her because of the way she manipulates the religion, something I try so hard to project in a genuine fashion. I connect with Minnie Fay's sassiness and her ability to catch people off guard and make them laugh.

Essential Question

Q. How might you teach students to ask essential questions as they read to deepen their understanding?
A. Have a class writing assignment in which they pretend to ask they author (in letter form, etc.) questions that they might have about the story. Use those questions to recognize gaps and encourage students to use imaginations to bridge story gaps. (Author and Me Q's).

* Right There Questions...Explicitly Stated
* Think and Search Questions...Explicitly Stated
* Author and Me Questions...Implicitly Stated Clues
* On Your Own Questions...Implicit Connections

There are a few different ways in which you can foster the asking of essential questions. One way would be for the teacher to have the students list their questions, and then assist them in searching the text for the answers. Or, the teacher could lead a discussion with the class to first develop the questions.

AOW 9/21/11

Exempt: Mine and Angeline's week to present!!!

The Help & Jam With Text

*Make Inferences * Determine Importance * Synthesize * Visualize * Fix-Up Strategies * Ask Questions *  Make Connection*


Visualize
Connect-Graveyard Pics
Connect- Grandpa Military
Visualize
Determine Importance- "The Wall is for all of us..." "I'd rather have him here..."
Connect-Bad book for empathy people!
Inferences- The author seems to write from a place of personal experience. There is a great depth of emotion.

Spanish Jingle

Sung to the tune of the "Mickey Mouse" song:

Yo is I
Tu is You
El, He
Ella, She
Usted, You (Formal)
Nosotros is Weeeeeeee
Vosotros is Ya'll
Ellos is They
Ellas is They
And Ustedes is All of You!

Class Notes 9/14/11

http://www.studyspanish.com/lessons/serest1.htm

Text tagging demonstrated as part of the textbook assignment:
- Sticky Notes
- Making Connections
- Application
- Personal Commentary
- Highlight
- Reread
- Turn off recitation voice
- Turn on conversation voice
- Flow Concept

Rubric for Choice Reading on Angel
- Responding to Anything: Blogs, Magazines, Books...Whatever!
- No page limit
- Recreational reading

Article Response 3

Adam & Bryanna

Things the group did in elementary school that was science related...
- Class pets
- Track hurricanes on maps
- Making putty/playdough
- Growing plants
- The MOST

When reading the article, consider ideas that elementary teachers can use to prepare students for my specific subject area to help them build their knowledge base (Spanish).

    In the class lead by Bryanna and Adam, each student was asked to recall science projects that they had experienced in elementary school. There was a range throughout the class from zero science experience in high school to much experience. However, the topic of interest was brought up that while students may have had some experience, and even remember the interesting, hook-laden experiments (such as putty making to show chemical reactions), it was infrequent that the students remember the POINT of the experiments. In the assigned article, "Young Children Can Be Sophisticated Scientists" by Kathleen Metz, the idea is explored that science education has been simplified more than necessary in regards to elementary students, who are actually capable of complex science. Despite the studies by Jean Piaget, the author suggests that in her own research she proves the plasticity of students' learning and that they are actually ready for science concepts previously believed to be over their heads. Metz gives the reader 5 science instruction principles which she developed and has actually used as the platform for her own science curriculum. The proposed pillars are as follows: 1. "Scaffold relatively rich knowledge, emphasizing big ideas that transcend the topic being studied." 2. "Engage children in purposeful scientific inquiry, with the goal of discovery and understanding." 3. "Teach science processes and methods in the context of “doing” real science." 4. "Manipulate both the size of the student groups working on scientific inquiry and the extent to which the curriculum presents the inquiry in “well-structured” form instead of asking students to undertake the design themselves." 5. "Build knowledge and responsibility to the point where pairs of students who are at the same level academically assume primary responsibility for their own investigations." In essence, the author calls for teachers who will apply scientific knowledge to extra-scientific subjects, facilitate student discovery through relevant experimentation, encourage learning through hands-on projects, structure the inquiry methods while carefully placing students in groups that may be beneficial to their inquiries, and eventually mature students to the point where they feel responsibility and pride towards their own scientific accomplishments.

Notes from Class; 9/7/11

Reading

* Translation (decoding)

* Comprehension

* Transformation

     - The Help

     - The Giver

     - Hind's Feet In High Places

     - Crazy Love

*See Tovani pg. 6 and 17 for "Fix-Up Strategies"... text labels
* Content Area Strategies
     - Reading response log/blog
     -Vocabulary flood
     -Article of the Week
     - Double-entry journal
     - We think... statements
     - Knowledge chart
     - Make a personal connection
     - Asking questions
     - Drawing conclusions
     - Using the text as evidence
     - Connection to a real person
     - Rereading
     - Use literature (Text to text connections)
      Using background or prior knowledge

Tovani Chapter 3 & 4 Response

     In the chapters "Parallel Experiences: Tapping the Mother Lode" and "Real Rigor: Connecting Students With Accessible Texts," Tovani delves into several different methods for making reading more enjoyable for teachers and students. In chapter 3, the author discusses how applying different pieces of literature, such as a blueprint for an architect, can become platforms for understandable reading habits. In essence, it makes more sense to teach reading to teachers from a standpoint of literature that applies to their area of expertise. Often, they become so familiar with what types of communication they use day to day, that applying reading works that are varying from those common pieces can be difficult or overwhelming or even boring. However, teaching teachers to first learn to read using the lens of literature they are familiar with gives them a basis by which to teach students how to read effectively. Structure and context are major tools that can also play in to understanding the construction of unfamiliar literature.
     In chapter 4, Tovani describes the importance of picking pieces of literature that best fit the cultural and interests of individual students. Accessible texts are essential, because they encourage the reader to continue reading. However, in an effort to make reading accessible, teachers should not shy away from choosing required pieces that are also challenging. Students who are stretched are more likely to grow as readers. Classic works of literature, such as "To Kill A Mockingbird" have practical, culturally relevant ties, should one be willing to find them.

Article Response 2

Olivia & Sarah

     Olivia and Sarah started their presentation with a YouTube clip from Mr. Holland's Opus. They did this to demonstrate their over-arching theme which was that music educators are "part of a team" of people striving to implement real-life skills in their students, while fighting the pressures of standardized testing and budget cuts. The ladies also presented the class with an activity which they entitled the "knowledge chart." In the chart, they asked the students for their knowledge about how music prepares students for life, as well as the ways they could observed after reading the article by Steve Williams.
     Some ideas that made it on to the "prior knowledge" side of the chart were that music education provides students with culture and greater worldview, as well as increased motor skills and a sense of belonging in musical ensembles. On the "new knowledge" side of the chart were factors such as the playing of musical instruments teaches spatial awareness, eye-hand coordination, and high level cognitive processing skills. I believe that while this article was written from the viewpoint of an obviously irked music educator, it still has its valid points. When school districts brag on how much of a team their educators are, and then they remove the budget from many of their educators' classrooms, it creates division. It also sells students short on programs, such as the music program, which could have a life-long impact on them as learners.

Article Response 1

   After having our interests piqued by a vocabulary flood regarding Facebook, as presented by Professor Crawford, the class was assigned two short articles to read. In the articles written on the topic of Facebook, it was written that while some people know how to manage their time correctly and are able to maintain real-life relationships outside of electronic circles, there is a growing group who do not. For them, Facebook can be compared to illicit drugs. It is distracting, and inhibits their success in the off-line realm. Unfortunately, the two articles frequently contradicted each other, specifically in levels of severity and statistical analysis. In class, we divided into groups to discuss our views on the severity of the Facebook question. As a group, we came to the conclusion that there are certainly those who have lost sight of how to maintain relationships outside of those formed on the base of electronic platforms. However, we felt that the analysis of the articles was a bit harsh.