Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Field Experience

Field Experience:

1.  How many hours did you complete?
          I completed 6.5 hours during my field experience. 

2.  How did you spend your time?
          I spent one and a half hours working at McDonald's for McTeacher Night.  This was done as a promotion for our school, as well as McDonald's.  I also spent five hours collaborating with a colleague of mine.  She is teaching a home bound student who is in the 6th grade, but working on a 2nd grade level.  I worked on Reading and Language Arts lessons for her to be able to use with this student.  The first two sessions, I worked with grammar skills.  The last sessions, I worked with trade books - Flossie and the Fox, The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, and Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! My goal was to take some of the books I had been exposed to in class and help her incorporate them into lessons for this home bound student.  He had to be taught the 6th grade content, but it had to be modified to meet his 2nd grade level.

3.  How did the experience help you to strengthen at least one Kentucky Teacher Standard?
          Standard 8:  The teacher collaborates with colleagues, parents, and others.  All of my field experience hours for this course were focused on collaborating with others.  I was able to interact with parents, students, and employees at the McTeacher Night, which was a great experience.  I really had fun and so did all those who came to support our school.  I also spent time collaborating with my colleague, which was a growing experience for both of us.  It is always said, "Two is better than one!" Well, that holds true with teachers as well.  When we put our minds together, great things happen for all involved.

4.  Talk a little about one thing you learned because of this field experience.
          I learned that I never stop learning.  I can always learn something new.  I have used books in my classroom before, but can always find something new to do with those books.  Or, I can always find new books to use in my classroom.  I love to teach Reading and Language Arts, as well as Writing, and would be happy doing that all day, every day if given the opportunity.  I have found some great books to use in my class, and also some wonderful resources that will allow me to be a better teacher to my students.
  

Kids at Work

Freedman, R. (1994). Kids at work: Lewis Hine and the crusade against child labor.
     New York: Scholastic, Inc.


Genre: Informational
Age Level: 10 and up

Summary:  Kids at Work is an informational text in the form of a photo essay.  The focus of this text is the incredible pictures taken by Lewis Hine.  No one before him had captured such vivid pictures of children working in factories, cotton fields, coal mines, etc.  These children were doing the work of adults and barely being paid. 
     Child labor was a cheap way to increase production, no matter what the job opportunity was.  Lewis Hine did not agree with the use of child labor and set out on a mission to prove to others that this needed to be stopped.  Children were losing their lives to these jobs and he could no longer ignore this fact.  So, he went all across the country taking pictures of children as they were working.  The author, Russell Freedman, compiled these pictures into this book so that others could see what was actually happening during this time period.
     This book is written very clearly.  The author made sure to stick to the point and focus on the fact that children were doing the work of adults.  The information was presented in a way that was known to unknown.  Most people knew that some children had to work, but no one really knew to the extent that child laborers were being used.  Kids at Work shows how children were being mistreated and abused as they were working these jobs.  The photographs prove that child labor was a fact.  There was no opinion that this was happening, but fact in the proof of the photographs.


Reflection:  To be honest, when I first borrowed this book from a fellow teacher, I did not think that I would want to read it at all.  However, once I started the book, I wanted to finish it.  I had heard many times of how children had to work, even from my own parents.  I didn't realize that there was so much use of children as laborers in our country, nor how harshly they were treated.  I was truly saddened by what I read and saw in the pictures of this book.
     I think this would be a good book to share with students in the classroom.  I know that some of them would have a tough time grasping how different the lives of the children in the pictures was from their own lives.  However, I think it would be good for them to realize how much better they have it than those children did.  We live in a "me" society and students need to realize that it isn't always about them.  I think that I could incorporate this book into character education activities and possibly Social Studies as well.

Reading Log and Wiki Checklist

Reading Log and Wiki Checklist

Reading Log for 30 books (to paste into your blog in at the end of the term)        


  • Instructions: List the titles and authors you read under each Genre, and use checklist below for Wiki posts. Then, highlight this material and paste it into a final blog post. I have already included (in the 30) the ones we read for discussion. Feel free to read more in each genre as you make time.
Genre / Titles you read

            I.     Non-fiction/Informational (1 chapter book or photo essay book reflection required on blog
1)     Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges.
2)     Kids at Work:  Lewis Hine and the Crusade Against Child Labor by Russell Freedman. (Blog Book)

          II.     Poetry (1 chapter or picture book reflection required on blog)
1)     Witness by Karen Hesse. (required for discussion)
2)     Knots on a Counting Rope by Bill Marin Jr. and John Archambault. (Blog Book)
3)     Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein.
4)     A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein.
5)     If Pigs Cold Fly…And Other Deep Thoughts by Bruce Lansky. (Wiki – Reading/Language Arts connection)

        III.     Modern Fantasy (1 chapter book reflection required on blog)        
1)     The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer. (required for discussion)
2)     James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl.
3)     Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White.
4)     The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis.
5)     The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary. (Blog Book)

       IV.     Historical Fiction (1 reflection required on blog –can be a picture book)  
1)     A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck. (required for discussion)
2)     Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis. (Wiki – Reading/Language Arts connection)
3)     Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. (Blog Book)

         V.     Multicultural/Traditional (2 reflections required on blog – one can be a picture book)  
1)     Stone Soup by Marcia Brown. (Blog Book)
2)     The Jack Tales by Richard Cress. (Blog Book)
3)     Fables by Arnold Lobel. (Wiki – Art connection)
4)     Grandfather’s Journey by Allen Say. (Wiki – Social Studies connection)

       VI.     Realistic Fiction (1 chapter book reflection required on blog)
1)     The Last Safe Place on Earth by Richard Peck. (required for discussion)
2)     Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo.
3)     The Leanin’ Dog by K.A. Nazum. (Blog Book)

     VII.     Picture Books (5 reflections required on blog during the first two weeks of class. There should be a total here of at least six.)
1)     Flossie & the Fox by Patricia McKissack. (required for discussion)
2)     Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems.  (Blog Book)
3)     Knuffle Bunny – A Cautionary Tale by Mo Willems. (Blog Book)
4)     The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg. (Blog Book)
5)     The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle. (Blog Book)
6)     Owl Moon by Jane Yolen. (Blog Book)
7)     Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin.
8)     The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle. (Wiki – Science connection)
9)     The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka.
10) The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.
11) Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak.
12) No David! by David Shannon.
13) Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late! by Mo Willems.
14) Knuffle Bunny Too – A Case of Mistaken Identity by Mo Willems.
15) David Gets in Trouble by David Shannon.
16) When Sophie Gets Angry, Really, Really Angry by Molly Bang. 

Wiki Checklist
Instructions: Write the number of entries for each category you posted into on the Course Wiki (requirement is four total posts, in four different categories).
 
_1__ Social Studies

_1__ Science

____ Math

____ Music

_1__ Art

_2__ Reading/Language Arts

____ Physical Education

____ Other

 

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Number the Stars

Lowry, L. (1989).  Number the stars. New York: Random House, Inc.


Genre:  Historical Fiction
Age Level:  10 and up.

Book Trailer: 

Booktalk:  Could you imagine growing up in a time of unrest in your country? How would you feel if soldiers were on every street corner? What would you do if these soldiers tried to invade your home without your permission? That is what Annemarie and Ellen face every day of their lives in Copenhagen, Denmark.
     Annemarie's family, the Johansen's, and Ellen's family, the Rosen's, are neighbors in an apartment building.  The only difference between them is that the Rosen's are Jewish and the Johansen's are not.  The unrest that these families face is due to the hatred of Jews. 
     How far would one family go to protect the other? What sacrifices would each family have to make? If you would like to know, then you should definitely read, Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry.  You will find that the power of love, friendship, and family is truly inspirational, even in times of unrest.