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.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
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.
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)
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.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Age Level: 10 and up.
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.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
The Leanin' Dog
Nazum, K. A. (2008). The leanin' dog. New York: Scholastic, Inc.
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Level: 8-12
Summary: The Leanin' Dog is an incredible story of loss, pain, and suffering, in the beginning. The young girl in the story, Dessa Dean, is in conflict with herself. She lives with her father, lost her mother in an unforseen accident, and longs to leave the four walls of her cabin. However, she can't even make herself walk father than the edge of her porch. In her mind, her mother's death was her fault and the pain that she has from this accident further increases the pain she feels from the frostbitten ears she deals with each and every day.
The setting of this story is in the mountains of Colorado during a harsh winter. The scenery can be felt in almost every line of the book. Dessa Dean used to love this time of the year, until it was partly responsible for her mother's death, and fully responsible for her own pain with her ears. She must wear a hat at all times, and pull it way down over her ears, if she is even near the cold coming from the doorway. That is, until one day she hears the sound of a dog coming from outside. She forgets about her pain and longs to find the companionship of a friend, in this case, a beautiful brown dog. The dog is not used to humans, but quickly warms up to her as long as she is outside the cabin. However, he finally figures out it is warmer inside the cabin and ventures inside only if the door is left open.
There are many ups and downs in this wonderful story. However, the climax of the story comes when the dog fights off a bear who is trying to attach Dessa Dean. Both the dog and bear run off into the woods and Dessa Dean fears that the dog is hurt. She finally leaves the cabin for her one true friend, and does not come home empty-handed.
Reflection: I am a complete dog-lover, with four of my own at home. If I see a book with a dog on the cover, it is sold. I bought this book two or three years ago at a book fair at school and just added it to my collection of dog books in my home library. If I had know how wonderful it would be, I would have read it sooner. I could not put this book down!
I think my students would love this book. It would be a great, suspenseful read-aloud for the classroom. I think I will do that in my own classroom before Christmas break, since it does make reference to Christmas in some of the chapters. I also think it would be helpful in teaching students good character and willingness to sacrifice yourself for others. It is important that we teach our students this today because many of them do not learn that in their own homes. It is so important to worry about others, even if they are in the form of an animal.
OMG! I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!! It would be one of my top most recommended books for others to read.
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Level: 8-12
Summary: The Leanin' Dog is an incredible story of loss, pain, and suffering, in the beginning. The young girl in the story, Dessa Dean, is in conflict with herself. She lives with her father, lost her mother in an unforseen accident, and longs to leave the four walls of her cabin. However, she can't even make herself walk father than the edge of her porch. In her mind, her mother's death was her fault and the pain that she has from this accident further increases the pain she feels from the frostbitten ears she deals with each and every day.
The setting of this story is in the mountains of Colorado during a harsh winter. The scenery can be felt in almost every line of the book. Dessa Dean used to love this time of the year, until it was partly responsible for her mother's death, and fully responsible for her own pain with her ears. She must wear a hat at all times, and pull it way down over her ears, if she is even near the cold coming from the doorway. That is, until one day she hears the sound of a dog coming from outside. She forgets about her pain and longs to find the companionship of a friend, in this case, a beautiful brown dog. The dog is not used to humans, but quickly warms up to her as long as she is outside the cabin. However, he finally figures out it is warmer inside the cabin and ventures inside only if the door is left open.
There are many ups and downs in this wonderful story. However, the climax of the story comes when the dog fights off a bear who is trying to attach Dessa Dean. Both the dog and bear run off into the woods and Dessa Dean fears that the dog is hurt. She finally leaves the cabin for her one true friend, and does not come home empty-handed.
Reflection: I am a complete dog-lover, with four of my own at home. If I see a book with a dog on the cover, it is sold. I bought this book two or three years ago at a book fair at school and just added it to my collection of dog books in my home library. If I had know how wonderful it would be, I would have read it sooner. I could not put this book down!
I think my students would love this book. It would be a great, suspenseful read-aloud for the classroom. I think I will do that in my own classroom before Christmas break, since it does make reference to Christmas in some of the chapters. I also think it would be helpful in teaching students good character and willingness to sacrifice yourself for others. It is important that we teach our students this today because many of them do not learn that in their own homes. It is so important to worry about others, even if they are in the form of an animal.
OMG! I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!! It would be one of my top most recommended books for others to read.
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Knots on a Counting Rope
Martin, B., Jr., & Archambault, J. (1987). Knots on a counting rope. New York: Henry Holt and Company, Inc.
Genre: Poetry
Age Level: All ages
Summary: Knots on a Counting Rope is a narrative poem involving two main characters - Grandfather and Boy-Strength-of-Blue-Horses. This poem is full of dialogue between these two characters. The boy often asks his grandfather to tell him the story of when he was born and how he was given his name. The counting rope is used to show how many times the story has been told and it's significance is used to show the passage of time, referring to the fact that grandfather is getting very old. Knots on a Counting Rope is a wonderful depiction of the special relationship between a grandfather and his grandson.
This poem is full of simile and personification. The wind is compared to the crying sounds of a bobcat and the boy is said to have raced darkness, as a human may compete in a race. These elements add to the meaning of this poem and allow more interaction between the poem and the reader.
Reflection: I am so excited to have discovered this wonderful poem. For years, I have had copies of this book in my classroom, but never taken the time to actually read it. I also found a Reading Rainbow video that goes along with this book, and am planning to use it just as soon as my class begins poetry.
I think this book would be neat to share with the class as a read aloud. I would also like to use this to show how simile and personification are used throughout poetry. There are so many good examples inside these pages. I also think that the students would be able to visualize the comparison very easily just by reading the words. Another idea would be to discuss how each student got their name. We all have a story of where our name came from and this book would be a great introduction to an activity where the students researched how they got their name.
Big Questions: What is a counting rope? What do you think it means to race darkness and win? Why did they name the boy as they did? How did you get your name?
Genre: Poetry
Age Level: All ages
Summary: Knots on a Counting Rope is a narrative poem involving two main characters - Grandfather and Boy-Strength-of-Blue-Horses. This poem is full of dialogue between these two characters. The boy often asks his grandfather to tell him the story of when he was born and how he was given his name. The counting rope is used to show how many times the story has been told and it's significance is used to show the passage of time, referring to the fact that grandfather is getting very old. Knots on a Counting Rope is a wonderful depiction of the special relationship between a grandfather and his grandson.
This poem is full of simile and personification. The wind is compared to the crying sounds of a bobcat and the boy is said to have raced darkness, as a human may compete in a race. These elements add to the meaning of this poem and allow more interaction between the poem and the reader.
Reflection: I am so excited to have discovered this wonderful poem. For years, I have had copies of this book in my classroom, but never taken the time to actually read it. I also found a Reading Rainbow video that goes along with this book, and am planning to use it just as soon as my class begins poetry.
I think this book would be neat to share with the class as a read aloud. I would also like to use this to show how simile and personification are used throughout poetry. There are so many good examples inside these pages. I also think that the students would be able to visualize the comparison very easily just by reading the words. Another idea would be to discuss how each student got their name. We all have a story of where our name came from and this book would be a great introduction to an activity where the students researched how they got their name.
Big Questions: What is a counting rope? What do you think it means to race darkness and win? Why did they name the boy as they did? How did you get your name?
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Stone Soup
Brown, M. (1947). Stone soup. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Genre: Traditional
Age Level: 4-8
Summary: Stone Soup is a Caldecott Honor Book. This book is based on an old French tale from many years ago during war time. It has been passed along from generation to generation and country to country, where we received this version of a wonderful story. Even though the story has changed in some ways, the main theme of the story has held true.
Stone Soup is actually a story about three soldiers who have gone days without eating. They want desperately to find food, but not one person whom they come in contact with will give them even a morsel to help take away their hunger. The soldiers know that the people of the village are lying to them and find a clever way to get them to feed them. The soldiers tell them that they will just have to make "stone soup". During this time, the people of the village are intrigued by the soldiers use of just small stones to make something wonderful to eat. All of a sudden, there is a huge pot of stone soup for everyone to share. How and when did that pot of stone soup become available?
Reflection: I had actually heard this story before, but had never read the book or seen the wonderful way the illustrations depict the story. The arrangement of elements in the picture share this story in a clever way. The colors of gray, black, white, and red are seen on every page, and nothing else. This is also reflected on the cover of the book as well. I think these illustrations added to the understanding of how selfish people can be, and how often we are tricked into doing things by others when we are trying to be that selfish person.
I think that my students would like this book very much. I also think they would automatically ask if we could make stone soup in our classroom. It would be a great experience to teach the students how to follow a recipe that is drawn out through the pages of a book. Then, it would be even better if they were able to share the outcome of their recipe with others.
Big Questions: What is stone soup? Have you ever eaten stone soup before? Would you be willing to share your food with people who didn't have anything to eat? How might our class be able to help people in need?
Genre: Traditional
Age Level: 4-8
Summary: Stone Soup is a Caldecott Honor Book. This book is based on an old French tale from many years ago during war time. It has been passed along from generation to generation and country to country, where we received this version of a wonderful story. Even though the story has changed in some ways, the main theme of the story has held true.
Stone Soup is actually a story about three soldiers who have gone days without eating. They want desperately to find food, but not one person whom they come in contact with will give them even a morsel to help take away their hunger. The soldiers know that the people of the village are lying to them and find a clever way to get them to feed them. The soldiers tell them that they will just have to make "stone soup". During this time, the people of the village are intrigued by the soldiers use of just small stones to make something wonderful to eat. All of a sudden, there is a huge pot of stone soup for everyone to share. How and when did that pot of stone soup become available?
Reflection: I had actually heard this story before, but had never read the book or seen the wonderful way the illustrations depict the story. The arrangement of elements in the picture share this story in a clever way. The colors of gray, black, white, and red are seen on every page, and nothing else. This is also reflected on the cover of the book as well. I think these illustrations added to the understanding of how selfish people can be, and how often we are tricked into doing things by others when we are trying to be that selfish person.
I think that my students would like this book very much. I also think they would automatically ask if we could make stone soup in our classroom. It would be a great experience to teach the students how to follow a recipe that is drawn out through the pages of a book. Then, it would be even better if they were able to share the outcome of their recipe with others.
Big Questions: What is stone soup? Have you ever eaten stone soup before? Would you be willing to share your food with people who didn't have anything to eat? How might our class be able to help people in need?
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