Ahh, The Wilhelm... Again

Visualization...the one tool I thought everyone had growing up. In high school I used to tell people who were disturbing my reading that they were "interrupting the movie." Little did I realize then how true this is. I didn't understand then that not all people had movies in their heads. My best friend and I used to compare the scenery, the characters and what they looked like to each of us, and debate their motivations.

When I was about seven or eight my mother bought my brother the Illustrated Classics to read. It had a plethora of classics with pictures in them. The last of the Mohican's, The Count of Monte Cristo, Edgar Allan Poe classics, etc. I read each and every one, savoring the pictures as I read. My brother never touched them, he would listen to me read but really the pictures didn't do much for him. He just was not interested. Since he drew all of the time in school I'm sure that if the teachers would have asked him to draw the action in the book being read he would have surely done well at that.

I personally LOVE art so this chapter was mixing my two true passions: reading and drawing or looking at art. Any incorporation of the things we love makes what we don't care about somehow relevant.

Obviously we can all see how much I am visually stimualted!

A Bit of Drama Anyone?

So far this semester I have had more of a problem making the connection to a classroom community than I have in past semester at U of L. This is mainly due to the courses splitting the different areas of elementary and secondary. I must say I did not know as many of my secondary peeps as I presumed. With that intro I must say it has been even harder to establish communities within these classes because not as much time has been devoted to the development of those communities. No name playing games, talk soup or introductions of one another (oh, wait - there was in one class - but that it). Names were lost, homework is overwhelming and you find yourself not knowing everyone and picking the same safe partners.

540 be my savior of classes! When I hit the middle of my week (yeah, that's on Tuesday) and I need the knowledge that somewhere there is a beacon to look toward. The little book club where Wilhelm executes techniques on us from outside of the realm of the class. We blog and reflect on what he says but honestly it never hits as deep as what happens in the classroom. This class from the beginning of the semester has been the Oooo, what's happenin' tonight class, the I'm goin' even if I'm sick class, the have to know the opinions on the books class. The class I have to have to feel alleviated for the rest of the week.

I could sit and list all of the ways Wilhelm teaches his students (and may I say I see stories visually - I can't quite remember the last time a story was about sentiment... oh wait, that's not true.... Harry Potter... So I guess I see both female and male sides of reading a story). I remember writing letters to fictitious characters, not always as assignments either! I remember developing stories in my head creating an extended ending and prequels as well. These were hardly ever written down and never turned in for credit of any sort. The idea of literary letters are very exciting, I've never heard of it but would have loved it as a student. My idea for a class room is to have my students blog about the individual choice book they are reading. In doing this each book on my list will have a blog of collective opinions. It excites me to think about! Toodledoo though this chapter was about drama... to act it out!

How many of us actually had teachers that would let us act out lit.- oh that weren't the drama teacher. I know the usual we read Macbeth and took parts. No though- not plays, literature. Acting out literature. One of my teachers had us act out psychology terms and definitions. We loved it. After tonight's class I think this could really work well with students.

First off I loved the story we read tonight... it's called The Chaser. Really good and rather short-kinda' to the point. But I liked the letter to the old man (who in my mind looked like Jafar when he's the old man in the prison of Disney's Aladdin). Therefore my letter was addressed to Mr. Snaggle Tooth. The division of the letter into a striking phrase and then the arrangement of the phrases into a meaningful poem was really neat and created good outcomes. But my all time favorite of the night (and maybe it's because I got to be Alan in love with Diana) was the good angles/bad angels on my shoulder. The idea is someone takes the stance of the person trying to be convinced then the rest of the group is split into two sides. The good side and the bad side, each of the representing reasons as to why the person should or should not do what ever the argument if for or against. It was interesting and fun, generating a lot of conversation and good humor. Not only this but these little skits and sharing of ideas lend to a great overall environment in the classroom. As most of you probably assumed I am not a shy person, I never really have been, but in certain environments I shut down, I'm not as outgoing. The less I feel I know the people I am around the more likely it is that I will keep to myself. This activity finally had the feeling of the classroom becoming an active community that had to be involved with one another. I like it.

Text Book Toggles

It seems the main theme in my classes for the week is text books. I find this pretty amusing because all of the problems that we've discussed facing the students in our classes are the same problems that face me with the text that I have been assigned for the classes that I take, even in college. Except you have to pay much hard earned cash for them and oh, the pain of having to read all 500 odd pages. I hate it... as much as the younger student does, that pain will never go away for me. As a matter of fact, a textbook, any text book, is one of my artifacts for this class, that's how much they have influenced my dislike of them!

On the other hand I know, with the help of supplemental text, these books can be a haven for those who do not like to get caught up in details and pictures. There are some who read solely for information only. The people I know like this never developed the love of reading that comes from the enjoyment of reading to like it. This is sad to me and another reason to teach reading skills throughout school. I didn't realize the movies in my head had a name, or that there should be an internal voice while reading text silently. These are traits that develop, not just happen. My situation is that I just don't remember developing these things because for as long as I remember they were already there, so I never understood when people didn't just posses these traits. It confused me.

The excitement of being a Language Arts teacher for me lies in the fact that I can help people develop these skills. I can show them that there are skills and I am not just a born reader! This is even more exciting than it was to begin with!

A litte Reflection

Oh my GOODNESS! I can't wait for the discussion of The Book Thief (yeah, I'm the nerd already finished). I can't remember, well, yeah I can, Harry Potter. But in that reference, I looked this book up on line to help try to find a quote that I loved from the book and ended up reading reviews, histories, the bio of the author and critics quotes about the book. One was quoted as saying, "I hate to call this Harry Potter and the Holocaust but that's how much I enjoyed reading this book." As twisted as that is I understand his comparison. I enjoyed it that much as well. I'm sure Jonathan won't have to read the book, I read so much of it to him.

On that note, I knew no other book could measure up to The Book Thief. So that is the situation I face when I contemplate this Searching for Alaska book. I am cynical going in. I love the classic coming of age stories and because of this I am weary going into the next book. For this reason, low expectations, I will probably like it. It is the same with movies. If I don't have expectations there is no bar to drop, no level to reach. I already assume you will be on the bottom to me. (and Yes, I know what ass-u-m(e)ing does).

The other day in class we did a fish bowl (I almost wrote round robin - classroom curse words). I really enjoyed this with the piece that the Pro. chose. It was complicated and I spilled my brains all over the pages (and there were only three...pages, that is). When I was finished the words were marked, questioned, underlined, boxed in, crossed out and mulled over. I ended up enjoying the piece (I think it was called She Unnames Them). Anywho, rules of the fish bowl being: Four people come to front and sit "at the table" (mind you, there is no literal table, they just sit like they are across from one another at one). ONLY these people talk, if a though strikes someone in the audience they tap one of the people in the circle. The tapped exits gracefully and the conversation newbie enters.

It worked out great! I learned loads. I was one of em' who did not know about this Plato and a cave and the shadows....whoa! What? So there was something to look up. Then there was this Swift fellow, which we were told was Jonathan Swift. I had no idea (still) how he fit into the situation. The point being that the collective of the class could bring to this piece of literature what I could not alone bring up to myself. I don't have all the experience, I only have some. The whole is greater than its parts and all that jazz. BUT it's true! This was great proof of that. I consider myself a strong reader (for the most part, I struggled at the two highest levels of lexile.com) but even as I did have my own take on it there was so much more to take in.

There are also times when I remember getting lost in a text and talking it out with my peers would have helped, but talking is restricted and collective thinking is stipulated to clubs. I could have used a fishbowl a few times in school. Instead I had to figure it out on my own, I wonder if I actually did?

A view of My Classes...

I am really enjoying this class so far. It's like the best book club in the entire world, not only that but we, as students, are bouncing ideas of what we like and what does not appeal to us - Like McDonald's, I'm lovin' it!

A few bring ya' up to dates... I'm taking nine hours again. That seems to be my cap as a Grad student. This semester they, my classes, are all the same general thing, they are all about reading. I'm excited, it's three versions (three professors) teaching me using different techniques. I'm gonna' enjoy this and I hope to take from it techniques I want to use to teach my class.

The whole point of this blog is to tell you why I didn't like Zachary Beaver, which makes it sound like I didn't like a person, but it's a book.

The plot was too much, too many things goin' on in the book. These are some of the conflicts just to name a few: Loneliness on many accounts, war (set in the Vietnam era), small town life, best friends, only child, broken home, alcohol, coming to terms with faith, etc. Too much for me to care about it all. Some authors can pull it off, don't get me wrong, but your involved enough in the main problem so the rest of the conflicts don't really get in the way. This lady didn't pull it together enough for me to get too interested! I was disappointed.

So now it's on to The Book Thief. Oh my goodness it's a can't put it down. I've never read anything so rivetingly written. I love the narrator - really, in general it's a great idea of a book and I'm only fifty pages in. Come on, I can only imagine how great it really gets. I'm in love... so far.

I'm obviously a picky reader so I'll keep you posted on the books that intrigue me... if you're interested.

First Impressions...

Here I am, back at it with another class! Oh boy is this one exciting me! It's teaching adolescent literature and for those of you who know me you know how I thrive on that very thing. We had to pick a book this week and explain why we chose that book. Out of the sea of lit. we all know there is , why did I choose When Zachary Beaver Came to Town.

Here goes.
It was the font and the color of the font for the title that drew me to this book. After I picked it up the black and white photo on the cover made it seems even more ominous to me, appealing. Who is Zachary Beaver? I suddenly wondered and the medal on the cover made me think that most people who had read the book had liked in it. In some way it had appealed to them.
I turned it over and read the story outline it gave. Hmmm, okay, interested. So I bought it. Now, whether I liked what I read is another story.

Over the Summer...

You all know I just can't stand to sit still. Nothing has changed. I must say over the summer I have been busy. I have redecorated three rooms and am seriously considering re plastering the ceiling. I realize this is a lot to take on... I said I was just considering it. I have heard via the Molly bird that a the elementary peeps are already starting their observations and methods! Whew, oh the love of being middle school. Though I am sure you are all having fun. I know I will seriously miss my lil' gang from the earlier semesters but I will have you all back for gags and laughs again in four months!

I look forward to seeing everyone in school and on their toes!

Onward to the next classes... and summer!

So I've succeeded in moving on to the next set of classes, and beyond. I have to say the Technology class may just be the most overall helpful class of the program. I really enjoyed it. I tried to get as enthused about the other classes over the summer, but honestly, what is better than having a fully Internet useable computer in front of you during a class. And it be a requirement! Oh well, I think I am going to keep up with this blog to let everyone know how I am getting along in school.

I got my first B - now, usually one would look upon this as a good thing, but seeing as we can only make a C or above, a B is really par work. I know I am not par work, I just didn't work at it. The class killed me! But buck up little camper - two months off to refresh - and Voila -(Love that word, like foil, but voil)- and I'll be back ready for the race. Well, I should be.

Burt Reynolds is not...

This is for a few people to reinforce the fact that Burt Reynolds is not my favorite Hamlet... as a matter of fact, Did he ever even play Hamlet???

Anywho, Kenneth Branagh is my fave of the Shakespearean thespian renditions.

Ohh, The Podcast

Alright, I was in the what the... happened in the podcast day group. It was because we were using Vista (thus me thinking those MAC commercials are pretty doggone cute). Audacity was havin' problems. In that regard we have no podcast to post...


So what I did was to do a podcast with my exemplar lesson plan; in hopes of getting my points I am posting the podcast beginnings I did at home for my Norton Juster lesson with the classic novel The Phantom Tollbooth.
Here goes...




Nope still havin' problems. And it's saved as a MP3 file. I have no idea.

Chpt 9

This is a summation chapter that talks about the digital slide into teaching with technology. I think I am apart of this digital revolution. I enjoy all of the communal sharing of information on the web. There are still soooo many people who are afraid or scared to let students explore (have an Internet inquiry lesson). If this approach to technological advances in the classroom stay it will be a more forced situation by the students. How can we teach people if we refuse to use what engages them? We can't, we won't , we aren't. If this is our continued attitudes then the students will teach themselves. Unguided learning is not the optimal option.

Dear Principal Hiccup,
I have just discovered a tool of webquest on line. It is a tool on the web (the one I saw an example of was questgarden.com). This area on line had posts that has class lessons up or we, as teacher, can post our lessons plans for our classes. These can be collaborations that can go on for days or just a little individual blurb that one of my students could do on their own. Each one taking the time allotted that they need.
What I like most about the idea of webquests is that we can collaborate across the curriculum. If I am studying a story that entails World War II stories then I could get on line and look up the American aspect of the Japanese in the entournment camps. This is an interesting perspective that is often not told. The webquests are a plethora of knowledge waiting to be unearthed and utilized. When we do this we seek to prove to our students that the lessons we teach them are cross disciplinary. We seek to do this all of the time. Here is a tool to help.
Thank you for your interest and feel free to ask me any questions. I'm excited to begin implementing these plans.
Ms. D. L. Kleckner

Hmmm, Social Bookmarking - it just sounds bad.

No really. I have used the bookmarking tool for years now. AOL has always had one and I have always been with them when it comes to internet service. I like em'... really I like my name on em'. (Mrsezzmerellda...my original pooch. Yes, I named myself after my dog. But so did Indiana Jones and look how smooth he is!) It is a very handy tool, this bookmarking gaget. I have sites that I visited from when I was eighteen that I like to go back and visit.

The Furl program seems like your own personal filing cabinet on line. The feature I like the bbest about it is the fact that when bookmarked it not only saves a link, but also an image of the site for you. This could come in handy down the road. But, as it recommends, I would be saving the items often from the computer to my flash drive.

Ch. 6

Podcasting sounds fun and amazing. (Had this been around in my elementary school my brother may now be a DJ.) I would have loved to do this in school and already I have so many lessons planned on the basis of using podcasts. I also know parents would love this. When (not if) I have a podcast for my classroom I'm sure my father will be on there listening to what my classroom is doing. SO the audience for podcasts can be vast and unfathomable.
More on this later...

Whew, alright. Back from class and trying my first podcast and all I have to say is BOOO! Booo this podcast thing. No, really, I will give it another try. We were on a Vista computer when we tried it but dog-on-golly my computer at home has Vista also. But Amy did help to explain the situation (I just hope I understood it all well enough to implement the plan). To the podcasting peoples who did well, do not fret, I will try to do a little podcasting in my home. I really do have a desire to understand this. I have already thought of a lot of ways I would want to use this in lessons. It could be a great outlet for a lot of students.

So, no, Boo! is not my final word on trying podcast, it was just unfortunately my first impression.

P.S. The screen casting example on Wikipedia is a neat example.

Chpt. 4... blog on the Wiki

Hmmmm, Peculiar this Wiki thing. I didn't know that was how a Wiki worked. Interesting. Now our class is creating a Wiki. I think this is going to be neat. Not only that but now I understand how Wikipedia works. I agree that it could be used well as backup information but not as a main source. But this would be a great tool for classes the specified on certain subjects. In college I took a class on Charles Dickens that was just begging for a Wiki and that was at a time where the Professor should have had an interest to do this. The sum of knowledge of multiple people is better than any one person's individual knowledge. I am always of this firm belief.

Please grant me the serenity to accept the pages that I cannot edit,

The courage to edit the pages I can,

And the wisdom to know the difference.

The Wiki Prayer

(Blogs, Wikis, and Podcasts ...by Will Richardson)

Adopt and Adapt

Adopt and Adapt! I agreed with this article. I think there are too many, "Oh, but I'm afraid _______ will happen." I like how the article notes that we are like that with everything new that hits the market. It's not just technology. Then there are so many teachers and people who are not only afraid but also somewhat intimidated by technology. My mother is a prime example. We have had a computer in my parents home since I was sixteen. She has, no exaggeration, never hit the power button on it. She can't even find it the power button on the tower when it's not lit up. I'm not saying this to make fun of her, I'm sharing this to share a point. She is intimidated. It is not her technology and so she can't even make a point to learn to do old things in new ways. She is stuck, as are so many, in the old things old ways phase. In her defense she has finally started to say she wants a laptop because she knows there is a world of information she is missing. I know there are teachers like this also. We do need to ask the students and listen to what they say.

I observed at Noe Middle last semester. The students there worked on computers everyday. The one to one portion of computers meant they had to share, and while this was a hindrance, it was by no means as isolating as not letting them work and operate on systems they can already navigate. The teacher informed me that she had no idea how to use the programs her students were using. She just let them go to navigate it themselves. When they had learned it she had them to teach her so she could show her future classes. I was drawn on this issue. Yeah, it seems like the thing to do and yeah, power point is harmless and helpful. But what happens if there is something harmful in the program that the teacher is unaware of? What then? Now you've released one hundred students into the arms of harm (hey- I kinda' like that!)? There has to be a medium and the implementation of technology has to start! But how?

My Flickr...and standard

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26557141@N02/

AH-04-1-1.4.1

Students will identify or describe elements of art and principles of design in works of art.

Elements of art: Line, shape, form, texture and colors (primary and secondary hues), and color schemes ( warm, cool, neutral - black, white, gray, sometimes brown/beige as earth tones)

Whew... 3, 5, 7

Honestly today I have been feeling a bit under the weather, that is to say, I feel like the whole storm cloud burst directly on me at five this morning. I'm doing slightly better now. It's amazing what sleep will do (when I could finally get to it)!
So here's my little diddy on chapters three, five and seven. From three I was interested in the weblog ideas. I like that it took us step by step through creating and implementing this in our classrooms. Kinda' like what we're doing now, but with smaller people (for me, more Oompa Lumpa size). It expresses a great concern for their safety and while I definitely agree with that I also know they are going to explore the net on their own (if they haven't already).
I really hope we go back and read chapter four, though I have read a lot of it on my own. I find Wiki's interesting... instead though, we hopped on to RSS's: Real Simple Syndication. Wow, now what does that mean? I had an extremely hard time wrapping my head around this but from what I got it seems rather useful. How I understood this was like setting up a folder of links to the sites or articles that need to used on a regular basis. If this is right I already have a RSS on my home computer. It's the task bar to the side that shows you all of the places you regularly go. But it's not pre-set up, we had to set it up once we started piddling on the computer. Had the computer not been set up this way I would have never taken the initiative to do this on my own, let alone learn how to do this.
Then wow, chapter seven was all about Flickr and photo publishing. I am already using Picasa (really close to Picasso, don't you think?) I love how easy it was to figure out. I'm no pro by any means and last night I created and imported my own slide show to my blog via Picasa. I have already set up my Flickr account and am pretty geared up to use it. We'll see in class today. The example assignments made me see how useful the tools of visual aids are in the classroom. Can't wait to use them to show examples of Ms. Havisham's House and Wedding cake from Great Expectations. Or let my students blog to me (and maybe the authors) about Z for Zachariah, and Fahrenheit 451. It all really sounds rather fun to... the students could make more elaborate projects and post pictures of them on the web for the class to view. This way there would be no toting the projects back and forth... a monitor, a sign-in, and a click later the entire class could see the end result!

Blog on Chpts I and II

Hey, Hey, Hey...just finished the chapters. The first one making me laugh really. I couldn't help but think of the teachers it mentioned that didn't know as much about computers as their students. Isn't that the majority of teachers today? I have too many examples of that in my head. My cousin is one of the Technology agents for the Public Library in Lexington. He goes around to the different schools or has the teachers come to him to learn the computer. He tells me often of the amount of teachers that don't know how to search the web or look for an ISBN number to look up books. He says they stopped trying to learn at the Dewey Decimal System. While I do love Dewey I know when it is time to hang it up. Dewey is gone, moved on to the greener pastures of the ISBN. These people are digital immigrants who do not want a passport into the land. They are afraid of the technology. You cannot be afraid if you want to keep your students safe. The teacher that I loved that I observed this last semester didn't know how to teach power point so she gave the program to the students and let them figure it out. When they had finished she had them teach her how to use it.
I feel like I am one of the first (and so probably a bit behind myself) of the digital natives. While I feel comfortable with the hardware, software and programs I know I have a lot to learn. I have never had a blog before, though I have read some i found very amusing. I didn't know what a Wiki was, until yesterday and now I see the pitfalls and crests of them being used. RSS's while I have the technical definition, I still need to use it under my fingertips to get the feeling of it. And I already love the Online photo galleries!
The second chapter had a lot of examples of how to use technology in the classroom. It had examples of how it could be done to how it is being done. I found the letter to the parents showing them where the blog will be and laying down some ground rules to be necessary. I also liked all of the examples of weblogs and the benefits listed to using them in school. I want to be language arts teacher and while I didn't think computer use would pertain to my subject my head is now swimming with the ideas I want to use. A blog could be a neat way to let my students and parents know what is going on in the classroom. Not only that but I could use a Wiki with my students to discuss the lessons or books. Oooo, it's like a book club that has mandatory membership for my students. I mean how neat to have a conversation with the artist or author of something as it is being discussed on line! Not to mention the help that the computer lends to organization! I also appreciated all of the sources it gives at the end of chapter two. I already use the Internet tremendously when it comes to my school work and planning. Heck, really I use the Internet all of the time, at least daily, to do something other than check my e-mail. There are nights when it gives me my menu for dinner!

My Techie Autobiography

I've been around a computer since I was little. I mean little, about three. Which puts us in 1983. My uncle had one of the Apples that you could play Baseball on. Ech-Ech-Ech in two second timing as the ball flew (in very slow motion) across the screen. We loved it! Then my parents got a swimming idea, they got my brother and I one for Christmas. I remember sitting and typing the programs in for hours just to get a face to smile on the screen. Nothing fancy, just a smiley face to pull it's line smile more upward. I loved it too.
In school we didn't have a computer in the room until fifth grade, then it was not used for much more than to create banners to welcome people back. In middle school we had a computer lab, and it could have been used to the utmost, but our teacher didn't know how to do his job honestly, so we sat and played games during our computer period. We didn't even do our portfolios on these computers yet. Really, looking back on it, in middle school we had a room full of computers and did no real learning on them. I think my "computer" teacher (who was also the art teacher) was learning the computers himself while we were.
In high school, when I was in my junior year, we got the Internet. Only one computer in the school had it and we had to share and be chaperoned while we were one the net. Fortunately my father got our first household computer at this time, with the net. My brother and I fell in love. My brother devoured the new technology leading him to his road of complete tech savviness. Unfortunately, as much as I loved the new toy it was doing nothing for my love of technology. Instead I was learning to love old tech. Turntables and VHS. This continued through college, this backward spiral of technology for me.
Then my parents got me a laptop. I loved this computer. All of my work for school was done on it and my newest roomie was a computer junkie. I learned quite a bit from her and I appreciate it. She is a valued resource for me. (She is now a computer teacher for Shelby County.) She taught me some basics of the computer but mostly she showed me not to be scared of what you are doing on the computer. We all make mistakes, well, not the computer, those mistakes belong to you as the controller of the computer.
So when I started Grad school I went out and bought a computer to keep at my residence in Louisville. I loved hooking it up and learning the in's and out's of the computer. This one has Vista which is taking some time to get used to but for the most part I feel very comfortable with this computer and it's uses. I think I am the most comfortable on this home computer out of the people who live here. It's really rather funny to me. My comfort comes from being around several people who are comfortable with the computer. I always have someone to go to who knows more than me and can help me with my computer situations. This makes me feel able to explore and discover the capabilities of the computer in the classroom. I think having the skill to bring the technology into the classroom will improve the interest in my lessons tremendously! I'm excited!

I had every right to be excited as well! We did some wonderful projects in here. More so what I have learned here was the reinforcement not to be afraid or intimidated by computers. I thought I would need so much help from people making a movie in Movie Maker. I didn't. I didn it all myself and loved every minute of it. Not to mention I LOVE the final product. From the film itself to the music to the entire basic plot. It was fun and creative and I know students of every age would love to do this.

At this time, of all the projects I loved, I wanted to love podcasting the most. I didn't. It's not that I won't try it again on my own. I just picked up the rest of the material and easily ran with it. With podcasting I tripped, tripping can be discouraging. In the end we accomplished the project but it was frustrating and rather tedious. I'll give 'er another round.

I have enjoyed blogging more than I ever thought possible! It's a communication with everyone. One I believe I will keep up. I feel as though I really got to show more of my personality through the collective projects than in any other classes projects. I appreciate the reinforcement of my abilities and can't wait to continue my "techsavviness"!

Oooo, it's the Start of the Summer Semester

Hey all... Just bloggin' a little to let everyone know it is mandatory for me to get my blog on!