Daybook Entries: Evidence Explaining Final Answers to Course Essential Questions These 4 daybook entries act as evidence and showcase my thinking and building process to being able to answer the essential questions. For a detailed explanation of my answers to these questions, please refer to my reflective essay in which I have devoted time to depict my final answers.
2/7/12 - Wilhelm's "The Social Contract" - From "You Gotta be the Book!"
The Social Contract - For student connections and a positive learning environment, the following needs to be established (coming from a student's point of view)....
My teacher will try to get to know me as an individual
My teacher will care about me
My teacher will address my interests in some way (either outside or inside the classroom)
My teacher will assist me to learn and will work hard to make sure I have learned
My teacher will be passionate about the subject and about teaching
This social contract not only represents student voice and strategies to support their growth, but it also forms my personal beliefs of what I wish to represent as an educator. By embracing to our students that we care about them as individuals, this in turn will support all readers, especially our struggling readers, and help our students as they engage in literature. If we do not abide this contract, this will constrain our students and they will struggle more so with literature.
3/5/12 - "How Do We Share our Literacy Values with our Students?"
Be readers ourselves
Be accepting to multiple genres/be knowledgeable about multiple genres --> also applies to books and authors
Have a classroom library
Share and discuss books as a class and share feelings that the books provoked
Establish SSR in class day
Incorporate literature into other concentrations (math, science, social studies, art, ect.)
Connect texts to other texts, personal experiences, and worldly concepts
Introduce a multitude of texts to the students and showcase their connections to literature - film, graphic novels, picture books, poetry, music, ect.
Do not "kill" books when reading as a class by dragging them out
Talk about the books we are personally reading to the class and show our excitement about reading; be reading models
Allow student choice in reading
4/10/12 - Why Studying "Literature?" I believe it is important to study literature so that students can establish connections between past classical literature and new literature. Studying literature also helps students form a deeper appreciation for new literature that makes references to past literature. I will always remember when my 12th grade English teacher told me that if you know the Bible, Greek Mythology, and Shakespeare, that these classical pieces of literature will help me to have a deeper understanding of more common day texts due to their heavy references. One example I can think of that showcases this theory is in Jonathan Safran Foer's novel Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close there are references to Shakespeare's Hamlet. By knowing this past classical literature and when reading this new novel, when you come to this reference of Hamlet you better understand what the main character, Oscar, is trying to say and depict.
Other reasons include:
Tradition to literature
It is a literary canon
To join "the great conversation"
Glimpse into human truth
Understand effects on society
Understand Past
Experience different types of setting
Recognize how history has evolved
History repeats itself
Exceptional Art Form
Cultural References
Foundations for future
Builds Skills
Allusions
Challenges us - pulls us out of our comfort zones
5/1/12 - Essential Question #1 (Reading) "What is "reading" and how do we develop as readers? -- Reading is a life-long process. It is more than just the exercise of reading words, but rather it is an experience one has with a text. Reading does the followings:
Generates emotions
Expands Perspective
Takes people to different worlds
Acts as an escape/remedy
Is a portal to a new world and allows the reader to slip out of their shoes and into someone else's
An event
A key to life's questions and issues
An outlet
A mind-builder
I could go on and on about what reading does and is, but the list would be infinite! In summary, reading is life's most precious feelings and experiences on a tangible surface and wrapped up in a neat little package called a book. As a final note, we develop as readers through practice, experiences, having exposure to a multitude of texts, and reading on a daily basis. We also develop as readers when we can discuss texts with the people surrounding us such as our classmates, teachers, family, and friends.
These 4 daybook entries act as evidence and showcase my thinking and building process to being able to answer the essential questions. For a detailed explanation of my answers to these questions, please refer to my reflective essay in which I have devoted time to depict my final answers.
2/7/12 - Wilhelm's "The Social Contract" - From "You Gotta be the Book!"
The Social Contract - For student connections and a positive learning environment, the following needs to be established (coming from a student's point of view)....
This social contract not only represents student voice and strategies to support their growth, but it also forms my personal beliefs of what I wish to represent as an educator. By embracing to our students that we care about them as individuals, this in turn will support all readers, especially our struggling readers, and help our students as they engage in literature. If we do not abide this contract, this will constrain our students and they will struggle more so with literature.
3/5/12 - "How Do We Share our Literacy Values with our Students?"
4/10/12 - Why Studying "Literature?"
I believe it is important to study literature so that students can establish connections between past classical literature and new literature. Studying literature also helps students form a deeper appreciation for new literature that makes references to past literature. I will always remember when my 12th grade English teacher told me that if you know the Bible, Greek Mythology, and Shakespeare, that these classical pieces of literature will help me to have a deeper understanding of more common day texts due to their heavy references. One example I can think of that showcases this theory is in Jonathan Safran Foer's novel Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close there are references to Shakespeare's Hamlet. By knowing this past classical literature and when reading this new novel, when you come to this reference of Hamlet you better understand what the main character, Oscar, is trying to say and depict.
Other reasons include:
5/1/12 - Essential Question #1 (Reading)
"What is "reading" and how do we develop as readers? -- Reading is a life-long process. It is more than just the exercise of reading words, but rather it is an experience one has with a text. Reading does the followings:
I could go on and on about what reading does and is, but the list would be infinite! In summary, reading is life's most precious feelings and experiences on a tangible surface and wrapped up in a neat little package called a book. As a final note, we develop as readers through practice, experiences, having exposure to a multitude of texts, and reading on a daily basis. We also develop as readers when we can discuss texts with the people surrounding us such as our classmates, teachers, family, and friends.