Last post for semester - 3321 Lit for Public Schools

I ended up really liking this assignment. At first, I was not all into to the whole blogging thing, but now that I have it figured it out, it is neat. I liked being able to view the thoughts of fellow students and being able to comment. This was a good experience because it allowed me to revisit authors that I have not thought about in years and find new ones.

Chapter 7 - Picture Books

Sorry, as I was thumbing through my posts, I realized I overlooked this chapter.

If you think about it, as adults, we do that often to this genre. We have gotten so used to chapter reading, we forget how this section contributes to the thoughts and furthers the imaginations of our children. For our visual learners, it will allow a concrete explanation.

http://www.preschoolrainbow.org/book-themes.htm
This is a great website because it lists its picture books by theme. In the event that you are doing a lesson on water, you can use Do Fish Drink? First Questions and Answers about Water by Time Life for Children as a resource.

Presentations for Dec 1

The presentations were so good yesterday. I loved Shel Silverstein as a child and the depiction given in class today reminded me of all the reasons why. The tree to me is very much like a parent. No matter what, we love our children unconditionally. Another book that reminds me of the unconditional love of a parent is I'll Love You Forever.

The next presentation was over fairy tales. One of the group members showed me the Snow White story that told both sides of the story. I love this idea. I want to read this to my own children and nieces because I think it is a good way to introduce the concept their are two sides to every story and for us to teach our children not to judge.

The last presentation was Lemony Snicket's, A Series of Unfortunate Events. I loved the way this group first presented the story and then provided us as a class to interact in their lesson. The whole presentation made me want to read the book once I have the time.

Presentations for November 24th

Today was the second day to present. Our group was one of the groups that went. I am thankful all went well and smoothly.

The second group presented fantasy. I completely forgot about some of those stories. I loved The Neverending Story when I was little. I also liked the quote from Yolen. I am not a huge fan of fantasy, but her quote, that fantasy teaches us compassion about things that we normally may not understand, really sunk in. Also, the fact that fantasy allows us to somewhat escape reality reminds me we do not have to be serious all the time.

Presentations for November 19th

I am very sorry to the group that gave their presentation today, I had my last field based class that ran over in time. My group said the movie maker was excellent. The group got along very well and you could see that in their presentation. They told me the presentation was over folklore and the story was very sweet and sincere. I like the choice of the story.

Chapter 10 - Shared Reading - Read Aloud

Thursday, we did a shared reading activity. This is a horrible thing to do. I think I now know what ADD/ADHD children feel like after this experience. I could not concentrate. I kept finding myself trying more to read with the people in my group instead of comprehending what I was reading. I am not a good reading per minute person either. I see no point in reading if I cannot absorb what I am reading and comprehend the material. I completely disagree in making a child read for rate and not comprehension.

Chapter 9 - Non-Fiction including Author Profile

I never realized there is so many realms in non-fictions. I, also, thought it was interesting that all those little shape books and color books are a form of non-fiction. I have a ton of them left from my classroom. I have always kept because I didn't know what grade I would be teaching. Now I want to keep them to show older students that they are a form of non-fiction.
The different types of fiction that Professor Picket brought to close was very eye opening. Looking at those books, I realized different reading levels will be able to do research. Then when I went to visit with my niece this weekend, she had a comic book. It was bound like a book, but it was filled with comics from the American Revolution. I never really liked history when I was in school, and neither does my niece, but she does like very illustrated books. The fact that she was able to recite facts from that time period was very impressive. She hates history.

The book was called Road to Revolution by Stan Mack. More can be found at
http://www.stanmack.com/

Also, there is
http://pbskids.org/sid
where the Sid the Science Kid series is now publishing the series into children's books.
The goal of the series is to get children to think and explore other concepts in a fun way.

The first three books in the series will be:
Sid the Science Kid: Why Are My Shoes Shrinking?,
Sid the Science Kid: The Trouble with Germs and
Sid the Science Kid: A Cavity Is a Hole in Your Tooth

Author Profile-Traditional Literature

An author I really like is Tololwa Mollel. The book that is a favorite in our house is, Rhinos for Lunch and Elephants for Supper. It is story that reminds us things are not always what they appear to be.

Chapter 8 - What is fiction to me

Fiction to me is something that cannot be backed up with facts.

There is so many types of fiction. Sci-fi, horror, fantasy, romance, historical, the list goes on. I like stories that may have realistic description to it. For example, I like fictional characters made to live during a historical event. I also like books that integrate fact and fiction. When I was in junior high and high school, I really got into Stephen King. My favorite books were Salem's Lot and Misery. I like the fact that the characters seem real. Even the crazy ones. I don't have time to read like I used to, but I do get to read books with my children now. My older son enjoys stories that have to do with Amelia Earhardt and Charles Lindburg or other flight stories. My younger son likes scary stories. We are getting into the Goosebump series. It is fun to see their minds sort through the details.

Chapter 6 - Traditional literature

It is amazing what traditional literature is to different cultures and different generations. For example, The Brothers' Grimm's tales being cleaned up and made into nursery rhymes. To find out that the stories were originally a moral lesson and not just entertainment, puts a whole new spin on the versions we read now. Cleaning them up into nursery rhymes is contradictory. When I first learned the differences, I thought how twisted is it that we allow little girls to dream of Prince Charming. In the original versions of the story, even Price Charming wasn't always the real prince. Maybe part of the problem with allowing these children to believe in this facade is some children then can not cope with the reality.

I now think of retold stories as I do books made into movies. They to me are two separate works. I try not to compare books with movies because the movie generally does not live up to my expectations.

Chapter 14 - Children as Authors

I have already begun my field-based observations. I have been placed in a Kindergarten classroom. The teacher does numerous class books. Her philosophy is "if the class owns it, they will want to do it." It is true. In the two weeks that I have seen the class, everything from the walls to in their bins, they take care of. They are excited about learning because they see the before and after.

One example is, they had a community field trip and a book was made. It started with the entrance to the community, then a page focused on the fire department, the bank, the police station, etc... Although, the books won't be published, they do organize the thoughts and studies of the students. The children stayed focused and they were able to internalize the material. The assignment was able to reiterate writing, reading, and listening skills.

Through this chapter and real observations, I feel this is a very good way to introduce literature, mechanics of language arts, reading, and provide extension activities.

Chapter 6 - Traditional Literature

The section over traditional literature has been very interesting to say the least. When my kids were little, I would tell them the story of The Three Little Pigs. I would originally tell them the stories with the pictures. Then when my children had the story memorized, I would tell them to close their eyes and picture the story the way they wanted to see it in their minds.

Thank goodness we have a PG rated version to tell our children.

I do agree with Professor Picket, I do think it would be interesting and valuable to include the original tales in a high school literature class. Because morals are not allowed to be directly instructed upon in the public education system, this could be a way to do so indirectly. An extension could be to find were the stories originated and then compare/ contrast the tradition and/or culture of the of the origination point.

This is not a site related to a specific author or book, but it offers a great variety of literature.

http://www.learningwithliterature.ualberta.ca/traditions.htm

Also,
http://www.storycraft.com/files/activ.htm
is a great site for us to use with our students. It allows us as educators to explain that storytelling is not always the same. Most times when we verbally repeat a story it is not usually the same. Really this is just a neat site.

Maya Angelou in place of Chapter 5

I am very thankful for today's lesson. Not only did we get to hear from a poet who is a walking history and social studies lesson, I believe most of us were reminded why we have chosen to go into the field of teaching. Some of us even continued the discussion into our next class. A lot of us have begun our field service hours. We have come back to class with good and bad stories. It is encouraging to see men and women, students and professors care about the student. The fact that we were reminded that we may have nothing in common with our children except the fact that we are human beings is very touching. This is a term that I plan to take to the classroom with me.

Author Profile - Faction and Picture Books

In one of my other classes, our professor read Patricia Polacco's Thank You, Mr. Faulker. I loved this story. I went to library, checked it out, and read it to my boys. My older son has a learning disability and he related to the girl in the story. He told me he understood her frustration. I like to read with my children stories that will help them to express their feelings. I think it is important that children know they can get frustrated. But in order for us as teachers, adults, or even as parents to help them, we need to know what they are feeling. Communication is important and a good piece of literature can enhance the ways of communicating. This is definitely an author that can provide stories that will bring out a teary eye.

Per her website, in this world of technology, I found it very interesting she does no have a computer and therefore, does not correspond be email. But also know that she has teacher activities in her website that coordinate with her books.

http://www.patriciapolacco.com/

Author Profile - Sci Fi

Colin Thompson, author of, Atilla the Bluebottle and Space the Final Effrontary is another author that I came across. His books range anywhere from Sci-Fi to fiction with nature. His writings seem to be very diverse. The one book that originally caught my attention from the Children's Book Council was about a home that was left and taken over by animals to turn into a home for a family again. Then once going to his website, I find an array of literature.

http://www.colinthompson.com/

He is truly an author of different genres. Not only can you find science fiction books, there is also: poetry, picture books, books for adults, and more.

Author Profile - Fiction

I have read Judy Blume since I was in elementary school. She had a special way of writing all the adventures of childhood. I find it amusing that I now read some of her books to my children. Earlier today we went to the library and my children and I checked out The One in the Middle is a Green Kangaroo. I know this exercise is supposed to reveal new authors, but it hard to forget the ones that tugged at our hearts when we learning to read.

http://www.judyblume.com/books/picture/kangaroo.php

Also, when we are young, we only look at the books. We don't, or, at least, I didn't look at who the authors where as people. After further reviewing, "Judy on the Web," I really like the personality of this author. She has a subsection on her page that gives her perception of censorship, on writing, and even an area that is for kids.

Author Profile - Poetry

When growing up, I didn't get to focus on poetry. We focused mostly on the form of the poem. One author, that I have come across is Brod Bagert. His works seem to be solely for the purpose of entertainment and dramatic effect.

Giant Children seems to be a good example of a book that draws boys in. I often feel that boys are overlooked in literature the same way girls have been left out in mathematics. The specific poem Bad Words is especially appropriate for all age groups in boys and girls. The author seems to really find a way to connect to his readers.

http://www.brodbagert.com/

Chapter 4 - Responding to Literature

When I was younger, I read anything from Stephen King to Emily Dickenson to Judy Blume. The list goes on. What I read depended on the mood I was in. The great thing is I had all of these books at my fingertips. I had teachers that did not make me feel like it was a bad thing that I read King's, Salem's Lot. In this chapter, it is suggested that we have a classroom library. I feel it is because of the teachers that I had and their influence of reading that I did have a broad interest and like for reading.

The beginning quote of this chapter reads, "Don't forget that a book is a private contract between a writer and a reader. Don't try to force another reader to share your contract. And. above all. don't kill the joy." This was said by Katherine Peterson, author; personal communication, September 1999. We as educators need to not only remember this for literature, but for all subjects. Remember, children learn differently. We need to accept and be proud of our students that interpret our lessons, process the lesson and then modify it to make sense to them. This is higher thinking. Hopefully, we will experience this when we are teaching.

Here is the sites to some old favorites that got me through different times of my childhood.

http://www.judyblume.com/

http://www.stephenking.com/index.html

Chapter 3 - Understanding What We Read

I really liked this chapter. As teachers, it is very important we know how to engage children into a conversation about things they have read and learned. Children have to be able to understand what they have read in order to talk about it. Today in class, Professor Pickett, spoke about how she was getting smarter just by talking to us about the lecture. If children can "retell" what they are learning, think how much smarter they can become. If they practice at retelling, there could also be confidence building up. It could be a whole new generation of public speakers. Since reentering the college scene, I have come across many students who do not like to talk in front of a people. Maybe one reason for this fear, is all of the students have been expected to sit behind a desk and listen to a teacher without being able to answer or respond back.
Something that continues to stick out in my mind is Rosenblatt's theory. I never considered how much control we have over what we read. The way our textbook states, "... text is static, and the author has no more control over it." It is true of any written piece. If if is a paper written for class or the next great piece of literature, the reader is now the translator for the words on the pages. The author has had to let it go.

Chapter 2 - Cultural Responsive Classrooms

Culture (according to our) text is "ways of knowing, believing, valuing, and thinking among a group of people." How do we determine the culture of our classroom? Well, we need to communicate with our students. Questions I found interesting from the text are: Who is head of household? What are home rules for touching? and What home responsibilities do children have? We forget that not all families are like our own. Whether good or bad, family is a huge influence on the child. The child could come from a single parent household, or not, but be a latchkey kid. Is the child in charge of all of their siblings, or is the child even with his or her natural family? Does the child have food on the table or does he/she worry about the next meal? Is there a religion practiced in the home? Atheism? Is school the safe place for the child? Although, these all seem like concerns instead of cultural attributes, they are still what is making up the child.
It seems like a child should be allowed to go to school and only have to learn, but the fact is that many of our students will have the above mentioned burdens on their shoulders. How do we let our classroom be the one place without worry? Through literature. "we read to know, we are not alone." C.S. Lewis. Literature becomes the escape. It becomes the common thread for all the students. It becomes the imagination station where anything could be possible. If only, we as educators, will remember this when we have our own classroom.

One thing this chapter did well was to emphasize how to be sensitive to our cultural differences. I also want to do this, but I also want to find ways to show my students that through our differences, we have ways of being the same.

Burrowes, A. J. (2000). Grandma’s purple flowers is a book that demonstrates the loss of a loved one and how the child copes. No matter what the cultural difference, all people will at one time experience a loss and have to find a way to cope. Her site...

http://adjoaburrowes.com/

Also, Smith, C. L. (2002) is another author that shares her multicultural background for the education and entertainment of children. More information about her can be found at...

http://www.cynthialeitichsmith.com/

scholastic warehouse website

Hey guys, here is the website for the scholastic warehouse book sales. You can get some really great deals.

http://www.scholastic.com/bookfairs/events/warehouse/states.asp?st_abbrev=TX

Right now, it does show that there are no sales events going on. You just have to check every so often.

Chapter 1- Foundations of Literature

My book finally arrived. As a result, my children's literature author and my chapter one blog are separate.

I don't always like to read for myself, but I do love to read to children. This chapter is so practical. When I taught preschool, my kids loved I'm Going on a Bear Hunt. Before class I would rearrange the classroom and make the bear hunt. At the end I would put a huge teddy bear in a dark closet. The kids loved it.
I never thought about all the aspects that go into teaching reading or helping to continue literacy. I only wanted to make a fun reading lesson for my four year olds. I did not know about the six language arts. Reading, writing, listening, speaking, viewing, and visual representation (Tompkins, 2005) are stated in our textbook. I know it won't always be time sufficient, but to be able to develop a pattern of acting out literature, should help to keep children interested. I would think with all the high tech gadgets out there, the best way to keep kids thirsting for more literature is to bring the literature to life.

Here is the link to Rosen's site...

http://www.michaelrosen.co.uk/bearhunt.html

Another author that I have found is Steven Kroll. His books are a mix of fact and fiction. They are a faction. The field based teacher that I observed under read The Biggest Pumpkin Ever. It is a story about two mice that both end up taking care of a pumpkin and as a result the pumpkin becomes huge. Well, I went to his site and he has a variety of books that mix children's topics and natural resources or U.S. History. One book I want to get is Stuff. Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. I am not an extreme environmentalist, but I do feel we need to be responsible for our environment. I think this book could be incorporated into a lesson to show children how important it is to take care of where we live and what we own.

His site is...

http://www.stevenkrollauthor.com/

children's literature authors

Well, here it goes. My first real blog.

Three authors and their books that are read over and over in my household are; Robert Munsch's Love You Forever, Audrey Penn's The Kissing Hand and A Pocket Full of Kisses, and Judy Schachner's Skippyjon Jones. Munsch's book and Penn's books are more thoughtful of the relationship between mother and child. I remeber the first time I read Munsch's Love You Forever and I could not finish reading it through the emotion that clogged my throat. It was so sweet because my little boy just looked at me and asked why I was so sad. I didn't know how to tell him that book reminded me he was going to grow up some day. He was only about four. Now my son is a fifth grader and he reads the book to me. It is amazing that my son is still interested in this story. I like to read Penn's
books because it reminds me that children need to be reassured of grown ups feelings for them. I have noticed whenever I read her to my second grader it opens up questions of insecurities he may be having. Schachner's Skippyjon Jones is a hilarious story about a Siamese cat that thinks he is a Chihuahua. My kids love this story. Even as grown up as my fifth grader says he is, he still chuckles at the silliness. When I taught pre-K, I would always tell my little ones, you can be whatever you want to be. Never to let anyone make you do something you don't want to. This story is the best illustration I think I have ever seen.

http://www.robertmunsch.com/

http://www.audreypenn.com/

http://www.judithbyronschachner.com/

Hello, this is my first blog. I have never done this before.