TORISSA MAMMONE ECL310

Weekly reflections  

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I searched this hash tag on pinterest, and found a whole new world of creativity. Not only did picture books appear, however also ways to incorporate picture books into art, music, cooking, etc. Tasks that focus on a picture book theme also appeared and how to create your own picture books.

Using pinterest as a search engine would be highly valuable search engine fr students as teachers can refine searches to monitor them, and students can scroll through endless variety's of new information and approaches to learning. 

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I found the release of anew picture book through the #picturebook search. New author Jake tells of his experience creating this picture book, and how a tiny dream became reality! The picture book received a lot of shares and comment applauding his success!

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A frontloading activity for this clip could be to get the student’s to predict what culture they believe is performing the dance, and what they believe the dance could be representing, focussing on the symbols created through movement. 

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1. I felt hollow and almost transparent, with no food and no strength, and I died on that cold night in silence.

2. The world has become ignorant, and is therefore blind. 

3. Front loading activity: read a sentence out from the book, without showing the students the page. Get them to then respond to the text by predicting what the book will be about with a peer. 

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INTERESTING CLASSROOM DISPLAYS

Throughout my placement I came across this classroom student achievement display. When I asked my mentor about this display she stated that the parents wanted to be able to look inside the classroom and explicitly see where their children sit in the classroom. She also stated that she tried to create a display that was uplifting and not undermining for those students who fell below the classroom average. I found this display interesting as firstly it was created due to the requests of the parents, without the opinions of the students, and secondly because she wisely created large achievement levels strands. This therefore meant that for the mathematical assessments she firstly investigating and predicted where majority of her students would sit, and she then extended that level largely so that even the lowest scoring child would fall in the fame column as the majority of the class. This technique is great, as I am someone who believes these classroom displays are unnecessary and can have negative affects on the children, my mentor went that extra step to ensure the student’s were respected and their mental health was cared for.  

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MAKING MEANING IN TEXTS

This week I have made meaning through and responded to a range of different texts. The main source of text I am exposed to and make meaning through daily would have to be writing and reading text messages. Not a day goes by that I am not communicating with friends and family over the phone. Text messages I have found can be difficult to make meaning from, especially as interpretations of the text can differ as expressions, feelings and tones can be harder to determine then through direct dialogue. Other forms of texts I have be exposed to include the writing of my personal journal. This journal is filled with inspirational quotes and words of wisdom I hear or see on a daily basis. When I read, see or am told something which I interpret in a positive, uplifting manner, I write this down in my journal. I obviously only write down ideas that I relate to in a certain manner, and can create meaning to.

On a more literal scale, I also come into contact with text in forms of takeaway menus and shopping lists, which directly display information in a summative manner.

On a university outlook, I have also been making meaning through journal article and textbooks. When reading these text types, I select ideas, theories or quotes that I believe make some connection to the topic of assessment.

Finally, I also have a book, The Power of Now by Eckert Tolle, which I read daily. When reading this book, I feel as though I engage in deeper thinking and reflecting skills. I make meaning from the words and interpret them into my own life experiences.

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WEEK 2 \ PREDICTIONS

The prediction activity I would use in the classroom would involve covering the front cover page with sticky notes. One sticky note would be removed at a time, revealing different parts of the cover to the students. The students must use their textual knowledge, previous experiences and the visuals slowly being displayed to predict what the story will be about. This can be completed in an individual student task, or in a classroom discussion approach. I believe a classroom discussion approach would be more beneficial due to the relaxed and inviting environment it creates, alongside offering educators an opportunity to see how the child is thinking and their abilities to describe their interpretations, thus being a form of assessment. According to Winch et al. (2014), teachers should model predicting strategies to their students, demonstrating how important the abilities of connecting and anticipating to the texts is for enhanced comprehension. Educators can utilise the ‘think-aloud’ strategy, expressing their thought process to their students.

RESOURCE:

Winch, G, Ross-Johnston, R, March, P., Ljungdahl, L & Holliday, M 2014, "Literacy: Reading, Writing and Children's literature", 5th edition, Oxford University Press Australia.

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WEEK ONE REFLECTION | Favourite Childhood Story

When I think back to my childhood story-time experiences, my mind is filled with the memories of the little mouse who would do anything to protect his big, red strawberry from the big bear. As one of my favourite childhood books, it was one I read to myself constantly, as well as got read to a lot by my parents. My Dad's expressions and voices when he narrated the mouses attempts to hide the strawberry by putting dirt around it to make it look like a hill and disguising the strawberry with glasses and a moustache made me giggle endlessly and beg for him to read it to me again! This book was also a great tool my parents used to educate us on the importance of sharing, as the only way the little mouse could enjoy his strawberry was to share it with the big bear.

Trelease (1982) states reading aloud to children can not only motivate children to read, however also see it as an activity of pleasure and fulfilment. My parents reading to me is definitely an influencing factor of my love to read, and the enjoyment I receive from reading aloud to other children and students.

 Resources Trelease, J 1982, 'The Read-Aloud Handbook,' Penguin Books, New York City.