Stephanie DiMuzio

[sdimuzio]

I really like this quote from the Ranker reading. It stuck me because I do feel that this is true for many teachers. With new modes of literacy coming out so rapidly, it is almost impossible to have mastered all of them. It is very overwhelming and honestly unlikely that a teacher would allow his/her students to use a mode that they they themselves were not familiar with. But just like it says in the reading it is crucial that we use our students as resources, for they know way more than we ever will know about certain topics. You must have faith in your students that when given a choice of topic and being open to different modes of writing, they will come up with something truly spectacular as Adrian did.

[jennaghackett-blog]

Fluency Assessment: DIBELS vs Miscue Analysis

DIBELS      - read a predetermined passage for a set amount of time      - teacher takes notes as kids are reading      - asks comprehension questions after      - benchmarks determined and can be increased by WPM

MISCUE      - not timed      - not as threatening, more relational      - quality not quantity of miscues            - high quality- doesn’t change the meaning            - low quality- changes the meaning

[sdimuzio]

This piece of writing reminded me of what we talked about on Tuesday about children's reading. We observed the child at a younger age who read the pictures fluently. Months later when asked to read the same book, the child struggled through the book because he was so focused on reading the WORDS rather than reading the STORY. I felt like this writing sample reflected that. When we watched "Emily" read her story today she spoke fluently in "correct" order of words. She wasn't trying to write words, she wrote her story. This piece however seems to be from an older child. If you notice the child's writing has become less "correct". You can tell the child was really thinking about how to write words rather then just writing his story. Also a very interesting piece of writing as well !

[jsouthmayd-blog]

Differentiation: learners start with whole or bigger concepts and then begin to move toward a specific understanding of how it works (making marks on a page to create letters and words to tell a story)

Decentration: Learners begin to understand that in order for a wider audience to understand…

[mollygrover-blog]

“Stages” of Writing: 

Pictures: 

Working out the relationship between drawing and writing. 

Sees drawing/writing as communication of specific and purposeful message. 

Participation in writing via drawing: reads drawings as if there is writing on them

Writes about life experiences and environment

Example: Picture of trees

Approximation: 

Experiments with marks on the paper and often scribble from left to right. Understands writing and drawing are different. 

Scribbles resemble writing 

Emergent Writing: Using letter-ilke forms or letter strings:

aware that speech can be written down and that written message remain constant

Understands left to right organization of print and experiments with writing letters and words

Realizes that print contains a constant message

Rehearses for writing by drawing

Example: B mdn VWo

Early Writing:

Uses initial consonants and final consonants

Relies heavily on most obvious sounds of the word

Words are separated by spaces

Example: I to h (I like to color)

Transitional Writing: 

Vowel sounds appear

Syllables are represented

Beginning sense of sentence

Example: My favrrit food is appls and makrone.

Conventional Writing: 

Attention to the mechanics of writing

Uses a range of strategies for planning, revising, and publishing own text.

Matches illustrations to text

Multiple sentences and many words have correct spelling. 

Example: Wen I was on vacsshon it was fun was fun to play weth Nicold. She is my baby sister…

[melissazuccarini-blog]

[sdimuzio]

[jennaghackett-blog]

“Teachers need to find out what children already know about written language in order to tell where effective instruction can start”

Bissex, Animation 5 (via jennaghackett)

[sdimuzio]

Cooper Reading

I enjoyed the Cooper reading the most this week because I am in love with Vivian Paley's work. I was first exposed to her in a class a few semesters back where we were told to read "A Boy on the Beach". From there I was hooked. I have read some other things from her as well and all are equally interesting and meaningful to me. In this reading in particularity I really enjoyed the dictation and dramatization techniques described in the article. I think it is super important for children to be able to connect to text in other ways then just reading it, whether it be from a book or their words. By allowing to children to bring the scenes to life, I believe it truly allows a child to engulf themselves in the literature and really bring its meaning full circle.

On the topic of Vivian Paley, this video just gives you a sneak peak of how incredible she is! If you get the chance you should really check her books out!!

http://youtu.be/wWxYRkmHNXM

"The child says 'I am someone with ideas, I am someone who turns ideas into actions and actions into new ideas & furthermore this is what I am intended to do. I am intended to have my own ideas, thats why i play the way i do. to show myself what my ideas are and how necessary i am to the community. '"

[rmr5255-blog]

Class Notes- 2/5

4 Participatory Stages for Children’s Reading:

Mumble-in attempts to read along child repeats by mumbling

Cooperative-read certain words at the same time

Completion- reader pauses at various points in the story and the child completes the sentence

Echo-children repeat the phrase of sentence after it is read by the teacher, could be spontaneous or prompted

[sdimuzio]

Doake Reading

""Big Books" should be read with all the enthusiasm and expression that the teacher can muster. As they are read and reread, the active, unison participation of the children is encouraged. To assist the development of their attention to print and in the control of directional and matching skills in the children, the teacher points to the print as it is read, being careful not to destroy the cohesion of the story. In addition, at least one listening post should be available in the classroom. Here the children, with multiple small book copies of the "big book," can follow along and participate in the reading as a recording is played on an audiotape. Other opportunities also need to be given to them to reread their favourite stories independently or with their peers. The development of reading-like behavior and its use by children to take control of their own learning to read strategies is almost assure" - Doake, pg. 10

I thought this was a really good video that gave some really good classroom reading techniques!

http://youtu.be/5cTrqD_w0AY

Another Video about "Big Books"

http://youtu.be/tuZSfvHHMr4

[sdimuzio]

Wohlwend Reading

“Ironically, at a time when educational researchers are reconceptualizing and expanding what counts as literacy to include multimodal ways of knowing, governmental policies rely on constricted definitions of literacy and achievement (Siegel, 2006). Rather than recognizing the imaginative power of children’s play as literacy that expands meanings and encourages collaboration, recent accountability measures (e.g., No Child Left Behind in the United States) challenge kindergarten and primary teachers to justify play activities within an increasingly academic curriculum.”

—

Wohlwend, pg. 44

This quote really stuck me because this is something i feel all teachers at some point in their careers struggle with. We learn how important play is for a child but yet are handed all of these standards and goals to meet and are expected and basically demanded to meet then, leaving little time for other activities. The answer to this problem is learning how to blend what is asked of us with what is good for the child. It is not necessarily an easy task to accomplish but with time and much thought it can be done! We must not get discouraged as teacher, and do what we feel in our hearts is right.

[sdimuzio]

Intro to MGP

364 days a year are spent preparing for this day "What on earth can be that important" some of you may say. I'm glad you asked, I am pleased to share this special day with you just sit back and relax, this may take an hour...... or two. This day I speak is just an ordinary day for most of you listening to me However this is the best day of the year, if you reside in South Philly I'm sorry to say but this all ill share today, so please oh please don't hate If you want to know more, stay tuned for my project commin at ya Feb 28th !

[jsouthmayd-blog]

Critical Literacy

Going beyond the surface level

Creating opinions about what you are reading

Hidden Curriculum: message that the author/illustrator wants the audience to realize

What makes a good reader? (list)

What is an alternative to the author/illustrator’s message?

How will a critical reading of this text help me change my views/actions in relation to other people?

(via jsouthmayd)

[morganwelsh92-blog]

Dorothy- Beyonce

Scarecrow- Steve Jobs

Tin Man- 50 cent

Lion- Nittany Lion

Toto- Blue Ivy

Glenda- Barbie

Wicked Witch- Chris Brown

Wizard of Oz- Morgan Freeman

“The Wizard of Oz”

Once upon a time in a far away valley

Beyonce got jumped in a dark alley

With Blu Ivy at her side she woke up far away

She met Barbie, the good witch, who came to save the day

Beyonce cried out “There ain’t no place like home”

Barbie said, “Girl twerk down dat yellow brick road, don’t roam”

Down the road she goes, hoping it won’t rain

She ran into Steve Jobs looking for a brain

Down the path they find 50 who ain’t got a heart

Yo boy come wit us we bout to depart

Lookin for some courage, the Nittany Lion comes along

He joined their group and rapped the Penn State fight song

“I’ll get you my pretty” said the wicked Chris Brown

The krew yelled back “Yo woman beater, calm down!”

They arrived at the hood of the Emerald City

Out comes Freeman, granting their wishes real pretty

Wearing dem red boots lined with the fur

Beyonce and Blue Ivy twerked home in a blur

[katieverbitsky]

[jsouthmayd-blog]

The 3 Little Pigs

Featuring: 

Ozzy Osbourne as Narrator

Regina George as Pig #1

Ricky Martin as Pig #2

Tina Fey as Pig #3

Boombox Guy as the Big Bad Wolf

[stephduthie-blog]

“So much of teaching reading and writing is really about making what-will-hopefully-become-habits more explicit; to teach kids how to think about the ways in which they encounter texts rather than what they should encounter with texts.”

Sherbs

make your habits explicit; teach kids HOW to think rather than WHAT to think 

(via stephduthie)