Ashley Steines
ED 350 t3 F06
Literacy Journal
Goals (Week 1 goals still remain):
Messages posted to the Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development's ASCD SmartBrief electronic mailing list, subscription
available through http://www.smartbrief.com/ascd/.
Christopher, M. (1998). On the field with Mia Hamm . Boston: Little, Brown and Company.
Journal:
9/15 & 9/17 Progress note:
Well, I'm about halfway through the book, Educating Esme , and my desire to keep reading it hasn't changed a bit. One quote, in particular, that basically sums up the job of teachers states, "I don't work for you, I work for the children," stated Madame Esme to Mr. Turner, the school principal. Esme also uses a strategy in here to gain her students' attention, and that is by raising her thumb. It's amazing how a classroom can seem so out of control, but with the raise of a thumb, within seconds the teacher can have the students' attention just like that. I am anxious to see what the rest of the book has in store for me.
9/18 Progress note:
While working on the readability assignment for chapter 2, I found myself having to go back and read more about the five cueing systems. This is a step towards reaching my goal of "rereading materials from the chapter/links that clarify confusing concepts or that stimulate my thinking."
I have begun reading articles from the ASCD SmartBrief and I feel that this is a way for me to receive current news about issues in the world of education. A lot of these articles contain information that will affect me as a future educator. I find it beneficial to receive these articles by email because that way they are saved in my email account and are easy to access whenever I want to. What a great use of technology!
9/19 Progress note:
Another goal of mine this term is to read one, full-length, non-fiction selection that supports my CA, so I chose the book, On the Field with Mia Hamm . While reading this book, it took me back to my younger years. It talked about how Mia's brother would always pick her first to be on his sport's team, and it reminded me of how my older brother did that same thing with me. This book might be at a 5 th or 6 th grade reading level, but I feel that it is a good book for me to read because it is full of motivation. I could use this book in my CA not only because it deals with a sport, but also because it stresses the importance of working hard to achieve goals and never settling for anything but being the best. I also have stepped outside of my schema by reading this book because I am not very familiar with the game of soccer. Above all things, I am reading about one of the best, female athletes in the world!
9/20 Progress note:
I was told by a professor here at Wartburg about a Dr. Seuss book that would be of good use in an elementary Physical Education classroom. The book is titled, Oh, The Things You Can Do That Are Good For You! I really enjoyed this book. Dr. Seuss uses a clever way of informing young children about the importance of staying healthy. Even students who are just beginning elementary school, who cannot quite read, can enjoy this book. Some examples of the things that it stresses are the importance of exercise, eating healthy, and resting. For example, one page states, "Exercise gives you energy and helps you grow. It gets your heart beating and makes your blood flow." Not only is the book full of fun rhymes, but the graphics in it are amazing.
I have continued with my goal of reading articles from ASCD SmartBrief. The article titled "Back-to-School: Books and Bullies," enlightened my knowledge base on how more bullying occurs in elementary schools than any other schools. What I thought of right away when I read this was how I will soon be an elementary teacher and will have to be prepared to handle bullying. Whether it is in a general classroom, or in the gym, bullying will take place and it is my job to be that adult that students trust and feel comfortable discussing bullying with.
A second article that was rather fascinating is titled "Schools Taking Longer Look at Extended Classroom Time." I've heard a lot of talk about more schools going to the all-year-round schooling, and this article talks about schools, even ones in Iowa, thinking about extending the school year to 200-220 school days. Although this may have benefits, some people argue that the summer months are very important because that is when children have time to work, go to camps, and spend time with their families. As much as I would enjoy my summers off, I also feel that in a three-month period, students forget a lot of what they learned. I am interested to see what the decision will be on this topic.
9/14-9/20 Weekly reflection:
It's amazing how in just one week, my attitude towards literature can change so much. Even though I am very busy with homework and volleyball, I have found time to enjoy reading texts that interest me. Not only that, but I also have added new texts to the list. I am now reading articles from the ASCD SmartBrief, a non-fiction book about Mia Hamm, and I also read a short book by Dr. Seuss. Although the SmartBrief articles might be rather short and can be read in 5-10 minutes, they contain important information, especially for me as a future teacher. I would say that over the past week, my devotion towards literature has taken a big step forward. Now we just got to get it to the point where it takes not a step forward, but a leap forward.