Hello, Week 4

Hello, class! It's week 4. How about you post about the YA book you have recently read? What was it about? What were its strengths and weaknesses? What kind of pedagogical uses can you see for it? Just do a little "book talk" in writing. . .
Janet

Newbery and Coretta Scott King Winners Announced

Hello, all! The 2006 Newbery, Caldecott, and King winners have been announced--see the link--

2006 Caldecott, Newbery, Printz, King Winners Announced  (The Book Standard, January 23)
Lynne Rae Perkins, Kevin Henkes, and Jacqueline Woodson were among the authors and illustrators with reason to celebrate as the American Library Association announced the winners of the year's major children's and young adult book awards, including the Caldecott, King, Printz, and Newbery awards.
http://www.thebookstandard.com/bookstandard/news/author/
article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001883284

boys and reading/literacy

Here's a paragraph from the NCTE "Inbox" (an email update of literacy-related news stories which you receive if you're a member of NCTE) related to Larry's post about boys and reading. You should be able to go to the link and find a newspaper article about this topic.
Janet

Making Learning a Guy Thing  (The Salt Lake Tribune, January 17)
Across the nation, more than 80 percent of school disciplinary actions are aimed at boys and they take more medication for attention disorders, according to Kathy Stevens, co-author of the book The Minds of Boys: Saving Our Sons from Falling Behind in Life and School. She believes problems boys face often can be traced to the fact that they learn to read later and often never develop a love of reading.
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_3409374

Week Three

Hello, class! I see that Keira posted some questions for tomorrow's discussion about reading workshop. Please try to answer at least some of them on the blog prior to tomorrow.

Also, once you get out "into the field" to do your miscue, use this forum to share how it's going--what are you seeing, thinking, and learning from your miscue? Are they teaching you anything about middle school reading and readers?

Also, I see there are a lot of questions about "reading" classes. If any of you are working in real reading classes, you might ask your mentor teacher about their purpose and the curriculum.

Janet

Week Two, Already

Hello, class! So it's week two of our six week class already---almost midterm! :)

Anyhow, here are some guiding questions for blog discussions this week, although you should feel free to post about whatever you want:

1. What is "reading"? How would you define it?
2. What are middle school kids reading these days? At school? At home?
3. Describe your own reading history--did you like to read as a middle schooler? If so, what did you read? If not, why not?
4. What is the difference between a reading "skill" and a reading "strategy"?
5. How/why can classroom teachers assess their students' reading abilities?
6. Do you like the concept of reading workshop? Why or why not?

There are a few questions to get you started! Remember, you need to post twice a week.

Janet

email to teachers; miscue project

Hello, all! Here is a copy of the email I sent to the teachers asking them to work with you. This is FYI:

Hello middle school English educators:
I am teaching a course at Purdue this semester called EDCI 434: Teaching English in the Middle School and Junior High. It is a 6-week class that is taken before the students go out into their student teaching placements. The course focuses on middle level English education, and as part of the class they do a field experience of approximately 10 hours (four visits or so) during which they conduct a "miscue analysis" project.

The main purposes of this project are (1) to give students insight into the reading process by analyzing one middle school reader's miscues; (2) to give students insight into one reader, not only through miscue analysis and the subsequent retelling/discussion but through a reading interview; and (3) to give students the opportunity to apply some of what they've learning about effecting teaching by making recommendations for helping the reader become more effective and/or more efficient (if appropriate). The project involves the following four field visits:

1. interviewing a child to find out about his/her reading interests, strategies and so forth;

2. having the child read orally;

3. having the child retell the story or selection without prompting, then discuss it; and finally,

4. asking the child questions to probe for deeper understanding of the selection and his/her reading strategies.

If you think you might be willing to have one or two of my students visit your classroom to complete the miscue analysis project, please let me know. Also, feel free to send this email to any other potentially interested teachers. (I know my email list is not comprehensive.) The written project will only be read by me for the purposes of class instruction, so the final paper will not be distributed to any wider audience or be disseminated in any kind of professional context.

Let me know if you have any questions or concerns. I look forward to hearing from you, and thank you very much for your help! We couldn't educate such wonderful new English teachers without you.

Sincerely,
Janet Alsup


ALSO--if you know a middle school aged child and would rather do your miscue project with him/her OUTSIDE of a school setting (in a tutoring situation, a nanny situation, a friend's child, or your own child) that is fine. Ask me if you have more questions about this. I will send the permission form tomorrow, as promised.

Let's talk about the brain. . .

So, what are your thoughts about the reading, "Implications of Brain Research for Teaching Young Adolescents" and "Beating a Path to the Brain"? How much do you think the biology of brain development affects learning, particularly in the English language arts? How much do you think neuroscience or brain research should affect pedagogy? Were there any parts of the reading that you found particularly interesting?
Janet

Welcome to the EDCI 434 Teaching English in the Middle School Blog!

Welcome Purdue students! This will be our class blog for the next 6 weeks. You are required to post two posts a week (at least) about class readings and discussions. Daily discussion leaders should consult the blog posts and use them to structure and lead discussions about various class topics of interest.

Let's start by writing a little about your upcoming student teaching placements and experiences. Where will you be going? What will you be teaching? Do you know yet? What age group will you be working with? Are any of you working with middle schoolers? What questions or concerns do you have? What are you most excited about?

I'll see you soon!

Janet