Swashbuckling

Double-Entry Diaries

I really like this idea. It allows the students to keep tract of details on what they have read. Right beside that they get to have their personal input. The only thing I do not like about this is usually when I have to do this I feel like I waste a lot of paper, and it looks messy. One column will be longer then the other and spaces will he here and there. So I though about maybe one half be about the details and the other half about their personal input. The problem about this is the students getting mixed up where things are. So if I could figure out some small details I would like to use this.

Engaging with the Books

I also like this activity and it seems that it can be very beneficial. Having the class break down into small groups and read a book per group is excellent. It takes some stress off the students because they don’t have to worry about the whole class just the small group. It is also easier for most people to take and discuss with a small audience rather than a large one. It allows the teacher to work with each small group and help them on things they need help on kind of like centers.

Individual Research

This allows the students to research what needs to be researched. They are giving a topic and they have to look for information that they think is important. Most children are relatively going to get the same answers, but it allows the child to have more of a connection because they had to do the research.

A Data Retrieval Chart

I have mixed feelings when it comes to charts. I like them and it keeps things organized, but yes I do have problems with them. A chart gives a student a certain area to write in. When I write in charts I feel like I have to feel the box up even though short and direct may be all that I need. On the other hand some thing that I feel like I need to elaborate on I can’t because I don’t have enough space. So out of the four this is my least favorite.

Response to “Internet Workshop and Blog Publishing: Meeting Student (and Teacher) Learning Needs to Achieve Best Practice in the 21st Century Social Studies Classroom”

This article is a good article, and I will have to say it opened my eyes to a few things. It seems to me that there is alot more depth into research about blogging then I ever thought of. When it comes to blogs, I do agree that they can be a good thing but I see a few negatives with it. First of all I believe children need to be very structured when learning how to blog, and using certain blogging websites. I am lost myself with certain things about blogging, and still don’t know how to navigate through the whole thing. I believe a child could waste a lot of time trying to figure out how to do something instead of doing what they need to be doing. Also, another negative is that every child doesn’t have a computer and this can create a problem. Ok well some people will say, don’t assign them homework dealing with blogs or they can use a computer else where. Is it fair to let a child edit and do things to there blog and make it look more appealing simply because they have a computer at home and another child doesn’t. Every classroom doesn’t have enough computers for each student in the class, so this can also create a problem. A resort could be the computer lab, but a lot of times other classes are using them and the lab may only be available to the class once or twice a week. Well that’s most of my negatives, but I promise there are some positives.

Blogging allows students to refine, display, publish, and share things that they have observed, or read. Blogging can allow many doors to open when it comes to discussion. The class can discuss whatever the class is blogging about, or individual groups can have a discussion. Reading blogs from a teachers stand point can allow the teacher to learn many things about their students. Something’s that may be recognizable about a students is how well they research, how well they interact with others, how well they are developing, and many other things. Also blogging can just be used as a simple tool like making classroom connection, what the students have learned daily life and etc. It seems to be a online journal that you can edit and make it unique to fit you.

Finding internet sites can be very difficult. I am not afraid to allow my students to use the internet, but I do worry about what they might stumble across. It is a great idea to bookmark sites that you do find appropriate and child friendly. Also, using other teacher’s materials and websites can be very beneficial. A negative thing for me is that I like to do new things and not stick with the old always. So once I use some websites I am going to want to find more and this can be very time consuming. Besides all of this, the internet is the new age encyclopedias, and it is very beneficial to the students.

Love That Dog

This is a book that I can connect with in many different levels. I am not the biggest fan of poetry, and I tend to always complain when the poetry unit rolls around. Even with Jack complaining through his written poetry, he is still completing poetry. Jack is inspired by Walter Dean Myers, who actually gives Jacks school a surprise visit. When jack finds the information out about Walter Myers visit, it is the same time he see’s his dog ran over. It really doesn’t allow the reader to get upset about the dog being killed, because Jack is so happy about Myers visit. This was a little difficult to read, but since I could make a few connections, it was average.

Readings

Brown Angles

This is a book that is completed by short poems, and pictures. The photos consist of African American children. I have two favorite parts of this book. I really enjoy the opening paragraph; it permitted me to connect with the book. The second thing that I was fond of was the poem called Friendship. For some anomalous reason it made some type of association with me, and I even had a few people take their time to enjoy this poem. The photos along with the text throughout this entire book are incredibly inspirational. I would use this book either in the first week of school, or to introduce African American culture.

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