Module 3

Development of Literacy Strategies Power Point:

I really liked how the power point opened up with the two definitions. It helped set the tone for what it was going to discuss. The Seven Pillars diagram was a great visual and one that I believe I could turn back to when working with informational literacy. This power point did a good job of pointing out all of the issues that surround informational literacy. I never knew how many elements played a role in informational literacy. After viewing it, I will now carefully consider just how I incorporate the idea into my classroom.

Text Structures & Signal Words:

I really like the way this diagram was broken down. It was in a form that is both easy to turn back to and something you could even use with students. My favorite part of it was the signal words that indicated which type of structure the other was using. This is a tool that could be beneficial to both teachers and students alike.

Encouraging Enthusiasm for Reading Video:

The quotes in this video were extremely powerful. They went along with what I already passionately believe in, that children should be introduced to reading even at a young age. If parents value reading, then their children in turn will think it is something to be valued. Often times reading is an experience. Parents should make efforts to create these experiences as often and as effectively as they can. This is true of both children before school age and during school age.

Smart Table for Collaboration Video:

The Smart Table looks like an amazing piece of technology! While I have seen a Smart Board and all of the hands on and interactive experiences it brings, this looks like an even better way for children to work side by side to use the technology. I believe the possibilities with something like this are endless in reading and all areas.  Students could use it for reading texts, spelling, vocabulary, and graphic organizers and beyond.

Social Studies & Technology Video:

The use of the document camera along with the Smart Table seems like a really effective way for students to learn. I believe in the area of social studies, teachers could enlarge and interact with maps, graphs, etc. on the document camera and the students could manipulate them using the Smart Table. The same would be true of any resources that go along with literacy. Again, I am amazed at all that can be done using the Smart Table!

Science & Literacy Video:

I especially connected to this video because I teach young children, similar to those seen and described in the video. This video reinforced the idea of how important it is for students to understand and be exposed to reading at a young age. It is also important for them to be a part of listening and speaking elements of language since they are a precursor for their future in areas of reading. All of these children contribute to children’s ideas of reading. I liked how the video pointed out that things such as animal sounds, numbers, colors, sequencing, organizing, memorizing and cause and effect are all aspects connected to math and science. However, students are first exposed to these in the stories they read or have read to them as children. The video went on to describe why it is important to use informational texts in the classroom, even with young children. I have personally seen this to be effective and often do so in my own classroom.

Expository Text Structures – Moss:

I found this article to be very relevant to the things we have been learning about expository and informational text during this course. While it sometimes presents challenges to educators to teach such texts, it really enhances students’ learning when we take the time to use them properly. One of the challenges they present is their unique structure. Taking time to learn each structure will help us better use the texts when working with students. Retelling is another challenge teachers face, but an essential component. The article gave the resource of a rubric to use with retelling of expository texts. One of my favorite quotes in this article is, “The best informational books make even the most difficult terms and concepts comprehensible.” I think this quote alone supports why we should take efforts to use these texts in our classrooms.

Virtual Field Trips to Atlanta:

Since my Content Area Unit was focused on Atlanta, I had already viewed some of these videos. I was also glad to see that there are even more resources available to me for virtual trips to Atlanta. It is such a shame that sometimes we do not take advantage of all that lies within our own city. Atlanta is a city of rich history, excitement and constant change. Videos like this remind me, that even if we cannot get out there and see everything, there are ways to open up students eyes to what exists in the world around them.