My thoughts on Choral Reading

While I find choral reading nice in the sense of shaking things up, I found it difficult to concentrate. It was fun trying to pick out exactly what each part was going to be, but I'm not sure what the exact point of choral reading is. It seems that when listening and/or coming up with a strategy the story was lost. I couldn't even tell you right now what our story was about, or any of the names of the other stories that I heard. I wonder looking back if I was supposed to be picking up on what they were saying or how they were saying it. Is there a way to do both? How can I as a teacher make choral reading both fun and beneficial??

Choral Reading

Just like Carrie, I had never heard of choral reading before this class. At first, I was a little confused as to how it would benefit children or how and why it would be used in the classroom. Yet, after reading the poem out loud with the rest of the class, it made me realize that not everyone does read and interpret the text the same way. I was a little naive to not consider that every doesn't read the same. By participating in the activities, it allowed me to see that people can come up with several ways to read a text. For instance, some of the groups had one person read and add a person with a new part, and other groups had a leader and then people repeated a part. Depending on the text of the book, children can learn more about emphasis, as well as about expression within a text.

By going to placement, I have heard some students read out loud, and it's very interesting to see how some children will skip over periods and have a long run-on sentence. Other students would see the period and pause a very long time before reading the next sentence, and there was a variety of students that did and didn't read with expression. Sometimes I forget that because I know how to read, obviously children's reading abilities aren't the same as mine; and the choral reading definitely helped me to realize that.

Thoughts on Choral Reading

Prior to this week’s class, I had never known of the term choral reading; honestly, it sounded scary at first because it reminds me of chorus and I hated chorus because I can’t sing (tangent). However, I found it to be rather enjoyable. I liked reading the short poem in pairs; I thought that it was an appropriate introduction for the activity. In contrast, our group reading was monotone and not as exciting. In our defense, the poem was abstract and we did not discuss the meaning as group so maybe that is why there wasn’t a lot of emotion; because several class members (me included) were unsure of the tone.

I love Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and was ecstatic to read it in a choral reading (small groups). Furthermore, my group seemed excited to read the book aloud which contributed to my enjoyment of the task. We read the book in a cumulative style where one voice was added at a time. One of the group members said that the cumulative style would be fitting since it aligns with the fact that the alphabet letters are gradually added to the tree. I think that this book could be read in a variety of choral reading styles. For example, echo would be fun as the children could come in on the “boom boom” part. Another book, Chicka Chicka 1, 2, 3 lends it self to much more echoing as it repeats “Will there be enough room?” throughout the story.

Overall, I enjoyed participating in choral reading and it wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be. It would be fun to use with my fourth grade students and I think they would enjoy it as it allows them to be active participants.

Response to 1/23: Discussions in Placement

After reading Melanie and Olivia’s blogs, it is encouraging as well as discouraging to hear that they are having some of the same experiences in their field placement. It is encouraging because I fell like I’m not alone in my situation but discouraging because it means that in many cases literacy education is not where it should be. I am intrigued by the literacy centers in Olivia’s classroom; however, I cannot imagine planning 25 new centers each week, it seems overwhelming. I would love to see some of the plans for these centers and how they interact as well as overlap.

In terms of Melanie’s situation, I have also been in a Montessori school (actually, the same one!). Her comment surprised me, that the students asked the same questions repeatedly and did not build off of each others comments. I’m not sure why it surprised me, but I think it is because I have a mindset that the students in Montessori schools are much deeper thinkers: which may be completely incorrect. Another thought that crossed my mind is that students model their teachers and mimic the teachers actions, does that imply that the CT Melanie has does the same sort of questioning (repetitive) when she is leading discussions?

Lastly, I was extremely happy to read Olivia’s comment that her students love reading. I wonder if it is because there is so much emphasis on literacy centers in the morning and the fact that the students have weekly time with the teacher to discuss literature. It is also frustrating though, because several of the students I work with in my placement are completely turned off by reading and writing because many of the tasks the teacher assigns are arbitrary and meaningless. On a more positive note, however, this week I read a story about Dr. MLK Jr. to the class and what followed was a discussion on him and the important things he did: I think it was a step in the right direction.

Discussion..take 2

First of all I am placed in Cumberland elementary, where a very diverse group of second graders are learning the fundamentals of literacy. Every week Mrs. Walker (my CT) has set up a group of morning literacy stations, 25 in total. The students are broken down into groups of three or four and visit 5 stations a day, resulting in every student visiting every station by Friday. While I see a lot of the positive out comes of group work I see a distancing of teacher involvement.
Some of the stations include: worksheet on spelling (fit the shape of the word in the shape of the box), worksheet for proofreading, sit down time with Mrs. Walker, and there is also a listening center where they listen to a story on tape. When reading the Almasi article the line, “Peers can function as tutors for one another as they learn how to interpret text” popped out at me.” I felt popped out at me. I think this is one of Mrs. Walker’s goals with in her classroom community. A lot of the time students are asking each other questions and many respond back with positive responses. On the down side of that there are also students who have a stronger temptation to cheat because of the independence they are receiving when Mrs. Walker is aiding another group.
The best thing I have learned about my students when it comes to literacy is that they LOVE to be read to. Whenever we have a spare second they are always asking for me to read to them. I think this is when most of the scaffolding takes place (and in Mrs. Walker’s station). What I have learned is that they love feeling involved with the reading. So to get them involved I read aloud a sentence or two, and then they read to me for however long they feel comfortable. Sometimes it’s only a couple sentences and sometimes I’m helping them to sound two or three words. However, regardless of their reading skills, they all show an eagerness to learn.
In the Goldberg article it states, “Perhaps most important (in a discussion), he or she (the teacher) manages to keep everyone engaged in a substantive and extended conversation weaving individual participants’ comments in a larger tapestry of meaning.” I think this is so vital, yet I also see this lacking most in my classroom. I am interested to see as time goes on how she incorporates more scaffolding in her classroom, because I am not sure if I see much of it right now, besides in her read aloud. I think next week I will observe what is going on in her specific station and take better observations of what goes on there. Until next time, Olivia

Response to Melanie's and Carrie's goals

I'm not sure what happened to my first response, so I'm going to write another one in case the first one was lost in cyberspace. First of all, I am comforted by the questions you two also have. I know it is ironic that I am relieved by your questions, but I feel that I am not alone. I feel that it is ok to have these questions, because it means we want what is best for the students. We are willing to ask the dumb questions, and admit the skills we are lacking in hopes of being better teachers. I think that is pretty cool and something to be proud of.
However, when reading both of your blogs I feel the mountain of teaching literacy grew a bit in my opinion. I don't know if i wasn't thinking about teaching literacy on a surface level or what, but after reading your goals I realized I have a lot more that I want to accomplish. You both realized that your students will be coming in with different literacy levels and it is your job to reach them all. What a HUGE responsibility that I never thought of before!!! It also made me think about teaching literacy as a deaf education major. My deaf ed students will have completely different learning styles as those that are in gen ed. Yes, there maybe some similarities but overall it is very different. How do I reach them? My only literacy course is TE402 and it is directed towards general ed students and while that is great, how do I apply the tools I learn to my future classroom. Is that possible?
My goals and expectations have changed and I expect them to keep changing as the course moves along. In the end it just comes down to being the best, most prepared teacher I can be for my students. Next year it is my practice but it is their real year, and that responsibility to teach them what they need to know is my motivation to be the best.

Discussions

I'm in a new placement this semester so I haven't seen too many discussions within the classroom. I'm in a Montessori classroom of 1st-3rd grade and one discussion I had seen was of individual students present a project they did over break. After everyone presented, the teacher had them ask questions to the presenter. After awhile, I realized that the same questions were being asked to the presenter, such as, "Why did you chose that state to research?" and "How did you come up with your idea?" After someone asked a question, no one build off of the comments made.


After reading the Almasi article, I realized that a good discussion can benefit students across several domains, such as cognitive, social-emotional, and affective. Looking back on the presentations taking place, it was very useful that the teacher would try to have to students stay on topic and encouraged them to ask new questions, which she modeled. Yet, there wasn't exact interaction that was described in the article. I remember being in elementary school and never really having a classroom discussion. I remember the teacher always talking, and basically doing a traditional type of discussions, which was described in the article. Although I find it beneficial for the teacher to reflect on student's responses, but it's also very important to allow the children to do most of the talking since it will benefit them in several ways.


In my classroom, all the students feel very comfortable with one another, which is great for leading into discussion. Yet, I feel there definitely needs to be some more scaffolding, and having the students really reflect on others thoughts and come to their own meanings of the conversation or of a text. I feel if different types of discussion activities were used, it may be easier to build it up for the students to participate in a large classroom discussion. For example, if the students start out in small groups and have a topic to discuss, each group would get a Popsicle stick. The student with the stick is the only one that can talk and share their ideas. The stick gets passed around and once everyone had a chance to say something, then they may start with anyone talking. That way, it allows those students who are more shy and may not speak up right away, get a chance to have their thoughts be heard. This is a great way for those students build up their self-esteem and get used to speaking in front of others. Gradually, I think a large group discussion will happen naturally and successfully.

Reflection on Discussion Type in my Placement

In my placement this semester the students – overwhelmingly – participate in “recitation” talk. During discussions, the teacher asks simple follow up questions such as, “Where did ____ go? What did ____ say?” Although this is discouraging, I understand my CT’s reasoning; her classroom has students reading at the first grade level up to the seventh grade level. When she reads to the whole group, she asks questions like this so that all the students can participate.

However, after reading the articles this week, I think it would be beneficial for her to have small group discussions and maybe mix up the students by reading level. This would allow the higher readers to act as mentors and the lower readers to experience guidance from their peers. Furthermore, as Almasi discussed, participating in reading discussions can contribute to the students’ cognitive, social, and affective development.

At this point in the year, I think a lot of scaffolding has to take place in order for the students to participate in a productive small group discussion. The best way to do this would be to model a small group discussion in front of the rest of the class, perhaps a fishbowl discussion? This way all students would participate in the small group discussion and be able to observe when not participating. Furthermore, the teacher would be able to guide and model the students during the first few discussions.

A few students in my classroom will need scaffolding in several ways. First, some of the students have taken on “bully” roles and will need to be reminded everyone’s opinion is important and valid. A few of the other students are quite shy and hesitant to participate (may be connected to the bullies in the class). These students would benefit from being encouraged to participate by their teacher as well as their peers.

As a write this blog, I am thinking that it would be exciting to do a fishbowl in my classroom. I think that the students in my placement would be extremely successful in this type of discussion and would be excited because it is completely out of their normal literary experiences. Lastly, the fishbowl discussion would be an “introduction” to small group discussions that the students may be able to participate in later on in the year.

Response on Goals

I definitely agree with Olivia in that I hope to also create a great library for my classroom. I have taken children lit. classes, yet I still don't feel fully prepared to make one of my own. I also hope that I, too, can create a positive environment in which literacy can be seen as a passion for my students. I also hope to "learn how to teach a group of students that cover such an extensive range," such as Carrie has mentioned. I feel that because students vary in their reading and writing abilities, I'm not quite sure how I would incorporate literacy so that all my students will be successful and also follow the curriculum, as well as support them. I feel there is so much to do with literacy, but I just don't even know where to start. Another thing I have been thinking about is if there are students who are at the correct level and students below their age/grade level, do we set different goals and standards for them, as well as grading assignments for them?

Melanie

My goals for Te 402 Literacy

As a Language Arts major I am so excited to finally get a chance to see what a great literacy lesson has to offer. Growing up I have always loved reading, but my younger brother(12) never wants to touch a book. I want to know not only what has changed but also how can I bring that passion back into elementary schools.
My TE402 goals all revolve around what makes good literature, good. I hope to discover the different qualities and traits that goes into what makes a great resource, or a not so great one. I know that one thing I want in my classroom is to have a great library of books, but as of now I am not sure what that entails. I also hope to gain methods and ideas about how to be a great language arts teacher. It sounds very broad, but really that is what it comes down to.
I will be starting my internship next fall as a Language Arts major, yet this will be my first TE class based around Literature. To be perfectly honest I am totally unprepared for the teaching world and I don't want to feel that way as I graduate this upcoming may. In the end I guess it comes down to confidence and preparation.

Goals for TE402

I'm very excited for this semester and am looking forward to learning much more about how to incorporate literacy into the classroom. I understand that every child learns differently and one of my goals is to learn different techniques that I will be able to use so that it will help multiple students. Using different strategies will definitely be beneficial and useful in my classroom one day. With this course, I also hope to become more familiar with the curriculum and how to plan for lessons.

I realize that because not every child will be at the same reading level, I will have to have different reading groups. Throughout this class, I hope to gain knowledge of how to test my students to figure out what level they are at, as well as what level is appropriate for that grade. I want to also learn how assess my students and figure out what their writing level is, as well, and where they should be at. One of my biggest goals for this course is to know how to do reading records or assessments of my students. I want to know how I can best support my future students and how to help and encourage them to improve if they are behind.

Lastly, I know that literacy is one of the main subjects that is seen in elementary schools, and I hope to learn the several aspects of literacy. I hope to recognize a child in my placement and determine what level they may be at. With using literacy many times throughout the day, I also hope to incorporate literacy into several of my lessons (like math, science...etc). I realize that I may have students who are ELLs and I hope to learn how to support those students, as well as the rest of the students in the classroom. My last goal is to learn how I should grade or critique the students in my classroom, depending on assignments that are given to them. I'm very excited for this semester and ready to fulfill my goals!

Melanie

My Goals for this Semester

I have been looking forward to taking the literacy component of TE 401/402 as it seems that literacy is a dominant component of the elementary school classroom. I have several goals that I want to accomplish this semester. Many of these goals have grown out of my experiences in the field as well as teaching in the child development laboratories.
In my placement, students range in reading ability from first grade to seventh grade. A goal I have is to learn how to teach a group of students that cover such an extensive range. How does one teach the class as a group but also meet individual needs? Another goal I have is to learn how to make literacy exciting rather than monotonous; it is extremely disappointing that so many students learn how to “hate reading” at such a young age.
One of the biggest goals I have is to become more knowledgeable in literacy skills myself. It is important to be well educated in this area so that one can share more with students. To achieve this goal, I hope to gain my Masters in literacy. I think that this will enhance my skills, especially if I work towards my masters while teaching.
In my TE 401 class last semester, we discussed the sometimes negative effect of having so many standards in school. A goal I have in this course is how to abide by these standards but also make learning enjoyable and authentic. Lastly, I think that overall I want to learn more about the best teaching strategies to use when teaching literacy; especially with young children who are learning letter sound, letter recognition, writing, etc.