Entry 12

I cannot believe that this semester is coming to an end already. I feel as though it was just the beginning of the semester and I was trying to feel out the boundaries of graduate school. As I reflect back on this semester and this class in particular, I have learned so much!

As I review the syllabus and see if I gained knowledge in all the specific areas this course was supposed to encompass, I noticed that I achieved all the learning goals or outcomes and then some. I have gained an in depth knowledge of the various genres that people read, write and communicate in. I am not less intimidated by a lot of the more difficult genres that I was not comfortable teaching and writing in. I know see the importance that each genre has and why students need to learn specifically about each genre. Modeling and scaffolding the process of reading and writing each genre is key to a students success.

Also, I have been made aware of the importance of the role of the audience and purpose that each writing piece should take on. I believe that through the writing process and completion of my Genre Pieces Project, I have become even more aware of this aspect of writing. I always just thought of my writing as being for my teacher and only my teacher, so that was the constant audience that I was writing for and the purpose was just to complete the assigned task at hand.

This semester has opened my eyes to the connection that reading and writing truly have together. I do believe that both a teacher and student is better able to write a specific genre after they have been exposed and taught how to read a genre. When a student has been made aware of the characteristics of a genre they are better able to adapt them into their writing of that genre. The mentor texts used to display a genre are very valuable tools to be used in a classroom as both modeling tools and exploration for students. By having students explore genre texts, they will become curious and hopefully want to write with the characteristics of the genre they are learning about.

Finally, I have reinforced my previous knowledge on scaffolding and differentiation throughout this semester. I believe that each genre of reading and writing can be taught to every grade and developmental level of students as long as it is differentiated to meet the needs of the students and is at a level at which they are able to comprehend and apply the knowledge they are gaining. For example, some students may be able to handle more individual work while others may need the teacher to walk them through each step of the writing process. Also, some students in your classroom may need to be challenged or need to go through the writing process in a different way so they could be publishing their works through some type of word processing system. Technology can be implemented into your classroom to aid in the writing process but only when it is developmentally appropriate for your students. I believe that differentiation truly is the answer to reaching each student in your classroom no matter what content area you are teaching.

Entry 10

"How can we use it with the younger students?"

As I was going through many of my peers blog posts, I came across this question in Rihanna's blog. I have been thinking the same exact thing as I have worked my way through this class and the readings that we have done for it. I find that there are so many great ways to implement technology into the classroom and the writing process, but I struggle to see the way in which it can be adapted for the primary grades.

I know that many of my students have computers at home and have grown up using them, but there are still many obstacles that I am faced with on an everyday basis when it comes to technology and my second graders. First off, they struggle to even log onto the computer since their typing skills are so poor. I know that they are still young and trying to perfect their fine motor skills, which will come with time, but it makes it difficult to implement many of the strategies that we have read about. I know that in computer class they are slowly gaining more of a tech savvy ability by learning to type a couple sentences and using power point. So hopefully with time they will be able to handle some of the more technology based strategies throughout the writing process. 

I do believe that once my students gain more of a confidence and typing ability they will be able to type final drafts of writing pieces to be published while adding graphics to them. I could also see my students using some type of googledoc or blog to keep track of all of their writing pieces, so that I would be able to conference or even check in with every student on a daily basis by going to their blog or googledoc to read what they have written so far. With these ideas, comes many challenges. First of all, by teaching a private school the funds are very minimal. I am lucky to have a smartboard and two computers in my classroom. Ideally, for my plans to implement more technology based strategies into the writing process, I would need a computer for every student to use throughout writing time. I know this will never happen, or at least, not any time soon. So I could see my idea working if I had a roatating schedule, somewhat like centers, where some students would be working on the computers on their writing pieces while others were doing other writing/ reading/ phonics activities. So that way hopefully each student would be able to use a computer during writing time at least once a day. Then at the end of the week I would be able to go onto googledocs or their blogs to check in with their writing progress. In order for this plan to work, I believe that it would take a lot of my time to model, support, guide and scaffold the process for it to work the way that I would want it to. So hopefully by the New Year in the school year my students would be able to somewhat independently work through the writing process on either a google doc or blog. I know that there may be other hurdles that I am not intending for throughout this process, but with trial and error I believe this could work. Also, the blog or other program you decide to use would have to be simplified with specific directions as to how to use it so each student would be able to navigate through it on their own or with the help of a buddy.

Ideally, I would love to be able to implement this idea with my class and see how well they move through the writing process while using technology. I am still trying to refine my idea for implementing this, so hopefully I will be able to start taking the baby steps towards this idea very soon.

Entry 9

When I was doing research on the expository genre for my genre presentation next week, I found myself questioning if I did enough instruction concerning expository reading and writing in my own classroom. Did my students even know what the word expository meant? Did they know what type of books would be considered expository? Have they ever read an expository text? Have they ever written an expository piece before?

I assumed that the answer to many of my questions was yes to some extent. But once I learned more about the expository genre myself, I felt compelled to teach my students more about it and implement it more into our daily reading and writing activities. I thought I would start small by introducing what a non-fiction or expository text is. I gave every one of my students a weekly reader that they are all very familiar with from this year and last year as first graders. They knew that the information that they would be reading about was true but they were uncertain of what the specific genre was. After we discussed the similarities and differences between fiction and non-fiction, as a class we slowly went through the weekly reader together. As we read along, I began to point out some of the non-fiction text features that could be seen throughout the weekly reader. Many of the students were already familiar with the features but were somewhat uncertain of the purpose of each. So I explain why we need each specific text feature to help us understand and read expository text. When we were done reading the weekly reader, I had the students take a few post- its and write three things they learned from the reading and three things that they had questions about or were still wondering about. I wanted my students to see that you can still make a lot of connections from expository books or readings as well as from fiction stories that we read. After I had them put their post- its into columns depending on if it was an "I learned" statement or an "I wonder" statement. I began to think that these post-its could lead to an expository writing piece from having many of their ideas and facts on a certain topic down on paper and easy to organize. With these post-its the students could decide to write a report on the topic that we read about and could broaden their knowledge of the topic with doing research of their "I wonder" statements. This idea then led me to thinking about how to teach my second graders about basic research skills through books and the internet. I believe that with my support and guidance that they would be able to complete their research and find the answers to their questions. Once the answers are found, we could then write reports to inform people about a certain topic that we have been studying in school.

There are just so many options that can happen when using expository text within your classroom. My presentation has got me thinking so many possibilities! I will keep you posted on how this little endeavor goes!

Entry 4

Hicks (2009) made me begin to think more about implementing technology into the writing process. I knew that it was something that should be done, especially with the generations of students who are coming into school knowing more about technology than I do. But Hicks (2009), truly has began to open my eyes on how I can adapt the use of technology with my second graders.

My second graders are just beginning to learn to type using the home keys through a typing program in computer class. I believe that with the help of this program and practice, my students will be able to master typing in a word processing program very soon. Once they have become more confident with their typing skills, I believe that they will be able to use the word processing program on their own to work through the writing process. This whole thought excites me!

I am excited for my students to know how to type and for me to be able to utilize their knowledge of technology to incorporate throughout writing. There are so many different avenues that I am able to take when implementing technology into the writing process. My students would be able to use the laptops in the school to write throughout the school day while taking advantage of the other tools on the word processing program, such as spell and grammar check. But I believe that my students need to have mastered the rules of spelling and grammar along with the conventions of writing to a certain extent so then they are able to know how to correct their own mistakes without having to rely on spell and grammar check. I believe that a student should not completely rely on spell and grammar check to make sure their writing has followed all the rules of English writing. But on the other hand, for the student that does struggle with spelling, the spell check tool may be a useful gadget for them to utilize when needed.

There are so many options for a teacher to incorporate within his/ her classroom's writing workshop. The ideas are overwhelming at times. I can see my students beginning the writing process in a word processing program and then moving on to other options, such as creating their own blog or having an email pen pal with another student from another second grade classroom. I believe that these are great ways for students to work through the writing process while still being able to take advantage of the technological advances that their school offers. Technology is such a large part of our lives today that I believe that it needs to be incorporated in schools and what not a better way to do that than through the writing process.

Entry 2

Hicks (2009) explains that there are three main elements of the framework of writing. The three main elements are your students, the subject of writing and the paces in which we write. All of these elements are just as important as the other.

Given that I have just begun to teach in my own classroom as a long term substitute teacher, I am now somewhat able to create my own space and writing process for my students. At first, I was completely overwhelmed by having to create all my own lessons and put forth all of my ideas for what I want my own classroom to be and function like. Once I was settled, I began to put all my effort into creating a space for my students to become the best readers and writers that could possible be. I have created many small areas in which my students are able to go in order to think, write and grow as learners. I have found that these small areas are ones that my students gravitate towards when they need to think aloud or need to have more focus. With this said, the space in my classroom so far has been created to guide and produce proficient readers and writers. I am sure that as the year goes on and my students grow and mature as writers, I may need to change the set up of my classroom to better engage my students within the writing process.

When thinking about the other element of the writing framework, my students, I am excited to see their potential blossom and mature throughout the school year. With the just the first few days of school completed, I have already begun to see their true strengths along with their specific needs come to light. My support and guidance through the writing process at the beginning of the school year with be crucial. As I get to know my students and their strengths and weaknesses that are unique to each one, I will be able to better instruct and guide my students to become better readers and writers. As Towle (2003) wrote, teachers need to conference and informally assess their students throughout the entire writing process to see each students' strengths and weakness so that a teachers instruction can be targeted to help each student mature as a writer. I believe that with this in mind, I will be able to engage, guide and support my students throughout the school year to become proficient writers.

The final element of the framework that is currently present in my classroom is the subject of writing. I believe that when many students hear the word writing they begin to groan, become anxious or nervous or just completely shut down. I have realized that there is too few students that get excited about writing these days. I am not completely sure as to why this is the way it is, but if I can do anything to change it in my own classroom then I will do it! For starters, I believe teachers need to let their students pick topics that interest them when they need to produce a piece of writing. When a student is interested in the subject of writing that they are working on, I believe the student puts forth more authentic effort and excitement. When a student is excited about their writing, they can make their peers and the teacher become just as excited to hear or read their piece of writing. So if a teacher is able to manipulate the curriculum to make it fit with their students' interests then they will have a classroom full of excited and growing writers.

Many of my students have not been completely exposed to the idea of digital workshop just yet. I know that through their computer class they have begun typing classes and use the internet along with other online resources when researching for a project or writing piece, whether it is in or outside of school. I believe that the older my students get the more tech-saavy they will get, which will increase their knowledge and exposure to the idea and use of the digital workshop. I believe that with the help of the computer teacher and other resources throughout the school, such as ipads and laptops, my students will be able to fully participate in a digital workshop. They will become familiar with the programs and software that is a necessary part of a digital workshop both within the classroom and outside of it.