Reenacting Histoy

Plummer, S. (April 16, 2012). 96-year-old tells folks how it was. The Register-Herald.com

Rhinehart Neas, L. (2011) Making history come alive with roles and reenactment. Bright Hub Education

Summary: Theses two articles talk about how history teachers can make class more fun by having the students reenact the different wars, or time periods. Students could also pick a historical person or go to a museum and hear about the different time periods.

            This article was very easy to read and kept my interest the whole time. I was able to picture different historical museums that I have been to or places that I have gone that caused me to be able to remember the history better. I am a visual learner, so if I am able to picture something, I will be able to remember it well. I think that reenactments are an awesome way for history teachers to teach information. This helps the information stay with the students for a long time rather than just studying for a test and then the information being lost. If you ask most adults history questions, they would not be able to answer very many of the answers. But I feel that if you had the students reenact an event or go to a museum they would remember it long after high school. I know for me, I can still remember the things that I learned from museums historical sites because it was interesting and it became personal to me.  A way that I could do this in my classroom is by taking my students to different job sites and having each of them explain how they use math in their job every day. The students could see the steps that the employee would have to preform and they might even be able to follow along or try it out. This would help the students see the importance of mathematics and would motivate them in their studies. 

Wilhem Inquiry Chapter 3

Summary: This chapter talks pretty much about a unit of study over Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.  The author talked about relationships as a way to get the students interested in the play and while they were reading asking questions about what makes a good relationship and what Shakespeare’s view of a good relationship was.

Reading this chapter, I was able to use the reading strategy of text to self-connection. I remember having to read Romeo and Juliet and I also was able to think back on my past relationships and think about what a good relationship is and what love is really about. What I really liked about this chapter was how the teacher made this lesson so much more interesting than it was when I read it. By having the students write a biography about their lives or about things they have seen allows them to use the reading strategies that we have learned such as text-to-self-connection.  This gives them a hook and the teacher continued to elaborate on the topic and used the play as a source.  One way that I might be able to use an idea like this in the classroom would be to ask the students what each of the students what they want to do when they grow up. I would have them write a biography about an area that they have used certain mathematical principles in their lives, or how they have seen other people use math in their lives. By starting the students off with this, it would allow them to see how often they actually use math and what it is useful for. After the starter, I would be able to teach a lesson and then elaborate off of what each student wants to be and maybe have them teach a topic from what they will need to learn in their degree choice.

Chapter 9

Tovani, C. (2004). Do I really have to teach reading?: Content comprehension, grades       6-12. Portland, ME: Stenhouse.

Summary: This chapter talked about the challenges that each teacher faces and how we will never have all of the answers. We continue to learn as we teach and you can never handle the similar situations the same because each child is different.

This chapter summed up the book and at the beginning I had put myself in the author’s shoes and I had the same questions as she did.  Which do you decide is more important and when do you decide what to ignore or when to discipline.  These are all tough questions that I will have to figure out for myself as I go and learn from my mistakes. Every situation is different and I will have to decide how to handle each one. I feel like I will accept late work, but it will be for partial credit so that it will encourage the students to still complete the assignments, rather than since they weren’t able to do it before the deal line, they might as well now do it at all because they would not receive any credit for it. I really liked the poem that Tovani mentioned in this chapter because I feel like it shows the students what teachers have to deal with and may encourage them to do their best and not slack off. “Did I miss anything?” is a very common question that every teacher gets and students have most likely asked. I know that I have asked this question. I love the sarcasm in this poem, because sometimes I feel that students do not think that class was important and that they probably did not miss anything. Another question asked is “Did I miss anything important?” This question makes me laugh because every class day should be important that if a student misses, they are missing out on a large portion of the lesson. I am going to make sure that every day my lessons are going to be important and that students feel that each day is important that they do not want to miss the class because they are afraid of missing information.

Chapter 8

Tovani, C. (2004). Do I really have to teach reading?: Content comprehension, grades       6-12. Portland, ME: Stenhouse.

Summary: This chapter talked about giving tests and ways to learn about your students.  Tovani suggested that tests not be just learning information and spiting it out, but rather explaining and applying what you have learned. There are multiple answers on her tests and as long as your try and put some effort in it, you will do fine.

 This chapter was a little tougher to read through so I had to reread some of the material, slow down and remember situations in my life that related to the story, or imagined myself in her situation. I thought about how Tovani structured her “tests” but I would not be able to apply that style to an actual test because students need to know the information and be able to do it correctly. There are not multiple answers to math problems like there are to English questions. But one way that I could incorporate giving students points for trying and working hard is on their homework. As long as the students showed that they had attempted every problem and tried to work through it, I would give them credit. Sometimes there are problems that you just cannot figure out, and I understand that.  Another idea that I liked was having a calendar or different ways to get to know the students. I would be able to use the weekly calendar for the students to ask questions they did not know, or for them to reflect on things they understand or are having trouble with. They also give me feedback as to what activities they would like to see or what they would like to learn about or go more into detail with. It would also be a good way to find out why the students like or dislike math so much so that I could aid those who need more help and could help change their misconceptions about math.

Chapter 7

Tovani, C. (2004). Do I really have to teach reading?: Content comprehension, grades       6-12. Portland, ME: Stenhouse.

Summary: Chapter seven talks about group work and how beneficial it can be when the students are working properly. Tavani shows an example of a good and bad student in a group work situation and observes the qualities of how a group should work together.

            This chapter I was able to visualize and make a text-to-self-connection because I have participated in multiple group work projects and discussions. I have had good and bad experiences and have dealt with many of the problems that Tovani arose of with group work.  One of the ways that I can incorporate group work into the class room is by having students in groups for homework help. I would put students that know the material and understand with those students that do not understand it so that the stronger can help the weaker.  This will help me out because I will not have to help ten students with a bunch of different question, rather other students could help out and if no one is able to come up with the answer, then I will go over it with the class. This will cut back on the time I have to spend on answering homework questions and instead I can spend more time on the lesson. One thing that I will have to watch out for is students not doing their homework and just asking other students in their groups for the answers. Another way that I could use group work in the classroom is by having students participate in group projects or activities where they have to work together to solve a problem.

Wii in PE

“Middle School Students Enjoy Wii in Physical Education Class”

Summary: A physical education class at New Albany Middle School now offers Wii as part of the activities. Since some students do not enjoy the regular physical activities, this can motivate them more because they feel they can do better. The Wii games include strength training, balance, and aerobics, which is a new side of physical activity.

While reading this article, I kept my interest by thinking back to the times that I have played the Wii, and my experiences with it. I remember how difficult the Wii fit actually is and that it definitely works on your balance and aerobics. The only problem that I have with using it for physical education is that the students are not getting the same exercise as they would running or playing another game. I would not mind if the students were using it every once in a while because balance and aerobics are important.  This is a good idea for those students who are not good at sports or do not enjoy them, to find something else that they might enjoy and can still get physical activity from it. I just think that we need to be careful with how much technology is used in the classroom that it does not take away from student learning or cause them to not think as much. A way that I could bring technology into the class room is by using the Wii to bowl. I would hide the score from the students and have them calculate their score as they play. Another way that technology could be used to benefit learning in the classroom is by having students use a graphing software on the computer and they would have to plot different graphs and change the equations to see how the graphs changed. Through this they would discover on their own what each letter represents and what is affected when it is changed.

Misulis Article

Misulis Article “Promoting Learning…”

Summary: This article discusses the need for both teachers and students to see the importance of content area literacy in order of learning to be maximized. The article also gives four basic literacy skills that can be developed in the class room. These consist of vocabulary strategies, comprehension strategies, study strategies, and writing strategies.

Reading this article was difficult because I feel like the information has been the same throughout all of the different articles that I have read. To understand the article, I had to read slower and reread the information because my reciting voice was on and I felt like my reading went in one ear and out the other.  What I did get out of the article, was that there are four main literary strategies that can be used in any classroom setting. Vocabulary or words that students are unfamiliar with, that are found in the text causes students to figure out the meaning by the context or looking it up. Sometimes the definition is found in the book, but even then, students are still learning a new word that is improving their vocabulary and understanding.  Another skill is comprehension, which is broken down into three different groups: literal, interpreted, and applied. These three groups cause students to take in the information, analyze it and figure out how it is used and the importance of it. If students do not comprehend the information, they are not really learning and understanding. For mathematics students, comprehending is key because everything is based off of the last thing that was taught, and if a student does not understand that, they are unable to move on. Study skills are another one of the literacy skills and this entails taking during class, reading and understanding graphs, charts or diagrams, and reviewing past skills. These are important to “jog” your memory of what has been covered and if there are any things that students may be unsure on or have questions. A review sheet of problems would be sent out for math students, but it is very important for students to look back on their note and see the steps that it takes to get the correct answer. The last literacy skill is writing, which can include journals, papers, essays or notes. As a math teacher, I most likely will not have my students write a paper or journal. Instead to help with literacy, I will have them take notes in class and they will have to write out proofs in some of our sections.