Getting it Done

Finally, session A is almost at an end. It's almost a bitter-sweet feeling. It's sweet because we are all one step closer to the end, but it's also bitter at the same time because I really enjoyed this class. We've done a lot of work for this class,but I know it'll make us stronger and more prepared teachers. I've learned a lot during session A and I hope that you guys did too.

Farewell to ED 641

The assignment for an interdisciplinary unit was a challenge because I had a hard time trying to integrate the novel into math concepts. I wanted it to be relevant, as well as applicable to the students to use in their lives. As I did more research , I stuck with the study of population. Although I created the draft a few weeks ago, the lesson plan still needed minor changes--which I completed by the due date. Only two more assignments for this class. I hope I won't need to use this list above. It was a great class. I really appreciated the shcema-reorganizing about literary strategies, my classmates and their insight, and the activities from Dr. Rivera. See all you guys later!

hey two more assignments.

To my group members, thank you very much for a job well done. I am so happy that I am almost done with this class and puts me closer to finishing this journey. We only have two more assignments and then we start on out next class or classes.

2nd to last blog

Well, this is almost our last time to talk to each other via this blog. So, I just want to say, I've missed seeing all your happy faces this week. That being said, it has been nice to stay home. But since most of my time was spent on the computer working on my interdisciplinary plan, nothing in my house got done. This was a fun unit to do though. I enjoyed doing all the research that I did for my unit. I hope everyone had as good a time as I did. Well, talk to you all in a few more days.

outside the box

I am amazed at the diversity and creativity of the lesson plans created as a reflection of this book. I enjoyed that this activity challenged me to 'think outside the box' to create health lesson plans that not only reflect the themes of the story, but the GDOE standards and performance indicators as well. Whew. The more I think about it, the more I realize that this can be done with pretty much every story. I also think that it is important for students to realize for students to make those connections.

In closing, great job group!

Interdisciplinary UnitE

Planning interdisciplinary units is a great way to collaborate with fellow teachers and also helps our students to get the most of a singular topic. It wasn't as difficult as I would thought it would be, as long as everyone put in their part. Everyone in our group did just that =) I have to say that we have a bunch of creative people in this program and I know we will be prepared to educate the future leaders of tomorrow.

Kudos to all of you who made it this far, and good luck to all your endeavors, TJ! We're almost there! Keep up the great work!

Almost to the Finish Line...

We're almost there guys! Keep on going...Well, the main assignment that was due today was the Interdisciplinary Unit, and I am soo glad that I worked on MOST of it for the draft. So, I just had to add minor changes to complete my lessons :) It feels SO good to finish that assignment...because it is one step closer to the FINISH line! It is amazing how this book can be integrated in so many subject areas-I really enjoyed reading the book and creating my lessons.
I hope all of you are doing well. Now, we just need to finish up our last activities and add them to LiveText.

All Together Now

Today our main concern was completing our interdisciplinary unit and I would have to say I am so glad that we had to do a draft for this assignment because it helped so much not race after the clock. I am so happy how our project came together and it's evident that everyone excerted time and effort into each unit plan. This cohort feels like family already and we work well with each other. It is amazing how one book could be a vessel to create lessons throughout the different content areas.

We only have our reflection paper and our livetext assignment and this class is done. It was a really different experience since this is a hybrid class but it leaves me with some extra time to relax a little until the next couple classes for summer.

R We There Yet...!

Wow! I can't believe that we are almost done with all our work. I am so please on behalf of my lower back to be relieved from the computer work load. Also, my team did a great job in making a beautiful unit plan together as we utilized our strengths for this last project. Whereas, I know the other crew had a great unit too because our class rock hard as a whole. So to all of my team and classmates, have a treat and go to the carnival on me. The only thing you need is your money and car.

Lastly, I am actually feeling a breathe of fresh air from all these summer class. Don't get me wrong, I had enjoyed this class and this is not my last blogger yet. So in Friday, stay tune to see what we all have to say.

We are almost there ...

June 30, 2010 - Evelyn's Reflections

My days of research are finally dwindling down to an end as we complete our interdisciplinary unit assignment. It has been a challenge with trying to incorporate lessons in science, a subject that was not a favorite of mine in high school. The searching, both mentally and physically, was a laborious task but it was fun. I learned what a genome was (a word unheard of until recent days) and that there are many forms of environmental pollution (I feel so bad in my and our contributions to hurt mother earth). It is wonderful to use Google Docs and see everyone’s ideas poured into one place at the same time. I’m waiting until everyone is done and anxious to “submit”. In the meantime I am playing around with Livetext. It looks bland but deceptively complicated. You’ll all find out at my next post how things went.

Final Touches on the Interdisciplinary Lesson Plan

Good afternoon everyone, well, just finished editing my lesson plan and feel good. I'm so glad this assignment started out with a draft so all that's needed is some final touches. I've scanned through the presentation and must say that it looks great and I'm sure Dr. Rivera will be proud. I'm blogging early today as I will be attending my paternal grandmother's (Catalina Gogo Baza) daily Rosary and mass in Malesso (Merizo), which begins at 5:30pm and I was designated to say the Rosary in yes...Chamorro. So, before I go, I want to congratulate everyone on all the fine work they've done thus far and in 2 days, this will have been a step closer to our dream...secondary teachers. Again, thank you for all the hard work.

6/28/10

It's almost over. Dr. Cyrus's class is done, now we just have to concentrate and finish off Dr. Rivera's class. I believe this summer session, they put us to the test,but I also think that we responded the right and did what we had to do to pass. The good thing about tall this work that we did in the past four weeks is that, at least for me, I learned a lot of new strategies and concepts that I can use in the classroom. Hang in there guys!!

Reading is fun.. and so is math!

I never realize there were so many strategies out there we can all use and apply in our different content areas. As I was going through all of them, I kept thinking to myself, how is this going to relate to math. Math is usually taught in the monotonous example-practice-review-assess way, never really looking at other ways to not make it so boring. But I think some of the strategies in literature can be applied. For example, the Double Entry Journal. The student write the literary question they have from the book on the left half of the journal page and after reading, answers the question on the right half. In math, the problem may also be on the left, but as they answer, they write in words each step for answering. Maybe a little modification here and there, but it can definitely work.

the sunset is beautiful...

I read a few strategies for reading. I actually like to try some for science and see how it works for the kids. The note taking skill during the reading would really be good for SAT 10. Well I like some of the strategies I hope i take the time to look over more strategies because there was a lot of them on the net. Well i hope everyone is doing fine and see you guys in a week.

I actually can see the sunset now.

Great Reading Strategies for the Classroom...

Hi class! Wow, I can't believe that we only have a few more days to complete this class-time flies by soo fast! Well, I was able to go to the Agana Library on Saturday to observe the reading program they have. It was very interesting to be a part of that-the kids were really engaged and intereactive with each other while reading books. Also, they had LOTS of fun during Arts&Crafts. Both my daughter and I enjoyed ourselves, and I really look forward to taking her more often :) Also, I was able to complete my internet sources research. There are a lot of great sources for reading strategies. Here are a few: 1)http://academic.evergreen.edu/f/fordter/ContentLit/readstrats.htm
2) http://www.greece.k12.ny.us/instruction/ela/6-12/Reading/Reading%20Strategies/reading%20strategies%20index.htm. All of the strategies are great tools for us to use in the classroom, and the two I found most interesting were Think Aloud and Listening to Voice.

Well, I hope all of you are doing well. See you all soon...

Researching Reading Strategies

Hi there everyone, I just wanted to share my experience in regards to researching reading strategies.I was amazed at the many different strategies and techniques that people are using to increase reading, whether it be for comprehension or vocabulary.I really enjoyed the research...and of course, there's just so much to read with limited time.But there's one thing I found out though, there are many sites for pre- and during reading strategies, but not as many for after reading.Then there are some sites that are wonderful like the Teacher First website, I even bookmarked it on my delicious bookmarks. this is the URL to the site: http://www.teachersfirst.com/getsource.cfm?id=9628 In addition to strategies and techniques

I found that there were some that included the use of technology but since I was pressed for time, I plan to check it out later.There are very good reading sites out there, including ones that teach strategies for content areas.As a future teacher I know all of these strategies will assist in literacy strategies with our future students.Have a nice day tomorrow.

Reading Strategies Assignment

This assignment helped me realize the different reading strategies out there. I know I will be using some of them in my classroom--particularly the one about mapping out ideas after reading. I think this will empower students with a new way of solving problems if they are allowed to draw and visualize what they are thinking. Keeping up with these strategies is a great way for us to stay fresh and be professionally ready for the challenges our students bring. I really appreciate having this activity. Now I know where to go for more ideas and information when I need it. My favorite one actually lists a strategy for pre-, during and post-reading: http://www.paec.org/david/reading/general.pdf

Reading Strategies

This was an interesting assignment for me. I never knew there was so many different ways to go about reading a book. This assignment helped me to see that when you read something, that you need to pay attention to the before, during and after of the reading. This was a fun assignment and I learned a lot and can't wait to use the strategies in my classroom. I had worked on this awhile ago before it was due with a friend of mine. We had a great time finding the strategies and discussing how we would use them in the classroom. I think this next year will be a bit scary, stressful, and fun. Can't wait.

Reading Strategies

This assignment was really interesting and is a great preparation for the upcoming school year because it deals with helping students who are culturally and linguistically diverse. Reading is so important that as educators, we have a responsibility to encourage the love for it. I especially liked http://mandygregory.com/reading_strategies.htm because it explains in detail what needs to be done to effectively execute the strategies mentioned in her website. There are also examples and printable worksheets that could be used in the classroom.

There are so many new strategies that I learned from this research and others that I have already used in the class such as the KWL chart and role playing but I am excited to incorporate the other strategies that I've acquired in this reseach and those we utilized in class.

June 28, 2010, Evelyn's Reflections

There is a wealth of information on pre, during, and post reading strategies on-line. I have so many faves. Here are some to share as well.

http://departments.weber.edu/teachall/reading/prereading.html#top
http://www.greece.k12.ny.us/instruction/ela/6-12/Best%20Practices/Index.htm
http://www.literacymatters.org/adlit/questioning/after.htm

I remember a lesson I taught for Practicum where I had the students read a travel article out loud and I performed somewhat a QAR (Question Answer Relationship) strategy. I guess I already had a strategy in place mentally, just didn’t know it had an identifying name. I can see its usefulness my classroom.

new strategies

My internet scavenger hunt of pre-, during, and post-reading strategies for linguistically and culturally diverse students revealed a myriad of relevant sites. Many of the sites featured typical strategies such as graphic organizers (KWL) and various lit circle activities. I found
very interesting strategies at http://www.readingrockets.org/article/82 as well as the IRA website. The most interesting pre-reading activity was the Padeia Seminar. The teacher selects a topic or theme in the book that is relevant to the students (eg gangs, drugs, etc). The students research the topic then conduct a seminar on the topic. This would be a great opportunity to showcase diversity in the classroom.

One more work to go and my BACK is killing me...!

Let me begin by saying, " My BACK is killing me". I don't know if its the age or stress from taking these classes this summer. Dude, I feel like a lolo who is dreading to take any walk beside walking to my bed of kitchen (Man's best place). On the other hand, I had been blessed to have the strength to get this work out of the way and continue my short stress relieve process for physical and spiritual rejuvenation. Hope no else got hurt this week or feel old after these grueling hectic weeks that passed us by. On a greater note, check this site out for a full list of reading strategies done on tripod website. http://emu1967.tripod.com/readstrat.htm

Lastly, this summer is really passing me by to fast and with amazement to my fulfillment of all workload requirements for both class. Now the only thing to take out or take down is the unit plan before Wednesday, Ahhh...!

Got some secret remedies for lower back pains.


Have a great day fellow MAT crew :-)

Rosenblatt's Transactional Theory

Oh dear, this is one assignment to add to my late list.Somewhere yesterday my laptop froze and wouldn't do anything...talk about frustrating and stressed out. Well, no use crying about spilled milk. About the Transactional Theory, I think it works very well for our diverse population of students, especially because most will use the aesthetic stance. The Reader Response, question/answer, Grafitti Board, and all the others help to create a conducive environment for learning in the classroom.

Think time

When I'm stressed out, I eat, and eat, and eat some more...and this is why I could not finish my paper until 11:53. Eating helps me think which is why I spend a lot of time with food. I just do not want to continue doing this because I know the consequences of high calorie intake and low calorie output. Reading all the papers, articles, journals and information was not making any sense. However, the more I ate, thought, and reflected about it, the more my ideas seemed to connect and crystallize. The transactional theory was another way to look at literature, and it does really get the reader hooked. During my think time, I realized that our whole ED 641 class with the blogging and the responding was in a sense a transactional experience! I appreciate Dr. Rivera for changing my schema about literature. It was painless and effective--the way good doctors perform surgery. Good job to all of us! We got through one, we can finish off the rest.

June 23, 2010 - Reflection

My paper on Transaction Theory is done and submitted. The task did not seem so daunting but the lesson plan is. It is during this crunch time that I want to return to my old job. The weather was also preying on my paranoia; that the power would go out. I enjoy this class but someone should have foretold us of the consequences. I’m even afraid to go away from the computer as I may lose my frame of thought. I found the Rosenblatt’s theory and her work to be very interesting. Dewey’s theory makes more sense to me now.

Just Breath

This is it. It's like a wave coming to you and theres nothing you can do to stop it. All you can do is flow with it by getting your assignmnets done one at a time. I guess the only thing good you can say about the due dates approaching is that thats one day closer to it being all over. I for one am preety exhausted but you gotta do what you gotta do. I think we've come too far too stop now.

Almost over the mountain

Well, today was a bit crazy for me. I actually finished my paper and turned it in this morning around 1am. (That is only because I thought it was due last night and was freaking out over it all day until class when I was told it was due tonight.) Then, to make matters worse, I have had a migraine all day and the rain and thunder have just helped me to feel even worse. Then when I get home from my daughter's soccer practice and get ready to cut and paste my lesson plan into our Google presentation, I plug in my external hard drive and it crashes. I can't retrieve anything from it!!! So basically, I am now freaking out hard core and am trying to get as much as I can remember up on our presentation. Hope things are going better for the rest of you and much luck in getting it all done. Just think only another week and two days and it will all be over. (Only to start up again with other classes.)

1 more assignment down, how many more?

Hi guys! Well, today I kept taking LONG breaks in between writing my Transactional Theory paper. There was so much happening today and on top of that-lightning, thunder, and rain. I guess that was a sign to stay indoors and complete our paper :)
It was very interesting reading about Rosenblatt and all the contributions she has made towards education. She has provided so many effective resources for us teachers to use in the classroom for our readings/writings. Although it was not an easy task to write this paper, I am pleased to have learned more about the theory and the stances.
Well, I am almost done! I need to definitely go back and revise any mistakes...but I am just relieved that I got one more assignment done!!! But there are many more :( I hope all of you are making better progress on your papers and lesson plans. Good luck to you all!

A theory well worth the effort

I'm taking a little break from writing my research paper to share that I am almost there! Whew! As I got to know Louise Rosenblatt a little better through all the research I went through, it's a wonder how much this woman has contributed to the teachings of literature. Wow! Her first article was on the emergence of Transactional Theory in 1938, and her more recent one in 1991 on the two stances of reading. That equals over a half a century of literary research contribution. Plus, I read she is one of the most cited in all over literary research........ I want to be like her when I grow up =)

Assignments and Time Management

Summer is supposed to be sleeping in late, hours and hours at the beach and just being a slug. Instead I find myself waking up early and sitting in front of the computer from nine to five... and then some. Doing this transactional theory assignment was a lot tougher than I thought. I have completed my Transactional theory assignment, but with all honesty, I am terrified to turn it in.

I have yet to complete my draft for the lesson plan but I am optimistic because I still have 3 hours to complete it :) the only thing is that time flies by when you really don't want it to. I hope that everyone is doing so much better than me. This is the worst form of procrastination that I have done in a while and I can't promise that it will be the last, but I know for certain I will not wait for the eleventh hour.

Never again...

...Will I procrastinate. Honest. Note to self, begin research papers upon assignment.

I feel like I have an intimate relationship with Louise M. Rosenblatt. Ms. Rosenblatt appears to be a very passionate advocate of literature and the myriad of opportunities it affords readers. Her theory has influenced educators for seventy-plus years. Thats pretty amazing. Let me return to the works of Ms. Rosenblatt so I can make the deadline.

I made it ... YEAH! High FIVE all!

Today was very busy for me and I know I was not alone. I was stuck in this paper of mine and did not know how to start this Transactional Theory paper. Also, I had ventured into another new media presentaion and hope my section was uploaded on Google Docs. To top if off, my nose is totally running lose and I am so tired adding a new duty to my already workload task.

I know this seems short, but I am all out of words because my paper took all the words out of my mind. So I need to generate my brain cells and get some peace and quiet with new deadlines tomorrow. Thank you Lord for giving me the strength to finish todays task.

From TERMINATOR, "I won't be BACK" -

carnival opens.......

I have been waiting for this day to go to the carnival. Instead I am doing my assignments for my two classes. How is everyone doing? I hope you are all doing better than I am in my assignments. I am stuck on my third page of my paper. I hope we are doing okay with our respective lesson plans. So work hard and work late
I will see you on moodle at 11:55 PM..

better late than never......

I forgot to do my post yesterday. I feel a little tired and overwhelmed with work and everything else. I really can't wait for July because i know this will be all done. Not having the face to face classes is a little different. So I am working on my lesson plan so I got to go and get to work.

Ahhhh...a tiring week ahead :-)

I almost forgot about the assignments that I needed to do on moodle and it was a great guide as to what was ahead of me for this class. I was a little off today because we did not have class and the act of rest and summer vacation mode kicked in. Thank God for reality check!

As you can see, tonight I had just posted all my discussions on moodle and got to see where my fellow classmates where in their thematic unit. I am not alone in terms of conjuring up more ideas and needed activities for my content area. Also, I was amazed to see that my fellow group mates e-mailed each other to organized our thematic unit.

Now a sigh of relieve is slowly creeping within me as for a clear conscience of ED 641 assignments had been done and future one's are slowly working its way up the ladder of my workloads. Good night fellow MAT vampires.

Determination

This has been such a difficult journey for me, and it came with a lot of sacrifice. I'm sure all of you felt that way throughout the course of this program. What keeps me going is how sweet it will be to get that Master's degree. New-found knowledge, a sense of accomplishment, new friends.. it will all be worth it in the end. In the meantime, this paper. I am a horrible writer and to come up with 5 pages on a topic I can describe in a paragraph is almost painful. Well, not really, but it does have its difficulties. I have to say that I'm glad this wasn't a completely online course because I am terrible at going online to work on assignments.

June 21, 2010, Evelyn's Reflection

My first time away from the heat of our ED641 classroom and I miss the face to face collaboration. As I read all of the modle discussions and blogs, I am comforted by the thought that we are all sharing the same feelings. My progress on the interdisciplinary unit plan is slow and I have not attempted the 5 page paper on transactional theory. To add, I worry about the other assignments due in ED609. God sustain us through getting all our assignments done.

Work Now, Sleep Later

I always try to rationalize that I just work well under pressure and that's why I like to wait for the eleventh hour to finish assignments. I think that I need to make an exception in this class because the work that I need to do for this class requires a lot of time and thought. So now, the tv needs to be unplugged and distractions need to be minimized because completing a five-paged assignment is not a joke.

After this, I intend to start my assignment on the Transactional Theory and the other assignments for this class and my other class so that I wouldn't have to suffer from sleepless nights. Anyone who knows me knows I take my naps seriously. :)

Busy, Busy, Busy...

*This picture is a reflection of what I want to do, but I can't because there's too much work to do!

Well, I kept going back and forth about which assignment to do first-the Interdisciplinary unit or the Transactional Theory paper. I attempted to do the unit first. Although I have not finished yet, I am excited to use the book for activities for our lessons :) I was able to come up with ideas pretty quickly. I just hope I'll have good ideas for the paper as well! Good luck to you all!

Get on the Train

I just completed all the online forums. Whew! Ok, now I'm off to start on my 5 page transactional theory paper. After that, I'm off full speed ahead to finish off the interdisciplinary lesson plan. Wow. This isn't a long list, but it is a long way to go from where I'm at right now. Every time I've been asking myself, "what did you get into?" Must keep going, must keep going on this train track--er, I meant Fast Track.

6/21/10

Well, we are almost at the finish line for this class. That means one thing, assignments are due. There is much to be done, but if we do one thing at a time I know we'll be alright. For this class, I got that transactional reading paper on my mind. The best to all of you, and remember "Keep the Faith."

Interdisciplinary Unit Lesson Plan update

Hi fellow groupmates and classmates. Well, I've been mulling over in my head what things I want to include in my part of the lesson plan- Social Studies. After looking at the students example last week, I was quite impressed with the section on the maps that were used and the activities. So, I definitely want to include maps and a timeline. Of course, there's still a lot of brainstorming going on as well as reading, gathering resources, and sources.

Trying to keep Head above Water

Well, this is definitely a trying paper for me to write. I don't enjoy writing papers much, but have always ended up doing a good job with them. However, this paper is turning into a big chore for me. There is so much research out there that I think I am letting it overwhelm me instead of helping me. Hopefully by about 2 or 3am I will have a better handle on it than I do right now.

I am enjoying writing my lesson plan for math based on Under the Blood Red Sun. Except this book is so good that I keep getting lost in the story when reading it again instead of just using it to help with the lesson plan.
Anyways, it is all a great journey that will soon end.

waaaaah!

Do you feel the same way?

I know this picture is a little dramatic, but it does reflect how I feel with the thought of all the assignments due this week. My goal was to finish my research on Rosenblatt's Transactional Theory and begin my paper. Since I thoroughly enjoyed research during undergrad, I thought this would be a piece of cake. I have never been so wrong. Turns out after almost seven years since I wrote my final research paper, I'm more than a little rusty. I will try again tomorrow and hope for better results.

Planning for my health lesson plan was relatively pain free, compared to my research attempt. I find the topic fascinating and think that the content will allow students to better understand Grampa's behaviors along with the long lasting effects of war.

Our last round-up of ED641 with Dr. Rivera

Although today is the last day for ED641 for face to face sessions, we still have our online sessions which will still foster our learning for reading and writing in our content area.With the continuation of our literary strategies we've learned and used so far, my favorite is the Poem for Two Voices.Today we used sketch to stretch, questions, as well as viewed a presentation on the Under the Blood Red Sun.I also truly enjoyed the little merienda and awards ceremony.

Evelyn's Reflections for June 16, 2010 - LAST FACE TO FACE SESSION

My last night together with my MAT cohorts in ED641. Funny thing - the two classes we share are at opposite extremes...meaning to say one is extremely hot and the other extremely cold.

Dr. Rivera - safe travel to you! Thank you for today's lesson which I will add to my tool kit. I really enjoyed the "sketch to stretch" activity as I realized that different people can have different perspectives on the same sketch. I found that we also feed off each other's sharing. A worthwhile strategy to use in my classroom. And who would say that they did not like the last activity where two strengths are mentioned for each student? That was fun and it played on your ego. Good night!

Last face to face to face day

Today's class was the last day we are to meet face to face. However, we did get a lot of things accomplished today. The sketch to stretch activity today was fun. It's an activity that allows students to use their imagination to connect the text to their experiences. It brings out the creativity in a student. The food was great and the cohesiveness even better. It was a very good last but not really last day.

Another Funfilled and Knowledge Filled Class

Today, once again, was a very engaging class. In class we are always learning new strategies to use in our classrooms and to be able to understand them, we get to actually do the strategies. Today, I thoroughly enjoyed the sketch to stretch activity. I enjoyed drawing my interpretation of the page I had read, even though I am not a good artist in the least. Even though we will still be meeting online for the next two weeks, I will definitely miss this class and all the interactions and activities that we do in each class. And to my group... thanks for being such an awesome group to work with. See you all online for the next two weeks.

The Finale.. kinda

Today is our last face-to-face meeting, but not yet the end of class. I enjoyed the company of all you intelligent over-achievers, and although our class was quick, learned a great deal from you through all the sharing we did. This has been short but very informative journey.

I cannot believe that all the activities we did in this class revolved around one central topic, Under the Blood-Red Sun. I hope to be able to apply all, if not most, of the activities we did in class to mine, math. If not, then I hope to become a teacher that will keep my students as engaged to learning as we were in this class.

Sketch it, Bro

Once again Dr. Rivera has introduced to us another awesome Literature strategy called Sketch to Stretch. I enjoyed this activity as well as many of the others. It enables one to not only summarize in a drawing what was being read, but to draw what the reading meant to the reader. This involves higher order thinking, which is what we want our students to be able to do. I will certainly utilize this strategy often with my social studies students. We also had food today in class. The potluck was great. Thanks to everyone who brought food. And thank you, Dr. Rivera for allowing the potluck. I really enjoyed this class too!!