tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41384579353301606082024-03-05T19:43:28.102-06:00My Life as a Literacy EducatorKirsten Fotihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07054176161146845873noreply@blogger.comBlogger202125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138457935330160608.post-81279090603463270782019-12-04T17:51:00.001-06:002019-12-04T17:51:55.313-06:00Hashtag FigureitoutIt is rare that I write a lesson plan and stick to it. Lesson plans are written days in advance of my actual lessons, and by the time I go to teach my original intentions, the classroom climate is different or the kids have taken me in a different direction or school interruptions have occured or I have learned something new that makes me take an abrupt turn. That last one happened today.<br />
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The Birdville Independent School District in North Texas is putting on a professional development event called <a href="https://www.birdvilleschools.net/domain/8269" target="_blank">12 Days of Innovation Summit</a> (disclaimer: I work in this district). Each day, a video of a guest speaker is made available, and those participating are encouraged to share their learning.<br />
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The event began today with a conversation with <a href="https://twitter.com/gcouros" target="_blank">George Couros</a>, author of <i>The Innovator's Mindset</i>. Although I had many takeaways (my Twitter posts are proof), my big a-ha moment was this: we often do not give kids enough time to figure things out on their own. How often do we give a lecture or an explanation or a modeling, only to have our students turn around and ask us exactly what we just said? And how many of us give in and end up explaining ourselves again? And again. And again.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIsc8aQCwHr2i4d_pKIMyxDkNY4eRkSBsO9nW8BaUFhHyC3OxPezDQK3hSZJlU5TPBkLtLxpsjrw3uNYrXQZa5WFG6h7JTNQsjr8W3pN-9OTGeByR2Uw8ywoBK6mssiH6w2cODMZieASbp/s1600/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="420" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIsc8aQCwHr2i4d_pKIMyxDkNY4eRkSBsO9nW8BaUFhHyC3OxPezDQK3hSZJlU5TPBkLtLxpsjrw3uNYrXQZa5WFG6h7JTNQsjr8W3pN-9OTGeByR2Uw8ywoBK6mssiH6w2cODMZieASbp/s320/Capture.PNG" width="320" /></a>As I listened to the discussion during my drive to work, I made a last minute decision to change my well thought out lesson plans and make it a "Hashtag Figureitout Day." The second I got to my classroom, I typed up my daily instructions with a little help from my friend Liam Neeson. The first students who entered my classroom for the day immediately took notice of the meme. One even muttered an<i> uh-oh</i>.<br />
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Each of my morning classes sat talking for the first few minutes of their class periods, not noticing that I had not spoken. Slowly, I noticed my kids turning their attention to my post. Slowly, I noticed my kids start to get their needed materials for the day and get started on their tasks for the day.<br />
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Now, this was not a perfect and immediate transition from socializing to productive work. I stopped my students once they started to catch on to explain what we were doing and why. We discussed problem solving and asking classmates for help prior to coming to me for assistance. Some kids challenged me, checking to see if I was going to give in - which I did not. Others complained that they still could not figure things out - which they did. When they were truly stuck, we discussed how they could figure out their issues - many of which simply required a dictionary.<br />
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<a href="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EK93VMDWoAMN9Wy?format=jpg&name=medium" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EK93VMDWoAMN9Wy?format=jpg&name=medium" width="240" /></a>By the afternoon (I see my students twice a day), the kids were asking if we were still doing the "figure it out thing." They got to work, and in all honesty, I saw kids being productive who usually beg and plead for help on every little thing while accomplishing nothing. I watched as they assisted and supported one another. It was honestly one of the best days I have had all year, all thanks to a slight shift in thinking.<br />
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My students also held me accountable to my own standards. Many of my kids are taking a high-school level engineering class, and they recently built cube puzzles. They needed to have adults and classmates attempt to solve these puzzles. I had already agreed to be a victim - I mean participant - in the challenge. This is a project I have participated in for many years, and not once have I solved any of the puzzles brought to me. That changed today when I had to practice what I was preaching and "Hashtag Figureitout."<br />
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Out of the five puzzles presented to me today, I managed to solve four. I struggled with each one. My students laughed a little and prompted me a little, but I encouraged them to let me battle my own brain. It was slightly embarrassing to have kids watch me spend six minutes to try to put a cube together, but as I tell my kids all the time, earning bragging rights feels good.<br />
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So now I challenge you. One, I challenge you to sign up for the summit and join along in the learning and sharing. Two, I challenge you to let your students <i>figure it out.</i> And three, I challenge you to let your students see you struggle. The payoff may be the greatest gift of all.<br />
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<br />Kirsten Fotihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07054176161146845873noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138457935330160608.post-53135961259272897222019-11-30T13:18:00.002-06:002019-11-30T13:18:16.104-06:00Building seventh grade poetsI need to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth: I took the easy way out on an assignment. I needed my students to write poetry, and I was in a time crunch. Some of my students were finished with a previous writing assignment, and I needed to help others without holding my finishers up. I could not see how I was going to teach a poetry writing assignment like I wanted. So I didn't! And I have to admit that sometimes the laziest lesson planning creates the most amazing results.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Miss, what's a syllable?"</td></tr>
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In order to continue addressing the previous writing assignment, I resorted to creating two poetry writing assignments in Google classroom: a nonet and a Japanese lantern poem. Both poems have specific rules for lines and syllables. I assumed these would not require much explanation and/or support from me, allowing me to work with some students who needed more help.<br />
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Despite some initial struggles with syllable counting, some of my students produced the best writing I have had from them all year. I was blown away, and my shock at the work they produced led them to ask if I would share their work. I am working on building internal motivation in my students, and we are all about braggin' rights. So please allow me to brag on my kids.<br />
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Many students chose to write the <a href="http://www.shadowpoetry.com/resources/wip/nonet.html" target="_blank">nonet</a>. I am providing the structure of the poem as well as some of my favorite examples.<br />
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmnxGBWL98KDGsxBprI-ya5e22yXWqjR_OgEmQaaaFDmYRAvDyy_aS9WX5acweovJa2p6CLkGkMOSLTfVFHL3nSpLyU60emJaavH0gI7yPttKh8kXlNOTp0X_EvuNwkrs_TLslY-NhxYSS/s1600/Nonet+template.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="369" data-original-width="335" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmnxGBWL98KDGsxBprI-ya5e22yXWqjR_OgEmQaaaFDmYRAvDyy_aS9WX5acweovJa2p6CLkGkMOSLTfVFHL3nSpLyU60emJaavH0gI7yPttKh8kXlNOTp0X_EvuNwkrs_TLslY-NhxYSS/s320/Nonet+template.PNG" width="290" /></a></div>
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikVRI2p-NTHudsqZKooR2XYDFoQVSvIJD5PCCl6KpzUc28z8UglovH7ShSVLtBxd_IF0oxJRteIvTdSi2MyddQ0maQxdOPhZvYWD5DNSu7DMEoLlMltoky3Iuc2jl2HhcQlABZfLDsBrL8/s1600/Nonet+2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="657" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikVRI2p-NTHudsqZKooR2XYDFoQVSvIJD5PCCl6KpzUc28z8UglovH7ShSVLtBxd_IF0oxJRteIvTdSi2MyddQ0maQxdOPhZvYWD5DNSu7DMEoLlMltoky3Iuc2jl2HhcQlABZfLDsBrL8/s320/Nonet+2.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmnxGBWL98KDGsxBprI-ya5e22yXWqjR_OgEmQaaaFDmYRAvDyy_aS9WX5acweovJa2p6CLkGkMOSLTfVFHL3nSpLyU60emJaavH0gI7yPttKh8kXlNOTp0X_EvuNwkrs_TLslY-NhxYSS/s1600/Nonet+template.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9oc7GH7HkNit0G9zsztuUQMOdr9eibSMnsMAo_pv-wR_TCMVMgUZAxKWtSPUfv824jrBLhKVxhDA5ksQSBlhqJHjKiIKUdHWWUKxf2xQG-xn8fPJXxJoOYE0A3rJ1fDWnoetQCbUGJIdy/s1600/Nonet+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="285" data-original-width="454" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9oc7GH7HkNit0G9zsztuUQMOdr9eibSMnsMAo_pv-wR_TCMVMgUZAxKWtSPUfv824jrBLhKVxhDA5ksQSBlhqJHjKiIKUdHWWUKxf2xQG-xn8fPJXxJoOYE0A3rJ1fDWnoetQCbUGJIdy/s320/Nonet+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg24Fli_urzfbRXRNx30Xtugtu3r4aCp2YttMhHqaQpe0tXUau82t-VO2kKsnY8TFPFW6Gjnjwul6qlf9K3hVU6qt2k-VeQH7zJco2On0VZ1LebvNOWUmOw0xqB2BMuFjUIp-9M3Da2gq8J/s1600/Nonet+3.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="369" data-original-width="464" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg24Fli_urzfbRXRNx30Xtugtu3r4aCp2YttMhHqaQpe0tXUau82t-VO2kKsnY8TFPFW6Gjnjwul6qlf9K3hVU6qt2k-VeQH7zJco2On0VZ1LebvNOWUmOw0xqB2BMuFjUIp-9M3Da2gq8J/s320/Nonet+3.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEjgZUKLaAkqDctRpqW1hCZk8dPwY8ItsNzSZTyD1x193fpklhgffxvY1zhZjVUjB_2PYg01ZjvsyX77MGDMEec1KJ22gaHpvzjhzUdLsYJl0l5EvgIXMggNzWov2Txo_cO3imFEDGQavB/s1600/Nonet+4.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="303" data-original-width="414" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEjgZUKLaAkqDctRpqW1hCZk8dPwY8ItsNzSZTyD1x193fpklhgffxvY1zhZjVUjB_2PYg01ZjvsyX77MGDMEec1KJ22gaHpvzjhzUdLsYJl0l5EvgIXMggNzWov2Txo_cO3imFEDGQavB/s320/Nonet+4.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Kirsten Fotihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07054176161146845873noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138457935330160608.post-52708541013788600562019-11-25T08:05:00.005-06:002019-11-25T08:07:32.392-06:00Texas Association for Literacy Educators (TALE) - Literacy Awards<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="68c3h" data-offset-key="6edg9-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
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<span data-offset-key="6edg9-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">Texas teachers: I am a member of TALE and the advice at committee. We truly wish to recognize literacy leaders on our communities. We work hard, and recognitions like this honor that work. Please consider nominating someone for these awards and sharing this post for others. </span><span blockkey="6edg9" class="_3gl1 _5zz4" data-offset-key="6edg9-1-0" end="277" start="275" style="background-image: url("https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/ted/1.5/16/1f947.png"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 16px 16px; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; height: 16px; margin: 0px 1px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; width: 16px;"><span class="_ncl" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; transform: translatey(-3px); z-index: -1;"><span data-offset-key="6edg9-1-0" style="font-family: inherit;">🥇</span></span></span><span data-offset-key="6edg9-2-0" style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="ci62v-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">The TALE Advocacy Committee is looking for outstanding literacy leaders for the TALE Leadership in Literacy Awards! The first award recognizes an outstanding PK-12 literacy educator. The other award highlights the literacy leadership of someone who does not work in the PK-12 setting but advocates for literacy within their community. You may self-nominate or nominate someone else. </span><br />
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<span data-offset-key="dc7mq-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">The deadline to submit all nominations is December 25, 2019!</span><br />
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<span data-offset-key="osg1-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">Winners will be notified as soon as the results are decided and awards will be presented during our annual <a href="http://www.texasreaders.org/tale-conference.html" target="_blank">conference </a>in Odessa in February 2020!</span></div>
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<li><span data-offset-key="5hm7p-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">Non-educator Award Nomination form: <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1EOPUKNIoUIhsb5n7rBp5S-3r6qoOjiSisi7NYzLZqY8/prefill">https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1EOPUKNIoUIhsb5n7rBp5S-3r6qoOjiSisi7NYzLZqY8/prefill</a></span></li>
<li>Pk-12 Award Nomination form: <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1v9ErCakwWVfAgYtGNnWFIAcftpnSPaI7cTgRHtByzZM/prefill">https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1v9ErCakwWVfAgYtGNnWFIAcftpnSPaI7cTgRHtByzZM/prefil</a></li>
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<span data-offset-key="3shjf-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">Find out more about our organization at </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.texasreaders.org/">http://www.texasreaders.org/</a></span></div>
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Kirsten Fotihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07054176161146845873noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138457935330160608.post-392183390318220942019-09-09T18:25:00.002-05:002019-09-09T18:27:42.548-05:00Growing pains of a middle school teacherOne word I do not often use to describe myself is spontaneous. I am a creature of habit and home. Last May, upon receiving a text asking if anyone was looking for a job in a neighboring school district, I spontaneously responded, "Why not me?" Not only did I shock my friend who sent the inquiry, but I shocked myself, as I never looked back. Within a week and a half, I had applied, interviewed, and resigned from my school home of 16 years.<br />
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The decision was definitely a good one, but I did not anticipate some of the issues I would encounter, issues related to my own thinking. Once I made the decision, I never looked back. I spent the summer getting to know new colleagues and learning about my new campus and kids. I was grateful to have an entire summer to cope with the excitement because by the first day of school, I felt ready and part of my new school family.<br />
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I forgot something, though. <i>The kids!</i> The kids didn't know me. Prior to this school, I only ever taught at one campus. For sixteen years. Longer than my current students have been alive. I taught siblings, cousins, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles...and even a child of a first year student passed through. I have mentored student teaching interns who once sat in my classroom. I have been invited to weddings and baby showers. I have provided job and college references. I have supported and nutured a few thousand students. Aside from two years (we all have a couple, right?), I have maintained a relatively positive reputation.<br />
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It never crossed my mind that my new students would see me any differently. I expected them to see me as their social justice and equity champion from day one. Their nuturer. Their supporter. Their educator. Their teaching superhero! It never crossed my mind that in their eyes, I am new.<br />
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Last week, my third on the new campus, was one of the most painful I have ever experienced. That pain, however, has mostly been related to my ego. In one situation, I found myself angry with a student for a level of disprespect I haven't encountered in years, after a heart-to-heart had me thinking that the child and I had found some common ground. In another, I found myself feeling disappointed over something a student posted about me on social media, brought to me by two other students who were not willing to stand by and watch it happen. My head kept saying, "<i>Don't you know who I am</i>?" For a relatively brief moment, I experienced regret. Regret for leaving my previous campus, the comfort in the chaos that I was familiar with.<br />
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But then something happened that I am not sure I have ever experienced at the level with which it was provided: support. My administration nearly had me in tears with the understanding shown toward me and the discplinary measures taken to back me up. I swear my body was shaking for at least an hour, and I really expected to start bawling before my students came in. I went from feeling completely alone to feeling part of a community from one night to the next morning.<br />
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Things aren't perfect. I'm struggling with seeing students twice a day, with implementing new routines and procedures, including implementation of the workshop model. I'm battling lower motivation than I have seen in quite some time. I'm challenged by a new lesson plan format - one that is actually checked on a weekly basis. I'm facing lower success rates than I am used to working with.<br />
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Things aren't perfect. I no longer get to set the cruise control to 79 MPH in a 70 MPH speed zone. I am once again a student in my own classroom, learning about and from my students, learning new ways of teaching and meeting student needs. I am grateful for this change and this opportunity, for a chance to try new things and be more creative, and I am prepared to come home battling my own brain somedays. Maybe one day, when most of the days are all good, and I talk about the early days, the kids will say, "I don't even remember that, Miss."Kirsten Fotihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07054176161146845873noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138457935330160608.post-59166873564845421802019-08-28T05:33:00.001-05:002019-08-28T05:33:18.357-05:00Reading with BanksyIf you haven't seen <i>Exit Through the Gift Shop</i>, a documentary about Banksy's work as a street artist, I highly recommend it. This film was my introduction to his work. Bansky is phenomenal at what he does, how he sees a landscape and transforms it with creativity and insight, commentary and satire. The images he creates speak to me, each telling a story.<br />
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As an English teacher, I believe that I have a responsibility to teach kids to read all types of text, and that includes images. My current seventh grade students do not know a world without technology, without an influx of images. My concern is how these images are interpreted, especially when they are still learning the world. What information is being processed? What information is being missed or misunderstood? How does the information affect their thinking? If I do not take the time for my students to learn how to read images, who will?<br />
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The following is one of my favorite images from Banksy and one I love to use in class for my first reading lesson:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://static.independent.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2013/10/02/14/Banksy-New-York-1.png?width=1368&height=912&fit=bounds&format=pjpg&auto=webp&quality=70" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="https://static.independent.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2013/10/02/14/Banksy-New-York-1.png?width=1368&height=912&fit=bounds&format=pjpg&auto=webp&quality=70" border="0" data-original-height="651" data-original-width="800" height="325" src="https://static.independent.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2013/10/02/14/Banksy-New-York-1.png?width=1368&height=912&fit=bounds&format=pjpg&auto=webp&quality=70" title="Banksy's "The street is in play"" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Banky's "The street is in play"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The lesson itself is simple: Make a list of everything you see in the picture. Then we share out one at a time. The conversation usually starts with observations about the window, the bars on the window, two boys, no shoes. The a-ha moment always seems to come when someone points out that the boy standing on the back of the other is either pointing at or grabbing the spray paint can from the sign.<br />
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In all of my classes this year, when this detail has been pointed out, there has been rustling as the students sit a little more upright, leaning forward to get a closer look. The classroom has filled with the sound of <i>oh </i>as the story unfolds before them. That moment of discovery fills my heart every time, and the exclamations shared afterward always make me smile.<br />
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In a few minutes, I am able to teach my students about the importance of details in text. It is their first lesson of the year about making inferences. It builds confidence in the ability to interpret and understand. I can now print this picture and hang it in the room as a reference point for the rest of the year, as the original mentor text.<br />
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My suggestion to you: Find an image that speaks to you, that will speak to <i>your </i>students. Provide them with time to discover. Then sit back and enjoy the ride.<br />
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<br />Kirsten Fotihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07054176161146845873noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138457935330160608.post-55037598177367594222019-03-13T19:28:00.001-05:002019-03-13T19:32:05.852-05:00Independent reading within the READ 180 system<iframe width="100%" height="600" src="https://www.smore.com/uw4jy-response-to-intervention?embed=1" scrolling="auto" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" style="min-width: 320px;border: none;"></iframe>Kirsten Fotihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07054176161146845873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138457935330160608.post-449337939821853912018-11-21T13:03:00.001-06:002018-11-21T13:03:20.316-06:00My path to English language teacher<a href="https://www.tesol.org/images/default-source/website-images-and-buttons/6principles-cover_final_page_1.png?sfvrsn=1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="139" src="https://www.tesol.org/images/default-source/website-images-and-buttons/6principles-cover_final_page_1.png?sfvrsn=1" /></a>For the <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Ellchat_BkClub&src=savs" target="_blank">#Ellchat_bkclub</a>, we have been reading <a href="https://www.tesol.org/the-6-principles/" target="_blank">The 6 principles for exemplary teaching of English learners.</a> Chapter 4 mentions that English language teachers "come to the profession by many different pathways" (67), making me wonder how we all got here, contributing to this book club that has grown exponentially in the past year and a half since I joined. Evelyn is the reason I am here. Evelyn and a district decision back in 2010.<br />
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Evelyn was one of my seventh-grade English students. She and I bonded quickly. School was not the biggest priority for her, as it is not for many junior high students. Her Mexican family expectations were stereotypical - find a boy, have his babies. Finish school or don't. No big deal. At least that's how I remember it.<br />
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Aside from boys, Evelyn was always mixed up in drama. I once pushed my way through 200 students (I swear I am not exaggerating; I even earned the nickname Ninja Foti for how I worked my way through those kids) to get into the bathroom to break up a fight with her and another student. I ran in just in time to see her slam the other girl's head into a sink.<br />
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I wanted more for Evelyn, and I do believe part of her wanted more, too. We worked hard on her classes, more than just mine. Until the day she was removed from my class.<br />
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The district made a decision to place all ESL students together with an ESL certified teacher. Despite having a masters with an ESL focus, I really did not know much about how things worked with these students at that time, including any laws or regulations that may affect their class placement. The only thing I knew for sure was that Evelyn was taken from my class and placed with another teacher, one whom we both resented.<br />
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Things did not go well for Evelyn in the new class. She and the teacher did not get along. Evelyn's ability to see me, talk to me, and work with me became more and more limited. We would only have a couple of minutes here and there to talk, for me to keep tabs on her. And it was then that I decided that I would never allow a situation like that to happen again.<br />
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I became ESL certified within a year, and doors and opportunities opened up for me like crazy after that. Years later and I have earned a local ESL teacher of the year award and been named the best of the best presenters for my region at a state TESOL conference. The ESL kids on my campus, those I teach and those I do now, are my kiddos, whether they like it or not. I am territorial and want the best for them.<br />
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Evelyn is a grown woman. She has three kids now. I'm not sure if she finished school. The last I knew, she had not. In the middle of writing this, I stopped to send her a thank you on Facebook for transforming my life. Because she did.<br />
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So now I want to know about your story. How did you get here?Kirsten Fotihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07054176161146845873noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138457935330160608.post-86056375702787911662018-11-20T11:10:00.001-06:002018-11-20T11:10:15.498-06:00Making time for MakerspaceI was recently out of the classroom for two back-to-back conferences. My reading students had to survive without me for four days of school. Certainly not an easy feat for my seventh-grade students. So prior to leaving, we made a deal: if they could behave and complete the work I left with no more than one off day, we would take a break from class to visit the library and explore the new makerspace activities.<br />
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I teach struggling readers, and I truly believe students who struggle in any way need rewards to build motivation. Makerspace time may not have anything to do with reading in and of itself, but makerspace time allows for my students and I to engage in a number of other ways.<br />
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Students collaborated in small groups to problem solve. In doing so, they had an opportunity to talk to one another, building relationships in a way that does not always occur in the general classroom setting. I observed students who never talk to one another in class working together and discussing what they were creating.<br />
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As students were working, I asked what professions they thought might use some of the same skills they were applying to their creations. The student below was building with blocks, when another student said an engineer would use those skills. The student actually doing the building said he felt that the process he was using might benefit an artist. Gotta love the kids who think differently!<br />
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One student exhibited some creativity that I had not seen in the classroom before then. When I asked what he was creating, he told he a portal - to take him home. I did ask if that same portal could take me to a tropical island, but I was denied.<br />
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In each class, I also <i>played</i>. I want my students to understand that "play" is not just for kids, no matter how much they criticize me for not acting my own age. They watched as I built a flower, only to have it collapse at the last second. Did they see me cry and yell and pout? Absolutely not. It was an excellent opportunity to model how to react when things do not always go our way.<br />
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I do believe that makerspace is underutilized on my campus. It is seen as <i>play </i>rather than being a tool for critical thinking and problem solving and so much more. And when did <i>play </i>become such a bad word? Are we so lost in a world of deadlines and testing that we have forgotten to give kids time to explore?<br />
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I am not simply doing my best to create better readers. I want to create writers and dancers and singers and artists, in addition to scientists and engineers and doctors and lawyers. And I hope our makerspace time ignites a spark that may not have been present before.<br />
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How are you using makerspace time with your students?</div>
Kirsten Fotihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07054176161146845873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138457935330160608.post-42928109450699577492018-09-09T16:34:00.002-05:002018-09-09T16:34:09.668-05:00The Independent Reading Files - Student Choice <br />
This year, I am teaching seventh grade reading intervention classes. Not every student in my class is a developing reader (a.k.a., struggling). Some are developing test takers. Others are developing stay-awakers. Some knew they would be promoted regardless of the test outcome. Others experienced morning events that affected their performance. Regardless of the situation, we have a year to spend together, and my goal is to help these students find enjoyment in reading via independent reading.<br />
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<a href="http://www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/content/aaslpubsandjournals/slr/vol3/SLMR_IndependentReading_V3.pdf" target="_blank">Cullinan </a>(2000) writes that independent reading comes in a variety of categories: voluntary, pleasure, leisure, recreational, spare time, and outside of school, for example. Within the four walls of my classroom, however, I cannot say that independent reading falls into any of these categories. These descriptors indicate a willingness and desire to read. In my classroom, silent reading time is mandated by me, thereby contradicting the very nature of voluntary reading. My hope, however, is that by participating in daily independent reading, my students will begin to want to read as a means of pleasure and leisure.<br />
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Independent reading also includes personal choice, writes Cullinan, and I am making that available to my students. Every day when my students come in to class, they are welcomed by hundreds of books. I am fortunate to have received two grants in the past that allowed me to build a classroom library, and already this school year (we are three weeks in), I received a Scholastic library that another teacher decided she did not want. Her trash is my treasure because that library helps me provide my students with more reading options. <br />
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It is my job to get the books into their hands by providing them with as much choice as possible. According to <a href="http://www.ncte.org/library/NCTEFiles/Resources/Journals/ELQ/0383-feb2016/ELQ0383Top.pdf" target="_blank">Skeeters </a>et al. (2016), student choice empowers and values, leads to deep and meaningful conversations, deepens relationships, and leads to independence. I keep trade books that I have checked out from the public library in my classroom, refreshing them as they hit their due dates. I have novels of every genre. And I have informational texts and drawing books and brain teasers and graphic novels and comic books.<br />
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To date we completed fourteen days of daily independent reading, and although not all of the kids are completely on board yet, each day gets a little better. They are looking at and reading books. They are asking to keep reading once my timer goes off. They are starting to ask to borrow novels. They are starting to discover what they do and do not like about the books they are reading. This past week, a student called me over and said, "Miss, I don't find a lot of books I like, but I like this one" (in reference to <i>Ghost </i>by Jason Reynolds).<br />
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In addition, my English language arts teammates are starting to catch the bug. One seventh grade and one eighth grade teacher have now added a silent reading day to their weekly lessons. It may only be one day, but that provides more time that students may not read otherwise. And since my students are also in those classes, their reading time is expanding even more. The rest is yet to come.<br />
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References </div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16px; text-indent: -22px;">Cullinan, B. (2000). Independent reading and school achievement. </span><i style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman", Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; text-indent: -22px;">School Library Media Research,</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16px; text-indent: -22px;"></span><i style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman", Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; text-indent: -22px;">3</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16px; text-indent: -22px;">, 1-24. Retrieved September 1, 2018, from http://www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/content/aaslpubsandjournals/slr/vol3/SLMR_IndependentReading_V3.pdf</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16px; text-indent: -22px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16px; text-indent: -22px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Georgia, serif;">Skeeters, K., Campbell, B., Dubitsky, A., Faron, E., Geiselmann, K., George, D., . . . Wagner, E. (2016, February). The top five reasons we love giving students choice in reading. </span><i style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Times New Roman", Georgia, serif;">English Leadership Quarterly</i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Georgia, serif;">, 6-7. Retrieved September 1, 2018, from http://www.ncte.org/library/NCTEFiles/Resources/Journals/ELQ/0383-feb2016/ELQ0383Top.pdf</span></span><br />
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<br />Kirsten Fotihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07054176161146845873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138457935330160608.post-28264162744934927832018-07-25T18:13:00.000-05:002018-07-25T18:13:09.024-05:00Nine Box Grid - Modified and Magnified<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This week, I have returned to school to assist with our third annual incoming seventh-grade student orientation camp. I volunteer my services for this camp every year for numerous reasons: it gives me a chance to start building relationships with students I may or may not teach later on; the sample of students who participate usually reveal what we can expect from our new student population (<i>so far, so great</i>), and I get the opportunity to try out lessons on a smaller scale before the school year begins. </span><br />
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<a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51xyYoc%2BNqL._SX389_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="391" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51xyYoc%2BNqL._SX389_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" width="250" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As part of the <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ellchat_bkclub&src=tyah" target="_blank">Twitter</a> <a href="https://ellchatbkclub.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">ELL book club</a>, I read <i><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-ell-teachers-toolbox-larry-ferlazzo/1127105609#/" target="_blank">The ELL Teacher's Toolbox</a></i> by <a href="https://twitter.com/Larryferlazzo" target="_blank">Larry Ferlazzo</a> and Katie Hull Sypnieski. I love being part of this book club, as I have been exposed to strategies for working with ELLs - and ALL students - that I might not run across otherwise. The unfortunate part about this particular book was that we started reading it at the end of the school year, and I did not have time to implement all of these ideas that had my brain swimming in excitement. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One activity I have been anxious to use in my classroom since last spring is</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <a href="https://twitter.com/Toppel_ELD" target="_blank">Katie Toppel's</a> Nine Box Grid. The authors acknowledge that they have modified this strategy, and I have to acknowledge that I, in turn, modified and magnified the strategy for my own needs based on the time constraints of the camp.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Nine Box Grid involves creating a nine numbered boxes. A word is entered into each box, and they are used one at a time in a writing activity. During the school year, I am likely to use related words that we are learning in class, but due to limited time with my camp students, I chose to use a random word generator to come up with the nine words. These are readily available online. Some allow you to choose the words you want; others provide a set list. I used different types of generators for different groups of students to test out how I could make this activity work. My higher level classes received a specific set of words; my still-working-on-it groups were able to choose words from those provided to build our own list. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I also turned the activity into a writing challenge by adding in rounds, For each round, the students received a topic (I also used an online generator for this). We started by writing about a topic with one word from the nine box grid. After completing a round, I changed the topic and increased the number of words. Most of the classes completed four rounds. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">_________________________________________________________________</span></div>
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<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Round 1</span></li>
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<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Run topic generator </span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Pick a number on a card (the book says to use dice, but I don't even know where anything is in my classroom right now)</span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Write a sentence with the word in the box matching that number that connects to the topic</span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Share out </span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Round two</span></li>
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<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Run topic generator</span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Pick two number cards</span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Write a sentence with both of the chosen words, connecting to the topic</span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Share out</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">_________________________________________________________________</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My camp classes consist of English language learners (I have one student who has been here for two years, and she speaks eight languages), 504, special education, Pre-AP, and academic students. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Within all of these groups, there was a great deal of groaning when I said we were going to write. I am happy to report that this was not the case by the end of the activity. The kids truly rose to the challenge. If we do not find ways to make writing fun for our kids, regardless of which student groups they fall into, those groans will never go away. We have a responsibility to light a fire within our students. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In addition, I have a special education co-teacher with me during one of my class sessions. She loved this activity, and her final class of the day joined mine in order to participate. She took lots of notes and said she is excited to use this with her kids once we return to school. When we model these activities for others, and they get to see how the kids respond, we spread the wealth. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do not be afraid to take risks and try new things. Be contagious. Our kids deserve it. </span></div>
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Kirsten Fotihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07054176161146845873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138457935330160608.post-67526910364893265162018-03-19T18:13:00.003-05:002018-03-19T18:18:42.315-05:00Visual Note Taking with Poetry <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/5111UUeSvYL._SX339_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="341" height="200" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/5111UUeSvYL._SX339_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" width="136" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Over spring break, I managed to read another chapter of <i>Keep it R.E.A.L!: Relevant, engaging, and affirming literacy for adolescent English learners </i>by Dr. Mary Amanda Stewart. Chapter 3, "Read in a literature-rich classroom," offers strategies that are applicable to the middle school classroom, and today I was able to teach poetry in my STAAR class, a supplemental reading class consisting of various types of language learners, including ESL students. And let me tell you, I hate teaching poetry as much as the kids hate learning how to read it. But today, we all enjoyed it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Stewart writes, "Consider using poetry to develop students' listening skills...read the poem aloud without allowing students to see the words...Then, read the same poem while displaying the words for students and ask them if they now understood more" (54). I decided to combine this with a lesson on visual note taking (many of these students are also in my regular English classes, and I did not want to burden them with two class periods of standard note taking on our first day back from spring break). </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Introduction to visual notetaking</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I began by showing my students a video from Youtube that addressed three components of visual note taking: decorative words, images, and connecting elements. Youtube is filled with videos about Sketchnotes and visual note taking. I chose the following video, as it is short enough to provide a general overview without overwhelming my students. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Multiple "readings" of the poem</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Because visual note taking was a new skill, I started with an easy poem, Jack Prelutsky's "Be glad your nose is on your face." One of my students recently informed me that I have a witch's nose, so I figured it was a good one to use in class. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I wanted to engage in the note taking process with my students, so rather than reading the poem aloud to them, I found an audio recording on Youtube that did not display the text of the poem, forcing my students - and me - to use their listening skills. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We listened to the poem multiple times, breaking our visual note taking into different rounds. While the students worked on their notes, I displayed my own paper via the document camera, modeling each step. For our first listen, we focused on words that caught our attention, adding them to our visual notes. We then listened again, drawing images that stood out to us. On the third, fourth, and fifth listens, we drew connectors between what we had drawn. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Displaying the poem</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The final layer of the visual note taking was the most complicated for my seventh graders, so I displayed the <a href="https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/be-glad-your-nose-your-face" target="_blank">poem</a> for them after we could no longer gather the information we needed by listening. The students and I referenced the text, adding more to our words, images, and connectors, adding more to their understanding of the poem. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Be Glad Your Nose Is on Your Face</span></span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="node-title"><a href="https://www.poets.org/node/45479" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(211, 211, 211); color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_top"><span itemprop="name">Jack Prelutsky</span></a></span>, <span class="date-display-single">1940</span></span></span></h2>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Be glad your nose is on your face,</span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">not pasted on some other place,
</span><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">you might dislike your nose a lot.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">for if it were where it is not,
Imagine if your precious nose
</span><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">that clearly would not be a treat,</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">were sandwiched in between your toes,
for you’d be forced to smell your feet.
</span><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">it soon would drive you to despair,</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Your nose would be a source of dread
were it attached atop your head,
forever tickled by your hair.
</span><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">your brain would rattle from the breeze.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Within your ear, your nose would be
an absolute catastrophe,
for when you were obliged to sneeze,
</span><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">be glad your nose is on your face!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Your nose, instead, through thick and thin,
remains between your eyes and chin,
</span><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">not pasted on some other place--</span></div>
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<b>The results</b></div>
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For a first try, I was really impressed with my students. Not only did they enjoy the note taking strategy, they were actually invested in the poem, something that usually turns them off completely. I worked hard to remove the pressure of getting everything exactly right, focusing on building my students' ability to listen well. For ELLs with beginning and intermediate English skills, I think pairing them up with students with higher level skills might help connect the words and images together to convey meaning. <br />
Tomorrow I am going to give them a more difficult, grade-level poem to work with to determine if they can garner meaning through visual note taking with a bit less support from me. Again, we will begin by listening to the poem without seeing the words. I am hoping that in the long run, the kids will start to hear how poetry should sound within their own minds without relying on the voice of another. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This one is mine. I think the kids did better. </td></tr>
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Kirsten Fotihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07054176161146845873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138457935330160608.post-4597971127549645502018-01-11T08:55:00.001-06:002018-01-11T08:55:08.107-06:00Random Word Stories<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Winter break was a long 18 days, and I did not think about school one time, as I was in the process of selling one house and buying another. Fortunately, the AVID community on Facebook came to my rescue as I scrambled to figure out what I was going to teach the first day back to school with everyone suffering from back-to-school-itis. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another AVID teacher posted that she uses random word generators to spark collaborative writing. Easy enough! I set up the lesson by explaining to my students that I would be providing them with six words from the generator. After discussing word meaning, I would provide them with six minutes to write a VERY short story with their table mates, using all of the provided words. We would then share out to practice listening and speaking skills. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Apparently, there are a significant number of <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=random+word+generators&oq=random+word+generators&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l5.3414j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8" target="_blank">random word generators</a> online. I clicked on the first one. I generated a different list for each class period. For some of the classes, I had to click through a few times, as there were words that I did not even know popping up. Sure, I could have used those words as an opportunity to model my own learning, but<i> I was tired</i>! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The lesson went quite well. The time limit helped to keep students engaged. Many of the groups were amused with themselves for what they had created. Some wrote a couple of sentences, working in the words as quickly as possible. Others managed to write short novels in the time provided. If I had not been discussing new procedures for the second semester, I probably could have worked in a second round of this activity. I did have requests from many students to do this again, and I am pondering how to use this to inspire my seventh grade students for their STAAR writing test in a couple of months. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you find yourself in need of a fifteen to twenty minute time filler (or you are having an off /I-can-barely-keep-my-eyes-open day and need to improvise), this requires little energy and planning on the part of the teacher. Give it a shot. </span>Kirsten Fotihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07054176161146845873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138457935330160608.post-54474615065808964882017-11-19T15:06:00.001-06:002017-11-19T15:07:57.724-06:00Keep it R.E.A.L. - Chapter 1 Response<a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51o1GCAWUmL._SX338_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="340" height="200" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51o1GCAWUmL._SX338_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" width="136" /></a>A few weeks ago, I received an unexpected message in my work email from a professor at Texas Woman's University. <a href="https://twitter.com/DrMandyStewart" target="_blank">Dr. Mandy Stewart</a>, a professor who I have not met, asked if she could share some of my work with potential graduate students. Fortunately, Dr. Stewart could not see me gushing and blushing behind my computer.<br />
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As if that were not flattering enough, our conversation led to a book she recently wrote, <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/keep-it-real-mary-amanda-stewart/1126718788?ean=9780807758700" target="_blank"><i>Keep it R.E.A.L!: Relevant, engaging, and affirming literacy for adolescent English learners</i>.</a> Dr. Stewart asked me two questions: <i>Would I mind if she sent me a copy to read? Would I mind providing my opinion on how the information can be more inclusive of middle school students?</i><br />
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Me? Seriously? Two words: Jaw. Drop. What kind of expert am I? Fourteen plus years of experience teaching middle school, six of those as a certified ESL teacher, and I <i>still </i>do not see myself as an expert. But I do have opinions all the time, so why not! So here goes...something.<br />
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<b><i>Reader Response:</i></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHOY3qo1DMrZGu2r7rZfl_589mOvG35OWViz_Cd0NLX8PoUU54d_N0QwNTMxbti6aIeo-70baNVImjrejNfd3LOaXVVa9eZsxB3SnsShasAAzD1ZD0Cf7xQV0zfr0wcjB5LBP1C34Ueiru/s1600/crit+theory.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="144" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHOY3qo1DMrZGu2r7rZfl_589mOvG35OWViz_Cd0NLX8PoUU54d_N0QwNTMxbti6aIeo-70baNVImjrejNfd3LOaXVVa9eZsxB3SnsShasAAzD1ZD0Cf7xQV0zfr0wcjB5LBP1C34Ueiru/s200/crit+theory.jpg" width="130" /></a>Dr. Stewart shares how she used <b>reader response</b> instruction with newcomer students in a high school summer institute. Reader response might be the only theory I can comfortably discuss. I read Lois Tyson's book <i><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/critical-theory-today-lois-tyson/1100750220?ean=9780415506755" target="_blank">Critical theory today</a></i> prior to entering the field of education. Even as I was studying this information as part of my English minor, reader response criticism resonated with me the most because it is how I read naturally. Once I entered the seventh grade classroom (and later on eighth), this became my go-to theory with my students.<br />
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Reader response is all about interacting with the text to make meaning. It is about the experience of the reader. Not only do I consider this to be an ideal way for middle school students to develop a relationship with text, I also see this as beneficial for English language learners. Because we are asking our ELLs to engage with the text and develop connections, they cannot be wrong (unless they have completely misread, of course). The students are bringing <i>their </i>experiences to the table that allow them to engage in writing, listening, and speaking, in addition to the reading, all within the framework of a low affective filter.<br />
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<i><b>The Acronym:</b></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS33IqXN5-ctETdS7iudTszSwqB0sNvH4_ANoulvVdR4rimDwThMQ_k9xriz8WTrdecrsVSwcz5HIcR1qDx8scEi554kdH1BKEQLnYFrgnPq9i1YnSoJC2phq5zg-ba40PUU-wOtphyYgf/s1600/keep-it-real.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS33IqXN5-ctETdS7iudTszSwqB0sNvH4_ANoulvVdR4rimDwThMQ_k9xriz8WTrdecrsVSwcz5HIcR1qDx8scEi554kdH1BKEQLnYFrgnPq9i1YnSoJC2phq5zg-ba40PUU-wOtphyYgf/s200/keep-it-real.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Just as we wish for students to connect with text, we need to connect with our students. Why not incorporate some slang into our teaching? I could easily say, "We are going to Keep it R.E.A.L. today," as part of a reading lesson. (That is far more comfortable for me than referring to myself as the G.O.A.T. or as Gucci.)<br />
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Newcomers will need instruction in understanding slang American language. Pre-teens and young teens are on a journey of self-discovery, and as much as we may want them to be focused on long-term educational goals, <i>their </i>goal is simply to fit in with and be accepted by their peers. So I am all for <i>keepin' it real</i>. We can teach our newer ELLs an expression that will help them communicate socially, while also making new-language text more accessible.<br />
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So here is my initial opinion regarding this content and students in grades 6-8: The foundation of this work is definitely an ideal fit for the middle school classroom. It allows for all students to connect to the learning, in particular our ELLs who may feel isolated and withdrawn. Reader response through Keep it R.E.A.L. provides for every student to be part of the learning community.<br />
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Dr. Stewart discusses each element of R.E.A.L. in chapter one, and I would rather you read it than have me share all of my reader responses to the questions she proposes in regard to relevancy, engagement, affirmation, and literacy instruction, as we each bring different backgrounds and experiences from our teaching to these topics.<br />
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<br />Kirsten Fotihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07054176161146845873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138457935330160608.post-79211269770819607102017-10-20T15:27:00.000-05:002017-10-26T08:40:58.728-05:00#TwoSentenceHorrorStory<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUG1LAzMrLfSkB29b3H1yF2qQQoy1VIkHsNKdBobVgni4VkNwW6ibWLIDkDiRqVo3N7iWuVJ99xwCmVl9Hy1wNvmcvi5o3V9-0_H0R7CQHvzFz4t24aLriBdjbpOinEDrjfOSIeNqgTJrl/s1600/why-meme.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="177" data-original-width="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUG1LAzMrLfSkB29b3H1yF2qQQoy1VIkHsNKdBobVgni4VkNwW6ibWLIDkDiRqVo3N7iWuVJ99xwCmVl9Hy1wNvmcvi5o3V9-0_H0R7CQHvzFz4t24aLriBdjbpOinEDrjfOSIeNqgTJrl/s1600/why-meme.jpg" /></a>October 20, was the National Day on Writing. For weeks, I tried determine how to incorporate the day into my AVID class. We do write, but you see, it had been a long week for my students. They took the PSAT, <i>and then</i> they had to learn about the Pythagorean theory the same week! I had no desire to bog them down with a lengthy writing assignment. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Fortunately, I ran across a trending hashtag on Twitter: #TwoSentenceHorrorStory. I started reading some amazing short tales and realized that there was no way my students could complain about writing two sentences. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Being me, I presented the writing assignment to my classes as something dreadful. They groaned and complained about having to write <i>until </i>I said, "You only have to write two sentences." Boy, did their attitudes change quickly. After sharing some examples from the Twitter-verse, my students were excited to participate in the activity. I did clarify that scary is different for each person, sharing this example for them that I wrote:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">That is, by far, one of the most terrifying experiences for me. It was bad enough that there were only <i>three </i>yesterday. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I have to admit that the kids went above and beyond my expectations. I am not sure the nightmares have stopped yet. Here are some of my favorites: </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">You might have to be an AVID teacher to appreciate this one. </span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I liked this lesson because it was short and sweet in addition to being highly engaging. It could be used as a time-filler or a warmup. The tone could be modified to anything one is trying to teach: humor, sadness, grief. I can see a great deal of potential. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In addition, the limitation of two sentences kept the affective filter low for my ELLs and my struggling writers. And because we wrote on a Padlet board, we were all able to truly appreciate the madness of our minds. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Happy writing! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>Kirsten Fotihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07054176161146845873noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138457935330160608.post-14115068098261374252017-09-20T18:50:00.000-05:002017-09-20T18:57:33.349-05:00#bemoredog<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8-p5Qbahbq9XJPI6CQY9BGzfvYzg5yGxXzhPJf14riouPei-Fr_nDRvUcvHgh389ZJSuxE0N6jdRcAqeEeT0gcbDEZgFs1c3LLSoMbvnDpStwyGJvZTjexo8YRX0uYfjCJShlMXFQx7f0/s1600/Innovators+Mindset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8-p5Qbahbq9XJPI6CQY9BGzfvYzg5yGxXzhPJf14riouPei-Fr_nDRvUcvHgh389ZJSuxE0N6jdRcAqeEeT0gcbDEZgFs1c3LLSoMbvnDpStwyGJvZTjexo8YRX0uYfjCJShlMXFQx7f0/s200/Innovators+Mindset.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At our second annual Edcamp Arlington TX, we gave away George Couros' <i>The Innovator's Mindset </i>as one of many door prizes. I chose this one because it is one I want to read. It took me until yesterday to finally buy it, and it had immediate impact on me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">While I was drying my hair this morning (hey, I work in ever minute I can to read), I was perusing the introduction to the book. Couros writes</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well, I do happen to be a cat lover, so I stopped to watch the video. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We are five and a half weeks into school in my district, and I am not seeing as much effort as I would like from many of my students, particularly for a college preparation class. This commercial spoke to me. I want my students to be more dog! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So today I modified my lesson plan to address behaviors I am seeing on campus and in my classroom that I think need to be improved. <i>Cat behaviors</i>! I was calling my students cats and making cat noises at them, speaking in complete metaphor about the cat behaviors. They were a bit confused until we watched the video. Then they were all about the dog behaviors!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJSV12nEWqAPW9TXkpypnAxA5qkHHPyDUHRSN3E1J6bIt7zPw-Ez1qqi1pdv6HCeWZg6veEOajhc42__bdVuIPrsE3Eh5-O08lrAeYmeZHR94rUp5deYHyCJJmmiZLPIzFkklbpG5DO37G/s1600/dog-hmwk.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="386" data-original-width="550" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJSV12nEWqAPW9TXkpypnAxA5qkHHPyDUHRSN3E1J6bIt7zPw-Ez1qqi1pdv6HCeWZg6veEOajhc42__bdVuIPrsE3Eh5-O08lrAeYmeZHR94rUp5deYHyCJJmmiZLPIzFkklbpG5DO37G/s200/dog-hmwk.gif" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I asked my students to write three ways in which they could "be more dog" - aside from eating their homework. There were some definite dog references - be more <i>obedient</i>, <i>fetch</i>ing work to turn it in on time, <i>walk</i>ing faster to get to class on time. But I also received some serious responses about being more enthusiastic and actively engaged in class. We always share out, accompanied by some sort of applause - double clap, snapping, a quick <i>Woot</i>! Today, we barked our approval. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I cannot say I have ever spent a dog hissing like a cat and barking like a dog in my classroom, but this blog address does not start with <i>crazyladyteacher</i> for nothing. I am always willing to put my ego on the line and do something a bit ridiculous and adventurous in my classroom if it will benefit my students. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQieC6Re2F_u-4nDGN8tPPy1vjd8ixIIdDOjRfaU9XRKARQDcbXgXNn32pYVHhGchPsAi-MBgpOee7QHn5b9NYFa2DKZSmKJRMLtptzheRQ10dlDDTXoBtbmBfPbtyr-J95eezd8vzWClV/s1600/Funny+Dog+Face+011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="325" data-original-width="400" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQieC6Re2F_u-4nDGN8tPPy1vjd8ixIIdDOjRfaU9XRKARQDcbXgXNn32pYVHhGchPsAi-MBgpOee7QHn5b9NYFa2DKZSmKJRMLtptzheRQ10dlDDTXoBtbmBfPbtyr-J95eezd8vzWClV/s200/Funny+Dog+Face+011.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I went with a bit of crazy chihuahua today. What can you do to #bemoredog?</span><br />
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<br />Kirsten Fotihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07054176161146845873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138457935330160608.post-12726889383017043272017-09-16T17:47:00.003-05:002017-10-07T09:49:56.406-05:00Roving Paragraph Frames<a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51uBl2dbiEL._SX358_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="360" height="200" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51uBl2dbiEL._SX358_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" width="143" /></a>This summer, I was introduced to a book chat on Twitter specifically focused on English language learners. The first book I read for <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Ellchat_BkClub&src=tyah" target="_blank">#ELLChat_BkClub</a> was <i>Boosting Achievement: Reaching Students with Interrupted or Minimal Education </i>by <a href="https://twitter.com/MsSalvac" target="_blank">Carol Salva</a>. Most of my students are long-term ELLs, but good strategies are good strategies, so I was not going to pass up the opportunity to dialogue with educators all over the country regarding this information.<br />
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I do have some shorter-term ELL students in my classes this year, ranging from two to five years. Although we are four weeks into the school year, I do not know about their educational careers prior to immigrating. I <i>do </i>know that I want to provide them with the best possible education, and in <i>Boosting Achievement</i>, I discovered roving paragraph frames. As an AVID teacher, my students engage in writing, reading, collaboration, and reflection regularly. The roving paragraph frames strategy caught my attention because of its ability to meet my AVID expectations in addition to assisting my ELLs. I often use writing frames and templates in class, but the addition of movement and collaboration makes this a special strategy.<br />
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After spending a week watching videos and taking notes over the AVID tutorial process, my students needed a day to get up and move. I used the roving paragraph frames strategy as a collaborative reflective writing assignment about our learning. Salva provides options for students who cannot yet write in English and for the newcomer classroom, as well as the following method that I used with my students: <br />
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<li>Provide students with a <b>sentence stem</b>. They should complete the statement, creating a complete sentence. </li>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"It is important to understand the tutorial process because..."</td></tr>
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<li> Students <b>signal </b>when they have completed their writing and are
ready for the next step. Salva suggests having students stand up in
preparation to move. Because my classes are large, I simply had my
students set their pencils down. </li>
<li>Students next <b>rove </b>around the room to find a partner. I used the Kagan <b>Hand up/Stand up/Pair up</b> strategy. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<li>Once a partner is found, students <b>read </b>(speaking/listening) what they have written to one another. </li>
<li>Provide another <b>stem </b>for students to add on to what they have written, creating another complete sentence. Students may write the information they received from their partners or write a brand new idea. </li>
<li> Students <b>signal </b>when they have completed their writing and are
ready for the next step. Salva suggests having students stand back-to-back. I used this idea, but I would like to caution you in advance: we had some booty bumping taking place. 😀</li>
<li>Lather, rinse, repeat until your students have written what you wish for them to write. I kept this initial round to four sentences, as I was not sure how my students would react.</li>
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After completing the activity, I had my students reflect on how we used listening, speaking, reading, writing, and collaboration with the strategy. It is important to me that they understand all aspects of communication skills as part of their college prep program. <br />
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These three students are my newest to the United States and all wrote equally as well as their native Texan classmates: <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9aD91yWt63cmusDSAyPco1rJf7fev-dtDMRubnV7v7xs3QBsl-Y21N4aoIqILQy38YDgh8RtA0-cP-ofOkUjcs2yBLc0DplVb8-R_0CawptxONiJl9ms4BKBU38hPwoa_ZNsqRb9LWCXq/s1600/IMG_3700.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1566" data-original-width="1600" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9aD91yWt63cmusDSAyPco1rJf7fev-dtDMRubnV7v7xs3QBsl-Y21N4aoIqILQy38YDgh8RtA0-cP-ofOkUjcs2yBLc0DplVb8-R_0CawptxONiJl9ms4BKBU38hPwoa_ZNsqRb9LWCXq/s320/IMG_3700.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Student from Mexico; in US 2 years</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Student from Vietnam; in US for 3 years</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Student from Vietnam; in US for 5 years</td></tr>
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If you have read my blog with any regularity, you know that I consider
all students to be English language learners. Middle schoolers still
have a lot to learn about writing fluently, and by using roving
paragraph frames, my students have a foundation upon which to build. <br />
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During my last class of the day, one boy asked if we were going to be doing this again. I told him that depended on whether or not the class enjoyed the activity. I was met with a chorus of resounding approval. I also have to tell you that my kids gave me a bit of a hard time. Apparently, I needed to increase the sophistication of the transition statements because they already know how to use the basics. Challenge accepted! Stay tuned. <br />
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P.S. I will be presenting this information at the TexTESOL V conference in Plano in a few weeks. If you happen to try this before then, I would love your thoughts.<br />
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P.P.S. Here is the <a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1O860w1_rujN5wwewb_sMfYtyaGV8JedzzCM-KdJP8bM/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">presentation </a>from the TexTESOLV conference. Thanks to all who attended and shared. <br />
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<br />Kirsten Fotihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07054176161146845873noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138457935330160608.post-37462480052268091242017-07-18T13:09:00.000-05:002017-07-18T13:09:17.886-05:00When literary life becomes realityThis is the third summer that I have taken advantage of the free audio books from <a href="http://audiobooksync.com/" target="_blank">Sync</a> Audiobooks for Teens. I know, I know. I am not a teen. But I teach teens, and the summer program has introduced me to books and authors that I might not know about otherwise.<br />
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I am also currently enrolled in a children's and young adult literature graduate library sciences course. For this class, I have two projects for which I get to pick the topic and readings. My professor encourages the use of audio books to build a broader perspective.<br />
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In week four of the Sync selections, I downloaded <i>In Our Backyard: Human Trafficking in America and What We Can Do to Stop It</i> by Nita Belles. I cannot say I was looking forward to this particular text based on the content, but I always give every audio book a shot. I cruised through the entire book, and every bit of it was painful. I had no idea how much trafficking takes place in our own country, and now every time I see a missing child notice, I wonder if he or she has been dragged into this underworld.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOps2ful5XC0elVxMKPh0JaR5NJni-fXq1lI0SmkBnfQxgR8fmfDyXmwu3IZy6OJvnoj09rf1FhCNEpSOLzvFkNZ4nhYGx10Qp1bRtt7RHtWXbZESqu9SASNnQj6syGNI3AbqFeDSY1NPR/s1600/201114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOps2ful5XC0elVxMKPh0JaR5NJni-fXq1lI0SmkBnfQxgR8fmfDyXmwu3IZy6OJvnoj09rf1FhCNEpSOLzvFkNZ4nhYGx10Qp1bRtt7RHtWXbZESqu9SASNnQj6syGNI3AbqFeDSY1NPR/s320/201114.jpg" width="210" /></a>While listening to this book, one of my classmates recommended <i>Sold </i>by Patricia McCormick during our poetry unit. I have had this book in my classroom library for years, and I happened to bring it home this summer. This text also happens to be about human trafficking. Because this is a novel written in verse, I read it quickly, realizing that I had unintentionally stumbled upon my topic for one of my book projects: human trafficking.<br />
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I am not one for light and fluffy topics. I am willing to delve into the heavy stuff and share it with my students. I want them to be world-wise, and being ignorant of important issues happening, literally, in our backyards is to be lacking an important awareness. These readings have made me think about all the times my young teenage girls have come to me to discuss the older boy they are dating or the guy they met online. Any of those situations could have become an incident of human trafficking. Fortunately, they did not. <br />
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Unfortunately, the topic did reach into my personal bubble last week. While on vacation, I was scrolling through my Facebook feed and caught a news article posted by a former student:<br />
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<a href="http://www.everythinglubbock.com/news/local-news/pimp-sentenced-to-293-months-in-federal-prison-in-child-sex-trafficking-case/765590485" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Pimp" Sentenced to 293 Months in Federal Prison in Child Sex Trafficking Case</span></span></span></a></h1>
<br />
Underneath the article title was the name of the "pimp" and his age. In the comments of the Facebook post, someone wrote, "Didn't we go to school with him?" My response, "Why, yes. Yes, you did."<br />
<br />
I taught this young man when he was in seventh grade. I remember our first encounter clearly because I did not know if he was a boy or a girl. He had long hair pulled back into a ponytail and a name that could apply to either gender, a name that I am intentionally not using in this post. I misaddressed him as a girl, and he became very angry.<br />
<br />
Later in the school year, he became the first student to ever get in a fight in my classroom. It was the last class of the day, and the final bell rang. I was escorting my students from the classroom but had turned away from the door for some reason. By the time I turned back a few moments later, the fight was in full effect. It got so bad that there was blood on some of my desks. Sadly, the young man's role in the fight made an impact on me, but I could not tell you who the other student was.<br />
<br />
My son was in the same grade as this young gentleman. When I asked my son if he remembered him, not only did he respond that he remembered him, he also remembered the boy being picked on all the time. My son said that he had it pretty bad. <br />
<br />
I never sit in my classroom, looking at my students, wondering who the criminals will be. I know the odds state that there will be some, but I always think the best of every student in regard to their long term success. Stories like this break my heart. I hurt for the young girl and her family. She did not deserve this. I hurt for my former student as I wonder how bad the pain in his own life became, leading him to this life. I refuse to allow that to be an excuse, but something led to his following this path. <br />
<br />
<br />
We need to educate our kids, even when the topics are tough. When they come to us talking about the older boy they met online, we cannot dismiss it. My students talk to me because they trust me, but they know that if they share anything with me that indicates a danger, I will share that information, not simply because I am legally required to, but because I refuse to let any of my students disappear into this underworld if I can help it. Kirsten Fotihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07054176161146845873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138457935330160608.post-74681732391524453202017-06-28T10:06:00.002-05:002017-06-28T10:06:09.411-05:00Poetry. Yuck! This post is a response to "Chapter 4: Poetry for Children" in Sylvia Vardell's <i>Children's Literature in Action</i> that I am reading for a graduate children's and young adult literature course.<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Poetry. Yuck!</i> That’s
my first reaction when I think about poetry, but I honestly do not know where
that comes from. As I was reading this chapter, I was a bit flabbergasted by
how much of a role poetry has played in my life and my teaching. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
As I was reading about Mother Goose, something clicked in my
brain. I have a closet in my house that is used solely for book storage (it’s
one of many places). I had to stop reading the chapter about poetr and go
hunting to find something I thought was there: </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ixcP8QSpO5l1acA-mkDAr3Q3ZnLIGYqTxswLxfab_Hxe-uVM_od3SqaMGbtLHO2DHZ1AXUrMTafCDih83Wq2M48sCMVPLUPS_HiN3NDarffg5220h4GEkWB3re_AB-elKWt2Y4Jq3cX-/s1600/mother+goose.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="586" height="345" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ixcP8QSpO5l1acA-mkDAr3Q3ZnLIGYqTxswLxfab_Hxe-uVM_od3SqaMGbtLHO2DHZ1AXUrMTafCDih83Wq2M48sCMVPLUPS_HiN3NDarffg5220h4GEkWB3re_AB-elKWt2Y4Jq3cX-/s400/mother+goose.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
These three books are all from my childhood (I’m almost 44,
so they have been around a long time). All were read more times than I can
remember. All are attached to some very positive memories of my mother and
maternal grandparents, and just finding them and seeing my grandmother’s
handwriting brought me to tears, so much so that I had to stop reading about
poetry and contact my mother and sister. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">That</i>
is the power of literature right there. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">When I did get back to the
chapter, as I read J. Patrick Lewis’ interview, I remembered that my fifth
grade writing project was all poetry. I can recall sitting in class, writing limericks
and haikus, editing and revising over and over again in an attempt to create
the best possible work. There were two other girls in class who were also
writers, and we were very competitive. For as long as I can remember, it was my
intention to be the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">best</i> writer. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">I continued to write a great
deal of poetry throughout my childhood. I have literary magazines from high
school in which my poetry is published. I also filled personal journals with
teen angst-filled poetry. </span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_qzN-qijFa_T5BgJvDmAdjda5BXHlxlQqrzSCqC28A9SQYM9xm2mVocRWRaOlXN2Z7vTcZ7a1SSys3DA-sYthpAC_UEowZcZcPcIkqq7WXuwAv15iGU4h7gMMla0GrzPhWj0FBK1Tgzdh/s1600/literary+mag.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="523" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_qzN-qijFa_T5BgJvDmAdjda5BXHlxlQqrzSCqC28A9SQYM9xm2mVocRWRaOlXN2Z7vTcZ7a1SSys3DA-sYthpAC_UEowZcZcPcIkqq7WXuwAv15iGU4h7gMMla0GrzPhWj0FBK1Tgzdh/s400/literary+mag.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">I have never simply <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">shared</i> poetry with my classes. In
teaching STAAR-tested poetry, the goal has always been to make sure students
understand it enough to answer questions to be able to pass the test and move
on to ninth grade. Now that I am not in a STAAR-tested class, I do have the
ability to actually share poetry. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51SY35LuyNL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="333" height="200" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51SY35LuyNL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">I don’t like to teach poetry for reading,
but I like to teach writing poetry. When I was at the AVID conference last
week, one of the writing strategies presented was a <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=11&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiY94Hv5-DUAhVKwFQKHQRWDKwQFghOMAo&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.readwritethink.org%2Ffiles%2Fresources%2Flesson_images%2Flesson391%2Ftwo-voice.pdf&usg=AFQjCNFq4M2hKXR8WEjD-Q8kmnce4osXzA" target="_blank">two-voice poem</a> (page 139).
This is not new information to me. I have taught this format before, but I have
not used it in quite some time. I have already added it to my list of beginning
lessons for August. My eighth grade classes will be a half-and-half mix of
students I taught last year in seventh grade and students who are new to AVID
for eighth grade. I am going to use the two-voice poem as a get-to-know you
activity between my former students and my new students. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">I have also taught other
types of poems in my class, such as diamante and acrostic, but one of my
favorite poems to teach is a <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjdjrfB4ODUAhVHqVQKHaBqDkQQFggrMAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sausd.us%2Fcms%2Flib5%2FCA01000471%2FCentricity%2FDomain%2F3043%2FI%2520Am%2520From%2520Poem.pdf&usg=AFQjCNE46WIVeEtZjWmjSG4XlA_WkocdVA">“Where
I’m From”</a> poem that I first learned about through AVID. The poem is based
on a piece by George Ella Lyon. In the classroom, it provides an opportunity
for students to explore their family backgrounds. I have also used the <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiO1e2H4eDUAhVs5YMKHQHfC2sQFgghMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Ferhs.rcsnc.org%2FUserFiles%2FServers%2FServer_4766394%2FFile%2FMelissa%2520Anders%2FI%2520Am.pdf&usg=AFQjCNEbAOhq6xj7CznoyhwpEAqLDZTbZA">“I
Am”</a> poem that I first learned about through AVID. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://booklife.com/image-factory/http/localhost/amazongetcover/9781563979989.jpg/w204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="306" data-original-width="204" height="200" src="https://booklife.com/image-factory/http/localhost/amazongetcover/9781563979989.jpg/w204.jpg" width="133" /></a><span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">Ironically, despite thinking
I do not like poetry at all, I have been a big proponent of spoken-word poetry.
I purchased <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wham! It’s a Poetry Jam</i> in
an attempt to try to build a poetry slam on my campus, but it never found it’s
footing. I used a few of the poems with my students, but I was discouraged and
gave up. It might be time to pull that book back out. </span></div>
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This chapter also made me wonder what poetry is available in
my school library. Silverstein and Prelutsky are staples, and I know exactly
where they are on the bookshelf. I pulled up our online library catalog to see
what other poets we have available for checkout. There are 228 titles
categorized under poetry, including <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Poetry Friday Anthology</i> by Sylvia Vardell (I have debated about buying that
book for years; I had no idea we had a copy at school). We also have titles
from Paul Janeczko, Lee Bennett Hopkins (I didn’t know he was a big deal until
reading this chapter), Carl Sandburg, and Pat Moon, to name a few. I honestly
do not think I have ever seen a student walking around with a book of poems,
however, unless it has been a requirement for an English class project. </div>
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Based on my very informal analysis of titles, it does not
look like our collection addressed the diversity of our school campus. Many of
the books are about holidays or are compilations of silly poems. My campus has
a new librarian coming in this year, and this is probably something I can
discuss with her. </div>
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This class continues to surprise me as I continue to
discover how different genres of literature have shaped me. When I say I cannot
remember not reading, I really know why. When you look back on the role of
literature in your own life, what role did/does poetry play? </div>
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<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
Kirsten Fotihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07054176161146845873noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138457935330160608.post-73152435423602523452017-06-15T18:16:00.001-05:002017-06-15T18:16:05.715-05:00What I am learning about picture books<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3NzYL3S7DqPWs9UYFmBY2hHdqJc1WNSqlx6Bt-Ar3uzVtXMyx_hTbrPYeh6WYANf-4rGnEjCLFh-cuL9Ii7daawNB8fl5FmVK8l3IyaEY5v0S-pSiz6sYYZqGGEon9TOFwDM5cGLlGI4F/s1600/51Hm6HZKIEL._SX348_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="350" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3NzYL3S7DqPWs9UYFmBY2hHdqJc1WNSqlx6Bt-Ar3uzVtXMyx_hTbrPYeh6WYANf-4rGnEjCLFh-cuL9Ii7daawNB8fl5FmVK8l3IyaEY5v0S-pSiz6sYYZqGGEon9TOFwDM5cGLlGI4F/s320/51Hm6HZKIEL._SX348_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">One of the classes I am enrolled in this summer is a library sciences children's and young adult literature course. In that class, I am reading <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/childrens-literature-in-action-sylvia-m-vardell/1124331369;jsessionid=BC77B5100C7C83C6DC127FD01633C29B.prodny_store02-atgap02?ean=2901610695625&pcta=u&st=PLA&sid=BNB_DRS_Core%20Shopping%20Textbooks_00000000&2sid=Google_&sourceId=PLGoP62414" target="_blank">Children's Literature in Action: A Librarian's Guide</a> by Sylvia M. Vardell (and I just found out yesterday that until recently, she has been teaching the class), in addition to picture books and novels galore. This week's assignment was to read a chapter about picture books and read three picture books (choose from a particular list) for which we had to write reviews. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Even though I am a middle school teacher, I use picture/trade books in my classroom as often as I possibly can. In regard to these books, Vardell writes, "many are...not afraid to tackle challenging topics" (46). This past spring, my seventh and eighth grade AVID classes examined and analyzed <a href="http://crazyladyteacher.blogspot.com/2017/05/critical-literacy-examining.html">controversial/banned children's books</a> for an inquiry lesson. My students and I were able to engage in some difficult conversations involving gender, sexuality, and immigration, for example, all from picture books. I had never done this before and had no idea how young teenagers would react, but it turned out to be pretty remarkable. <br /><br />As I was reading the chapter, I was checking off all of the picture books I have read, and I was pretty impressed that I have read a significant number, aside from alphabet books. Part of this is due to my participation in the #<a href="https://twitter.com/search?f=tweets&vertical=default&q=%23bookaday&src=typd">bookaday </a>on Twitter, created by Donalyn Miller. Through this process, I discovered that many picture books are not really written for young children and that there is a lot that can be learned from these reads. I believe there are stereotypes about all picture books being elementary in nature, but many are rich in vocabulary, complex sentence structures, and information. <br /><br />There were a few surprises for me within the reading:<br /></span><ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">One topic addressed in the chapter is awards for picture books. I had no idea that the Caldecott award had been around since the 1930s (39). The first book I shared with my students for the above mentioned lesson was <a href="http://www.tomie.com/books/spotlight_on_strega.html">Strega Nona</a>, a Caldecott winner from 1976. I thought the award from 1976 was a long time ago - and I was alive at that time. I do not think I have ever really considered that children's books have been around for quite some time now. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Vardell writes, "that no one artistic style is preferred by kids, and that judgment is rather individual" (40). This is simply something I have never thought about, but it struck me as funny. I started imagining a toddler running around the library, looking at books, grimacing, "No, not that one, Mother. The artistry is not to my liking." </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Most picture books are 32-pages in length (45). I was so intrigued by this that I tweeted about it and started counting the pages in some of the books I have sitting in my house right now. 32 pages, indeed!</span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Children's picture books do not have to have a theme or lesson . Having taught middle school English for so long and theme being such a challenging TEK, this made me feel better about sharing picture books with my students for reasons other than an overall "moral of the story". The controversial books I used certainly have messages to convey, but like Vardell says, "Deeper meanings are gleaned subtly, implicitly, through understanding how the world words, how people behave, and how stories reveal those truths" (60). My students worked collaboratively to delve into those deeper meanings without my having to spoon-feed any information. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">If you stop by the library or the bookstore, check out some of the children's books. There are treasures galore if you look. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">_____________________________________________</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Some of my favorite picture books:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4xpezsUEcGwOa3sXzjEd52fU6lRVRBKto9CNp4-E7c-bJQLUX1A3I6CrNkjokgKA_1jkITJ3NrzjHc1fe7VeGzxwrbp4vN-D7mb2BWowqwO0NKfhP7z4SiL7ttkONtN9TXaNoT8e5LUD6/s1600/9780316324908_p0_v3_s192x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="192" data-original-width="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4xpezsUEcGwOa3sXzjEd52fU6lRVRBKto9CNp4-E7c-bJQLUX1A3I6CrNkjokgKA_1jkITJ3NrzjHc1fe7VeGzxwrbp4vN-D7mb2BWowqwO0NKfhP7z4SiL7ttkONtN9TXaNoT8e5LUD6/s1600/9780316324908_p0_v3_s192x300.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /> </span></div>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-day-the-crayons-quit-drew-daywalt/1113054468?ean=9780399255373" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The Day the Crayons Quit </span></a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/millions-of-cats-wanda-gag/1101482297?ean=9780142407080" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Millions of Cats</span></a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/and-tango-makes-three-justin-richardson/1100623193?ean=9780689878459" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">And Tango Makes Three</span></a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/when-the-beat-was-born-laban-carrick-hill/1113059156?ean=9781596435407" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">When the Beat was Born</span></a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/walter-the-farting-dog-william-kotzwinkle/1101080485?ean=9781583940532" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Walter the Farting Dog</span></a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/finding-winnie-lindsay-mattick/1121169450?ean=9780316324908" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear</span></a></li>
</ul>
Kirsten Fotihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07054176161146845873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138457935330160608.post-88315961700881498912017-06-12T13:52:00.004-05:002017-06-12T13:52:48.562-05:00NCTE Reads: YA Pedagogy Element 1 - Classroom Community<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZD_HHh-CF_i2GMUR3QsWXgNjMlCAj5p8duHoHMxzbdfH_qYv1QXdgspAkBIZDGsdQUYtUg3-kSDPZ-zqCGau5_i-Ye8RhZYV1EBapmXffxCpgosBkhq7my6W4avMM7i5vgAUIzVNueDmL/s1600/71XLfvoVgxL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1115" data-original-width="900" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZD_HHh-CF_i2GMUR3QsWXgNjMlCAj5p8duHoHMxzbdfH_qYv1QXdgspAkBIZDGsdQUYtUg3-kSDPZ-zqCGau5_i-Ye8RhZYV1EBapmXffxCpgosBkhq7my6W4avMM7i5vgAUIzVNueDmL/s200/71XLfvoVgxL.jpg" width="161" /></a></span></div>
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<h2>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This week for NCTE Reads, we are delving into the development of pedagogy that addresses young adult literature in the classroom. Element 1 focuses on classroom community. </span></h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvVnzj7XwQMzLi0ESVrMQnAUwnmcxTmtGLoakNZJ82W0DLzRo4VET1A1rPLcLKK_TalyniKfj6LSE0bsZkCluXWCGkJjJpTkLnzbuM-aiYLFIfOXAkMl1SxEInZtXM_mS6GACTD9vshJBu/s1600/Capture.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="757" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvVnzj7XwQMzLi0ESVrMQnAUwnmcxTmtGLoakNZJ82W0DLzRo4VET1A1rPLcLKK_TalyniKfj6LSE0bsZkCluXWCGkJjJpTkLnzbuM-aiYLFIfOXAkMl1SxEInZtXM_mS6GACTD9vshJBu/s640/Capture.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Many years ago, I learned that it is pointless to discuss rules and procedures on the first day of school. Students are tired and adjusting to being back on a schedule. They are excited to see their friends and what teachers they have but not to learn anything, especially on day one. So I switched gears and started focusing on classroom community from the first day of school. If we are going to be a family for 178 days, we need to be comfortable with one another. I have no issues with building community within the first two days of schools. But how to I extend this community into teaching young adult literature?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">_______________________________________________</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Which quality do I try to focus on?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<u><b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Quality #1: Belief that the work is important</span></b></u><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Buehler discusses that teachers must treat young adult literature in the same capacity as they do classic literature. My classroom library consists of mostly young adult literature and a few pieces from the canon. Although I do not teach young adult literature in my AVID class, the selections for middle school English in my district are mostly young adult titles. Books I have taught in my fourteen years of teaching include:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_sXOjVCI_5Z2ToP4lqU60zRlUB0Me3-kEew6xrCyTM4FOLTlYeESJXAioEke1vVhzhDOvQh6xR33RNEZ1kSC5nWjYjnQM1d66b4XEBxJTrAVKANTbvtjiDAbWa0MJ2_AWtz7RcmNbBwAw/s1600/IMG_1566.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_sXOjVCI_5Z2ToP4lqU60zRlUB0Me3-kEew6xrCyTM4FOLTlYeESJXAioEke1vVhzhDOvQh6xR33RNEZ1kSC5nWjYjnQM1d66b4XEBxJTrAVKANTbvtjiDAbWa0MJ2_AWtz7RcmNbBwAw/s400/IMG_1566.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In regard to classic literature, I did teach <i>Treasure Island</i> one time (and it was one time for a reason), and I taught <i>Tom Sawyer</i> one time. I would rather not discuss how those went over. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I have to say that I think I have treated these works seriously. Except for that one time when I made fun of <i>A Wrinkle in Time</i> profusely for everyone being saved by love (not my favorite story). Ok, I also expressed a few negative thoughts about the end of <i>The Giver</i>. But aside from that, I <b>swear </b>I have treated these books with the utmost respect. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I do read everything I can from my own classroom library, and I have done my best to make sure I have books that represent all of my students, and some of those titles have to be treated with care (ex. <i>Fat Angie</i>, <i>Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the World, Tomboy</i>). When I have one-on-one conversations with students about the books they choose, I always treat the chosen story as the greatest novel ever written. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">_______________________________________________</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA9oY5H2YXBqG3KnW4TY64miVX-XdHnHeJ4DGmgzsN7DQfPFLwHaKzvsyu6bjHG3Nr7e9p2wgE0H4z5Y2_khP-tebSZ7gXx2clHwRFd84GECfeTFVu7eS6WvYdG-PHIbzJi83mZKuVO2fo/s1600/WjBppZmOhjAC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="267" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA9oY5H2YXBqG3KnW4TY64miVX-XdHnHeJ4DGmgzsN7DQfPFLwHaKzvsyu6bjHG3Nr7e9p2wgE0H4z5Y2_khP-tebSZ7gXx2clHwRFd84GECfeTFVu7eS6WvYdG-PHIbzJi83mZKuVO2fo/s200/WjBppZmOhjAC.jpg" width="133" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I would have to say that the rest of the qualities are all challenges for me in the AVID classroom, as the class itself is not a literature class. The previous coordinator did tell me that there have been years when the classes examine a shared text, but not in the traditional sense of what we teach in English language arts. They have read <i>We Beat the Streets</i> to share and discuss how they can overcome the odds against them. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I suppose this text could meet the <b>Quality #4: Collective investment in a shared experience</b>. I have read the book myself, and it certainly invites discussion and debate. I do not think, however, that this book represents enough of my students for them all to discover deep meaning. <b>Quality #3: A sense of being known and valued</b> focuses on choice as "an element of YA pedagogy" (84). In order to address both of these qualities, I believe I would have to introduce more titles into my classroom, whether fiction or nonfiction, about teens overcoming odds. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In teaching English, I feel confident I could address all four of these qualities and have probably touched on them all at some point in time. Bringing this pedagogy into the AVID classroom is not impossible, but it will take some work on my part. My overall goal is always to show my students that they have value that is important and recognized, so if I have to work a little bit harder for them, so be it. </span>Kirsten Fotihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07054176161146845873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138457935330160608.post-16301469854377148332017-06-04T12:50:00.002-05:002017-06-08T17:38:27.368-05:00NCTE Reads: Teaching Reading with YA Literature (chapter 1)<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUqZgdQyMSPjPTqK5H7ZbBY8g1KW4sI6756MbV9Z2wfHH2E4uN9TAg_qP8TZAdmrZEo0zBLIW2jwrWROEOgRuKSgD-ArFfI9Y7HG8FOXCrn9gcMakp68_FK4OZ3N9aMPOtJqLy88mVc7kH/s1600/summers-off.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="900" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUqZgdQyMSPjPTqK5H7ZbBY8g1KW4sI6756MbV9Z2wfHH2E4uN9TAg_qP8TZAdmrZEo0zBLIW2jwrWROEOgRuKSgD-ArFfI9Y7HG8FOXCrn9gcMakp68_FK4OZ3N9aMPOtJqLy88mVc7kH/s200/summers-off.jpg" width="200" /></a>It's summer vacation, so I am sitting around doing absolutely nothing - said no teacher ever. I am tired just thinking about everything I am doing this summer - two graduate classes, two technology certifications, and an NCTE book study, to name a few.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">For the book study, we are reading <a href="http://www.ncte.org/topics/ya-lit/trwyl" target="_blank">Teaching Reading with YA Literature: Complex Texts, Complex Lives</a> by Jennifer Buehler. Now, I just finished up school yesterday (we had Saturday checkout), and our activities for the book study start today. Why no break? Because I am a teacher. And I strive to be the best possible teacher I can be. I don't need no stinkin' break! And of course, I will be sharing on my blog, as well. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; float: none; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">_______________________________________________________________________</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; float: none; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span></span> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvuWjBE0Fqc9fhYyElMvYY5Wr0YnBuHbSJ0RVVfmpWCKEwSy1U1Xm_-xHSwCQm_AogilauJt40WosKi9aKb1LcjvaBgzIdm4CBgp5Zjr8qbVzJpVTIwnoeNQSRssSiCtKSHnDpF_PyPsyY/s1600/71XLfvoVgxL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1115" data-original-width="900" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvuWjBE0Fqc9fhYyElMvYY5Wr0YnBuHbSJ0RVVfmpWCKEwSy1U1Xm_-xHSwCQm_AogilauJt40WosKi9aKb1LcjvaBgzIdm4CBgp5Zjr8qbVzJpVTIwnoeNQSRssSiCtKSHnDpF_PyPsyY/s200/71XLfvoVgxL.jpg" width="161" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg1sDj079d2I0SWSehMAbu-JKExgLqc-K5ZymbArxqW4ccSPVdp2STgWDrAArfmXb6s9Rf3JL0qQ3-WnTffOq97Sg_y6pCZJlW2SRRffdudia6taYjMl0TYImJ2dCqGgqsJxCaZFmtaI3P/s1600/NCTE.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="202" data-original-width="491" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg1sDj079d2I0SWSehMAbu-JKExgLqc-K5ZymbArxqW4ccSPVdp2STgWDrAArfmXb6s9Rf3JL0qQ3-WnTffOq97Sg_y6pCZJlW2SRRffdudia6taYjMl0TYImJ2dCqGgqsJxCaZFmtaI3P/s400/NCTE.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; float: none; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> _______________________________________________________________________</span></span><br />
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<b><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Week 1: MAKE</span></span></span></i></b><br />
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<i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><b><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre-wrap; word-spacing: 0px;">This week we’re going to create a curated list of YA novels with rationales for why they are complex texts. These lists may prove useful if you choose to use any of these novels in your class and are asked to justify your selection. Please share the </span><span class="_4yxo" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre-wrap; word-spacing: 0px;">title</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre-wrap; word-spacing: 0px;">, </span><span class="_4yxo" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre-wrap; word-spacing: 0px;">author</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre-wrap; word-spacing: 0px;">, and </span><span class="_4yxo" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre-wrap; word-spacing: 0px;">a few sentences explaining why a YA text of your choosing should be considered complex</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre-wrap; word-spacing: 0px;">.</span></i></b></span></span></span></b></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWZpUjhY7AWG_aQCrCzcVjADddRW4yjRC1KVmjAF9yIC4VbQenW_zmUNqcTL8E-z3Ut_pieDVqOqyiaTy8QIlu4wtMoUCT1GdyQTuPLssBQYqrTiy2Y1jtXRiuvFYd-8miU9KPfORrJX-f/s1600/f043712f-4655-4c8a-b60f-fca1e4c6ca9f.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1060" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWZpUjhY7AWG_aQCrCzcVjADddRW4yjRC1KVmjAF9yIC4VbQenW_zmUNqcTL8E-z3Ut_pieDVqOqyiaTy8QIlu4wtMoUCT1GdyQTuPLssBQYqrTiy2Y1jtXRiuvFYd-8miU9KPfORrJX-f/s200/f043712f-4655-4c8a-b60f-fca1e4c6ca9f.JPG" width="131" /></a><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><b><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre-wrap; word-spacing: 0px;">My response: </span></i></b></span></span></span></b></i><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><b><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre-wrap; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre-wrap; word-spacing: 0px;">The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas - Initially, I was not going to list this book, but I reconsidered. This book addresses topics and themes that are relevant to today’s youth. A young African American male is murdered by a police officer, an event witnessed by the story’s protagonist. The content invites natural discussion and real-world connections. </span></span></i></b> </span></span></span></b></i><br />
<i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span></span></span></b></i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; float: none; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">_______________________________________________________________________</span></span><br />
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<i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Week 1: TALK</span></span></span></b></i><br />
<i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">How do you use YA literature in the classroom, and where does it fit in the larger context of all we’re meant to do in ELA?</span></span></span></b></i><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">My response: </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Due to a change in teaching assignments this past year, my focus on YA lit was put on the backburner. I moved from teaching eighth grade English to seventh and eighth grade AVID. Although AVID still incorporates reading and writing, I spent this year figuring out how to teach the class and bond with students who lost a beloved teacher to another position on another campus, some of whom resented me for coming in and leaving my classes and students behind. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Personally, I did not discover young adult literature until sometime around 2007 or 2008. I know that most of the <i>Twilight </i>series had been published. I was teaching seventh grade at the time, and my girls were devouring the series. They wanted to talk to me about constantly, so I borrowed the set from a student to be able to reciprocate their discussions. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">I hate <i>Twilight</i>. Despise. Loathe. I found Belle to be a repugnant role model for young girls. To this day, I am quite vocal about my grievances with the series. It did, however, set me on a path of reading young adult literature in search of something worthy to share with my students. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">I abused my library card and read everything I could get my hands on. I recommended reads to my students, many of whom would go to the local library to find a book our school library did not carry. I started building a classroom library, thanks to a state literacy grant. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">I tend to showcase books in a display and talk about what I am reading, encouraging students to use my classroom library. This has been pretty successful, but I have not been able to reach every student in this manner. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">During practice state testing situations, I will watch kids and try to determine what they might like to read. When they finish, I will bring them books from my shelves and see if I have hit on anything they might enjoy (I often do, which really surprises me). </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Our middle school canon consists of young adult books. I have taught <i>The Outsiders</i>, <i>The Westing Game</i>, <i>The Giver</i>, <i>Homecoming, Redwall, The Watsons Go to Birmingham</i>, and <i>A Wrinkle in Time</i>. In reflection, my book and my mood probably had more to do with my students enjoying any of these books than my lessons did. For example, I dislike </span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><i>A Wrinkle in Time </i>(a little less than I despite </span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><i>Twilight). </i>I openly shared my frustration with my students regarding plot points, which may have been more entertaining for my kids than the story itself. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">For next year, I am considering having my AVID kids participate in independent reading activities with novels. As part of their college-readiness skills, I think they should know how to actively read novels in a particular time frame. I am in the early stages of this thinking and am not quite sure what to have my students do with those readings yet. I am hoping that throughout this book study and its discussions, I can create a meaningful reading environment for my students that carries over into their personal lives. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>Kirsten Fotihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07054176161146845873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138457935330160608.post-85911008549391407492017-05-03T18:20:00.002-05:002017-05-03T18:20:05.592-05:00Critical literacy: Examining controversial and banned children's literature. I was reading about controversial children's literature in an article or a book (I read so much that I cannot always remember), and being the ever rebellious teacher that I am decided that I needed to bring these books into my classroom. Including something controversial in my lessons is no big deal on my end, as I am always willing to push boundaries. I have used trade books in class previously, and the response was positive, so I decided to engage my students in a critical
literacy/inquiry lesson involving the analysis of controversial and/or
banned children's trade books.<br />
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<b>The Books </b><br />
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The following books were chosen from different lists I found online while researching this topic. Every selection was available at my local public library: <br />
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<ul>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfyHJZdd1XEn0LNPKkBEeS1I4ygZvsgvgFckjG2S9P4tktn7bw3JoaZOkiR_LKtuOn_MdrxnSZrPndZXBumUfyitdHLT9JFCCvo1Lrx582-xlwbzSgagj9tnhtmS3suTupo8Bii0w_4Gu9/s1600/IMG_9638.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfyHJZdd1XEn0LNPKkBEeS1I4ygZvsgvgFckjG2S9P4tktn7bw3JoaZOkiR_LKtuOn_MdrxnSZrPndZXBumUfyitdHLT9JFCCvo1Lrx582-xlwbzSgagj9tnhtmS3suTupo8Bii0w_4Gu9/s400/IMG_9638.JPG" width="263" /></a>
<li><i>Strega Nona</i> by Tomie dePaola (witchcraft)</li>
<li><i>In the Night Kitchen</i> by Maurice Sendak (nudity, phallic representation)</li>
<li><i>The Stupids Have a Ball</i> by Harry Allard and James Marshall (intelligence) </li>
<li><i>White Socks Only</i> by Evelyn Coleman (segregation, violence)</li>
<li> <i>Smoky Night</i> by Eve Bunting (riots, violence, differences)</li>
<li><i>Friends from the Other Side/Amigos de otro lado</i> by Gloria Anzaldua (illegal immigration)</li>
<li><i>The Amazing Bone</i> by William Steig (witchcraft, robbery, violence, kidnapping)</li>
<li><i>and Tango makes three</i> by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell (gay couples, gay parenting)</li>
<li><i>I am Jazz</i> by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings (transgender issues)</li>
<li><i>In Our Mother's House</i> by Patricia Polacco (lesbian couples, lesbian parenting, discrimination)</li>
<li><i>Flabby Cat and Slobby Dog</i> by Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross (fat-shaming)</li>
</ul>
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</ul>
<b>Planning for the lesson</b><br />
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<a href="data:image/jpeg;base64,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" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>I read each of these books before bringing them into my classroom. After reading, I knew I would have students who were uncomfortable with some of the topics, but I did not want to censor the readings in my classroom. The book topics are all real-life issues, and I felt that my students must learn to critically analyze information regardless of personal beliefs as part of becoming informed citizens. I wanted them to think about why some of these books would be complained about to the point of being banned in addition to how they felt about the topics personally. <br />
<br />
<b>Mentor Text</b><br />
<br />
I began the lesson with my students using <i>Strega Nona </i>as our mentor text. I explained that the story was considered controversial. [Side note: It took me two class periods to realize that my students did not understand the meaning of <i>controversial</i>. This will be addressed first in future presentations of this lesson.] <br />
<br />
We listened to a Tomie dePaola audio recording of the story, during which I directed my students to actively listen for and determine what might be controversial about the story. Many thought that priests and nuns in a children's book might offend people. Others thought Big Anthony was being treated like a slave. Only a few were able to determine that there are people in our society who find witchcraft to be offensive. <br />
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[Side note: We also discussed what the Caldecott Award is and why a book that wins awards can still be controversial.] <br />
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<b>Grouping</b><br />
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I sorted my classes into diverse groups. I know my students pretty well and am comfortable saying I know what most of them believe about a lot of topics. I created groups that reflected a wide range of thinking in order to create some discussion among the students. <br />
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<b>Book Selection</b><br />
<b> </b> <br />
Initially, I planned on assigning specific books to my groups based on what I thought they would be comfortable with. I quickly changed my mind. I wanted the kids to be slightly unsettled and uncomfortable in order to get them thinking about the topic being presented. To randomize the process, I had one member of each group blindly draw a book from a basket. I kept the spine-side down to prevent any peeking. <br />
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<b>Critical Literacy Questions</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After reading the selected text, each group conducted a critical analysis. I provided my students with a list of questions (see below) I found online and left them to it. I told them I would answer and assist as needed, but I wanted to see what they could come up with on their own.<br />
<br />
The biggest issues turned out to be with the power and interest questions. In one-on-one conversations, my students completely understood the questions and were able to present responses. They had never considered these to be power issues, however. This was quite eye opening to many. <br />
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<h4 style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 12px 0px; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b style="font-weight: bold;">Textual Purposes</b></span></h4>
<ul style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 6px 25px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<li><h4>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">What is this text about? How do we know?</span></h4>
</li>
<li><h4>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Who would be most likely to read this text and why?</span></h4>
</li>
<li><h4>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Why are we reading this text?</span></h4>
</li>
<li><h4>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">What does the author of this text want us to know?</span></h4>
</li>
</ul>
<h4 style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 12px 0px; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b style="font-weight: bold;">Textual Structures and Features</b></span></h4>
<ul style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 6px 25px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<li><h4>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">What do the images suggest?</span></h4>
</li>
<li><h4>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">What do the words suggest?</span></h4>
</li>
</ul>
<h4 style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 12px 0px; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b style="font-weight: bold;">Power and Interest</b></span></h4>
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<li><h4>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">In whose interest is this text?</span></h4>
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<li><h4>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Who benefits from this text?</span></h4>
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<li><h4>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">What knowledge does the reader need to bring to this text in order to understand it?</span></h4>
</li>
<li><h4>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Which positions, voices, and interests are at play in this text?</span></h4>
</li>
<li><h4>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">How does the text depict age, gender, cultural groups?</span></h4>
</li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b style="font-weight: bold;">Gaps and Silences</b></span></h4>
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<li><h4>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">What views of the world is the text presenting?</span></h4>
</li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b style="font-weight: bold;">Interrogating the Author</b></span></h4>
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<li><h4>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">What kind of person, and with what interests and values, authored the text?</span></h4>
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<li><h4>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">What view of the world and values does the author assume the reader holds? How do we know?</span></h4>
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</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b style="font-weight: bold;">Multiple Meanings</b></span></h4>
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<li><h4>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">What different interpretations of the text are possible? Who would support this text? Who would argue against this text?</span></h4>
</li>
</ul>
<h4 style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #2d3b45; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 12px 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Adapted from: <a href="http://wwwfp.education.tas.gov.au/english/critlit.htm">http://wwwfp.education.tas.gov.au/english/critlit.htm</a></span></h4>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Graffiti Walls</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The culminating piece to our analysis was to create graffiti walls. This is a <a href="chrome-extension://ecnphlgnajanjnkcmbpancdjoidceilk/content/web/viewer.html?file=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.csun.edu%2F~krowlands%2FContent%2FAcademic_Resources%2FLiterature%2FInstructional%2520Strategies%2FShort-Literature%2520Discussion%2520Strategies.pdf" target="_blank">connection response</a> activity from Kathy Short:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMAdredEp5pNBXmVIIo6J9kx7aFx5uxgISqIM_b0G4UHGQSU6h6Rk1rz8Kt8k7ViKGooIIx06PrZyMZw8WeC5bYdLN0yP2xY1ZQx16AOvwtiBvSniG91ZSR6XHNsMiIP9F0_vW0EijkNYh/s1600/Capture.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMAdredEp5pNBXmVIIo6J9kx7aFx5uxgISqIM_b0G4UHGQSU6h6Rk1rz8Kt8k7ViKGooIIx06PrZyMZw8WeC5bYdLN0yP2xY1ZQx16AOvwtiBvSniG91ZSR6XHNsMiIP9F0_vW0EijkNYh/s640/Capture.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">This was a little too much freedom for my students. With most creative assignments, I hear, "Do we have to color? Does it have to be neat?" With this assignment, I said, "Be as messy as you want. You do not have to color. It does not have to be neat. You can make a great big mess." </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I even ripped pieces of butcher paper in odd shapes to help exemplify that the work could be messy. My kids </span>could not handle it. They asked if they could cut the paper. They asked if they could color. They asked for more time. I got some of the neatest and most creative work ever. The silly part of me wanted to tell the kids I was taking off points for not being messy, but I was afraid of scaring my kids for life. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Student Examples</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Reflection</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is one of my favorite lessons of the year. </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">From an AVID perspective, all elements of WICOR were included - writing, inquiry, collaboration, organization, and reading. From a proud teacher perspective, I heard some amazing conversations taking place in my classroom, and those conversations included understanding, tolerance, and acceptance, regardless of personal beliefs. There was some disagreement about who should be reading the books and at what age, but my seventh and eighth grade students were incredibly mature in all aspects of the lesson. </span><br />
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Kirsten Fotihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07054176161146845873noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138457935330160608.post-29018734823684674742017-04-03T18:10:00.002-05:002017-04-03T18:16:25.212-05:00Critical literacy: examining stereotypes and deeper meanings of song lyrics<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It is important to me to have a culturally relevant classroom in which students learn to critically examine the world around them. A few weeks ago, my students engaged in an critical literacy/inquiry lesson* in which we analyzed song lyrics for stereotypes and underlying messages that we often overlook when singing the lyrics in front of our parents (well, not me). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I started this lesson by sharing the song "Cater to you" by Destiny's Child. We listened to the song first, then discussed the lyrics. For the sake of argument, I took a strong feminist perspective, arguing against everything the ladies sing about, claiming it represented stereotypical view of woman. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I feigned strong disgust (maybe I was a <i>bit </i>disgusted) toward lyrics such as</span> <i>my life would be purposeless without you, let me help you take off your shoes, </i>and <i>I'll keep myself up</i>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But my kids are proved just how intelligent they are. They changed the perspective on me, explaining how it was acceptable for a woman to do nice things for her man when she wants to. And I had a few boys tout that this is the way it should be. All in good fun. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">After this, my students were allowed to choose individual songs to analyze for stereotypes. The assignment was to create a poster which included the song title, the artist, sample lyrics that exemplified stereotypes, and a brief explanation of how the song reinforces stereotypes (we quickly learned that country music is a gold mine for this activity). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Now, not every poster was done perfectly, but my students rose to the occasion. I could not be prouder to share their work with you (and they are also proud to have it displayed on this site). Here are a few examples to get you started:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">During our passing periods at school, we play music. Last week, our programmer had "I can't feel myself when I'm with you...and I love it..." blasting from our overhead system. I stood in the hallway giggling, and when class started, I asked my students who knew what that song is really about, connecting it back to this lesson. They knew. They are critically conscious young individuals. Do you know?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">*This lesson combines two activities from AVID's <i>Culturally Relevant Teaching</i> and consists of very little original thinking on my part. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>Kirsten Fotihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07054176161146845873noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138457935330160608.post-29555060788442165592017-03-17T10:58:00.000-05:002017-03-17T10:59:19.296-05:00My exploration of banned and controversial books: The Amazing Bone by William Steig<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Although I found it easy to defend <a href="http://crazyladyteacher.blogspot.com/2017/03/my-exploration-of-banned-and.html" target="_blank">In the Night Kitchen</a> from those who see it as a threat to young children, I cannot find good reasons to defend <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/amazing-bone-william-steig/1100162276" target="_blank"><i>The Amazing Bone</i></a> by William Steig - and this one has won awards: " a 1976 New York Times Book Review Notable Children's Book of the Year
and Outstanding Book of the Year, a 1977 Caldecott Honor Book, and a
1977 Boston Globe - Horn Book Awards Honor Book for Picture Books" (<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/amazing-bone-william-steig/1100162276" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble website</a>).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This book is filled with a number of things that bothered me:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Peal, the antagonist, finds a bone. I can get past that, but based on the rest of the book, it is a bit disturbing that this young pig shows no concern for a bone she finds in the woods. Where did it come from? Dead body? Maybe I am putting too much focus on this, as last week, a junior high student found a pile of bones from a dead body while walking to school. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Pearl gets robbed by masked bandits carrying both knives and guns. In on illustration, a gun is actually placed to Pearl's temple. That is disturbing for a young children's book. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Pearl is kidnapped by a fox who plans to take her home, cook her, and eat her. Again, this is nothing new in stories (<i>Little Red Riding Hood</i>, <i>Hansel and Gretel</i>), but combined with the other elements of the story, this feels like far too much. </span><br /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I honestly do not know what to make of this story as a whole. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I am 100% against ban<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ning books, but I would be cautious about this one with very young children. </span></span></span>I will share this with my middle schoolers are part of a critical literacy lesson, but I cannot see reading it to a young child. Without the pictures, the story is still pretty harsh; with the images, I think it becomes gratuitous. </span><br /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Kirsten Fotihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07054176161146845873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138457935330160608.post-71352138921088236402017-03-15T15:34:00.001-05:002017-03-15T15:38:23.397-05:00My exploration of banned and controversial books: In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH8U23luBcMg7y6BGnZHrwbYKavzx9ssv88256PTy57XpYhDSTWcBvQ40c8DCbTngayL5ZDMhWi9Xri9_ol1Ye5M5Z0FlhxWtIATzwLnkMoIgLApbR8B1ImG5mRUxm83Q1yzWD46eXLbjG/s1600/INTK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH8U23luBcMg7y6BGnZHrwbYKavzx9ssv88256PTy57XpYhDSTWcBvQ40c8DCbTngayL5ZDMhWi9Xri9_ol1Ye5M5Z0FlhxWtIATzwLnkMoIgLApbR8B1ImG5mRUxm83Q1yzWD46eXLbjG/s200/INTK.jpg" width="151" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">While I was conducting some online research about children's books that address social issues, I ran across a few lists of banned children's books. That's was an immediate invitation for me to start reading each and every single one of them, and I was surprised to discover that I have already read a few that show up on many lists, including <i>In the Night Kitchen</i> by Maurice Sendak. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjg1C7WzOlTq4agYChwtI0IS_MgddLBjIgImqxHMPmSXhPsf1UgelvC5l-R1392E3BbBqXVS5bXoSGoBb7GuZJHUodbWdpPjeLIO3d-76UmeuGAwT-IaZ2mM7n-HsP8p8gtbGbco9QAv0G/s1600/Little+Bear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjg1C7WzOlTq4agYChwtI0IS_MgddLBjIgImqxHMPmSXhPsf1UgelvC5l-R1392E3BbBqXVS5bXoSGoBb7GuZJHUodbWdpPjeLIO3d-76UmeuGAwT-IaZ2mM7n-HsP8p8gtbGbco9QAv0G/s200/Little+Bear.jpg" width="134" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My first reaction: <i>Maurice Sendak has a banned book? The </i>Little Bear<i> author? </i>My now 22-year-old son and I used to read those books and watch the television series on Nickelodeon. <i>Where the Wild Things Are</i> Maurice Sendak? Oh, that one has controversy around it too. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I did not recall anything controversial about <i>In the Night Kitchen</i>, so I ran straight to my public library to check it out (and there are many copies available, not banned). According to many websites, I had missed the nudity of 3-year old Mickey (buttocks and genitals, the sexual innuendo of a free-flowing milk, and the phallic appearance of a large milk bottle. Well if that isn't an advertisement to go back and read it again, I don't know what is! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So here is an example of Mickey's nudity: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is a
children's book, for goodness sake, and little kids like to be naked. If
you have a little one who is not nude or half-nude right now, you have
probably forced that child into clothes. I remember my son stripping
down in our foyer every day immediately after arriving home from daycare. Every. Day. He also used to take his little naked body and watch
himself dance in front of a full length mirror. It was funny. <i>This </i>is funny. Kids get to giggle because there is a naked boy in a book, and parents get to giggle because we recognize the inside joke. And as Americans, we really need to get over this prudish fear of nudity (my most humble opinion).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My
guess is that Sendak recognized that kids enjoy being naked and created a
character to which they could relate - particularly little boys. I am
fighting a never ending battle of getting boys to read in middle school.
Maybe if they had all read this book, they would still be reading now. Maybe if I share it with my seventh and eighth grade students, they might pick up another book. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here are examples of the milk controversies: </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYpO3AhCW5IXA7jjwFIycPHOeeV5WU3wt_RWzPMoIzVWrJItvwZW3YaqJzS0p2krKui_31EgTNrhqzj77fIe53jrcPQ3rZnU_cJt7eZJbwbv6ps5gIzhlOFVRUwKw4DySsHmPpVzxtQkXO/s1600/milk.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYpO3AhCW5IXA7jjwFIycPHOeeV5WU3wt_RWzPMoIzVWrJItvwZW3YaqJzS0p2krKui_31EgTNrhqzj77fIe53jrcPQ3rZnU_cJt7eZJbwbv6ps5gIzhlOFVRUwKw4DySsHmPpVzxtQkXO/s320/milk.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Oh, people...if you are seeing something in that picture that is not there, that is completely on you. That's your mind. And that is disturbing! Like <i>Where the Wild Things Are</i>, this is the story of a little boy's adventures via his dreams. Into the kitchen. Where people make cake. And maybe he really likes cake. I know I do. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you have an issue with the nudity, do not read the book. That does not mean, however, that you are able to speak for others who wish to encourage creativity and imagination and curiosity and adventure in our children. And that, as always, is my most humble opinion. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">P.S<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">. If you truly want to be rebellious, you c<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">an purchase the <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogs.princeton.edu/cotsen/tag/sendak-in-the-night-kitchen-coloring-book/" target="_blank">coloring book</a> version for your kids. </span></span></span> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Kirsten Fotihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07054176161146845873noreply@blogger.com1