Entry # 12

Let me start by saying I cannot believe the semester is coming to an end! It seems like just yesterday, we were starting the class and learning how to set up our blogs and now its already ending! That always seems to be the case in college courses, once I receive the syllabus the end of the semester seems to far away...but it sneaks right up on me every time!! I have learned so much during this semester that I never thought I would. As stated in the syllabus the following are the student learning outcomes we were supposed to achieve by the end of the semester. I will be responding to each of the learning outcomes below:

Student Learning Outcomes

Students will gain knowledge and competency with regards to:
1. The variety of genres that readers and writers use to communicate 

Through the presentations I was able to learn more about the variety of genres that are used to communicate. Also through my genre pieces project I was encouraged to use different genres than what I am always drawn to using. By looking at my classmates blogs I was able to learn how they express themselves through different genres of writing. 

2.The role of purpose and audience in writing and reading and the rhetorical voices used to address the desired purpose(s) and audience(s)

The voice of my writing was never something I thought about when it came to my writing, this was something that was very difficult for me to think about. I was challenged while writing my genre pieces project, changing my voice and my purpose for each of my pieces proved a lot harder than I thought it would be. I also began to realize that writing a blog and finding a voice behind it more difficult than I had originally thought it would be. I didn’t want to lose sight of who I am as a writing but  I also did not want to become too informal. 

3. The historical and contemporary theoretical models of reading and writing, including new literacy theories of reading and writing

In my other courses, we have discussed the importance of looking at the new literacies and seeing how they are effecting the education of reading and writing. I have learned about the major affect that technology has had on the literacy of our students today. Using blogs was a first hand example of how new literacies are taking over the education of today’s society. I have really learned so much through writing this blog. 

4.The relationship between the writing and reading processes

The writing and reading processes are a lot more similar than I ever realized them to be. I was unaware of their relationship before this course put this into perspective for me. By reading the chapters in Tompkins (2012) and then responding to the chapters via blog it really helped open my eyes to the processes of writing and reading. 

5. The role of metacognition in writing proficiency and reading comprehension

By using the writing and reading process while writing the blog it has helped the writing process work more proficiently for me causing me to somedays just sit and write without distractions. It has also helped me to view my reading of materials different, it has helped me read for a purpose which has helped my reading comprehension.

6. The types of reading and writing assignments that are developmentally appropriate for learners, including digital reading and writing assignments

I have learned a number of different developmentally appropriate assignments for students to use through my classmates presentations of their genres as well as through their blog posts!

7. The role of writing assessment and evaluation in determining student writing proficiency and reading comprehension.

I have learned a number of different ways to evaluate students to help them with their comprehension. I have learned that the use of rubrics are very helpful for students and they respond well to them. I have also learned that through blogs and wikis assessment could be given to the students more immediately which is helpful for older students. 

Is there anything else you learned that is not represented in the identified Learning Outcomes for this course?
I have learned that scaffolding and modeling are very important to students both young and old. By showing them how and why they are doing something the students will be more likely to be willing to try the activity the teacher wants her students to try. I know that throughout this course I was taught many different things that I had never been exposed to all dealing with technology. Without modeling I know that I would have had a much more difficult time completing some of the assignments. 

Blog # 8: Bless, Address, or Press

Throughout the semester I have found myself checking out my classmates’ blogs, I have had the opportunity to learn about what they are thinking in response to some of the prompts and I am able to see what they are thinking when it is a free write. That being said, I found myself drawn to one specific blog post, it was Rianna’s first entry, where she discussed her experiences working with teaching writing in classrooms. One quote stood out to me, “...I have found that no matter the age or ability level that the biggest factor is making the students feel comfortable [sharing] ideas and asking for help.” This idea never really struck me as one of the most important facts behind teaching writing, that is, until I really started to think about it. I know that growing up I was a very timid student who never would voluntarily raise my hand to share an idea or to ask for help. I just would sit there and hope to god that I would somehow figure it out. Luckily for me, I somehow made it! Unfortunately, I cannot help but think about the many students who are probably not as lucky. I even think about my students at Jamison, many of them would never ask for help if they needed it, instead, they would make up answers and not even try to get any of the work correct. Many of my students were just trying to coast through the year. That was a very common theme for Jamison students I had been told. Moving students on just seemed like the easy way out for much of the confusion that happened in this failing school. 

I cannot help but wonder, how can you make students feel comfortable enough to share their ideas or to ask questions? Especially being a student who falls victim to this scenario that seems to happen every day in every classroom. I can honestly say that the same students participate in even my college courses whereas the timid students still are not sharing their ideas on topics for the fear of being judged or even being wrong. I know that is my reason for still not being the first to share in a classroom setting. I know that because I am one of these types of students that I can somehow be able to make my students feel comfortable enough to share...but how? 

This has been an idea I have been struggling with. Instead of always having to share ideas aloud, I will have my students write their ideas on post-it notes anonymously and hand them in for the teacher to share aloud. I believe if the fear of speaking aloud and being judge is taken away, students would be more willing to write their true thoughts down. This type of activity was given in a college course I took, I know that I personally wrote my true feelings on the topic without fearing I could be wrong. Rianna’s quote is going to continue to keep me thinking about different ways I could improve the comfort in my future classroom.