So, I've been thinking that I'd really like to start reading a lot more than I do currently. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to enjoy a good book as often as I used to. College would definitely have a lot to do with that. I guess that's only natural though. When I was younger, I didn't have to do anything but school and sports. That left me plenty of time to read. Whether it was on the bus on the way to a volleyball game (we weren't allowed to talk for some reason), or during study hall, or after school, I always seemed to find the time to read. Now that I'm living on my own, I have bills to pay. Yuck. So, I go to class half the day and then head to work and bus tables. Even more yuck! By the time I get home, I'm too exhausted to read without it putting me to sleep. Plus, I had to buy 19 books this semester, which was incidentally a low blow to my wallet. I can hardly keep up with assigned readings, let alone do my own pleasure reading.
...the complaining part of this post is done, by the way :)
I've been making some progress, though. I just finished reading He's Just Not That Into You by Greg Behrendt. I've been wanting to read it for some time, and I'm glad I finally did. Girls, read this if you haven't already! It's split up into sections and they all give good advice. Not that I need any dating advice at all (kidding!)... But seriously, even if you're not looking for advice, I think it's still a good read. I haven't gotten around to seeing the movie, but I'll definitely rent it when it's out, if it's not already. Oh, and guys should read it too. Note: It's safe to say that this is probably not a school-appropriate book.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Multi-Genre and Reading
I've started trying to piece together some things for my Multi-Genre Autobiography assignment. I think I'm going to have to give my mom a call for this one, because I know that I used to have my parents read me bedtime stories every night, but I can barely recall any of the books they would read me. I do remember, though, that I loved Corduroy and Goodnight Moon. Those were classic! I know there's a ton of other ones, though. Once I get the list compiled, I'd like to go onto Amazon and buy all my old favorites if we don't still have them at my house somewhere. It would be a nice flashback to childhood to see what all I can remember from the books, and another plus: I could read them to my kids someday.
I don't have any children, nor do I plan on having them anytime soon, but I do plan on reading to my kids a lot. My parents read to me all the time (every night, like I said earlier), which is probably why I never had to use Hooked On Phonics or anything like that. Reading just came to me naturally I guess. I really enjoyed reading and still do. Maybe my parents' reading to me paved the way for me to become an English teacher. Or, maybe I'm just jumping to conclusions with that one. Ha! Regardless, my brother and I both turned out pretty well, and I'd like to think that reading helped do that.
I don't have any children, nor do I plan on having them anytime soon, but I do plan on reading to my kids a lot. My parents read to me all the time (every night, like I said earlier), which is probably why I never had to use Hooked On Phonics or anything like that. Reading just came to me naturally I guess. I really enjoyed reading and still do. Maybe my parents' reading to me paved the way for me to become an English teacher. Or, maybe I'm just jumping to conclusions with that one. Ha! Regardless, my brother and I both turned out pretty well, and I'd like to think that reading helped do that.
Friday, February 13, 2009
"Name Five"
I wanted to mention an activity we did in class Monday that I thought was really cool.
I'm pretty sure Dr. Kist called the game "Name Five" or something along those lines. The whole class gets up and stands in a circle. Then, the teacher asks one of the students (let's call her Mary) a question pertaining to a book the class is reading. I can't remember the exact questions we used in class, but they had to do with Little Brother. The questions that were asked each had multiple answers. Mary has to name five of the answers to the question as an object (a crumpled piece of paper will do) gets passed around the circle. If Mary can't come up with all five answers before the object comes full circle, then she has to stand in the middle of the circle. But, if she gets all five answers before the object is passed all the way around, then whoever is left with the object in their hands is the next one to have to "Name Five". The concept is a little bit like musical chairs, in a way. The great thing about it is that it keeps students on their toes, because they all have a good chance of ending up with the object. Plus, I think it is a nice ice-breaker for kids and a good change of pace in the classroom.
I actually think that it would be interesting to do a bit of a twist on this activity, and turn it into a knockout-style elimination game. If Mary can't answer in time and has to stand in the middle, then she is eliminated from the game. This way, there can be a little bit of competition among the students to be the last one standing. Whoever is left at the end can be considered the winner, and a small prize of some sort could be offered as incentive—nothing too extravagant though. If the game keeps going on for longer than the teacher had planned, multiple winners could be awarded. Even so, it's okay. If the game goes on for too long, that just means that the class must really know their stuff!
Hopefully all of that made some sense; it's a bit easier to understand if you take part in the game than if I try to explain it.
I'm pretty sure Dr. Kist called the game "Name Five" or something along those lines. The whole class gets up and stands in a circle. Then, the teacher asks one of the students (let's call her Mary) a question pertaining to a book the class is reading. I can't remember the exact questions we used in class, but they had to do with Little Brother. The questions that were asked each had multiple answers. Mary has to name five of the answers to the question as an object (a crumpled piece of paper will do) gets passed around the circle. If Mary can't come up with all five answers before the object comes full circle, then she has to stand in the middle of the circle. But, if she gets all five answers before the object is passed all the way around, then whoever is left with the object in their hands is the next one to have to "Name Five". The concept is a little bit like musical chairs, in a way. The great thing about it is that it keeps students on their toes, because they all have a good chance of ending up with the object. Plus, I think it is a nice ice-breaker for kids and a good change of pace in the classroom.
I actually think that it would be interesting to do a bit of a twist on this activity, and turn it into a knockout-style elimination game. If Mary can't answer in time and has to stand in the middle, then she is eliminated from the game. This way, there can be a little bit of competition among the students to be the last one standing. Whoever is left at the end can be considered the winner, and a small prize of some sort could be offered as incentive—nothing too extravagant though. If the game keeps going on for longer than the teacher had planned, multiple winners could be awarded. Even so, it's okay. If the game goes on for too long, that just means that the class must really know their stuff!
Hopefully all of that made some sense; it's a bit easier to understand if you take part in the game than if I try to explain it.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
BLOGGING!
Well, I'd never thought that I would have a blog again, but here I am, blogging away! My first (and only) time blogging was on Xanga and I was probably only in eighth or ninth grade. I only used it for about two weeks and then deleted it, deciding against posting every insignificant moment of my social life online for all to see. However, I do think this idea of a professional blog is great. It's going to take some getting used to, because I've never been good at maintaining a blog or diary. Plus, as weird as it sounds, I can't hardly stand to be on my computer anymore. Maybe because it's becoming dated (using a 2006 Dell Laptop is like driving a ten year old car), or because I'm so inundated with emails that I don't even want to bother. Regardless, I think it will be nice to have experiences from my education classes on here to share with my classmates and whoever else cares to read this!
Dr. Kist's Multi-Modal Literacies class is interesting, and definitely a lot different than I had originally thought it would be. At first, I assumed it was another version of the Educational Technology course, which would be fine, since I'm pretty well-versed with the computer. However, I was glad to learn that we wouldn't be learning how to operate computer programs, but instead, we would be discovering creative ways to incorporate different modes of literature (ie. movies, video games, music, the Internet) into the classroom. If technology continues booming at the rate that it has been, I can only imagine the computers and cell phones that my students will be using by the time I become a well-seasoned teacher. So, I think it is really great that we are being taught how to incorporate these technologically-advanced teaching methods into the classroom. If times keep changing, then teaching strategies need to continue evolving as well!
Whew! Enough rambling on about that. I guess since this is my first blog entry I will keep it simple and finish up here. We'll see where this new blog leads me to!
Until next time,
Lauren :)
Dr. Kist's Multi-Modal Literacies class is interesting, and definitely a lot different than I had originally thought it would be. At first, I assumed it was another version of the Educational Technology course, which would be fine, since I'm pretty well-versed with the computer. However, I was glad to learn that we wouldn't be learning how to operate computer programs, but instead, we would be discovering creative ways to incorporate different modes of literature (ie. movies, video games, music, the Internet) into the classroom. If technology continues booming at the rate that it has been, I can only imagine the computers and cell phones that my students will be using by the time I become a well-seasoned teacher. So, I think it is really great that we are being taught how to incorporate these technologically-advanced teaching methods into the classroom. If times keep changing, then teaching strategies need to continue evolving as well!
Whew! Enough rambling on about that. I guess since this is my first blog entry I will keep it simple and finish up here. We'll see where this new blog leads me to!
Until next time,
Lauren :)
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