“I believe it is our job not simply to drag students through a series of books but rather to show them how stories work” (Jago 60).
I thought this chapter was interesting because it brought up a lot of useful information about elements of fiction and literary terms. I really like Freytag’s Pyramid to map the important structures in a piece of literature. When I was in high school, I remember having to complete a story pyramid similar to Freytag’s Pyramid. I think it really helps students to visualize what is happening at the moment and where that action falls in a story framework. One of the things I’ve notice as I’ve read this book is that Jago has a lot of information hanging up on giant sheets of paper around the room. She said she has a running list of literary terms posted on her walls in her classroom so students can see it every day. I really like that she did that because I think it exposes the students to those literary terms many more times than they would be otherwise.
One thing that I didn’t like about this chapter is the tone in which she occasionally spoke to the reader. Sometimes I felt like she was talking down to the reader and that annoyed me. What really irritated me though was when she talked about a book about literary terms. She proceeded to then tell me that I need to make sure that the book is returned when I lend it out. It just reminded me of a parent telling a child not to lend something out and it bothered me.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Monday, April 4, 2011
Pytash: Chapter 2
“Children who read build huge vocabularies from immersions in the world of language. They aren’t consciously trying to learn new words; it just happens” (Jago 22).
I really liked that this chapter focused primarily on vocabulary. I was surprised when I read that students make good progress as readers when they add 3,000 to 5,000 new words to their vocabulary per year. Since we can only teach students 400 words per year, I think it is really important to focus on specific vocabulary words. I also thought the section that talked about the four stages of “knowing” a word was interesting. I could definitely relate to Jago when she said that she knew almost all of the words that her students had asked her, but she struggled to explain what the words really meant.
My favorite part of this chapter is when Jago describes the activities for working with vocabulary and Julius Caesar. The way she incorporated the vocabulary of four specific words is what caught my attention. I liked that she gave the students the definitions, had them read an act, and then asked them to find examples of those words in Julius Caesar. I really liked that this activity required active participate from the students while still pertaining to what the class was specially covering at that point.
I really liked that this chapter focused primarily on vocabulary. I was surprised when I read that students make good progress as readers when they add 3,000 to 5,000 new words to their vocabulary per year. Since we can only teach students 400 words per year, I think it is really important to focus on specific vocabulary words. I also thought the section that talked about the four stages of “knowing” a word was interesting. I could definitely relate to Jago when she said that she knew almost all of the words that her students had asked her, but she struggled to explain what the words really meant.
My favorite part of this chapter is when Jago describes the activities for working with vocabulary and Julius Caesar. The way she incorporated the vocabulary of four specific words is what caught my attention. I liked that she gave the students the definitions, had them read an act, and then asked them to find examples of those words in Julius Caesar. I really liked that this activity required active participate from the students while still pertaining to what the class was specially covering at that point.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Foot : Crime After Crime Film Review
1. Personal Issues
What struck me the most was the constant need for hope. Throughout the whole movie, Debbie never lost hope that she would be released. I think it was such a strong emotion because it was real. This wasn’t a movie with actors pretending to play a role. These were real people with real emotions. I think other viewers can generalize with this response because everyone has experienced hope before. As an audience, it is easy to identify emotions we are familiar with.
2. Technique
I think this film was technically strong. The dialogue and the editing made this film very strong. The dialogue could have been very hard to follow if not for the editing. This film was based almost solely on interviews.
3. Acting
The principles roles in the movie were Debbie Peagler and her two lawyers: Nadia Costa and Joshua Safran. This movie was a documentary so the roles in the story were very realistic. The actors were extremely realistic because they weren’t acting. They were living their own lives.
4. Plot
The main idea of the film is centered on a woman named Debbie Peagler who has been wrongly incarcerated for 28 years. She was convicted of murder even though she was not the one who killed her then boyfriend Oliver. Debbie led Oliver to an area where local gang members were waiting to beat him up. Debbie took him to that area because she wanted him to leave her and her daughter alone. He was prostituting her out, beating her, threatening her life, and sexually abusing her daughter. After being bullied by the D.A.’s office, Debbie plead guilty to murder and she was sentenced 25 years to life in prison. The story follows Debbie’s attempt to be released from jail after two pro bono lawyers take on her case after a new California law allows cases to be reopened if the criminal is a victim of domestic violence. The story follows tremendous ups and downs through Debbie’s case until she is released from jail, shortly before her death.
5. Themes
I think the main idea in this story is to keep hoping. I think the main issues in this film talked about victims of domestic violence and those who have been wrongfully incarcerated. I don’t think the messages are distracting to the plot. I think the main idea and main issues are what makes this film so spectacular.
6. Genre
I would classify this film as a documentary. I think people think this genre because they know that it is real. It’s not a made up story.
7. Representation
This film does represent different groups of people. Debbie is a black, poor woman who is incarcerated. One of her lawyers is a woman, who comes from an affluent community and has experienced abuse as a child. The other lawyer is a male, who is Jewish. The film didn’t choose to characterize them in this way, it’s just who these people are.
8. Ideology
After watching this film, I had a stronger distrust for those who work in the criminal justice system. I saw how strongly they fought so they wouldn’t have to admit their mistakes. I also thought that there could be more people wrongly incarcerated just like Debbie. My beliefs were changed just by looking at all of the information presented throughout the film.
What struck me the most was the constant need for hope. Throughout the whole movie, Debbie never lost hope that she would be released. I think it was such a strong emotion because it was real. This wasn’t a movie with actors pretending to play a role. These were real people with real emotions. I think other viewers can generalize with this response because everyone has experienced hope before. As an audience, it is easy to identify emotions we are familiar with.
2. Technique
I think this film was technically strong. The dialogue and the editing made this film very strong. The dialogue could have been very hard to follow if not for the editing. This film was based almost solely on interviews.
3. Acting
The principles roles in the movie were Debbie Peagler and her two lawyers: Nadia Costa and Joshua Safran. This movie was a documentary so the roles in the story were very realistic. The actors were extremely realistic because they weren’t acting. They were living their own lives.
4. Plot
The main idea of the film is centered on a woman named Debbie Peagler who has been wrongly incarcerated for 28 years. She was convicted of murder even though she was not the one who killed her then boyfriend Oliver. Debbie led Oliver to an area where local gang members were waiting to beat him up. Debbie took him to that area because she wanted him to leave her and her daughter alone. He was prostituting her out, beating her, threatening her life, and sexually abusing her daughter. After being bullied by the D.A.’s office, Debbie plead guilty to murder and she was sentenced 25 years to life in prison. The story follows Debbie’s attempt to be released from jail after two pro bono lawyers take on her case after a new California law allows cases to be reopened if the criminal is a victim of domestic violence. The story follows tremendous ups and downs through Debbie’s case until she is released from jail, shortly before her death.
5. Themes
I think the main idea in this story is to keep hoping. I think the main issues in this film talked about victims of domestic violence and those who have been wrongfully incarcerated. I don’t think the messages are distracting to the plot. I think the main idea and main issues are what makes this film so spectacular.
6. Genre
I would classify this film as a documentary. I think people think this genre because they know that it is real. It’s not a made up story.
7. Representation
This film does represent different groups of people. Debbie is a black, poor woman who is incarcerated. One of her lawyers is a woman, who comes from an affluent community and has experienced abuse as a child. The other lawyer is a male, who is Jewish. The film didn’t choose to characterize them in this way, it’s just who these people are.
8. Ideology
After watching this film, I had a stronger distrust for those who work in the criminal justice system. I saw how strongly they fought so they wouldn’t have to admit their mistakes. I also thought that there could be more people wrongly incarcerated just like Debbie. My beliefs were changed just by looking at all of the information presented throughout the film.
Foot: Cleveland Film Festival
I enjoyed going to the Cleveland Film Festival. I’ve never been to a film festival so this was a new experience for me. I was surprised that so many people attended the film festival. I didn’t realize that the Film Festival is such a big event. I’m used to small movie theaters so it was a bit of a shock to me when I saw how big the theater was. I was pleasantly surprised that the movie that I saw, Crime after Crime, wasn’t that busy, although many other movies were. Crime after Crime started at 4:35 on a Wednesday and I could not believe that that many people were at the theater for the Film Festival. I would like to know how far people travel to come to the film festival. It seemed like a variety of people were there.
I really enjoyed watching Crime after Crime. I really liked that this movie told the true story of a woman’s life. I would have loved to have been able to see other movies at the film festival. The only thing I don’t like about the film festival is that it is about an hour and a half from my house. It was kind of hard to find the time to go up to Cleveland during the week. I left Kent to go to Cleveland at three and I didn’t get home until nine p.m. For me, it was really hard to find a day where I could allot six hours of my day for this one assignment.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Foot: Great Films and How to Teach Them
I had a hard time getting through this book. I already knew some of the information in the book so it kind of bored me. I had a hard time staying focused when I reading this book. The pages were very plain and everything was black and white. I did find some of the information
interesting though. I liked when the book talked about the influence of literature on movies and the influence of movies on literature. I just thought it was interesting to see how film can be compared to other media. I especially liked when the book made a comparison between dance and film. “It’s worth considering how a movie can be like, or unlike, a dance number or a musical composition. Some movies do include dances, poetry, or music, of course, but there is a difference between a filmed dance and a dance film” (Costanzo 15). I really liked this quote because it made me think about film in a different way. Dance has always been a huge part of my life, so that quote really made me start to think about the differences in film.
I also found this book to be interesting because it introduced me to some terms that I had never heard of before. I really enjoy watching films, so I was happy to learn some new information. Chapter 2 offered a lot of information that I wasn’t familiar with. I was also surprised when Chapter 5 started talking about theories in film. Many of the theories were similar to literary analysis theories in English. For me, I have a hard time thinking about film and associating it with an English class.
interesting though. I liked when the book talked about the influence of literature on movies and the influence of movies on literature. I just thought it was interesting to see how film can be compared to other media. I especially liked when the book made a comparison between dance and film. “It’s worth considering how a movie can be like, or unlike, a dance number or a musical composition. Some movies do include dances, poetry, or music, of course, but there is a difference between a filmed dance and a dance film” (Costanzo 15). I really liked this quote because it made me think about film in a different way. Dance has always been a huge part of my life, so that quote really made me start to think about the differences in film.
I also found this book to be interesting because it introduced me to some terms that I had never heard of before. I really enjoy watching films, so I was happy to learn some new information. Chapter 2 offered a lot of information that I wasn’t familiar with. I was also surprised when Chapter 5 started talking about theories in film. Many of the theories were similar to literary analysis theories in English. For me, I have a hard time thinking about film and associating it with an English class.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Foot: Firestone Assignment
After spending time tutoring at Firestone, I think there are ways to incorporate multi-modalities into test preparation. I think it would have been very hard for the tutors to incorporate multi-modalities while working with the students, but I do think teachers can include multi-modality test preparation practices in their classrooms. I don’t think you can teach multi-modality test-taking strategies. I think the best way to incorporate multi-modalities would be to use it in your everyday lessons. I don’t think teachers should teach to the test so they wouldn’t use multi-modalities just for test preparation. If you use multi-modalities to teach, improve, or clarify a subject, then that is when multi-modal practices work at their best. As for preparing the students to take standardized tests, I do think there are a few ways that you can incorporate multi-modal test preparation. One way would be to have an iPad present with you when you’re tutoring. I know when I was working with my student through the OGT test packet we came across some questions that I couldn’t explain the answer to. I am not very good with science and I couldn’t really tell her why an answer was correct or incorrect. An iPad would have been great to have with me because I could have easily looked up information on the iPad while she was sitting beside me. Another multi-modal literacy that I could have used while tutoring my student would be a cell phone. I actually do have a cell phone, but I don’t receive the internet on my phone so I couldn’t look up the answers to some of her questions. I also was a little uncomfortable using my phone at Firestone because I know they have a strict policy against the use of cell phones.
If I had my own classroom, I do think that using cell phones could be a challenge. Even though the use of my cell phone would be for educational purposes, I do know some schools have policies stating that neither teachers nor students can use cell phones during school. When I have my own classroom, and if I can afford it, I would love to have an iPad to work with students in my classroom. I think it would be great to have an iPad in the classroom. I would be able to move around the room to work individually with students. If one particular student has a question, I can work with that student at his or her desk and still have a computer with me. I think it would also benefit me as a teacher because I wouldn’t have to carry around a huge book in the class. I could use the iPad to show students texts or comments on certain passages. I wouldn’t have to call students up to my desk to show them a grade or something on my computer because I would be able to go to the student.
I think students would be more interested in test preparation with the use of multi-modal literacies. When students get to use something new, it often perks their interest in the subject. It is very hard to get students interested in test preparation, so the use of multi-modal literacies would definitely be a benefit. I think there is a lot of tension between the expanding definition of literacy and standardized test preparation. Standardized tests are very formal and rigid. They don’t incorporate new literacies in the test. The test cannot incorporate new literacies because students can only take the test using pencil and paper. I think teachers are trying to use new literacies in their classrooms, but it makes it hard when students are going to be tested over subjects that don’t include new literacies. Literacy is expanding, but standardized testing has remained the same. I think that is what is causing the tension in the school system.
While I was at Firestone last semester, I did see some teachers incorporating multi-modal literacies into their classrooms. I predominately saw that in English classrooms. I observed a teacher playing a song on her mp3 player on her cell phone to demonstrate to her students the importance of beat in poetry. I also saw the same teacher play music videos and then she asked the students to identify archetype and theme from the videos. I really enjoyed observing this class because I liked the way the teacher used multi-modal literacies within her classroom. I think that is the best way you can teach your students for taking tests. I don’t think it would really help to just incorporate multi-modality into test preparation. It needs to be incorporated throughout an entire year for students to benefit from it.
I don’t see standardized test preparation easily merging with multi-modal literacies. One of the reasons I don’t see it merging easily is because the use of multi-modalities can cost money. Many schools are short on funds so I think a lot of schools would shy away from something that is going to be an added expense. I also think a lot of teachers are going to shy away from using multi-modal literacies with test preparation because there isn’t any use of multi-modalities in standardized tests. I know when I had to take the OGTs, my teachers prepared my class for the test by simulating what the test was going to be like. We constantly went over questions that had been on previous OGTs and we had to complete practice OGT test packets. My teachers wouldn’t let us use any multi-modal literacies because they said we wouldn’t be able to use them on the test. They didn’t want us to become accustomed to using something that we weren’t going to be able to use on the test. I think a lot of teachers would share similar sentiments. I think another problem would be that students wouldn’t always have access to the multi-modal literacies. Most students now have the internet, but not all students. I think as teachers, we need to remember that not all students have the same access to materials.
If I had my own classroom, I do think that using cell phones could be a challenge. Even though the use of my cell phone would be for educational purposes, I do know some schools have policies stating that neither teachers nor students can use cell phones during school. When I have my own classroom, and if I can afford it, I would love to have an iPad to work with students in my classroom. I think it would be great to have an iPad in the classroom. I would be able to move around the room to work individually with students. If one particular student has a question, I can work with that student at his or her desk and still have a computer with me. I think it would also benefit me as a teacher because I wouldn’t have to carry around a huge book in the class. I could use the iPad to show students texts or comments on certain passages. I wouldn’t have to call students up to my desk to show them a grade or something on my computer because I would be able to go to the student.
I think students would be more interested in test preparation with the use of multi-modal literacies. When students get to use something new, it often perks their interest in the subject. It is very hard to get students interested in test preparation, so the use of multi-modal literacies would definitely be a benefit. I think there is a lot of tension between the expanding definition of literacy and standardized test preparation. Standardized tests are very formal and rigid. They don’t incorporate new literacies in the test. The test cannot incorporate new literacies because students can only take the test using pencil and paper. I think teachers are trying to use new literacies in their classrooms, but it makes it hard when students are going to be tested over subjects that don’t include new literacies. Literacy is expanding, but standardized testing has remained the same. I think that is what is causing the tension in the school system.
While I was at Firestone last semester, I did see some teachers incorporating multi-modal literacies into their classrooms. I predominately saw that in English classrooms. I observed a teacher playing a song on her mp3 player on her cell phone to demonstrate to her students the importance of beat in poetry. I also saw the same teacher play music videos and then she asked the students to identify archetype and theme from the videos. I really enjoyed observing this class because I liked the way the teacher used multi-modal literacies within her classroom. I think that is the best way you can teach your students for taking tests. I don’t think it would really help to just incorporate multi-modality into test preparation. It needs to be incorporated throughout an entire year for students to benefit from it.
I don’t see standardized test preparation easily merging with multi-modal literacies. One of the reasons I don’t see it merging easily is because the use of multi-modalities can cost money. Many schools are short on funds so I think a lot of schools would shy away from something that is going to be an added expense. I also think a lot of teachers are going to shy away from using multi-modal literacies with test preparation because there isn’t any use of multi-modalities in standardized tests. I know when I had to take the OGTs, my teachers prepared my class for the test by simulating what the test was going to be like. We constantly went over questions that had been on previous OGTs and we had to complete practice OGT test packets. My teachers wouldn’t let us use any multi-modal literacies because they said we wouldn’t be able to use them on the test. They didn’t want us to become accustomed to using something that we weren’t going to be able to use on the test. I think a lot of teachers would share similar sentiments. I think another problem would be that students wouldn’t always have access to the multi-modal literacies. Most students now have the internet, but not all students. I think as teachers, we need to remember that not all students have the same access to materials.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Foot: "I'm So Totally, Digitally Close to You" and "Your Leaving a Digital Trail."
“I’m So Totally, Digitally Close to You”
I really liked this article. I thought it was interesting that the article talked about things I had experienced while using Facebook. I was surprised that social scientists actually had a name for it: ambient awareness.
“It is, they say, very much like being physically near someone and picking up on his mood through the little things he does — body language, sighs, stray comments — out of the corner of your eye.” When I’m on Facebook, I can tell the mood of my friends based on their statuses. Even friends that I haven’t seen in a while, I still feel like I’m close to them and I know what is happening in their life. I really liked when the article talked about how Twitter and Facebook don’t demand your attention like an email does. I get on my Facebook a couple times a day, but I’m only on for a few minutes. I actually get on Facebook so I can take a break from items that are demanding my attention. I just skim down through my news feed. I don’t even read half of the posts that are on there. I just read the ones that happen to catch my attention.
“Your Leaving a Digital Trail.”
I thought this article was interesting because this is something I’ve thought about when I use technology. I am actually more cautious about my privacy now with the use of all these new technologies that can leave a trail of what I’m doing and where. This article made me think about how some people don’t seem to think about their security at all when they are using social media. It’s very common for me to see people post status saying where they are going or using an application that tells everyone where they are at. I find it very creepy that people can know what you’re doing throughout the day. It really disturbed me that the digital trail that people leave may force some people to change their health habits like jogging. This article was a good reminder to me why I shy away from technology that can invade my privacy.
I really liked this article. I thought it was interesting that the article talked about things I had experienced while using Facebook. I was surprised that social scientists actually had a name for it: ambient awareness.
“It is, they say, very much like being physically near someone and picking up on his mood through the little things he does — body language, sighs, stray comments — out of the corner of your eye.” When I’m on Facebook, I can tell the mood of my friends based on their statuses. Even friends that I haven’t seen in a while, I still feel like I’m close to them and I know what is happening in their life. I really liked when the article talked about how Twitter and Facebook don’t demand your attention like an email does. I get on my Facebook a couple times a day, but I’m only on for a few minutes. I actually get on Facebook so I can take a break from items that are demanding my attention. I just skim down through my news feed. I don’t even read half of the posts that are on there. I just read the ones that happen to catch my attention.
“Your Leaving a Digital Trail.”
I thought this article was interesting because this is something I’ve thought about when I use technology. I am actually more cautious about my privacy now with the use of all these new technologies that can leave a trail of what I’m doing and where. This article made me think about how some people don’t seem to think about their security at all when they are using social media. It’s very common for me to see people post status saying where they are going or using an application that tells everyone where they are at. I find it very creepy that people can know what you’re doing throughout the day. It really disturbed me that the digital trail that people leave may force some people to change their health habits like jogging. This article was a good reminder to me why I shy away from technology that can invade my privacy.
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