The End Is Near

"Learning without reflection is a waste. Reflection without learning is dangerous."-Confucius 

"Change is the end result of all true learning."

~ Leo Buscaglia

Today was the last day of class, I could not believe it, it went by so fast! It was nice to see how everyone was incredibly creative throughout the entire semester with each and every project. I learned a great amount from my peers that I am very grateful for. I now know about various authors because we had so many visit our class. Not only the special guests my professor had come to our  school, but also the different authors my classmates made presentations for. My knowledge of genres has increased greatly and I can happily say all of the reading and hard work paid off. I have also added books to my library collection such as Fat Kid Rules the World by K.L. Going and Benny Goodman and Teddy Wilson by Lesa Cline-Ransome. Both books were signed by the authors, I am very fortunate! During this class I learned about different technology too such as kahoot.it and screencastomatic. 

I truly pushed my limits this semester because as I know now, going to Graduate School and working full time is not easy. It's actually one of the most difficult things I have ever done. I tried my best, and worked my hardest. This course was exciting, enlightening, and challenging. My professor and peers truly assisted me in becoming a better teacher. I am so thankful to have had a professor who cares about you and your progress. Each class, time flew by and I always learned something new. You know what they say, time flies when you're having fun! Unfortunately this class has come to an end and that means so far I am surviving graduate school. I am so thankful for such a wonderful experience.

"Education is learning what you didn't even know you didn't know."

 ~Daniel J. Boorstin

 "Learning is a result of listening, which in turn leads to even better listening and attentiveness to the other person. In other words, to learn from the child, we must have empathy, and empathy grows as we learn.:

 ~Alice Miller

If you would like a different perspective of this class, please visit my classmates blogs too! They are just as great, enjoy!

Devon O'Brian    Patricia Neville    Desiree Pampolina

 Nicole Allen       Victoria Becker   Kelly Spreer 

Trina Naclario      Meghan Bauer    Kaitlyn Sudol 

Denise Pantaleo    Megan O'Brian

"There are perhaps no days of our childhood we lived so fully as those we spent with a favorite book." -Marcel Proust

Our last two authors came to class today! It was very exciting learning about 12 other authors because they all have a different style of writing. I have even order a few books by each author to add to my collection! Thank you to everyone in my class for the inspiration! 

Disclaimer: These are students presentations, the real author did not make an appearance!

Fun Fact: She was a teacher first and a mother before she became a writer!

At a young age, Pam had a tough life. She was forced to move, change schools, and make new friends. She was having a terribly difficult time with this and she turned to the library to make her troubles disappear. Going to the library actually helped her become acclimated with her new school!

Good to know that a lot of her real life was also written in Esperanza Rising, a common core pick, and a must read!

Books:

1. One Hundred is a Family

2. Hello Ocean

3. Mice and Beans

4. The Dreamer

5. Esperanza Rising 

Check out her website for more information!

Fun Fact: She has an incredible passion for horses which lead to the creation of her first book!

Jan travels far and wide to various counties with her husband. While she is there, she would research the culture, architecture, and traditions. She would then compile all of these ideas and turn them into beautifully engaging children's books!

Books:

1. Cinders

2. The Hat

3. The Umbrella

4. Gingerbread Baby

5. Trouble with Trolls

Teachers, check out her website for neat activities and more information! 

"A problem is a chance for you to do your best." -Duke Ellington

We had three more authors come to our class, Dr. Seuss, Bill Martin Jr., and Andrea Davis Pinkney!

Disclaimer: These were presentations done by students not the actual author!

Fun Fact: He was voted most likely not to succeed and Green Eggs and Ham was based off of a bet!

Seuss was a writer, cartoonist, animator, book publisher, and artist. But did you know, he made his first debut in advertising not writing children's books. Children's books came later. His real name is Theodor Seuss Geisel but took on the name Seuss for writing purposes. He was caught drinking in his college dorm and was suspended from writing for the school newspaper, therefore he used the name Suess to keep his real name hidden. 

Books:

1. Oh The Places You'll Go 

2. The Lorax

3. How The Grinch Stole Christmas 

4. One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish

5. Horton Hears A Who!

Bill Martin Jr.

Fun Fact: You can visit the BIll Martin Jr. Library on the campus of Texas A&M University-Commerce. The collection includes many of his published works, manuscripts, and letters from the greats in children's literature. 

Bill wrote children's books for 60 years and even had his good friend Eric Carle illustrate some of his books, a previous author presentation we heard! First, Bill was a teacher, then a principal, and then an author. His previous professions helped him become such a great author for children. 

Please visit his website if you'd like to know more! Nicole also had a great rendition of Chicka Chicka Boom Boom called, Will There Be Enough Room and it was great!

Books:

1. Chicka, Chicka, Boom, Boom 

2. Chicka, Chicka, 1, 2, 3

3. Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?

4. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

5. Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See?

Fun Fact:Her parents were actively involved in the civil rights movement. They are the inspiration for her to write about certain topics.

Andrea noticed there was a lack of African-American literature geared towards children, therefore she decided to create something that would operate around their cultural norms and morals, something that would reflect their lives, their cultural heritage, and the achievements of African-American figures. 

Books:

1. Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra

2. Fishing Day

3. Solo Girl 

4. Pretty Brown Face

5. Raven in a Dove House

"In your eyes the flames of the twilight fought on." -Pablo Neruda

The real K.L. Going visited our school and spoke to my class about her writing career and censorship. Censorship is a huge topic that is often debated in the education system. Censorship is the practice of officially examining books, movies, etc., and suppressing unacceptable parts. Ms. Going had a problem with her book, Fat Kid Rules the World. Apparently, people in the Southern states thought it was unacceptable to have an adolescent look at a waitress with a sexual view for one sentence. Because of that one sentence, the book was banned not only from schools but from book stores too. Currently the book is not banned and will be released for a ten year anniversary, special edition. 

The week of September 22nd was banned books week. Did you know that the following books have been banned?
1. Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry
2. Charlie and The Chocolate Factory
3. The Witches
4. Winnie the Pooh
5.  In Our Mother's House (Patricia Polacco)
6. Draw Me a Star (Eric Carle)
7. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
  

What does K.L. Going stand for? 
Her first name is Kelly, therefore her full name is Kelly Going. 

Books:
1. Dog in Charge
2. Fat Kid Rules the World
3. Saint Iggy
4. The Garden of Eve
5. The Liberation of Gabriel King (Her personal favorite)

Ms. Going was one of the most humble, well spoken, and passionate authors I have even met. She sold all of her books to my class for a discounted price, and she happily signed them all. We now have a memory to last a life time!

Visit her website to learn more! 

or

Follow her on twitter!

"There's more beauty in truth, even if it is dreadful beauty." -John Steinbeck

Definition: Writing that is based on facts, real events, and real people.
*Can be about any topic including narratives
* No opinions allowed!

Four Sub-genres:
1. Informational
2. Persuasive 
3. Memoirs 
4. Biographies

The information in these books constantly needs to be changed over time based on needs. 

Where can you find Nonfiction books in any library? Use the Dewey Decimal System!
Dewey Decimal:
00- Generalities           100- Philosophy            200-Religion            300- Social Science
400- Language            500- Natural Sciences and Mathematics         600- Technology
700- The Arts              800- Literature               900- Geography and History 

Books:
Promises to Keep                                      The Diary of Anne Frank
Rainforest Research Journal                      The Most Beautiful Roof in the World
A Picture Book of Jackie Robinson           Didn't Know Much About Dinosaurs 
George Washington Carver- The Peanut Scientist 
Every Day Things and How They Work    The Book of Planets
My Body                                                      Big Sharks 

Also check out these great resources!

Kahoot.it
Brain Pop
Brain Pop Jr. 
Fiction Rap:

The fiction rap is a neat way for students to memorize the details included in what to know about fiction. A song leads to a dance which just happens to be kinesthetic learning- what we are all striving for! Another way for the brain to remember information. 

The Book I chose to bring for the book talk was Magic Tree House Research Guide 14: Ancient Rome and Pompeii. We were also asked to complete a Nonfiction Scavenger Hunt. Some of the things we needed to find were: glossary, index, map, caption, chart/table, diagram, table of contents, heading, graphic organizer, graphs, and photographs. My book had all 12 conventions!

"Librarians... have been my lifelong friends, guides and heroes." -Joseph Bruchac

Joseph Bruchac and Patricia Polacco visited our classroom today! What a treat!
Disclaimer: These were presentations done by students not the actual author!

"The best teachers have shown me that things have to
be done bit by bit. Nothing that means anything
happens quickly- we only think it does."

Patricia Polacco 

Fun Fact: His poems, articles and stories have appeared in over 500 publications including American Poetry Review, Cricket, Aboriginal Voices, National Geographic, Parabola, and Smithsonian Magazine. 

Bruchac is an fascinating man who living an incredible life at age 72. Taught English for three years in Ghana, writer, storyteller, poet, and musician. He has a B.A., M.A., and a Ph.D.! I personally met him at the C.E.L.L Conference in 2013 at MSMC!

Works:
1. Crazy Horse's Vision
2. Code Talker
3. The Heart Of A Chief
4. The Boy Who Lived With The Bears
5. Turkey Brother

My personal favorite is Wabi: A Hero's Tale



Fun Fact: Learned she was dyslexic at the age of 14. Overcame her disability and wrote a book about it: Thank You, Mr. Falker.

Polacco is both an artist and a writer. At the age of 41 she put both strengths to use by writing and illustrating children's books. Once she started she cold not stop! Now she has over 85 books published! 

Books:
1. Thunder Cake
2. My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother
3. Chicken Sunday
4. An Orange for Frankie
5. Mr. Lincoln's Way

My personal favorite is, Thank You, Mr. Falker.

"Good teaching is one-fourth preparation and three-fourths theater." -Gail Godwin

Dr. Irene Nunnari is a former Education Professor of Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, NY. She received her undergraduate from Marywood University, two Masters degrees, one from Villanova University and another from The State University of New York at New Paltz. Later she completed her Doctorate at NYU. Dr. Nunnari is a big advocate for theater in the classroom. She says that theater is part of teaching. There are hundreds of students who will tell you today that Dr. Nunnari made Shakespeare the most exciting class they participated in at the Mount. That is quite the accomplishment!

Dr. Irene Nunnari 

The most important thing I got out of this IROC presentation was, performance makes students become close readers. Below I will tell you about some of the activities Dr. Nunnari used to use in her classes to engage her students in actively learning.

Airport- developed by Paul Sills, former director of Chicago's Second City Troupe
Directions: Create a runway by clearing a space in the center of the classroom. Students can watch from the sidelines. The space is then filled with books, shoes, pencils, a wate basket, etc. One student is a pilot (blindfolded because weather conditions have cut off visibility and piolt's communication with the tower) Another student is an air traffic controller who stands at the end of the runway, skirting the obstacles. Any touch is an unsafe landing and another "team" must try to accomplish it wthout incident.

*Airport contains within it every element of theatre, including a rehearsal process form. 

I volunteered to perform the above activity, but unfortunately my team member and I failed to make a safe landing. We were group 2 and it took 3 times to get it right. This is a great activity to teach your students about communication! When speaking or writing, you must be very precise and make sure you leave out no details. This activity will assist with the process giving students a visual of how things need to be done.

 

Pilot (me)

The Ten Minute Hamlet - Folger Shakespeare Library

Students form groups and are given key quotes from the play to "act out" in voice, song or action. A narrator provides continuity and makes such statements as "The Ghost of King Hamlet has appeared and terrified everyone, especially Horatio, who SAYS"

Group 1 which has been assigned the following quote...jumps up and acts out:

"This bodes some strange eruption in our state." The "play" continues until the necessary plot details have been described and corresponding quotes have been performed."

Resources:
dramaintheclassroom.org
nationalartstandards.org
www.folger.edu (The Folger Shakespeare Library)
www.pbs.org/shakespeare
www.aate.com (American Alliance for Theatre and Education)

Thank you Dr. Nunnari for presenting your outstanding work. I cannot wait to put it into practice!

"We have eyes, and we're looking at stuff all the time, all day long. And I just think that whatever our eyes touch should be beautiful, tasteful, appealing, and important." -Eric Carle

Today we had two authors come to class, Eric Litwin and Eric Carle
Disclaimer: These presentations were done by students and not the real authors!

Eric Litwin

Eric Litwin is best known for his Pete the Cat books.
 Specifically:
1. Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes
2. Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes
3. Pete the Cat and his Four Groovy Buttons
4. Pete the Cat Saves Christmas 

Fun Fact: James Dean is the actual creator of Pete the Cat

Pete also shared one of his new books called The Nuts, below you will 

find a sneak preview!

My favorite part of the author presentation was Pete the Cat and Autumn- " Goodness no!" By Ms. Bauer 

Author Number Two!

Eric Carle

Eric Carle has written 56 children's books! What an accomplishment!
His books are also loved by many. 
Some of my favorite books are:
1. The Very Hungry Caterpillar
2. The Tiny Seed
3. The Very Lonely Firefly
4. Mister Seahorse 
5. Pancakes, Pancakes!

Fun Fact: The Very Hungry Caterpillar is written in 50 different languages!

Below you will find Eric Carle reading Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See?

"Quite often somebody will say, what year do your books take place? And the only answer I can give is, in childhood." -Beverly Cleary

We had two more authors visit the class!

Disclaimer: These presentations were done by students and not the actual authors!

Fun Fact: Every April 12th is National D.E.A.R. Day (Drop Everything And Read). It is also Beverly's Birthday!

When Cleary was younger, she was placed in the low reading circle because her skills were not the greatest. She overcame this by going to the library daily in third grade and teacher herself to become a better reader. One day, when she was a bit older, the librarian she saw daily asked Cleary to start writing books of her own, and she did. Now she is one of the most loved children's authors!

Books:
1. Romona the Pest
2. The Luckiest Girl
3. Two Times the Fun
4. Socks
5. Fifteen 

Teachers, check out her website if you'd like to learn more and find activities to use for your class!

Fun Fact: She has 14 million copies of her book in print worldwide!

Picoult is loved author by teens and adults. He stories touch close to home for many people and give them quite the emotional journey. In all, Jodi has about 28 different works, varying from books to movies. She even published a book with her daughter!

Books:
1. My Sister's Keeper
2. Keeping Faith
3. Perfect Match
4. Second Glance 
5. The Storyteller

Check out her website if you'd like to learn more!

"Storytelling is the most powerful way to put ideas into the world today." -Robert McKee

Deepening Comprehension Through Storytelling by Dr. Jane Gang

"Pursuing one's own goals despite derision from others is worthwhile." ~Santos

Looking at the activities that Dr. Gangi listed in her article, I can say that most of my teachers used one or more of these activities. However the most popular is always two truths and I lie. It's always a lot of fun specially in the older grades. Caution in the younger grades bullying may occur. Some students call each other liars so please use the activity carefully!

Personally, I love the idea of having students see themselves as the storytellers, therefore my favorite activity is folding a piece of paper like an accordion and writing one sentence. The next member of the group reads the first sentence, then writes another sentence connected to the first sentence that extends the story. The person then folds the paper so that the first sentence is not visible. The third person reads the second sentence, then writes a third sentence, fold the paper so the fourth person can only see the third sentence, and so on. The last person in the circle reads the entire story. I really enjoy this activity because it is a more creative mad libs! The students use their imagination and they have the ability to give the story their own twist. The students are the authors and they can have pride in what they have created as a whole. This can serve as an ice breaker as well because this activity definitely causes some laughs!

Qualities of a good reader:

• activate prior knowledge, making text to text, text to self, and text to world connections
• create sensory images
• synthesize
• determine importance
• make inferences
• ask questions
• make predictions
• self-correct
• summarize

Need some ideas to jump start the storytellers in your students? Try these activities! I guarantee you will see a difference immediately!

1. Have students see themselves as storytellers. Tell folklore and personal stories and have students share their own. Storytelling is not memorization it is internalization and visualization
2. Have students work with a partner and tell each other about a time they got in trouble. The have the students switch partners and retell the story they just heard. The student has to guess who's story it is and the original storyteller will point out any misconceptions.
3. Standing in a circle, the group repeats this chant: "As I went up the apple tree. All the apples fell on me. Apple puddling, apple pie. Did you ever tell a lie?" Then one by one, individuals tell brief stories which may be the truth or may be a lie. Group members vote-thumbs up if they think it is the truth, thumbs down if they think it is a lie. The teller affirms whether it is the truth or a lie. It goes around until everyone has a chance, chanting the refrain between individual tellings.
4. Two truths and a lie. The class guesses which two are the truth and which two are a lie. The truths generate interesting personal stories.
5. Collect coins that have dates your students could remember in their life. Children choose coins randomly and tell a story from that year. This can be done in partners or as a group
6. Tell stories based on interviews in which you take the point of view of someone who knows your partner well. Give partners time to interview each other first.
7. Tell a group story in which each sentence alternates with Fortunately and Unfortunately. Besides giving a rehearsal experience, this activity also teaches the writer's craft of see-saw patterns.
8. Fold a paper like an accordion. Write one sentence. The next member of the group reads the first sentence, then writes another sentence connected to the first sentence that extends the story. The person then folds the paper so that the first sentence is not visible. The third person reads the second sentence, then writes a third sentence, fold the paper so the fourth person can only see the third sentence, and so on. The last person in the circle reads the entire story.
9. Write random people, places, problems, and events on cards. One person begins the story with one random thing. The next person draws another card and must weave it into the story the first person began. A variation is to use vocabulary words.
10. Bring in sound makers: tambourine, drum. Every day objects can be included: keys, rubber bands. Each new sound introduced guides and changes the story.
11. Bring in different types of music. Allow the music to suggest the story.
12. Ellen O'Connor said, "Storytelling actively involves the child in the reconstruction of a story and helps develop comprehension, oral language, and a sense of story structure..."
13. Good storytelling means creating pictures or smells or feelings in people's minds.

    

    Looks like the President and First Lady have the right idea!

"History shows us a window into our past. Historical fiction can take us by the hand and lead us into that world." -Judith Geary

Definition:

The setting in Historical Fiction is the absolute most important part of the story.

 It must be real and you must be able to locate the place on a map. 

Plot:

Must be believable

Themes:

Social and Political 

Good v. Evil

Cultural Dislocation 

*Almost always contains dialogue

*Illustrations are either very realistic or actual photographs

Resources:

www.elanews.org

www.digitalmedia.org

www.archive.org

Books:

Bud, Not Buddy                                    Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry

Out of the Dust                                      R my name is Rachel

Moon Over Manifest                             Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

Baseball Saved Us                               Journey to Jo'berg

Nelson Mandela                                    Lily's Crossing

Mary McLean and the Saint Patrick's Day Parade

Pink and Say                                         Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt

Henry's Freedom Box                           Journey's Sparrow

Number the Stars                               At Ellis Island

What Was (series)                                 Who Was (series)

Historical fiction is a great device to tie into the curriculum! Not only does historical fiction also students to wander to a time period they will never experience, but they will also be able to put themselves into the shoes of the character listed in the book. Historical fiction is a different and more exciting approach to teaching the facts. When the students are finished with the story, they will have the opportunity to connect it to the true facts and have a better understanding of that time period, culture, traditions, or ways of life.  

Historical Fiction and Historical Nonfiction are my two favorite types of genres!

During our book talk, I decided to speak about The Boston Freedom Trail. Below you can find a picture of the cover. When I was younger I was completely fascinated with the Freedom Trail and wanted to know everything about it. As for Historical Fiction, one of my favorites is The Book Thief.