Download - Literacy Portfolio
Adolescent Literacy
Mark Stirbens
READ 4035
Ms. Lara
Inquiry
Technology
Literacy
Goals & Learning Outcomes
Teaching Philosophy
Journal
Literacy Autobiobiography
Reflection of Blogs
Annotated Bibiography
Midterm & Final
Artifacts
“My educational philosophy is based upon my beliefs about the role of a teacher, teaching and learning, and expectations for students’ performance: conditions I advocate for are a productive learning environment: the types of learning experiences I advocate for my students: and the standards for learning I would establish for my own instructional program.”
“One theory I particularly follow is the constructivist style of learning: hands-on, student-directed learning in which the teacher acts as facilitator and not as all-knowing expert. Enhancing a student’s thought and thinking by giving them control can be powerful. They need to be involved to learn. Rows of classroom desks are a sterile, unproductive learning field. It’s best to get out of the status quo and think outside the box.”
Don’t forget about the creativity side of the brain. It can take you to places memorization can’t.
Philosophy
“To utilize teaching practices such as collaborative
learning, literacy circles, workshops, and research.”
“Exploring writing and reading assessments in their
purpose in accessing student’s performances.”
“Incorporate online resources as an instructional tool to
enhance middle school student’s literacy learning.”
This portfolio is setup to read like a book. After this page you will find
a table of contents with all the contents of the portfolio. The pages
are not numbered since this portfolio is always growing with new
resources and tools. I have included my goals, philosophy, journals,
and other reflections that I have learned. The end of the portfolio
includes artifacts that have been kept and displayed.
Setting up a blog for literacy circles
What a great way to incorporate technology into
traditional lit circles.
Technique: complete traditional lit circle, assign jobs,
but use a blog to interact and comment on book.
Reflection
I chose this artifact to be able to connect with
students in today’s times. The goals and outcomes are
for the students to be able to interact with each other
face to face and in a private setting. As well as
incorporating their technology experience and combine
that with their creativity. Being able to connect with
students is very important for me. By connecting I
intend to dig deep into the learning process with them. I
plan to use this resource early in the year to kick of a
specific unit.
Share a book
This is a great artifact to finish up a literacy circle. By having groups pick one of these accommodating
assignments all students can get a great feel for the book that group read.
WAYS TO SHARE BOOKS
1. Make a book jacket.
2. Prepare a one-page newspaper based on the book.
3. Make a diorama.
4. Do a pantomime or modern dance that tells part of the story.
5. Write a letter to the author, telling him how enjoyable his book was.
6. Dress up as a character from the book and dramatize a scene from it.
7. Create a “to tell the truth” panel.
8. Give an oral reading, with expression, of selections from the book.
9. Make a poster.
10. Pretend to b a salesman and “sell” the book.
11. Draw a picture illustrating part of the book.
12. Read a series of descriptive passages from the book.
13. Write a letter to a friend recommending the book.
14. Prepare a TV or radio broadcast of the story.
15. Write a business letter to a librarian stating why the book should be
purchased.
16. Keep a diary for a character from the book.
17. Make a comic strip telling the story.
18. Write a ballad or folk song telling the story.
19. Make a puppet of the main character in the story.
20. Make a mobile showing scenes about the story.
Contributed by Leslie Anne Sacks abcteach.com
Reflection
I chose this artifact because the sky is the limit when it
comes to creativity. A group has free reign over how
they want to share their book. The goal is to get the
other groups to find interest in a book they knew
nothing about and want to read it. The significance is to
let the student choose their own path and stimulate their
own critical thinking of a book. I would use this artifact
when the reading circle is completed and groups are to
present their books.
I am Poem Technique: Great opener to get to know your students
Web site to generate I am Poem: http://ettcweb.lr.k12.nj.us/forms/iampoem.htm
Example:
"I Am"
I am honest and hard working
I wonder what the future holds
I hear Santa’s sleigh bells
I see the Death Star
I am honest and hard working
I pretend I am an actor
I feel the spring wind
I touch a tickle monster
I worry about children without homes
I cry for abused children
I am honest and hard working
I understand not everyone is perfect
I say you control your destiny
I dream of learning something new everyday
I try to inspire
I hope to be a role model
I am honest and hard working
Reflection
I chose this artifact in order to start that connection
process with my students. This artifact will ease the
pressures of first day gitters and help to break down the
wall so the learning can dig deeper. It’s personally
significant due to the fact that connecting with students
and knowing them is one important piece of the puzzle
for students to learn effectively. I plan to use this in the
beginning of the year, even perhaps the first day of class,
to get to know my students and to understand what is
important to them.
Current Events Lesson
Damond Moodie’s Current Events Lesson
Damond Moodie encourages his seventh-grade students to use multiple media avenues—television,
radio, newspapers, and the Internet—to access current events, develop opinions about them, and then
express and support those opinions in writing.
In Damond’s current events lesson, students bring in written summaries of news stories they’ve found
and share them with the class. The class selects three of the stories to research further, and students
ultimately write letters to the editor from topics that originated from these news stories.
Instructional Goals
Damond’s editorial lesson enables students to:
Connect with the current events and stories of the world around them.
Formulate opinions about current events.
Understand editorial writing.
Use the Internet and discussion boards to find stories that fit particular topics.
Materials
Current-event assignment sheet
Current-event rubric
Computer with Internet connection
Access to radio, television, newspapers, and Internet
Description of Lesson
Damond begins the lesson with a quick review of the guidelines—students must find a
newsworthy story and write at least a one-paragraph summary including two or more sentences
on why they chose the story. Students can use the Internet, newspaper, television, or radio as
the source for their story. They also must be prepared to share and discuss their summary in
class. The following day the students share the current events they have selected and summarized,
and then they engage in lengthy and lively discussions about the meaning and importance of
the stories. Each student also answers classmates’ questions about his or her topic. Following the
discussion, the students vote (anonymously) for their favorite stories. The three with the most votes
become the “stories of the week,” and the authors of the winning stories
identify the important facts from the story—who, what, when, where, why, and how—and record
them on the board for the whole class.
Damond uses the stories of the week to create the topics the students will use as a focus for the
next writing assignment—a broader variation on the themes addressed in the stories. For
example, in the classroom segment featured in Write in the Middle, one of the stories features a
study on the increase in trans-fatty acids in snack foods. Damond expands the topic to healthy
eating in general.Workshop 2, Moodie 2 Write in the Middle
Once the topics are determined, students working in groups move to the computer lab to find
stories based on their topic. They use a computer-based discussion board to post messages
describing the stories they’ve found, and each group decides on a story on which to focus the
individual letters to the editor they will be writing. Once the students have written drafts of their letters to the editor, they work in pairs to assist in
the editing and revision process. Damond has the students use a rubric to provide a focus for
the peer conferences. The students revise and edit based on the rubrics completed by their classmates, and Damond
will use the same rubric to assess the letters to the editor once they are in final draft form
Reflection
I chose this artifact because it lets the students find
events to write about that they can connect with.
The goal is to have the students find something that
interests them or that they are passionate about to
practice their writing skills. It’s significant because
not only do I get to know the students a little better
but having that connection to the assignment will
have the student take more ownership of the
assignment. I would use this lesson plan any time
to excite or reengage the student back into a more
focused state.