9/13/07 Reading sems to be a natural link to the incorporation of
writing within the world of a child. It was a positive community builder within this group of three while we struggled
to get to know each other. Amidst the loud din of voices within the 4th grade classroom, I and three other children
huddled together sharing uncertain words and a little laughter. I brought my own short story of playing hide and go
seek in the dark outside, making instant connections with my young writers.
9/20/07 Having Mrs. Bradshaw go over the requirements for this writing project with
both 4th grade and UNM students was very helpful. Her inclusion helped build a more accepting and supportive
community on both ends. Next week, we will be assigned to our prospective students and begin the writing workshop
together. Mrs. Bradshaw laid the groundwork for writing about family, by having the students request
permission from their parents about what stories would be acceptable to share in public and to talk with their family about
those stories. It will be interesting to see what will happen next.
9/27/07 We were assigned one or two students with whom to talk about family stories
for the purpose of generating writing ideas. My two students discussed one or two of their family experiences, but it
was difficult to keep them on task for a 45 minute time frame. It would have been more apropriate to reduce the time
to 20 - 30 minutes at the maximum in order to keep student interest. Mrs. Bradshaw did allow us to leave the classroom,
choosing other more quiet areas to talk with the students. My group chose to go outside, sitting upon the grass/ground.
We ended up digging for worms, while I continually tried to incorporate this as a way to lead into stories about
fishing and other outdoor topics.
10/04/07 My group worked on generating writing ideas by using the web format
like Mrs. Bradshaw used with her introduction to generating ideas. When my group began work on the brainstorming,
both students had considerable difficulty coming up with an initial idea and even more difficulty expanding upon the central
idea. I think they need more work on simply writing for writing's sake first, exploring the five senses perhaps or different
forms of poetry or simply practicing describing things they see. Writing about family stories is not a topic they feel
comfortable with, due to various issues. Since we have so little time together, it will be challenging to come up with
even one good, printable story to share on Family Night in November.
10/11/07 The writing process is really just beginning to take off as the students
in my group are becoming more comfortable writing a solid story from their ideas. By my providing some scribing help,
one writer was able to complete one full page! One writer became very creative, writing the story around the page in
a circle until the words couldn't fit anymore. I have a feeling we will be working on page two next week. I am
hoping the writers will continue to think about their stories over the days to come and feel encouraged to write more when
we meet again next week. We have a long way to go yet before publishing.
10/13/07 Storytelling Festival: The featured storyteller, Andy Offutt Irwin, regaled
the audience with an expanded story about his elderly aunt. Using different voices,
music, and humor, he easily engaged the audience and pulled them into his world of southern charm, proper manners, and human
quirks. Mr. Irwin had a talent for using various facial expressions, which oftentimes
helped explain the different characters and their mannerisms in his story. I hope
that some of the fourth graders in Mrs. Bradshaw’s class had a chance to see these storytellers this weekend, as the
experience would have helped the students understand more in depth what we have been working with them on with the family
stories in class. I wish I had a little more clout within the school system and
be able to take a few of the students myself who don’t have the money or resources to attend. That will come in the future, I suppose. I hope that in the future,
the festival will feature all of the storytellers at one time on the Friday or Saturday night concert for those of us unable
to attend the daytime events. It would have made the experience more well-rounded. I did purchase a CD with Mr. Irwin’s stories about the Appalachian area. I figured this will also serve as a good teacher resource later.
10/18/07 Today, we were asked to do a first draft peer editing session, using the stars
and wishes idea. Each student reads their story and receives stars – positive
input- and wishes- suggestions for changes- from the rest of the listeners in the group. We
paired up with another teacher/students team which allowed for additional input from people outside our comfortable writing
circle. One teacher modeled reading a story, using the modeling as a chance for
the other students to practice the idea of using the stars and wishes idea. When
it came time for the students to share, the others listened respectfully and gave very good pointers and comments to the reader. The input from the other listeners served to visibly support each writer and I could
see how much of a positive boost it gave to my two writers. The whole process
went very smoothly and the students were able to keep the written comments to be used for the editing session next week.
Scribe
notes:
After the Apache practicum today, we all convened at IHOP to continue class. We reflected upon today's experiences
working with the students using the peer editing process of stars and wishes.
Clarification was given about where to post reflections: scribe responses and personal responses go to personal web site/blog.
Storytelling Festival and Prime Time repsonses also go on personal web site/blog.
Mid-term reflections are due...please post on your personal web site/blog. Frances will be checking these and responding
to each of us by email. Please remember there is no right way to respond to the mid term; each of us has been given
poetic license to write a response as we see fit...simply write from your heart. Frances read her mid term reflection as a way of modeling her own
writing style.
On November 15, we will be discussing the two articles passed out earlier: "Diversity Vs.White Privelege" by Christine
Sleeter and "What We Don't Know Can Hurt Them: White Teachers, Indian Children" by Bobby Ann Starnes.
Frances read an exerpt from the book, Inviting Transformation: Presentational Speaking for a Changing World
by Sonja K. Foss and Karen A. Foss regarding persoanl perspectives, ethnicity and the changing demographics of the US requiring
greater sensitivity for tolerance issues.
Each literature circle met afterwards, continuing with reading their respective books and discussing aspects of the upcoming
chapters in the textbook.
Reconceptualist
term reflection - Right now, I wouldn’t consider myself so much a Reconceptualist, but simply someone
who hopes to encourage learning beyond state standards. Not sure if that stance
qualifies as a label for the previous term, as I’m not to the point of being politically active (or correct) regarding
the views and angst of those wanting to champion issues of civil rights. It seems
to me that many get caught up in the debates about whether we are meeting the needs of every single child within the school
system, becoming angry or disenchanted by the responses of colleagues, state interference, or by reality. I’m simply trying to meet the needs of students within the classroom.
If education remains focused on the ‘should haves’ or meeting AYP or accepting sole responsibility for
student success, schools will continually be missing the mark when it comes to improving education quality.
10/25/07 Only one student to work with today as the other was absent.. I attempted to incorporate the comments of the other students from the peer editing
session last week, but the student present today was quite resistant. We added
some additional wording to create some sense of cohesion, then the student decided she wanted to begin her illustration for
her story. I spoke to her about what her preferences were for my typing up her
writing, then allowed her to continue work on her illustration.
11/01/07 Class has been canceled today, due to the speaker coming
on Friday.
11/02/07 Ricky Lee Allen speaker reflection: The presentation centered around the issue
of race and prejudice; of white privilege verses oppressed peoples of the world. The
speaker spent the entire two hours touching on points such as the experience of being white or whiteness, whiteness as an
opportunity structure, Colorblind Racism, and white privilege. At the very end
of the talk, the speaker presented a few positive points listed as steps to achieve in encounters with people of color.
No matter how I try to approach expressing my feelings about this presentation’s
focus, I am damned because I am of the white persuasion. Talk about reverse discrimination! And yes folks, there is
such a term! I do not feel guilty for being who I am. The history of the world as we interpret it is filled with numerous cultural clashes whether it be due
to color or ethnicity; Africans selling their brethren as slaves to American landowners, Spanish explorers murdering indigenous
people for God and gold, and Viking seafarers invading and claiming distant lands as their own. Hopefully from history we are all learning from past mistakes. Civil
rights and liberties will always be a controversial topic until people take responsibility for their own choices and lives. You can choose to live in poverty or you can choose to have higher expectations of
yourself and your family. To blame others for your way of life is the easy way
out. Take charge of your own destiny. End
of sermon.
11/08/07 Both of the students were engaged in working on editing. The goal today was to complete any last minute writing and editing in order for me to type up the final
rough draft before publication of the stories. One of my students has already
completed her story and illustration.
11/16/07 This was the last day to polish the stories and work on illustrations
in class. We practiced reading our stories to each other and I gave the students feedback on making their voices
louder so that others can hear them. Those who need more time finishing their illustrations will have additional time
the remainder of this week and into the following monday. UNM will be publishing these stories into a book for the students
to keep. There will also be copies placed in Apache's library for others to read. Next time we meet, the entire
fourth grade class will practice reading outloud in preparation for Parent Night in December.
