Bright Ideas Conference

April 12, 2008

This is the first conference that I have ever attended and I must say that I did enjoy my experience. When the group that I decided to go with started planning on going to this conference I did not know what to think. I had no expectations and I thought that we were going to some other school that we would not know anyone. I was totally wrong when I got there.

When we walked into the building, it was so quiet. If we never saw the sign we would have never figured out where to go. We already thought that we were late, but we were right on schedule. The check-in was easy, the people weren’t too friendly, but maybe that was because it was so early in the morning and all these different people were so excited. After check-in we notice that people start coming out of this room and that is when I notice all the people that were from Western. I didn’t feel like we were the only ones there anymore. It was nice seeing familiar faces, because it gave me a chance to tear away from my group.

I love the schedule they gave in the folder with all the sessions, I felt organized and structured. I also felt that they gave us enough time in between each session to decide were we wanted to go next. The first session that I decided to go to was the about incorporating Multi-cultural voices in the classroom to relate to the students lives. It was great. The lady was so personable and I felt that she had character, which made it easy for me to relate to her. I thought that we were going to end up going into these sessions and these people were going to be all stuffy and boring, but this lady wasn’t. She was so laidback and fun.

I did an activity in this session. We had to get into a group and read from this book called, The Brimstone Journals by Ron Koetge. Our group had a chosen character named Lester and we just read all his journal entries about his schooling and life experiences. It was rather interesting. Then we answered some questions about the things we found out from the readings and then had a group discussion. It was nice to learn the connection between the characters in the book and the presenter told us about how we could use these in our classrooms. I loved this session, because it made me think about what I want from my students and how I want to be able to connect to my students and from my students to make connections in reading literature. The presenter gave us a handout of all these different Multi-cultural voice books and I was very pleased. I love getting book list, that will expand my book collection.

Another interesting thing that I found is that the she had work in an Alternative school and I started to think to myself that I could see myself working in an Alternative school because I think you have more say in what you can teach.

After the second session, which I did not enjoy as much, we had lunch. Lunch was wonderful. I love sandwiches and this was very fulfilling. Me and one of the others girl had been talking about lunch on the way up to the conference and we were criticizing it, saying that it was probably going to be skimpy, but we were wrong. We both enjoyed our lunch.

Overall I did enjoy the conference. It was very comfortable and laid back. A lot of students were in jeans and tennis shoes and I wasn’t expecting that. I thought that it was going to be very structured and boring, but I did have a good time. I thought that the sessions were very hit and miss, you get one extremely good one and then the others just did not turn out well, but I’m happy that I went and got to get to experience this experience. I was especially happy to see all the familiar faces from classes that I have and friends that are in the same major as me.

Presenting Image Grammar

WOW!!!! THIS WAS SO MUCH FUN. Ashley idea about doing a French theme for our group really worked out well. I was very happy how our first day of presenting went well.

Being in front of the class and teaching, brings back all the reason that I love to teach. I love to have a good time with students. Even though these where my classmates, I love the rush that get.

I love the way Image Grammar's chapters flow together. How they all intertwine with each other and build off of one another. I thought that we looked and sounded great. When we first came into this project, I was thinking to myself, "How in the world are we going to teach for a whole hour and fifty minutes on this book." But it worked, actually it wasn't enough time. There is so much information in Harry Nodens' Image Grammar, I wish we had more time. I was also scared that our classmates would not be interested in our topic, because its about grammar and it is kind of complex. But I'm glad that our classmates where engaged in our topics and seem to be interested.

I had fun. I didn't think that I was going to be all that excited about presenting, but I was. Group projects don't usually work well with me, but this was interesting and I learned stuff. I'm happy that I was in the group that I was in and I absolutely loved presenting my information today.... IT WAS MAGNIFIC!

Poetry Group

It always amazes me how many forms of poetry are out there. When this group was schedule to go, I fought with myself, because I do have this grudge about against poetry, so I wasn't sure about how much information I was going to be willing to take in.

I know I said this in class already, but whenever I think about writing poetry, I get so uneasy, because I feel that I poetry is too complex. I feel that poetry should not be analyzed, because it is so complex only the author knows its true meaning. When writing poetry I feel that no one will understand where I am coming from, know one will get it. I must admit that I am intimidated by poetry. But I also have to admit that the different kinds of poetry that this group brought to the table made it rather interesting.

I love how we got to cut up magazines. I felt like I was back in grade school, doing arts and crafts. I was excited about the glue, the scissors and the construction paper. I love the idea of cutting out letters from magazines and forming words to make to poetry. At first when we started I thought I wouldn't be into it, but I found myself really intrigued and anxious to get some good words. I can see high school students really getting into it. And as a teacher, this form of teaching poetry, also makes it exciting for myself.

I also like the list poem. I think I'm a pretty intense poem and I was really feeling this. Overall this group made me realize that I need to stop saying that I hate poetry, because in reality once I get pass the rhyming and the analyzing, its pretty fun. Great job!

Community Group

I absolutely loved the discussions within the group. It made class go by fast and it was very informative and interesting. I thought it was very interesting how they gave the class most of the floor for us to define community and what it means to be a community. I like how they made me think outside of my little world and into the bigger world, it was so exciting.

The game that we played was so interesting. To be able to play a character that I would never know what it feels like to be, felt great. This game not only showed how different communities fall into stereotypes and how different communities come to assumptions of others, but it brought out stereotypes that I thought to be true and even some of the bias that I have. To play as a rich white community made feel that I need to be pompous, rude and racist to others. Even thought this is how I believe this kind of communities to be I never took in the consideration, as one of my classmates mentioned, that even though they might be in gated communities, that these people in this community might not even been pompous, rude or racist. I never thought about it like that. It made me look at myself and check myself. Because even though I beleive I'm accepting to everyone, I really am not. I assume, I judge and I like that this group made me think about those things about myself.

Overall I truly enjoyed everything that this group brought to the table. I glad that I got to experience.

Multi genre Group

It was really nice to get all the information about doing a Multi genre paper. I think that multi genre papers are exciting. The first time I did a multi genre paper was in my sophomore year. I know that it was on Africa writers and I just brought all of it together in three separate papers. It was interesting to break up my paper like that because it made it easier for me to write what was initially a very long paper.

I really enjoyed the enthusiasm of this group. They had a lot of knowledge on this topic. I also enjoyed to debate between the pros and cons of a multi genre paper, because it made me think about all the other side.

When they assigned the homework for us to do our own group multi genre project I thought that it was interesting that they told us to do it as a group. But I never thought that that was what a multi genre paper was about. Many ideas and facts coming together as a project. I wish we had more time to really get into the multi genre project because I would have loved to do more.

Overall I really enjoyed the group , they did a wonderful job and made me less nervous about our group presenting later. :)

Christensen ?'s

1. What do you believe teaching will be like for the new teachers that are coming in and trying to get away from the textbook way of teaching?
2. What is the best way to help minority students learn Standard English? What are your views on Standard English?
3. What is your advice of a new teacher that doesn't know where to start?
   

Christensen Chapter 8

Tracking..this is something that also makes my skin crawl other than Standard English. Coming from a school where the majority of my peers were minorities, I really did not have an understanding of what tracking was until I got to college. Tracking is all the things that Christensen has mentioned of condemning students of and unequal education because the faulty does not thing that a group of students are not capable or student fail because teachers don't modify their curriculum for these students to succeed.

I was a "smart" student in high school. Most of my classes were AP and I never realized my peers that were getting the short end of the stick. I thought that these students weren't as capable as I was and I feel bad for saying that. I honestly believe that my school system did not give student of "low track" classes a chance. They made assumptions and these students usual turned out the way they were assumed to turn out. They stayed in these classes from ninth to twelfth, dropped out of school because they felt dumb or they felt they weren't capable of getting out of these classes. My school system did not give these students the resources or even believed in these students. It makes me sad to think about how horrible my school system is, how being tracked really does go with you until you are completely done with school. I remember when I first came to college I was put in the remedial math class because my ACT scores said that was where I need to be, but during the summer I had teachers that believed that I could Trig and Advanced Algebra. All these students need is for someone to believe in them, push them and help them. Yeah tracking is sad, but what is even sadder is the school systems that aren't doing anything about it.

Gilmore Chapter 7

I love creative writing! Every time I hear these words I truly get excited. One thing I don't get is.... why is poetry always the first thing mentioned when talking about creative writing? Because the first thing that I that I think about when creative writing is all the journals, short stories and narratives there are to write. Being a big fan of short stories and narratives, I totally get what Gilmore means about writers never being finish the first time around. To be honest this is the only revision that I do love, because add and take out things to enhance my stories. I love the fact that Gilmore gives tips on everything, things that you can use for yourself personally and for the classroom.

Ever time I hear the word poetry, I sort of cringe. I know that is sad to say, but it is true. I hate the fact that Gilmore has rules to writing poetry, because I thought that there were no rules. I never knew when to break the lines in my poetry, where to eliminate words and expand endings. I don't like that there are rules!!!!! I thought poetry was just an expression, I hate poetry can be analyzed and figured out. I honestly believe that what a poem means, is meant only for the writer to know and if students are going evaluate and analyze, there answers should not be based on right or wrong, but evidence. Its really hard for me to get over this poetry hump.... I need help!

Gilmore Chapter 6

Spell check has ruined me as a student and especially as an English major! I know there is a so much more to English tan spelling, but I am not confident in my spelling with checking it on spell checker first and that is a shame. I've always seen myself as a lover of writing, but now I see myself more as a lover of typing. I have excuses for not wanting to take notes or write out a paper first and I don't think I'm proud to say that.

I like the idea of technology for the reasons of quick productions of essays, but like Gilmore mentioned it should not be an editing tool, but isn't it? Technology is taking over. Computers are teaching grammar and a little syntax. Technology is teaching people how to become teachers, nurses and CEO's with online classes. Embrace it, Gilmore says, I agree to a certain extent, because it gets out of control, I see it in college now. I like blogging, chat rooms set up for a particular class and even using projectors to correct work on site. Students still like to write, so how can we improve this? Technology needs to be limited in school and teachers need to teach students how to become independent editors instead of relying heavily on spell checker. So when is it too much, when do we stop embracing and stop letting technology do our jobs for us?

Gilmore Chapter 5

I absolutely hate essays on standardized test. I lose all prior knowledge and I freeze up, especially if the essay does not pertain to me personally, you those off the wall question like "What is the main point in the essay?" That takes you a hundred read-overs in order to understand what its talking about anyways. I just don't essays, that judge me on how much information I have retained from my teacher.

I do like Gilmore's checklist, even though I think this checklist is a little advance. Especially if you have have never taught your students about strong thesis statements, revisiting nouns, checking evidence and complicating your argument. By the way what does "penultimate" mean? We need to teach our students how to do these things so that they can accomplish them when the these sort of test do come about. This check list also reminds me of a rubric, which I believe, is essential for all major essays. Actually it is a sort of rubric, just in the form of a list. I think that lots of students will benefit from these list/rubrics because it gives some sort of guidance for these sort of standardize that just throw you out with little tools to survive.

By the way I'm starting not to like Gilmore all that much, I really can't relate to him and I feel that he doesn't have strategies for the struggling student, I feel he only has strategies for the student that has excelled and just needs a helping hand not a shoulder to lean on.

Christensen Chapter 7

I'm having a hard time explaining what I exactly feel about portfolios so maybe by the end of this blog it will become clear to the reader and myself. I do think that students should keep all their work so they can gather it up at the end of the semester and see how they have progressed and reflect on it. But I think that the grading for this "portfolio" should be constructed in a way that honors the students achievement not point out how "you did do well here, but you need a little more work here." I think portfolios should be an opportunity for students to redo work they have not done well on and turn in that final copy and the draft before and reflect on why they choose to improve it, how they went about the assignment differently and why is this final copy better. I do believe that it is interesting for the students and the teacher to see the work they have done, like Christensen has mentioned. It shows the student all its accomplishments and gives them something to praise over, but it also gives teachers a way to see what worked for their students.

I like portfolios, its just that I think they could go both ways. What if the student doesn't have any work to put in their portfolio, or what if the student doesn't feel confident enough in there writing to turn in a final copy. I just think that portfolios should be choice and should be graded on a case by case basis...I think. Like I said I don't really know what I feel about portfolios exactly, but I know that if I do use them in my class, the will be used in a way for students to make up work that has been lost or work that was not done so well the first time........

Gilmore Chapter 4

I know we already talked about this but I really don't know how I feel about peer reviews. I know I do like them a little, because it is nice getting feedback from your peers when you are stuck or even when you need a little guidance in the assignment, but I also think that they can be a waist of time to. One of the things that Gilmore mentioned was knowing what students to put together and I start really thinking about this. How do you really know? Yes there might be a great student that does all there work for you, as the teacher, but when they know that it peer review day they have nothing for there peer to give. Or what about the students that are expecting to much from there peers, what if you have a class full of bad writers or good writes that think that the other peers are not competent enough to review there papers. I just think that peer review are a little sketchy for me.

I did like the teacher conferences that Gilmore mentioned. I think this is a great opportunity for students to have that one on one time with the teacher, especially if you are in a class of 20-30 students and the student might not feel comfortable talking about there concerns in front of class. I know personally I love having teachers make time out in their busy schedules, it makes me feel that my paper or the concerns that I have are important and that I will be able to get help without feeling like a failure. I know that I will also incorporate teacher conferences in my class, I know it will be harder because I will have class with students every day, but I will make that time out in class to bring students aside to help them out on papers. Overall I think Gilmore chapter was set up in an effective, easy-to access way, and it was okay to read.

Gilmore Chapter 3

I think the biggest mistake that we will continually to make as teachers, is suspecting that are students have all the tools to complete the assignment at hand. I like the way Gilmore gives strategies to help students produce more effective writing. To be specific, concise and correct, is something that I will strive for as a teacher and even now as a student.

I usually have a lot to say when I'm writing about something that I really enjoy and I am guilty of being one of those students that try to incorporate more words into my piece in order for it to sound more "essay-ish." I do this because, I do write like I talk, and sometimes the way I talk is too comfortable for my formal essays, so I try to make my writings sound more professional by putting in words. So I write and write until that sentence or paragraph is completed. Is it concise...no... but I feel that is specific and correct. I like that Gilmore gives strategies that I don't only have to use for my students, but that I an use in my own writing. I very good at expressing my thoughts and making something clear to my reader, but I am so horrible at making my ideas concise.

The other section that made me think about my writing was using the "I" part. I like papers that let me use "I," I know that there is a more productive way to use this letter, but sometimes you can't get around that and you need to just write "I." I like that Gilmore does mention that if the sentence or the section in the paragraph is strong enough, the "I" will be present, but I disagree that it might weaken the piece, because I feel that when I can't be including in a particular type of essay than it makes the essay distant and it does not connect to the writer, but I'm still learning......so I could be wrong.

Christensen Chapter 6

This chapter was boring, I felt that Christensen was just going through the steps of a typical research project, but with a different kind of twist. I must admit that the idea of learning about immigration, the student, or even your ancestry in very interesting, but I felt that Christensen really did not make it that exciting for me.

One thing that I could say is I really do want to do some research on my roots. I really don't know much about my family, who we are and where we have come from and that kind of hurts me to say. I could see myself doing this project for like a personal research, but modifying it for the classroom, making steps easier and try to engage everyone, without feeling this information will be useless when it is all said and done with. This chapter made me think about my family and it really made me think about Black History Month. I'm ashamed to say that I know the basics of how my culture came to be, but I don't know my history like I should. I know that Christensen said that she also did this project for her personal reasons, but I did not feel she was actually looking for research for herself, you know doing the project with the students. I know if I ever did something like this not only will I try to do what I mentioned before, but I would want my students to know that I'm interested in my history, so I would probably do the research with them.

Gilmore Chapter 2

Even though I love writing, starting essay sucks for me. I have such a hard time just trying to figure out what I"m going to say and how right it is going to be. So yes, I am that students that can't start an essay until I figure out that its good enough in my mind to be good enough on the paper. Some teachers say just write, but that hard when you have nothing to go by. Since I have to start with the introduction and make a wonderful thesis, it becomes hard for me to get pass this point because I have been told for so long that this is the most important part. When Gilmore is explaining this part, I wasn't sure if he was saying that we as teachers should not make it the most important part in a students essay or if he was saying that it was an essential part, but it wasn't the most important part.

Well I disagree either way. I understand that the introduction and the thesis has to be eye catching in order for to give the reader an idea of what is going on in the essay, but some teachers stop reading after that point. They stop caring what the content is because the "thesis" wasn't good. I think that is crap. For so long we as students have been told that this is the most important part and it is when taking certain test. So how do we teach our student to get a way from that, like myself, who can't get past the first paragraph because my thesis isn't concrete? I wish we there was a way to teach our students to start in the middle and then work on the introduction, but that isn't possible because we have been brainwashed for so long. I like that Gilmore gives strategies for these things, but I'm just not sure how well I can relate to him.....

Gilmore Chapter 1

I like this introductory chapter of Gilmore it made me think about why I wanted to become a teacher. I've always have been a big fan of writing and I've always loved the personal essays and the journaling. I never understood why some people didn't enjoy writing or reading for that matter. But I love it.

My senior year in high school it all came clear. This is when I found out that writing was the way to the true soul. Creative writing that is. When you can just write without any restrictions and no boundaries. I found that this was what my passion came to be. I wanted to teach creative writing. Because to be able to comment on someones writing and be able to ask someone to explain this more in their essay, is a lot easier than asking someone to tell me what you trying to say. Some people say that it hard to write what is down in their heads and everytime it come out it just is not right, but I want, for my students, to just write. I think that this is a comfort zone, when students don't feel that what they put down on a piece of paper makes them look stupid.

I understand that writing does take practice and I understand that some students just don't like to write. But I will give them strategies to go by and I will make my student feel comfortable in their writing whatever level they may be at. I just hope one day I will get this creative writing class that I am always dreaming about.

Christensen Chapter 5

I really enjoyed reading this chapter on Christensen. I AM NOT A BIG FAN OF POETRY!!...I'll admit it. Whenever it is brought up in class, I groan and I know I going to complain. The poetry that I always encounter and have been forced to try and interpret is just interesting, its so hard to understand. I don't believe that I know how to write poetry because I have been brainwashed into thinking that all poetry has to rhyme and talk in metaphors. But then when I read chapters like this, I notice that poetry is so much more and the I learn to appreciate poetry more.

I know teaching poetry in school is going to be one of my hardest things to do because I have to remind myself that poetry is not all that I have described above. It is responding to literature and it is away for students to express themselves. I know that poetry, just like journaling, helps students to express themselves, to deal and to be able to let go of things that are have been bothering them or state questions that they have. I just think that it is going to be hard trying to grade something like this. How do you grade a poem when it is just a expression of the person? Poetry is tricky because one teacher or book will say this is the way and only way to do it and then another will say there are no rules...just write. So this is my problem because where is the balance and what is true poetry?

I love the idea of the Interior Monologues... its gets students to pay attention and read more closely and the Remember Me poem because it seems like it will teach students to learn to say something nice about someone even if you do not know them. I see myself trying out both.

Jago Chapter 6

I think four out of the six chapters is good for me. I did enjoy this book. The love that I have for English makes me even appreciated this book even more. Cohesion and revision are so important in writing and I love the way that Jago gave expamples and ideas in order to teach this. I felt that I could understand the book, without feeling like I was being told to do something this specific way because it was the only way and right way. I felt that Jago book was very easy to read which made me feel as though I was reading for enjoyment and made me think to myself "I can use this." Sometimes I get a little nervous about correcting papers and trying to teach students to write an effective cohesive paper, but I honestly believe that Jago gave a lot of information that is easy to follow and able to be modified in different context. Overall I think this was good, I'm happy that we read this book!

Jago Chapter 5

Even though book is about cohesive writing, I am loving the fact that she mention that students need feel comfortable with just writing without the fear of the "grammar police" ready to tear them to bits. This small sentence really caught my attention, because I know by the time students get to the 9th and 10th grade levels, some of them either hate writing because they feel they aren't capable of doing, every paper they have writen has been torn apart, or they know how to write, but just getting that start is very hard for them, so sometimes they don't have enough time or the teacher does not make enough time to get an effective paper out of them. To be able to write without judgment or fear, I want that for my kids. I want to provide this idea of letting kids write about their feelings, responding to literature and just being able to let it all out like Jago has mentioned, with out the fear of the "grammar police." I love the fact that Christensen and Jago mention this in their books. I think that it is important for students to be able to write whats on their heart, because if its important to them I think a persons writing is writen so much more effectively.

I also like Jago five-day writing plan. I can see myself incorporating this into my classroom, with a few modifications. Like Jago, I support peer editing or peers "reponding" to their other classmates papers. I think this is very effective, because I beleive that a student is more willing to hear reponses from their peers than their teacher, they are less defensive and take critiquing easier. I think it also help the student responding to the paper, to try and think of ideas of what they could do more effectively to help out their paper as it is getting read and responded to. I just like the whole idea of this five-day writing, its schedule, it makes time for students for them to at least have something finish towards the end and it build confidence in students writing, themselves and lets students know that we care to help them.

Christensen Chapter 4

Ever time I hear or read the words "Standard English," the hairs on my arms stand up. It pisses me off sincerely... I don't know if it is because I am an African American woman or I just don't believe there is a "Standard English. "

Christensen touched on how this word makes students feel uncomfortable and it truly does separate us as people of who can speak more "correctly" than another. I know being an African American from a small urban town puts me in a category and I don' t like the fact that standard English makes it seems as though I am not as capable or will not be able to speak or write effectively because I do not speak "Standard English." In a school were my people make up less than 5% I feel as though, I'm always trying to prove myself and stand so that teachers and others will know that I am capable. The Standard English makes me feel that I need to do these things becuase this is a way to judge and discrinate against people.

As Christensen we need to teach language in context or teach the "standard" without humiliation. Students in urban areas need to know that standard English is going to be required of them to make it out in the dominate world, because has set society up to be this way. We need to teach them that their way of talking in not wrong nor incorrect and teach them how to speak and write in these different context like writing professionally or writing a letter to a friend. Standard English, I believe for people that were raised like myself, teaches us that we always have to be careful how we talk and write, because its like we are always being judge. I just hate the words "Standard English!!!!"

Jago Chapter 4

Why oh why does it always have to come back to test? It was very hard for me to get into this chapter because it just was not interesting. One thing that I can take from this chapter is the idea of rubrics and pre-writing strategies.

One thing that really stuck out for me in my pre-internship experience while making lessons and giving lesson is having a rubric for everything. This gives students a foundation for what is expected of them and avoids students saying "well I wasn't sure what you wanted" or "I just didn't understand the assignment." Rubrics are a way to give more detail explanation of the assignment given. From my own personal experience, I notice when I have a rubric before the assignment is due, I check and recheck that I have fulfilled all the duties of that assignment. I notice that I do better on the assignment and I don't have as many questions, like a normally do, when a teacher fails to explain the assignment.

I love pre-writing strategies. I notice as an English major, one thing that I have the hardest time doing is starting a paper. It's so hard putting my thoughts right off the back, but when I have the time to just write all my thoughts down and not have to a clear idea what they are, but just know that this is what ideas I'm going to have in my paper, I am able to produce my paper better. pre-writing is needed and essential for students that have trouble writing and I believe, that is most students. We as teachers need to teach our student show to draft and just write, without thinking things need to be perfect, just write. Then gather you ideas to the way the student wants them to look.

Jago Chapter 3

My senior year in high school was the first time that I took a Creative Writing class, this class made me want to be a English teacher, because I fell in love with the idea of being able to write whatever I pleased. This chapter in Jago, Teaching Narriative Writing, made me think of my love for it again and the excitement that I felt every time I wrote something straight from the heart and how I was feeling. Narrative Writing relates well with creative writing to me and I'm excited to bring this into my classroom.

Like Jago mention inviting kids to write whatever the want has its pros and cons. I think that a section like this cannot be taught unless you, as the teacher are put into a situation where a student writes about suicide, rape, or depression and you have to choose what to do about it. Talking about this in class made me think about what I would do as a teacher if we I read someones work, and to be honest I don't know. I want my students to trust me and I don't want them to ever feel that they can't, but I also know that there is that balance between teacher-student relationship that must take place in order for things to be accomplish. This is my battle with myself as a teacher and a person, because I care for people deeply and I don't know if I'm going to be able to have this balance because I do care deeply for peoples situations. I sometimes wonder am I in the right career, because of this.

Christensen Chapter 3

It was interesting to see all the tactics that Christensen used in order to help her students the process of writing. When I think of essays, i still get scared and it was nice to see that it doesn't matter where you are in life, essays are a struggle for everyone.

During my pre-internship last semester it was nice to see, what my mentor did in order to help students prepare a college essay. Some of the students said that they weren't going to college, that college wasn't for them, some students said they couldn't wait to go to college, but they were scared because they knew it would be hard and they knew that they had not done their best while in high school and some students talked of college like is was just another step of life. My mentor teacher expressed real goals and situations in the pre college experience and she used me to help, since I was closer in age to some of these kids. Christensen is right that as long as someone has an opinion a student can write an essay. These essays ranged from very personal to just the basics of why they wanted to go to school. It was interesting to be involved in this experience, because it made me reflect on my pre college experience and what kind of things that I wrote.
I notice that I was not as nearly as deep as some of the essays I read by the students and I notice that I did just do the basics. I just wanted to get into a school never weighting out all my options I just wanted to get there and be accepted. I never had someone to help me write a effective college essay and it was nice to see that my mentor teacher pushed and probed these kids to set those standard for themselves and let colleges read their essays and see the real them.

Christensen Chapter 2

Wow.... did this hit home for me! Not only am I the ultimate Disney fan, I have just realized in my recent college years how degrading Disney films are!!

When I was child this was all I watched and to be honest I still indulge in my old Disney movies from time to time, to me their priceless, without all the analyzing. I had a different kind of childhood, so to watch these movies took me out of the my reality. Yes like most girls I did think that my prince charming would find me, sweep me off my feet, marry me and we would live happily ever after, but I think to a certain extent these movies sometimes gave girls hope. I'm not talking about those crazed people that only lived in the Disney fantasy, I'm talking about the girls that did want a prince charming, a prince charming that was well rounded that loved a girl for them and that was it, without all the glamor and shine.......

Now on the other hand.... I do agree with Christensen that we are influenced by the media, this is what we have grown to accept as what is real and what is not. These movies have taught some of us that step-mothers are evil, only the beautiful desperate women win the prince charming, and all villains are fat and ugly, but do we go over board with analyzing every single thing within cartoons, magazines, movies and the television? When do we, meaning ourself, figure out that "whoa, I'm looking way too deep into this," or "yea she might be skinny and pretty, but I'm thick and look fabulous" or "dang there aren't any women or people of color in that movie, but it was a good movie anyways" when are we do we stop being so analytically and taking something for just what it is, but still doing something about it to make a change... wheres the line, is the question I guess I'm asking?

Jago Chapter 2

Choice... having choice is so important and it brings out so much more in a student, i know this personally and I know this from experience.

In my pre-internship last semester, my mentor teacher taught two totally different classrooms English 12 and Journalism. The dynamics of these two classes were so different. One being more structured and the other being much more free and relaxed. Even though the English 12 kids got to be creative in their writing and in their responses to whatever they were reading it was still told upon them of how and what process they were suppose to go along in order to get the job done. In Journalism the student could write whatever wanted to write, talk and bring to and discuss whatever was needed in order to get the task done. Students are more engaged and involved when they have choices. Even though Jago was not talking about this kind of choice with to this great extent, this is something that really captured me in the beginning of the chapter.

Even though I have never personally experienced learning how to distinguish between essays and also how to recognize when essayist where stating a thesis and their support, i like this idea. I think that this idea helps students to realize what they are doing in there essays and this sheet that Jago has passed out to her students even is excellent for students to use as they are writing their essays, this will help them have a layout and a direction for what they need.

Jago Chapter 1

Interesting enough as I was reading this chapter all my problems with writing were revealed. Procrastination as a student and just the need of extra help in order to write an effective paper. As a student I can relate so well with having trouble to write a paper..... its that starting point. It never fails, that when a paper is assigned I will try to start early and would sit in front of my computer for hours and hours trying to figure out where to start, what to say and how can I put what is all down in my head clearly. I fight with myself and this problem all them time being an English major. Then I realize its the day before the paper is due and I have to make this paper sound as good as I can, but it seems as though my thoughts flow better when I'm under pressure like that. Jago has helped me realize a technique that I should use in my own writing and that is questioning the literature. I notice when I'm writing if I can find a point in the literature that I can argue, I have a lot more to say. But to use this technique before I start writing is something that I think I'm going to try out.

In high school in 11th grade AP English, the idea of prompts to help a student out to produce effective was not even available. After reading certain peaces of literature we would get certain essay questions like "What is the tone of this authors work?" Without really going over what tone is. It made it hard for me to write good essay and ultimately since that was mostly what the class was graded on, I ended up not doing so well in this class. Learning and experience the time it takes to come up with ideas to write an effective essay, I know that I want to be able to use this technique within my class, because its so hard to pull information out of students if they have no starting point in my opinion.

Christensen Chapter 1

This was very interesting read to me because it had so many things that I could relate to. The writing, me becoming a teacher and being in a school system as the one described.
One of the fears that I have of becoming a teacher is not being able to connect with my students, boring them and having absolutley no control. I'm not saying that I want my class to be perfect, but I want my class to have structure. I also don't want to be too strict, because I know personally that students will either just pull away or be more defiant. So learning how to find a balance, but to still have control is going to be challenging. I want my students to be able to connect with me and not be bored in the class. So learning how to make certain assignments interesting in English is something that I want to learn more about.
Another thing that really caught my attention is when one of the students said that "Writing can be a lifeline." I don't know how many times that I have said that writing is the way to the soul! This chapter has proved that. I love the journaling and creative writing aspect of English and how it can bring out true feelings, that make you understand a person more. Everyone has a story to tell and I believe that this is why this chapter touched me so much, because the writing was not "pretty up" and was real and about a real person. I know what its like living in a low socioeconmic status neighborhood and going to a school where no one thinks your worthy and what it means to just write it all out and prove that you are something.
It was nice to read the challenges of another teacher instead of reading all the peachy keen stories that make it seem as though teaching is going to be a breeze.