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.