Weekly Reflection Ch.10 & Article

This week’s reading included Ch. 10 Promoting Motivation for Writing.  This was a very good chapter. Some of the reading is very hard to compare to my students because they are just in the pre-writing stage. My children in my classroom enjoy writing and enjoy writing stories as a class.  So I am never sure when the dislike of writing takes place in their education.  Although, I am able to compare these ideas with my children who are in the 2nd and 4th grade.  My fourth grader  complains about writing everyday and it is scary because she has a long time before she finishes school.  The chapter was able to show me reasons why she feels like writing is a death sentence.  One reason that I can see is that the writing task the teacher gives her does not interest her or she has never experienced the task.  I like the idea of allowing the students see the teacher write and go through the writing process along with them during the activity. I think that allowing the students the opportunity to participate in creating ideas and using writing across the curriculum to attempt to spark the interest of every student in the classroom.   

The article ”Children Can Write Authentically If We Help Them” was about giving students the opportunity find their authentic voice  in their writing. I feel that giving students the chance to write about their feelings, a situation that they may have faced, or just about something they like gives them the feeling of owning their writings. Students also need to realize that writing can be a positive outlet to express feelings,wants and needs.   

I am not sure how my journal is going I have some ideas but I want a little more clarification before I get really engrossed in the project.                 

Weekly Reflections « Pam’s Weblog

This morning I completed my second time reading the chapter from the textbook.  The first time I felt like I was struggling to understand the contents of the chapter but I am not sure if it was the noise from my children or the inexperience that I have working with older grades.  We were on 2-hour delay and my children were asleep and it gave me a good opportunity to take the time to focus on what the author was saying and try to relate it to the classrooms that I have observed and seem while my children were in the lower grades. 

The writing process is very different for my classroom in that we focus on trying to learn to write their names, write other words that interest the students.  I know one thing that I do in my classroom to assist the students in future  writing experiences due to providing my classroom with a print-rich learning environment.  I am also able to provide a writing center were students are able to practice letter formation with words that relate to the themes or topics of interest  by the students.  In the reading I was able to realize the importance of writing at a very early age.  The reading also allowed me the opportunity to make sure that modeling and teaching the writing process is so beneficial for the students.  Also providing writing oppportunities across the curriculum give s them more time to use the writing process and try to work on areas of improvement but also continuing to development the areas of writing that come easy to the students. The chapter also showed me the importance of showing students work throughout the classroomand in the halls allows the students to feel more confident in their writng skills.            

Weekly Reflection

place to put my thoughts and ideas about the readings and projects. 

5 Comments »

1. I read the story “Amelia’s Fifth Grade Notebook with my daughter. We both enjoyed the story. She loved the idea of being allowed to draw in a journal besides just writing you ideas. She told me her teacher only lets them draw if they have to write a stroy in their journal at school. I told her that she could keep a journal at home and she could write or draw whatever she felt like doing in her own book. I told her that one of my assignments that I have to do in my class was to keep a journal and she thought that it was amazing that a teacher is going to make her mom have to write down her thoughts and ideas. She ask me,’Mom are you going to draw pictures in your journal?” I told her I am not so sure but eventually I may want to draw to pictures to express my thoughts. So on Monday we went and purchased our very own journals.Comment by pisbell76 — January 21, 2008 @ 6:37 pm | Edit This
2. […] Weekly Reflections Posted by: pisbell76 | January 23, 2008 […]Pingback by Weekly Reflections « Pam’s Weblog « Pam’s Weblog — January 23, 2008 @ 1:34 pm | Edit This
3. Hi Pam; thanks for commenting on Amelia’s Notebook. How is the journal going? Also, remember to comment on the weekly readings from our book Best Practices in Writing Instruction. Thank you!Comment by fryeem — January 28, 2008 @ 5:30 pm | Edit This
4. Pam, you are missing the 3 responses to Best Practices in Writing Instruction. Please post ASAP. Thank you!Comment by fryeem — February 6, 2008 @ 5:38 pm | Edit This
5. […] Weekly Reflections […]Pingback by Weekly Reflections « Pam’s Weblog — February 9, 2008 @ 7:43 pm | Edit This

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