Welcome to my literacy showcase. This page includes examples of my work from the literacy courses I attended during my MAED program. By clicking on the pictures you are able to view the sample of my work. My annotated transcript page includes all of the classes I attended. Please enjoy!
Teacher Inquiry - Exploring Vivian Paley and Ourselves
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One of the most important things we can do as teachers of literacy is to be a reader and writer ourselves. In ED 800 I explored Vivian Paley and her methods of Teacher Inquiry. Through transcriptions of daily classroom happenings Vivian Paley enters the world of her students in a way that is not commonly done. By learning about her students she learns about herself as a teacher as well. In this unit paper I discuss features of her inquiry that I believe to be most important.
What Can Literature Do?
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In this essay I highlight what literature can do to the reader and its impact many years later. So often as teachers we may get caught up in curricular goals that we forget that literacy is the window to the world. It allows readers to engage not only with far away and imagined places but also with themselves. In my exploration of literature through literary elements I was able to see each of the books we explored in a different light.
Improving the Reading Comprehension of English Language Learners
While exploring an area of interest to me, English Language Learners (ELL's) I designed a tri-fold document. This is a quick guide that teachers can refer to when helping their ELL students. Throughout my research I also discovered that many of the methods used to help ELL students can help the proficiency of any reader.
Can explicit vocabulary instruction help students become better problem solvers?
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I did a case study involving two different students with varying vocabulary skills and Mathematics competencies. I explored the theory of explicit vocabulary instruction and its impact on the ability to better solve Mathematics problems.
Award winning children's books, who are they?
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We began our exploration of award winning books in children's and adolescent literature. We did an exploration of The Caldecott Award which is awarded each year to the most distinguished American picture book for children. After exploring several picture books winners, I came across Beth Krommes' The House in the Night. While aware of some of the awards granted in children's literature I had never explored an illustrator and all of the work that goes into illustrating an award winning book. In Winner's Speeches I learned a little bit about what an illustrator puts in to her work. It also helped broaden my view on pictures and the very deep role they can have in a children's book.