Relections

I really enjoy learning language arts. My strengths would definitely be the reading aspect. When teaching anything, I love to try and find a piece of literature to introduce topic. I feel that my weaknesses are in grammar. I thought I was going to learn more grammar techniques and how to teach grammar in this class. But I still feel very weak in this area. I have also learned how to incorporate Problem Based Learning in the class. This is going to be very helpful information for me to know when I have my own class one day. I also got more experience with using technology and language arts together. The bookemon is a great tool, students can use this to make all kinds of projects. I really enjoyed the multi-genre biography activity. It is a new and creative way to write a biography. I have taken some good information out of this class, and look forward to implementing what I have learned into my future class room. :)

Language Arts

I think using music as an enrichment for language arts can be very helpful for some students. Their are many ways you can use music with language arts. I think the most basic thing is the alphabet song. We have a song to help us learn the alphabet, it only makes sense to use songs to help us learn parts of speech and even comma rules. My experiences with music and language arts has been very helpful. I remember a teacher who taught us the being verbs to a song and dance. I still hear that song in my head to help me remember them and it 12 years later. I also had a teacher use a chant to teach the genres of literature. Once again this is one concept I have never forgot. So I think using music in teaching Language arts would be a great idea for all teachers.

The K-6 Core Curriculum Language Arts Standards

I think the common core language arts standards are going to be a great resource for teachers to use. There is less to try and cover yet the important things are still included. It is less overwhelming compared to the TN state standards for Language Arts. When looking at the TN state standards it feels almost impossible to cover all them, but the core standards seem much easier to tackle. I like how clear and to the point the state standard are for each grade. Over all I think the change to the Core Curriculum standards will be a great change.

Pedagogical practices for writing integration

When I think of pedagogical practices for writing integration, I think of the strategies and web 2.0 tools we have been taught to use in my literacy block. There are many neat tools out there to be used for integrating language arts into the classroom. One could use a blog like I am using right now and have students blog to you as teacher about literature they are reading or just things they are interested in. Also there is web 2.0 tool called 'glogster.' This is a neat website that allows you to make collages with pictures, word, graphics, phrases. One could have their students use this as a post reading strategy. Have students summarize what they read with picture or words that represent the overall meaning of their reading. Another great web 2.0 tool to use is bookemon.com. In this website you can write and publish your own book. We had the opportunity to use this in my language arts methods class. Students can use this web tool to write and illustrate their own books. This is just a few of many great tools and strategies out there for integrating language arts into the class room.

Concerns and thoughts about my writing

I have many concerns and thoughts about my writing. I actually love to write. I have many different journals that I write in. I like to write about my thoughts, feelings, experiences and other things too. Writing is a way for me to escape from the stress of the world. Also writing makes me feel better. If I am stressed about something or mad or even super happy, if I am able to write it down on paper I feel relieved. Even though I enjoy to write, I do not feel that I am a very strong writer. I get very nervous and sick to my stomach when I have to write a paper. When I know someone else will be reading my writing I get very anxious because I have very poor grammar skills. I know my writing is not always grammatically correct and I do not know even think I know all the rules, so I do not like writing for others for this reason. I really feel that if I could become stronger in grammar then I would be more comfortable and excited about writing for others. So that is my thoughts and concerns about my writing!