Reflection of my Field Experience

1. How many hours did you complete?

 

 I completed the 5 hours that were required for this course.

2. In a short paragraph or bulleted list, how did you spend your time?

 

I was able to work in a 1st grade room for 3 hours and a 4th grade room for 2 hours.  While in both 1st grade and 4th grade rooms, I was able to observe and work with the students during reading and writing. While in the 1st grade room I worked with a small group of students in their reading circle.  I had the students popcorn read the book that was assigned to their group.  I helped them sound out words and asked them questions before, during, and after reading the book.  I helped them with comprehension questions on a worksheet that their teacher assigned to them. Also I got to observe the teacher do the weekly word wall with the 1st grade students. This was very helpful because I have never taught reading.  I feel more prepared now if I ever do teach reading in the future.

While working in the 4th grade room, I helped the students work on their reflective piece that goes in their writing portfolio.  I conferenced with students one at a time and helped them insert punctuation in the correct places.

3. How did the experience help you to strengthen at least one Kentucky Teacher Standard? 

 

The field experience was wonderful because I was able to work one on one with the students and worked with them in a group setting.  The teacher and I collaborated together and I was able to ask any questions that I had about reading and writing. I used technology because I went over open response answer examples on the document camera.  I feel that I improved on the technology Kentucky Teacher Standard which is Standard  6.  I also improved on Standard 8 because I was able to discuss writing and reading strategies with a fellow teacher at my school.  Standard 8 has to do with collaboration with colleagues and parents.

 

4. Talk a little about one thing you learned because of this field experience. 

 

During this field experience I learned many new strategies in order to help children read and write.  I really enjoyed the small reading groups because it allowed me to learn how the teacher groups students for reading based on their reading AR levels.  It helped give me ideas on how to set up reading workshop.

 

Reading Log/Wiki Posts

 

Genre / Titles you read

          I.     Non-fiction/Informational (1 reflection required on blog)  

                   1) Eleanor Roosevelt:  A Life of Discovery

                   2) My Life in Dog Years

        II.     Poetry (1 reflection required on blog)

1)    What My Mother Doesn’t Know (required for discussion)

2)  Kentucky is my Land

3) Shout! Little Poems that Roar

 4) Witness

      III.     Modern Fantasy (1 reflection required on blog)        

1)    Babe the Gallant Pig (required for discussion)

2) Charolette's Web

3) The Giver

      IV.     Historical Fiction (1 reflection required on blog –can be a picture book)      

1)    Al Capone Does My Shirts (required for discussion)

2)  Bud, Not Buddy

3)  Number the Stars

4)  Henry's Freedom Box

5)  The Very First Thanksgiving Day

6) Pink and Say

        V.     Multicultural/Traditional (2 reflections required on blog – one can be a picture book)  

      

                  1) The Rough Face Girl

                  2) The Legend of the Bluebonnet

                  3) Through My Eyes

                  4) Paul Bunyan

                  5)  Black Like Kyra White Like Me

      VI.     Realistic Fiction (1 reflection required on blog)

1)    Laugh Until you Cry  (required for discussion)

2)  I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

    VII.     Picture Books (6 reflections required on blog)

1)    Knots on a Counting Rope (required for discussion)

2) Blueberries for Sal

3) The Very Hungry Caterpillar 

4) The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by A. Wolf 

5) The Mixed Up Chameleon 

6)  The Tiny Seed 

7) The Polar Express 

8) Faithful Elephants

9) Where the Wild Things Are

Wiki Checklist

Instructions: Write the number of entries for each category you posted into on the Course Wiki (requirement was four total posts, in four different categories)

__2__ Social Studies

__1__ Science

__1__ Math

____ Music

__1__ Art

____ Reading/Language Arts

____ Physical Education

____ Other

Eleanor Roosevelt: A Life of Discovery

Freedman, R. (1993). Eleanor Roosevelt: A life of discovery. New York: Clarion

 

This informational book tells the life story of Eleanor Roosevelt and all of her accomplishments during her lifetime.  Eleanor Roosevelt was married to the President Franklin D. Roosevelt and was first lady of the world. Many of her accomplishments include being a social activist, humanitarian, and a crusader for human rights. I learned while reading that she was raised by her grandmother after the death of her parents. Also, after her husband passed away she remained in the public light and helped the public. She became the delegate to the United Nations and as chairman of the human rights commission. 

 This book is a Newberry Honor book and is very interesting to read!!! Students will learn a lot about the first lady and all of the experiences while being married to the president of the United States.  The pictures in the book are great and show all of the activities and involvement in her community.  This book helps students realize that the wife of a president helps in many organizations and events. This book is great for ages 9 and up because they will be able to understand the meaning of the vocabulary words mentioned. This would be an excellent book for a student to write a report on!
BIG question..."Why is it important to have goals?"

Bud, Not Buddy

Curtis, C. P. (1999). Bud, not buddy. New York: Delacorte Press.

"Bud, Not Buddy" is a historical fiction story of a ten year old boy named Bud Caldwell.  He is an orphan during the Great Depression in 1936.  After having a very bad experience with a foster family, Bud sets out to find his father Herman E. Calloway. He believes that this man is his father and he hikes 120 miles all of the way to Michigan to find out. Bud discovers that Mr. Calloway is his grandfather and not his father. It takes awhile for Mr. Calloway to come to grips with this incident that has happened, but he eventually bonds with his grandson.

 Bud is the protagonist in this story and there are many different antagonist in the story.  The first antagonist in the story is the family in the unsuitable foster home.  They are cruel to Bud and make him sleep in a cold shed.  Another family of antagonist in the story is the second foster family.  This foster family tortures Bud for no reason and bullies him.  The third antagonist in the story is Mr. Calloway because he is a very unhappy man and is selfish at first.  He is convinced that Bud is lying to him about being his son and he thinks that Bud stole his rocks with his writing on them.

This story helps one realize that "when one door closes, another door opens."  Similar to many foster children in America, Bud faces a lot of hurt and pain.  He has faith in God that things will get better and he keeps moving on.  He is hoping that things will turn out better somewhere else.

BIG Question:  Why do you think Mr. Calloway needed some time to be more kind to Bud?

  

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings

Angelou, Maya (2009).  I know why the caged bird sings. New York:  Random House 

This realistic fiction book is about Maya's life as a child and the hardships that she often faced.  At a very young age Maya and her brother were sent to live with their grandmother in a small town located in Arkansas. While growing up in Arkansas, Maya spends a lot of time in the general store that is owned by her grandmother.  Maya faces racism and terrifying lynch mobs while living in Arkansas. For instance, when Maya was ten years old she gets a job and works for a white woman.  The white woman decided that she didn't like the name "Maya" and calls her "Mary" instead. Another time that Maya faces racism is when she goes to the dentist for a rotten tooth.  The dentist was very rude and insulting to Maya.  He quotes,  " I'd rather place my hand in a dog's mouth." Maya's grandmother fears for her grandchildren's safety and decides to send them to live with their mother who lives in California. Maya faces more pain and danger when moving in with her mother and her mother's boyfriend.  
This book is one of the saddest books I have ever read because the situations that Maya faces are so devastating.  She learns at such a young age that the world is full of nice people as well as people who are cruel and selfish. Although Maya goes through many struggles, she remains strong and has a strong faith in God.  This book is a good book for middle school when students learn more about civil rights during history courses.  The book will help students learn about the time period when segregation and lynching occurred.  It will help them realize the pain and suffering that happened.  It will also help students realize that everyone should be treated with dignity and respect. She had a lot of bad things happen to her but she still followed her dream despite what others thought.  She became focused in her studies, learned to love herself, and became a wonderful book author and poet.  My big question for students would be...."Have you ever experienced yourself in a negative situation but had the strength to pull yourself out of it?  How did the negative situation turn into a positive situation?  How did your life change for the better?"    

Kentucky is my Land

Stewart, J. (1987).  Kentucky is my land. Ashland, Kentucky: The Jesse Stuart Foundation

 

Kentucky is my Land is a beautifully written poetry book that expresses the beauty and the nature in Kentucky.  The author of the book is Jesse Stuart, who is orginally from the Appalachian part of Kentucky.The poems in the book were written right after World War II.  Stuart is a very patriotic American and a proud Kentuckian who speaks through his poetry.  He believes that Kentucky is the "heart of the nation."  Throughout the book, Stuart discusses Kentucky's landscape and the changing of the seasons.  He writes with a concern of the land and how it's important for humans to preserve it.  In his poetry, Stuart also speaks of the tradition of horse racing and the state's role in the war.  The description in his poems really helps to paint a picture in my mind.  Someone who has never visited Kentucky can read his book in order to develop a mental picture of the beautiful landscape. One of my favorite descriptive lines in his book is..."and the leafless trees etched on gray winter skies were strong and substantial lines of poetry." If you close your eyes and hear this being read, then you can picture what winter looks like in Kentucky. The first poem in his book is called "Kentucky is My Land."  This poem is an introduction for the entire book.  It lets readers understand how Kentucky is "the heart of the nation."  In this poem Stuart mentions how other parts of the United States are wonderful, but are nothing compared to Kentucky.  While reading the book I noticed a few metaphors and personification.  An example of personification is, "Where the endless field of growing corn was a dark cloud that hugged the earth." (page 16) 

After reading a few poems to my students, I would have them write about their favorite season in Kentucky and to explain why it is their favorite. Students can be told to use many descriptive words to describe their favorite season and they can draw a picture to go along with their writing.  

A BIG question that I would ask students is..."Why is it important to take care of our land and resources?" 

The Legend of the BlueBonnet

DePaola, Tomie. (1983). The legend of bluebonnet. New York:  G.P Putnam's Sons
 
The Legend of the BlueBonnet is a multicultural and folk tale about a young Comanche Indian girl named "She-Who-Is-Alone." The story takes place in Texas and "She-Who-Is-Alone" is alone because her family died during a drought when it did not rain for a long time. The Comanche Indians pray and chant in song with drums to the Great Spirits.  They pray to the Great Spirits so that crops can grow and so that there will be plenty of animals for hunting.  "She-Who-Is-Alone" decides to give up her most valuable possession which is her corn husk doll made by her mother. She hopes that the Great Spirits will send rain because of her gift to them. Will the Great Spirits answer the prayers of the Comanche Indians?  
I think this is a beautiful story because the family of "She-Who-Is-Alone" are in heaven and are sending their blessings to their little girl.  The beautiful BlueBonnet flowers are a sign from her family that everything will be alright and will become peaceful again.  "She-Who-Is-Alone" also shows that she is not selfish when she gives the Great Spirits her favorite possession.  She wanted so badly to help her tribe because she cared about them and wanted everything to get better.
This book also teaches students about the culture of Native Americans.  Their passion for music is shown in the book while they prayed in a ritual to the Great Spirits. It also teaches students about how the Comanche Indians watched over and protected one another.  For instance, they became the new family to "She-Who-Is-Alone" and adopted her after her parents and grandparents died.   
BIG questions for students are...
"Have you ever done something nice for a friend or family member? Explain what you did."
"Why was it important for the Comanche Indians to have water?"
"Have you ever hoped for something big to happen? What were you hoping for and why?"

The Rough-Face Girl

Martin, R. (1992). The Rough-Face Girl. New York:  Puffin Books.

 

This multicultural book tells the story of "rough face girl" and her ability to see the "invisible man."  The story is very similar to the classic story of Cinderella because of the evil stepsisters that are involved.  In this book the stepsisters put on their finest clothes and jewelry in hopes of impressing the invisible man.  The invisible man's sister can look into one's soul in order to see if they have a good heart. 

 This story teaches students about how beauty is really skin deep and that looks are not everything.  When you see the beauty in everything around you and treat others with kindness, then it will shine through.  The "rough face girl" had burnt hands and hair, but her kind soul and appreciation for earth's beauty made her a beautiful person.

Students can compare and contrast this book with different "Cinderella" types of books.  There are many different multicultural books that have a "Cinderella" plot and story line.  Students can read the different "Cinderella" books and can create a Venn Diagram in order to make comparisons.  Also, students will be able to learn about different beliefs, traditions, and values while reading books about different cultures.  
The book also has beautiful illustrations that show children the daily lives of Native Americans.  The second page of the book shows a painted wigwam in a village.  Nature is very important to the Native Americans because it is so beautiful.  Therefore, the wigwam had painted pictures of the sun, moon, trees, animals, and stars.
Questions that I had while reading...."Were the sisters happy or jealous at Rough Face when she married Invisible Man at the end of the book?"  "Why were her sisters selfish and rude?"
A BIG question that I have for my students is...."Why is it important to not judge someone by their looks?" 

White, E.B. (1952). Charlotte’s web. New York: Harper & Row Publishers, Inc.

Charlotte's Web has been one of my favorite books ever since I was in 3rd grade. I enjoy the personification in the book and enjoy how the animals communicate with one another similar to humans. The book is the story of a pig named Wilbur who becomes a new member to the farm.  Wilbur becomes the most popular pig in town after his spider friend Charlotte creates interesting web designs.  One of the phrases that Charlotte spins in her web is "Some Pig."  Charlotte helps Wilbur become a famous pig and persuades farmers to let him live.  Charlotte is considered to be the protagonist in the story and Templeton the rat is the antagonist. Charlotte respects life and makes the most out of every day.  She is very positive and takes action in order to save a friend.  Templeton is very selfish, negative, and treats things and others with disrespect.  This book helps children realize how to treat others with respect and to do kind things for them. Questions that I had while reading were the following..."Did the farmer ever question where the famous spider (Charlotte) could be hiding?  I imagine that he would want to meet this magnificent creature that spun the interesting webs.  Another question would be..."Why did Charlotte like Wilbur so much?"  A BIG question that I would ask students would be...."Charlotte was such a good friend to Wilbur.  What do you think makes someone a good friend?"  

The Tiny Seed

 Carle, E. (2009). The tiny seed. New York: Little Simon.
 
The story of The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle,  tells a story of the exciting adventure of a "tiny" seed during its life cycle. The "tiny" seed (main character) doesn't fly in the air as high as the other seeds that are pushed by the wind.  In fact, the tiny seed is so small that it is not eaten by a bird. During the winter, the tiny seed is not eaten by the mouse because he is too small to be seen.  During the spring time seeds begin to sprout and grow roots into the dirt.  The "tiny" seed takes a long time to sprout (germinate) and turn into a flower. The other seeds are turning into flowers much quicker and are being picked by humans. The tiny seed slowly turns into a flower and keeps growing, growing, growing!! It becomes a giant flower! Children will enjoy and applaud for the happy ending of the "tiny" seed.  It went on a long journey without being eaten, stepped on, or picked when turning into a flower.  This book has beautiful illustrations that captivate young audiences because of the bright colors, shapes and textures used by author and illustrator Eric Carle.  Eric Carle combines cut paper of different shapes and uses sponges and spatter paints for textures. As a child, I remember thinking that the pictures looked as though they jumped out at you because of the different textures.  The different textures he uses in his art makes his illustrations look 3d. This book is excellent to use for grades K-4.  It is a great read aloud book for younger children in grades K-2.  All grades can use the book to learn more about how seeds travel by wind, water, and animals. 4th grade can also understand how flowers inherit traits from their parent plant. Students can also learn morals from the book.  It brings the idea that even if you are small, you can still do wonderful things! The "tiny" seed was so small but it grew into the most beautiful and big flower. This book could motivate students to try their hardest in order to succeed. A BIG question that I would ask students is...."If you were a seed where would you want to travel to in the world and why." 

The Mixed Up Chameleon

Carle, E. (1984). The mixed up chameleon. New York:  Crowell.

The chameleon in the story The Mixed Up Chameleon experiences many changes! He blends in (camouflages) with his background.  Blending in with his background allows the chameleon to hide from predators and prey. At the beginning of the story it shows how he turns red when on a red flower.  The chameleon turned green when on a leaf and turned yellow in order to blend in with the sand. The chameleon felt as though he didn't have an interesting life and wished he was interesting like the animals in the zoo.  The Chameleon begins to get really "mixed up!" He wishes to have certain abilities and body features like some of the zoo animals.  His wishes begin to come true! He grows fish fins, deer antlers, a turtle shell, and a long giraffe shell! There are so many different traits on the chameleon that he no longer looks like himself.  Will he miss being who he is meant to be? The Mixed Up Chameleon by Eric Carle is a wonderful book for ages K-2 because of the simplicity of the words. The illustrations by Eric Carle are very beautiful and are made with watercolor paints and scraps of paper that are collaged together. It is very interesting how he uses many shades of one color.  For instance at the beginning of the book the chameleon is many different shades of green.  He used different scraps of green paper and collages it with glue. His pictures are always very interesting and very unique. This is a wonderful book to use for science in order to teach students how animals "camouflage" and blend in with their background for protection. As a child I remember this book also taught me to "love yourself and to be happy with who you are."  Children should understand that they are each unique and are very special. The world would not be an interesting place if all people animals looked and acted the same. Many times people try to be something that they are not and then they tend to feel sadness because they have lost their identity.  This book is very important to show children so that they can grow up with confidence and self assurance in who they are. A question I had while reading was..."Did the chameleon realize at the end that he was very unique and just as special as the other animals at the zoo?" (I think he did realize just how special he is.)  A BIG question I would ask my students is...."Why is it important to be yourself?"

The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by A. Wolf

Scieszka, J. (1989). The true story of the 3 little pigs by A. Wolf. New York: Scholastic.

This book is somewhat different than the original story because it is told by A. Wolf. Wolf goes on a journey in order to borrow a cup of sugar so that he can make a birthday cake for his granny. The first two pigs do not answer the door and the wolf begins to feel a great big sneeze coming. Wolf is shocked to discover that these two pigs both die because of his powerful sneeze. Was it an accident? According to Wolf this was definately an accident! The third pig is very rude to A. Wolf and doesn't let him enter. The third pig yells something rude to Wolf about his granny and this creates fury inside of the Wolf. Wolf wrote this story in order to let people know that "he was framed." This is a wonderful and funny story that will make kids giggle and understand the point of view of the protagonist in a story. Students will realize that it is always good to understand both point of views and sides to any story. In the real world, everyone must listen to both sides to a story in order to understand a situation and how to solve the problem. As a child I really enjoyed the story because I enjoyed the funny story and the interesting illustrations. The illustrations were interesting to me because of the media that was used. Lane Smith, illustrator of The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs, used oil paints and textured with newspaper clippings. The newspaper on the front of the cover made it look as though it were an actual story told from the wolf in jail. Since I loved to read newspapers and watch the news as a child, I was drawn to the cover of the book. Some questions I had while reading were..."Was the wolf lying and trying to plead innocent so that he could be released from jail?" "Were the pigs the actual bad guys in the story?" This story helps readers understand that there are always two sides of the story. It may even give some a different outlook on life. A BIG question that I would ask my students is..."Why do you think you should always hear more than one side of a story?"

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Carle, E.  (1969). The very hungry caterpillar. New York:  Philomel Books.

This beautifully illustrated book has caught my eye ever since I was a young child.  The pictures are very bright and captivating.  Eric Carle uses a collage technique were he cuts out small hand painted pieces of paper.  His illustrations are one of a kind and take a long amount of time to create.  The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a book that tells the story of a caterpillar hatching from an egg.  Throughout the story the caterpillar eats more and more food each day. The caterpillar eats leaves and lots and lots of junk food! As a child I thought it was funny when I read that the caterpillar ate cake. Children find humor and interest while reading about the journey that the caterpillar goes through. This is an excellent book for children who are learning about number patterns and the life cycle of a butterfly.  The reading level of this book would be good for preschool to first grade because of the simple words, predictions on every page, and the number patterns.  Although the reading level of the book would be good for much younger students, the life cycle concept would be great to teach upper elementary students.  I have used this book in my science classroom while teaching 3rd grade students about the life cycles of animals. It helped them understand the four stages in a butterfly life cycle. I would recommend this book to everyone because of the words and the pictures. My 2 1/2 year old nephew loves this book because of the pictures and the number patterns. My BIG question to students would be "What are the different stages that the butterfly went through?  Why did the caterpillar have to eat a lot of food?"

Blueberries for Sal

 McCloskey, R. (1948). Blueberries for sal. New York: Penguin Book Group.

This classic story tells the story of a child named Sal who goes on an adventure of collecting blueberries with her mother. Sal sits down and stuffs herself full with yummy blueberries.  While Sal is eating many tasty berries, a baby bear nearby is also collecting blueberries with his mother. Oh no! Both Sal and the baby bear end up getting separated from their mothers.  Both the baby bear and Sal hear noises in the bushes and follow thinking it is their mother. Talk about confusion and conflict developing! Sal accidentally follows baby bears mother and baby bear accidentally follows Sal's mother. This beautifully illustrated book has always been one of my favorite books as a child.  I remember laughing at how the child and baby bear cub get into mischief and accidentally follow each others mother.  Also, the illustrations are very interesting and detailed with black ink. There is not a lot of color used in the illustrations but the pictures are still engaging. Preschool children would be able to grasp the concept and meaning of this story but the book would be too wordy for them.  This book would be most appropriate for K-1 students because the book is very predictable and the writing style is at that level. Questions that I asked myself while reading are "Will the baby bear eventually find his mother? Will Sal eventually find his mother? Will the baby bear and Sal meet face to face and become friends?" I would use this book in class by teaching students about nature and how animals and humans react with their environment.This is a book that I would recommend to every child to read at the K-1 level.  A BIG question I would ask students would be...."What action would you take if you ever accidentally got lost from your parents?"

Meredith Cook's Introduction

Hello! My name is Meredith Cook and I'm a 3rd/4th grade science and writing teacher at Eminence Independent School. I absolutely love my job because I enjoy doing hands on science activities with my students. I teach writing to my homeroom students and we are currently working on editing our personal narratives. Although I am not a reading teacher, I still enjoy reading fiction and non fiction science books to my students. I also place my students in leveled reading groups at the end of every chapter so that they can review what we learned.  I feel that it's very important for students to read daily in order to build their vocabulary and understanding of concepts. 
I LOVE to read books!!! I have a variety of authors that I enjoy.  I have read every book by Nicholas Sparks! I also enjoy mystery books by James Patterson and Mary Higgins Clark.  I love to read many different genres and types of books.  I recently just read the books "Cage of Stars" by  Jacquelyn Mitchard and  "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls. Both of these books were beautifully written and were tearjerkers. 
When I am not teaching I enjoy reading, working out at the gym, making crafts, walking my miniature pinscher named Rex, hanging out with my boyfriend, family, and friends. My boyfriend and I are getting married this summer on June 30th.  I'm so very excited and can't wait! :-)