Writers Workshop, Readers Workshop, Literature Circles, Literature Focus Units, Thematic Units

I remember doing Literature Circles in elementary school. I remember very little about it but when we discussed it in class and we talked about the different roles each student plays that sparked my memory. I would not say that I did not enjoy literature circles but obviously I remember very little about them from school. I do not remember doing much with writer’s workshop or reader’s workshop. I do not have any similar memories of a writer’s workshop like the one we viewed in class. I can recall in elementary school a teacher would let us brainstorm and we would have to write for thirty minutes or so. However, there was not workshop leading up to this as I can remember.

I really like the idea of a writers workshop and would definitely like to implement it in my future classroom. It can be time consuming but I think there are many benefits to doing writers workshop. I also see the same benefits for having a reader’s workshop. I also can see myself doing literature circles but would hope to be able to make them fun and more memorable than my past experiences are.

What I really like about Literature Focus units is that it incorporates all five stages of the reading process. I think that Literature Focus units are very beneficial for students. They are being challenged by the text they can not read independently and also using all stages of the reading process over a span of 1 to 4 weeks. Also, I like the idea of Thematic Units because it wants more than just a text book learning and understanding style. It wants to incorporate all different types of text to develop an understanding. I do not think text books should ever be the only books in a classroom that the students have access to.

Books and Novels

After taking EDU 255 I became aware of all the different options for books and novels that could be used in a classroom. For a younger elementary classroom I would definitely want to not just use specific one or two books but have many options for the students of all different topics that will engage their interests. I think for the beginning of the school year I would like to have “first day of school” books out so that they children can relate to them. Also for holidays like Presidents day, Halloween/fall, Fourth of July, etc. I would like to base the books around that theme. I really like having a central theme but would also like to have a small “library” in the classroom of books of different interest and themes that get changed out throughout the year.

I feel by doing a holiday theme the options are endless for how to apply activities. For example, for Presidents day, if the students were read books about the past Presidents of the United States, they then could write a short story about what they would do if they were President for a day.

To Blog or Not to Blog...

I have enjoyed blogging so far this semester. I think it is a great way for us as a class to apply what we are learning in the classroom and reflect on our learning. I have really enjoyed it as a class activity because we can read and comment on our classmates and their opinions. I like the idea of blogging also because it is more like keeping a journal without the pen and paper. I really like how it is computer based.

One of the only downfalls I have found from blogging so far is that if you get behind on the responses it can be very hard to catch up! I like that we only do one blog a week. It makes it easier to put more thought into the response because I am not overwhelmed with having to do another post in a few days. Overall, I think blogging is a great way to get thoughts and ideas out there and to be open to others responses and new view points. I think bogging has helped me to become more open-minded especially when I read my classmate’s blogs and they have ideas and insights that I may not have even thought about before.