Blog 10

Continuing in the science section of the book, I am still finding a lot of books that I believe a slant or opinion to them about. Science is fact and not to be put forth with an agenda. It seems national groups on the science level want to push an agenda I am disappointed with this. Education is not about pushing an agenda, but to teach students to think for themselves. Students are to learn to gather information through reading, research, and experience and to form thoughts of their own.

The book talks about rain forests, regular forest, trees, season, and weather which at looking at those books I am kind of disappointed at the synopsis of them because I feel they are not science but an agenda to program children to think that they are evil and doing wrong because their parents and grandparents formed a country that is blessed.

The book now is talking about space science. I think these books are more science and fact based to help students learn. I love astronomy I have loads of books myself about the universe. I love reading anything about mars, astronauts, sun, moon, or stars.

Now the book switches to books about social studies and history. Here is another subject that is based on an agenda. The book talks about civil rights and jumps into slavery, escaping slavery, emancipation, and the struggle for civil rights in the United States. The United States may have its faults but it is still greatest country for freedom for people. They talk about slavery, native Americans, and when they mention books about the leaders of the country they mention mainly progressives. I don’t agree with this.

Blog 9

I am still on the chapter about science curriculum. The books are still talking about the life sciences. The first book on the list I liked is big blue whales. Of course I said I like whales so I was drawn to this book. But the thing I think as teachers we need to be careful that we don’t allow propaganda into are classroom. On subjects we have students read should be facts not assumptions. For example on global warming, we should show students facts about climate change but keep form trying to promote an agenda that says America is evil and we should give our I-phones , our 3D TVs, or SUVs. We teach the facts then allow them to learn to think for themselves. We as teachers should students to think not train them to be robots that regurgitate what we want them to say. Then allow the free flow of ideas. Students all should be able to speak what they believe the facts say about a subject without fear of ridicule or retaliation. We as a people have freedom of speech and religion and we should not be condemned for ideas that go against the norm.

Back to the book in the life sciences these books I thought would be interesting.

·         Ice Bear: In the Steps of the Polar Bear by Nicola Davies, Candlewick 2005, ISBN 0-7636-2759-3. I love polar bears, and the book talks about polar bears and its habitat. This book gives information about polar bears that seems that would help students learn about them.

·         A Pinky Is A Baby Mouse And Other Baby Animal Names by Pam Munoz Ryan, Hyperion 1997, ISBN 0-7868-1144-7. This title reminded me of one of favorite cartoons Pinky and the Brain. So learning about animals and what their young are called would seem fascinating to me. This book gives the names of animals in a rhyming way that sounds interesting.

Earth Science

·         Why Do Volcanoes Blow Their Tops?: Questions and Answers about Volcanoes and Earthquakes by Melvin and Gilda Berger, Scholastic 1999, ISBN 0-439-14878-2. The book takes a step by step look at the plate tectonic activity of the Earth. Starts off with basic knowledge and builds on that knowledge and helps students learn about earthquakes and volcanoes.

Water forms

·         The Mighty Mississippi : The Life and Times of America’s Greatest River by Linda Viera, Walker Books 2005, ISBN 0-8027-8943-9. With great art in the book which brings out the science about the book but also the history of the river, it is great for social studies or science.

Plants

·         Down To Earth: Garden Secrets! Garden Stories! Garden Projects You Can Do! By Michael J. Rosen , Harcourt 1998, ISBN 0-15-201341-5. This book gives projects that students can be actively involved with. So let students learn and get their hands dirty.

Blog 8

Still in chapter 2 involving mathematics I never knew that there were so many books with mathematical themes that existed. I love math and as I have gained in knowledge about mathematics I grew to love math even more. Though mathematics on the college level is mathematics like I have never known before, it is a discourse I have grown in and to say it again I love MATH!

The book is talking about

·         Money

·         Time

·         Volume

·         Weight

·         Graphing

·         Two more math resource books

The books that look interesting are

·         Is a Blue Whale the Biggest Thing There is? By Robert E. Wells, Albert Whitman 1993 ISBN 0-0875-3656-3. This book shows how whales are big and that is where the fun begins as the book compares a whale to a mountain, a mountain to the earth and so on. I just have a fascination with whales so if a book has a whale on it I will most likely read it.

·         The Big Buck Adventure by Shelly Gill and Deborah Tobola, Charlesbridege 2000, ISBN 0-88106-294-4. This is an adventure of a little girl who just received a dollar for her allowance and tries to see what to spend her money on. Candy, Food, Toys, or maybe a pet she might spend her money on. The book ends with a space for children to place 4 quarters or 10 dimes, good for learning how to save.

·         G is for Googol:  A Math Alphabet Book by David Schwartz, Tricycle Press 1998, and ISBN 1-883672-58-9. This book is a dictionary of mathematic terms. Gives meaning to the words used in mathematics. Also gives a brief history of the mathematical term.

The next chapter 3 is about Science. This chapter gives books about

·         Spiders

·         Bats

·         Life science

The beginning of the chapter doesn’t have any books I really would want to read off the bat. No pun intended.

blog 7

Blog seven

Continuing in chapter two on mathematics they are going over books that are from these categories.

·         Greater than and less than

·         Fractions

·         Multiplications

·         Subtraction

·         Percentage

Standard two: Algebra

·         Sorting

·         Comparisons

·         Patterns

Standard three: Geometry

·         Geometry

·         Shapes

Standard four: measurements

·         Calendars

·         Measuring

The books from these sections that I liked are

·         The Hersey’s Fraction Book by Jerry Pallotta, Cartwheel/Scholastic 1999 ISBN 0-439131519-2. Hey this book talks fractions and chocolate, who doesn’t love chocolate. The books use a Hershey chocolate bar to show how the bar can be divided into fractions.

·         Grandma’s Button Box: With Fun Activities! By Linda Williams Aber, Kane Press 2002 ISBN 1-57565-110-6. A story about Kelly and her cousins on their visit to their grandma’s. At their grandma’s the drop a box full of buttons that they have to sort before their grandma returns home.

·         Twizzlers: Shapes and Patterns by Jerry Pallotta Cartwheel/Scholastic 2002, ISBN 0-439-35796-9. This book uses Twizzlers to help with shapes and patterns. The work includes lines, shapes, and angles.

·         Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi by Cindy Neuschwander, Charlesbridge 1999 ISBN 1-57091-164-9. Sir Cumference turns into a dragon and his son Radius needs to use pi to help save his father.

·         There are a few other books about Sir Cumference by Cindy Neuschwander

·         What’s Your Angle, Pythagoras? A Math Adventure by Julie Ellis Charlesbridge 2004 ISBN 1-57091-150-9. A story of a young Pythagoras growing up in ancient Greece. Showing the curiosity that made Pythagoras the great Mathematician of legend.

blog 6

Blog 6

Chapter 2 starts with the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics content standards.

·         Number and Operations

·         Algebra

·         Geometry

·         Measurements

·         Data Analysis and Probability

And five process standards

·         Problem Solving

·         Reasoning and Proof

·         Communication

·         Connections

·         Representations

The chapter also discusses using literature to help explore mathematical ideas that may seem foreign to children as the first come in contact with the new math. Running with it there is loads of possibilities for teachers in exploring literature that involves mathematics.

Then the Authors run through the list of books that contain the standards of the NCTM.

·         Addition

·         Algorithms

·         Counting

·         Division

Here is a list of books I thought would be interesting form their list.

1.       The Grapes of Math: Mind-Stretching Math Riddles written by Greg Tang. Scholastic 2001, 2004 ISBN 0-439-59840-0. I love mathematical riddles and problems. This book seems like a book children would love.

2.       The Baseball Counting Book written by Barbieri McGrath. Charlesbridge 1999, ISBN 0-88106-333-9. I love baseball and relating mathematics to baseball is taking one love and adding it together.

3.       Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed retold by Eileen Christelow. Clarion 1998, ISBN 0-395-90023-9. I have this book that I have read to my grandson and it is classic. It is good read for young children.

blog 5

The authors give names of a lot of books that they think would be helpful in a class room for students to learn. Let’s have a look at a few of them. They start off with a large list of books by Ruth Heller to help in the study of language arts. The books that are discussed prepositions, collective nouns, interjections and conjunctions, verbs, adjectives, nouns, pronouns and adverbs. Then there is another author that they give a list by is Brian P. Cleary. Next the authors go through different structures of writing and writing styles to help children learn. They list books about adjectives, compound words, idioms, nouns, opposites, oxymorons, playing with words, puns, superlatives, verbs, vowels and consonants, words within words, books that illustrate the features of writing, relevant details, interesting use of italics, language that extends vocabulary, memoir like story, metaphors and similes, onomatopoeia (the formation or use of words that imitate the sound associated with something, e.g. "hiss" and "buzz"), patterned text, personifications, questions as a story structure, slows time and shows a small moment, unusual punctuation, books that feature an author’s visit, books that illustrate a fractured tale (parody), and books about the importance of reading. They show through these books how they are helpful in the class room at teaching certain subjects in reading and writing.

Let me go through the books I thought were interesting. The first is Puppies! Puppies! Puppies! By Susan Meryers. Who would not love a book about puppies; I am a dog lover with four dogs of my own. With this book a teacher could show students all the ways adjectives are used. The next book is Who Ordered the Jumbo Shrimp? And Other Oxymorons by Jon Agee. This book got rave review from the New York Times saying about it as “laugh-out-loud-brilliant.” Another book I thought was an interesting book to look into is Worrywarts by Pamela Duncan Edwards. This book makes use alliterations as a wombat, weasel, and woodchuck go for a walk and wombat cause all her friends to worry. The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig a book by Eugene Trivizas is a book with a twist that I would like to read to my grandson. The big bad pig blows down the three little wolves’ houses that would be something I would like to read to him. The last book mentioned in chapter one is The Wednesday Surprise by Eve Bunting is a heartwarming book about a granddaughter teaching her grandmother to read for the grandmother can read for her son’s birthday surprise.

blog 4

Laminack and Wadsworth give a list of books to whet the appetite of teachers to bring the joy of language to students to increase the communication skills. First book is The Conversation Club is about learning to listen so you can become a better conversationalist. Next book is Quiet, Wyatt! This book is about Wyatt and he is always told to be quiet. So he gives people what they want, when they need help then Wyatt is quiet. He learns a lesson about when to communicate. The Scarecrow’s Hat is the book talked about next. Students in this book learn to how communication and compromise to meet other people’s needs and to have their own meet. The final book is The Very Busy Spider. This book is about a busy spider that learns to have fun with all the other barnyard animals. All these books are designed to teach students to communicate by increasing vocabulary, listening and talking skills.

Chapter one

Picture Books and Read-Alouds to Support the Language Arts Curriculum

This chapter starts off with a reference to the twelve standards for literacy education developed jointly by the national council of teachers of English and the international reading association.

Standards

1.       Students need to read a wide variety of writings to develop an understanding of the USA and the world. For they can respond to the needs of society, workplace and personal fulfillment. These writings can be fiction, nonfiction, classic or new literature.

2.       Students need to read books from history and contemporary so they can gain an understanding of life trough the human experience.

3.       Students need to use a wide variety of tools to understand what they are reading from experience, other people, and just basic understanding of what the writer is trying to convey.

4.       Students need to understand they need to be fluent in a variety of forms of communication writing, speaking, and body language.

5.       Students learn that there is a wide variety of forms of writing and the need to be proficient in all varieties of the communication.

6.       Students use what they have learned in writing to be critical of the writings that they are reading.

7.       Students learn how to research so they can gain knowledge so they can properly discuss the information that they have learned and pass knowledge they have gained.

8.       Students need to learn to use technology to gain and synthesize information so they can communicate the information.

9.       Students need to be respectful of other people’s cultures, ethnic groups, geographic regions and social roles.

10.    English second language learners use their first language to help them gain a master of English to help in learning subjects across the board.

11.    Students learn to knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a wide range of literacy communities.

12.    Students learn to communicate for the gain and own purposes.

The book begins to discuss the standards by stating as teachers we need to have students read a wide variety of books and from nontraditional sources. I think this is good. The reason is because when I was in going through school I only read two books that teachers assigned to us to read in my twelve years. The first was the Where the Red Fern Grows, and The Sound and the Fury. Now that I am older I have read hundreds of books in Tolkien type fantasy to reading books on philosophy by Augustine of Hippo, Pascal, and Sun Tzu, to scientific books by Hawking, Paul Davies, and Hugh Ross. I have also read the complete works of Shakespeare.

The text goes through the standards in twos, for three and four, using different strategies to comprehend and then communicate the information back. Five and six students should have experience reading aloud and discussing what is being read, for the purpose of seeing how things should be read with different tone in the use of figurative language. Seven and eight discuss how we study and learn to read textbooks and gathering information out of them to use to gain knowledge and pass it on to others. Now nine and ten take information to use in the twenty-first century and how students need to learn in these areas. Then the final two deal with how to interact among peer groups when discuss information.

Now the book is giving an example on how to go through a lesson plan with students with a descriptive example. The authors give helpful hints by giving advice on posting the vocabulary on the board to help with the learning. Then encourage the students to use the vocabulary in their writings to help learn the words.

Introduction of Reading Aloud Across the Curriculum

I am reading the book by Lester L. Laminack and Reba M. Wadsworth called Reading Aloud Across the Curriculum How to Build Bridges in Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies. The Book can be found on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Reading-Aloud-Across-Curriculum-Language/dp/0325009821 . The introduction starts off with information about books that are in the curriculum that teachers fail to take advantage of. The book also states that when reading to point out to students the thoughts of the teacher that they want the student to look out for. They state that not to overdue because you want independent thought by the students. Then after reading have a thoughtful discussion with students on what was just read. As a teacher do our best to keep the conversation growing and developing with all students involved. Then they talk about a series of books about the Underground Railroad then they give a brief synopsis of the books to encourage teachers to use those books in their studies.  Then they finish off with notes on how to incorporate all this information into a teaching lesson.

Starting a Blog

Starting a blog is a new experience. I looked a different blogs to get an idea on what a blog is. I have been reading blogs for awhile. I read blogs about the NFL on ESPN all the time. I never really thought about the blogs as blogs, but as news reports. So I have been going to blogs for information and never really realized that I have been doing it.

I really didn't have any problems setting up the blog. The only problem I had is the fear I had in getting started in doing a blog. I hear about political blogs all the time and how they can be ruthless, so starting a blog seemed like something that I really didn't want to do. Also blogging and saying my opinions on the Internet also puts a little fear in me. I am a very private person and I don't like to open up and let people in to my thoughts.

I have been reading a blog on ESPN for sometime now. I read Bill Williamson's blog about AFC west football for as long as I have had Internet access. I love football, so I read as much about football as I can. I also like to read from sources I trust not just any run of the mill writer that might right about football. I want good solid facts backed with a knowledge that comes form someone that knows football.

Like I have said earlier I fear about opening up on a blog. I am opinionated but expressing them online means it is for public consumption and that is a concerns me. Hopefully I have a positive experience with this my first blog.

The thing I believe makes a quality blog is only stating things you can actually back up with facts. Or expressing that the things you are writing are your opinion and should not be taken except as opinion. Many people I have read in the past try to state their opinion as fact. I don't believe this is ethical, but it is done. Also when when have an argument the commit the fallacies of Ad Hominen, Slippery Slope, and Straw man. The people don't use logical arguments in their discussions.

Most blogger use their own voice when speaking, they also tend to keep blogs short and sweet. People don't usually write long blogs. They state their point and move on.

I would really love to write about football, the Bible, the Wheel of Time, and maybe a little about politics.