Paley's literacy instruction inspires me to invovle the same type of discussions in my own lessons. I really enjoyed the connections that Reeny is able to make; the way that she thinks outside of the box. Reeny looking up to Frederick, allows the class to look at different essential human needs. I would also like to incorporate the debate part into my classroom. I think that children being able to share their ideas about their peers ideas is a great learning tool. It also gives everyone a chance to say what they think. I remember reading books in elementary school with the class and many children debating on what they thought the book was about. I was able to get a lot more out of the reading; being able to hear ideas that I never thought of. When I teach reading I would like to incorporate different ways to portray a reading. For example, in the book, they had drew a huge poster of Frederick sitting on the stones. They also incorporate drama and writings into what they were reading. I think that using different techniques in the class is important. Being a very visual and hands on person myself, it would be great to do more interesting things with reading. It would be a great way to get children involved and wanting to read. Overall I thought that Paley was a great teacher, and knew how to connect with her students. Being able to connect with her students allowed them to be more free to discuss and explore their reading.
One of the things that fascinated me the most was Reeny discussions. For being in kindergarten I thought that she really looked into the stories. I feel that I learned something from her.
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5 comments:
Hi Tina,
It delights me hear you 'voice' coming through the blog! Your admiration for Paley's ability to engage children in such a passionate way speaks to your perception of the qualities of a great teacher. Regina
Hi Tina,
Great connections between Reeny and your future classroom! I can hear your enthusiasm coming through in your writing.
I agree wit what you're saying. Our impressions of a text is dependent on our personal experiences (schema). As a result, every student's interpretation of a story may differ, which makes for lively and thought provoking classroom discussions!
Nancy
Hi Tina:
I also agree that Paley has a strong connection to her students and that this admiration and love of children inspires her to create a better learning environment for her students.
Tina,
Your comment about debating books with classmates reminded me of my own experiences in elementary school. I loved reading a book and talking about it with others in the class. I agree that you are able to learn so much more through discussion with others, especially when the topic is a book. I believe small and large group discussions definitely foster higher level thinking for students. Great blog!
Your comment about being a hands on and visual learner is just a small reminder of why implementing so many different teaching methods in a classroom is important. All students learn in different ways, so being able to somehow effectively teach to each student is so crucial to their success.
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