Field Experience

I completed 5 hours at the school I work at, Wellington Elementary.  I spent my field experience in two places:  my classroom and a kindergarten classroom.  In my classroom, I have a monthly family story time, where the parents/caregivers are invited to the classroom to hear a story that either I read or I find a guest to read.   I create a family friendly activity for the students to do with their family and each child also gets a copy of the book that was read.  In the Kindergarten classroom, I observed the classroom teacher during story time and noticed how she used not only books in the classroom, but also books on an online program called Tumble Books that our library has membership to.  It enables the teacher to be connected to more book titles than what the library holds.  I also observed a 4th grade classroom coming into the Kindergarten room to be book buddies with the Kindergarteners.  Each 4th grader is paired up with 1 or 2 K students and then the 4th grader reads to the K students or at this time of the year, the K students are reading to them.  It is encouraging for the 4th graders to be such good role models for younger students. 

This experience I think helped me strengthen some of the teaching standards.  One such standard is implementing technology.  Technology is an ever present force in classrooms of today.  In allowing books to available school-wide at the click of a button is wonderful.  It allows teachers to encourage literacy in a new and exciting way, to even the youngest of students.  Another standard that I feel I strengthened was collaborating with colleagues/parents/others.  I feel that encouraging families to be involved in their children's education on a hands-on level is important.  I also know how crucial it is at such a young age.  Reading is important, even if the child isn't old enough to read himself.  Having parents see that reading is important and even allowing the child to make up a story based on the books pictures, is laying a foundation for a love of literacy all throughout their school career and hopefully into their adult life. 

I learned that many opportunities are around the school to engage children in literacy and it doesn't always have to come in the form of a teacher reading to a child.  I think encouraging parents/family members, as well as older students within the school to become good role models for our youngest learners, we will hopefully create a life long love of reading!

Reol 536 Reading Log and Wiki List

              * If a book is posted in red, it is listed twice, as it falls under two genres
    

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

1)   Orangutans Are Ticklish (Steve Grubman)

2)   Mysterious Encounters:  ESP (Kevin Hile)

3)   Owen and Mzee:  The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship (Isabella Hatkoff, et al.)

4)   Owen and Mzee:   The Language of Friendship

 

            II.      Poetry (1 reflection required on blog)

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

2)   Mammalabilia (Douglas Florian)

3)   Scranimals (Jack Prelutsky)

4)   Technically, It’s Not My Fault (John Grandits)*

 
          III.      Modern Fantasy (1 reflection required on blog)     

1)   Babe the Gallant Pig (required for discussion)

2)   Poppy (Avi)*

3)   Poppy’s Return (Avi)

4)   Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins)

 

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

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

2)   Sarah Plain and Tall (Patricia MacLachlan)*

3)   More Perfect than the Moon (Patricia MacLachlan)

4)   Little House in the Big Woods (Laura Ingalls Wilder)

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

1)   Amazing Grace (Mary Hoffman)

2)   Hush! (Minfong Ho)*

3)   Island of the Blue Dophins (Scott O’Dell)*

4)   The Girl Who Spun Gold (Virginia Hamilton)*

5)   Whistle for Willie (Ezra Jack Keats)

        VI.      Realistic Fiction (1 reflection required on blog)

1)   Laugh Until you Cry  (required for discussion)

2)   Smile (Raina *

3)   Each little bird that sings (Deborah Wiles)

4)   Rules (Cynthia Lord)

      VII.      Picture Books (6 reflections required on blog)

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

2)   Mouse Paint (Ellen Stoll Walsh)

3)   Blueberries for Sal (Robert McCloskey)

4)   In the Small, Small Pond (Denise Fleming)

5)   The Happy Day (Ruth Krauss)

6)   Hush! (Minfong Ho)*

7)   When Sophie Gets Angry-Really, Really Angry (Molly Bang)*

8)   Wemberly Worried (Kevin Henkes)

9)   Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse (Kevin Henkes)

10)Where the Wild Things Are (Maurice Sendak)

11)Stellaluna (Janell Cannon)

12)Not a Box (Antoinette Portis)

13)Knuffle Bunny (Mo Willems)*

14)Officer Buckle and Gloria (Peggy Rathmann)

15)Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed (Mo Willems)*

16)There’s a Bird on your Head! (Mo Willems)*

17)The Girl Who Spun Gold (Virginia Hamilton)*

18)Whistle for Willie (Ezra Jack Keats)

Wiki Checklist

  1       Social Studies

  1       Science

___     Math

____   Music

  1      Art

  1      Reading/Language Arts

____   Physical Education

____   Other

Mysterious Encounters: ESP

Hile, K. (2009).  Mysterious encounters:  ESP.  New York:  Kidhaven Press.

This is an informational non-fiction book that looks at the mysterious wonder of ESP and all that it entails.  The structure of this book divides ESP into varous parts, which I didn't realize there were so many.  I thought ESP was all encompassing.  One such "type" of ESP is clairolfaction.  This type is where a psychic uses extrasensory smell to interpret auras from people.  People with clairolfaction are able to sense if a person is healthy or unwell (even to the point of knowing they are dying).  I like how the author is able to represent facts and information from those that are believers in this phenomenum and those that are skeptics.  I chose this book because everyone wonders about the powers of ESP and whether they truly exist.  We have all had those feelings of deja vu and how it can be somewhat spooky when you sense you have experienced something before, but just can't place it.  This book was very informative and opened up other questions leading me to want to read more on the subject.  I think that students would find this book interesting just because it can be controversial and sometimes things that aren't "seen" make wanting to learn about it all the more appealing.
Big Questions:  What are your beliefs on the subject of ESP?  Do you think there is a possible explanation for some of the occurrences documented in the book?  If you do not believe, why?  Have you ever experienced a deja vu type of situation? 

Fever 1793

Anderson, L. (2002).  Fever 1793.  New York:  Aladdin Paperbacks.

http://animoto.com/play/d2C0K3C3SB3D4l9lUjWUaQ

Mattie Cook lives a good life.  She has her mother and grandfather and their coffeehouse.  That summer of 1793, devastation takes hold of the city of Philadelphia.  Sickness, death, and unforseen peril are running rampant through the city.  Will Mattie survive?  Will her family?  Yellow fever has a grip on Philadelphia...and it's not letting go. Have you ever had to perservere through hard times or learn to be self-reliant?  This book is about a young girl who has to learn to do just that when forced to cope with the horror of the yellow fever epidemic of 1793. 

Smile

Telgemeier, R. (2000).  Smile.  New York:  Graphix.

This book is of the realistic fiction genre, but with a twist!  It is written as a graphic novel or a "comic style" novel.  It was chosen for the Eisner Award (aka the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards) which is also referred as the Oscar Awards of the Comic Industry.  The award was given in 2011 for "Best Publication for Teens".  I chose this novel for a variety of reasons:  1.  It is written in a different style that has become more popular, but presented in typical book fashion and 2.  both my daughters have read this book and both have different tastes in what they like to read (my 14 year old loves historical genre and my 9 year old loves contemporary genre).  They both LOVED this book and thought it was a fun, quick read (at least for them!).  This book takes place over the period of a few years.  It is written in first person and starts in the 6th grade with Raina at the orthodontist.  She leaves knowing she is going to be getting braces and, naturally, she is not happy about it.  She vents to her friends, who try to tell her it won't be all that bad, but then she has a horrible accident on her way home that results in busting out her two front teeth!  She is horrified, naturally, and this sets off all sorts of events that shape her life in the next few years, including surviving an earthquake, boys, and her first year of high school!  Could you imagine these chains of events happening to you? In this book, Raina is a very round character with both good and bad traits who learns who her true friends are and most importantly, finding out who she is.  The organization of the book also lends itself to flow easily and the length of the chapters is perfect for grades 5-8.  This book also holds your attention, making you want to read the whole thing in one sitting!!

Big Questions:  What kinds of events in your life that have changed you in some way?  How would you continue Raina's story?  Do you think Raina made the right decision with her friends from middle school?  Why or why not? What would you do if this happened to you?  How would you feel?

technically, IT"S NOT MY FAULT

Grandits, J. (2004).  Technically, it's not my fault.  New York:  Houghton Mifflin Company.

This book of concrete poems is a great read for grades 5-8!  John Grandits' ability to write figurative language as an 11 year old boy named Robert is so wonderful, you would not realize he was not eleven!  Robert speculates on things from his crazy sister to things of mundane nature such as pizza and baseball.  He also has an active imagination as one of his poems shows the evolution of a new word:  snarpy and he wonders why no one has invented scratch and sniff fart stickers.  Each poem is written in a shape that has something to do with the poem, therefore making it  concrete poetry.  For instance, my favorite is called "The Thank-You Letter".  It is written like it is on a piece of paper and has added footnotes at the bottom of the page, which will have you cracking up, because it lets you know what he truly thinks as he writes this note to his aunt.  Some of the other poems are in the shape of a street, a clock, a pizza, and a house.  This book of poetry would be a great way to get boys involved and excited about reading poetry just because it is not what everyone thinks of when they hear the word "poetry".  I chose this book because it was written from the aspect of a middle school aged boy and I wanted to see how boys might relate.  I think it is a wonderful book and lots of fun to read, whether boy or girl!
Big Questions:  Why do you think Robert didn't write about his teachers?  Parents?  What other things would you write about? 

Island of the Blue Dolphins

O'Dell, S. (1960).  Island of the blue dolphins.  New York:  Dell Yearling.

This book is a classic novel that is based on a true story of an Indian girl who was found on an island off the coast of California in the early 1800's.  The book begins with Karana, the main character, having a flashback to where she feels her whole story began.  She, with her brother Ramo, see a ship in the distance that has brought Aleut hunters.  The hunters strike a deal with the chief of her tribe, who is also her father, but fail to follow through with their end of the bargain.  A battle ensues and most of the men in the tribe are killed and the Aleuts flee.  The tribe has many decisions to make and ultimately decide to leave their island.  Karana is on the ship, when she realizes her younger brother is not aboard.  She jumps off the ship and swims to shore, while the ship sails away without them.  They tell her they will send for her when they can.  Karana's brother is killed by wild dogs the next day and she must learn to fend for herself.  The setting is very integral to the story.  The author's style of writing paints a very clear picture of the island and how Karana is surviving.  He uses first person so you feel as if you are Karana and experiencing her trials and joys.  The sentences flow easily and hold you to the story so that you do not want to put it down!  Her fears in the story, such as how to survive without weapons, as "the laws of Ghalas-at forbade the making of weapons by women of the tribe..." (p. 51).  I could feel her struggle to uphold the laws of her people, but yet know that she had to do whatever she could to survive.  I chose this book because I remember reading it in the 5th grade and how emotional I felt while reading this book.  I hadn't read it in a really long time and I am so glad that I had an opportunity to do so!  If you haven't read this book before, I highly recommend it!  Many of us have faced struggles or trials in our lives that all you can do is find a way to survive, through any means necessary.  This book gives hope that even through the toughest of times, you can overcome from seeking within yourself and realizing the strength you have.

Big Questions:  How do you think Karana struggled to follow the law of her people, but yet knowing that she had to do something in order to survive?  What was her personality/attitude like throughout the story (beginning, middle, end)?  How do you picture the island?  Do you feel you could have survived for as long as she did?  Why or why not?

This book can be incorporated in the classroom in many areas, especially with science and social studies.  Geography, gender roles, animal studies are many of the areas that you could focus on, as well as the literature aspect.

The Girl Who Spun Gold

Hamilton, V. (2000).  The girl who spun gold.  New York:  Scholastic, Inc.

This is a wonderful multicultural picture book!  Virginia Hamilton has created a version of the West Indian tale that is similar to the German version of Rumplestiltskin.  Her writing begs to be read out loud, with her reflection of the West Indian speech pattern.  This story would be great for students because most of them have heard one version or another of this story and this one is told in such a way that is gripping and familiar at the same time.  Even though you know how it eventually ends, you are unable to put it down!  The story begins by describing in detail about the tiny fellow known as "Lit'mahn".  The girl named Quashiba and her mother are out under a tree, spinning thread.  They are talking and laughing, when Big King rides by and asks, almost rudely, what all the noise is about.  Her mother then tells the king that they are celebrating because her daughter is spinning gold thread for the king.  The king then says he will marry her because he wants all that for himself.  Quashiba is very upset at her mother's fib, but marries Big King.  The king tells his new wife that at the end of a year and a day, she must start filling three rooms up with golden things.  At the end of a year and a day, Big King locks Queen Quashiba in a room and demands that she fill it with golden things.  She is sad and afraid because she only knows how to spin plain thread.  Lit'mahn overhears and makes an appearance, offering to solve her troubles.  He gives her three days and three guesses each day to say his name.  If she is unable to, he will turn her tiny just like him and take her off to live with him.  She agrees and he proceeds to put her to sleep and then creates golden things within the room.  This version of a familiar folktale has a different twist on the ending than the usual American version that you may have grown up reading.  I'm not going to give it away, you will have to read it for yourself!  The illustrations are very vibrant and almost seem to pop off the page.  Leo and Diane Dillon, the illustrators, used metallic paint and also gold leaf to help convey texture and enrich the mood and meaning of the story.  I chose this book because of the author and her reputation of being a great writer.  This is the first story I have read by Virginia Hamilton and I would definitely read more! 

Big Question(s):  How would you compare/contrast this version of the folktale to the German version?  The English version?
How do you think the king feels toward at Quashiba at the beginning of the story?  The middle?  The end?

Poppy

Avi (1995).  Poppy.  New York:  Haper Collins Children's Books.

This animal fantasy book is the second book in a series and is an endearing tale of a deer mouse named Poppy.  This book has drama, romance, mystery, and action all rolled into one!  The book begins with a Great-Horned owl, Mr. Ocax, as the overseer of the Dimwood Forest and all the animals in it...so he says.  The mice are quite fearful of him, but believes he protects them.  Poppy experiences many conflicts in the story, including standing up for herself against a bully, which I think is the main theme in the story.  The characters in this book can help children relate to themselves and others around them.  They can easily put themselves into the roles of the characters, either as the one who is bullied or the one who bullies.   The characters' personalities are so strong, that you can't help but be drawn into the book, whether you find yourself cheering for one character and despising another.  The author does a fantastic job in her descriptive writing.  Her writing was so clear, that it made it very easy to visualize the events and the setting in my mind as I read the story.  The chapters are short and have an easy flow, making the story read quickly.  Even though this book is second in a series, you do not need to read the other books to understand what is going on.  This book can easily be a stand alone book.  I think this book is an excellent teaching tool for talking about bullying and what that might look like. 

I chose this book because my school's media specialist recommended it.  I liked it so much that I went back to get the other two books in the series as well.  It was very hard to put down!  I read it in one sitting!  Both boys and girls can relate to this book.

Big Questions:  Do you think Poppy had courage?  Do you think you can have courage and be scared at the same time?  Why or why not?  What are some ways that you can overcome bullying?  Why did the mice not see what the owl was doing as bullying?

Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed

Willems, M. (2009).  Naked mole rat gets dressed.  New York:  Hyperion Books for Children.

This is a hilarious picture book about the little known creatures:  naked mole rats.  Mo Willems uses  simple cartoons to tell this story of a naked mole rat who wishes to wear clothes.  The other naked mole rats do not understand him and his desire and want to mold him to their way of thinking.  The Grand-pah naked mole rat, who is the leader of sorts, makes a proclamation and everyone is happy.  You will have to read this to find out the ending!  I chose this book because it is such a funny story, you will be laughing all throughout.  This book uses some language that might make it hard for younger children to understand (such as "sarcastic" and "proclamation"), so be prepared to explain either before or during the reading.  This book can be used in a variety of ways within the classroom:  social studies (dress in different cultures), science (study of naked mole rats), and language (retelling, listening).

As with the other two Mo Willems books, I can see that he LOVES to laugh and make others laugh as well.  I really want to go read all his books!

Big Question(s):  Why do you think the naked mole rat wanted to wear clothes?  How do you think you would feel in his shoes?  Why do you think all the other naked mole rats thought he was gross for wanting to wear clothes?

Knuffle Bunny

Willems, M. (2004).  Knuffle bunny.  New York:  Hyperion Books for Children.

 Knuffle Bunny is a great picture book about a little girl named Trixie, who goes on a little adventure with her dad to the local laundromat when her beloved animal, Knuffle Bunny, comes up missing! Trixie cannot convey to her dad what is wrong and so she tries in many ways to "tell" him.  Mom has to help save the day. Trixie pronounces her favorite animal as "ka-nuffle" bunny.  It is a Dutch word that means to "snuggle or hug", which is what every child wants to do to his or her favorite stuffed animal or blanket!  The images in this story are why this is one of my favorite books.  The author/illustrator uses hand-drawn sketches and digital photography in sepia.  It really adds definition to the story by making the illustrations more life like and fun to look at.  Mo Willems is a very funny author and loves to combine drama and comedy all rolled into one hilarious story!  This book can connect in the classroom through social skills (feelings), literacy (predicting, retelling, acting out the story), or language (draw a picture of a favorite stuffed animal and describe it).

Big question(s):  How would you feel if you lost your favorite stuffed animal?  How else do you think Trixie could have told her dad about her lost Knuffle Bunny?  How was she feeling at the beginning of the story?  the middle?  the end?

There Is a Bird on Your Head!

Willems, M. (2007).  There is a bird on your head!  New York:  Hyperion Books for Children

This easy-reader picture book (An Elephant & Piggie Book) begins with cartoon illustrations of the main characters:  a pig and an elephant wearing glasses and no text.  The author uses simple text to create a dialogue between the two characters as the elephant is experiencing a very humorous situation.  The dialogue appears in a text bubbles that matches the color of each animal and is enlarged to show voice volume.  The author's depiction of the action going on upon the elephant's head encourages the reader (and audience) to laugh out loud!  I chose this book because I love to read Mo Willems books!  He has a very funny way of telling even the most simple of stories to make everyone smile!  A great book for a quick laugh!

Big question(s):  How do you think the pig get the nest off of his head?  Why was the elephant so upset?  If we were to extend the story, what do you think would happen next?

When Sophie Gets Angry-Really, Really Angry...

Bang. M. (1999).  When Sophie gets angry-really, really angry.  New York:  Scholastic, Inc.

This is a great picture book that describes what we sometimes go through when we get angry.  Everyone feels this way, even if we are too old to show it!  Sophie does not want to share with her sister, but her mother tells her she needs to.  The author uses color to help describe how Sophie feels and uses wonderful descriptions of the different emotions that Sophie feels from really angry to sad to calm.  The author is also the illustrator and she has chosen lots of colors to depict how Sophie feels from rich reds and orange when she feels angry to soft blues when she feels calm.  The illustrator uses great texture in each picture such as harsh lines to depictSophie's anger and soft brush strokes that show a peacefulness and calmness in Sophie.   I chose this book because feeling are sometimes hard for young children to understand.  This book enables them to see that it is ok to feel angry and that there are things you can do to help yourself calm down, without being aggressive towards others.  In the classroom, this book can be connected to the curriculum through language (listening, speaking, writing) to encourage literacy skills, social studies (to regulate own emotions, identify other's emotions), drama (retelling the story), and cognitive (problem solving).  This book leads to role playing where you can play the "What If?" game to work on different scenarios that might occur in the classroom of your particular age group.  This is a great read that everyone can identify with!
Big Question(s):  What ways do you show anger?  What helps calm you down?

Hush!

Ho, M. (1996).  Hush!.  New York:  Orchard Books.

Hush! is a picture book that is also aThai lullaby.  It tells of a mother's quest to keep all things quiet so that her child can sleep...or so she thinks.  I chose this book because of the wonderful illustrations done by Holly Meade.   She depicts many animals from the smallest of insects, the mosquito, to the largest of mammals, the elephant.  The author incorporates great animal sounds into the story as the mom looks to see what is making the noise that might wake her child.  What she does not see is that her child has woken up and gets into a bit of mischief while she continues to try and quiet the animals one by one.  These actions are not depicted in the text, but in the warm illustrations which are done by Holly Meade.  I recommend this book as it is very peaceful to read, especially to young children, with great illustrations.  This book can be incorporated in the classroom  by making connections with science (classification and categorization of animals), drama (retelling the story), social studies (cultural),  and enhancing literacy skills through language (listening, speaking, and writing).
Big Question(s):  Why did the mom fall asleep at the end?  What do you think it would be like to sleep with all those noises going on around you?

Me in a Nutshell :)

My name is Stephanie McSpadden and I currently teach at Wellington Elementary in Lexington, Kentucky.  I currently teach preschool and enjoy working with differing abilities within my classroom.  I am also enjoying working in a brand-new facility with all the latest technology!  We are considered the "greenest"  elementary school in the state.  :)

I am married to my husband, Daniel (15 1/2 years now!) and we have three children:  Meghan who is 14 years old and a freshman in HS, Lily who is 9 years old and a 4th grader, and Trey, our 5 year old, who is in Kindergarten.  We also have two dogs:  a border collie named Molly and a yorkie-pom named Little Bit.  We love to be outdoors, cheer on our UK Wildcats, and our whole family LOVES to read....especially both my girls and me!  We can always be found with a book in our hands and find it very hard to put one down once we start!  Needless to say, "bookworm" describes us to a tee! 

I look forward to learning more about literature in the classroom!