If I am talking about the right class, it was a lot of fun. I had doubts at times even about that, but at the end I have
to say that I really enjoyed getting to know the other people in class and the other characters as well. That is what
has been so much fun. I feel so much more comfortable with everyone in this class now that I have seen their silly side
and they have seen mine. I was a little intimidated by some of my fellow classmates before, but now I feel like I could
really work together with any of you on projects and activities if one day we end up on the same staff. That's
a pleasant secure feeling and I like haveing it.
I enjoyed having a really good excuse to read all the children's books I wanted, but I didn't
get to read nearly as many as I had hoped. However, I don't think I will need as excuse anymore so I will read a bunch
more next summer. I will keep my list going and try to do better about reading in the categories I have shorted such
as, Folklore, Poetry, and Science Fiction. All of my classmates have introduced me to many new authors that I need to add
to my list of things to read.
The Literature Circle was a good experience overall. I now have an idea how it should
work. I definitely want to use this im class. After all in Charlotte Bradshaw's class there are sometimes three
different chapter books in the process of being read to three different groups during one week. I think that even if
we begin by using a read aloud we could ease the students into operating in literature circles about whichever book is being
read to that group as one part of Reader's Workshop. I will just have to keep looking for experience in this area and
articles on this topic.
It was good to get a chance to work at a middle school and get to know some real, live middle-schoolers.
They are a lot more inhibited than younger students which means it takes longer to get to know them. But they ceratinly
do have some really good thinking going on in their heads and it is really nice to get to share in it.
It was really great to get to hear everyone choice of author's and illustrators. I am
mush more interested in further looking into both. But even better is to have been presented with other peoples choices.
It's like grabbing the books on display. When it is put right in front of you and pointed out then finally you pay attention
to something you would never have looked for yourself and make really good discoveries.
I appreciated having UMA come and talk to us about books and share her knowledge as a published
author as well as her experience as a reader. I will be looking for whose voice it is and whose voice is hidden or silenced
and how does this author present the "other".
Thanks mush and good luck to all. Please don't empty your sites. I need to get som titles and authors off
of them.
