Professor and the Madman

• I can honestly say that I've always wondered how on earth the dictionary was produced. I always wondered how every word could be thought of and defined. I was intrigued to find that volunteers contributed. This will help when I compose my slang dictionary for our final. I can ask my students for slang words that they use, however, I have observed several. Just by talking with them and listening to them in the hallways, I can pick up on so much. I love my students and I love talking with them about their interests. I honestly communicate with them as much as I can. It is always school related, but some students like to just talk to me about their home or family, which I welcome. I will have no trouble composing my dictionary, so I doubt I will need to call for volunteers!
• At the beginning of this story, I kept thinking: "How did this lunatic become a doctor?" But then I realized, people are shaped by their environment and experiences. I do think that there was always something a little bit off about W.C. Minor and I think that was apparent since he was a child. However, his life undoubtedly caused his insanity. I was particularly saddened by his parental situation: his mother dying when he was child must have affected him psychologically and being sent away from his travelling family back to the United States is troubling. He must have felt horribly neglected and unwanted. I think that we need to be aware of these situations with our students and always make them feel welcome and appreciated, because horrible outcomes come from these feelings. It seems that the war was the biggest cause. I just read Kurt Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse-Five" for another class and I have concluded that absolutely nothing good can come from war. I was saddened when I read that even the author seemed to think that his madness was "triggered" by his experience as a surgeon where the brutality of war was visible.
• On a more positive note, he really was smart! I think that I can actually learn something from his genius. Clearly, I already know that reading increases vocabulary and I am obviously an advocate for the power of reading. But I was surprised to see that you can likely link Dr. Minor's intelligence to literacy and exposure to ethnic diversity as a child. Winchester says that "his father's printing tasks gave him access to literature and newspapers" and that he traveled a lot as a child, which resulted in learning many languages. Even in his room at the asylum, he built up a library and never stopped his interest in literature. I think it is incredible that one man compiled that many words to contribute to the OED. I guess he really stayed busy in there until his Schizophrenia got the best of him. How sad! However, that is an interesting history for his extended family to discover!

Follow-Up on "The Help"

I have finished! A while ago, I posted a blog about the book that I was currently reading, "The Help," by Kathryn Stockett. What an incredible story. My aunt, a school administrator, has requested that I tell my fellow INLA majors that she strongly advises you all to read this book, because many schools will be requiring students to read this for summer reading or even implementing it into their curriculum.

The story of these women and the mystery that unravels is just compelling. This is undoubtedly one of the best books that I have ever read. The movie (of course there is a movie!) is set to be released in 2011. The cast is composed of stars such as Twilight Saga: Eclipse star Bryce Dallas Howard, Sissy Spacek, and Emma Stone.

Please read! I promise, it won't let you down!

Image Grammar Ch. 9

• · Noden gives a scenario: Ms. Latimeer says, “Be sure to proofread. I won’t accept anything that isn’t thoroughly edited,” student Harvey Sloopwater glances at his three-hundred-plus-page grammar handbook in horror. I think that this happens to often! I remember teachers saying: “Make sure you proofread!” But we need to teach students how, using all of the “essential dimensions of revision,” and not just edit for conventions.
• · The short checklists were phenomenal. Noden provides the reader with so many tools. The combined checklist was great. I know that my students at Coventry would love this, because they LOVE knowing exactly what they have to do to get an A!
• · I wanted to point out that Mark Jamison, the teacher Noden talks about on page 185, is a teacher in Coventry, where I am student teaching. Although I am at the middle school and he is at the high school, my cooperating teacher has arranged for me to observe him for a few days. My cooperating teacher has told me that he is a phenomenal teacher, so his KSU student teacher, Sarah Beth, will go to my class and observe while I am in her class. Just an interesting little factJ.
• · Out of the strategies given, I loved strategy #2: Punctuate That That Is Is That. I think that my students would love this and it truly inspires thinking. This would really allow students to think about the meaning of a sentence and how punctuation shapes a sentence.

Image Grammar Ch. 5

• · The opening “experiment” on page 94, in which the reader is supposed to “mark the sentence as either C or I,” is so fun for the reader. This activity would be a fun way to show students that when you know the rules, you can break them. The sentences are great examples of how authors add power to their writing by playing with punctuation to create special effects
• · I’m not a professional writer, but I tend to use dashes for effect. I use medium separation (the dash) in emails, text messages, blogs, and informal writing
• · I have used maximum separation (the period) for dramatic effect, especially in Creative Writing stories. Last semester I wrote: “I looked at him. He looked at me. Tears filled my eyes. And he knew that I knew.” Clearly, I am no pro, but I think that breaking the rules helped me to create this special effect.
• · I love these strategies. All of them. I think that he makes it so easy for all of us who want to teach grammar in a fun way. My favorite from this chapter was Strategy 1: Play with Fragments and Run-ons. My cooperating teacher has a similar activity, because this is great for using description! Also, knowing how to use run-ons and fragments for effect may help students to understand when they are not appropriate to use.

Image Grammar Ch. 1

• · Noden states that “writing is not constructed merely from experiences, information, characters or plots, but from fundamental artistic elements of grammar.” I have been wondering for a while when we were going to really dive into this element, rather than focusing on generating writing and creativity. Noden says that students can employ the five basic brush strokes (1. The participle 2. The absolute 3. The appositive 4. Adjectives shifted out of order 5. Action verbs) to learn “the art of image grammar.” My cooperating teacher really works on adjectives and action verbs with our students. We play “verb charades” and write descriptive paragraphs that elaborate on a simple sentence, such as: “The kitchen was dirty.” Mrs. Sukie always welcomes my ideas, because she wants to make grammar as interactive as she can. This book and its strategies will be a great help to me!
• · Strategy 2: Explore Images from Films of Best-Selling Novels is such a fun activity. I’ve found that students really get excited when you incorporate movies, internet, or gaming. I used a Youtube clip and did a project using Facebook in my class, which really excited them. I loved seeing my students that energized and eager to learn. I liked the example using Jack London’s “Call of the Wild,” because it is something I’ve read! Since my students will be reading Rick Riordan’s “Lightning Thief,” it would be really fun to use the new movie, “Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief.” I’m sad to see that it won’t be released until the summer, but I can always find a great clip from the theatrical trailer!

Hungry Minds

• v This article shocked me when it stated that 1 in every 6 are hungry. How sad! One day when I was in second grade, my teacher asked me why I looked so sad and couldn’t do my work. I told her because I was “starving.” Honestly, there’s no way I was starving. My mother would never have sent me to school without feeding me. However, I remember the feeling! I had a headache because I was so hungry and all I could do was stare at the clock and wait for it to be lunch time. Mrs. Bosko didn’t allow that. She sent me down to the cafeteria with $.75 and told me to buy a cookie and some milk. Now that I am teaching, I think about Mrs. Bosko very often. I need to try to be that attentive to my students and know that they may be too hungry to sit in class. Perhaps it is just because they were super active the day before, or maybe they are in need like the people who went to the soup kitchen. I know many schools provide breakfast for this purpose, but the school I am placed in currently does not. If I do notice a student who cannot focus or tells me he is hungry, I can always give them a “Chewy” bar! They’re yummy, have nutritional value and are inexpensive!
• v I was interested in the proven topics that they wrote about in the workshops. I would have liked to see more of those.
• v I think that writing can be very therapeutic. I think that by using writing as a way to let my students relieve feelings, I will be better able to know them and meet their needs more efficiently.
• v Finally, I loved how they use a writing workshop to “kindly criticize” one another’s writing. That’s truly how you improve and build your writing. Also, a class anthology of students’ work is a great idea. Students can keep it to remember their own work, read the final works of their peers, and I could use it as modeling in the following years.

My Unit :)

I just wanted to share with everyone how much I LOVE TEACHING LANGUAGE ARTS! The most rewarding moments are when I see my students enjoying my lessons, or hear them in the hallways STILL actively discussing Greek Mythology. I am blown away when I ask students to summarize what we did the previous day, and they can do it. Not only that, but they are asking me questions and begging me to extend on Greek gods.

At this point, I am very comfortable teaching. My students are now comfortable with me, too. They freely ask me questions during work time and are eager to talk to me in the halls in between classes.

I encountered several problems in my lesson yesterday, all of which I worked through. I realize that this is going to happen while I'm just starting out, but unfortunately, they occurred during my first observation! Mrs. Stroh was understanding. She assured me that this unit is meant to be a learning experience and that I was being very hard on myself. However, I wish she could have seen today's lesson. It went SO well. I had timed everything perfectly and the students were fully engaged for the entire period.

I still have seven more days left, but I cannot wait until I am at Erwine every day next semester!

I finally feel like a teacher...

As I have mentioned before, I am so lucky to be at Erwine Middle School. The staff truly treats me like a I am a professional. I never feel like a student, except for when I am learning from them. Particularly my co-operating teacher, Mrs. Sukie.

Mrs. Sukie is wonderful. Every strategy that we are instructed to teach, she manages to incorporate into every lesson at all times. I was extremely flattered when Mrs. Sukie offered to let me teach some days prior to my unit in order to get acquainted with teaching the students. I was honored when she told me that she trusted me to teach her class far more than a substitute. Because of the grant Erwine received, Mrs. Sukie has had to be out several times. I have taken those opportunities to teach on my own! I have loved it.

I now know the students much better than I would have from just observing and I am familiar with their learning styles. Even though Mrs. Sukie has left me lesson plans, she has given me so much freedom to adapt anything. Because of this opportunity, I am comfortable and ready to start teaching my own lessons!

Koch- Chapter 1: "Beginnings"

• Two sentences in the introductory paragraph resonated with me most out of this entire book: "You've already got in mind some human situation that matters to you. You need nothing more," (3). In my Introduction to Creative Writing class last semester, my instructor used several prompts and exercises to help us find something to write about. I want to dot his, but focus on finding issues that students care about and want to write more about.
• Koch says to use a notebook "as a seedbed," (10). I would like students to have notebooks in class that students can use to produce informal writing, such as journals and responses to the prompts. However, I have talked about this with my mom, who was a high school English teacher prior to getting her Master's degree in Special Education. She said sometimes students would shock her with what they wrote in their journals, so it may be best to stick with prompts.
• Koch inspired me to think about my own childhood and what stories I can create from my childhood memories, since he says: "Childhood is, in every sense, the cradle of narrative." I can think of several moments in my childhood that have defined me, bothered me, inspired me, or just became a lasting memory. This is also a great place to begin with students in order to inspire some creative writing.
• Creating characters is something that can be very fun. Koch inspired me to think of some activities that my class can do with creating characters, such as: the entire class creating a character with a character web. The most important part would be to follow Kurt Vonnegut's advice about giving characters some sort of motivation, even if it's just the character wanting a glass of water.

Pleasure Reading

Although I am usually EXHAUSTED by the end of the evening, I usually read a page or two of whatever book I am reading at the moment. The book I am reading is not related to any of my classes, but it is just phenomenal. I needed to tell everyone about it!

I am currently reading "The Help." I have been told that soon enough, many high schools will use it as required reading. Lake High School in Hartville is one of those schools. It is about different women in the 1960's. It covers race, class, and gender struggles from each woman's account. Each of the women also have some kind of secret that keeps you anxiously turning each page.

If I wasn't so tired every night, I'm sure I would have flown through this book much faster! Has anyone else read it? It seems that this book is going to be very important!

Atwell- Chapter 1 (Always Beginning)

What I love most about Atwell is that she gives her students "freedom of choice." I'm learning how important that when working with 7-12th graders. In our class, when we did that rubric activity with cookies, we discussed why we should do that activity with students: to give them some power and some choice. Before Atwell dove into the writing workshop process, she asked her students: "Could you do this? Would you like to?" I think that giving students that kind of power helped the workshops to succeed.

Atwell states: "We found out that in-school writing could actually be good for something--that it could serve kids as a way to solve problems and see the world." That is the ultimate goal! I would love to do in-class writing that results in this way. However, Atwell explains that this was sort of a honeymoon phase and that it eventually gets more difficult. That's when she would ask them what they care about and I think my students at Erwine would really respond well to that. I'm sure many of my students have something to say to their reader and I think that they would tend to their editing so that the reader paid more attention to meanings.

My Dream.....

I felt like I was behind in some YA Lit, so I decided to do some summer reading. I read several Young Adult books and, surprisingly, liked all of them. I was not eagerly anticipating Harry Potter, because I had tried reading "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" when I was younger and decided that I didn't particularly care for it. After avoiding Harry Potter for nearly a decade, I decided it was time to try it again.

Well, I fell for Harry. I have never loved any piece of literature as much as I love Harry Potter. I read the entire series from late May-June, without stopping for a second. I even re-read the final three, just to soak it in, again!

My dream is to teach some of the Harry Potter series and then (drumroll, please) go on a field trip to THE WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER! I watched the opening ceremony and cried my eyes out. I wanted to be there so bad!

Can you imagine anything better? I can taste the Butterbeer.... sigh.

Atwell- Chapter 6 (Minilessons)

Nancy Atwell writes that giving short minilessons is similar to a pez dispenser of wisdom. Her analogy made me giggle, but her minilessons excited me! Atwell says that a minilesson is a "forum for students to share what they know and for us to figure out collaboratively what we know--to think and produce knowledge together and lay claim to it as a community." This is PERFECT for my 7th graders at Erwine. These minilessons were lessons that she used with her own 7th and 8th grade classes.

At Erwine, Mrs. Sukie has three groups of students that she sees for two consecutive periods a day. The first period is Language Arts, while the second is Reading. I will be teaching the Language Arts period for my unit, while Mrs. Sukie teaches the Reading Period. The students will be reading "The Adventures of Ulysses" with Mrs. Sukie, so she has asked that I create my Language Arts unit with a focus on Greek Mythology. I was THRILLED to see Greek Mythology and Philosophy minilessons on Atwell's list!

There were a few ideas that I especially loved:

• Reading myths (and translations) aloud
• "Read and discuss poems that allude to myths"
• Greek stems in English words
• "Listen to, discuss, write scripts for, and perform ten well-known myths."

• (This is the book that Mrs. Sukie will be teaching)
• (This book will directly follow)

Student Teaching

I love my school. I am lucky enough to be at Erwine Middle School working with the best mentors I could have ever asked for. My mentor teacher recently applied for a technology grant for the building and the school was given $250,000 to spend on technology! My classroom has an entire cart of brand new net-books to use. I was telling my mentor teacher about our Facebook project and she loved the idea. She wants to get started right away on a similar unit.

Right now, the students are reading Incident at Hawk's Hill, which I had never heard of. However, I am enjoying it and so are the students! I am so optimistic about this year. I am so thankful for this experience. I will continue blogging about my time in the classroom and I hope all of you will, too! I'd love to read about your experiences!

M. Myers- Recitation Literacy

From reading this blog, I understand that Recitation Literacy was meant to suit the social environment and needs of the time. However, after all that I have experienced at Kent State and from my few experiences in the classroom, I cannot fathom how anyone thought that recitation meant understanding. Experience based learning was second or third in the hierarchy. I can picture this classroom scenario, with students standing and reciting lines or writing lines repeatedly. That would be a horrible way to learn, because memorization means next to nothing.

I can remember going to a bible camp that would give you a candy bar if you could recite every book of the bible. Well, I did it... but I can remember about 1/4 of the books today. I have no idea what these books were about of what the names meant (but at least I got my Hershey bar).

I think that recitation still exists. Diagramming sentences and copying sentences is probably still done. However, I really hope we all know that experience and hands-on-learning is how we can help our students understand and apply meaning. Teachers are no longer authoritative sources of all wisdom, but guides to learning and discovery.

Jago Chapter 7- Literature, Knowledge, and the High School Graduate

In Jago’s Chapter 7 of Classics in the Classroom, Jago explains that she tried to make lessons meaningful to students’ lives. Jago states: “I look for ways to engage students in lessons where they apply what they learn from literature to more familiar circumstances, for example, an election.”

I loved that Jago had her students evaluate the characters of Julius Caesar as if they were possible candidates. This shows students what they would look for in a president. Since these are high school students, they will soon be voting and need to know how to evaluate a candidate. Also, giving specific examples from the text supporting their decisions is a necessary skill in analyzing literature.

I loved Jago’s text. It really inspired me to think about my teaching and my purpose as a teacher of English. I feel like Jago and I share the same beliefs about teaching English. Thank you for selecting this book, Dr. Pytash! I will miss you next year! Thank you for everything!

Final Reflection- Teaching Literature in Secondary Schools

This semester in Dr. Pytash’s methods course, I found my true teaching philosophy. Until this semester, I was petrified of student teaching. I truly was not prepared to teach and I felt horribly uncomfortable writing a lesson plan. However, I really did learn so much about creating lessons and teaching effectively.

I owe most of my discovery to the teaching metaphor. I tossed around different ideas all semester, but I did not love any of them. I thought they were all so impersonal and generic. Then, my dear friend Amanda Cox made it all clear to me. She said: “Just do something you love! Like running!” Well, I do love running! I made so many links between my teaching philosophies and running that I uncovered a few aspects of my philosophy I never even realized that I had.

What really eased my fears of student teaching was making lesson plans. I had made one lesson plan prior to this class, so it was such a relief to find that lessons don’t always have to take a week (or two) to create! This is not to say that careful planning does not go into making a lesson, but it is not as intimidating as I thought. I am so much better equipped with all of my resources and experience now!

I loved our classes on facilitating discussion. I think that I honestly know how to have a meaningful classroom discussion. The video with Yvonne Divans Hutchinson helped so much. It also helped to see her ease in the classroom!

I did my discussion with Lauren, and at first, things weren’t going as planned. I thought I had failed as a teacher for the first three minutes! However, I learned the importance of modeling. If Lauren and I would have shown what we expected, then it would have been much clearer and the beginning of our fishbowl discussion would have gone much smoother. Our discussion, once everyone figured out what we were doing, ended up being incredibly successful! Perspective taking seems to be my favorite way to analyze plot and character.

With all of the lessons that I created, the lessons of my classmates, and all of the online resources that have been shown to me, I think it is safe to say that I am ready to teach The Great Gatsby. I am so confident that I will be able to teach that book, because I know it inside and out! Jago gave so many strategies, too, that will help me to teach any novel.

The Literary Theory as Strategy assignment was so meaningful for me. It got me to think about what I want students to see when I teach a novel. I did Social Class, which actually revealed many of my beliefs that I truly was not aware of until this assignment. Somehow in the midst of writing this essay, I found my true feelings on our government, our society, capitalism, law and even immigration. This was important for me to make myself aware of my beliefs, but it was more important because I found that these strategies can enlighten students on their own beliefs and inspire them to be critics of their world. Which is what this semester was all about for me—I found that my ultimate goal is for students to be sophisticated readers and critics of their world.

Multi-Modal Literacies- Final Reflection

At the beginning of this course, I was not sure why I would be blogging on pop culture. Although, since I keep up, I did not have a problem with it! I later learned that everything multi-modal is text—books, movies, music, games, etc. I came to this realization through our Multi-Genre Autobiographies. That was one assignment that had several purposes. Since I am preparing to student teach in the fall, I am highly considering using this assignment. This project will allow me to get to know my students and what they like. I can also show them that they are all involved in literacy and literacy applies to their lives everyday.

I loved the activities that we did at the beginning of each class earlier in the semester. There were several others found in Dr. Kist’s book, also! I loved fun activities that get students moving, conversing and engaged in literacy. I was always scribbling the activities down as fast as I could so that I can use them when I teach! While “Pass the Pen” was hilariously fun, I loved the simulation game, the five clips with women, and the postcard pass the most. These activities, in my opinion, were a lot like critical literary analysis, especially the five clips of women. I would love to use that as a way to teach the “gender lens” of literary analysis. The Film Study Guide assignment did the same thing and is a great way to get students to think critically.

When Michelle Cahoon spoke to the class about Autism, I was thrilled to know that multi-modal literacy is a great strategy for students with Autism. After this class and Michelle’s talk, I feel like I am more equipped to teach students with disabilities.

The Wiki was one of the most meaningful assignments I have had at Kent State. I love that I looked for important qualities in the lessons that I want to teach and that everyone else did the same. It is also great that we can use them! I have already gone searching for some good ideas!

At the beginning of the semester, I was horribly afraid of student teaching. Yes, I am still nervous. But I have made tremendous strides in finding my beliefs and my teaching philosophies. I feel that with all of the materials that have been given to me and with my preparation, I am not only ready to take on student teaching in the fall, but I am ecstatic for my first day at Erwine Middle School!

Speaker: Michelle Rhoades Cahoon

In just 45 minutes, I learned so much about Autism. I work at a day care and I have had several children with Autism in my care. I have never been trained on how to work with those children, so it was sort of frustrating for me. Since my shift was in the afternoon, I was there for "play time," when the scheduled school day was over. There was no structure, just ripping the room apart as best as the kids could! I think that any child care provided needs to be provided with tools and resources in order to help the child maintain a comfortability and in order for the teacher to not lose her mind, because it is honestly frustrating when you don't know what to do.

I didn't realize how many people are affected by Autism. It showed me that I need to be prepared for what lies ahead, so that I can actually help ALL of my students learn.

Compare/Contrast “Naruto, Vol. 1: The Quest of the Ninja” and “American Borne Chinese”

I absolutely loved “American Born Chinese,” but I did not particularly like “Naruto.” I was worried about being able to read a graphic novel, since I have never been into comic books or any other graphic novels. However, “American Born Chinese” is a wonderful book for someone like me, who is just getting started with graphic novels.

Both graphic novels had great stories. Both stories were inspiring and very humorous at times. However, the “Naruto” storyline is one that is relatively overplayed. I’ve read too many stories about the trickster-orphan who goes on to greatness, it is sort of cliché. “American Born Chinese” had a story that has to do with real issues currently in the United States. On the back of the book, one critic compared it to Toni Morrison’s phenomenal (in my opinion) novel “The Bluest Eye.” I totally agree with that critic. I would teach “American Born Chinese” in my class, because it provides insight into the lives of Asian-American students. Through reading this, students can gain another perspective and critique the silly Asian stereotypes. This book has qualities that books of the Canon also possess, because through reading this book and books in the Canon, students may become better critics of themselves and of society. I think it is extremely important for students to not only be aware of stereotypes and complications of being an immigrant, but more important, to challenge the stereotypes and complications by learning to appreciate diversity and one’s culture.

The narration was simply placed in the boxes, where it was clear that it was narration. The balloons with dialogue were very easy to follow, also. However, the illustrations were so great, that the narration and dialogue bubbles were almost not even needed. I liked that the words were emphasized when necessary and that English-slip-ups were included. It was also effective to the portrayal of Chin-Kee that his R’s were L’s, and his L’s were R’s. The pictures were so well drawn that the story was totally clear to me. I especially liked the pane without any words at all, at some points, the illustrations drove the story. The large panes that took up the whole page were not only effective, but they made the book a super-quick read! I loved the characters and their illustrations. Chin-Kee, the Chinese cousin, was an exact depiction of common negative Chinese stereotype. The portrayal of the characters’ emotions was also very effective in the illustrations; perhaps my favorite was the frustration in the Money King’s face, it always made me laugh.

It sounds strange to say, but I liked the clean look of the page. There was a thick rim of white border on each page and thick white gutter that made reading the book easy and fast. In “Naruto,” I hated that the entire pages were covered in black ink. It was frustrating to me that the pages in “Naruto” didn’t have the same neat look that “American Born Chinese” (the color may have helped, too).

Clearly, I am extremely biased toward “American Born Chinese.” It deserved the manny awards it has won! I simply cannot put my finger on whatever has made “Naruto” such a hit. I had so much trouble figuring out how to read it. Once I had realized how it is meant to be read, I was still confused. There was too much going on in each page, my eyes must have gotten lost in the chaos. I researched and found that there are several volumes of "Naruto," there is a "Naruto" game, cartoons and it even a movie. I would recommend the book to students, however, because I know it is extremely successful and that others love it.

Gaming Guest Speaker

Evan Schwaab came to speak to us in class about gaming on April 5. I was so relieved that a student teacher was coming to talk to us about gaming, because to be honest, I know absolutely nothing about gaming.

Even when I was little, gaming has always been sort of foreign to me. I never had a Sega or a PlayStation. The most I can do is play Wii Sports, Sing It, and Guitar Hero. Those games do not have much to do with literacy.

I was amazed to see how much reading and intellect goes into the games. I never realized that games come with a full story to read and understand in order to play the game. The player uses literary strategies while playing, which leads to critical thinking (and that is the goal of English Ed!).

Like Dr. Kist said, it would be interesting to base an assignment off of a game, but it would be difficult to grade. However, it is possible to assess a gaming assignment in the same way teachers assessed students using "Oregon Trail" in elementary school. The teacher would have to know the game really well, and the player would fill out a worksheet documenting the stages and steps in the game. Questions could be formed for the game just as they are formed for a novel.

I Heart Novels

Mone's story is very inspiring to me. At this moment, I am in Introduction to Creative Writing and for the first time, I am writing my own fiction and poetry. This article was inspirational because it gives me the message that everyone has their own story to tell. I would use this an introduction to teaching creative writing, if I have the opportunity when I teach.

I can't believe that there is a cell-phone genre! We are so technologically advanced that almost anything is possible now. I love texting, believe me. I could text all day! I love to send out mass-text messages, too, just to say hi to my friends that I haven't talked to in a while. Even though I am sort of addicted to text messaging, I don't think it would be possible for me to write an entire novel this way. It blew my mind to learn that when Mone's novel was published, it was over three-hundred pages! This is something I know I could never do. They keys on my phone (and any other phone) are just too small for me to type a novel on. I have trouble writing e-mails from my phone because I get so frustrated with the 'shift' key and symbols. Usually, I just receive e-mails on my phone and send/respond on my computer.

However, I'm certain that I will have students that have either adapted to the keys on their phone better than I or will have more advanced phones that are easier to type on. Perhaps this is a possibility for my future students. I'll keep this article and I hope to use cell-phone writing when I teach!

Jago Chapter 5- How Poems Work

I’m not going to lie to any of you. I’m simply not good at poetry. However, I loved that Jago called explicating and making sense of a poem an “interpretative game” (Jago 90). Those two little words opened my eyes to how I want to teach poetry, by making it an interpretative game!

In college classes, I have struggled with poetry. Jago says that students need poetry, so I guess I need to get over my fear! Jago suggests that using familiar song lyrics will help with recognizing poetry and the elements of poetry. I can think of several songs, both pop and rap, that would be great, especially for teaching similes and metaphors!

Figure 5.1 was a great tool. Jago has students reread the poem that is being worked on and “fill in words or phrases that appeal to sight, sound, touch, smell, taste, and movement” (90). After working on this for about ten minutes, Jago reread the poem out loud and asked students to contribute their words and phrases. She would ask them what effect the image had on the poem and “little by little, image by image, comprehension of the poem emerges” (90).

I think that teaching poetry is what I need the most help with. The more tools and methods like figure 5.1, the better equipped I will be!

Jago Chapter 4- How Stories Work

I was pleased to see that Jago used Jack London’s “The Call of the Wild” on pages 63-65. This is the text that I randomly selected for our Canonical Wiki Assignment. Without knowledge and use of literary elements, the story is kind of dull. The story would be pointless unless the reader takes into account what “the call of the wild” means metaphorically and symbolically. It is pertinent to the story to understand why the author used Buck’s point of view, in order to understand the story.

I agree with Jago when she says that “The Call of the Wild” is a “difficult, challenging text.” However, I also agree that if the instructor provides scaffolding and guidance during the reading of this text, paying “critical attention to the elements of literature,” students will understand and even like this novel.

I think that I will adhere to Jago’s suggestion to keep the list of literary elements displayed in the classroom. Jago says: “Seeing the words daily helps students accept them as the natural language of literature study” (Jago 68). If students know and employ the words in their reading, discussions would be phenomenal and the students would comprehend and evaluate the text on a deeper level.

Also, I liked how Jago used Freytag’s Pyramid. Jago states: “Charting the course of the story can help students see how they are reading, unfamiliar as the characters and setting may at first seem, actually conforms to a pattern they know well” (67).

Jago Chapter 2- All About Words

I have three things to say in reference to Jago’s Chapter 2, “All About Words.”

#1—Poor Danny! I hope she used a pseudo name for him. Even if she did, I hope he never decides to become an English teacher and buy this book! However, it did make for a nice introduction into a chapter about words.

#2—I learned that the method that all of my teachers used is not the best method if the goal is getting students to know the vocabulary words. My teachers would give us a list of words and point us towards the large stack of dictionaries. Then, we would sit and define them. Viola! Then we knew the words! Just kidding. As Jago states, “learning language doesn’t work that way” (Jago 22).

#3 —Jago also states: “What teachers can do is help students develop habits for mind for approaching unfamiliar vocabulary” (Jago 22). I liked that Jago had her students use the “Personal Vocabulary List.” Using this is an inquiry skill that students can use later in life to make reading challenging tasks more methodical and easier. My favorite exercise was on page 37, when Jago had students chose words and write about someone they know who possesses the characteristic of the word. Developing a personal meaning is probably the best way to learn anything. Sharing with a partner and rating themselves using these words are also great parts of this exercise.

"Toe to Toe" Contemporary Film Review (Costanzo p. 299)

Click HERE to watch the trailer for "Toe to Toe"

I saw the movie “Toe to Toe” at the Cleveland Film Fest. This movie was about twp girls in their senior year of high school at a prep-school. Jessie had just transferred to a new school to escape the effects of her promiscuity at her previous school. She befriended Tosha, who lived in a rough part of town, and invested all of her time, energy, and hope into getting into Princeton. The friendship between the two girls soon fell apart, because of a boy. The rest of their senior year was spent fighting with each other.

Many girls can relate to the falling out of a friendship because of a boy. As soon as Jessie found out that Tosha liked this boy, she pounced on him. I’ve seen this exact storyline happen with my own eyes at my own high school to a friend of mine (in a much more innocent way, if that’s possible). This made me feel more sympathetic to Tosha. Throughout the film, it becomes clear that because of Jessie’s lack of guidance from her always absent mother, she was always seeking attention elsewhere. However, my sympathy still belonged to poor Tosha, because she was the one that was betrayed by a friend.

At times, the camera work was quite strange to me. At one point, the camera did a close-up on someone’s eyeball and I could not understand the purpose. In one scene, a doctor was telling Jessie that she had Chlamydia, but the camera focused on a close-up of Jessie’s emotionless face. Again, the purpose was not entirely clear to me. I think at that point in the film we had learned enough about Jessie to know that she was not phased. I would like to have seen the doctor’s reaction to Jessie’s reaction.

The actors were wonderful. I think that Jessie, played by Louisa Krause, was casted perfectly. She looked like an average girl that I would have seen walking around Kent’s campus. There was something familiar about her face, but when I looked her up at IMDB.com, she was not in anything that I would recognize her in. I think that I just recognized her as an average American girl with issues. Tosha, played by Sonequa Martin, was also casted perfectly. She looked tough, but there was a very feminine vulnerability to her (which was her Tosha's personality). All parts were played tremendously well, because I believed every second of this film.

Even though I think that this is a fairly common plot, it was very compelling. I often see or read about inter-racial friendships (usually rich white friend and a poor black friend), but there were so many other conflicts besides the black/white conflict. According to IMDB.com, the movie's tagline is: "Winning isn't always black and white." In Jessie's case, her workaholic mother was always out of town and often ignored Jessie and her need for guidance and stability. Tosha was afraid of the people in her neighborhood, but often tried to appear as a tough "street" girl to her privileged friends at prep-school. I was so invested in this plot, that I didn't look at my cell-phone at all to even check the time. There were too many conflicts to be resolved that I couldn't look away from the screen.

The many different conflicts were representative of the many different themes in this movie. It is in my opinion that besides the obvious black/white conflict, money is one of the main themes. Jessie and her mother had plenty of money, but not the happiness. Tosha's family did not have money either, which caused tension between Tosha and her mother because Tosha went to a prep-school and wanted to go to Princeton. However, Tosha had guidance from her grandmother, who loved her very much. Family dynamic was also a theme larger than money. Tosha, her mother, her brother, and her brother's child's mom all had a bond, but they fought often and forgot about each other, because of pre-occupation with themselves. Promiscuity and ego of teenagers is another issue. Many teenage characters smoked marijuana, drank alcohol, and engaged in sexual activity (usually with Jessie). This struck me as frightening, because I may be teaching students who are living this way.

This film was a drama. The film had many emotional themes and presented dramatic issues (such as sex, drugs and betrayal). It is my opinion that the viewer becomes more emotionally invested in a drama, because of the serious issues that are common in our society. According to filmsite.org, Academy Awards seem to be given to more Dramas than any other genre.

The film represented many different racial groups. Rashid was Arabic, and therefore, not supposed to be dating. However, he was engaging in sexual activity with Jessie (as well as illegal drug use) while pursuing Tosha. This led me to believe his ethnic group was being portrayed as suppressed and rebelling against the suppressed desires. African-American in the film were portrayed in a way which I had never seen. Many of the black characters had plenty of money, but they valued being "street." Men in this film were portrayed in the most negative of ways. They were all users. There was a very graphic scene at the end showing Jessie's point of view while all of the men in her life used her (and some taped it and took pictures). Even Tosha's brother was portrayed negatively, because he smoked marijuana and forgot about his child while the child's mother was working. The film also slightly touched on homosexuality, but not enough for evaluate the portrayal.

I was most challenged by the ideology that the African-American characters valued being "street." Tosha was beat up near her home one day by a local group of girls, but when she went to her school, all of the girls praised her for being in a fight (which Tosha claimed she won). I was shocked by this, but I also challenge the idea that black teens appreciate fighting.

From this movie, the most valuable lesson I learned is that when I teach, I need to know my students. Even the most driven students (like Tosha) have a lot to think about that will distract them from school. As a teacher, I need to look for warning signs in students like Tosha and Jessie. In Jessie's case, if I knew a students like her, and knew what was going on with her, I would give her more attention in class and try to develop a relationship with her in which I give her some of the attention that she was seeking with her mother. I realized from this film that teaching will not be easy, since school is not the only thing that will be on my students' minds. I am glad I had the opportunity to see this film and make this realization.

My Film Fest Experience

On Sunday, March 21, I went to the Cleveland Film Fest along with seven of my INLA friends! We met in Kent, drove two cars, and had lunch at the HardRock Cafe, yum! I was glad that we got to do this together, because once it was time to go see the movie, things got a little confusing!

At first, we were going to see "Love Hurts." However, Dave had found a movie called "Bomber" that looked funny and we all wanted a good laugh. So we got our "Stand-By" tickets and waited in the "Stand-By" line. The workers assured us that there would be plenty of seats and we would get right in. However, right as the film was starting, they announced that we couldn't get into the film and directed us to the place where they refund stand-by tickets. The workers directed the eight of us to another film, "Toe to Toe," instead. The film had already been playing for about five minutes and I think we must have lost some pertinent information in those five minutes. Nevertheless, I was pleased that we still saw a movie, even if it was not a comedy!

Unfortunately, I was not feeling well at all on Sunday. I felt horrible and I was not very much fun! I would have liked to go again and see a few other films. I have so many sorority sisters who would love this experience!

Film Study Guide Assignment

For the film study guide assignment, I chose the movie "Casablanca." I am so glad that I chose this movie. It is ranked #2 on the American Film Institute's Top 100 American Movies of All Time. The American Film Institute (AFI) were judged based on: length, language, critical recognition, awards, popularity, historical significance, and cultural impact. The 1942 film, starring Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart, was set during World War II.

Quotes like: "Play it again, Sam," "Here's to lookin at you, kid," and "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship" are often recited, but I have never been able to recognize them. Thanks to this assignment, I will now be able to recognize the amous quotes that come from this movies. Also, I have always liked the song "As Time Goes By," but now I love it because it is a little more personal!

I would HIGHLY recommend watching "Casablanca" the very first chance you get!

You're Leaving A Digital Trail

All I could think of while reading this article was how much Marcus Yallow would disapprove! In "Little Brother," privacy was what Marcus demanded. However, in our society with the internet and social networking, privacy is probably unattainable.

My boyfriend, Mark, does not have a Facebook. I think it is so weird! Almost everyone has one for good reason. He, however, had one and never used it. He goes to Xavier University, which is an incredibly small school, and said that many of his friends there don't have one either. Even without a Facebook, I can Google his name find out almost everything there is to know about him.

The final statement of this article suggests that perhaps this is a good thing, because we are creating a "global village," which is keeping up with the tradition of people throughout history living in "small tribes where everything they did was known by everyone they knew" (Dr. Malone).

Cleveland Film Festival

If anyone is interested, Amanda Cox, Marissa Covelli, Brittany Moviel and I are all going to the Film Festival on Sunday, March 21 to see "Love Hurts." The movie stars actors that you may recognize: Jenna Elfman (from the former sitcom "Dharma and Greg") and Janeane Garafolo (from "Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion"). It starts at 1:50 p.m., so we were considering getting lunch somewhere in Cleveland to make a day of it!

Just let any of us know either in a response, in person, or be e-mail! We'll arrange rides closer to the day. I hope some of you will consider going with us! It should be pretty fun!

Here is the link to the movie. Check it out if you may be interested:http://www.clevelandfilm.org/festival/films/2010/love-hurts

Costanzo- Chapters 5-9

What we did today (3/8) in class was what I liked most about Costanzo's text. At this time in Dr. Pytash's class, we are talking about reading using critical lenses (Marxism, feminism, new criticism). I think that the activity we did today with the portrayal of women is a great supplemental activity or a great preparatory activity to use. This activity was fun, because we used clips from youtube that I personally found humorous.

In chapters 6 and 8, Costanzo talks about theories of films, critiquing film, and representations in film. Analyzing and critiquing all of these things can make students better readers. I realize that we've been discussing film for two weeks, but it wasn't until we did the activity today that I understood what Costanzo was saying about using film in the English classroom. I am aware now that watching meaningful films can enhance the reader's ability to critique literature and society.

I am still not sure which film I will do for my study guide. I am incredibly sensitive and Amanda Cox advised me to beware of a few of the options. I have already seen "Bend It Like Beckham," so I am leaning more towards "Casablanca." My mom has this on DVD, so I would have access, and from what I have read on IMDB, this is probably the best movie for me.

2010 Oscars

I have been waiting for Oscar night to arrive ever since I heard the big news that STEVE MARTIN would be hosting with Alec Baldwin! I have always loved Steve Martin. When I was young, I loved the movies "Father of the Bride" and "Father of the Bride part II". Also, however inappropriate, "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" was another favorite since I was young. I love how he is not crude, not disgusting, but classically, honestly funny.

Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin did a wonderful job of keeping the crowd laughing and entertained. I thought that the joke between them and George Clooney was hysterical. I was laughing out loud!

I was happy to see that Sandra Bullock was the winner of Best Actress in a Lead Role, since she was won a "Razzie" for worst actress. That had to hurt her ego a bit, but she really was 100% believable as a deep southern woman in "The Blind Side," even though she is Canadian! You know she's got to be good to pull that off as well as she did!

Now, I am a very sensitive person. When I saw "Precious," I cried so hard that I nearly made myself sick. What that poor girl went through was unimaginable. The book, "Push" was written by Sapphire, who actually endured all of this and "Precious" is Sapphire herself. I thought that the Best Adapted Screenplay was well deserved. Mo' Nique was also well deserving of Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Although I just hated her in the movie, she played an abusive, mean, angry, but incredibly fragile woman to a tee. She was such a complex character, and Mo' Nique made her so real. It breaks my heart to know that people have lives like the one they lived.

I need to see: Inglorious Basterds, The Hurt Locker, Crazy Heart, and Avatar still! Then I will be fully up to date and can make judgments on the other winnings!

History of Facebook (Rolling Stone)

“Zuckerberg made that fortune by creating Facebook — now the sixth-most-visited site in the world — as easy to use and as addictive as any drug.” -- I think that the word drug is appropriate. Not only is Facebook as addictive as a drug for users, it seems like it may be something toxic and addictive for Mark Zuckerberg. I don’t believe that we will ever know the full truth of what happened between Zuckerberg and his friends, because there are two sides to every story. However, it seems like Zuckerberg is a capitalist.

It is crazy for me to think that while we’re all out here using Facebook without a second thought (I know I am), there is so much of this controversy behind the scenes. It is especially crazy for me to consider that he is only my age! I cannot imagine creating something like Facebook and maintaining ownership as it grows! I can only imagine what more Zuckerberg is capable of, considering how young he is. However, some young, brilliant college student will probably show up into the scene with something way more effective than facebook! As of right now, it seems completely impossible to me!

I'm So Totally, Digitally Close to You

I haven’t always loved Facebook. In fact, I was one of the last people to have one! I did not get a Facebook until late into my freshman year of college. I realized that I needed one when I went through informal sorority recruitment and realized that everyone communicated with each other using Facebook and I was missing out! So I got one and I found out how it can benefit my relationships.

As for the Status updates, I need them! I love reading the updates of my friends and family. It is so hard to maintain communication with high school friends, because we are all hours and hours apart! Status updates and relationship status changes keep me in the know. In the summer, it feels like we never had the communication barrier, because we are all so familiar with each others’ lives, all thanks to Facebook! I’m hoping that more of my friends get onto Twitter for this purpose. However, only most of my Kent State friends are using Twitter. Hopefully I can set that trend!

Creating Films in the Classroom

In my junior year of high school, my English teacher was a first year graduate from Kent State. She was phenomenal. We had so many activities that enhanced my experience and made plays like Macbeth and Hamlet much more memorable. For Macbeth, we were assigned to make a movie. We creatively made a newscast from Scotland, incorporating the plot and the characters. We had so much fun making the film together and I think that this is the reason I remember the film so well.

We did not pay much attention to shots, angles, lighting, and overall quality of the film.. However, it was the 2005-2006 school year. Honestly, times were different! Not everyone had a laptop with cool movie editing programs. We certainly did not! However, we made the film and loved it. We thought we just hilarious and the assignment was incredibly meaningful.

As for Hamlet, we watched the version of the film with Mel Gibson. I don't remember any special assignment that went along with the movie, but I did watch it and like it. When I came to college and took Intro to Shakespeare, I was an expert on Macbeth and Hamlet and more eager to read Othello and King Lear.

I think that making movies is a very meaningful activity that I will want to use with my students. The possibilities today with technology are endless. There is so much room for creativity. I can't wait to hear what Dr. Kist has to say about film in the classroom!

Costanzo- Chapter 1 and 2

The very first two sentences of this chapter intrigued me. Costanzo asks: Why see the movie if you've read the book? Why read the book if you've seen the movie?

The elements of discouse: light, color, framing, motion, sound, transitions, and acting tells the story in a more "sensory experience." I think that I am going to relate this to Twilight (big suprise, I know). New Moon is undeniably by favorite book of all time. When the movie came out, I was expecting to like it as I liked the first movie. But I didn't. I loved it. I adored it. It was a sensory experience like no other. There were many drastic changes that Chris Weitz, the director of New Moon, made from the original film by Catherine Hardewicke. The lighting, color and framing were different. Hardewicke used a blue-ish tint to make the actors look pale and that really bothered me! I was thrilled to see that disappear in New Moon. The movie was brighter, in a more realistic color that the original. The motion was more realistic, too. Yes, Vampires are insanely fast in the novels, but Hardewicke used it so much that it was hardly believable. Weitz subtly incorporated this into his film, making vampires a bit more realistic. The music in Hardewicke's film was creepy and eerie. I hate it. There was not supposed to be anything creepy about their love story. I was so happy to see that this was gone in New Moon, but they kept the theme, "Bella's Lullaby," which was softer and romantic. The acting improved, also. I was not a big Kristen Stewart fan at all after the first film. Her acting chops are not outstanding by any means, but I honestly believed her in New Moon. In Twilight, I didn't believe that she was Bella, but in New Moon, I loved her.

The Socially Networked Classroom-- Blogging

I love the endless possibilities with blogging. I would love to use blogging as a part of my teaching. It is fun, easy and a great way for me to keep up with my students and to possibly assess their work and understanding.

"The Socially Networked Classroom" gives so many ideas for blogs as a part of classroom instruction. I particularly liked chapters 3 and 4, because they gave specific activities and rubrics for blogging. I think I prefer to use Blogging as a response, as I am doing now! As for blog responses, I will definitely use the rules for blogging found on page 55. Response was something I was concerned about, but he ground rules are simple, it's all about respecting the classroom community!

What I love the most about this book is that it offers very specific activities. Since I have yet to teach, I need these ideas! Eventually, I'm sure my creative juices will begin to flow and I will be able to create fun activities with these. But until then, thank you Dr. Kist for giving such fun activities to use in my future classroom!

Twilight Has A Strong Internet Connection

If anyone claims to know me, they know I love Twilight. I became a woman obsessed in Fall of 2009 and I eagerly anticipate the release of "Eclipse" on June 30! Although I basically know everything there is to know about Stephenie Meyer, I love reading about her. I love that she is so connected to her fans, because she has a ton of them! She tends to be so upfront with them about everything, which I know I surely appreciate. Meyer openly talks about "Midnight Sun", which is "Twilight" from Edward's point of view. She openly discusses how she let only three people read the draft, but one of those people illegally leaked the draft onto the internet far before it was ready. Meyer was personally hurt by being exploited by someone she considered a friend, that she delayed completing "Midnight Sun."

On her site, Meyer includes the links to her fansites. She talks about her characters, what inspired her to create them, how she named them, and what actors she imagined would play them in the movies. One of my favorite things that she does is includes a playlists that she listened to as she wrote. Every question that a "Twilight"er (or as I like to call us, Twi-hards) would have.

Jago Chapter 6- Lesson Design for Classical Literatureq

This chapter was long and it had a lot of information in it. This was one of the most valuable things I have read. I am getting nervous about teaching in a fun and effective way, but reading this chapter and taking in all of Jago's ideas comfort and inspire me.

On page 142, the advice on how to read the Odyssey from previous students could be used for any difficult text at all. That is something I will give to my students and reinforce every day that we read a difficult text. Hopefully, students will give and take advice from each other, even though I will be doing my best to accomplish these in class!

The comprehension tools were valuable to me. I read "The Oddyssey" in high school. Even though I was considered to be an advanced reader, I could have used some of these tools. The chart of of Greek Gods would have been useful, especially if it was "prominently displayed in the classroom for easy reference," the way the one in the book was. The list of characters, character web, and map of Odysseus' journey were great activities that will help not only struggling readers, but the advanced readers to better comprehend the text.

The activities for analyzing were great, too. The activity titled "Understanding Epic Similies" was great, because students worked together in a way that allowed them to really think deeply about the characters and events in the story. This is the reason why I liked all of Jago's activities.

I also liked Jago's grading philosophy and use of quizzes. I know that I will be keeping this book for sure, but this chapter really reaffirmed this decision. I can use these activities for any text, really. These activities also encourage me to create some on my own that have the same relevent levels of thinking.

Jago Chapter 3- Choosing Which Books to Teach

Choosing which books to teach has been something I have been contemplating for about a year, now. In high school, I only read about a handful of these texts that we talk about in class. I've also been worried that I'm personally biased towards the ones that I have read, therefore, I may be more inclined to teach them if I loved them. From reading this chapter, I have learned that it may be okay to do this. As long as I have a solid belief of why my specific students should read this book, then I will have the "stamina," as Jago calls it, to pull students through the difficult text and "reach the heart of the matter," (p. 39).

Jago gives a good list of criteria when deciding to teach a text, if it is not already decided for you. I think that the most important qualities of classics are: "expose students to human dilemmas," "include compelling, disconcerting characters," and "challenge readers to reexamine their beliefs." However, all of the criteria makes the classics exactly what they are: classics! I have come to the conclusion that I need to get to reading! I have never read Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, I guess I should! I hope to read everything on these lists so that I can be as prepared as I can be!

Jago Chapter 1 - Seven Guiding Principles for Literature Teachers

I want to begin by saying that I really like this book. Everything she is saying is everything I've been wondering!

One main idea that hit me came from Jago's second guideline: "Don't confuse reading for pleasure with the study of literature," (p. 4). Jago sees popular, young adult fiction as mirrors, because they reflect "students' own experiences with parents, peers, sex drugs and alcohol," (p. 5). It is my personal philosophy that students need to see that they can identify with these characters in order to recognize that they are not alone in the struggles of adolescence. Also, as Jago notes, it is better to have students reading popular fiction than to not be reading at all.

However, Jago says that students also needs books that will act as windows, that "offer readers access to other worlds, other times, other cultures," (p. 5). This is exactly how I have always felt about reading the classics. Yes, reading Twilight is an obsession of mine and I do enjoy most young adult books, but the classics have made me a more well-rounded person. Because of books like "The Grapes of Wrath," "Uncle Tom's Cabin," "Native Son," "The Old Man and the Sea," "The Great Gatsby," "Pride and Prejudice," and "Wuthering Heights" that have made me criticize politics, society, religion and human nature. When I say "criticize," it is not necessarily a negative thing. However, I have formed my own educated belief system and opinions mainly based off of books.

This is why I want to have a fair balance between books that serve as mirrors and books that serve as windows. Both are so important to the students that I will teach, because I want them to enjoy reading and find comfort in literature, but I also want them to become more critical society in order to form their own beliefs and opinions the way that I did.

I hope to incorperate Literature Circles into my classroom as a way of reading young adult novels. This is a way to get students to read the books that serve as mirrors, but to also scrutinize a text and look for important literary elements.

Multi-Genre Literacy Autobiography

I knew from the first day of class that this would be a fun assignment! After our very first class, I went home and compiled tons of pictures for my presentation. At times, it was difficult to remember all of the books that I loved when I was younger, so I called my grandma for a little help! When I was younger, my grandma worked at a children's bookstore on weekends (she was a special education teacher for Akron Public Schools during the week). She remembered ALL of the books that I loved when I was younger, but there were so many that I could not include even half of them!

I would love to do this with students. I think this fun project will do for them what it did for me: -Allow me to recognize what shaped my tastes, recognize how literacy has impacted my life, look appreciate pop culture currently and how it affected my childhood, to take suggestions from other students' presentations, and to appreciate/ explore the diverse tastes and favorites among students.

Here are some books that my grandma reminded me of that I did not include:

Vf's: AN ORAL HISTORY OF THE INTERNET How the Web Was Won

It was incredible to see how to origins of the internet lie so early in time. I couldn't believe that the development began in 1950. To me, 1950 sounds like a completely different time. I wasn't born until 1989, so clearly I don't remember most of the events in the 80's and early 90's. I do, however, remember the days when internet was not too common. My family didn't even have a computer for a long time, I even remember having a typewriter! We were all a bit behind in Hartville, Ohio!

My family didn't have internet until I was in 5th grade. We had AOL, and "You've Got Mail" was just music to my ears. I feel so old being able to say that, since my younger sister, Delaney (10) and my little brother, Tyler (7), are totally internet savvy-- but they have never heard the computer say "You've Got Mail." I also feel old remembering this and Napster. Delaney and Tyler are so lucky that they are already so familiar with the computer and the internet. It was help them in the future! Although, I do think that knowledge of the internet is a norm for children today. Delaney has her own laptop, as many of her friends do, as well. I can't even imagine how my future children will be with internet and advances!