EDRG 3321 T/R

This is the last blog I am going to do for this class. I want to say that I have enjoyed this class. I feel I've learned alot of useful information to use when I become a teacher.Thank You Professor Pickett. I hope you enjoy your holiday vacation!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Last of the Presentations T/R EDRG 3321

Today we had the pleasure of seeing the last of the class Genre Presentations. I enjoyed the Multicultural one. I think their group did a very good job and they were very creative in presenting their work. I also enjoyed the final group. I love the fact that they both incorporated music.I think the game was fun. I was really impressed with all of the different approaches the different groups took to get the message of the material across.I like the fact that we were allowed to think and plan OUTSIDE OF THE BOX!Hats off to instructors that encourage creativity and individuality! I'm glad to say that you guys are my fellow classmates. It's been a great year. I've really enjoyed this class. I hope to have more classes with everybody in the near future. God Bless you guys and have a good night!I hope everybody aces their finals!The above books can be found at this website for multicultural food books for childrenhttp://news.bookweb.org/graphics/articles/200703/fft-front-window.jpg The mystery books can be found by googling or yahoo children's mystery books. There are quite alot of them.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Everyone is familiar with The Hungry Caterpillar,I'm sure. I just became familiar with who the author is. His name is Bill Martin. He is also responsible for the young children's book Panda Bear Panda Bear etc. He works with Eric Carle and they collaborated for these works.http://www.tower.com/polar-bear-what-do-you-hear-bill-martin-hardcover/wapi/100331526

EDRG 3321 T/R Author Profile

One author that I've never even heard of is Mercer Mayer.He is a children's author who writes books for aesthetic use.One of the titles "Me Too sounds like a good book to read to my 9 year old. She can't for the life of her understand why her 5 year old sister wants to do everything she does. I plan on getting my hands on this one as soon as possible!

EDRG 3321 T/R Author Profile

I was looking for some authors to introduce and I came accross Terry Deary,the author of Horrible History. the series has been around for 10 years so it must be at least decent.I don't know what it is about but it seems like it might be humorous,to say the least.Some of the other titles are not in the series but sound interesting. These books are about Christmas. These tales are written by different authors.The three authors that are named are Gillian Cross, Gary Kilworth and Robert Swindells.Another book that I saw is Santa's suit. This book seems more suitable for younger children The website I found this book is as follows.http://www.mumandworking.co.uk/images/promos/santas_suit.jpg

EDRG 3321 T/R

Another author that was mentioned in the same blog was Catherine Mcphail.Her website is http://www.edirectory.co.uk/book_megastore/mia/d/granny+nothing+shrunken+head/pid/2895935 In just reading the first part of her description of herself, I was entertained. She has alot of funny figures of speech that she uses, She seems really funny. Iam going to check out some of her books too. She has one that caught my eye. It's called "Granny Nothing"

Author Profile 3321 T/R

Another author I ran across in my search is Vivian French.This author writes childrens books Her website is easily found by typing her name in as a children's author.She wrote the "Tiara Club"

Author Profile T/R EDRG 3321

In my search for authors I came across a lady named Catherine Forde She wrote the book "FAt BOy Swim' She seems to write books apprpriate for older students. Some of the titles are "SugarCoated"http://www.abebooks.com/author/Catherine-Forde/11130571 She may be an interestin author. She is award winning.

EDRG 3321 T R

November is gone. We are now in December. I hope everyone had a great mini vacation. I'm sure everyone is looking forward to the end of this semester. It has been an experience I'm glad I've had. I was impressed today by the broken Fairy tales presentation. It was cute. It showed that each of the members put their share in. I also enjoyed the Giving Tree.Hang-man was a fun game as well. I know that my special ed kids who are in 7th and 8th grade enjoy word parts as long as it's incorporated into a game.I was looking around to find some authors. I went ahead and looked up Lemony Snicket. His real name is Daniel Handler. Here is the website. It looks like an interesting website.http://www.lemonysnicket.com/author.cfm Daniel Handler is the author who goes by the pseudoname Lemony Snicket.When I have time,I plan on exploring it as well.

EDRG 3321 TR

Today we got to do our genre presentation.. I really hope everyone enjoyed it and I hope that everyone was able to connect with it on some level.I'm so glad that the days of just doing papers is history.I hope that my time at Texas A & M will be enriched with innovative and out of the box thinking professors. It really does make our learning more fun and it causes us to remember what we learn.I think it's really neat how each person in the different group gets the chance to contribute their vision and how everything can work together to support one central theme. I really did enjoy working with my partners throughout the semester. Come to find out everybody in our group is very talented at drawing.Myself on the other hand, well I couldn't draw flies LOL. So I appreciate everyone being gracious and allowing me to share my passion for singing.I am going to post a few books on this blog just for some suggested reading. I will go ahead and try to include our anthology, if there are no copyrights involved if not I will give Katherine Patterson's website.I was surprised when I saw the number of books this woman has written.I am going to add her website so that anyone who would like to explore some of her works can
Here is one of the websites that shows a video and her books.http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/paterson I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving. God Bless You. Good Night.

Books by Elise Broach

This week is Thanksgiving week and the kids are at home and already bored. I need to go to the library and pick up some books for them. I was looking through some children's authors and came upon Elise Broach She has one cute looking book called when Dinosaurs came with everything. I am going to try to put the picture of the book on the blog.Ok Maybe that isn't such agood idea. I will do this instead, She also has a book called when Dinosaurs lived in my back yard. I will copy and paste the web address for all who are interested. I think I might go get these two for my 5 year old.http://www.multcolib.org/summer/kids/covers/whendinos.jpg
Happy Thanksgiving!

EDRG 3321 TR Author Profile

One of my favorite authors when I was little was Judy Blume. I loved her fudge books. He reminded me of all the things I shouldn't do if I didn't want to get a spanking. I was almost an only child,the way I lived and it was an adventure to think about being in Fudge's shoes and to try to imagine what it was like to have siblings living with me. All of my siblings lived elsewhere. I was the product of a second marriage. Here are some of her books.Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

EDRG 3321 TR

Today we saw the first genre presentation. The story was a chinese folktale. I was impressed with the movie maker feature that was used and the collaboration that was unmistakably obvious. I think the presentation goes to show how far you can go when everyone is on the same page and everyone works together toward one goal. I could also see that everyone involved had fun in creating the finished product.The preceding are a few other folktales I found. The first one is from INdonesia. We all know the importance of using multicultural literature in our classrooms. I think the choice for the first genre presentation was very good. I also liked the group participation option. Great job ladies very creative!Unfortunately none of my pictures came on I guess I'll just give the website this time.http://digitalart.org/images/artwork/0059000-59276/childrens-illustrations/indonesian-folktales-2.jpg

The End is Near! EDRG 3321

I can't believe this semester is almost history. It is amazing how fast time flies! I will read some of chapter 11 but I guess we've already covered most tof that material. I guess today is agood day to expose some more childrens authors and the books that make them famous.These are some books by Janice Herrington. They are about change it seems. That would be good to have in the classroom for children who are forced to move around alot and don't feel thay have a firm foundation.

EDRG 3321 TR

I was looking through Blackboard and I accidentally came upon the posting for this week's blog. The information about the little girl Sarah who was studied is so interesting. I found myself reexamining how I deal with reading to my 5 year old daughter. I also was very intrigued by the way she(my daughter)always seems to talk to herself. After this morning's discussion about self talk I totally am not going to get after her to be quiet. It is so interesting the way every day is a new day for learning. I want to make sure that I make learning fun and a time to look forward to for all of my kids. I will also try to implement that in the classroom through read alouds and discussions. I really did come away informed. I found myself giving more effort to make Felicity,my daughter be more involved with the reading. I was amazed by the little girl Sara,who essentially became her younger sibling's teacher and knew exactly what to look for in the assessment she was unwittingly conducting. What a world of discovery I am going to make available for my kids. There are so many books like The Hungry Caterpillar. Here are a few other titles to use for read alouds,especially for early readers!Alot of these books are advanced for the older students as well.

Informative,yet enjoyable

This a book on Judy Garland from child hood to adult hood
This week we have been delving into non-fiction.When I think of non-fiction books,usually large,bulky,hard to carry and boring comes to mind. I have in the last week found that those adjectives may not be entirely fair.The examples given by Professor Pickett actually sounded interesting.When we were talking about the different types of non fiction books there are out there we started talking about the different personalities we were intrigued by. My first choice was Judy Garland because I know a little of her story and I've always battled with my weight like her. She also sang like a bird. I love to sing myself.My second choice was Shirley Temple becacuse she as well was an entertainer.I really looked forward to a book for either lady. Natalie had a chance to go to her elementary school library and find the biography of Shirley Temple Black. It was extremely interesting.I almost finished it. When we ran out of time I was on the last page. I did get to learn alot about her. I also found out that she was one of the first advocates for breast cancer. She even had the press come for a bedside interview after her surgery. She spent most of her life helping others by working for causes She made sure to encourage women that if they found something that seemed not right to check with their doctor. She went into politics unsuccessfuly but she still kept on. She is still alive today.The book I read today is very interesting. I am not usually into non fiction but this is non fiction you can get in to.

LIT 3321 T/R Some Favorite Fiction

Fiction is one of my favorite genres of writing.I like the way the characters become real when you read about them. One of My favorite fiction stories deals with a much deeper theme than Once upon a time or happily ever after. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee tantalizes your senses with suspense,Childhood imaginations,the issue of prejudice and murder all rolled into one.This was one of the first books that affected me in so many different ways.I have mentioned in past postings the fact that I've never been an avid reader.With this book, reading it caused me to want to watch the video.The imagination that Scout and Gem had were so difficult for me to visualize. The ham suit for instance was so hard to imagine, until I saw the video.After I saw that I was able to read it with more enthusiasm.Another work of fiction that I enjoyed was "Where The Wild Things Are".I finally got to read it. I recommend it to anybody. It is so awesome, the use of this boy's imagination. It was very enjoyable. It left me wanting more! Maurice Sendak was on to something for the generations to partake of and enjoy!There are so many wonderful works of fiction that I have had exposure too.I am sad to say I haven't appreciated reading and these books as much as I have in the past few months. Something has been ignited inside of me and it has changed my outlook on reading. I now look for the opportunity. I am also sad to say that too many times I don't have much success in finding the time to read.Hopefully after I have completed my degree plan I will be able to spend more time reading for leisure.Another book that I absolutely could not put down wasn't by a children's author. The book "A Cosmic Christmas" by Max Lucado is a very good account of the Christmas story. It brings it in such a manner that it is appealing for all ages.http://childrensbooks.about.com/cs/authorsillustrato/a/sendakartistry.htm The preceding is website for Maurice Sendak

The website for Harper Lee is as follows http://www.gradesaver.com/author/harper-lee/

The website for Max Lucado and "A Cosmic Christmas is as follows
http://catalog.ebay.com/Cosmic-Christmas-Max-Lucado-1997-Hardcover-Illustrated-/690448 Have a blessed night. These are the two books I mentioned. I strongly suggest reading them they are very good reads.

Ch 7 and class reflections Lit 3321 TR

Owl Moon is a picture book by Jane Yolen. It is a book that teaches about snow and winter. It would be good book to consider reading in the classroom around the holidays. It would also be good on cold and dreary days like today started out.

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The Littlest Angel seems like it would be a good picture book to have in your classroom. It is written by Charles Tazewell It was first published in 1946 with a new edition in 2004.


I also found Julia Donaldson. She is the author of children's picture books. Gruffalo is one of the books written and illustrated especially for ages 2 and up.So us adults can enjoy it as well!

Lit 3321 TR Some reflection from class and chapter 7.First and foremost I love to look at pictures in books. Unfortunately I can't draw flies. That is o.k I will leave the drawing to the experts. I do however need to have some words to accompany the pictures or I get bored. Go figure. Nothing like that happy medium. I was reading through the chapter and some of the misconceptions that often occur about picture books. I don't think they just have to be considered to be for children only.I know that if Professor Pickett would have taught me early in my life my attitude about reading would have been better.Here I am a junior at a University and she has already changed alot of my feelings about reading. She is very passionate in the way she shares books.I want to be like that when it comes to my students.It is so different these days compared to when I was in school.When I was in school nobody really did book walks. At least I don't think they did. If they did they probably didn't call them that.They might have introduced the book but not in the way we as teachers should.I liked the visual objective in class today. We got to see the usage of lines as discussed in the power point. We also discussed the usage of colors. Bright colors for cultural references as well as light,calming colors to help create a mood for the reader.It was interesting to me to find out about the different workings of illustrations.The illustrator makes sure that the pictures mirror the situation that the character or characters are facing at the given time and often each illustration.The thing about books without words is they are an invitation to creativity. In the chapter it is discussed that many teachers used illustrated books without words to allow children to create their own story. I guess in that context I would be more receptive to wordless books. It would give me a chance to be creative if I wouldn't have such a hang-up about the subject of only pictures. Well,I guess that is a new goal for me to learn to enjoy and create with picture books.One of the last ideas expressed in the chapter was my favorite subject Drama. I love the chance to act it out.In retrospect those wordless books would really help me in a lesson planning endeavor.I would require the students to create and act it out. I'm sure that would cover quite a few TEKS (JK). To sum it up I think illustrations play a huge part in whether a book is approachable.This is especially evident in young children. I know when I have seen children flipping through a book for selection they all more than not do select the book with more illustrations. I know I always have. Now what that says about me I guess I'll let you be the judge. I do know that I don't want to be a hinderance to my students in their learning by not being enthusiastic about reading.I want to make my enthusiasm obvious!Have a blessed day.

Which path to choose

Lit 3321 TR Boy Oh Boy was I surprised about the origin of Little Red Riding Hood. The Grandmother's Tale was quite a bit more interesting than the rather repetitive fairytale.The story I heard as a child was a moral story. It carried with it the warning: Don't talk to strangers ever. I hated the fact as a child that the wolf had outsmarted Red Riding hood by getting to Grandmother's house before her.I can honestly say that the story I heard as a child made it definite in my mind to never do the very dangerous thing (talk to strangers.) I was told countless times by all the adults in my life and this gave me an example of what can happen if you disobey that cardinal rule. My favorite part of the original is when the girl in symbolism becomes a very decisive woman. She decides she is not going to let the wolf get the best of her. She then turns the tables on him. Bye Bye Wolf man (Boy, What a Sicko he was!)

LIT 3321 TR On tuesday we learned about traditional literature. I was able to go to ,the library and find some. I found a book on legends and myths of monsters. I ,thought it was interesting. It just so happens that the creature that Professor Pickett was telling us about is in the book. She had made mention of an Irish monster called the Banshee.Boy she is not pretty at all.I know if I ever get the privilege to go to Ireland I hope and pray I don't have the privilege to see the Banshee LOL. I found it interesting about the west as compared to the east. The different customs and legends are interesting to compare.The difference in the significance of three in the west and four in the west.I ,though Anansi was a really cute story. I think it serrves a purpose for all cultures. I think that would be a good boojk to sheare with a child who has been made to feel like they are different or that they don't belong. It brought to mind a song about an ant who was trying to move a rubber tree plant. It is really cute.I was interested in the actual fairy tales that Professor Pickett was telling us about. They are quite dark though. I bet it would be interesting to research the origins of some of our most beloved fairy tales.

What an Eyeopener

LIt 3321 T/R Wow!What an enlightening point of view. Everyone should listen to the words of the wise. The time that these older people have spent on the earth gives them the right to express their views to the younger generations. I love the way Maya Angelou Recited the poems. I was totally effected by the Shakespeare sonnet when she recited it with such poise and feeling. It is amazing that God has given us a human ability to cope with life situations. He has equipped us all with a different adaptability. Maya was candid in explaining how reading for her was a kind of escape.Reading the books that were availabe to her allowed her to work through the difficulties that were imposed upon her. I thought it was so innocent and childlike when she all but claimed the authors as her friends. NOt by talking to them but finding a common ground to identify with them. I think she was truly blessed to have such a supportive family unit to allow her to work through the horrible experience and the post trauma it caused. I can't imagine and would never want to experience being mute for 1 year much less six. It seems to me that the reading that she did and the authors responsible helped to get her voice back. when I think of my childhood experience I wish I would have been able to use reading as a sort of escape. As we all can see reading helped to prevent destruction of a brilliant mind. I was touched by what she had to say. I tried not to show it too much. The video awakened a hunger in me to be the difference in the children's lives not the addition to the problem. I know that my past experiences are going to help me to identify these traits in the students I will have the opportunity to teach. I enjoyed the wisdom and talent that she portrayed in such a profound way. Her feelings and attitude about our young people really did hit home. I've always loved poetry bbecause I love music and I could sometimes sing it. I also have written afew pices through the years. I would love to be as passionate as MAya Angelou. Thank You Professor Pickett for sharing it with us. I for one feel blessed.

Author Profile E. B. White

Lit 3321 T/R when I think about children's authors I don't have a very long list of familiar names. I automatically think of E.B.White."Charlotte's Webb" author. That book was a coming of age book for me> I read it(Well Sort Of read it in 5th grade. I got to see the movie and it hit home right away. I remember crying when Charlotte died. I don't know much else about E.B. white so let's explore shall we.I know what your thinking....or maybe I don't but anyway. what I thought you were thinking was why explore an author who has already passed away? The only thing I can say is while Mr. white is gone is wonderful writing lives on and on through generations. Isn't that a neat concept. So should we all become authors of wonderful literary works so that when we're gone we won't be forgotten? i think if we have been gifted in some capacity or another we should utilize those gifts. E.B. White lives on in his books and children for years to come will remark about his experience prompted writing.Here is the link to the website:http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/contributor.jsp?id=3410 Have a blessed day.

Author Profile : Shel Silverstein

I have been hearing a lot about authors this semester. In fact I have probably never heard more about authors in my life. That is of course due to the fact that I have decided to make my concentration in reading. One of the authors I've been hearing about is Shel Silverstein. I can be honest with you and tell you that I hadn't ever heard of him before I was in Professor Pickett's class. I think it was Natalie and Professor Pickett who were very enthusiastically discussing his work.I decided I want to know about him and I will pass on what knowledge I get about him along with the link for his website.http://www.shelsilverstein.com/play.asp He has apparently affectionately called himself Uncle to his readers and has been told his books are too adult for children Intrigued? That intrigues me. I'm just a little hesitant because I don't like sad stories. I try to read the ones with happy endings. That isn't reality though and I really do have to change that. I need to realize that the children in my class might like the stories. If I consider them I wont be such a crybaby about sad endings.

Author profile: Beverly Cleary

Lit 3321 T/R I am looking on the internet to get these children's authors names. I am not familiar with many of the children's authors because I don't read alot.I came accross the author Beverly Cleary. I know it sounds familiar for a reason. I'm going to look up her website and see if I have read any of her books.O.K. ApparEntly I've not read any of her books. Maybe she sounds familiar because I should have. Well, If it's any consolation I guess I'll try to get ahold of a few of her books too. Her website is designed for children. It is bright and colorful. Here I'll let you be the judge.http://www.beverlycleary.com/index.html Maybe if someone comments on this blog they can let me know what they think.From looking at some of the book covers and characters,they look like good choices of literature for public schools.

Author Profile

Lit 3321 T/R I was recently watching a movie I rented on DVD. One of the previews I noticed had all types of interesting creatures in it. I remembered while i was looking for book covers and authors, I had seen a book by Maurice Sendak thart it reminded me of. come to find out it is based on that book "Where The Wild Things Are". Now, more than ever I want to read it. I know it's probably a real popular book,but we have covered that in earlier posts, I'm not aesthetic yet working on one.I decided that if they're to make a movie based on it it is probably a good book. I don't know if I'm wrong to assume that. I guess I will find out. I do know that Maurice Sendak is an acclaimed author and illustrator. I'm going to get that book "Where The Wild Things Are" as soon as I get the chance.I think I'm going to use it to read to my five year old. I think she might like it. Have a Blessed day.Here is Maurice's link http://www.mauricesendak.com/

Chapter 4

Literature 3321 T/R Chapter four is a very interesting chapter. It explains further what we have learned about children's interest in reading.Most children want to read stories that not only interest them, ,but that they can identify with. The book gives some good suggestions like Professor Pickett made about how to select books that your children will read.I think the chart on pgs. 64 and 65 will be a good guide. It is important to find books that are of the appropriate levels of development,so as not to discourage or frustrate young readers.The chart on p 68 and69 is a guide for older children with choices of age appropriate selections.P 70 covers Middle School, students and age appropriate books, with expected levels. The chapter also covers the types of books that boys and girls read. The chapter further explained that more books are read by both boys and girls. The chapter mentioned that alot of the books read by books are also read by girls. This is not the same for boys reading books girls read.When I am a teacher I'm going to try to read alot of books so that I can be filled with excitement about the books.According to the chapter,young readers,especially adolescent girls are influenced by their peers in their reading selections.The reason why I want to be well read is because my being excited about the books can help encourage them to have a sense of expectation about the books they may not have if I give a reading assignment and I don't sound enthusiastic about it. Another rule I'm going to abide by is to research the cultures of my students. I'm going to strive to get all the books I can to appease all of the different cultures represented. The text made mention that children relate to books based on their culture.I would like to have a class full of aesthetic readers. I myself have rarely read for enjoyment. I guess I'm kind of envious of my friends who do have that luxury. I know that if my students enjoy reading I know it will be easier for them to succeed. After all reading,fluently,and with comprehension is the gateway to all learning and success in education.One example in mind is the research that was done with the Alaskan native children. Not everything we deem natural is natural to everyone. We have to, as educators be in touch with the culures and back grounds of our students. W then can scaffold them with new information on a basis of what they are culturally familiar with. I also have to remember how literature affects everyone in different ways according to their past experiences. On a ersonal note. I remember reading Charlotte's Web by E. B.White. I couldn't stand the idea of Wlber being killed just because he was the runt of the group. While I reacted that way and made it seem like in my mind that Wilber was human'I'm sure alot of people who were raised on a farm or hunting probably didn't see the big deal at first. It all goes back to culture and past experiences.One of the things that I am excited about as an option is using Drama to futher explore the ideas of a book that we'e reading. I think that will be fun and it might help to engage the students who may not enjoy reading as much as others.

Chapter 4

Literature 3321 T/R Chapter four is a very interesting chapter. It explains further what we have learned about children's interest in reading.Most children want to read stories that not only interest them, ,but that they can identify with. The book gives some good suggestions like Professor Pickett made about how to select books that your children will read.I think the chart on pgs. 64 and 65 will be a good guide. It is important to find books that are of the appropriate levels of development,so as not to discourage or frustrate young readers.The chart on p 68 and69 is a guide for older children with choices of age appropriate selections.P 70 covers Middle School, students and age appropriate books, with expected levels. The chapter also covers the types of books that boys and girls read. The chapter further explained that more books are read by both boys and girls. The chapter mentioned that alot of the books read by books are also read by girls. This is not the same for boys reading books girls read.When I am a teacher I'm going to try to read alot of books so that I can be filled with excitement about the books.According to the chapter,young readers,especially adolescent girls are influenced by their peers in their reading selections.The reason why I want to be well read is because my being excited about the books can help encourage them to have a sense of expectation about the books they may not have if I give a reading assignment and I don't sound enthusiastic about it. Another rule I'm going to abide by is to research the cultures of my students. I'm going to strive to get all the books I can to appease all of the different cultures represented. The text made mention that children relate to books based on their culture.I would like to have a class full of aesthetic readers. I myself have rarely read for enjoyment. I guess I'm kind of envious of my friends who do have that luxury. I know that if my students enjoy reading I know it will be easier for them to succeed. After all reading,fluently,and with comprehension is the gateway to all learning and success in education.One example in mind is the research that was done with the Alaskan native children. Not everything we deem natural is natural to everyone. We have to, as educators be in touch with the culures and back grounds of our students. W then can scaffold them with new information on a basis of what they are culturally familiar with. I also have to remember how literature affects everyone in different ways according to their past experiences. On a ersonal note. I remember reading Charlotte's Web by E. B.White. I couldn't stand the idea of Wlber being killed just because he was the runt of the group. While I reacted that way and made it seem like in my mind that Wilber was human'I'm sure alot of people who were raised on a farm or hunting probably didn't see the big deal at first. It all goes back to culture and past experiences.One of the things that I am excited about as an option is using Drama to futher explore the ideas of a book that we'e reading. I think that will be fun and it might help to engage the students who may not enjoy reading as much as others.

Back to school

Lit 3321 Tue Thurs I was searching the web for children's books and I came across a series of books for back to school. I think these books can help the children to adjust to the changes that come with the new school year. The first few days of the school year(for everyone) is a time of adjustment. The kids are most of the time having to transition from sleeping until noon and staying up all night. The kids have the opportunity in these books to relate to the character who is or characters who are going back to school. One of the main sets that caught my eye were the Junie B Jones books. The Junie B. Jones series is written by Barbara Park. Some of the books I would suggest are

"Junie B.'s Essential Survival Guide To School" http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/junieb/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780375838118
There are several other books by Barbara Park and the link I placed will take you to everything Junie B. There are several books that don't cover the subject matter,but there are also several that do. Barbara Park is married and lives in Arizona She is an award winning author. Have a Blessed Day. Karen

LIT 3321 T/R Hello I was mistaken to think I could change my email. I'm back on the one on the sheet. Sorry about that. I'm still getting used to this blogging thing. Karen

3321 LIT T/R Whoops I didn't mean to post that last one Disregard that o.k Ok well as you saw on the first post for Saturday I went ahead and included the website for discounted Audrey Penn books. I like what I read from her and to quote one of our classmates"OH I LOVE Audrey Penn!" I look forward to reading some of the other books that we had in class on Thursday. Those books that had the story told from the perspective of insects were too cute. I want to try to get those books for my kids as well as students. It is so neat how the books incorpoorate science and ecology. Those subjects sometimes scare kids away or bore them. In this way they are attracted to them because they get to view the pictures and interact with the characters in the book because of the personification that is used. The insects or whatever the creatures, are thought of as a friend or a brother or a sister in the child's mind. The authors make sure and make the stories relevant. The children can relate everyday experiences with the experiences of the characters in the books. It's important for our children to be able to identify ,with the books they read,so that they will enjoy their reading experiences. This will hopefully foster alove for reading in them that they might not otherwise develop. If a book is boring or doesn't relate to them,

Photo-Karen.jpg (image)

Photo-Karen.jpg (image)

DiscountBookSale - Books by Penn Audrey

DiscountBookSale - Books by Penn Audrey

continued 3321 Lit

I now am a fan of Audrey Penn I like the way her website is set up. She apparantly has a series of books about Chester Raccoon.

http://www.tanglewoodbooks.com/penn.html Here is her website. I tried to put some of the books in my blog but they wouldn't upload. I really think these books about chester reacoon are very sweet and touching. She has another book called the kiss goodbye. I think her books are something worth looking into.I enjoyed making our graphic organizer on Chester Racoon. It made the book have more significance in my mind.

3321 TR knowing what you read

Hello this is Karen I hope everyone has had a great weekend. I know that this blog is due on Tuesday. Tuesday is My husband's birthday, and mine is Thursday so I decided to go ahead and do it now. I was able to borrow the book from one of my classmates.I just finished reading chapter 3. The chapter was about reading and actually understanding what you read. I know often times I read and if the material is not particularly interesting to me, I often don't remember the material.The book was talking about how a student can be an excellent reader and still not understand what you are reading.I'm kind of experiencing this currently with my twins. The boy is a very slow reader but he understands what he reads, for the most part. His twin sister can read so beautifully she could be a successful prose reader but until just recently if I asked her what the material was about. We are working on getting better. I know my son has a vision problem and that causes the lack of speed. I can read the chapter and truly relate to what is being said. In the chapter there was much emphasis on which books to pick to suit the children. I know that when I teach my students and my own children as well I'm going to use this resource. i like the parts of emphasis on vocabulary. I agree , as I think most of us will agree that if there are too many unknown words in at text interest is lost. I plan on using the tell aloud method with my resource students. I also look so forward to being able to incorporate dramatic play into as many lessons as I can. I f I had my way I would minor in Drama but this will be a great outlet for all who are involved. I noticed in the end of the chapter a book I've named in one of my past blogs "Too Many Tamales" is used as an example to help with cultures & holidays. I think this chapter is very helpful with suggestions on how to make reading and not only reading but comprehending fun and something to look forward to. I hope you all have a blessed night. See you tomorrow in class. Karen Rodriguez

3321 T/R Ok, to clarify that blog that says Wed was actually for Tuesday I tried to set up a blog through gmail but Professor Pickett said it would be better if I stuck to my original one everyone has access to.so .I copied and pasted tuesdays from my other blog O.k. till next blog God Bless you.

Lit 3321 Tue Thurs Hello all it's Karen again I finally think I'm ready to actually do this thing. I guess only time will tell. In class today the lecture was talking about cultural diversity. Since I don't have my book yet I downloaded onto my flash drive from the internet some information on cultural responsiveness. I looked up some of the authors who are culturally responsive so that I could post some suggestions for whoever would like to look into their work. All you have to do to access the info on cultural responsiveness is google that cultural responsiveness. Some of the authors that stood out to me Sandra Cisneros she wrote the book "Hair / Pelitos." In this book a girl describes the family's hair. Another author Gary Soto wrote a book called :" Too Many Tamales" In which a girl thinks she has lost her grandmothers wedding somewhere in the mix. I tried to cover a couple of cultures and this book sounded interesting as well . It is called "Hoang Breaks the Lucky Teapot". this book is written by Rosemary Breckler. I think these books will make all children realize and understand some of the interesting cultural differences that are represented. I think it will help some children feel more validated than they would without these offerings. I will try to cover all the diversities in my class and have at least a few of them for each of the groups or individuals. Have a Blessed Evening!
Posted by Lit's It at 6:49 PM
Labels: Culturally Diverse Writers

Lit 3321 Tue Thur O.k guys this is Karen Rodriguez. I just wanted to let everybody in class know I changed My URL for the blogs it is now: lovinlitatscool7@gmail.com Just in case anybody wants to follow my blog. Everybody have a great evening! I'm going to move on to this new blog address.

This is a continuation from Saturday's blog. I haven't been able to import the pictures of the books. I'm either doing something terribly wrong or my computer is such a dinosaur it's pitiful! well anyway, I started out last night trying name some authors but when I saved it I could no longer post it when I got back. I have now started all over. The first author I found that covers the dealing with loss subject matter is Sara Dressen. Her book "Along for the Ride" is one that deals with the subject of going on after the loss of a good friend. The second author I want to name is Patricia Polacco She covers two deaths in the book " Thank You Mr. Faulker" with an ingenious metaphor Letting go of the grass. I think it could give children a hope of reunion. The third author I would like to name is E.B White the author of "Charlotte's Webb.'' This is a very good book that covers the sadness of losing a loved one. The good thing is the emphasis that is placed on the generation to come.and how Wilber looks at Charlotte's children and treats them so special. I know it seems like a drab subject to cover. Unfortunately, death is a fact of life and we all come in contact with it at one time or another. II think this would be helpful for students going through it and therapeutic for the others in the future. On a lighter, funnier note I'm going to get some help so I can learn to import pictures. I got them into my pictures folder,but that was as far as they would go.

I have had a full week. I started out on Thursday going to the wake of my Bishop \ Professor. I apologize for not getting to this sooner. On Friday they had his funeral it was about four hours long. I actually had to leave early because of obligations to my children. the past five years for me have been riddled with sadness and death. It started in 2004. My father was diagnosed with A L S, and was given 18 months to 5 years to live. In October 2005 My grandfather passed away. In January 2006 My father passed away. Their deaths left us all reeling. The adjustment period was very difficult. In 2008 I decided to go back to school to finish my Associates Degree. The first week I got a terrible Flu. On that Saturday my wonderful grandmother fell and broke her hip. The next week she passed away. I thought that the first 2 losses were difficult. I said all that to say this. It is unfortunate in the world we live in that no one is sheltered from loss. Although I wish it wasn't true I'm sure I'm going to have to address the subject of loss with my students. I will try to find books that will make it a little easier to handle the subject of death. I am a believer and I'm sure it will show in my selections. I will try to introduce a hope for the students that are stuggling with loss in their lives.
Labels: Dealing with loss.
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by Karen Rodriguez
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I have yet to buy the book. I guess I'm just trying to make the most economical choice. This week has been very busy and it's only Tuesday.As soon as I'm done with this Blog I am going to look up Barnes and Noble .com . I have never been a leisurely reader. Today in Dr. Ferguson's class I was fortunate enough to hear her read the book by Patricia Polacco " Thank You Mr. Faulker" I guess you guys are probably thinking What rock did she climb out from under? Like I said, I felt fortunate to hear that wonderful story. I got quite emotional on several of the parts. I am looking forward to reading more of Patricia's material. I think she is a phenomenal writer. I don't always find it easy to listen to stories being read to me. This story had me hooked from the honey.

Thank You, Mr. Falker

Thank You, Mr. Falker

I don't have my book yet.