EDU 512 Reading Notes

Name: Marissa Prins

Book Title: Language Arts: Patterns of Practice by Gail E. Tompkins
Chapter Number and Title: Chapter 6- “Visual Language: Viewing and Visually Representing”
Chapter 10- “Exploring Poetry”

Part 1: Chapter 6 talks about viewing and visually representing. The chapter goes into the
visual elements that show meaning in a text. Color is one large element that can evoke meaning
in a text. Lines also can communicate different ideas in a text. Symbols and humor are the others
talked about in this chapter. These elements are used when viewing a text or image. The chapter
then goes into how visual language can be taught and how students can use things like maps,
graphs, and diagrams to learn and gather information.
Part 2: In chapter two, I enjoyed reading about all of the different visual elements that are
important to understand when reading a book or text. It is interesting to me how different colors,
symbols and lines can convey a certain meaning. This is definitely something that I would focus
on in my own classroom one day. I think it is important to have this knowledge when reading.
Not only do elements like this help with meaning, but it can also show importance. How
something looks in a book can definitely show what it means or how important it is, and I think
this is something that students should take the time to look at.
Another thing that interested me in this chapter was the virtual field trips. This idea was
described as a way to teach visual language. The students are able to take a fieldtrip on a tablet or
piece of technology so that they can see what they are learning about. Technology is one thing
that I will definitely utilize in my classroom as the students of this generation are easily engaged
and interested when technology is present. Other visual learning tools were described, but I
personally enjoyed the idea of allowing my students to use technology to explore an area or place
that we had been learning about. Some places are too far to travel to for a fieldtrip, so this
technology would be the perfect way to allow students to still observe and learn about the place.
Part 3: Social Studies strategy 49 (pg. 239), webquests, is a great strategy that allows students to
use technology to explore a specific topic or thing. This is self-paced, so students are allowed to
work on their own to find out more about a specific thing. This strategy allows students to
practice viewing and allows them to explore different visual representations for a specific topic.
They are to follow a specific home page that the teacher designs with different links attached that
students can explore.
Social Studies strategy 48 (pg. 234), virtual fieldtrips, is another great strategy to use in
classrooms. This strategy allows students to use technology to view a specific place. Many
websites now include virtual fieldtrips where students can virtually see and explore an area. This
is a great way for students to learn as they are able to use technology which most students love,
and they are able to visually see and create a representation in their minds. Without visuals, it
can be hard to teach and learn. This strategy allows students to pretend they are physically in an
area.
Language Arts strategy 11 (pg. 31), data charts, would be a good strategy to use to allow
students to create their own visual representations. It allows students to organize their
information and quickly refer to it later. Students can also create diagrams to organize their ideas
on a specific topic. This helps structure the way students think and it is useful to many children
as they can better see information. Rather than the information just being written out on a piece
of paper, the information is clearly organized and is easy to find.
Language Arts strategy 34 (pg. 103), quilts, is a good strategy that allows students to
visually represent something they learned. Each student is given a piece of paper and is asked to
draw or write out a piece of a story. Each student’s work is then pieced together, and the entire
class’ work creates a quilt. This allows students to use this material to refer to and remind
themselves about specific details or parts of a story. It is also a great visual. Students may not
have time to reread an entire book but find it easy to refer to the pictures that their classmates
drew to refresh their memories.
Part 4: TPE 2.2Create learning environments (i.e., traditional, blended, and online) that
promote productive student learning, encourage positive interactions among students, reflect
diversity and multiple perspectives, and are culturally responsive.
This TPE was addressed as I learned different strategies and ways to incorporate technology into
my classroom to promote viewing and visual representation skills of my students. Instead of
having all of my lessons be direct instruction, I can give quick instructions and allow my
students to use technology to go on virtual fieldtrips and explore the internet for graphs, charts,
pictures, and videos about the content we are learning about.
TPE 3.7 Model and develop digital literacy by using technology to engage students and
support their learning, and promote digital citizenship, including respecting copyright law,
understanding fair use guidelines and the use of Creative Commons license, and maintain
internet security.
This TPE was thought about as there are many different strategies that teachers can use to engage
students and incorporate technology into a lesson on viewing or finding visual representations.
While these strategies are used to the benefit of student learning, it is important that the teacher
sets strict guidelines before the use of this technology. Student safety is a priority, and they need
to be using the technology to benefit their learning.
Part 1: Chapter 10 was about poetry. It talked about the major theme of rhyme in poetry and
how students love to use rhymes. Not all poems contain rhymes though and this was apparent as
all of the different poems were taught in the chapter. Different student examples were given for
each type of poem. Then, different poetic devices were talked about. Things like alliteration and
repetition are used to bring your attention to a specific line or to just add to the overall feel of the
poem. The end of the chapter then gave many tips on how to teach poetry in your classroom.
Part 2: One concept that I found interesting was how to perform poems. When students perform
poems that they have hear or that they wrote, they are showing their comprehension of poetry. I
enjoyed all of the different strategies a teacher could use when students perform their poems. For
instance, a teacher can use echo reading where a leader reads one line, and the class repeats it.
Another example is a student can read the main parts of the poem and the class chimes in for the
chorus. I would definitely use these strategies in a future classroom. I like how one student acts
as the leader when reading the poem, but the entire class is still actively engaging and following
along as they participate by either repeating a phrase or saying the chorus etc.
Another tip I took from this chapter was a strategy on how to teach students about writing
poems. To me, poems were difficult to write as a child because I thought I had to rhyme
everything, so it never really made sense. One strategy in the book is to read the first chapter of
Anastasia Krupnik. This book tells the story of a teacher who does not like a student’s poem
because she says it does not rhyme and have appropriate punctuation. This allows for discussion
in the classroom as students realize that this is not needed for a poem. Poems are very different
from academic writing and can be structured how the writer wants it to be. Then students can
write their own poems and share them with their classmates. I love how this strategy shares the
freedom that students have when writing poems.
Part 3: Social Studies strategy 37 (pg. 178), newspaper making, allows students to create their
own newspapers that focus on a specific time period. This allows students to show off their
knowledge in a creative way. In this newspaper, students will be asked to incorporate poems.
These poems will still connect to the time period and may share a perspective of a particular
character or person from that time period.
Social Studies strategy 36 (pg. 172), music history, is also a good strategy that can be
used teach writing poems. Many songs are written as if they were poems. Students can be
introduced to music of a specific time period and asked to write a poem in the form of a song.
This poem can share anything about the time period, a person of that time period, or it can be
about anything that connects to the content being discussed in class.
Language Arts strategy 4 (pg. 10), author’s chair, is a great activity and way for students
to share their work. This is a way the book shared for students to share their poems that they
wrote. This strategy can also be utilized throughout the rough draft phase as well. Students sit in
a chair in front of the classroom and read the poem that they wrote. Their classmates then give
them feedback. This may include ways to improve the piece, or they may simply state what that
poem meant to them.
Another language arts strategy is number 32 (pg. 96), questioning the author. This
strategy allows students to ask questions to the author of a specific poem. A poem may have
personal information or use symbolism to describe something. This may be confusing for
readers. This gives students a chance to nicely ask their classmates about their work, and it gives
the authors a chance to share about their writing.
Part 4: TPE 3.4Individually and through consultation and collaboration with other educators
and members of the larger school community, plan for effective subject matter instruction and
use of multiple means of representing, expressing, and engaging students to demonstrate their
knowledge.
This TPE was learned as many different ways and strategies were learned on how to
demonstrate knowledge. Poems are not just taught by learning how to rhyme. They have a lot
more to them. This means that many different poems should be shared in class so that the
students can see different types of poetry. Students should also be able to share their poems with
the class and ask questions to their peers regarding their written poems. Students are able to
express themselves through their poems and be able to collaborate with their peers to come up
with quality work.
TPE 2.5Maintain high expectations for learning with appropriate support for the full
range of students in the classroom.
Students are to be held at high standards when creating their own poetry. Students are
able to get help from the teacher and their peers. They are also asked to share their poems with
the class and are able to receive feedback to fix anything that may need to be looked over.
Students can receive additional support from the teacher depending on what they are needing
assistance with.