The Multigenre Research Paper Ch. 5 Week 11

In this chapter, the author reveals ways to "show, not tell." I have talked about this subject once or twice but I find it so important in the classroom daily. Writing is in everyday life. What better way to enjoy life and school by writing with meaning, clarity, and description. Students often tell things in a story, not show them. There are many ways to write, but the best way of writing is to use description words, story telling methods, and by simply showing emotion through writing. When a writer can do that, the story/paper will be more exciting and intriguing to read. I still have trouble doing that to this day. Kids are going to struggle sometimes with this but once they get the hang of it, it will come easier and easier each time they write. Humor is often a great way to entertain in a story. The story could be even better when its mixed with humor and sadness such as the story mentioned at the beginning of the chapter. Creating characters in the story is one of more important factors. The characters must be introduced in a way that the reader can almost visualize exactly what they are like. If the reader is able to do this, the character description was written well. The list of questions mentioned in this chapter were great. This is a great strategy for students to use to show, not tell, about the character. I think if a teacher would to use these all their students, the students would develop quicker in their writing and eventually do great.

Van Sluys Setting Up Invitations Week 9

In this article, the author talks about making time in the classroom for invitations. The time required for these invitations is 45 minutes to two hours. How can we find time for this? I think it is very important as a school to find time for these. These invitations allow students to communicate with one another, pose problems, read, write, think, and challenge meanings. These factors in learning are vital in a child's learning. Students should have the right to make time for their own learning and learn to take responsibility in their learning. That way, they know their learning strategies and what they need to do as a learner. The article also talks about finding a place for these workshops. If the media center is organized well, then this would be a great space for it. Computer labs are also a great idea. This will enable students to use internet and gather ideas for the problems or issues they may be working out. The folders that the author mentions that will store the invitations and keep things organized was also a very important thing to look at in the classroom. If the students invitations are not neat and are hard to find, then that creates problems. One issue that was brought up in the invitations was the gender roles. This creates a great debate and brings up several issues that the students can talk about. Invitations such as these welcomes all sorts of learners seeking to talk about issues that arise today.