I found this weeks readings to be very interesting. They touched upon a few different things ranging from the integration of social bookmarking and blogging into the classroom, from the interrelationships of reading and writing. Kucer and Rhodes' article (1986) offers a lot of information the types of skills students develop in vocabulary development, and the importance of reading and writing being taught from part to whole.
This article was great because I really liked how it gave examples of student experiences and compared the two students. One student was a more high functioning reader and writer, and another student struggled with his reading and writing skills. I thought it was excellent that the reading provided an example of the parallel questions that were asked to both students to gain a perspective on their reading and writing awareness. The researchers found that reading and writing both involve the use of prior knowledge, the refinement of meaning, and the monitoring of sensemaking (Kucer & Rhodes, 1986).
This was sort of a flashback to me because I am in the literacy program at Nazareth College. I have been learning a lot about the significance of activating background knowledge and the connection of prior knowledge with the new information gained. Readers and writers have to use effective language strategies and structures to plan where they are going to create a powerful framework to be successful in their reading and writing (Kucer & Rhodes, 1986).
Hicks reading (2009) mentions some information that is new to me, but much of it is starting to make sense. I am reading new information about the incorporation of new technologies in the classroom. One piece of information that was new to me was learning about the RSS (Rich Site Summary) or (Really Simple Syndication). I think it is important for students to be aware of the resources made available to them. Especially when students are conducting research projects, they should be able to communicate to others for ideas.
I think that using blogs as a writer's notebook allows students to take a whole new perspective on things. Students not only build their typing skills, but they can comment on one another's posts. Teachers can also use blogs as an approach to give students feedback any time throughout the day. Parents can even view the posts when provided access through the teachers and students.
I would like to continue to educate myself about the different technology, blogs, wikis, RSS, and other resources available to myself and students. I would not mind keeping some traditional model writing journals for the sake of keeping a "personal touch" factor in the classroom, but I should always be open for new instructional methods and ideas to further develop my teaching.
