Student Interview
I observed students writing in their versions of "daybooks" and choose one student to interview with about their entry's.
I observed that most of what we learned about the use of day books was used in this classroom. Children were allowed to decorate the front to represent themselves as writers or just in general. The student Interviewed was a African American Female. Her notebook cover was bare except for her name. Her thoughts and ideas were very well developed in planning stages and then when it came down to the actual piece things did not flow and sentences were kind of choppy. Her spelling is average for her age, but her knowledge of vocab is great.
From the interview,I could see the student understands all the assignments that were given and realized their purpose as well as loved the opportunity to express herself.
For the future I will make sure I a just as clear and helpful in instruction with language arts. The better the understanding of the student the better and more developed the student writes. I will also make sure the instruction is thorough enough to understand and complete, but still vague enough to allow for personal creativity. I think surveys of the classroom work would be a great tool for teachers. It can help see what worked for the class so that you can continue or make adjustments for next years class.
I observed that most of what we learned about the use of day books was used in this classroom. Children were allowed to decorate the front to represent themselves as writers or just in general. The student Interviewed was a African American Female. Her notebook cover was bare except for her name. Her thoughts and ideas were very well developed in planning stages and then when it came down to the actual piece things did not flow and sentences were kind of choppy. Her spelling is average for her age, but her knowledge of vocab is great.
From the interview,I could see the student understands all the assignments that were given and realized their purpose as well as loved the opportunity to express herself.
For the future I will make sure I a just as clear and helpful in instruction with language arts. The better the understanding of the student the better and more developed the student writes. I will also make sure the instruction is thorough enough to understand and complete, but still vague enough to allow for personal creativity. I think surveys of the classroom work would be a great tool for teachers. It can help see what worked for the class so that you can continue or make adjustments for next years class.
For better readability I have also typed the interview below.
I saw a lot of classmates completed some kind of picture on the front of their books. Why didn't you?
I wasn't here when they started doing it and I keep forgetting to do it when I take it home.
*Can you explain the strong emotion Entry?
My teacher gave us a list of emotions and I added some more to it. Then I had to pick one and think of three times i felt that way. Then I had to pick one of those times I wrote down, pick one and write more about it. Mr. Montague said "pick one and just write".
*Can you explain what the heart ideas is?
I drew a big heart on the paper and in the middle I wrote what's really important to me. Then I wrote words and pictures around what's really important. These were supposed to be things we liked or things that connected to what was really important. Mr. Montague told the class to start writing about what we wrote in the middle and use the words and pictures to make more details.
*What is the story mountain about?
Its about how we plan a story. We put a 1 on the mountain where the story begins and a 2 where it ends. Then we put a heart where we want the reader to feel something. In between those things, on the outside we write events or actions and inside we write feelings or thoughts that match that action or event.
*Did you like doing these activities?
Yes because we got to pick what to write about. I liked writing about my family. I got to take it homes and read what I wrote to them.
I saw a lot of classmates completed some kind of picture on the front of their books. Why didn't you?
I wasn't here when they started doing it and I keep forgetting to do it when I take it home.
*Can you explain the strong emotion Entry?
My teacher gave us a list of emotions and I added some more to it. Then I had to pick one and think of three times i felt that way. Then I had to pick one of those times I wrote down, pick one and write more about it. Mr. Montague said "pick one and just write".
*Can you explain what the heart ideas is?
I drew a big heart on the paper and in the middle I wrote what's really important to me. Then I wrote words and pictures around what's really important. These were supposed to be things we liked or things that connected to what was really important. Mr. Montague told the class to start writing about what we wrote in the middle and use the words and pictures to make more details.
*What is the story mountain about?
Its about how we plan a story. We put a 1 on the mountain where the story begins and a 2 where it ends. Then we put a heart where we want the reader to feel something. In between those things, on the outside we write events or actions and inside we write feelings or thoughts that match that action or event.
*Did you like doing these activities?
Yes because we got to pick what to write about. I liked writing about my family. I got to take it homes and read what I wrote to them.