https://padlet.com/bmckinn98/3qpnt3pgbdmpujl5 5443 2022 Blog en-us 2022-07-05 15:46:46 UTC 2026-03-12 22:04:48 UTC hello@padlet.com bmckinn98 https://padlet.com/bmckinn98/3qpnt3pgbdmpujl5/wish/2237390440 Growing up I always loved reading. In fact, in elementary school I would race to the library weekly to get new books. Once middle school and high school hit, my reading for fun slowed down and instead was replaced with textbooks. None the less, I still read often but lost the passion I once had. It wasn't until my senior year of undergrad and my pre-graduate life that I picked up reading outside of school again and found the enjoyment and love I once had. My relationship with literature has been up and down thus far but since taking multiple graduate courses and beginning to teach reading to students in my classroom I am confident that this time my love of reading will stay. After picking up reading again in my personal life and experiencing un-passionate readers in my classroom I am most curious about how to help students engage in their own reading and drive them to find their own love towards reading in connection to furthering their development in reading. My hopes for this course is to learn and be able to apply effective literacy strategies to use in my classroom.]]> 2022-07-05 16:35:09 UTC https://padlet.com/bmckinn98/3qpnt3pgbdmpujl5/wish/2237390440 bmckinn98 https://padlet.com/bmckinn98/3qpnt3pgbdmpujl5/wish/2239212592 Throughout week one there was much that changed and challenged my thinking. Two themes emerged after reading and discussing with my peers: 1) assigning too many tasks to reading takes the enjoyment out of it and 2) we have demanded readers to do many things that we would never do ourselves while reading. How eye opening! Instead, it is important  that we focus on  creating meaningful experiences with our students to ensure they are responsive, responsible, and compassionate readers. My thinking was confirmed in the idea and importance of read alouds and picture books. I was enlightened to learn about the benefits of text sets and connect the idea of oral language and comprehension. There are many things in the classroom that can elicit creative thinking and opportunities if done so intentionally. The implications for me as a reader and educator lie within the point that reading and its process is not black and white. It can have many different interpretations and requires us to use perspectives outside of our own. It has no right or wrong answers but instead should transform us and our thinking. It is our job as educators to give our students access to representative books, teach them the necessary skills needed, and produce readers that are curious and compassionate. Ironically, I mentioned the want to be able to bring out the passion in my readers and this week I learned maybe the best way to do that is to put down the pencil and paper, dioramas, and sticky notes and instead use interactive read alouds and ask quality questions.]]> 2022-07-07 21:48:06 UTC https://padlet.com/bmckinn98/3qpnt3pgbdmpujl5/wish/2239212592 bmckinn98 https://padlet.com/bmckinn98/3qpnt3pgbdmpujl5/wish/2242833782 This week was a lot of reflecting and applying strategies to get our students to begin reading for their own growth. It is necessary that we push all readers, even those who seem to enjoy it, to expect a change in themselves and to feel something while reading. The last thing we want for our students is to simply read for a grade which is why I love the idea of Book, Head, Heart in part two of Disrupting Thinking. We want them to read from their head and their heart by making meaningful connections which involve changing their understanding of the world and themselves. Though I realize the lack of motivation can be a factor, as a reader and an educator myself I am inspired to help readers open and see the range of possibilities they can have when they wonder, question, infer, and research the stories they are reading. I was challenged when reading about the criticisms this week and in how I can use them for a frame for talking, writing, and planning. As I read on and listened to connections from my peers I am further reminded and confirmed in my thoughts while reading and annotating those articles was more than just learning from the text but learning about myself as an educator and to become more than I knew I wanted to be. Overall, I am looking forward to trying and implementing the comprehension strategies and criticisms we have learned this week. ]]> 2022-07-13 20:21:59 UTC https://padlet.com/bmckinn98/3qpnt3pgbdmpujl5/wish/2242833782 bmckinn98 https://padlet.com/bmckinn98/3qpnt3pgbdmpujl5/wish/2245648734 Through our literature study groups this week I have gotten to see the importance of simply having a conversation about the book and how it made you feel as the reader. I experienced how the simple sentence "so what do/did you think?" can lead to rich discussions and valuable insights, feelings, and thoughts. Similarly, the last chapter of part three of our reading confirmed this thought for me as it discussed the "Power of Talk".  

The author actually admits that she didn't use to see "talk" as a part of the comprehension process but more of something you do in the hallway. But later comes across the realization that "talk" can help students create understanding. Now that I have made that shift and realization I can encourage my students to consider the effect that the text has upon them. I was further encouraged by the text to stay away curriculum and standardized testing that limits my students capabilities and fails to measure success. As educators we know better than anyone that education "works" but they don't work for all kids if we are not willing to embrace life-long learners and adapt our practices to the ever changing world.

I have come to believe that the reason for reading is to change. We don't read for a grade, praise, or to answer questions. "We read to explore, wonder, grow, and become what we didn't even know we might want to be." Disrupting our students thinking is the beginning of change. If we aren't able to change the world, we can at least change our students and change ourselves.  We must remember that we are teaching readers, not books. And I must say I am looking forward to using all that I have learned thus far to spark a powerful experience in my students. ]]> 2022-07-18 22:47:43 UTC https://padlet.com/bmckinn98/3qpnt3pgbdmpujl5/wish/2245648734 bmckinn98 https://padlet.com/bmckinn98/3qpnt3pgbdmpujl5/wish/2251295179 As this course is coming to an end, I can't help but think back towards all of the wonderful new tools and content I now have for use in my classroom. The most important thing I have learned is the power that books hold if we allow them to- which is important as a reader of course but even more so as an educator. I truly did not understand the capability we have to allow our students to grow and make meaningful connections through simple conversations and read- alouds. I did not realize how using a text-set, sticky notes, transmediation, BHH (and more!) can take readers to a whole new world that continuously brings new possibilities year round. 

It comes as no surprise to me that my thinking was challenged yet confirmed in many different ways. It seems I always saw reading as just a subject and strategies as just a tool/activity to help students understand the concepts and when we were done with it, we would put it away in our toolbox. But I have learned that it is so much more. The best part, that I have recently learned, is that the things we use in our classroom never has to die- in fact we want to build on it all year long! And if we do so correctly, our students will be able to change their thinking and do so on their own. 

The implications for me as an educator comes from the love of the idea of my students taking their learning into their own hands and eventually creating their own text-sets and connections, recognizing powerful connections and truths about life and anything else that emerges from them. 

Not only have I learned so much content from this course but from my peers as well! I have loved having a community to engage in professional conversation and share insights and tools we have all created to help our students find and bring out their inner reader- because after all, words change us whether we realize it or not. I am sad for this class to end but am eager to use all of these new ideas in my classroom!]]> 2022-07-28 17:05:33 UTC https://padlet.com/bmckinn98/3qpnt3pgbdmpujl5/wish/2251295179