Whether you are a dance fan or not, this well written memoir, ‘Taking Flight’ by Michaela DePrince is a very gripping story of courage and finding strength in the midst of adversities. The unprecedented diary of Michaela DePrince, a youthful dancer who got away from the war-torn Sierra Leone for the exclusive heights of American expressive dance, ballet. Michaela DePrince was known as girl Number 27 at the halfway house, where she was deserted at a very young age and treated with scorn and called a "devil’s child" for a skin condition that causes her skin to seem spotted. Be that as it may, it’s at the orphan’s house that Michaela would discover a photo of a wonderful ballet performer en pointe that would help change the course of her life forever. 

At four years old, Michaela was embraced by an American family, who supported her love for dancing by enrolling her into dance classes. She went on to study at the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at the American Ballet Theater and is as of now a member of the Dutch National Ballet's Junior Dance company. She has been featured in ballet documentary "First Position," and in addition appearing on the dance floor on Dancing with the Stars show, Good Morning America," and "Nightline." This book has a positive message, "you should never give up ." Michaela has experienced a great deal of discrimination, pain, rejection, ridicule and challenges in her life beginning at age 1. It’s amazing coming from the pit to the palace. Now Machaela has a family and dreams that came true for her.

Michaela DePrince has became an inspiration to the next generation of young ballet dancer, especially black females. Although there are a lot females in the ballet arena, it tends to be white female dominated with more black males. However, Michaela has shown that you can overcome obstacles by working hard to fulfill your dreams in spite of where you come from. She truly understood the definition of feminism overcoming every barrier enduring pain, dealing with racial biases and has now become a voice and role model to other women. She now mentors and teaches other youg women.

References

DePrince, M., & DePrince, E. (2016). Taking flight: From war orphan to star ballerina. Ember, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.

Think, Pair, Share is a type of discussion technique that gives students the opportunity to respond to questions in written form before they become engaged in meaningful conversations with other students. It is a strategy that is applicable across all grade levels and class sizes. It builds confidence , encourages greater participation when students are ask to write and discuss ideas with a partner before sharing with a larger group, resulting in more thoughtful discussions. Students use three basic steps to think through questions: 

 

1.     Think: Students form ideas of their own thinking independently about the question that has been posed.

2.     Pair: Students discuss their thoughts while grouped in pairs, which allows them to articulate their ideas and also to consider those of others.

3.     Share: Student pairs share their ideas with the whole class.

 

Think Pair Share strategy can be used for example in a Social Studies class. The teacher will ask a question such as, “what do you think were the key issues that led to World War I? Students can participate in this strategy when presented with a new topic or lesson, when discussing prior knowledge of a given topic, or when analyzing causes and effects of important events. Students can think independently about what they already know about World War I and share it with their peers. Some students may have a range of background knowledge on a given topic. However, for those students who are unfamiliar with the topic, which could include students who are ELLs, they can benefit from discussing a broad range of topics because it helps to build background and foster connections to previous learning. Students build off one another as they share ideas, maximizing their learning as they think aloud.

 

This is a thinking routine for activating prior knowledge before and fusing it with new knowledge after a topic or unit has been covered. It encourages students to take their thoughts of the “big picture” and narrow them down to the heart of what is being studied. It also gives them a chance to think about “what this reminds me of” which will help them remember key concepts in the future. 3-2-1 can be used at any time during a lesson to encourage students to think about their learning. For example, as a Check for Understanding during any portion of the lesson. Also, during class discussions as a way for students to record their thoughts, as a closing activity so that students can review what was learned in the lesson and as an exit ticket at the end of the class period.

VTR strategies are great routines to be considered to help deepen comprehension for content area reading and read aloud.

 

 

 

Reference

(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.visiblethinkingpz.org/VisibleThinking_html_files/03_ThinkingRoutines/03a_ThinkingRoutines.html

History.com Staff. (2009). World War I History. Retrieved from http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-i/world-war-i-history

Think, Pair, Share Cooperative Learning Strategy: For Teachers (Grades K-12). (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.teachervision.com/think-pair-share-cooperative-learning-strategy

 

 

 

            This invaluable and highly practical book offers guidance that promotes pride within students with disabilities, as well as with their schools and communities; teaches critical life skills, which include social-emotional goals, as well as reading and coping skills; strategies for decreasing the stigma associated with hidden disabilities; and developing mentoring programs that provide students with advice and encouragement (Izzo and Horne, 2016). Overall, this is a great book, couldn’t put it down because I wanted to find out what happened to Anna, Margo and LeDerick. The book is so loaded with excellent ideas, tips, and strategies and is a must read for anyone working with students with disabilities

            ADHD, one of the most common learning disabilities, is a neurological condition, which is characterized by chronic inattention, hyperactivity, and/or impulsivity; however, typically, individuals with ADHD have normal intelligence and the same potential to learn as their peers (Izzo and Horne, 2016). As this brief summary of just some of the practical tips and advice provided by Izzo and Horne (2016) suggest, this text is an immensely valuable tool that can be used to guide instruction and provided the support needed by students with learning disabilities. As Dan Habib points out in the book's foreword, students with hidden disabilities are extremely prevalent, as over 3 million American students have been diagnosed with learning disabilities that include ADHD or emotional/behavioral disability (EBD), and 1-in-10 adolescents in the US experience a mental health disorder that is severe enough to limit their cognitive functioning. Habib also explains that the book's basic premise is that, despite the existence of challenges that they must overcome, individuals with hidden disabilities make significant contributions to American society, as well as to the world. Izzo and Horne provide a useful path that educators and others can use to ensure that the tremendous potential of students with hidden disabilities is realized.

Izzo, M. V., & Horne, L. (2016). Foreword. D. Habib. Empowering Students with Hidden Disabilities, a path to pride and success. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing. Kindle.

Graphic novels never appealed to me at first because I taught they were books for children and that they had no literary value. However, after reading Maus, my opinion quickly changed. The novel took me through an emotional journey with so much depth and imagery in words as well as images. The story is a gripping and chilling tale about Jews during the Holocaust who faced persecution in one of the biggest concentration camps in Poland. The author, Art Spiegleman gives an account of his own life as well as his father’s life. The story talks about death and persecution in the concentration camps, the struggles they endured and how the people were able to hide from the Germans in Poland. The author also talks about his struggles to connect with his father while he tries to listen to his father’s survival in the Hollocaust. It is also interesting how the author describe the different characters in the story to animals; the Germans (Nazis) are referred to as Cats, the doctors as pigs and the Jews as mine. I think this book is a great way to learn about the Holocaust in the classroom, sort of like a history of the event that is not daunting as reading about it in a regular history book. This is a very intriguing and extremely informative novel.