Final Post/ Blog Refelection

The blog I created at the beginning of this semester has been a true learning experience and has evolved into a skill that I can take with me as a student and as a teacher. I found that although there were many important words to discuss or define during the course readings, I was drawn more to the words that I could connect to my own teaching experiences. I have even included some of the words that my students came across in their classes. Much of my reading has been concentrated on assigned readings for the classes in which I am enrolled. I have pulled vocabulary mostly from those readings because of the number of vocabulary that is important for me to know and use in my everyday teaching. Looking back on my blog, I am impressed at how much I have learned and used in my own classroom. I have even found a way to incorporate some aspects of this  blog activity into my classroom. Instead of having each student do an individual blog, our class has a vocabulary blog that we are using to identify words within our reading that pertain to our inequality unit. The blog that I have written this semester has been a great model for word learning that I can now use in my own classroom.

            As a word learner, I have gained a tremendous amount of understanding of how much one word can influence learning. There are many words that I chose to include in my blog that are very common, but I never have had a great definition for the word. This blog helped me to focus on the vocabulary and come up with a meaningful definition. The vocabulary that I chose were never difficult words, however they were all pertinent to my teaching, reading, and understanding of key concepts. Keeping the blog as an ongoing process has allowed me to look back on my learning and reflect on the importance of specific readings, especially during the weeks that I pulled four to six words from the reading. I also learned a new skill during and after the reading process. I realized the importance of stopping and examining the vocabulary to enhance my understanding of the reading or the concept during reading. Then after reading, going back and using vocabulary to summarize the material to integrate the concepts into my teaching. Having a place to write these ideas or thoughts down and keep a record of them is an important part of the learning process. By using the blog as a way of writing to learn, I was able to organize my thoughts and provide a professional record of my learning throughout the semester.

            While taking the vocabulary tests was not one my favorite activities, I did recognize that it helped me to be accountable for my own learning. Because the vocabulary words were not only my words, it required me to read my peers blogs and be more involved in their learning process as well. Reading the blogs of my peers each week gave me a greater understanding of the text or what was happening in their lives. Since the beginning of the semester, I was anxious during each vocabulary test, however, because it was of words of my choice and my peers’ choice, it was a more meaningful test and therefore caused less anxiety. I now understand the importance of giving students choice for vocabulary tests in order to make them more meaningful.

            The most important skill I learned and will take with me is finding meaningful ways to keep track of vocabulary and learning.  Although I will not be creating a blog for each of my classes or books that I read, I will be finding other ways to professionally record my learning and understanding.

12:5 RAFT

When and where did I find the word:  The acronym was found in the assigned readings for this week.  It was found in the following book:

Daniels, H., Zemelman, S., & Steineke, N.  (2007).  Content-area writing.  Portsmouth, NH:  Heinemann

What it means: According to Daniels, Zemelman, & Steineke (2007), Doug Buehl reports that RAFT stands for role, audience, formant, and topic.  Each is defined as follows:

Role - the idea of role describes the character's viewpoint and personality. 

Audience - this decribes who is going to be reading a a given literary work, the purpose of the work, who is 

                going to be persuaded by the work.  

Format -  This describes the format (news story, letter to the editor, etc) in which the text will be presented. 

Topic - this describes the subject that is covered by the work.  

In this context, a RAFT is a piece of writing that is based on the student's choices for each of the four characteristics of RAFT.  

Level of Familiarity: I was not familiar with the acronym RAFT, but I was familiar with the individual components of RAFT.  I was also not familiar with the use of RAFT.

Do I want to know this word well and tell why?   I can see the utility of RAFT as a closure activity for a unit.  It is a good way for students to use faction.  The students can take the facts that they've learned and weave a fictional story into them.  I can see how students might find the process of "RAFTing" engaging and how this might facilitate learning.  As such, I do want to know about this word.

Do I think others should know this word well....if so who and why?  I think building a RAFT is a useful closure tool and that content area teachers might be able to make use of this concept to help solidify learned materials.   I think that this is a great way to differential students' learning and scaffold the writing process.  

12:4 Faction

When and where did I find the word:  Faction was found in the assigned readings for this week.  It was found in the following book:

Daniels, H., Zemelman, S., & Steineke, N.  (2007).  Content-area writing.  Portsmouth, NH:  Heinemann

What it means: According to Daniels, Zemelman, & Steineke (2007), faction is the combination of factual research and imagination that is most popularly used in genres such as historical and science fiction.  A write who uses faction researches a topic and then creates a story around the topic.

Level of Familiarity: I was not familiar with the formal definition of faction; however, after reading about it, I realized that my husband is an avid reader of novels that utilize faction.

Do I want to know this word well and tell why?  I think that faction is an important concept because it is a way to present what might be mundane information in an interesting fashion.  Daniels, Zemelman, & Steineke (2007) use the example of Michael Crichton's Jurrasic Park as a faction-containing novel.  Crichton's Jurrasic Park is a vivid story about reviving long-extinct dinosaurs in an amusement park type setting.  The story is interesting, but after reading the book (or watching the movie, I suppose) you realize that you've not only been entertained by it, but you've also learned about dinosaurs, chaos theory, and cloning.

Do I think others should know this word well....if so who and why?  I think that teachers and writers of educational materials should know this word.  Teachers might select classroom texts that utilize faction as a way of engaging student interest.   Writers of educational texts might also use faction as a way to engage reader interest (and perhaps increase profits).  

12:3 Quick Writes

When and where did I find the word:  Quick writes was a term found in this week's assigned reading.  It was found in the following article:

Knipper, K.J., & Duggan, T.J. (2006).  Writing to learn across the curriculum:  Tools for comprehension in content area classes.  The Reading Teacher, 59(5), 462-470.

What it means: According to Knipper & Duggan (2006), quick writes are one of many informal means of engaging students in thinking about an upcoming topic.  Quick writes are teacher-directed questions.  Students' responses can be recorded in various formants and can be used for teacher reference or sharing with other students.  

Level of Familiarity:  Quick writes are similar to 1-minute papers or admittance or exit slips.  I have successfully used these strategies in my classroom.

Do I want to know this word well and tell why?  I like the idea behind quick writes as I think that they are a useful tool in engaging students in a topic.   I also think that quick writes are a good way of assessing prior knowledge of a subject and assessing progress in learning a given subject.

Do I think others should know this word well....if so who and why?  I think that many teachers can benefit from using quick writes in their classroom as ways to engage students and assess their knowledge of a given subject.  I can see how quick writes can be helpful in preparing students for reading assignments.   

12:2 Checklist

When and where did I find the word:  Checklist was a term found in this week's assigned reading.  It was found in the following article:

Knipper, K.J., & Duggan, T.J. (2006).  Writing to learn across the curriculum:  Tools for comprehension in content area classes.  The Reading Teacher, 59(5), 462-470.

What it means: According to Knipper & Duggan (2006), a checklist is a tool used in the strategy of writing to learn and is a set of concrete, observable behaviors that are organized in a sequence that is logical.

Level of Familiarity: Even thought I was not familiar with the idea of writing to learn, I am familiar with the idea of creating a checklist in this context.

Do I want to know this word well and tell why?  I think that writing to learn is an important strategy that can be used to create interest in a content for students.  Using checklists is one method of assessing one's progress in writing to learn.  As such, I think the checklists in this context are important as they combine the idea of writing to learn with concrete, observable behaviors.

Do I think others should know this word well....if so who and why?  If someone is going to use the strategy of writing to learn, the idea of using checklists would be important to him/her as it is a good way to measure progress on writing to learn.  Checklists, when provided to the student, gives students goals for writing as well as demonstrate a good finished product.  In essence, a checklist can also be used as a rubric for the finished product.  

12:1 Writing to learn

When and where did I find the word:  Writing to learn was a term found in this week's assigned reading.  It was found in the following article:

Knipper, K.J., & Duggan, T.J. (2006).  Writing to learn across the curriculum:  Tools for comprehension in content area classes.  The Reading Teacher, 59(5), 462-470.

What it means: According to Knipper & Duggan (2006), writing to learn is a catalyst for further learning and making meaning out of what one has read.

Level of Familiarity: I have never heard of the term writing to learn before; however, after reading Knipper & Duggan (2006), the process seems familiar and is similar to exercises that were used during my undergraduate education.

Do I want to know this word well and tell why? I think that writing to learn is an important concept.  According to Knipper & Duggan (2006) writing is often left out of content classrooms as a way to de-emphasize the process writing; however writing to learn is an opportunity for student to gain interest in an already familiar subject.

Do I think others should know this word well....if so who and why?  I think that content area teachers can make good use out of this strategy of writing to learn. From my experience as a student in secondary education and at my undergraduate institution, I think at lot of emphasis was  put on the final product of the writing process rather than what I learned from the process of writing about a given subject.  Knipper & Duggan (2006) provided some interesting insight on the process of writing to learn and how to make valuable assessments from this process.  

11:4 Goal setting

When and where did I find the word:  Goal setting was a term found while researching for my reciprocal teaching presentation.  I found it in the following article:

Davis, S.J. (1990).  Applying content study skills in co-listed reading classrooms.  Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 33(4), 277-281.

What it means: According to Davis (1990), goal setting is setting a reasonable purpose for studying.

Level of Familiarity:  I think the idea of setting a goal is a term that is pretty well generalized across disciplines.  I set goals not only related to my professional/academic life, but also in my personal life.

Do I want to know this word well and tell why?  Goal-setting is an important process.  Setting a small, acheivable goal by which one can measure his/her own achievement is an important task.  Not only is it a way to measure success, but appropriate goal setting can be a way in which to gain motivation.

Do I think others should know this word well....if so who and why?  In this context, it is important for teachers to know this term and to be able to use it effectively.  Setting goals for the individual is important to measure growth for that individual, but also setting goals (and determining if those goals were met) for a group of individuals is important to measure the effectiveness of one's own teaching.    

11:3 Idiosyncratic Process

When and where did I find the word:  Idiosyncratic Process was a term found while researching for my reciprocal teaching presentation.  I found it in the following article:

Davis, S.J. (1990).  Applying content study skills in co-listed reading classrooms.  Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 33(4), 277-281.

What it means: According to Davis (1990), choosing the study method that is personal, individual, and meaningful to each student is an idiosyncratic process.  


Level of Familiarity: I have never heard of the term idiosyncratic process prior to reading this article; however, the term seems to make sense at face-value.  

Do I want to know this word well and tell why?  The process by which a student either actively or passively chooses a study strategy is an important one as it, in part, determines the success of that student for a given task.  The term idiosyncratic implies that this process is individual to each student, which exemplifies the importance of taking the individual into account during the learning process.  

Do I think others should know this word well....if so who and why?  This is an important term for teachers to know.  When relaying information about study strategies, it is important to take into account the idiosyncratic nature by which the best study strategy for a given student is selected.  This helps the individual learner best succeed at the task in front of him/her.  As we are all life-long learners, it is important for most everyone to know.  

11: 2 Study Skills

When and where did I find the word:  Study skills was a term found while researching for my reciprocal teaching presentation.  I found it in the following article:

Davis, S.J. (1990).  Applying content study skills in co-listed reading classrooms.  Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 33(4), 277-281.

What it means: According to Davis (1990), study skills are a special form of reading that is done in order to perform an identifiable cognitive task.  

Level of Familiarity:   I have been using study skills throughout my academic career as both a student and a teacher.  As I student, I utilize study skills in order to learn new content.  As a teacher, I teach students study skills to help them succeed in the classroom. 

Do I want to know this word well and tell why? This is an important strategy for everyone to know.  Study skills are paramount for learning new material.  

Do I think others should know this word well....if so who and why?  Anyone can benefit from study skills.  As life-long learners, it is important to be able to learn new materials and utilizing study skills is one way to facilitate that process.  As a teacher, it is important to be able to teach students how to use study skills in the learning process.  

11:1 Conspiracy Days

When and where did I find the word:  Conspiracy days was a term found while researching for my reciprocal teaching presentation.  I found it in the following article:


Simmers-Wolpow, R., Farrell, D.P., & Tonje, M.J. (1991).  Implementing a secondary reading/study skills program across disciplines.  Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 34(8), 590-594.

What it means: According to Simmers-Wolpows (1991), conspiracy days are days where faculty can exchange instructional strategies for use in their classroom.  

Level of Familiarity: I have never heard of the term conspiracy days before; however, I am familiar with the the ideas behind a conspiracy day.  As a middle school teacher we have days designed around professional development that would fall into the definition of a conspiracy day.  Also, in my building, teachers share instructional strategies frequently on an informal basis.  

Do I want to know this word well and tell why? This is an important strategy to know.  My colleagues and I, as a collective, make up a large melting pot of experience that stems from a wide variety of origins.  Tapping into this melting pot of experiences via sharing ones' own knowledge and learning from someone else's will help facilitate learning in the classroom. 

Do I think others should know this word well....if so who and why?  Anyone can benefit from this strategy.  It is important to be able to share one's own knowledge with others just as it is important to be able to learn from others' experience.  The idea behind a conspiracy day applies to teaching just as much as it does to other professions.   

10:2 Word Wall

When and where did I find the word: Word Wall was part of the reading assignment for this week. The word was found in the book Word Wise and Content Rich: Five essential steps to teaching academic vocabulary. By Fisher and Frey.

Fisher, D. & Frey, N. (2008).  Word wise and content rich:  Five essential steps to teaching academic vocabulary.  Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

What it means: According to Fisher and Frey (2008), word walls are organized collections of words displayed in large letters on a wall.

Level of Familiarity: I have heard of word walls before in school. When I was in school, we had word walls; however, they were only used to display the new and old vocabulary that we had learned that year/week. We never did anything more with the word walls. Through experience in my classroom, I have learned that word walls are only as effective as they are used in the classroom.  

Do I want to know this word well and tell why? I definitely want to know this strategy well. The word walls are a very good resource to help students acquire new vocabulary, as long as they are used well within the lesson. Using word walls increases students exposure to the words, and when used properly, they are highly useful tools to introduce, review, and use words.

Do I think others should know this word well....if so who and why?  Teachers should know this strategy well. Again, it is important to use the word wall in lessons throughout the unit to ensure the students get the most use of the word wall in the classroom. Word walls need to be actively used in the classroom, and shouldn't be considered passive, but relevant classroom decoration.  

10:1 Shades of meaning paint chip

When and where did I find the word: Shades of meaning paint chip was part of the the reading assignment for this week. The word was found in the book Word Wise and Content Rich: Five essential steps to teaching academic vocabulary. By Fisher and Frey.

Fisher, D. & Frey, N. (2008).  Word wise and content rich:  Five essential steps to teaching academic vocabulary.  Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

What it means: According to Fisher and Frey (2008) Shades of meaning paint chips is a strategy used to help students understand the differences between related words.

Level of Familiarity: I have never heard of the shades of meaning paint chip strategy. When I read the chapter in Fisher and Frey (2008), I thought that it was great to find that strategy to use in my classroom.  I think that it will be beneficial and will help my students understand vocabulary and maintain their interest when attempting to keep track of new vocabulary.

Do I want to know this word well and tell why? I definitely want to know this strategy well. This is a new strategy that I can use in my classroom and my students can keep and benefit from all year long.  

Do I think others should know this word well....if so who and why?  Teachers should know this strategy well. Again, it is a great way to have the students concretely see the differences between related words. This is also a great way to have students keep track of new vocabulary and use it in their daily writing.

9:2 WebQuests

When and where did I find the word: WebQuests was part of the reciprocal teaching reading for the presentation this week. The article was Web-based inquiry learning: Facilitating thoughtful literacy with WebQuests. I thought the article was a very good choice and since I am planning an upcoming lesson using a webQuest, it was also very helpful! (Ikpeze & Boyd, 2007)

Ikpeze, C. &Boyd, F. (2007). Web-based inquiry learning: Facilitating thoughtful literacy with WebQuests. The Reading Teacher, 60(7), 644-654

What it means: According to Ikpeze and Boyd (2007) “WebQuests can be designed to offer learners opportunities for multiple knowledge representations and multiple perspectives so that they can capture the real-world complexities to which the knowledge is applied.”

Level of Familiarity: I have used WebQuests in my own classroom as a part of scaffolding knowledge the way that Ikpeze and Boyd discuss in their article.

Do I want to know this word well and tell why? I definitely want to know this word well. It is a new way of scaffolding information in a way that is motivating to students’ learning. The article gave excellent information as to how to create and search for appropriate WebQuests to bring into the classroom.

Do I think others should know this word well....if so who and why?  Teachers should know this word well, The students are always looking for information and along with the previous article on digital literacy, this is a new way students are learning to find and research information. Students’ need to have an understanding of how to read and evaluate online information just as much as in the textbook.

9:1 Media Literacy

When and where did I find the word: Media Literacy was part of the reciprocal teaching reading for the presentation this week. The article was Orchestrating the Media Collage: Being able to read and write multiple forms of media and integrate them into a meaningful whole is the new hallmark of literacy.” (Ohler, 2009)

Ohler, J. (2009).  Orchestrating the Media Collage: Being able to read and write multiple forms of media and integrate them into a meaningful whole is the new hallmark of literacy.  Journal of Educational Leadership. 8-13.

What it means: According to Ohler (2009), media literacy is the ability to recognize, evaluate, and apply the techniques of media persuasion.

Level of Familiarity: I have never heard of the formal definition of media literacy before reading this article. This is however is a very important word to know especially when considering how our students are growing up in a multi media generation. They have to not only know how to read media, but also how to evaluate and write media. 

Do I want to know this word well and tell why? As explained above, I am teaching students how to be successful in the world that we live in and one part of that is teaching students how to read, write and evaluate media.

Do I think others should know this word well....if so who and why?  Teachers should know this word well, they need to know how to teach and bring into their classrooms multi media. Teachers need to give students as much exposure to multi media as possible, and show them how to read and evaluate it for usability.

7.1 Reciprocal Questioning

When and where did I find the word: Reciprocal Questioning was in the reading this week, in the article “Did You Ask a Good Question Today? Alternative Cognitive and metcognitive Strategies” ( Ciariello, 1998)

Ciardiello, A.V. (1998).  Did you ask a good question today?  Alternative cognitive and

metacognitive strategies.  Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy 42(3), 210-

219.

What it means: According to Ciariello (1998), Reciprocal Questioning is a procedure in which the teacher and students take turns asking and answering each other’s questions about reading or a picture.

Level of Familiarity: I have heard of Reciprocal Teaching which is a similar strategy in which te student takes on the teacher role and leads the class in a discussion. Reciprocal Questioning would be an interesting strategy to use in the classroom.

Do I want to know this word well and tell why? I do want to know what this word means; I would like to use this strategy in my classroom, not only as a comprehension and questioning strategy, but as a whole class review.

Do I think others should know this word well....if so who and why?  Teachers should know this word well, It can be of benefit to them when developing questions, or having their students develop questions in class. Teachers can also use this type of strategy as a review.

6.2 Rubrics

When and where did I find the word: Rubrics was in the reading this week, in the book Content Area Writing (Zemelman & Steineke 2007)

Daniels, H., Zemelman, S. & Steineke, N. (2007).  Content-area writing.  Portsmouth,
             NH: Heinemann. p. 121

What it means: Rubrics are tools that help students and teachers assess students skills by measuring for different levels of completeness, understanding, or creativity.

Level of Familiarity: Rubric is a term I am very familiar with, both in my undergraduate and graduate programs. I have given rubrics to my students in school to use and use them often as a grading guide. I love getting a rubric in class because I know what is expected of my work and how I will be graded. In a way, for me, it also scaffolds the project or paper that I am working on.

Do I want to know this word well and tell why? I do need to know this word well. It not only helps me as a student understand what the expectations are, but also helps me to organize my work and my thoughts before I start the project.  As a teacher, I think that it decreases subjectivity in my grading.  

Do I think others should know this word well....if so who and why?  Teachers need to know what rubrics are because not only can they help in the grading process but also students who need that extra support with their writing or specific projects.

6:1 Write-Aloud

When and where did I find the word: Write-Aloud was in the reading this week, in the book Content Area Writing (Zemelman & Steineke 2007)

Daniels, H., Zemelman, S. & Steineke, N. (2007).  Content-area writing.  Portsmouth, NH:

Heinemann.

What it means: According to Zemelman and Steineke (2007) Write-Aloud is talking your thoughts aloud while you project your draft for students to see. p. 123

Level of Familiarity: I haven't really heard of Write-Alouds; however, it makes sense that if you are going to do something like a read aloud where you tell your students your thoughts while you are reading a story to them, why wouldn't you use that same strategy while teaching writing?

Do I want to know this word well and tell why? I need to know this word and use this in my classroom, so that my students see the process that writers go through when writing for different audiences.   

Do I think others should know this word well....if so who and why?  Teachers need to understand what Write-Alouds are and why we as teachers should use this strategy to help our students understand what their thought process should be as they begin the writing process.

5:3 Graphic Organizer

When and where did I find the word: Graphic Organizer was with in the title and embedded throughout the article assigned in this weeks reading.

Gallavan, N.P. & Kottler, E. (2007).  Eight types of graphic organizers for empowering social studies students and teachers.  The Social Studies, 117-123.

What it means: Graphic Organizers are defined by Gallavan & Kottler (2007) as visual models that provide teachers and students with tool, concepts, and language to organize, understand, and apply information to achieve a variety of purposes and outcomes.  p. 117

Level of Familiarity: I have regularly heard of and used graphic organizers through my learning and my teaching.

Do I want to know this word well and tell why? I need to know this word well to choose the correct type of graphic organizer that compliments the lesson I am teaching. This article explained how and when to use graphic organizers and the different types of graphic organizers.  

Do I think others should know this word well....if so who and why?  Teachers need to evaluate the types of graphic organizers they use in their classrooms to match their lesson and their students learning. Evaluating their graphic organizers will help ensure that a model is meaningful to the students.

5:2 Conceptual Density

When and where did I find the word: Conceptual Density was the one of the text features discussed in the Friendly Texts and Text-Friendly Teachers article that was assigned this week. (Dreher & Singer 2001)

Dreher, M. J. & Singer, H.  (1989).  Friendly text and text-friendly teachers.  Theory Into Practice, 28(2), 98-105.

What it means: According to Dreher and Singer (1989) conceptual density refers to the rate at which new ideas and vocabulary are introduced.

Level of Familiarity: I have never heard of the term conceptual density; however,  I have always wondered what to call books that feel extremely difficult to read and have many terms and ideas packed into one chapter or one paragraph.  I think Dreher and Singer (1989) would refer to those texts as conceptually dense.  

Do I want to know this word well and tell why? I want to know this word well and how to help students identify, organize and clarify their understanding when this feature is presented in a text book.

Do I think others should know this word well....if so who and why?  Teachers need to evaluate how a textbook spaces the presentation of new concepts and whether the new concepts receive sufficient elaboration to make them understandable (Dreher & Singer 2001, 100)

5:1 Friendly Text

When and where did I find the word: Friendly text was the title of and mentioned multiple times within the article that described text friendly features. (Dreher & Singer 2001)

Dreher, M. J. & Singer, H.  (1989).  Friendly text and text-friendly teachers.  Theory Into Practice, 28(2), 98-105.

What it means: According to Dreher and Singer (1989) Friendly texts are texts that have features that facilitate learning from it. Within the article it described many different kinds of text features: Text organization, ways to measure time, signaling, discourse consistency, cohesion, explication, conceptual density, names into words, metadiscourse, and instructional devices.  These help the reader create a relationship between the text and their understanding of/ learning from the text.

Level of Familiarity: I have never heard of the term friendly text.  I, however,  have been familiar with the definition behind the term for a while. The many features described in the article are features that I look for in my own textbooks and textbooks for my students.

Do I want to know this word well and tell why? I want to know this word well and the features that are associated with it, to manage my own classroom books and help my students understand and use the text features.

Do I think others should know this word well....if so who and why?  This word is a very important term to know. Teachers should examine their own books for text friendly features. If their books are text friendly, it may help to point out the specific features such as signaling that will help students to understand/ comprehend the information in the text.  

4:4 Schemata / Schema

When and where did I find the word: Schema and Schemata was found during class the course reading in the (Billmeyer and Barton 1998) Section 4 pg. 62

Billmeyer, R. & Barton, M.L. (1998).  Teaching reading in the content areas:  If not me, then who?   (2^nd ed.).  Aurora, CO:  Mid-continent Regional Educational Laboratory.  

What it means: According to Billmeyer and Barton (1998) Schema refers to an underlying organizational pattern or structure.

Level of Familiarity: I am very familiar with schema. I have heard this term for the majority of my undergraduate and graduate career.

Do I want to know this word well and tell why? I do want to know this word well. Knowing my students schema will help me teach them new information in a way that will fit into their organizational structures. It helps me to connect to their background knowledge and pull out old information to clarify/develop their learning.  

Do I think others should know this word well....if so who and why?  Schema is important for all teachers to know. Since it refers to how students connect their background knowledge to new learning in an organizational pattern to make new learning easily retrievable.

4:3 Isthmus

When and where did I find the word: Isthmus is a word that I came across when reviewing with my students for a geography test in Social Studies.

What it means: Isthmus is a small strip of land that connects two larger bodies or land..

Level of Familiarity: I do not believe I have heard this word in at least 12 years. If I have heard it before it was during my own 8^th grade year and I have never used it since.

Do I want to know this word well and tell why? I find it interesting that I have never heard this word previous to this lesson, however it is an important word to someone who my live in Panama, which is considered an Isthmus.

Do  think others should know this word well....if so who and why?  It may be important for others to know to help them define vocabulary when reading a book to students.

4:2 Metacognition

When and where did I find the word: Metacognition  came up in week 4 reading in our course text Teaching Reading in the Content Areas. (Billmeyer & Barton 1998). Section 2 On page 42.

Billmeyer, R. & Barton, M.L. (1998).  Teaching reading in the content areas:  If not me, then who?   (2^nd ed.).  Aurora, CO:  Mid-continent Regional Educational Laboratory.  

What it means: Metacognition is thinking about one’s thinking. In this text, it is to refer to being strategic and reflective about reading comprehension. (Billmeyer and Barton, 1998)

Level of Familiarity: I have heard the word metacognition all through my undergraduate and graduate schooling when discussing how students learn, questioning, and development.

Do I want to know this word well and tell why? Metacognition is important for teachers to understand when discussing comprehension skills and modeling strategic reading skills. It is important for your students to understand what types of questions they should be asking themselves as they read, and what types of questions the teacher needs to ask their students to enhance their zone of proximal development. (Vygotsky)

Do I think others should know this word well....if so who and why?  Understanding metacognition and helping students to develop their own independent thinking is a strategy that should be taught in every classroom to create life long learners.

4:1 Transformative

When and where did I find the word: Transformative came up in weeks 4 reading in our course text Word Wise. (Fisher and Frey 2008). Chapter 5 On page 95.

Fisher, D. & Frey, N. (2008).  Word wise and content rich:  Five essential steps to teaching academic vocabulary.  Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

What it means: In the sentence, it was as a change in potential or a changing moment for both the student and the teacher: “spending just three minutes with a student can be transformative for both the teacher and the learner” (Fisher & Frey 2008).

Level of Familiarity: This word is not new to me, however I find this word to be very powerful when used in this context.

Do I want to know this word well and tell why? Yes again this word is very powerful when used in this context. Many times teachers forget to learn from their students. Transformative in this context discusses the change in thought for both the student and the teacher from a 3 minute conversation each day.

Do I think others should know this word well....if so who and why? It is important to remember this word and the meaning, Each day you should be learning as much from your students about their learning as they are expected to learn in your classroom.

3:1 Mental Disposition

When and where did I find the word: Mental Disposition came up in weeks 3 reading in our course text. (Billmeyer and Barton 1998). Chapter 1 On page 10.

Billmeyer, R. & Barton, M.L. (1998).  Teaching reading in the content areas:  If not me, then who?  (2^nd ed.).  Aurora, CO:  Mid-continent Regional  Educational Laboratory.   

What it means: According to Billmeyer and Barton (1998) Mental Disposition is an affective response toward reading. (eg. How motivated he is to do what is required. How confident he feels about his ability to succeed at reading. How interested he is in actively pursuing meaning while reading. How he feels about what he is reading. and How much new learning he wants to integrate into his current schema.)

Level of Familiarity: The word is very new to me. I have never heard it before this reading. I encountered it while reading. I was able to understand what the word meant using context cues.

Do I want to know this word well and tell why? Yes I feel this affects my students when reading content area text daily.

Do I think others should know this word well....if so who and why? Yes, I believe others should know this word because no matter what grade or subject you are teaching. Mental Disposition determines how well a student will grasp the information and relate it to their background knowledge.