Ch. 11

I found that this chapter was very When we sit back and think about how much writing is an everyday part of our lives we can see that it is used in an enormous amount of things outside of the classroom. I feel that we are not prepared when we exit high school for all the things that we will use writing for as we mature into adults. Conley points out (p.307) that in high school we are taught to write simply five paragraph papers. All our papers consisted of an opening, three middle paragraphs, and then a conclusion. This did not at all prepare us for our college career. Just in the last week we were assigned a 6-12 page paper. How are we suppose to make it five paragraphs like we are been taught? It’s impossible. As a future teacher I believe that it is important for students to reflect on their experiences as students as well as things that are going on in their lives. I believe that we should also teach them alterative ways to use writing in their everyday lives. By using writing in these ways students will be more prepared entering into college as well as their adult lives. imformational and can apply to us as teachers in many ways.

Smart Board/ Promethium Board

To be honest I very little experience using either one of these. I have seen them use multiple times but have personal never used one. I have done a presentation using a smart board using power point and that is it. I think they are great to use in the classroom especially with the world we live in today. Our students use technology on a daily basis and if it is incorporated in the classroom then the material will be more relatable for them.

Chapter 7

I particularly enjoyed the section on The Prior Knowledge- Motivation Connection (p.190). This section discusses the importance of connecting students various prior knowledge and using this to motivate students. Students have knowledge from family, community, and school experience that a skillful teacher can take and apply to what students are learning. When I began to think about this I noticed that this can be used from kindergarten and even apply to us now in college. Whenever a teacher tells a story that I can connect to I automatically become interested in what they are saying, then this leads me to wanting to know more about the topic. As we grow we enquire more and more prior knowledge and I believe as teacher we should use this to our advantage to engage our students and hold their attention.