Jaci's Writings For the Soul

   Poetry... where do I begin? I have never been a fan of poetry. My high school self would say "I hate poetry" but I realize now that hate is such a strong word. I strongly disliked poetry, mainly the poetry we did in class. It was boring and outdated, to say the least. They were always the same kind of poem- with rhyme and iambic pentameter. I always dread poetry weeks. Poetry was something I could never get a handle on. Choosing English as my concentration meant I would have to teach my students poetry at some point. I was nervous how I would get my students interested in poetry when I, myself, aren't interested in poetry.    My SED 407 professor had us come up with a dream unit, one that we would want to teach if we didn't have to worry about state standards, and parent push back. It took me a couple minutes to think of something that I would want to teach my students and that's when it hit me. I tried thinking what would get me interested in poetry, at least...

   Dr. J asked us why we were at the conference. I wrote down "because Dr. J made us". That was the truth. When we were first told that it was a mandatory conference, I was reluctant and didn't want to go. However, as we got closer to the conference, and we were moving along in the semester, I was getting excited about the conference. I was excited to learn about new writing techniques both digital and the traditional paper and pencil.    The first workshop I went to was called Empowering Students using Ira Shore's Problem Posing Writing for a Democratic Classroom. Amanda Scott was the presenter. During this workshop, we learned how to help students compose essays through a series of questions. This seminar also presented us with ways in which students can revise and work together to create a group essay.    The second workshop was very interesting. It was digital storytelling. We were presented with a variety of ways in which students can develop their ...

   After I finished the readings, specifically Turner and Hicks' chapter 2, I began to think about my past blog posts and other digital literacies. I didn't post hyperlinks or images or any other forms of multimedia because I never thought about their effects on my writings. It got me thinking about the ways I've used digital literacy in the past. As well as how I can use them in my future classrooms.     Chapter 2 talks about how hyperlinks can do more to enhance the information that you are presenting, especially in digital arguments. Hyperlinks can provide an added source of credibility and validity to your piece of work. I liked the activity that Turner and Hicks mention to do with students. I think that it is a great way to get students to not only use and interact with technology but they learn how to write digitally and support whatever it is they are writing. Images are another great way to have students support their claims in writing without much elab...

   I feel like I have seen so many different articles regarding technology in the classroom. In my SED 407 class, we are also reading about digital literacy and how to incorporate it, and get our students involved and interested in technology. I have always wondered how I would use technology in my classroom. I am not tech-savvy. I know how to use social media and I can find what I need to find. Finding a way to get my students interested in technology in an educational setting is something that I  have wondered if I would be good at.    Reading the article "Digital Literacy Can't Wait"', got me thinking about the school's I have been in for practicums, as well as my own schooling, and how we used technology. I was very privileged when it came to technology in my schooling. My elementary, middle and high school, had computer labs, with MacBook Desktops. The libraries all had computers for student use, and many classrooms in my elementary school and middle schoo...

This is an after the fact blog but, it still pertains to intersectionality.    While listening to Kimberlé Crenshaw's TedTalk, I was struck by how hard it is for those individuals who are at a crossroads in their life. I never realized how intersectionality affects all aspects of one's life. Maybe it is because of my "white privilege" that I never really thought about intersectionality before. It's not the first time I have heard this word but it is one of the first times that I have really thought about my own privilege. The first time that I really thought about my privilege and intersectionality, was during FNED 346. I was in a school in Providence. I was the minority. Their playground was a black top with a couple of ragged basketball hoops. I thought back to my elementary school, and rather my schooling in general. I come from a 98% white community. We had two elementary schools. My elementary school had not one, but two play yards, each with a jungle gym,...

   Through my special education journey, I have learned that one of the best practices to utilize when working with students who have special needs, is to teach them the growth mindset. Many students who have intellectual disabilities, for example, grow up through the deficit mindset. The deficit mindset talks about the lack of something or the needs that an individual has versus the strength mindset that focuses on the individual's strengths. When I hear growth mindset, I immediately think about the strength mindset. They are both mindsets based off of developing the student's already existing strengths and skills and helping to develop new ones.     Many E.L.L. students, or English Language Learners, are wrongly placed into special education. The students are placed there because their reading skills are not up to par with their grade like peers. This is often times, not due to an intellectual disability but rather, to the fact that English is not their fir...