Module 12

Though this module was also rather dry pertaining to a majority of bookwork, I did find the discussions of censorship to be interesting. I teach in a private, Christian school and we are very particular about what we put in the library. Because of this, I can see both sides of the issues on some of the books. However, I will follow the school protocol and abstain from material that is deemed offensive. We have parent-volunteers that review books. In addition, the librarians use book reviews and do a lot of reading! We do allow our children to read "Lemony Snickets",
"Warrior" series, and "The Spiderwick Chronicles". However, we haven't permitted "Harry Potter" or books written by Pullman.

Module 11

Module 11 was rather dry and mainly pertained to vocabulary words and concepts. The most interesting part to me was on ethnic journalism. I'm always drawn to books of different ethnicities and was surprised to read the "cons" of reading about ethnic journalism.

Module 10

The highlight of this module was the literary analyses. I erroneously believed that's what we would be doing the entire semester, so I relished the time I was able to spend analyzing children's literature. Since there were no standards, I tried to pick a variety of children's books in different subject areas and grade levels. I read some amazing books!

Module 9

The highlight of this module was the draft of the book we are to write. My book is called, "A Tiger's Life". It's about my cat, Tiger, and his perception of life versus real life. It's going to be about his pursuit to protect us from dangers (our lab, Abe, and various toys that belong to the children), his pursuit of food, and the family hierarchy. As I type this, he's asleep on my legs preparing for his nocturnal endeavors. I found a picture of a cat in Microsoft Word that looks exactly like Tiger!

Module 8

I have completed my entire unit. I've created a wiki and it's address is:
http://50statesestes.pbwiki.com/

Module 7

How can I facilitate a student-centered classroom?
I feel very strongly about facilitating a student-centered classroom. First, it is imperative that the assignments are authentic, meaningful and resemble work the kids will do in real life. In addition, I must clearly outline goals and objectives. Finally, I'd like to make the work seem practical (and possibly fun!) to the kids, too.

How can I use technology to support my instructional practice?
As a business educator, I use technology in every aspect of my class. Generally, I focus on Microsoft Office, as well as Internet research. So, obviously, it's a very technology heavy class.

Module 6

How can I help my students become self-directed learners? Assisting students in becoming self-directed learners ties right in with No Child Left Behind. When we help students become self-directed we are allowing them to excel academically. We must determine how each student learns. Teachers, parents, administrators, and students must understand the concepts of student motivation, metacognition, self-efficacy, self-regulation, locus of control, and goal orientation. These concepts provide the foundation for a student seeking to become a self-directed learner. How can I support the diverse needs of learners? Diversity can come in many forms. We must determine what the student background and interests are and then we can figure out the best way to meet their needs. http://home.twcny.rr.com/hiemstra/sdlhdbk.html