Reflection on Multigenre Autiobiography

I have been thinking back to all of the presentations that we looked at last Monday during our class, and those that we will be seeing tomorrow morning. I thought about how I put mine together, and the preparation that others used for theirs as well. I think activities like this strive for us to think about our lives from the outside looking in. We all can dwell on our past, but it was different to put it on display for everyone else. I did enjoy the fact that there were multiple sites that we could use to enhance our ability to create these projects. It was necessary for me to rely on something else, because I wasn't able to access PowerPoint on my computer. Yet, looking at all of those other sites also allowed me to think of ways to incorporate those things into my classroom. Things such as mixbook could be used for group projects to show each step of the way that the group took before they reached their conclusion. Thinking about the future also made me really take a look at everyone else's projects. Yes, a lot of our information was similar to each others, yet there were also categories where they were extremely different as well. I think this is important to look at because these were the stages that we went through in our lives, just as our students will be going through as well. We need to be aware that not any two students are going to be the same, that their "Multigenre Autobiographies" are different from the person sitting next to them. I think that too often teachers imply that children are either going through the same things that they went through when they were younger, or that they are all going through the same childhood experiences. I hope that a project like this could be used to get students to think about themselves and all the ways that things have impacted their lives. Viewing each student's would be a great way to break the ice and delve into their perspectives in the beginning of the semester.

Activities we have been introduced to

After reading some of Dr. Kist's book, it has really hit home just how "creative" teachers these days really need to be. I love that in this book, and daily he gives us examples of what we can do to keep our children entertained and focused about learning. Besides our experiences last semester, I haven't had much time in a classroom teaching besides when I was required to teach a chapter or two in high school. These are the facts in my head that I have actually been having nightmares about (don't judge) next year we are going to be in charge of a classroom, our students won't be clueless about the fact that we are first-time teachers, these students (as I'm sure did we) will thrive on the fact that we are inexperienced. Yet, after reading more into the Socially Networked Classroom and thinking about the things we do every Monday morning in Kist's classroom I am beginning to see that we have more power than I thought, yet it really lies within our capability to be creative. I just keep thinking that I personally need to remember how I felt in high school. I am afraid that at times I will want to almost be a robot and go through the motions that we have been taught throughout our time at KSU. However, I am totally going to borrow these ideas and games what Kist has been teaching us every week. I think about how before we even start the day he asks all of us what we did over the weekend, what media we've been using etc. This class, like he told us the day he gave us our syllabus, isn't about getting that A, but taking so much more away from it and I think I am finally getting the grasp on that. I too am learning SO much from all of you as well. I know that I don't know everyone as well as I would like to, but I do take mental notes of everyone's contributions and opinions in class and reflect how I could be more like ya'll when I step into a classroom.

Multigenre Autobiography

| View Sample Photo Books | Create your own Photo Book

Still having trouble

I find myself thinking about this whole "Blogging" thing constantly. I am NOT a fan of things like Twitter, or Blogs, yet I find myself having to do them in order to receive credit in this class. I am not dismissing the fact that they are useful. I guess I am just finding it hard to get motivated about logging on a seeing what everyone is discussing and talking about. When it comes to Facebook I am more content doing that because you only post things when you want to, and a lot of times you really are only responding to things others say to you. I will say that i find it very beneficial at times. You can relate to others' blogs and generate ideas for the classroom, papers, discussions or projects. If anyone can give me some pointers on getting more excited about this part of our class I would LOVE IT!!!

As for things that are happening right now with the Multigenre assignment I am loving this project. It's really based on whether or not you have the ability to be creative or not. I mean, yes, there are areas where you must follow the grading rubric and actually present a significant amount of slides. However, really I think Dr. Kist is looking for us to be creative and artisitc and enthusiastic about this presentation. Activities like this will allow students to show off their skills and love for something that has touched their lives. Not having to do any writing will encourage children to dif deep into the material and actually spend time on it. As for me, I feel like this whole project is going to bring up what a loser I was when I was a child, and actually still am today.

Little Brother

The main topic I want to address in this blog is, FINALLY, I found a book that pertains to the "smart-alec, gamer, and delinquent" student that actually puts them into a positive light. Marcus is obviously portrayed to be a strong character in this book. Although he clearly defies authority, it is not frowned upon in the pages. The author portrays him as being very intelligent (because he is) along with all of his other friends. It is clear to me that this book would be an acceptable book to use in a classroom as an English teacher. It is a rather large book, and to ensure that the majority of the semester/quarter wouldn't only focus on the book, I would suggest that it be used in a Junior or Senior level course, where the students would be able to take on a heavier reading load. Many of the topics covered so far in the book may be "touchy" subjects, but none the less are topics that students see, talk about, and hear everyday. We are not limited to our discussion about "terrorism" especially in books that are fictional. I so far think the way that this book is written is perfect for high school students. I am enjoying it, and find it to be an easy read, as opposed to something I have to trudge through to turn the pages. I look forward to reading the remainder of it.