Multimedia Text Creation

After you have experimented with Voicethread, Photo Story 3, and/or Animoto, please post your best idea for using this kind of tool in your own classroom to motivate students, help them read or write better/more/more independently, or help them learn skills or content. Please do NOT duplicate others' ideas and please be specific enough that we could use your idea in our own classroom if we like it.

Text-to-Speech

After you have experimented with the Mac or Windows version of TypeIt ReadIt and with either Mac's built-in text-to-speech feature or ReadPlease on your PC, please post your best idea for using this kind of tool in your own classroom to motivate students, help them read or write better/more/more independently, or help them learn skills or content. Please do NOT duplicate others' ideas and please be specific enough that we could use your idea in our own classroom if we like it.

Letters, Sounds, and Words

After reading the letters, sounds, and words instructional principles and practices in CTW and TGFB, and by Feb. 13 at the latest, post (a) a few notes on the most important ideas you learned, and why they matter to you; and (b) 1-2 questions you have about effective and efficient letters, sounds, and words instruction.

Personal Reading Plans

No later than Feb. 6, post your personal reading plans here. Remember: (1) required reading doesn't count; (2) there are no requirements other than it must be text and it must be daily; (3) we'll spend some time reading and being read with in class on Mondays; and (4)we'll spend a few minutes sharing our personal reading experiences with one another in class. No rewards beyond the joys of reading, but we should have a celebration at the end of the semester, don't you think?

Emergent Literacy

By Jan. 30 (and after you have completed the required reading on emergent literacy), please post here on: (a) the most important thing you learned from this chapter and why it matters to you; and (b) 1-2 questions you have about emergent literacy based on the readings or your experiences with children.

Reading Motivation

No later than Jan. 23, and after you finish reading the four short articles on reading motivation, respond in two ways in the comment section: 1) what are the most important things you learned about reading motivation, and 2) what question(s) do you have about motivating children's reading in your own classroom some day?

Introductions

Please use the comment feature to respond to this blog post. Introduce yourself to us. What are your various responsibilities and interests? Why do you want to become a teacher (beside the fact that you like children)? What do you hope to learn from this course on beginning reading methods (please be specific)? If you have a screen name that does not include your last name, please sign your entry so we know who you are.