Synthesis of Course

Wow... it is time to write a final blog post.  I am not ready for this class to be over because it means that all my social studies and history friends are moving on and I won't get to see them everyday.  I am a little sad...tear.  Okay I didn't really cry, but I really am sad.  We had some good times in this class.  I think we officially welcomed Dr. Wilson to Utah State.  Okay so welcomed is not the best word, but "broke-in" doesn't really sound that good.
Anyways...I really enjoyed this class.  There are so many things that I want to incorporate into my own classroom.  I think Before, During and After reading as key to help students see the value of reading.  I remember being in school and reading from the textbook, but asking myself what is the point.  With BD&A reading the students know the point of  reading and everything that is read has meaning and value.  I will use this in my classroom for sure.
Another skill or strategy I cam away with is the value of digital literacy.  The world is full of technology and as teachers, we can't just ignore that it is there.  I think we have to include technology in our classrooms.  I will probably have a class blog when I am a teacher.  It seems small, but I think it will help.  I also want to incorporate digital texts in my classroom.  The internet is a great source so why not use it.  I will also have to show my students how to find the valuable information from the internet.  There is a lot of crazy out there.
Writing strategies will also come in handy.  I will require my students to write in my class, so I have to have the writing skills and strategies to help them.  I will want to work closely with both English teachers as well as Special Ed teachers and ELL teachers so I can improve my teaching.  It is important to find ways to help all students learn.  This ties into differentiation.  I want to use differentiation as well.  It will be important to use all the resources given to me to improve myself and my teaching.
There is just too much from this class to write in one blog post.  All I can say is that everyday in SCED 4200 I learned something that I will take to my own classroom.  Everything we did in class will be "do-able" in my own class.  It makes me excited to student teach and try this stuff out.

Self-Selected Project

Last semester in my teaching social studies class there was a guest speaker that introduced me to a book called Maus.  I have been wanting to read the book ever since.  The self-selected project was a perfect reason to pick up the book.  After doing a little research on amazon.com I found that there was also another book called Maus II.  I was super excited to be able to read both books.  The final book that I read was John, Paul, George and Ben.  I got together with other social studies and history teaching students to make a book club.  We all wanted to read Maus and it just made sense that we worked together to complete the self-selected project.  My book club consists of Kayla, Rusty, Tom, Jessie and me.  I really like working with these guys.  We have fun together.  History really is the best!!!
 
Maus is a graphic novel created by Art Spiegelman.  It is based on his family history, mostly his father, Vladek.  (i just want to interject here... i had this entire blog written and then my web browser decided to die and i couldn't publish my post.  when i tried to recover my blog this is the point at which it was saved...sad:(...so just imagine how great this blog could have been) The novel tells the story in both the present and the past.  The relationship of Art and his father are explored throughout the novel.  The novel also explores Art's parents and how they met and their courtship.  The novel focuses on the early part of World War 2. 
 
Maus II is the continuation of the story of Art and his father, Vladek.  The relationship of father and son is explored further in the second book.  The story of Art's parents continues as they reach a concentration camp.  The book is very emotional between the issues Vladek has while in the concentration camp and also the issues between the Art and Vladek.  I liked the second book better than the first.  I liked the exploration of the issues that are tied to the Holocaust and the effects of the Holocaust on many generations.

John, Paul, George, and Ben is a great children's book.  It is funny and easy to read.  I think it took me 3 minutes to read the entire book.  I thought the book has value in both elementary and secondary classrooms.  I liked this book.  This book also shows the problems with falsehoods in history.

I joined a book club with several other social studies composite and history teaching students.  The book club consists of Kayla, Tom, Rusty, Jessie and me.  I really liked my group.  We had a lot of fun talking about the books and how to use them in our classrooms.  We decided that we could use all of these books in our classrooms.  We really liked Maus I and II for teaching the Holocaust and the effects of the Holocaust, but would probably only use part of each book for instruction.  Even though John, Paul, George and Ben is a children’s book it still has value in the classroom.  We decided we could use it to show the falsehoods and myths of history and how those falsehoods and myths might be just as important as the truth.

I really liked reading for pleasure.  It was definitely different than the usual.  I usually just read books that are required for classes.  I rarely pick up a book and read it for the enjoyment of reading.  There are some books that I read for classes that I like, but who likes reading a textbook?  No one…here is a secret the teachers do not even like reading textbooks. (p.s. if you ever try to burn a textbook...it is nearly impossible.  this i had to learn the hard way)

I would totally use something like this in my classroom.  I am observing a teacher that holds a book club for his students.  It is really successful.  The students are in charge and talk amongst themselves about the book.  The teacher rarely interjects, but sometimes he has to keep the students on track.  I would also want to have my students read for enjoyment.  I would provide my students with a list of possible books and let them choose which book they want to read.  I find it easier to read a book I choose, rather than a book that is chosen for me.  

Affective Dimensions of Reading

I really love to read.  I have always considered myself a good reader.  I have always loved reading, even as a youngster.  I loved going to the library and picking out books.  I wish I could read more books for fun, but I read too much for school and I never get the chance to  read books that I want.  I have made a goal to read the top 100 books according to the BBC.  I have read 25 to 30 so far.  My goal is to complete the list before I die.  I also have this weird OCD thing...if I start a book I feel like I have to finish it, even if I hate the book.  Everyone in my family encouraged me to read.  My entire family values reading.  We read together and pass books between each other.  My grandma always bought me and my siblings books for every holiday.  When I was young my grandma even had a special book made just for me!  I thought it was great.  I still love the book.  My nick-name ever comes from a book...jillian jiggs!  I never had anyone tell me reading was nerdy or stupid.  My group of friends growing up also liked to read and we would talk about books all the time.  Reading has always had a key place in my life.  I love helping my nephew and nieces learn to read and read with them. 
I like to read historical fiction, fiction, young adult fiction, biographies, mystery, pretty much anything that sounds good.  I am willing to read almost any book that is recommended.  I usually check Amazon.com for new books and books that look interesting.  I also like reading books using my Kindle.  It is different than holding a book, but it is great for travel.
The only time I didn't like reading was when books were assigned in school.  I didn't always like the assignments that went with reading.  Sometimes the worksheets were lame and pointless.  I may have liked the book, but doing all the worksheets made the process painful!  The other type of reading I struggled with was and is poems.  I just never seem to get the symbolism and meanings that are buried in the works.
I am really concerned with reading in my discipline.  I want to encourage my students to read, but I don't want to force reading on students that don't have a positive view of reading.  One of the teachers I am observing this semester is hosting a book club.  I think it is a great way to encourage reading.  The students are assigned a specific number of pages to read each week and then they meet the same time each week to discuss the book.  I am excited to observe the book club next week.  I also think using historical fiction is a great way to introduce students to history in a fun and interesting way.  I know many of the books I have read have made me more interested in different eras.  I love learning about World War 2 because of the historical fiction I have read.  There are different reading levels within historical fiction and that can help students at different levels get the same information at their level. 

Digital Literacy

Fact one:  I cannot live without my cell phone.  I use it everyday.  I need it!  I use my cell for everything...checking email, facebook, texting. talking to my family, youtube videos, listening to music and playing games.  It is the only way I communicate with my dad and my sisters.  I am the person who will get out my phone to google some random thing.  I am always using some random app like IMDb or TMZ.  I would be lost without my phone.  I panic every time I lose it in my purse or when it tries to die.  It is like a mini heart attack.  You might hear me yell at the phone. Do not panic, but it is out of love. 
Fact two:  I love my computer.  I watch a movie on it every night.  It is the best way to fall asleep.  There is nothing like the soothing sounds of Zoolander, Lloyd Christmas or Tommy Boy to put me to sleep.  It is one of my favorite things.  I plan each day what movie I get to watch.  The second most important thing I use my computer for is MUSIC.  I love to turn the volume all the way up and jam.  It makes cleaning and other boring things way more fun.  I also use my computer for school stuff, but that is not as great as movie time.  I also use my computer to check my hotmail account because my phone will not let me check hotmail...lame. 
Fact three:  I loooooooooooooove the internet!  It has changed my life.  Oh the things it can do...facebook, shopping, music, reading.  The internet is my source for random facts.  I have a new love thanks to the internet...Kindle.  I can use my phone to read thousands of books right on  my phone that I purchased from Amazon.  I use it a couple times a week.  I think the internet is great because of facebook.  I can see what is going on in lives of my sisters, cousins, friends from high school and any other random person.  The internet has also caused a few addicts in my life.  Most recently pinterest.  I can look at pinterest for hours and not get bored.  I have to give myself a time limit so that I don't go crazy!
I think technology is important in the classroom and I fully embrace it.  There are so many possible ways to teach through technology.  When I am a teacher I want to have a class blog with a post from each day or week and links to assignments, study guides, texts and any other information from class.  I also want to use text quizzes.  I think they are so much fun and students will enjoy it.  There is so much information on the web and I want to use it while teaching.  I can find so many primary and secondary sources that I didn't have when I was in junior high or high school.  I also think it is important to have students use technology to interact with each other.  I may set up a classroom facebook page. 
I have made a very fancy chart that documents my digital technology use....be prepared to be impressed!  It is kind of a lame digital use week.  I went home and I don't use much technology when I am at home. 

Day	Digital Activties
Thursday Oct. 20	Checked email Google on phone to check a random fact Watched T.V.-The Office of course! Watched a movie on computer…Corpse Bride
Friday Oct. 21	Texting sisters Watched T.V. for an hour or so
Saturday Oct. 22	Texting sisters Navigation on phone Watched a movie with family
Sunday Oct. 23	Watched T.V. for a couple hours Watched a movie on computer…Transformers 1
Monday Oct. 24	Texting sisters Checked email Got on the internet on my phone Watched T.V. for an hour or so Watched a movie on computer…Pink Panther
Tuesday Oct. 25	Checked email on computer & phone Got on the internet on my phone Watched T.V. for a couple of hours Read using my Kindle Watched a movie on computer…Pink Panther
Wednesday Oct. 26	Texting friends, family and roommates Update facebook status and read comments Got on the internet on my phone Logged on to Canvas Logged on to Livetext Watched movie on computer…Hairspray

Affective Dimensions of Writing

I think of myself as a writer of necessity.  My career as a student has to led to more writing for assignments and grades than writing for myself.  I usually have one or two writing assignments each week and I think that number is plenty.  I want to do more writing for myself.  I want to create a blog for myself.  I have been thinking of what I would want to write about and how I would write about myself. 

I am a list maker.  I love lists.  But more than just lists, I love to cross everything off my list and throw it away.  I sometimes find myself adding things that I have done just so I can cross them off.  I feel so accomplished when I finish a list.  I am just like my mom in this way.  She always had a list that she would add things.  I have a feature on my cell phone called "memo."  I always have at least eight memos.  I delete and add to the memos constantly.  I also use drawings to express my ideas or needs.  This comes in handy at work.  I plant decorative flowers pots for people.  I keep a journal of every pot I plant each season.  This journal includes both a drawing and a list of plants.  It is great because people will come back the next season and want pots the same or like certain plants and not know what plant they want.  I can refer back to my journal and give my customers exactly what they want.  It has made my job a thousand times easier.  Another type of writing I use every day is text messaging.  I text my friends and family.  It is so much easier than calling, especially when I just have a quick question or can't talk on the phone.  I use my facebook account to update my friends and family on my life or funny things that happen.  My little sister and I have conversations via facebook messages. 
Usually the reason why I liked or disliked the writing assignment was directly related to the relevance or the relevance I felt the assignment had to the class or the topic.  One assignment I remember disliking was a questionnaire for the book The Hiding Place.  The questions were more related to the dates of each event, like what day were the ten Booms discovered?  I didn't understand why the teacher was focusing on those facts when the bigger more important issues where being ignored.  I hated that assignment.  To this day I can't understand the point of that assignment. 
I want to make writing a part of my classes in a way that is cohesive and makes sense to my students.  I don't want my students to question the relevance of any assignment I give them.  On the same note, I want to use differentiation as a part of my instruction.  Every large assignment would be different and more tailored to each students needs and likes.  I wish I would have had more opportunity as a student to pick how I would show my knowledge.

Connecting School and Home Experiences

My parents have always been concerned with my education.  My dad still asks me what I do at school each day and I don't even live at home.  My parents took every opportunity to educate my siblings and me.  My mom was especially interested in history and I think that is where I got my love of history.  My earliest memories of my history education came from visiting museums.  Growing up in Utah County meant that my exposure to history, art and science came from the museums at BYU.  Two of the most memorable museum exhibits were the Etruscans and Chinese Tombs.  Even many, many, many years later I can still remember going to these exhibits with my family.  The Etruscan were a civilization that was formed in Italy and later assimilated into Roman Society.  The exhibit on China focused on the Imperial burial tombs including the terra cotta soldiers.  I can remember being fascinated by everything and wanting to know more about the people that made the objects in the exhibits.  In addition to these experiences at the museums, my mom also introduced me to history through historical fiction.  I loved reading as a kid (p.s I still do) and my mom would read books and then she would pass the books to me.  I was introduced to World War II, the Holocaust, The Revolutionary War by the books my mom would have me read.  I can use my experiences as a kid to help my future students develop an interest in history.  It is important to use unexpected techniques to help students appreciate what has happened in the past.  I gained a love of history through historical fiction.  I read a story about history and then I wanted to know what happened in reality.  I want my future students to want to know about history and take lessons to his/her life.  It will also be important to have the parents of my students reinforce the lessons we are learning at home.  I will probably use my students parents, grandparents and other family members to teach history.  An interview project would probably be the best way to implement this idea.

Who Am I?

I am Jillian Baker.  I grew up in Spanish Fork, Utah.  I spent my childhood boating and camping with my family.  Teasdale is a small town in southern Utah that I consider my second home.  It is a great place to go 4-wheeling, cut a Christmas tree, or just chill with my family.  I work at Tony's Grove Garden Center in Hyde Park and I love it.  I get to plant flowers and make floral arrangements.  I consider myself a super senior.  I have been attending Utah State for what seems like forever.  I have had at least four different majors.  The reason I decided to become a teacher involved being a substitute teacher.  I enjoyed being with the students and wanted more time with the students to get to know them better.  After subbing almost grade I decided that I enjoyed the older students better and could teach a subject that I loved.  I have always been a history nerd.  Now I have to opportunity to help students gain a better understanding of history and maybe even learn to love it.