UNM LLSS 443 CHILDREN'S LITERATURE

MIDTERM SUMMARY & EVALUATION

MIDTERM REFLECTION

Five Dimensions of Learning

1. Confidence & Independence

2. Skills & Strategies

3. Knowledge Content

4. Use of Prior Knowledge

5. Critical Reflection

Our children's literature course is intended as an overview to experiencing the stories, genres, literary elements that comprise children's literature. This semester we are fortunate enough to have students from outside the teacher education program who enrich our classroom experience. Our practicum experience at Tibbetts Middle School is another level of interaction and engagment interacting with students within the poetry genre.

In doing so, this is true learning where we are learning beside our students and grappling with the same kinds of challenges. This is the most powerful kind of teaching and the purpose of experiencing something rich in our time together. There is not excitement in teaching, where the teacher knows all the answers and passes the information on to her students. Actual teaching happens in a learning and teaching give-and-take, whereby each is powered by their curiosity, necessity for an authentic purpose and intrinsic motivation. Each student and teacher is able to share their learning and discovery based on their own level of inquiry. This is what I seek for each of you during our course and practicum.

Strategy strands of research, collaboration, communication and technology are woven throughout our course. These four strands are pivotal in teaching and will prove vital in your work with Tibbetts students.

When Leah Finch and Kelly Hanon invited our UNM children's literature class to work with their students on poetry, I had recently heard about Lee Francis and the ABQ Poetry Spoken artists. POETRY SLAM is a new concept for me and I wanted to explore its medium within our course this semester. This involved inviting spoken word artists to show us what it is and to help engage students in sharing their voice and style in creating their own poetry. Our kick off at Tibbetts was interesting as we saw immediately how these spoken word artists may sometimes be misconceived or threatened by authority or 'trationalists'. It helped show us the sensitivity of this art form as well as speaking up and speaking out your words with courage and integrity. In suporting this poetry project, a was written as a community collaboration involving Bisti Writing Project, UNM, Tibbetts Middle School, Farmington Public Library, Andrea Kristina, Northwest New Mexico Arts Council

Our work at Tibbetts is still young as we try to establish ways to connect with students, invite them to see a deeper meaning in poetry and to encourage them to voice and style their own poetic words and ideas. The Tibbetts Poetry Night is scheduled for Thursday, April 30. The FPL Teen Zone Poetry Workshop and Performance is scheduled for Saturday, April 25. If you wish to volunteer at the event, please contact Flo at the FPL (505 599-1273).

Poetry Circles (Young, 2007) was a way to begin this process and to give our UNM coaches another strategy to utilize in engaging their students in this poetic play.

Young, L. ( September 2007). Portals into poetry: Using generative writing groups to facilitate student engagement with word art. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 51(1), pp. 50-55.

In addition to our practicum, I am inviting UNM students to understand the basic genres and literary elements in children's literature. Since many of the students are in the teacher education program, they will be interacitng with genres and literary elements constantly. Good teachers know story and know how to connect with students with . My hope is that you are immersing yourselves in reading stories of all genres and revelling in some that you would never have entertained reading before. Your webpages are a way to house your intellectual property and in which you may own your own work becoming more self sufficient in your own learning.

We did not do our creative drama of the Butter Battle Book as intended for Read Across America, March 2. There does not seem to be very much time in between our practicum sessions after preparing or debriefing for content material. However, it is important to keep our time light, playful and focused to provide you with a basic foundation.

By now I hope you are getting more comfortable with your web pages and posting your books, genres and literary elements. I have posted all my genres, have kept up with my weekly Tibbetts reflections, created my Poetry Unit. I wil be sharing about each genre during each class, so during your reading you will be able to recognize books you are reading and confidently add them to your book list under their respective genre.

The Poetry Slam , March 14 at AK will be yet another exposure to poetry and this particular art form. You are strongly encouraged to attend this event.

Our goall with working at poetry coaches will culminate in their poetry performance at Tibbetts. We will support them during our Monday sessions and on their performance date.

Just as I am expected to be prepared when we meet; you are expected to be prepared for your own group of students. I appreciate your time, effort and energy for your students. The successful interaction and relationship with your students will show as a result.

On March 9, Louise Hoffman shared her story and recent book, Goulash and publication and the importance of writing throughout her life.

We will continue to talk about our genres and add literary elements. Our course blog is meant to be a resource for you, which houses the content for children's literature.

We will talk about censorhip issues, book awards and anything else you wish to talk about. We will eventually focus on our literature Circles, read and discuss your chosen book (either Sherman Alexie or Donna Jo Napoli book). We will also share your favorite book in Book Talks.

I hope the follow-up emails are beneficial in maintaining communication and clarification in between our class meetings. I hope you feel free to contact me with questions or concerns in between our meetings, too.

I hope this semester so far has been an interesting learning curve for you. I look forward to reading your midterm reflections. Robert Thomas will conduct our group session feedback with you.

I have yet to share with you the Gem and House stories.

3/9/09, 3/16/09

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