Todays Readings

With the chapters in Tompkins and the Applegate article there are many things that i learned about my own reading comprehension. In my group, we were Chapter 2 of Tompkins, i started to think about the strategies that i had when i was learning to read. 

I learned to read through hooked on phonics because my mother was afraid that if she taught me to read i would pick up her accent. I remember that i was really excited to always study with my hooked on phonics. I was also trying to remember how i learned to take notes because of something that had happened in my classroom. When i walked into my classroom the other day my teacher asked me how i remember what my teachers say during class. I told the class that i take notes while listening to my 3 hour lectures. And then without any instruction my teacher told them that they were going to write down notes to a move on penguins. She told them to write down keywords and sentences that they heard about penguins. The students were confused but some of my first graders had enough comprehension to at least write down one fact. But i was confused because when this was happening i was thinking about my own learning of note taking and how that was a major beginning to my reading comprehension, but i do not remember learning HOW to take notes. This is something that my group and i talked about towards the end. The strategies that we were given to help our reading comprehension we what we were talking about. 

Tomkins Ch.7 and Quinn & Applegate

After reading the readings for this week, I feel like I have a much better understanding of how people comprehend what they read. Although I found few connections between Tompkins’ chapter seven and Quinn and Applegate’s Profiles in Comprehension, I was able to easily connect them to myself as a reader.

As a reader, I tend to remember and comprehend what I read by making text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world connections. Tompkins elaborated on these connections demonstrating how they benefit readers. Tompkins allowed me to see why people made these connections and how they benefit people as readers. For instance, text-to-text connections allow students to learn to compare the different styles one author may have. At the same time, the reader can also make a connection between different authors as they read. For me, these connections allow me to better understand what I am reading. The connections allow me to link new knowledge with old knowledge.

Quinn and Applegate’s article opened my eye to how people respond to post reading questions. What surprised me most with this article is how there are so many different types of ways that a reader can respond to a question. After reading this article, I feel that I best relate to the Dodgers. All my life I have tried to be the one that is not called on. Looking back on this I realize how little this helped me.

Although, both of these articles were very beneficial, I still have many unanswered questions. My biggest unanswered question comes from the Quinn and Applegate’s article. How do you find ways to help all eight different types of comprehension students? Is it even possible to help all, and at what grade level should this issue be addressed?

Class Readings

The class readings did a few things for me. The first thing was they made me think about how I comprehend what I am reading without even thinking about it. Comprehension, and prediction, and reading has become such a second nature to me, that I forget that it is something you develop and learn how to do. The other thing reading this chapter, reminded me of was the strategies that my CT uses to help students develop some of these skills that Tompkins talked about. One of the things he talked about for comprehension was predicting what is going to happen in the story, and my CT does that a lot when they are about to begin reading a book. She has the students look at the cover, and read the title, and then go back to their desks and write four sentences about what they think the book is going to be about. This is something that I do without even thinking about it, when I pick up a book. But Tompkins reminded me that this isn't something I always did, you learn to predict. Tompkins also reminded me how vital prediction can be for comprehending a text.
The other thing that Tompkins touched on in this chapter, was the importance of making connections. This was one of the things that stuck out to me, because my teacher spends a lot of time making connections with the students. She most commonly encourages them to make text-to-self connections. She does this by asking them to think of a something that has happened to them that is similar to something that has happened to the character in the story. She also makes text-to-text connections by reading books of a similar theme, and having the students discuss how the books relate. I don't think I make a lot of conscious connections while I read. I have been doing it more since we started talking about it/ reading about it. I think making connections is one of the most important things you can do to improve comprehension.

My Reading Comprehension Process

The readings for class did help me understand my own reading comprehension process-especially Chapter 7 from Tompkins.  First of all, after reading about the 8 comprehension strategies, I realized that I no long "predict" like I used to.  In elementary school, I can always remember how we would predict almost of all our literature (either individually or as a class).  Now, I really don't spend much time looking at the cover, reading the title, and then brainstorming multiple ideas of what the story could be about.  Instead I may just think of the first thing that pops into my mind when I see the title and cover, but immediately move on and begin reading the book.  

Also, I read about how my background knowledge is a typical factor for my reading comprehension.  Again, in school I can remember having our prior knowledge "activated" before reading a book, such as with the use of K-W-L's.  I am currently taking another Spanish literature class and for the first time, am actually understanding the literature.  After reading about activating prior knowledge, I now think I am doing so well in this class because the professor dedicates at least 15 minutes (sometimes up to 30 minutes) activating it.  Through discussions about what we know about the author, about the time period and the genre, I am able to better understand what we are reading because I am making connections.

Hi, group. Just a reminder that you each need to respond to EVERY post by the other group members.
Thanks,
Kate

Digital Native Quiz

     When I took the quiz, I missed the questions about modding and smart mobs.  Both of these terms I have never heard before until I took this quiz.  On the other hand, I knew the terms:

blog, wiki, instant messaging and massive multiplayer online games.  I am especially familiar with instant messaging and wikis since I use both multiple times daily.  Since I did miss 2 terms, I am not considered a Digital Native, however I do not feel like I have grown up with limited access to technology and new media.  

     Emergent does apply to my current level of digital literacy.  As I child, I was exposed to technology constantly.  With so many experiences as a child, I now feel confident with technology (for the most part) and feel as though I have the skills necessary to problem solve if needed.  

     Tompkins talks about emergent literacy as being a long process.  Throughout the process, the more positive experiences that a child has with literacy, the better off that child will be in terms of skills, confidence and enjoyment of literacy.  I see this being the same with emergent digital literacy.  The more positive experiences that a child has with digital literacy, the better off that child will be in terms of skills, confidence and enjoyment of digital literacy.

Digital Native Quiz

I thought that this quiz was going to be completely different, when it was referred to as a "Cosmo Quiz" i thought that it was going to be a multiple choice quiz and at the end it told you. I also did not do as well as I thought that I was going to because I could only define maybe three or four words. I did not like the way that the quiz was set up because the definitions were in our heads and we could have said "yes I know that" but not actually know the complete or the real answer until they told you. To me it was weird. Also it was weird that i did not do so well because i thought that i was well versed in the digital world.

Digital Natives Quiz

I was really surprised while taking this quiz. I actually expected myself to be much more of a digital native than I was. I was able to define maybe three of the words, but the rest I couldn't even begin to tell you what they were. I knew the words like Instant Message and Blog, because those are things that became popular while I was in highschool, so they are somewhat something of my era. I have heard of the word Wiki before, but was unfamiliar with the actual definition of it. I wouldn't consider myself a digital immigrant, because I don't struggle to use new technology. I understand the basic concepts of most technology, and am pretty computer literate. The age that we live in, and have lived in for a while now is one based on technology.

Digital Native Quiz

I am more of a digital native, however I am not even close to knowing everything. Before taking this quiz, I expected myself to be a digital immigrant knowing very few technology definitions and to have actually used even fewer. Surprisingly, I actually did better than I thought I would. I new what a blog, wiki, instant messaging, and massive multiplayer online games were. More importantly I not only new what they were but I have also used all of these technologies in the past. However, I did not know what modding and smart mobs were. After reading their definitions, I still do not really understand these two ideas.

Raised in a highly digital society, I am far from a digital immigrant. However, basing how technological fluent I am on this particular quiz, I would also not consider myself an emergent digital learner. Emergent learners are new to technology and are beyond the stages of turning on and off a computer. Still, I am still not to the stage where I can create a computer program or beat the newest XBox 360 game. Because I have a small grasp on technology, I am more of a beginner learner.

While comparing emergent digital literacy to emergent literacy for children from Tompkins text, I found many similarities. Emergent literacy and emergent digital literacy are the first stage of learning. In this stage one knows only the basics. As they progress they begin to acquire more knowledge they begin to progress and move closer to the next stage of learning. Tompkins places literacy emergent learners as the ones that can hold a book the proper way and turn the pages right to left. Digital emergent learners can use the basics of digital technologies but are not ready to explore on their own.