Grade
Four: The Island Project
10/27/04
What we found important in our reading.
All dancing except for him and Su Jung—different from what he’s
been presenting himself as
He didn’t like the new teacher on same basis as he acted in Grade
Three.
Swope steals the report cards.
How can he say this is a true story? So what else isn’t true?
What
changes do we see in Mr. Swope as a teacher?
Becoming more regimented because he didn’t have another teacher
to do his work for him
Getting more involved in his work, thinking more about it
More lesson plans, ideas.
Island Project allows student to be more creative in their own ways
Students had to work together.
Did more with integrating other subjects—math, science, geography
Level of childishness stays the same; he just does it a lot more—does
he aim at audience of a novel.
Becoming more focused on children, on their needs, has office in school,
wants to be there all the time.
What changes did we see in students?
Fatma: stories started to be happier
Miguel: finding out about home life—dad’s loss of jobs—his
story is about killing a girl—reflecting what he was going through—getting
in trouble—home life fueled his behavior, didn’t result in
the story
Su Jung—he found out that her mom had gone away—reason for
her sadness
What
are critiera for good reading and writing in Mr. Swope's class? Literacy
criteria?
Unique
Lots of detail
Expand their thinking
Make the story interesting for the reader
Originality, creativity
Wants it to be their own
Honesty
Get other people’s opinions/collaboration
Grammar/language
What connections are there with WP#2 topics of investigation?
ESL—most of them know other languages
Sometimes creates a barrier—can’t communicate as well so that
he can understand them
Can contribute to their stories—cultural issues
Parents’ languages—one speaks English; they have to translate
Home life
Su Jung’s sadness, isolation due to mother
Miguel acting mean at school/father’s work situation/mother has
positive attitude toward school
Learning
These are very much not the special ed kids.
Adapts—does what he wants and leaves, very proactive
Proficiency testing—giving tests, standardized, he gives them a
test, changes his ideas
Cultures: diverse classroom—Swope sees as getting better—relate
to each other in class as far as writing skills, but also on out of class
things
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