Bryce Lennan

[Bryce Lennan @BryceLennan]

Environmental print from students’ households serves a double purpose: improving students’ understanding of print and bringing elements of culture into the classroom (Gerde et al., 2016). This helps to bridge the gap between instruction and students’ lives #CSUSMMiddleLevel29

[Bryce Lennan @BryceLennan]

Thinking is the essence of writing. When working with early writers, we should encourage them to “write what they can tell, not what they can spell” (Cunningham & Allington, 2016). Honor students’ effort and recognize that growth occurs over time #CSUSMMiddleLevel29

[Bryce Lennan @BryceLennan]

Students inherit attitudes towards writing from adults. We can teach students to love writing by letting them choose topics they’re passionate about, providing positive feedback, and steering away from writing-based punishment (Cooper et al., 2018) #CSUSMMiddleLevel29

[Bryce Lennan @BryceLennan]

As discussed in Ch. 8 of Cooper et al. (2018), Readers’ Theater is an excellent way to get students excited about reading while also supporting fluency and comprehension objectives. I definitely plan to implement this strategy in my own classroom! #CSUSMMiddleLevel29

[Bryce Lennan @BryceLennan]

A majority of adolescents believe it is more difficult to find useful information on the Internet (Coiro, 2012). As electronic texts increasingly become the norm, middle school teachers must learn and teach strategies to comprehend and organize online info #CSUSMMiddleLevel29

[Bryce Lennan @BryceLennan]

Creating a learning environment in which students feel comfortable contributing is essential to literacy instruction because students learn to make meaning through “negotiations” and discussions with others (McLaughlin, 2012, p. 434) #CSUSMMiddleLevel29

[Bryce Lennan @BryceLennan]

Both Cooper et al. and Cunningham & Allington emphasize that assessment is an ongoing part of any lesson. Children are always displaying literacy skills, and teachers should make the most of class time by observing their students’ skills and adjusting to match #CSUSMMiddleLevel29

[Bryce Lennan @BryceLennan]

Cooper et al. (2018) emphasize the value of connecting grades to assessments (p. 90). As a student, one of the most frustrating things is receiving a grade without understanding how that grade reflects my abilities. Create a rubric to make grades decipherable #CSUSMMiddleLevel29

[Bryce Lennan @BryceLennan]

The sheer number of assessment strategies Cooper et al. (2018) share is both promising and paralyzing. This certainly speaks to the importance of knowing one’s students in order to pick the assessment styles that work best for them. #CSUSMMiddleLevel29

[Bryce Lennan @BryceLennan]

Cooper et al. (2018) make a valuable point about worthwhile instruction: teachers must think critically about which vocabulary, questions, and activities will best prepare students to engage meaningfully with a text. Good pre-learning creates good learning #CSUSMMiddleLevel29

[Bryce Lennan @BryceLennan]

Both Cunningham & Allington (2016) and Cooper et al. (2018) discuss the way that individuals comprehend and organize information. Learning is a lifelong exercise, and as teachers we ought to promote students’ ability to make meaning independently #CSUSMMiddleLevel29

[Bryce Lennan @BryceLennan]

Schwartz’s (2016) discussion of digital texts is especially applicable in a distance learning setting. As I teach alongside my CT, it will be important for me to design lessons that encourage students to slow down and think deeply about what they read #CSUSMMiddleLevel29

[Bryce Lennan @BryceLennan]

Cunningham & Allington (2016) consistently inspire me to try new types of literacy lessons. I love the idea of creating a buddy reading program to help increase students’ confidence and enjoyment when reading - such a good use of children’s assets! #CSUSMMiddleLevel29

[Bryce Lennan @BryceLennan]

The importance of prosody in supporting long-term literacy growth should remind us that reading and writing are rooted in oral language (Rasinski et al., 2011). Whenever possible, we should create literacy activities with opportunities to speak and listen #CSUSMMiddleLevel29

[Bryce Lennan @BryceLennan]

This week’s readings complicated the idea that fluency always leads to comprehension. I was surprised to see in Applegate et al. that the most fluent students were often not the highest scorers on comprehension tests #CSUSMMiddleLevel29

[Bryce Lennan @BryceLennan]

Week 5: Learning about educational technology has taught me that there is no “right” way of teaching. As a class, we’ve come up with multiple ways to use 3D modeling and printing to teach lessons in every subject area. Feeling very inspired! #educ422sSu20_03

[Bryce Lennan @BryceLennan]

Week 4: Reading Jim Cash’s “Learning Design by Making Games (in Scratch)” shed new light on the promise of tech and project based learning in teaching students to be empathetic problem-solvers through collaborative activities across grades. #educ422Su20_03

[Bryce Lennan @BryceLennan]

Week 3: I had a wonderful time learning to animate words in Scratch! Exploring different avenues of education is teaching me to constantly redefine my conceptualization of what education is. #educ422Su20_03

[Bryce Lennan @BryceLennan]

Week 2: This week’s focus on Design Thinking highlighted how important empathy is in informing accessible and effective lessons. We can only help our students if we understand them first. #educ422Su20_03

[Bryce Lennan @BryceLennan]

Week 1: It’s been a pleasure to meet so many prospective educators! The diversity present in our introductions is evidence that great teachers come from all walks of life. Looking forward to what the summer holds! #educ422Su20_03