Tuesday, January 15, 2008

BOOKS ABOUT SPECIAL CHILDREN AND TEENS

Burch, Jennings Michael (1984). They Cage the Animals at Night: The True Story of a Child Who learned to Survive. Penguin Books

Codell, Esme Raji (2004). Sahara Special. Hyperion Books for Children.

Gantos, Jack (2000). Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key. HarperCollins Children’s Books. Joey Pigza Loses Control

Gantos website:
http://www.jackgantos.com/

Mikaelsen, Ben (1998). Petey. Hyperion Paperback Books for Children.

Mikaelson, Ben, (2001). Touching Spirit Bear. Harper Collins

Mikaelsen’s website:
http://www.benmikaelsen.com/

Haddon, Mark (2004). The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night. New York: Doubleday.

Padgett, Abigal (1993). Child of Silence. Warner Books.

Peltzer, Dave (2001). A Child Called It: One Child’s Courage to Survive. Deerfield Beach, FL. Health Communications, Inc.

Others by Peltzer – The Lost Boy, A Man Named Dave, and Help Yourself.
Peltzer Website:
http://www.davepelzer.com/
BEST BOOKS FOR FUTURE TEACHERS

Codell, Esme Raji, (1999). Educating Esme, Diary of a Teacher’s First Year. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
Check out her website
http://www.planetesme.com/

England, Crystal (2003). None of Our Business: Why Business Model Don’t Work in Schools. Portsmouth, N.H.: Heinemann.
http://www.crystalengland.com/

England, Crystal (2004). Uphill Both Ways: Helping Students Who Struggle in School. Portsmouth, N.H.: Heinemann.

McBride, William. (1997). Entertaining an Elephant: A Novel about Learning and Letting Go. Pearl Street Press.
http://www.entertaininganelephant.com/

Ohanian, Susan. (2001). Caught in the Middle: Nonstandard Kids and a Killing Curriculum. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
http://www.susanohanian.org/

Ohanian, Susan. (1999). One Size Fits Few: The Folly of Educational Standards. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Palmer, Parker J. (1998). The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher’s Life. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Center for Teacher Formation:
http://www.Teacherformation.org

Upham Dayle. (1997). Making the grade: Reflections on being learning disabled. Portsmouth, N.H.: Heinemann

YOUR FIRST ASSIGNMENT

Assignments DUE NEXT WEEK THURS JAN 17

The first 3 assignments for this class have three purposes; Class Introduction and Getting to Know Students: 1. to get to know one another, 2. to get something practical you might use with a first class you teach; Journey to Teaching: 1. to have something you might take to a job interview or use in a cover letter for a job application. 1. Create a n introduction that you will use with your future students. This may be a webpage, power point, newsletters, poster, bag of representative items with stories (create a list and script in power point or word document for this). 2. Create a way you will get to know your students in your first days of teaching: an activity, a questionnaire, an assignment for them to show you about them. 3. Write about your journey to becoming a teacher. Consider this first draft as a way to generate information that you will use in a portfolio. You might write it as a word document - then as a webpage.

See examples in LESSONS. CLASS BEGINNINGS> STUDENT MODELS.
PLEASE USE ARIAL OF VERDANA fonts with all assignments for this class.
Submit in Discussion Folder as an attachment : See Discussion Folder: Submit these documents in the discussion section. You may go to discussion click on attach and attach your powerpoint, newsletter, pamphlet, description with photos of how you will "do" the activity. Respond to two others. Be prepared to share one or all of these with the class. We will discuss these assignment and models will be available by Thurs.

DON’T FORGET:
Your first mini-assignment for this course is due on January 15, 2008. Please go to Angel, Course Roster, User Profile. (1) Add your work phone and home phone (this will be private in Angel – only accessible by the class or me. Insert a photo (be sure to choose a current photo, if using a digital camera be sure to resize the photo before uploading to Angel. The size should be no larger than 480 by 640 pixels. Add a brief introduction about yourself. Thanks. If you have questions, you can send me an email through ANGEL. (I will send you a photo I take of you – but if you have a better one you may certainly use it.
Purchase the following textbook:
Booth, Carol. (2007). The Reading/Writing Connection: Strategies for Teaching and Learning in the Secondary Classroom. New York: Prentice Hall.
Read Chapter 4 Getting Started Creating a Community of Learners
Burke, Jim (2002). Tools for Thought Graphic Organizers for your Classroom. Porstmouth, NH. Heinemann.

Choose on book from Best Books For Teachers (see list in Lessons – Class Beginning. )

Checking into a Blog Learning Along with You

I am hoping you will explore using blogs with your students as I am trying it with you.