Taylor Merryman 1

Informal Reading Response

Dr. T. Donaldson

Chapters 13 & 14
I.

Statement or Idea: Our students are learning how to write and should be
allowed the opportunity to choose the writing they want to be evaluated after
they have done enough writing to make the comparisons themselves. We
guide them in those decisions by exposing them constantly to good writing
and showing them how its crafted. Linda Rief chapter 13, page 191.
a) Reaction: Writing is not an easy task and this statement gives reassurance
that we must practice it to get better. Having proper reading materials in the
classroom can show our students how its done and the types of writing theyll
encounter out in the world. Finding the right texts will inspire better writing
because they are interested in what they are reading and now have a reason to
write better. Working with our students as they write by boosting them up and
giving constructive criticism should be done in a manner that does not
intimidate them when they revise or start a new assignment. It should be an
encouraging experience and something they can reflect on positively when
they continue writing.
b) Connection(s): This took me back to my last spring semester working with
kindergartners. They were truly just learning how to write out their letters and
how to make their sight words appear from their own pencils. Some were
happy to do it, some had no desire, and a few wanted to but became so
frustrated when they couldnt spell the words they were thinking in their
heads. I sat down with one girl during a ten minute free write session. She was

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upset because she knew she was spelling words wrong and getting
discouraged to the point of tears. I had to get her to understand that this is
just the beginning of learning how to write and its just like any other thing
you try for the first time. Its the practice you put into it that makes you better
and she couldnt give up. Explaining that to a kindergartner was not an easy
task but chanting just do your best, it doesnt have to be perfect helped her
push through and keep writing. Students have to understand that writing is
something you practice and its not meant to be judged or scolded, we just
want them to learn and get better.
II.

Statement or Idea: Writing is hard work. We want our efforts to mean

something; we want to know what our words made someone think, or feel, or
learn. The audience could simply be other students in the classroom, an
engaged audience who listens as we read our writing aloud. Linda Rief
chapter 13, page 192.
a) Reaction: Getting our students to want to write and write well isnt easy. We
have to find ways to push them in the right direction of writing and show
them how it can be meaningful and exciting when worked on. This statement
made me think of presenting our students with opportunities to show case
their work so they will try something different and make improvements. This
can be assignments that have meaning to them based on the students interest
like pen pals or sending in writing that could possibly be published and
recognized.
b) Connection(s): I love to write and I love the positive feedback I get when
Ive written something particularly good. When I know there is meaning

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behind what Im writing I try a little harder than normal. In high school we
were given the opportunity to guest appear in the school newspaper with an
article over a topic we wanted to write about. We had the chance to write
about something we had passion or interest for and the whole school would
get to read it. I chose a topic that was concerning to me at the time which was
our lunch schedule and how it affected our day. We had so many students in
our high school there were 6 different lunch periods starting at 10:30 AM and
ending at 1:30 PM. We had only 25 minutes to eat and our lunch times would
alternate because we had alternating schedules (A days and B days). First
lunch was too early in the morning and last lunch was too late in the day and
we felt that we were rushed to eat and hurry back to class. With so many
students in each lunch period seating was scarce lunch lines were long. Long
story short, I was much more interested in spending time writing this article I
knew the entire school would read and had similar frustrations with. I was
one of the students picked to have my article featured and received a lot of
positive feedback. This gave my writing meaning and it felt great to be
recognized. Opportunities like this should be presented to our students so
they can have a moment to see what writing can really do.
III.

Statement or Idea: Having students keep a writing-reading notebook is a

good idea. While I like to keep my own journalas you might, tooits just a
book with blank pages. Ive found that this type of blank book lacks the
structure some students need and can feel overwhelming. Students tend to
prefer a recommended size, a structure to hold onto, and some examples of
students responses from the past. Linda Rief chapter 13, page 195.

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a. Reaction: I have always liked the idea to keep journals for students to
write in and have seen them in each class Ive taught in. Its a great tool
they can use to practice writing, keep their writing assignments, and
reflect on for later writings. I agree with the structured journal that has the
lines and typical notebook paper size for them to work on. This keeps in
line with what they are used to when they do homework or in class work.
With familiarity and structure free writing can become less intimidating
and an accustomed practice.
b. Connection(s): I always wrote in the typical black and white
composition notebooks when it came to free writing in schools. I think if I
had to write in journals with blank pages while still learning the basics of
writing it would have felt a little foreign. Writing is already a challenge and
we should take advantage of any methods out there that will make it
easier. Sometimes I buy the journals with the blank pages and later realize
it when I open them to write. It throws me off at first but it does feel like a
less restricted way to write when you get used to it. I wouldnt mind
sharing this kind of mindset with my students if they can benefit more
from these types of journals.
IV.

Statement or Idea: So heres the big questionIs that enough? Does doing
something old with new technology mean that Im reaching with technology
and that Im doing so in such a way as to really improve the reading and
writing skills of the students in my classroom? Sara B Kajder chapter 14, page
214.

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a) Reaction: I enjoyed reading this statement and her later elaborations on the
question Is that enough? It made me think about how helpful technology
can be to excite our students to read and write. It really isnt enough to just
read and write our school assignments on the computer and call it teaching
with technology. These can be a great way for students to complete
assignments easily but what are they pulling from it that makes a significant
difference from writing their work on paper and turning it in? We can find
innovative ways to utilize technology and take our students to the next level of
reading and writing when we know our students interest and provide new
methods they can explore them with.
b) Connection(s): Ive struggled with applying technology more often in lesson
planning because Im unfamiliar with it and I have a bad habit of not
immediately dealing with things I dont understand. Taking the time to
explore and discover how much technology can help is something I need to
expand on because the evidence showing how much it helps is everywhere.
Students that learn best with technology could miss out on amazing learning
opportunities because I havent taken the time to learn different ways to teach
with it.
V.

Statement or Idea: As students began to use the site, Mrs. Abel ratcheted
up the task, asking one student per day to serve as the class scribe. The job of
the scribe, as explained by Brendan, a student in the class, is to put together
all that happened in class, not as a summary but as a synthesisMy job as
scribe is to share where we are but make sure that I do so with one eye on

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where weve been and one on where were going. Sara B. Kajder chapter 14,
page 216.
a) Reaction: This was such a great idea to read about because it followed up
with what Kajder discussed on page 214 and 215 about the student who
actually had interests in writing but in blog form. The class gets the
opportunity to write in a way that interests them but it also has them paying
attention in class and pulling more meaning from each lesson. They are
excited to write and share their ideas and using a scribe only intensifies this
teaching tool. Getting the class to collaborate and create something together
creates a great learning environment where they can discuss and discover
topics more in depth.
b) Connection(s): I wish I had a strong connection to this because this would
have been fun to do in some of my high school classes. I can say that the
teacher did a great job at creating a great learning environment and this is
something Ive been a part of from a student and teacher aspect. It makes
class time and material much more engaging when we are having fun. Classes
like this gave me great memories and had me excited to learn because of the
environment created with this inclusive mentality. I want to explore different
ways to interest my students and incorporate an environment that has them
excited to come to class and learn.

Source(s):