Not-So-Jolly

The Not-So-Jolly Roger book was an easy read with a lot of historical information. I really enjoyed reading this book and it seemed to hook the reader at the end of each chapter. This is good to have in a chapter book for beginning readers. It helps the student stay interested in the book and to have the curiosity of what will happen next. The Historical Afterward was also a neat feature of the book as well. My favorite part of the book was when the three boys tried to trick Blackbeard into believing that they were magicians. I have learned a lot from this unit and it has given me some great ideas for future lesson plans.

Swashbuckling Adventures on the High Seas

This unit plan is wonderful. I love that multi-genre texts are used instead of a textbook. My favorite activity is the wanted poster. I think that children could make some marvelous things after reading and getting ideas from the pirate books. Having the students keep journals is also a great tool. The students can always look back and review vocabulary terms from the unit and it will encourage writing skills. This is a very exciting and fun unit plan and if I had a fourth grade class I would definitely use it to teach the students about pirates.

My name…Stephanie Kay Fisher

My first name is Stephanie. I found out on the behind the name website that it is English and German. The fact that it was German peaked my interest. I just visited Germany in May and absolutely loved it. My mother told me that my father decided he liked Stephanie the best out of the other names that my parents had discussed before I was born. One neat connection I made while researching my name was that my name is German, and my father spoke German fluently.

My middle name is Kay. I was named after my father’s sister. I don’t have many memories of her. As a child I was never a huge fan of my middle name, but now I like it. I think that it helps my first name and last name flow smoothly when said.

My last name is Fisher. I love my last name and I am excited to be called Miss Fisher. I found out on the how many of me website that there are 470 people in the US with my first and last name. I think that is shocking because I thought there would have been more than 470 people that have my name.

Notebook Know-How: Posting #2

Notebook Know-How: Posting #2

I really enjoyed reading about the launching strategies and fluency strategies. I plan on using the launching strategy “History of a Name” for my next journal entry. I have always had issues writing in a journal, these strategies have given me ideas and topics to write about. The concept of having a writing notebook is so essential and will be so beneficial to students learning. By using these strategies, much of the NCSCOS can be covered.
Some of the strategies that I really liked were the history of the name, observations, writing from a word, and writing from a list. All of these strategies can really help open the minds of the students and help them brainstorm. I also liked the idea of the students re-reading their work. By re-reading written work can help students identify their strengths and weaknesses. I am really enjoying reading this book; it has wonderful suggestions for teaching students how to become great writers.

Notebook Know-How: Post #1

Notebook Know-How: Post 1

As I began reading this book, I was immediately sucked into Buckner’s writing style. As I read, I felt as if she was speaking directly to me. This helps me as the reader stay interested in what she is writing about.
The purpose of a writer’s notebook is to release any thoughts, feelings, ideas, lists, poems, pictures, words, and any type of emotion onto paper. Having a notebook is beneficial; not only as a tool, but also as an emotional release. Keeping a notebook can document progress within writing, emotional progression, and document experiences.
As a teacher, a notebook can be a tool used for all of the things listed above, but most importantly it will help students grow. They will see themselves develop through writing. Teachers can guide and encourage students through their writing and help meet individual needs based on the students’ notebooks.
Reading about how Bucker launched her notebooks to her classroom was brilliant. Each student already had something to say. So by letting their ideas become their writing makes the task enjoyable. To keep students interested in what they are doing they need to be excited and enjoy whatever they may be doing.
I like the idea of not having a specific organization for the students to follow by. As for myself, I couldn’t have random entries throughout my own notebook, without some kind of organization. Limiting the requirements for students writing will release creativity.
This book has been a joy to read so far, and I’m excited to start my own notebook. It will be a way to learn about myself and help me learn about my students in the future.

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog. My name is Stephanie Fisher and I have created this blog for my RE 4030 class. I attend Appalachian State University and I am excited about what I will be learning this semester. Enjoy!