Looking at the relationships between works is crucial for learning about literature as a whole. It is often the history of the time that affects literature so looking at how stories relate outside of plot line is so beneficial for the classroom discussion.

it so important to stress to students that although stories may not be "real" the morals and what the story is saying may very well be.

I think this is such an awesome approach to providing a deeper understanding of the key components of mythology to students, especially to those who are visual learners! This is an excellent unit and maybe I will incorporate it into my future teaching!

I feel that often times, teachers are ill prepared to teach such concentrated, but undeniably valuable, lessons. I think colleges should require courses that provide future educators with a well-rounded framework, ensuring that they will be able to effectively teach concentrations in literature, math, and science.

I think this is an awesome strategy on effectively teaching mythology. Incorporating mythology with forms of media that current students are well adapted to, such as films, songs, and television, is a great way to enhance comprehensions amongst connections.

I think this is a very true and great definition of both mythmaking and mythology. As Jeff House mentioned previously, we oftentimes think of Greek tales as well as tales of other ancient civilizations like the Egyptians and the Romans. Mythology is a wonderful way for students to grasp an understanding of the key values of another culture, in a fun and creative way.

Teachers should incorporate more myths into their curriculum! I think they are very important genres of writing for students to read along with all of the other genres that are always covered in schools.

I really like that this unit gets students so involved in what they are reading and writing. Having students tell their own stories to the class or even possibly acting out different myths really gets them engaged in what they are learning.

I think it is unfortunate that myths are not a more relevant topic in education because I think they are important for students to be aware of. Also it is hard to expect a teacher to teach myths to students very well when they themselves have very seldom worked with or analyzed myths.

I think this is very important to portray to students because there are stories and myths that have been told for thousands of years that can still be relevant and told in many different forms today. Allowing them to become aware of this genre of reading and writing can make them more interested in learning about myths or even trying to connect older stories to more current narratives.

This statement is so powerful. And, I'll be the first to admit even now in my junior year of college, in an education program, I have absolutely no idea about anything in mythology (except after this module I will!!!!)

This is such an incredible and interesting way to create integration into the lesson. It would give students a great break from the content-specific lessons as well. Sometimes as students a break (even if we don't know it's not actually a break) from the "hard stuff" is so much of a mental boost and refreshing.

As freshman in high school, this is such an important skill. Sometimes it's easy for teachers to forget how there need to be skills taught that we take for granted (such as note taking). This should be done in multiple subjects at this age level because note taking for different subjects require different ways of notes. He is taking not only the instruction of mythology further than others, but also critical "college survival skills".

This whole concept is actually very interesting. In my high school only the "smart classes" were allowed to read The Oddessy. And yes, our teachers actually labeled classes as AP the really really smart kids who could handle anything, the honors leveled classes as the smart kids, and the academic level (the majority) as underachieving.

I think this is a great point. So often, especially with a subject like literature if it's not somehow making us "college ready" it's deemed not important. Therefore, when we do have to encounter an aspect, such as mythology, we approach the subject with too much caution to really appreciate it. Very similar to the accounts we read about in the poetry module, actually.

It is very important to connect literature to student's lives. Many times during school, I, personally, have found myself asking why and asking what the point is. If there are connections made to real life, it adds that much more meaning to the student's learning.

I like how the author illustrates that mythology is not being taught, and then instead of just saying, "this is a problem", they provide a solution.

I just laughed to myself a bit after reading this. This is because throughout the beginning of the article I was thinking to myself, "I think I have learned quite a bit of mythology over the years", and now reading this sentence, I have no idea what the majority of the references being made are.

This is important no matter what the situation. When making decisions, no matter the severity, it is always good practice to look back on what others have done and see how different decisions have worked out. From this, a person can adequately make a decision.

This is very interesting. This means that it is just a cycle at this point because we are not learning about mythology in college, so we cannot teach mythology to those in grade school.

The definition given for mythology is interesting because just after implying that it is not taught, the author gives a definition that says that mythology is in nearly everything, including things that students experience in their everyday life. Does this mean that students are inadvertently learning mythology?

I agree with this statement. If we fail to teach students mythology, we fail to teach them the tales that embed culture. They also do not get the opportunity to have a well rounded education in literature without mythology. Giving them the tools to understand culture and how it was made, will teach them more about their own and about the world's culture and evolution in general.

I have experienced this in high school. We only focused on myths my freshman year then never learned about them again, which is upsetting because I think they are very interesting and educational, especially with learning different cultures/traditions.

I agree that modeling the unit to the class is a great technique in teaching. Students will be more engaged and knowledgable of a subject when trying on their own if it was first modeled to them. Having students then discuss will get them participating more.

I think each individual should learn more about the different cultures around them, so that we can learn more about our own. If you don't get the chance to travel the world and learn culturally, using myths can help educate you.

I like this definition of myth making. I agree that is a multicultural expression of different symbols and beliefs globally. I think a great technique with myth making is to use different tools like listed: films, songs, tv, and cultural icons.

This is so true, even now as a student I am so much more engaged if I'm reading something that is in first person narration than if it were to be in a textbook context.

Fictionalized biographies are a really great way to for students to really connect with the history and social studies content. That's what is so unique about those "Who am I" Biography chapter books

This is a good way to test students knowledge of historical events they've learned about in class. For example, they could read a fictionalized biography and then connect it to a certain historical event or setting that they have previously learned about from their nonfiction textbooks.

These types of narrative accounts could be very beneficial to students in getting them to really see how some people might have felt during certain historical moments. It gives them a real perspective on history.

I think this is such a great way to teach biography! Fictional stories that may have been inspired by actual historical events is a great way to get students engaged in learning about history. Sometimes the content of the nonfiction textbooks might get a little dull to students, even though they are still very important for students to read also.

I really agree with this! If students are not introduced to reading independently, it will be very hard for them to be exposed different genres and types of books and writing there are out there. If students are sheltered in structured reading classes, they will never be able to discover what they really enjoy reading.

Students would probably have fun investigating to see how true these fictional biographies actually are. This could be a good lesson on credibility.

First person is my favorite narrative voice. I think kids prefer this narrative because they feel more of a connection with the characters.

I've never heard of fictional biographies as a genre until this article, my first thought was that these may be confusing for students and they may have a hard time deciphering wether the information in the text is true or not.

Fictional biographies can help students practice analyzing a text.

This is a good way to meet the students in the middle, by giving them some familiarity with fiction but also introducing biographies.

When authors include real letters, dialogue, or opinions in a biography students become more engaged and want to continue reading on to get to those best parts. I remember when I was younger and I read a biography on the Titanic and my favorite parts were the real letters and dialogue because it brings the book to life.

This can often be a tough choice to make and affect the readers opinions.

I agree with this because children should be given the options of looking for other factors and references of real people in biographies, instead of just the basics like dates.This would give them the chance to do more independent research.

I can relate to this because when I was in elementary school, social studies was one of my weaker areas. I found myself knowing the names, events, and places but failed to recall the facts and details of each.

Children love to ask "why." This type of lesson allows them to do just that as they exercise their ability to think of things in new ways. It also provides them with a lesson about why some things can not be fully explained because "it depends."

Thinking about this fable in a different way gives it a whole new meaning. I think having students think about how the lesson in a fable can be different if one aspect of the story is changed is a great way to help them begin to think critically.

I like the idea of using fables as a way to introduce critical thinking to children because this type of genre requires students to apply something that happened to animals to a real life situation in order to understand it. Using a type of genre that students are familiar with is a great way to do this.

I disagree with this. If anything, younger students are more open to abstract thinking and putting their own creativity on things.

I thought that it was very interesting that critical thinking is seen as an "explicit skill" that students should learn, yet many students have not mastered this skill which is why colleges require freshman to take a course on the subject. As a future teacher I will keep this fact in mind when I teach critical thinking to my students. Although this is a complex skill, I do believe that students can grasp the idea if it is taught in the right way.

I never really thought about how something so simple as asking someone "what if?" forces them to look at the situation from a new perspective. It is true though, because asking "what if" means looking at what we know actually happens and applying it to a made up scenario.

This is definitely a good example of a fable because it is something that can be directly related to the child's life. In a sense, the student can see themselves as the boy and see what they would do in his situation. If they would choose to act as the boy does, then they can see the repercussions.

We do this a lot in the 1st grade classroom I am placed in, every time we read a story we ask the students, "how do you think this character feels?" I like to ask the students to explain how they know that the character is feeling certain way because it allows me to gauge how well the student can read other people.

It is interesting that fables seem to be so basic in structure, but carry such great meaning in our society. For example, The Tortoise and the Hare is a fable that teaches children to take their time with things and not to rush, and it something that is read to most (if not all) kids, but it really is so basic.

As we know, the younger children are the more egocentric they are. Im not sure if this is the correct term, but I mean this in the sense that they only see the world from their own points of view. As children grow older, they become more aware of the idea that other people have different points of view.

This is very true. In order to make informed decisions, people much be able to weigh the pros and cons and see how it fits into the scheme of things. This is much easier to do when a person has an idea of how something would apply to their own lives.

I think that "the unknown" or "it depends" answer needs to not be "scary" to students. There are many times when learning you might not know what the answer is. The journey to get to an answer should be a learning process not a destination.

I agree with the ambiguity of this statement. Every child is different and will get something unique out of lessons regardless of how "black" or "white" the topic is. Elementary school teachers have to be careful of the materials that they use to teach as critical thinking as children need to be encouraged to think critically rather than learn to take a text and not think about it.

It is important to make this known to your class, and show the different ways that authors approach a fable Cinderella is also a grate fable to show the different adaptations and discuss how authors perceive each tale.

These questions can also encourage creative thinking among students, because they are coming up with their own stories and opinions.

This is an interesting twist on a classic story.

For this reason critical thinking should involve class discussions and debates, rather than just independent writing assignments.

Critical thinking is something that can continues to be worked on by people of all ages.

It's important to remember that the point of critical thinking is to become more informed and to determine wether a source is reliable.

I completely agree with this statement. I think using fables is an excellent way to help students gain perspective taking skills, reasoning skills, and problem-solving skills. Often times, answers are not cut-and-dry, and it is important that students understand this from a young age. One must think through their problems to resolve them productively and effectively. And if the problem remains unresolved after implementing a solution, the failed attempt can only help the child's understanding of the situation grow.

I think this is a very important notion to introduce to young children during mini lessons that require group participation.For example, if a teacher is doing a read aloud and frequently stops to ask her/his students questions relating to information in the book to confirm their understanding of the material, it is important for the students to additionally understand that while everyone's thoughts and answers are valued, we are collectively trying to determine which answer works best for the question concerning the story.

As Sharp explained earlier, there is a very small number of adults who continue reading past childhood. One way to increase this number is to encourage people of all ages to continue reading the books they love, even if those books are picture books. This type of encouragement needs to start in schools by teachers. If students learn at a young age that picture books have no age limit, than they will be more likely to continue reading them throughout their lives.

Picture books provide an engaging experience for students, especially those who are not fond of reading. In addition to this, the pictures in these stories can help students understand the literary elements of plot, characters, setting, and conflicts in a more real way.

Using picture books to create classroom projects is a great idea. Doing an author's study, or comparing and contrasting the pictures of multiple stories written about similar things would be fun and engaging projects that help broaden students' literature exposure.

Sharp makes an excellent point here. I too have made the mistake of thinking of pictures books as easy, but in reality, different picture books are written at different levels. Some picture books are more suitable for a kindergarten student, while others are more advanced and best suited for fifth or sixth graders. It is important to keep this in mind as a future educator because more advanced picture books can be shared with older students so that they understand that picture books are not just for "babies."

This line of the reading drew me right in. I am 21 years old and picture books are still one of my favorite types of books to read. I think that it is important for students of all ages to understand that picture books are not just for young children. All people can enjoy the beautiful pictures, inspiring messages, and overall great content of a picture book.

Again, I think students being able to see these abstract concepts come to life through the pages of picture books will help them immensely.

I fully believe that picture books are so helpful to learning science. Although science can easily be taught through charts, diagrams, and other forms of "graphics" having the science lesson imbedded within a story with characters, plot, and pictures helps students in many ways.

The idea of using picture books to help aide in the lessons of literary terms. I think this would be a great help to students, and plan on using a technique like this in my own future classroom.

All of these examples of picture books are great and bring up points I have never really thought about before. This is certainly something that I will be taking away from this reading!

I think this is a great point. Even though they are still young, the class I am currently doing fieldwork in (1st grade) has so many students who are struggling readers, one who does not even recognize kindergarten sight words. For her, reading is all reading the pictures, and using picture books are the way she is not separated publicly from the rest of her class.

I am completely bewildered by this! I, like so many others apparently, was under the impression that picture books, specifically Where the Wild Things Are was geared towards the lower-age children.

I love creative, out-of-the-box-styled books like this one. These books touch upon so much meaning and symbolism through the imagery. Young children are absolutely marveled by books that challenge their mind, especially a visual challenge such as this one. I think that books like this make children think about the story and the literary elements far after the book has been read or shared. This outcome can only enhance a child's critical thinking and analytical skills, which is pretty incredible.

What strikes me most about the illustration technique piece in picture books is the vast room for creativity in drawing the images. Another amazing idea picture books teach young children is that there is endless possibility in visually expressing one's imagination. This idea, in and of itself, is so important with a young audience. They must never lose sight of their boundless imaginations!

In middle school, high school, and college, readers should be able to identify and elaborate on the literary elements found within various texts, whether they be short stories, monologues, novels, or poems. Thus, it is key to start the informational piece about literary devices early on in a student's education. Early childhood educators can use picture books to help begin students's understanding of the literary devices they will defining and interpreting throughout their lives as critical readers.

I had never thought about how so many important literary elements can be incorporated in picture books. I think this statement is awesome because it explains how educators can use certain texts to hone in on a child's visual learning. Seeing that most children are visual learners, I feel that using picture books to help students conceptualize, and thus, internalize various literary elements is undeniably effective.

In other words, I think picture books create a safe place for students that are "reluctant readers, nonreaders, and poor readers." Students who are reluctant to read due to their insecurity with personal reading levels and poor readers who feel they cannot compare with other students in reading can find comfort and security in the realm of picture books. After years of being told they are low level readers, these students can finally gain confidence in knowing that comprehension is more than possible in picture books.

I think this statement is extremely interesting. I have always thought that Where the Wild Things Are was a complex book. There is so much raw emotion within the imagery. Even the film that was created based on the book not too long ago displayed so much adventure, complexity, and emotion. The pictures truly add another level of comprehension for readers.

I think Social studies is one of the most important subjects to have picture books for because it is very important for students to be able to see things such as maps of early explorers, world maps, pictures of the different states and countries, etc... These things are all pretty crucial for students to be able to identify and picture books can really reinforce their knowledge of these topics.

Lifelong learning is so important to encourage in students and being able to show them that there are more than one type of book to become interested in can be very beneficial in continuing this encouragement of reading.

I think this is something very important for students to learn! Being able to interpret visual images accurately will benefit young students a lot in their future, pictures are everywhere and being able to tell what exactly you are looking at is extremely important, as well as just being able to form a valid opinion on something like a picture.

Picture books are very important for science so that children are able to see what different animals look like, different types of weather, as well as visuals of many other types of science.

I like the idea of students using picture books to learn about music because like the author says here, it is a good way to show them certain things like the positions of people in the orchestra or even what different instruments look like. It is a good reinforcement to just listening to music.

This is what introducing things such as realistic fiction to students can do. It leads to improvement in students reading behaviors and increase their engagement in the classroom.

Critical literacy is a skill that is so important for students to grasp. Asking those deeper "why" questions and realizing things such as societal issues in the world today can really help open the eyes and minds of younger students. Critical literacy also helps students make connections from literature to their own lives which is extremely important when reading.

I really agree with this point! Not only can it make a difference in the lives of African American males but it can make a difference in anyones life. Literature can be a great way for people to make connections to characters who may mimic their own lives and situations they are dealing with. Or it may be a great way to help a reader to just learn something new. Literature is one of the biggest catalysts and realistic fiction as a genre contributes to this too.

This is a great idea! Using realistic fiction to re-engage these kinds of students will be perfect to get them back into a place where they can be shocked and moved by literature again. Also by experiencing this genre, they may find other genres that allow them to be inspired as well.

I really agree with this point the author makes! Most times, when a child is uninterested in a book that is being read in class, they are ignored by the teacher because he/she has to keep teaching ti anyway as it is a part of the curriculum. This needs to be changed and these students deserve more attention as well.

Yet the characters are often quite static. I think as children get older they will also need exposure to more complex texts where everything is not as black and white.

It's so interesting how so many different "new" versions of this could still be worked in! It's amazing how many ways literature and reading can be turned into anything.

This is a great point, and one that I could/should have included in my previous annotation.

I think that this idea of "blowing up" the smaller picture is such an amazing idea. A possible lesson that could be really cool for students if done correctly would be reading a picture book version of a fairy tale and then a fantasy novel of the same story. This would be a great way to teach character development and styles of writing.

I think sometimes this reasoning for fairy tales is sometimes over looked. As children are learning not only academics but also social behaviors, this is a great way for them to SEE and then apply.

I'm not entirely sure why, but this age group surprised me. I had always thought that fairy tales were target at a younger audience.

I think using such a famous character will have more readers explore and be able to compare and contrast. This will make more discussions between readers and hopefully make others more interested in becoming a better reader.

I agree that contrasting, and comparing different versions of a text will give a better glimpse of the characters, theme, and meaning of the story.

It is interesting to me that there is a popular fantasy novel that is found all over the world. I think this keeps us connected in literature.

I agree that this will allow students to get almost of a "mini lesson" before moving on to actual novel.

Evaluating the novel will help students focus on the meaning, theme and events in the story in a more detailed manner.

I like the idea of using picture book versions to help students get a better and more engaging understanding of what fantasy is about and be able to use illustrations to refer back to.

I think that this will help students grasp the basic story outline better, and be able to appreciate the genre in a more clear way.

I agree with this because at this age, fantasies were my favorite types of stories. I enjoyed getting to use my imagination at this age and use my own experiences to relate to the stories. I have noticed during fieldwork that my second graders would get very engaged when reading fantasy stories.

FYI-This is a bad, bad, idea on so many levels. Look at Serafini's work on his tripariate model for more info on picture books.

Having children look at books, will gradually lead them to reading them at young ages which is good for them to be doing. When children begin to read at a young age, they tend to have a larger vocabulary, and tend to enjoy reading more than those who start reading later.

I do believe that sharing books helps many children in all different ways. It can help them with their vocab as well as help those who are struggling, to work with someone who is a little above their level. This is how they work together and end up having a conceptual understanding of the material they are reading.

I agree with this. There are different types of picture books, which does make them differ with the different level of difficulty.

I agree that pictures and text are definitely of equal importance because pictures can help explain to the children what the text has to say. If you have no text with the pictures, then it is not beneficial to the reader.

This is true. Picture books are made for children's interest and they are getting children to want to read. They may not be at the reading level of that child, but children love to flip through and look at different pictures. Sometimes children even draw their own story of what is going on in the story.

This is absolutely true and immediately makes me think of my little cousin who is now 6. My family and I would always be reading books to her when she was younger and now she is one of the brightest students in her class. She even does some work at a second grade level. I definitely think introducing children to books at young ages helps them developmentally.

This reminds me of when I did fieldwork in a first grade classroom where we went to the library every week. Most of the students were still struggling with learning how to read. However many of the books they picked out had lots of words and sentences which they could not read by themselves. The children chose their books based on the pictures in them. This is an example of how important pictures are in a children's book.

Students learning to read can use the pictures in these books to help identify what words are on the page.

Picture books can help students acquire a love for reading because they are written specifically for children's interests.

It's easy to forget that discussing the pictures in a text can be as informative as discussing the words in a text. Adults can encourage students to use inferring skills when analyzing a picture.

I agree with this statement! I think that writing a successful book does not follow a certain formula but rather it needs to be different an attractive.

This is so unfortunate. Considering that picture books are a majority of the literature that children k-3 read, more research really should be done!

I really like this bibliography! It is so helpful to see titles that have been reviewed and marked for appropriate grade levels. When choosing quality texts these references are very helpful.

I have seen this in schools! when children read books to each other they can both connect and assist peers in reading. They are more excited to read when they can share a book rather than work on it alone.

Often people see picture books as just "pictures" teachers need to make sure that the books they choose are rich in plot and characterization. Picture books need to be enriching and analyzed.

The students in the classroom I am doing my placement in are currently learning how to read so that they don't sound like robots. The teacher is trying to get the kids to read "like they would talk". I think for the time being, while students are learning how to read they are not going to entirely grasp every aspect of a story because they are still learning to be fluent readers.

This directly correlates with what I am learning in my EDU305 class. We talked about how when children are learning to read, they use pictures to facilitate their reading. This can also be a detriment however, because the child may be reading and they come across a word they don't know that starts with the letter 'o'. They can look at the picture that has an owl in it and they recognize that owl starts with an "o" and they just guess that the word is owl. The child never learns to read the word.

I am struggling to annotate this; I wanted to comment on the entire quote. I would never think that children's books would be written at a 3rd grade reading level but to the interest of younger children. That seems to defeat the purpose of a children's book in some sense. If a child is learning to read and is at a first grade level, there should be options for them that are appropriately challenging but not two grade levels above where they currently are.

This is very interesting. I would not say that picture books are meant to be read to children by adults. I would agree that this is their initial reason, but ultimately, the goal is to have the children reading the picture books on their own and developing their reading skills, not having a book read to them.

This is an interesting point to read right after the previous section about the number of picture books that correlated with each grade reading abilities.

This is a really great idea. Thinking about using fantasy literature to bring up some of those "sore subjects" is an excellent way to address the content in an age-appropriate manner.

This is such an interesting point. I remember even in elementary school all of the science fiction books were basically reserved for boys because they were about aliens and robots but girls were lead more to the fantasy books. And this is true, I do think this would hinder female elementary teachers because we have such little exposure.

This was such an incredible opening, it was nostalgic as a reader, and it left me eager to read the rest of the article!

The movie for this book is coming out soon! This could be interesting to incorporate in a classroom! (Also, its great book!)

Above all the other modifications suggested, this is the most important. Just last semester, in my comics class, we read a book with a clear depiction of violence with gore and all. The image made me very uncomfortable, and when I vocalized this to my professor, his response was, "Good. It is supposed to elicit some reaction from its readers". Although I understood his point, I did not enjoy the following two classes we spent examining the page. I felt very uncomfortable and did not want to participate.

It is interesting that a genre that is so complex in its understanding gives such opportunities for children. As I said before, it presents a topic and then opens up the space to talk about it in context of the book which leads to a more open discussion.

I laughed when I read this because I had mentioned it in my annotation a paragraph ago. Although I personally do not see the harm in Harry Potter and was in fact encouraged to read the books as a child, it is important for myself as a future educator, to see that fantasy can be viewed differently by so many people.

cough Harry Potter cough

It would be interesting for students to read literature that they can connect to real life on this level because they see that these types of situations occur in other places and brings about an open forum for them to discuss.

The first book that comes to mind when reading this sentence is Uglies by Scott Westerfeld. Although I have not read this, as it is not something that appeals to me, I do have a basic understanding of the premise. This is that when people turn 16, they have a surgery to "turn them pretty". I feel as though this would be such an interesting way to approach differences and get kids talking without creating an awkward situation.

This is such an interesting point that they are making. We see modern culture is trying to break away from these gender specific ideas and concepts, but it is true that women are generally steered away from fantasy and science fiction. Even in Beauty and the Beast, Belle is an avid reader, but the book that seems to be her favorite is a romance novel.

I am already intrigued by this concept of fantasy literature. I never really put much thought into children's books' genre, but after reading this paragraph, and realizing that some of my childhood favorites are considered fantasy literature, I am struggling to come up with a book I read as a child that doesn't fall under the fantasy genre.

I really like that this article gives suggestions of good fantasy novels to introduce to students. Some teachers may not feel fully comfortable with the fantasy genre but having suggestions like this can help get teachers to introduce this topic more to their students.

The fantasy genre is a great way to get students thinking critically which is something that is enforced and encouraged in mostly all schools today. The ability to think critically is very important and having students analyze a different genre of text than they're used to can be a great way for them to do so.

I think this is great a point because this would be a great way or students to open up about certain issues that may be difficult for them to discuss. This is just another outlet that can be provided to students to open up and discuss these things in a less harsh environment.

I feel as though this is true because many teachers are intimidated by these genres mostly because they were never really used all that much in their own education growing up. It is hard to expect people to be able to teach a topic that they aren't very familiar with.

This is true! I think there is a reason for this, because fantasy and science fiction books help readers make great connections to their own lives while reading.

This is a really interesting thought. I really like that fantasy books can provoke students to use their morals when thinking of what they just read.

This is a great point showing that kids might rather talk about a book they can relate to in fantasy. I think children can make great connections between their own fantasies and those they read about.

Agreed!

This surprises me because I've never read a fantasy novel that contradicted religion.

This reminds me of the fantasy book Feed by M. T. Anderson. In this book there is a feed implanted into everyone's head that allows them to chat with people and browse the internet mentally. The feed eventually alters the way people communicate and live their lives, it would be interesting for students to analyze wether these changes were beneficial or detrimental to society, and to relate that discussion to the technology we have today.

This is absolutely true! One of my favorite things about literature is how it can be interpreted in multiple ways, thus having a unique affect on each person who reads it.

When I think back on my experience with books in school the last fantasy book I remember reading is A Wrinkle in Time in the sixth grade, after that the books in school were strictly realistic novels.

This paragraph has probably been my favorite passage from the readings for this module!

I can only imagine this would turn out to be a really engaging and interesting lesson for students to complete. I would have never even thought of these things as a form of mythology.

This is a really useful and insightful definition that provides a great explanation.

I remember feeling this way when we were going over poetry in classrooms, Poetry is hard for me to understand and when inside a classroom, teachers want to know how you feel, or what you think about the poem. Honestly, I think a lot of students have issues with this and find it hard to understand the words inside the poems. I think if teachers work more with students to help understand poems, then they may be easier for students to understand.

When teachers work on assignments, they usually research and collaborate with other teachers to get ideas about assignments that work and don't work.

I agree that the child can become too focused on trying to de code a word rather than enjoy and learn from the story. A teacher, parent, or other adult reading aloud to the student can solve this issue.

I agree as I said above. Reading aloud with the student will give children a better opportunity to take more from the story.

This definition of a picture book is great. Some may think that picture books only contain illustrations and few words. However, they do contain a text and illustrations that are as important and go along with the story for a better interpretation.

I agree that sharing out loud and focusing on the text and illustrations is one of the most important factor in the reading process. Although teachers and parents might think that encouragement is the selection process and giving activities after the reading are the most important, reading aloud with the children is too.

This stuck out to me because as I get older I start to appreciate a good book more and more. In middle school, I never enjoyed reading because I would only read for school and homework. Now, I go to the bookstore and pick out books that are appealing to me and read for entertainment. This encourages me to be a better and lifelong reader as everyone should become.

The idea that picture books can help teach math is very intriguing to me. Growing up, I have always been a weaker math student. When I come across a story that has pictures where children get the chance to use their hands & count is a great way to incorporate math in my eyes.

Many children don't get a chance to learn more about art history. Picture books are a great way to enhance their learning in area they may not be as familiar with and find a different passion.

I believe that illustrations help to show where the setting takes place and how you can use many different techniques to create a setting. Students who experience different techniques of illustrations have a better ability and motivation to try to create their own or think about the illustrations in a deeper manner.

This is a helpful tool that I will use in the future.

I agree, picture books get students more involved and engaged. As well as follow the story in a more understandable way. If a student can't foliow what the words are trying to say or what they mean, they can refer back to illustrations. This indeed goes along with the common core.

I agree with this. I am 20 years old and still love going to the children's section at the bookstores to look at all the new and old children's books and their illustrations. Children's books have the best illustrations and as a future teacher, I am so interested in them. Adults, like mothers to be, tend to go and enjoy what they will be able to pick out for their future baby as well. Any aged person who loves great illustrations and reading should be able to enjoy a great children's story. Age doesn't define good reading.

I think this quote from a student is a great depiction of how elementary students see poetry, and shows us why we shouldn't be afraid to teach it!

As I was able to see in my own experiences as a student working with poetry, recitation is a component. Up until here in the reading I didn't find this discussed, but I think preparing children and introducing them to recitation at a young age will do nothing but help them in the long run.

As this whole module is dedicated to informing us how poetry should be included, taught, and worked with in a classroom these ideas are helpful and I'm glad they were included.

A great example of formative assessment to catering to what it was the children were liking or responding best to.

I think this could probably be seen as a positive unintended effect of the unit; it proved how versatile poetry can be!

When reading it's so beneficial to be able to bounce ideas off each other. I still even find myself doing this with college readings. After I do an assigned reading I often still find myself either picking up my phone to text a classmate or conversing with them about what it was we read and checking my understanding.

I've never heard of books being used for something like this before, and I think it really is an awesome idea to use a designated book for one particular topic.

Perhaps collaborating on a difficult unit like poetry is a great idea. Even though most things are now done as a grade level team collaboration, I think it would be particularly helpful in a task as daunting as poetry

I like how the teacher walks around the classroom and helps out whoever is in need. This way the teacher is able to get to everyone and see how they are progressing.

This is a great chance for children to not only build on their phonics skills but also grammar in general. When a teacher models the work for them, children can actually see the correct way to write something or say something, giving them a better opportunity to learn.

Giving feedback is always important especially at a young age. I think it is very good for the children if they receive a lot of feedback.

This is one of the things that has probably been pushed on me the most from my professors in the Education Department, and because of their consistency in teaching us future teachers this, I now realize it's importance and am glad to see it in a published work.

I think this is so important; if you are going to try and teach children poetry and to write poetry, you have to be comfortable and aware with doing it yourself first.

These two poems by students really illustrate what it is this article is working to get out. Poems don't have to be daunting at all, children can make up great poems with a scenario as simple as eating cookies or jumping on the bed! I was surprised to read these and how simple yet complex they were for some reason.

Not even in the terms of poetry, but as a student learning to become a teacher in general, I thought this was interesting. Often we think teachers kind of make up their discussions as we go, but this is just a reminder how important it is for teachers to come to the classroom prepared!

I think this is a great idea in getting children to write their own poetry. I guess what comes along with the innocence of childhood is the absence of fear. Children will write just to write, very few will be concerned what their classmates or teacher will think unlike older students.

I agree, that because poetry reading, writing, and interpretation of poetry is such an individualized process and learning experience this type of instruction probably is not the most beneficial.

I think because we are not exposed to this in the early years of our schooling is part of what makes it so challenging as we reach middle and high school. Perhaps if this is something that we have been working with all along with so many of our other subjects, we would begin to see the task less daunting and abstract.

I think I understand what they are getting at in terms of you don't have to necessarily be an expert in the "art" of poetry, but you probably have to have some amount of decent knowledge to teach it, no? Or maybe that's just me being mislead, I'm not really sure!

I still find myself struggling with poetry so often. The opportunity for open interpretation is so different than the regular "plug and chug" method of thinking we're used to it often becomes overwhelming to have to form our own opinions.

This is so important not only in the realm of poetry but in teaching in general. Even if maybe you don't personally love a subject, it is imperative that your students see you willing to learn and grow on your prior knowledge along with them as they learn it at the same time.

I loved this part of the article because it showed that you must never doubt the abilities of your students. In order to see what their full potential is you must have faith in them, and life the author of this article explained, they will pleasantly surprise you!

When I discovered my love for poetry it was because there were very little rules that I had to follow when it came to creating my own. As the poet I could make it rhyme and give it a set meter, or I could make it not rhyme and have it consist of no specific meter. The power was mine to decide. It saddens me that students are being stripped of this discovery themselves because teachers are giving them scripted tasks that involve zero creativity.

Unfortunately. this is probably very true. The thought of having to analyze poetry is a dreaded task by many, but it shouldn't be. Analyzing a poem in class can be a group effort. Ask children what they think the poet was trying to express and have them use examples from the poem to support their thinking. As a class decide which analysis is the most plausible. This is a great opportunity to allow students to think out loud and to work off of one another's ideas.

This is a perfect explanation about just how important poetry is. Students should learn how powerful language can be when it is written in certain ways, and how soothing it can be to incorporate their own life into that writing. We are constantly trying to get students to connect with their writing, why not use poetry to accomplish just that?

When I was in elementary school I was always taught that poems rhymed. It wasn't until I was put in an enrichment program that I learned how fun writing poetry could be because it didn't in fact have to rhyme, and it also didn't need any punctuation. I went through a poetry phase after this that lasted for quite a while.

This is something I have been taught in almost all of my education classes. If the teacher is not interested or does not like the subject, the students pick up on it and then they will not be as excited about the topic either.

When students work together on a subject, they are able to learn from one another which is a great way to learn. I like the strategy of students working together to help each other out.

Once students are able to do this, the teacher then moves on and works on other skills. These skills are essential for understanding the key ideas of reading before the students move onto higher readings.

When children practice and apply the phonic principles, it will help them gain quality reading skills that are essential for them to use while they grow. Learning these skills at a young age, will help students not fall behind in their reading skills.

This is a new concept to me, and I think that whole-part-whole sequence is a great concept. I think it is a great way to teach complex skills that students need to know.

Phonics is very important to children's literature and if children learn this through reading when they are younger, it will help them in their future readings.

This standard requires students to be able to describe how reasons support specific points the author makes in a text by determining the key details in text. Also, they students should be able to describe the author's purpose and how it supports comprehension.

This standard requires students to be able to know a connection between two parts is a relationship. The students should also be able to identify individuals, events, ideas, and pieces of information from the text. By being able to do this, the students will better understand the text and the author's message.

This standard requires students to know how to explain the speaker's reflection on a topic and how that impacts the theme. Also, the students should be able to write a summary by using details from the text.

This standard requires the students to know how the beginning or introduction usually talks about the important problems the characters have along with information about characters. Also, the students know the conclusion usually talks about how the characters solve their problems.