Enlisting and Providing Support

·         Questions you have with which your colleagues may be able to provide help and support.

I actually have two questions.  The first is how long is everyone planning on making their presentations?

Secondly, I will be asking the teachers in grades 5K – 3^rd grade to form a literacy committee to work on strategies for comprehension.  I also want them to track their student’s comprehension growth and involve the parents by offering strategies they can use at home. When my presentation is over I am not sure what type of feedback to use.  Would it be better to hold a discussion on the likely hood of them actually do this or would a survey asking them to write their opinions work better.  What would you rather do if you were a member of the audience? I really want to know if they would actually be willing to take a part in a project like this.

·         Resources and information you are seeking.

I am currently seeking statistics on reading comprehension and today I found a report that gives the nations report card.  This report was generated in 2011 and shows the growth, which is slow, in areas of reading between 4^th grade and 8^th grade.  I am very excited to finish reading this report because seems to be filling in the gaps I feel my presentation has for stats. 

http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2012457

Does anyone else have website for reading comprehension?

Resources and/or information you have found helpful and insightful.

I am a very visual person and I was struggling with how to put my power point presentation together and how to structure it.  Here are two resources I found helpful…

http://idcoalition.org/idc-powerpoint-presentation-effective-advocacy is a PowerPoint presentation on an effective advocacy presentation.  I found this helpful to know how to structure my presentation.

http://www.slideshare.net/Kassandra23/advocacypresentation-7696674 is another example of a presentation.

“Children are our most valuable resource.” ~Herbert Hoover, 31st U.S. President

When I look at the children in my classroom I often wonder what they will become when they grow up.  It is always my hope that they will do the best job they can and love their profession, whatever it may be.  But I also want to know in my heart of hearts I gave them the best educational foundation I could.  That is why I am advocating for reading comprehension.  I want to know that the students that pass through my school have been given the tools to be successful in high school, college and the rest of their adult life.  Reading is such an important gift we can give children and it is a gift not every person is able to receive throughout the world and even our own country!  Herbert Hover is correct when he said “children are our most valuable resource” because they will need the necessary tools to take our places when they grow up!

      My biggest challenge to my advocacy plan is getting my goals to be advocacy goals!  I tend to think in terms of a teacher and make them educational goals, so this has been a big learning experience for me!  I am thankful for our Professor who is helping me through this process!

      I am looking forward to my presentation!  I have it mapped out on paper and have begun the task of filling in the details.  I know the people I will be presenting too so that does take the edge off because they know I am passionate about literacy.  There will be two people involved in my presentation that are good teachers but sometimes do not want to change their ways so I am gearing my time towards them. 

      I hope that my long term goal of a literacy committee will be taken seriously.  But I plan on using our standardized test scores in my fact sheet to help the two teachers see the importance of this committee and the impact they can make on our students!

     I think it is important to help each other through our discussion posts and through our blogs.  If we have an idea for a classmate I feel we should share it with them after all a second set of eyes is always a help.  I want to wish everyone the best as they work through their plans!