Welcome to the website of Dr. Marsha Grace
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
College of Education
Faculty Center 233
Corpus Christi, TX 78412
(361) 825-2443
Pam Munoz Ryan, Marsha Grace, and
Tina Ybarra with Mary Beth Tierce behind the lens.
November 7, 2004, Pam signs her book
for us. It was fabulous to visit with Pam. And for all those who love her
books as much as we, we were delighted to have her as a keynote speaker
for the Tenth Annual Reading Conference on Saturday, April 1, 2006. Thank
you Pam. See section 22 below and enjoy photos of the conference.
Updated April 14, 2008
The 12th Annual Reading Conference here at Texas A&M
University-Corpus Christi was held April 4 and 5, 2008. Dr. Barbara Walker,
incoming president of International Reading Association was our keynote
speaker and did a wonderful job of preparing us to have "soft conversations"
with readers. She installed our local IRA and student IRA officers; and
for that, we are grateful. Thank you Dr. Walker. Then, Jerry Pallotta and
Chris Crutcher were the selected authors for our conference and delivered
extra good presentations to nearly 300 area teachers and administrators.
Tina Ybarra and Deb Culberton did an extraordinary job of making sure this
conference was spectacular. Great job to all who helped. Here are some great photos of the conference. There's even
more photos of the conference. And finally,
a few more photos. See you next year.
The 8th Annual Children's Book Festival was held April
4, 2008 and was a resounding success. Under the direction of Paige Dinn,
approximately 1,300 young readers met at Del Mar College to meet David Biedryzcki,
Lupe Ruiz Flores, and Elizabeth Garton Scanlon. For photos of the event,
click here. More photos from the festival.
See you next year.
I was pleased to accept the Literacy Award from TSRA for
contributions to literacy on November 10, 2007. My work with schools, teachers,
and readers has been exciting; and to receive an award was lovely. Jeff
Janko took a nice photo of me in honor of the award; and I took a nice photo
of me with Chino and Jasmine who were being incredibly uncooperative and
cute simultaneously. Check out the photos by Jeff
and me.
The 7th Annual Children's Book
Festival led by the ever-capable Paige Dinn was held on the campus of
Del Mar Community College on April 20, 2007. What a wonderful experience.
Visit the photos and plan on attending next year. See you then!
READ 5322 graduate students enjoyed a copy of Dory Story
by Jerry Pallotta. We all look up to Jerry. Thanks my friend. Check out
some great teachers enjoying his book.
The 11th Annual Reading Conference was a wonderful conference.
Enjoy some photos and some memories. Dr. Pikulski
was here. Also here were the writers Kathleen
Krull and Paul Brewer . And they were all fabulous. Finally, hundreds of teachers were here enjoying poster sessions
and camaraderie. See you next year.
Saturday, March 24, 2007, new Student Reading Council
officers were elected for the 2007-2008 school year. The new officers are:
President, Ann Tooker; President-Elect, Laura Ann P. Salazar; Vice President,
Anna Adame; Secretary, Kim Ogden; Treasurer Eric Meisner; and Membership,
Samantha Chase. For a photo of the new officers,
click. And much thanks to graduating officers, Laura Salazar, Jennifer
Schratwieser, Katie Cable, Beth Muniz, Kristi Edmonds, and Donna Ramirez.
Best wishes for a bright and bookish future. These graduating officers posed
for a shot with Mr. Kippy Edge
who gave us a wonderful reading at our January meeting. Thanks, Mr. Kippy.
And finally, our SRC and CCIRA Scholastic Bookfair was a whopping success
with over $5,000 worth of books walking out the door and into our community.
Thanks to all who helped and all who read including Katie Cable, Sam Chase,
and Janet Schratwieser who read, read,
and read.
Section 25
WOW! Corpus Christi IRA and A&M-CC's Student Reading
Council had their joint luncheon this past Saturday, October 14, 2006. And
what a wonderful opportunity to get together with readers and leaders throughout
the south Texas area. Paige Dinn, community leader and activist for children
and literacy, received the 4th Annual Literacy Award from SRC. Paige did
a wonderful job of sharing her family stories of how reading and books have
influenced her life and the lives of those in her family. What a privilege
to work with Paige Dinn and to honor her as a friend of literacy and a friend
of the university. Thank you Paige. For a photo of Paige
and CCIRA officers, click. For a photo of Paige
and SRC officers, click. Much thanks to Reed Hewitt for snapping these
photos. And WOW to CCIRA and SRC officers - don't we look splendid in blue!!!
Section 24
Jerry Pallotta came through with flying colors for nine
doctoral students who have been busy studying various books in their course
on books for children and adolescents. Here's a photo
that features their efforts. A big cheer to Jerry for creating a whale of
a good book. Thanks, Jerry.
Section 23
It's been a busy month. The Children's Book Festival "Texas
on Parade" was held this past week. On Friday, April 7, approximately
1,700 four-year-old book lovers attended the annual Children's Book Festival
held on the east campus of Del Mar College. Paige Dinn is the director of
the event and did a fabulous job of accommodating all the young readers
as the youngsters explored authors, books, activities, and more. The Corpus
Christi Public Library, Del Mar College, Flour Bluff ISD, Corpus Christi
ISD, West Oso ISD, and Texas A&M-CC all played a part in bringing the
wonderful talents of authors and illustrators to Corpus for this once-a-year
celebration. This year's authors were Kathy Whitehead and Debbie Leland.
We were also fortunate to have with us a fabulous illustrator Ann Hollis
Rife. For photos of the this year's Children's
Book Festival, click here. Thank you to Paige Dinn and all the librarians,
teachers, faculty, committee members, and administrators who worked tirelessly
to bring us this event. And mostly we thank those 1,700 four-year-old readers
who visited the tents, read their books, drank their juice, and went home
happy.
Section 22
The 10th Annual Reading Conference was a huge success
and was held March 31 and April 1, 2006. Congratulations to all who participated
in this worthwhile endeavor to promote great books and grand conversations.
Here are a few great pictures featuring Dr. Gambrell
from that very recent event. Also from that conference, Pam Munoz Ryan
provided our noon keynote address. We have a few great pictures
of Pam also. Both speakers gave us gifts beyond compare in their presentations;
and we thank them a million times over. Thanks for reading.
Section 21
Mapuana Jones has been chosen as a winner of the Milken
National Educator Award. She was awarded a check for $25,000 at Martin Middle
School on Wednesday, November 2, 2005 by Dr. Lewis C. Solmon, president
of the Teacher Advancement Program Foundation and a member of the board
of trustees of the Milken Family Foundation. See http://www.mff.org/about/about.taf?page=solmon
for more details about Dr. Solmon. To view the photos of Ms. Jones award,
see the attached photos. The entire university
community is so very proud of and pleased for Ms. Mapuana Jones for receiving
this much-deserved honor and recognition. We are proud to call her colleague
and friend. Best wishes always our dear friend, Mapuana Jones.
Section 20
The 9th Annual Reading Conference was held April 1 and 2, 2005. It was
a great success with over 450 participants in attendance.
The conference began with Dr. Dennis Denenberg on Friday, April 1.
On Saturday, April 2, the conference began in the new Performing Arts
Center with Dr. Timothy Shanahan, Vice President of IRA.
Our noon speaker was Becky Chavarria-Chairez. The teachers and students
who attended enjoyed all three speakers.
Section 19
Hello. Here are some photos of Corpus Christi
IRA as well as Student Reading Council. CCIRA was honored to have Bret Anthony Johnston at our
meeting in September, 2004. The officers of CCIRA enjoyed his presentation
and learned a great deal about writing and writers. Mr. Johnston posed for
a photo for us; and we appreciate it.
It was an honor to have Teresa Krell speak to CCIRA and SRC for our October meeting in 2004.
Teresa is the new teacher of the year for CCISD and is a wonderful teacher
and speaker. Thank you Teresa for posing with CCIRA and SRC
as well.
Then finally, SRC was pleased to honor Mrs. Jean
Honeycutt with the Third Annual Literacy Award at our October meeting. Mrs.
Honeycutt is a retired teacher from Flour Bluff who has touched lives and
changed our world with her generosity, her knowledge, and her professional
accomplishments. Thank you Mrs. Honeycutt. She posed with SRC as well as CCIRA.
And finally, it was great to view the research
of Norma Zunker and
Allison Schaum
at the graduate student research symposium here at A&M-CC last fall
of 2004.
Section 18
Today (April 6, 2004) was a grand ol' day because
of hearing the poet and storyteller Gary Soto!!!
Ann Mealy, Kitty Petre, and I were pleased to
have our photo taken with Mr. Soto. He did a fine job speaking to a packed
house on the A&M-Kingsville campus. Mr. Soto discussed the work of Cesar
Chavez and his own work with the United Farm Workers Union. http://www.ufw.org/cecstory.htm to visit Mr. Chavez' biography.
Section 17
We had a great presentation today, April 3, 2004 by Dr. Randy Drum.
"Using Children's Literature to Teach Math" was the topic Dr.
Drum shared with the Student Reading Council at their regular monthly meeting.
Dr. Drum and the SRC officers posed with books
and thoughts of math - to infinity and beyond. Thank you Dr. Drum for your
continuing service to this university and to the field of teacher preparation.
Section 16
We had a good day today at Windsor Park. Twenty-five
READ 3320 students presented their poster sessions. They each chose
a topic and researched the topic from the perspective of four of the following:
history, geography, art, science, music, poetry, and math. They then shared
with 75 students the results of their poster sessions. Cheers to you all
for great work. Another job well done on behalf of books and all things
bookish. April 1, 2004.
Section 15
Hello all. I've put together a few things that I thought my students
might enjoy looking at. I was hoping to redo this page, but I think for
now, I'll add a couple of photos, and check the links.
The Texas State Reading Association held its annual state reading conference
in Corpus Christi March 3rd through the 6th, 2004. It was a really good
conference. The local planning committee was there.
Peggy Lara received an award for her tireless efforts in putting together
the local arrangements. Go, Peggy! The opening
ceremonies included greetings from Dr. Jesus Chavez, Mayor Loyd Neal, and
Dr. Jack Cassidy. The opening address was delivered by Dr. Stuart McNaughton
of New Zealand. Vanessa Perez opened the ceremony with the national anthem.
Peggy Lara and Rosa Brooks welcomed all the attendees for this
first general session.
A great luncheon was planned for Jerry Pallotta. You can find him and
all his books at http://www.alphabetman.com.
He posed for pictures and signed tons of books for all us. Jerry,
you're terrific. Jerry also took time to pose by that
great propeller down by the Lex.
Another great lunch was with Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel.
These two women kept us entertained and informed for nearly 2 hours. Their
books are wonderful and you can find them at http://www.janetstevens.com.
A treat for writers everywhere is the award-winning writer, Avi. Avi
is a good friend of writers and teachers here in Corpus. His trips to Corpus
are always memorable, and we thank him for sharing his talent and good will.
He poses for a picture and a signing with our own Autumn Exelbert. Go, Autumn; and thanks Avi. You can leave this site
and visiti Avi at http://www.avi-writer.com
Barbara Flanigan
and Chuck Flanigan of Rainbow Books supported the conference with their
own book selling expertise. The Student Reading Council officers and members
assisted them. Amy Duran and Mapuana Jones kept the momentum going by helping
out during all the conference and for Jerry Pallotta's marathon book signing
gift to participants. Thanks to all. Here's a photo of Barbara
accepting a plaque for the SRC's Second Annual Literacy Award given
to a person who supports literacy, schools, books, and all things bookish.
Thanks, Barbara and Chuck.
For additional pics of that TSRA conference, visit the next
page.
This past month, the Student Reading Council selected new officers for
2004-2005 year. Those officers are President, Autumn Exelbert; President-Elect,
Rosie Garces; Vice President, Ann Mealy; Secretary, Deanna Stoneroad; Treasurer,
Laura Salazar; Hospitality, Elizabeth Muniz. Congratulations and thank you
to each of you for your service to SRC and to the International Reading
Association. They posed beside the The Tale
of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and
a Spool of Thread written by Kate DiCamillo. This book won the 2004 Newbery
Award for best book of the year.
Section 14
In December, 2003, I had a lovely birthday cake baked and delivered
by Janet's Cakery on Everhart. Go Janet. My READ 5392 class had read books
and studied work by Frank Smith, Noam Chomsky, Stephen Pinker, and Jonathan
Kozol. The cake reflects these four great thinkers.
Thanks everyone for your diligence and commitment to hard thinking.
Last spring of 2003, we had a great day. At Windsor Park interns in
READ 3320 presented their poster sessions to 50 children who were eager
and attentive. These interns did a fabulous job, and wouldn't you like to
take a look?
Thank you for your interest in literacy
and for visiting this site. I've added three things to the site in the past
year. I had an opportunity to see Jane Goodall at the Aranasas Pass Wildlife
Refuge in 2003. I heard her speak, took her photo, and sent her a thank
you note for all her good works on behalf of our planet. What a wonderful
speaker. Here she is getting ready to speak to us in
a tent, in the rain, far from the comforts of home. We loved it. Dr.
Goodall stayed and signed hundreds of books,
drawings, and brochures. She was our hero. Thank you again for coming to
the Wildlife Refuge.
Another major event on our campus was the 8th Annual Reading Conference
in April, 2003. Brod Bagert was our morning keynote
speaker. He made us laugh, cry, think, and then start all over again. What
a poet, what a speaker, what a writer. For our lunch keynote speaker, we
were honored to hear Dr. James Hoffman of the
University of Texas share with 400 attendees his recent research on reading
achievement and reading programs. He reminded us how important good research
is to the decision making processes in our schools of today. Thank you Dr.
Hoffman. Also at the conference, Mary Beth Tierce
and Marsha Grace presented pre-conference attendees with information
and an activity on Eric Carle: His Art, Your Students, and the Language
Experience Approach to Beginning Reading. During the Friday night reception,
many teachers of talent and accomplishment were on hand. We congratulate
them on their accomplishments and thank them
for their support of the university conference and the C&I reading program.
On March 29, 2003, the Student Reading
Council held a meeting for the purpose of electing new officers. Thank
you for our new officers for their devotion to literacy, books, and all
things bookish. A special thanks to our out-going officers, Corrinne Navarro,
Section 13
In the fall of 2002, I got some beautiful flowers from Tina and Peggy. Thank you for
your thoughtfulness.
And hey, I am pleased to share my birthday cake
from December 3, 2002. A big thank you to my psycho-soshe class, Karen Degon
in particular for the cake arrangement and Linda Escobedo for the perfect
photo. It was delicious and beautiful. Thank you to all.
The Student Reading Council of the International Reading Association
held its monthly meeting this past Saturday, February 15, 2003. The speaker
was Dr. Dee Hopkins, Dean of the College of Education. Dr. Hopkins spoke
about storytelling giving the audience both tips and a story. For a photo
of the officers and our storytelling
cake, click here. Thanks to all who attended with a special thanks to
Corinna Navarro for the inspiring cake.
Hello to all my new students. READ 4380:
what do you think of this?
The Student Reading Council of the International Reading Association
had a great meeting this past Saturday on January 18, 2003 at the University
Center. Guest speaker was Mapuana Jones who did
a wonderful job. We also had a delicious and beautiful
cake made by Corinna Navarro. And finally, Autumn
Exelbert and her mother attended the meeting and gave me permission
to share their photo
Thanks to all the officers, members, and faculty who support the important
work of SRC.
Section 12
The Corpus Christi Area Council of the International Reading Association
has its agenda here for 2002-2003. For that calendar,
click here. For Volume I of our newsletter,
click here. For Volume II of our newsletter,
click here. Thank you President Tena Beanland for the information and
the leadership.
Yes, I got to visit Sabrina Martinez and learn all about her work with
The Literacy Connection. She does everything from tutor to test to book
buffets. We even enjoyed a nice lunch out. Thanks Sabrina for sharing all
your work with me, and to see a nice photo of Sabrina,
click here.
And then it was on to visit Lori Brister. I met her fourth graders and
received a warm welcome. Thank you Lori for sharing your wonderful children.
And the candy was great too. Click here to see a great photo
of Lori, the math wizard. And then click here
if you want to read the story I wrote with her fourth graders. Thanks
Lori.
Another great day visiting Frances Gonzalez and Eva Saenz. I received
such a warm welcome at their school. The kids were terrific and both Frances
and Eva were generous and gracious in receiving me. I appreciate the warmth.
Here's a cool photo of Frances, and here's
another one of Frances. And of course, we
wrote a story. Click here for the story we wrote.
And then to see a cool photo of Eva, click here.
Click here for the story I wrote with Eva's
little ones. It was a sweet day with a special thanks to Chino for his continuing
support.
Section 11
What a day it was. I visited Linda Escobedo at the YWCA Head Start program,
and it was fabulous. Linda shared her 17 young learners with us, and she
certainly is proud of them. Click on Linda to
see a photo of her in her classroom. Her children listened attentively to
my Chino poem and they sang proudly "This Land is Your Land."
They loved being read to, and I think they are all planning to come to college
in 13 short years. Thanks Linda for a great visit and for sharing your classroom
with Sabrina, Deborah, and me.
I'm back in my office today after visiting two great teachers in Alice,
Texas. First, I got to visit with Gracie Bourlon and her wonderful first
graders. If you'd like to see a picture of Ms. Bourlon,
click here. Then, I got to write a story about my dog Chino with her
students. Click on Chino, if you'd like
to read the story.
After that visit, I visited Melisa Garcia and her 36 first graders in
Alice, Texas. I was invited to read to them and I chose six great books
plus a poem I wrote about Chino. The children were great. They even sang
with me "This Land is Your Land" written by Woodie Allen, no!!!
wait, I mean Woody Guthrie. Click to see a photo of
Ms. Garcia. Click here to read the words to "This
Land is Your Land." And click here to see my poem
about Chino.
I want to thank the first-grade students at Garcia Elementary in Alice,
Texas for being such a great audience last week for me. I read to them,
and they were great listeners. I visited Estela Lewis, a teacher at Garcia,
and she fed me Pizza Hut pizza. It was yummy. For a photo of Ms.
Lewis, click here. Thanks Estela for a great visit to your school.
Section 10
I went to Alice to visit two great teachers: Melba Gaitan and Jill Koenning.
Melba shared her room and her children with me and we had a very nice visit.
We also wrote a story together with her third grade students. To see a picture
of Ms. Gaitan, click here. To see the
story we wrote, click here. I also wrote a story with the second grade
children of Ms. Koenning. I got to see the classroom of Ms. Koenning and
her students. They were all wonderful children. If you want to see Ms. Koenning, click here. If you want to read the
story we wrote, click here. Thanks Jill and Melba. It was a lovely day.
On October 29, 2002 at Windsor Park Elementary, 17 pre-service teachers
shared their poster sessions with 50 children. A poster session is an opportunity
to study a topic (any topic) from the perspectives of 1) a scientist, 2)
a mathematician, 3) an historian, 4) a poet, 5) a musician, 6) an artist,
and 7) a geographer. For a list of names click
here, and then click on their names to see a photo of their poster session.
The children loved the displays, and the 17 pre-service teachers did a fabulous
job.
I had a really nice visit in Calallen last week. I got to visit the
classroom of Norma Zunker. Norma showed me all her centers: poetry, letter
center, guided reading, listening, writing, journals, and all the rest.
What a nice visit. Plus I got to meet some very nice children. I shared
with them my poem about Chino and several books.
I think they liked Yo! Yes! the best. For a photo of Ms.
Zunker, click.
Section 9
I had a really great visit at Nayer Elementary in Alice, Texas today.
In fact, it was so great that I'm posting a picture of the teacher I visited.
Ms. Annabel Saenz teaches fourth grade and does a fabulous job. Her students
are equally fabulous. Click here
to see a picture of Ms. Saenz sitting at her computer. And
again, click here to see a picture of Ms. Saenz standing in front of
her Halloween bulletin board. All her students read some really great books,
and she put their thoughts on the bulletin board. Finally, I had the opportunity
to share a writers workshop process with her children. With their help,
I wrote a great story about a dog I use to have. Click
here to read the story. But wait, there's one more tornado story from
this classroom. Click on the tornado to read
it.
I visited Shelly Coffey in her classroom at Garcia. We had a lovely
time reading books and writing in the journals with her kindergarten class.
We also used Simpletext on her Macintosh computers. The kids LOVED writing
their names and listening to the computer "speak" to them. Click here for a photo of Shelly, and click here for another photo. Thanks Shelly for
a great morning.
On October 18, I visited Lisa Madrid-Trejo and Karen Degon at Martin
Middle School. It was fabulous. The kids were great. They were 8th graders
who were studying about the colonies. I did a writers workshop format with
the students, and we created a story about the hardship of colonial life.
For a photo of Ms. Madrid-Trejo, click here.
For a photo of Ms. Degon, click here. If
you want to read a really nice story, click
here. Cheers to all.
For a photo of my birthday cake from 2001, click
here.
Thanks to Norma DeLeon for taking the photo.
Section 8
Hello and welcome. This literacy site includes several items that may
be of interest to you. First, you will see a photo of my dogs. Chino and
Jasmine were enjoying their Nylabones and looked up at me just as I snapped
their picture. They're good dogs. Here's another cool photo of Jasmine. And here's a great one of Chino.
Section 7
The first annual meeting of the Student Reading Council of Texas A&M-CC
was held Saturday, September 28, 2002. Dr. Sandra Harper, guest speaker,
shared her wisdom and experience in a presentation titled, "My Favorite
Books and How They Have Influenced My Life." Dr. Harper, Provost at
Texas A&M-CC, also received the SRC First Annual Literacy Award for
her support of books, literacy, and student achievement throughout the university.
Approximately 40 students attended the first meeting. For a photo of the
five SRC officers and Dr. Harper, click
here. Click here to see Dr. Harper
explaining the premise behind the book Servant Leader by Robert Greenleaf.
Finally, officer Corinna Navarro baked a fabulous cake that honored the
SRC theme, Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit
of Reading.Thank you to all who attended a great first meeting. Our
next meeting is a joint meeting with the Corpus Christi Area Council of
the International Reading Association and will honor Mrs. Galen Hoffstadt
who has been named National Distinguished Principal of the Year. October
19, reservations required, 825-2443. Then in November, the SRC and CCIRA
will jointly sponsor a 2 for 1 Scholastic Bookfair at the University Center
on the A&M-CC campus in the University Center room 106. Join us for
books and all things bookish: November 15 and November 16. 825-2443 for
more information.
The second annual meeting of the Student Reading Council and the Corpus
Christi Area Council of IRA was held October 19, 2002. Mrs. Galen Hoffstadt,
2002 National Distinguished Principal of the Year, was the guest of honor.
She did a terrific job and stopped long enough to pose for a photo.
Thanks, Galen.
Section 6
The Scholastic Bookfair of 2001 was a success. The Student Reading Council
and the Corpus Christi Area Council of IRA sponsored a book fair this past
week-end. The Student Reading Council officers did a wonderful job of staffing
the cash register. Click here for a couple
of great pictures. Thanks everyone. And yes, we've elected new officers
for the Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi Student Reading Council.
The new officers were elected on March 30, 2002.
Click here to see a photo of the new SRC officers. Congratulations to
each of them.
Dr. Sylvia Vardell was here.
Dr. Vardell spoke at a joint meeting of the Student Reading Council
of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and the Corpus Christi Area Council
of the International Reading Association on Saturday, October 20, 2001.
Dr. Vardell shared a number of pieces of literature for children with the
group of nearly 70 teachers and preservice teachers on the campus of Texas
A&M-CC in the University Center. Dr. Vardell is Professor of Library
Science at Texas Woman's University. Click here
to see photos of the event. Thank you Sylvia.
Section 5
Reading Conference pics:
The 7th Annual Reading Conference was held
April 5 and 6, 2002. Dr. Jerry Johns, President-Elect of IRA, gave the first
keynote address, and Avi, children's literature author, gave the second.
Four hundred area teachers, reading specialists, and guests attended the
conference. Click here
for a few photos.
The 6th Annual Reading Conference held April
6 and 7, 2001 was a terrific opportunity to learn more about literacy and
to network with 400 literacy leaders who attended the conference. For pictures, click here.
I am pleased to present 28 preservice teachers who have created poster
sessions on topics they wished to learn more about. Each of these preservice
teachers presented their poster session to small groups of children in first,
second, and fifth grades at Smith Elementary recently. We loved being at
Smith, and I thank the teachers and children of Smith for welcoming us into
their school. Click here for the names and photos
of the preservice teachers who participated with me in this experience during
the fall of 2001. During the spring of 2002, another group of equally talented
preservice teachers also created poster sessions. Click
here for their names and photos. Thank you to all.
Section 4
Hello there to the first graders at Chula Vista. What a great group
of kids. This morning I got to read to them and sing with them. We also
wrote a great little story using a storyboard. These first graders are being
taught by Shayla Floyd. They are learning about bears and KWL charts. They
are also learning math and reading. Here's a great
picture of Ms. Floyd. And here's a copy of
the story we wrote. Bye, Bye, Bye.
Hey there to all the children I met today
at Travis Elementary. I had a wonderful time reading to them and singing
with them. The kindergarten children are the students of Lisa
Lovvorn. Click on her name to see a beautiful picture of Lisa in her
room. Click here to read a little writing the
children wrote today. Also, you can click here to read my poem about Chino. Bye for now.
Deborah Fisher was taking a rest in
a great library at Smith Elementary recently. Thanks Deborah for the photo.
Looks great. Deborah is working on a Language Experience Approach project
and will have more to share later.
Section 3
Hello to Smith Elementary. I was able to visit a very cool second grade
on October 10, 2001. I sure did enjoy my time there. I got to read Pigs
Aplenty and Pigs Galore to all the boys and girls, and we sure did love
it. We also sang a song by Woody Guthrie. If you want to see the words click here. And if you want to see a picture
of Ms. Becky Garza reading a spooky story
to her second graders, click on her name. And here's something else you
might find interesting. When I was at Smith this past March, 2002, I invited
the first and second graders to send me some poems. Ms. Garza send me two
poems and two drawings. Here is poem one. Here
is poem two. Thank you SO much for sending them
to me. They're great.
Hello to my new friends at Nanny Elementary in Riviera, Texas. Hello
Mrs. Young. I certainly did enjoy my visit to your classroom. Your school
and library are very impressive, and I appreciate the opportunity to visit
with you. I also enjoyed the story we wrote in your class, and if you would
like to read it, click here and enjoy. Also,
Mrs. Young, here's a beautiful picture of yourself.
Cheers to you all.
Welcome to two great classrooms in Robstown. I visited some third graders
and some kindergarten classes and had a wonderful time. The third graders
and I wrote a story about my grandmother. Click
here to read it.
Would you like to see pictures of Ms. Byrne and Ms. Barrera? Click here and cheers.
Section 2
Here's a little story I wrote for
some very cool kids at Sam Houston Elementary School. The story is about
Jasmine.
Here's another story I wrote with some more very
cool kids at Lamar Elementary School. The story is about riding horses at
the beach.
And here's another story I wrote with some
great second graders at Gibson Elementary School. The story is about two
kids, a dad, and leaches.
Would you like to see a Bill of Rights for
Readers? Here's one written by Daniel Pennac in his new book Better
than Life.
Now would like to see a Writers' Bill
of Rights. This list was put together by a friend of mine who is a poet
and a teacher.
Student Philosophy Statements. This
is a set of statements written by 57 students in my classes in the spring
of 1998. The students are juniors at TTU and are preparing to do student
teaching within the year. They were asked to prepare philosophy statements
and mottoes that matched four imaginary schools.
- The Georgia O'Keeffe Elementary School for the
Arts
- The Malcolm X Elementary School for Boys
- The Eleanor Roosevelt Elementary School for Critical
Thinkers
- The Charles Lindberg School for Higher Flyers
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Here's a nice summary of Dr. Spock's previous
work summarized by Joel D. Joseph, Chairperson of the Made in the USA Foundation.
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- The Accelerated Reading Program. This is a computerized
reading program which I believe lacks a firm philosophical foundation with
regard to why children read and how teachers can facilitate their comprehension
of text and love of literature. I typically recommend a different kind
of reading program for teachers.
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- The Constructivist Teacher.
One of the things in teaching and research that I find the most exciting
is the concept of constructivist teaching and learning. The value system
in CT is that knowledge is constructed by learners rather than acquired
from teachers. This view of learning insists that all children are innately
curious; that Vygotsky's notion of the zone of proximal development is
real; and that with opportunity, guidance, inspiration, and modeling, children
will learn what is worth learning.
-
- Kids Respond to Readers' Workshop and Writers'
Workshop. In the spring of 1998, 57 TTU preservice teachers paid a
visit to Rush Elementary School in Lubbock, Texas to the classroom of Rose
Ann Strawn. Rose Ann and I had been working on a literacy program that
included readers and writers workshops for the past several months, and
we wanted to share our results.
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Section 1
- Montana Myers. I started a short story
several years and got stuck. But it has potential don't you think?
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- Fresh Air. Breath Deeply. One thing I desperately
miss in Corpus is a radio program titled Fresh Air with Terry Gross broadcast
on NPR out of Philadelphia. I am including instructions here that will
allow you to listen to Fresh Air over the internet. Inhale. Exhale.
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- Helpful Web Sites. Here are just a few
web sites that I have found to contain important information for teachers.
-
- Student Web Site. During a recent semester,
I decided to feature with their permission 14 preservice teachers who were
working in a Corpus Christi Elementary School. Their photos and philosophy
statements are posted here. They are great students and devoted teachers.
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- Whole Language. In recent months, researchers
and scholars have suggested that the field of literacy is in its post-whole
language phase. I prefer to think we are still in the WL phase, so I offer
a definition for us to talk about.
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- Finally, two recent pieces published in Educational Leadership and
Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy are attached.
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- "When Students Create Curriculum,"
Educational Leadership: The Constructivist Classroom, Volume 57, No. 3,
November 1999, 49-52.
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- "Be a better writer, be a better teacher,"
Standpoints & Voices, Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 43:1,
September 1999, 60-62.
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- Thanks for reading.
- Marsha Grace
