Final Post

From this assignment, I learned that many of the genres can be combined or integrated to cover multiple genres at once. I also discovered some genres are difficult to find in elementary level books. Furthermore, I learned that genres are not so specific, I always thought of How-To books as sort of DIY books with steps and instructions. But at the elementary level there is so much more to it. That is what made me choose to study Nancy Carlson and I have really come to love books. I can not wait to fill my class library with them. The first book I learned about and loved thanks to my partner ( yes, you!) was How to Lose All Your Friends. It is a How-To book but more like a how-not-to-do... did that make sense? You get it I'm sure.
Anyway, I loved discovering more of her work and her blog! It's adorable!!.. Go look at it now.. there are cute little drawings she posts that I always check out.. go look now.. seriously. Stop reading this for a minute. http://nancycarlson.com/  .. just click it.
Clearly, I enjoyed the Author Study part of this assignment the most. It was easier to choose from the same author and see all the different books she writes. Especially because I have become such a big fan of her work. Finding science fiction books was not an easy ask for me, or the librarian I asked to help me! But it was great to learn about different genres and how they all work together, and how to use them in the classroom.. now there is an idea for a How-To book!
I enjoyed making texts on a blog instead of discussing it on BB or through emails. It is a much easier way to write and add pictures. It makes your text kind of personal to the writer instead of just having your name and your response in black and white. At first I was a little afraid to let loose and write freely because that is rare in graduate courses. But my partner really made it fun, I never felt like I was doing work when I was on your blog. It was always very entertaining and fun. It made me feel like I could get a sense of your personality through your blog. But not everyone can do that, that is one of the limits of this project. You have to have a certain personality and way with words to express your feelings through an online source. At first I had a different partner( I don't even remember who it was honestly) but I am glad we got partnered up because I feel that we made a good match and learned a lot from each other. I found it easy to communicate my ideas to you and as I already mentioned, I loved reading your posts. I was also excited about the author you chose because I also enjoyed the Andrew Lost series.
In conclusion, I really enjoyed this project. I learned a lot on my own but also from my partner. I have expanded my ideas about what books I want in my classroom library and what books I would like to assign my students or to read aloud. Overall, it has made me even more excited to have my own class and get them excited about reading by showing them how fun it can be. Maybe even creating a class blog. Although, I would want the students to be a big part of it so perhaps this would be done with older students. But for the younger grades I think a teacher's blog would be a great way to communicate with parents and keep them updated about what the students are learning.