10.1 Fizzle

When and Where did I Find this Word: I first heard this word two weeks ago at my dance practice with Converge Dance Company. One of the choreographers, Sarah Gullo said she wanted to create a dance to a "fizzle" story that one of her friends gave to her to create a piece around.

What does the word mean: Sarah defined the fizzle as a story that does not make sense. According to the Free Dictionary (2010), fizzle means "To fail or end weakly, especially after a hopeful beginning." I read the fizzle Sarah brought into practice. The story just starts and dis not make any sense. It looks like a poem, however, the story just goes on as one large paragaph. The story fizzles out with a promsing start and leaves the reader just as confused as they were when they started. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/fizzle

 

My familiarity with the word: I have heard the word in regards to the meaning that something comes to an end. I have never heard the word in regards to a story that doesn't make sense.

Do I Believe this is a Word that I should Know Well: Yes, I believe that I should know this term well because I am participating in a dance that is based around a fizzle story. I should be able to tell others who watch the performance what a fizzle is and how it relates to the dance I am performing.

Do You Believe this is a Word You Want Others to Know Well: Yes, as literacy educators, we should know that their is a type of story that is called a fizzle which does not make sense. We could have our students create fizzles or try to organize information to prevent their stories from becoming fizzles.

Strategy 2: DR/TA

What is the instructional strategy?

The instructional strategy I will have my students use to enhance students pre-reading of chapter three of African Americans and American Indians Fighting in the Revolutionary War by John Micklos Jr is called the Directed Reading/Thinking Activity or DR/TA.
Why does the strategy work?

The strategy works by allowing students to first consider what they already know about a particular topic and activate their own prior knowledge. The prompts ask students to preview the text so that they can look over titles, graphics and headings that the students might gloss over or skip entirely. The strategy forces students to take a closer look at the pages of a reading. Students are also required to make predictions or hypothesis about what they will read. Students often relate the word hypothesis with science class and in other content area teachers could use this strategy to get students thinking about making predictions.
How does it work?

1. The teacher will determine what she wants the students to know and understand from a selected text.
2. Students will write down what they already know about the texts topic either working independently or in a small group.
3. Students will write down what they think they will learn from the text.
4. Students will examine the text and note the title, subheadings, graphic aids, and any other text sections in the reading.
5. Students will then create a hypothesis or prediction about what they think they will read, which will help students plan and prepare for the text they are about to read.
6. Students will then read the assigned text and will reconsider the hypothesis that they created. Students will either agree or disagree with the hypothesis they created and adjust or rewrite a new hypothesis based upon the information they read in the text.
7. Lastly, students will write “What do you know you learned” in the graphic organizer. This will allow students another opportunity to think again about what they read and revise their understandings.

What It Looks Like: 

Directions: Before reading, answer questions 1-7 in the graphic organizer below. You will need the book African Americans and American Indians Fighting in the Revolutionary War chapter three to answer the questions. Answer questions 8-9 after you have completed the reading.

Statement/Question	Response
1. What I already know I know about African Americans who fought in the American Revolution:
2. What I think I know about African Americans who fought in the American Revolution:
3. What is the title?
4. What subheadings do I see?
5. What pictures/graphics are in the reading?
6. What other features do I notice in the reading?
7. What do I think the chapter is about? “Hypothesis”
After Reading: 8. Do I still agree with my hypothesis? If not how would I change it to fit with what I read?
9. What I know I learned from the reading:

Strategy 1: PreP

What is the instructional strategy?

The strategy that I will use is called “The Pre-Reading Plan (PreP). This strategy helps teachers assess students’ prior knowledge and vocabulary backgrounds on certain topics of study.  Students will use the strategy while reading chapters one and two in an expository text about The Declaration of Independence called The Declaration of Independence in Translation: What it Really Means.

Why does the strategy work?

The PreP strategy will allow my students to consider what they already know about The Declaration of Independence, which will set the stage for students to critically analyze the text. After students compile a list of what they know, students will reflect upon why or where they know the information from. This allows students to consider their own background knowledge and show students how to make connections to what they already know with the class content such as The Declaration of Independence.

How does it work?

1. I will begin by thinking of key vocabulary terms and concepts that students should understand when they are thinking about The Declaration of Independence. I most likely would want students to think of the words in the title to begin developing background knowledge and crafting ideas about the text.
2. Next I will ask the students a few sentences to generate and spark their prior knowledge. I will ask students questions with the key vocabulary words separated and then together. (e.g. “What comes to your mind when you think of independence? What comes to your mind when you think of a declaration? What comes to your mind when you think of The Declaration of Independence?”) These questions can be expressed verbally or on a handout sheet for students to consider.
3. Allow for some quiet time for students to independently write all of their associations and prior knowledge on either the chalkboard or on a handout where students can “dump” their knowledge.
4. Encourage students to share out their associations with the rest of the class. This will allow the teacher to get a quick assessment of what the students already know and let students teach and learn from each other.
5.  Have students reflect on their initial associations by asking questions such as “what made you think of…? Why did this response come to mind?” Have students talk in a group discussion about why they thought of their responses to the original prompt questions.
6. Conclude by asking if any students’ original thoughts on The Declaration of Independence have changed or if they can think of any new information about the topic through the class discussion.

What It Looks Like: 

Directions: Answer the following questions below by filling in as many words or ideas that you know about the terms below. Fill out the each section when your teacher instructs you to.

Section 1: What I Know

1. What comes to your mind when you think of independence?

2. What comes to your mind when you think of a declaration?

3. What comes to your mind when you think of The Declaration of Independence?

Section 2: Reflection on What I Know

4. Why did this response come to your mind?

5. Where have you heard or saw information on The Declaration of Independence?

Section 3: Do I Now Know Anything New or Different?

6. Can you think of any other information you now know about this topic?

7. Have your thoughts or opinions changed since answer questions in section 1?

9:2 Mortgage

When and Where did I Find this Word: I heard this word repeatedly over the past three weeks in discussion with my mortgage broker and my real estate agent. This past Friday, I found out that the mortgage company would not cover the full amount of my load because the appraisal come in much lower than my offer price.

What does the word mean: My own thoughts on a mortgage is a payment or loan on a large payment item such as a home. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a mortgage is "a conveyance of or lien against property (as for securing a loan) that becomes void upon payment or performance according to stipulated terms." http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mortgage

My familiarity with the word: I have heard the word used by my parents and relatives in the past about the monthly payments that they make. Since I was going to take on a mortgage, I wanted to become more familiar with the meaning, especially because my mortgage was affected by the recent appraisal on the home I was interested in purchasing.

Do I Believe this is a Word that I should Know Well: Yes, I should know this word well because I am going through the process of purchasing a home and should know the vocabulary that goes along with the home  buying process. The chart above shows the interest rates over the past thirty years.

Do You Believe this is a Word You Want Others to Know Well: Yes, others should know this term well because most people do need to take a mortgage out when they purchase a home.

9:1 Appraisal

When and Where did I Find this Word: I heard the word "appraisal" used last week in a conversation that I had with my realtor. Unfortunately, the home which I had purchased was appraised under my purchase price and the mortgage company will not let me get a loan without me putting a lot more money done due to the new home regulations.

What does the word mean: According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary (2010), appraisal is a noun which means " a valuation of property by the estimate of an authorized person." In my case, the appraisal was done on a home property by a agent hired by Wells Fargo. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/appraisal

My familiarity with the word: I have heard the used many times before in conversations about houses. However, I was not familiar with the new appraisal policies which made me want to question and learn more about the meaning of the word. I now know more about the appraisal process for my next house hunt.

Do I Believe this is a Word that I should Know Well: I do believe that I should know this word well because I need to make an informed decision when I purchase my home. The current home that I purchased is not a good value because the appraisal came in very low, much lower than what I offered on the home. Next time I buy a house, I will be more conscience about pricing so that I make a good investment. 

Do You Believe this is a Word You Want Others to Know Well: Yes, with the new appraisal rules, I feel that all potential home buyers be aware of home buying vocabulary such as "appraisal." To make a good purchase, one must understand the appraisal price of a home to make a good offer price.

The picture to the right is the home that I put an offer on that had an outrageously low appraisal.

8:2 Peculation

When and Where did I Find this Word: I found the word today in a Google search for the word of the day. My search brought up the Merriam-Webster Dictionary which showed the days word as "peculation."

What does the word mean: According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary (2010), the noun peculation means embezzlement. For example, the casino bookie was accused of peculation. Retrieved at http://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day/. Also see http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/peculation

My familiarity with the word: I have never heard the word peculation before my search today. I have heard of embezzlement before but would have never been able to guess on my own the meaning of peculation.

Do I Believe this is a Word that I should Know Well: I do not believe this is a word that I should know well. I cannot remember the last time that I ever used the word embezzlement. I do remember hearing the word embezzle in the Flintstones movie by the Hallie Barry character. The picture to the right is of the Hally Berry Character who went to prison in the film for peculation or embezzlement. The likelihood that I will use the word peculation is very minute.

Do You Believe this is a Word You Want Others to Know Well: No, I do not think that that others will need to know this word well. Possibly business or economics teachers could benefit from knowing this word, however, I do not think this word or comes up very frequently in content area classes.

8:1 Cinematic

When and Where did I Find this Word: Tonight I was watching an episode of Outsourced on NBC and a commercial caught my interest because of a specific word. The commercial described a new TV show on the network as "cinematic."

What the Word means: Cinematic is an adjective. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, Cinematic means relating, suitable, or presented as a motion picture. In the context of the commercial, I believe that the advertisers meant that the film was worthy of airing on television. NBC's use of the term cinematic does not align with the definition giving by the Merriam Webster dictionary because the show is not in any form a "motion picture," rather it is a television show. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cinematic

My level of Familiarity: I have heard the term cinematic before and am very familiar with the term cinema. I know that the word cinema has to do with film and I believed that the word "cinematic" also was connected to film. I was curious about the definition because I had always thought that anything cinema related was about movies/film. The picture to the right is of a movie theatre which is what I often picture when I hear the word "cinematic."

Do I Believe this is a Word that I should Know Well: Yes, I do think I should know this term well because if I do eventually design an assignment that allows for students to create their own motion pictures or video productions, I could use the word "cinematic" to describe the video making process or include it in an evaluation.

Do You Believe this is a Word You Want Others to Know Well: Yes, I do think that others should know this word well because as literacy instructors, we will need to teach multi-modal aspects of literacy. Film and cinema is a growing part of using contemporary media for literacy instruction.

6:2 Vicarious

When and Where did I Find this Word: Last week, while reading chapter 30 in the Handbook of Reading Research, I came across the word vicarious. The chapter discussed comprehension instruction and relating text to students prior knowledge. "Thus, the richer a child's world experiences and vicarious experiences (e.g., through stories and high-quality television), the richer the child's schematic knowledge base" (Pressley, 2000, p. 549).

What the Word means: After analyzing the word vicarious in its context, I believe that the word means, well-developed and rich. Unfortunately, my attempt to guess the meaning of the word was not correct. According to dictionary.com, the adjective vicarious means "taking the place of another person or thing; acting or serving as a substitute". http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/vicarious 

My level of Familiarity: I had never heard or seen the word vicarious until I encountered it in the Pressley reading. I tried to make an attempt to understand what the word meant on my own, however, the context around the word did not give me enough sufficient information to make a correct educational guess at the words meaning. The picture to the side of the shells and cheese represents the idea that one can vicarious different cheeses used within the pasta such as Cheddar or Swiss cheese.

Do I Believe this is a Word that I should Know Well: I somewhat believe that I should know the well because it is another word for "interchangeable or substitute." However, the likely hood that I will use the word vicarious on a regular basis is very slim.

Do You Believe this is a Word You Want Others to Know Well: I think others should have an idea of what the word means because it appeared in our assigned readings and as teachers, we commonly use the word substitute, and vicarious is another word we can use to express the same meaning.

6:1 Matrix

When and where did I find this word: I found the word matrix today while I was reading Word Wise and Content Rich by Fisher and Frey (2006, p. 78). The chapter discussed using graphic organizers to help students with vocabulary instruction. The sentence from the chapter said, "It's a matrix of sorts" (Fisher & Fry, 2006, p. 78).

What the word means: From the context of the chapter from Fisher and Frey, I am still not sure exactly what the meaning of matrix is. According to dictionary.com, a matrix is "something that constitutes the place or point from which something else originates, takes form, or develops." http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/matrix.

My level of Familiarity: I remember hearing the term matrix in math classes during high school and somewhat remember it had to do with lines and points of origin. The movie "The Matrix" also was popular when I was in high school and challenged by thinking of the term. The picture is of Neo from the movie and shows the point of origin and path of the bullet.

Do I Believe this is a Word that I should Know Well: Yes, the word was one that I was expected to know in high school and I believe that should know how to use it well because it is a commonly used term.

Do You Believe this is a Word You Want Others to Know Well: I think that others should know the term well because of the popularity of the word with the Matrix movies and because many of our students are expected to know the term for math, I think we should know the word and be able to use it in our own content areas to reinforce the word.

5:2 samizdat

When and Where I found it: Again, I was in search of a funny word to give me a laugh and cheer up my mood. I googled "uncommon words" and clicked on http://wordsmith.org/words/roustabout.html. The word I selected was the word of the day for Oct. 3rd 2010, samizdat. Wordsmith.org (2010) retrieved from http://wordsmith.org/words/roustabout.html.

What it means: The term  samizdat is a noun and according to wordsmith.org means, an underground publishing system used to print and circulate banned literature. I just watched an episode of Boardwalk Empire on HBO and the show highlights the era of prohibition of the 1920's. Mr. Thompson creates samizdat's information on how to make and sell illegal alcohol in the show. (See my image of the bootlegging business)

My familiarity with the word: I have never heard the term before, however, I think it would be a great word to introduce to students when talking about revolutions. I could use this term for my SCALP project for the American Revolution and the information and text that was created during the time.

Should I Know this Term Well? Yes, I think that this is a highly specialized term that I could use when talking about certain periods in history. I think that this would be an interesting word to use with students to talk about underground activity.

Should Others Know This Word Well? No, I do not think that many people will specifically need to know this word. I feel the word is highly specialized and that the average person will not likely use this term.

5:1 Roustabout

Where and When I found it: Since I spent most of my Sunday locked in my room working on lesson planning, I needed a quick laugh. I searched Google for "uncommon words" to see what would come up. I clicked the second link and was quickly amused with the weekly themes of uncommon words that the website had to offer. I selected the category words derived from birds. I clicked on the term roustabout and decided this would be a good word choice. I found the definition at http://wordsmith.org/words/roustabout.html.

What It Means: The word roustabout  is a noun and according to wordsmith.org means a casual or unskilled worker and often refers to a laborer on an oil rig. I love the episode of I Love Lucy when Lucy was a roustabout candy worker stuffing candy in her hat and shirt, what a classic. (see image to go along with my sentence) Wordsmith.org (2010) Roustabout retrieved from http://wordsmith.org/words/roustabout.html.

My level of familiarity with the word: I do not think that I have ever heard of the term before.

Do I Want to Know It Well? I think that it is an interesting term. The word physically reminds me of "roundabout" such as the circle that drivers take to go to a intersection. I think that this is a much gentler term than calling some one an "unskilled" worker" and thus that is why I want to know it well.

Do I think Others Should Know it Well? I believe others should know it well. I am guessing in areas where oil rigs are, people might be more familiar with the term roustabout. Again, I think others should know this word because it is a nice way of calling someone an unskilled worker or someone new to a job field.