Aimee's Textbook Wordle

For my textbook Wordle, I copied and pasted the first paragraph of the introduction of our course textbook, (What Research has to Say about Reading Instruction). I went to the website where I purchased the digital copy of the book and downloaded the PDF version of the introduction. My Wordle for this version can be found here:

 <a href="http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/8485126/Aimee%27s_Wordle_%232" 
          title="Wordle: Aimee's Wordle #2"><img
          src="http://www.wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/8485126/Aimee%27s_Wordle_%232"
          alt="Wordle: Aimee's Wordle #2"
          style="padding:4px;border:1px solid #ddd"></a>

Aimee's Novel Wordle

For my first Wordle, (the one for the novel), I copied and pasted the first few paragraphs from the 7th Kingdom Keepers book by Ridley Pearson. The fans were able to help write parts of the final novel, which can be found at http://www.kingdomkeepersinsider.com. Below is the URL and code for my Wordle:

 <a href="http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/8485098/Aimee%27s_Wordle" 
          title="Wordle: Aimee's Wordle"><img
          src="http://www.wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/8485098/Aimee%27s_Wordle"
          alt="Wordle: Aimee's Wordle"
          style="padding:4px;border:1px solid #ddd"></a>

http://www.wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/8485126/Aimee%27s_Wordle_%232

Concept Map: Chapter 1 of Textbook

Chapter 1 of the textbook, What Research has to Say About Reading Instruction, talks about the very first concept children master when learning to read: the alphabet. We learn to recognize letters and eventually words before we move on to stories and other forms of text. Below is a concept map I created that outlines the points of the chapter that I found to be the most important.

Concept Map: The Writing Process

It is important for students to understand all of the stages of the Writing Process before they begin a piece of writing. There are 5 steps to the Writing Process:

1. Pre-writing: In this stage, students and writers brainstorm different ideas that they want to include in their writing. Many writers organize their thoughts by creating concept maps, outlines, or other forms of graphic organizers.
2. Writing: Now that your thoughts have been organized, it is time to begin writing your first rough draft, (depending on the class, teacher, or writer, several rough drafts may be written before the final product is published). During this time, it is important that you do not focus too much on the mechanics or grammar errors of your piece. You will take care of those later.
3. Revision: Some writers use this stage to conduct an A.R.R.R. survey. They Add, Rearrange, Remove, and Replace words and details in the piece.
4. Editing: It's time to proofread your writing!! Be sure to carefully check your paper for errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
5. Publishing: Your paper is ready for publication!!

Here is a Concept Map that illustrates the Writing Process:

Text to Speech and Editing

I think the concept of being able to have text read aloud to you as you type or review a paper is really cool! Unfortunately, I was unable to try it out for myself because my version of Microsoft Word on my computer, (I have Windows 8), does not come with this special feature. When I tried to access a web site that had a similar feature, the link was no longer available. The program that was available to download on Blackboard was stopped by the virus protection software on my computer as well. I think that this tool would really come in handy for people with special needs or someone who could not type as fast or as accurately as an average person, (such as a young child or a senior citizen).

As I said above, this feature on Microsoft Word would be a great tool for people with special needs or the elderly to use. It might also be useful for someone who is writing any type of paper or book, because sometimes you need to hear your work read aloud before it is submitted or published so that you know it makes sense. This might be particularly helpful if there is no one around to help you proofread your work with a new, fresh pair of eyes.

The Texthelp website, (http://www.texthelp.com/UK) offers various resources for people who have dyslexia, are learning to read for the first time, or are learning English. One of the products that is available is called the Read & Write software. It is an award winning product that is designed to help people who struggle with reading and writing. This flexible toolbar can be used on any windows or mac computer, ipad or android device, or on Google Chrome. It helps people with reading difficulties such as spelling, comprehension, and research. You can download a free 30 day trial on the website, or purchase the program through a secure PayPal account.

Reading Activity Part 1

For the first part of my reading activity, I decided to read a book called Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by Cory Doctorow. It takes place at Disney World in Orlando, Florida in the 22nd century. The main character, a man named Julius, is trying to stop a ruthless rival from changing his favorite ride at the park.

So far, I have only read the prologue, which is the first part of the 65 part novel. My installments will be sent to me on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. I should be able to finish it all by the end of the semester. I can't wait to see how this story will progress!

Reading Activity Part 2

For my audiobook activity, I downloaded the first 2 books in the Kingdom Keepers series by Ridley Pearson on to my Amazon Kindle Fire HDX. I own printed copies of the entire 7-book series already, so I am familiar with the story. The series follows 5 Orlando teens who audition to become holographic guides at Walt Disney World. At night when they are asleep, they crossover into the theme parks as their holograms. (Their bodies are still at home in their beds.) Their mission is to prevent the Disney villains, (called the Overtakers), from stealing all of the good magic from the parks. This series is a must read for any Disney fan who has ever wondered what happens when the parks are closed and the lights go out.

The audiobook versions of Kingdom Keepers: Disney After Dark and Kingdom Keepers: Disney at Dawn are complete and unabridged versions of the novels. The audio is clear and easy to understand. Some chapters are longer than others, so it takes the narrator a certain amount of time to read. The narrator reads at a pace that is slow enough for the reader to comprehend but in a way that prevents them from being bored. Currently, I am on Chapter 8 of the first book. I plan on listening to some more as soon as I get a little bit of free time away from school and work.