4:2 Abacus

When and Where I Found It:  The other day during breakfast my dad was making a joke about amateur golfers needing so many strokes to get the golf ball in the hole that they need an abacus to keep count.

Meaning:  According to dictionary.com, an abacus is "a device for making arithmetic calculations, consisting of a frame set with rods on which balls or beads are moved."

Level of Familiarity:  I think I have heard of this word in math class but I am not sure of its definition.

Do I Want to Know This Word Well?  Why?  I don't think this is a word that I need to know well.  If the time comes that I need to be able to use an abacus, I am sure I will learn how to use this word well.

Do I Want Others to Know this Word Well?  Who and Why?  For people who are looking for an alternative way of counting, an abacus would be something they may want to experiment with.

4:1 Berm

When and Where I Found It:  Last week when discussing options of what to put at the end of the driveway, the idea of placing a berm in that spot was introduced.

Meaning:  According to Webster's Online Dictionary, a berm is "a wall or mound of earth or sand."  A berm can be landscaped with plantings such as flowers, bushes and trees.  Other berms may be created with rocks to form a rock garden.

Level of Familiarity:  I have heard of a berm before but was unsure of its exact definition.  I was also unable to form a visual of a berm when the contractor suggested it for the end of the driveway.

Do I Want to Know This Word Well?  Why?  I do want to know the word "berm."  Without this word being a part of my vocabulary, I would have to describe the mound of dirt at the end of the driveway using many words.  The word "berm" succinctly covers the other words I would have to use such as: a hill of dirt and rocks that is covered with mulch, flowers and various plantings.  Stating "berm" is a much quicker explanation!!

Do I Want Others to Know this Word Well?  Who and Why?  I think it would be valuable for a person who enjoys nature and or landscaping to know the defition and how to properly use this word.  A "berm" brings to mind distinct characteristics which would be useful to communicate what a person has encountered.  I also believe any person who is looking to make changes around their yard could find this term useful when thinking of creative landscaping.

3:3 Variance

              

When and Where I Found It:  When talking with a contractor about installing a shed in the front of our yard, he said we would need to file for a variance with the town.

Meaning:  According to Webster's Online Dictionary, variance means "a liscence to do some act contrary to the usual rule."

Level of Familiarity:  I have heard of this word in conversations in the past but was unfamiliar with its meaning.

Do I Want to Know This Word Well?  Why?  I do want to know this word well as I would be highly perturbed if the town knocked on my door and informed me I would have to move my shed after having secured it in a spot in the front yard.  Knowing that a variance was needed to put the shed in the front yard saved my family and me a lot of frustration and trouble.

Do I Want Others to Know this Word Well?  Who and Why?  Annyone who is building on their property should know that each town has specific rules, but also has variances to those rules. Knowing this word allows homeowners to make things possible that would have otherwise resulted in that unfortunate knock on the door.

3:2 Spelunk

When and Where I Found It:  In class last week, we were told to look over the list of words created by middle school students featured in Ruddell & Shearer's article, "Extraordinary," "tremendous," "exhilarating," "magnificent";  Middle school at-risk students become avid word learners with the Vocabulary Self- Collection Strategy (VSS).  As part of their word list, they identified "spelunking" as an unfamiliar word they would like to know.

Meaning:  According to Webster's dictionary, spelunk means to "explore natural caves."

Level of Familiarity:  I had never heard of this word before.

Do I Want to Know This Word Well?  Why?  Yes, I think this would be an interesting word to pull out in a classroom to intice students into discovering new words.  It has an appeal for students who are interested in outdoor activities.

Do I Want Others to Know this Word Well?  Who and Why?  I feel those students who enjoy extreme sports such as rock climbing, rapelling, mountain bicking and skiing might be opened up to another sport (and all the new vocabulary that comes with it.)

3:1 Metacomprehension

When and Where I Found It:  In the book, Teaching Reading in the Content Areas;  If Not Me, Then Who? by Rachel Bellmeyer and Mary Lee Barton, the authors asked the readers to think about an activity we as educators have accomplished, the thoughts we were thinking and how we behaved as we engaged in the activity.  The book identifies metacomprehension as key feature in understanding strategic processing.

Meaning:  According to Bellmeyer and Barton (1998), Metacomprehension "refers to being strategic and reflective about reading comprehension" (p. 42).

Level of Familiarity:  I understand what metacognition means and have used it within my daily discourses as both a professional and as a student in Literacy education, however, I am unfamiliar with the term metacomprehension.  Meta indicates the process of thinking about something.  I was then able to make an educated inference/ hypothesis of what the term might mean.

Do I Want to Know This Word Well?  Why?  I would like to know this word well and be able to use it correctly and comfortably when discussing various aspects of students' learning process.  I feel it is a valuable term to know in order to teach our students to be aware of the process and strategies they use to make comprehension possible.

Do I Want Others to Know this Word Well?  Who and Why?  Yes, all teachers should know this word.  It encourages unity amongst educators as they develop common language to discuss students' literacy education.