8.2 Importunate

When and Where did I find the word: You all should be very proud of me, I switched up my online dictionary resource, and instead of resorting to dictionary.com's word of the day, I moved to Merriam-Webster's word of the day!!! (A little variety is a good thing). 

What is means: According to Merriam-Wesbter online, importunate means "troublesomely urgent: overly persistant in request or demand."  The sentence provided states "Sylvia was becoming fed up with the importunate phone calls she continued to receive from charities seeking donations." 

Level of Familiarity: I have heard this word before, but like many other words, I needed to be reminded of the words exact meaning. 

Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why? I kind of like this word.  I think it is a good word to use in conversation.  I mean, look at how the word is used in the sentence above.  I love it and it makes Sylvia seem very irrated, and the calls even more obnoxious.  I think I am in love with this word!! Just kidding about that but I think this word is another one of my million dollar words (or is it one hundred).

Do I Think Others Should Know This Word Well...if so WHO and WHY?: Of course! Personally, I think this is a good word to use.  Think of all the things or people in your life that you could use this word for.  It is a good word to describe. 

8.1 Voluble

When and Where did I find the word: I found this word in one of our course texts (Content-Area Writing).  The word is located on p. 78.  The sentence states "However, if you are a student who writes (or thinks slowly, and you're sitting between a bunch of voluble, fluent writers, it can make you feel like a doofus."

Full Citation: Daniels, H., Zemelman, S. & Steineke, N.  (2007).  Content-area writing.  Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. 

What is means: The sentence gives some hint to readers as to what the word means.  However,  I wanted  a clearer definition.  As always, I resorted to dictionary.com.  According to the website, voluble means "talking easily, readily, and at length; fluent." 

 

Level of Familiarity: I hope I am not the only one in my class that has not heard this word before?!  I do not remember ever hearing this  word.  I have heard and used the word fluent to describe someone that can easily read, or write, or do things almost perfect. 

Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why?  I do want to know this word.  I think it would be a good word to use in my own vocabulary to "spice" it up.  Instead of using fluent, I can use the word voluble.  Or like the authors of the text in which I found the word,  I can use the word voluble to avoid repetition in a sentence. 

Do I Think Others Should Know This Word Well...if so WHO and WHY?: YES! I believe voluble is a valuable word to use! How was that for a tongue twister??? I think it should be incorporated into one's vocabulary.  It is a good word to use when describing someone that is fluent with writing.  As literacy specialist,  I want students to be voluble readers and writers. 

7.3 Audacity

When and Where did I find the word: I have heard this word before but I was ecstatic today when one of my cheerleaders used the word!

What is means: According to dictionary.com, audacity means "boldness or daring, especially with confident or arrogant disregard for personal safety, conventional thought, or other restrictions." For example, as my cheerleader said, "She had the audacity to yell at me."

Level of Familiarity: I am very familiar with this word and have used it several times in my own conversations (maybe the cheerleader heard the word from me and maybe she will influence the other girls to use it??)

Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why? I know this word and it is definitely a good word to use.  As my cheerleaders said to the one that used the word, "You sound smart." It is one of those "million dollar words." 

Do I Think Others Should Know This Word Well...if so WHO and WHY?: I think everyone should KNOW this word and USE this word.  Like I said before, the word is a good word to use in conversation and sounds so much better than saying, "I can't believe she did that." 

7.2 Regurgitate

When and Where did I find the word: I found this word on the Merriam-Webster's online dictionary website. 

What is means: According to the website, the word regurgitate means "to throw or be thrown back, up, or out." For example, the website offers this sentence to help users understand better: "Instead of sharing some new ideas, the book regurgitates the same old arguments that other authors have tried before."

Level of Familiarity: I am familiar with this word and have heard it several times.  However, when I read the sentence it made me think of the word in a different way.  As an educator, do I regurgitate lessons or information??  Is my content delivered in the same way every lesson?

Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why? I know this word. However, I want to know it in a different way, or become more aware of it as an educator.  As a student I remember sitting in classes and having the teachers deliver the same form of instruction class after class. It became repetitive and boring.  Often times, these teachers taught the same lessons to each of their classes, and did not differentiate instruction or change it up.  As educators I think we should be aware of this form of regurgitation. 

Do I Think Others Should Know This Word Well...if so WHO and WHY?: I think everyone should know this word, especially educators.  Students should know the word to expand their vocabulary. As educators, do we regurgitate the same lessons or materials that were once regurgitated to us? Do we regurgitate the same form of instruction to each and every class or lesson we teach? It is good to become aware of regurgitation as an educator. 

7.1 Self-Regulated Strategy Developement

When and Where did I find the word: I found this word in the Mason, Benedek-Wood and Valesa (2009) that Janet and I are presenting in class on Monday. I hope you have all read it ;)

What is means: Guess what?! I did not have to resort to dictionary.com this week.  In the article the authors quote Harris, Graham, and Mason (2003) as saying that "Self-Regulated Development (SRSD) instruction is one approach for teaching writing that focuses on explicity teaching strategies for planning, regulating, and self-monitoring written instruction." They go on to say that "SRSD instruction is designed to promote independent use of task-specific writing strategies by teaching students cognitive and self-regulation strategies so they can better understand and regulate the writing process."

Level of Familiarity: I have heard about SRSD instruction in undergrad, however, it was used for reading.  This is my first time reading about gearing SRSD instruction to writing. 

Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why? I do want to know this word.  As an educator, SRSD instruction is important.  Self-regulated strategy use is important for students and as educators it is the ultimate goal.

Do I Think Others Should Know This Word Well...if so WHO and WHY?: YES! As educators we should know this word.  SRSD instruction is important for all content areas.  As educators SRSD is the ultimate goal for any strategy that we introduce to students.  We want students to be able to self-regulate and independently use any strategy that we introduce to them.  SRSD instruction is not just for writing, but also reading. 

6.2 Titubant

When and Where did I find the word: I found this word on dictionary.com's word of the day section. Throughout the week I was searching for that "it" word but could not find it so I resorted to the internet.  Once, I found titubant, I knew it was the "it" word I had been looking for. 

What is means: Like all my other words, I had to resort to dictionary.com to figure out what this unfamiliar word meant (thank goodness I didn't have to do much searching. The defintion was already provided on the word of the day page).  According to dictionary.com titubant means "a disturbance of body equilibrium in standing or walking, resulting in an uncertain gait and trembling." 

Level of Familiarity: Zero, null. I have no familiarity with this word and I can honestly say that I have never encountered it before. 

Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why? Like I have said in previous posts I think all words are worth exploring and knowing.  However, would I use this word again? Probably not. 

Do I Think Others Should Know This Word Well...if so WHO and WHY?: I think others should find out what this word means if they are to encounter it but as far as just knowing it to know it, I don't see much use for it.  Personally, I think it is a difficult word and I could see many of my students not fully understanding it, even with a definition provided to them.  I also don't see or hear it being used much in the English language that I encounter, so I feel that students would learn it and then forget it because they wouldn't hear or use it again. 

6.1 Valiant

When and Where did I find the word: I found this word on none other than Facebook (I should have been doing so many other things).  While Facebook stalking, one of my friends on Facebook posted a picture and the caption said, "she gave it a effort." 

What is means: According to dictionary.com valiant means, "boldly courageous; brave; stout-hearted." It also means "marked by or showing bravery or valor; heroic; worthy;excellent." 

Level of Familiarity: This is a word that I have encountered several times in many different situations.  However, it is not a word I normally use in my own conversations.  This word is another "heart" word for me.  I love the way it sounds.  It sounds almost "royal," "regal" or "high-class." 

Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why? I think this word is a good word to know.  As I said before it sounds "regal" and I personally think when it is used it makes a person sound smart.  Valiant is a good word to describe one'seffort (as my Facebook friend did).  I think as teachers, instead of saying excellent job, we could say "valiant effort." What do you think???

Do I Think Others Should Know This Word Well...if so WHO and WHY?:  Of course I think others should know this word.  Like I said before, I have encountered this word several times.  I think this word is a great descriptor.  I think my future students should definitely know if because they might see it as a comment on one of the projects they will submit.

5.2 Attitudinal

When and Where did I find the word: I found this word in one of the required readings (Dreher & Singer, 1989).  The authors state: "Attitudinal and confidence qualifications are more common in expository texts that are not usually used as textbooks in schools."

Full Citation: Dreher, M. J. & Singer, H.  (1989).  Friendly text and text-friendly teachers.  Theory Into Practice, 28(2), 98-105. 

What is means: I really like this word, so it is more of a "heart" word for me.  When I hear this word, I picture a little girl with a pout on her face and hands on her hips.  As my dad would say she has "attitudie."  According to dictionary.com attiudinal means "manner, disposition, feeling, position, etc., with regard to a person or thing; tendency or orientation, especially of the mind." 

http://giacanali.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/flowergirl-with-attitude.jpg

Level of Familiarity: Before looking up the definition, I had a general understanding of the word.  I knew the word and I had heard the word, but my knowledge of the definition was basic. 

Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why? As I said before, I knew the word at a basic level.  To mean, when I heard attitudinal, I just thought of attitude. I didn't think of the word as a whole.  The word doesn't just include the physical appearance that one may have based on their attitude.  The physical appearance may and can be the end result.  What makes the physical appearance is one's manner, disposition, feelings, or position on an issue. 

Do I Think Others Should Know This Word Well...if so WHO and WHY?:  Everyone should know this word.  I have heard this word in so many conversations and have read it in so many different articles and texts.  Attitude plays a major role in our lives, having another word to describe attitude or its impact on an issue is important. 

5.1 Concomitant

When and Where did I find the word: I found this word in our course text (Kamil, Mosenthal, Pearson & Barr, 2000) Chapter 19 on page 286. The authors state: "Finally we reflect on the diversification of society and the concomitant changes that this brings to text-based learning."

Full Citation: Kamil, M. L., Mosenthal, P. B., Pearson, P. D., & Barr, R. (Eds.).  (2000). Handbook of reading research:  Volume III.  Mahwah, NJ:
                        
                         Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

What is means: Wow! What a heavy duty sentence, and I think what makes it so difficult for me is the word "concomitant."  I honestly had to read it over a couple of times until I finally got a general idea of what it meant.  However, I was still stuck.  According to dictionary.com concomitant means "existing or occurring with something else, often in a lesser way; accompanying; concurrent." It is also defined as "a concomitant quality, circumstance, or thing."  Based on this definition, I now understand the sentence.  I am always amazed at the power of a word and how one word can completely throw of one's understanding of a sentence or text. 

Level of Familiarity: Before looking up the definition, I had zero knowledge of the word. 


Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why? I wanted and needed to know the word concomitant.  Without knowledge of this word, I would have been stuck and unable to read on if I did not understand the sentence. 


Do I Think Others Should Know This Word Well...if so WHO and WHY?:  I think that anyone who is reading the Handbook should have knowledge of this word.  Like, I said before, if I didn't know the word I would have been stuck and unable to read on.  The word is a good word to know, especially if one is reading the Handbook.  I think it is a word that one would see a lot in research.