I actually really enjoyed reading chapter 6, especially about Mrs. Sanom’s Word Wizards Club- I thought that she used great ideas to enhance her students’ vocabulary, such as the word a day costumes (I thought that was perfect) and the vocabulary parade. I think too often teachers just tell students to look in the dictionary to find out what a word means- not only does this discourage students from learning new words (because of the process) but it also discourages them from asking the teacher, which can be a negative aspect if they stop being curious about new words all together. Overall, I have seen many of the examples that were discussed in this chapter throughout my schooling, various placements, and work. In all of the places, I have seen word walls- In the younger classrooms, these word walls consist of students’ names and frequently used words, while in the older classrooms, the word walls consist of high frequency words as well as vocabulary words. I have also seen hangman played at both levels- in the early grades it is usually a 3 to 4 letter word and the main goal is that the students make logical guesses regarding their letters, while at the older levels it usually can be any word. I have also seen KWL charts in the older classes, but they don’t really seem effective, because I feel like we never go back and find out what the students want to know.
Something I found very interesting was that “unfamiliar words are not equally hard or easy to learn; the degree of difficulty depends on what students already know about the word (p.190). I just thought this was a great thing to find out, especially if you are teaching vocabulary. I also found Graves’ 4 possible situations for unfamiliar words helpful as well as the 4 degrees of word knowledge. I think that both of these taught me that exposure is so important for students regarding vocabulary. Students can’t just see a word once and know what it means- they must see it, say it, read it, write it, learn about it, all numerous times before they seriously learn it.
I believe that it is so important for teachers to give students the skills and strategies to learn new vocabulary and read when they come across things they don’t know. For instance, context clues and the strategies (on page 194) are crucial, especially for ESL students. I think that ESL students (especially) struggle with new vocabulary, so if they can learn the word by using these strategies they will be much more successful. I think that ESL students also really struggle with idioms and multiple meaning words. I feel like the students just don’t see enough/aren’t exposed to these types of words enough, which leaves them lost and confused when they come across them.
Overall, I think that Mrs. Sanom had great ideas about how to teach vocabulary through her club. I also think that vocabulary can be taught through word posters, word maps, word sorts, and word chains (p. 212). I believe that vocabulary is a crucial part to students knowledge and I feel that exposure is the key factor for their learning.
-Nicki lendo
Monday, March 31, 2008
Autism Speaker Response
I really enjoyed the speaker and presentation on Autism~ I thought it was both interesting and extremely beneficial. I liked how Josh incorporated group work and such within the presentation. I also found it very helpful that he gave us tips that would be helpful while teaching autistic children as well as teaching mainstream children. I also found it so helpful that he gave us tips that would support inclusion, such as peer work~ Overall, I feel like I will be able to use the information that Josh presented in my current placement as well as my future teacher jobs.
Currently, I have a couple of students who should be placed somewhere on the autism spectrum, however, their parents refuse to get them the tests that they need, to determine exactly what is going on. It is very difficult for my CT, because there is only so much she can do for these students, one student in particular- V~ he has trouble with the alphabet, letter/sound recognition, letter recognition, etc. My CT has spent the entire year teaching him how to write his name and the sound and name of each letter that makes up him name. Although he has made great progress, he still needs so much more work and attention then my teacher can give him. I think it is important that he stays in a mainstream class, I just think that he needs extra help, because as of how, he is extremely behind, even for being in kindergarten.
Overall, I feel that my past CT’s have used many of the methods that Josh discussed. I think that it is so important that future teachers learn about autism since it is so prevalent in society today and since it is being recognized so much more than in the past. I wish that we would have speakers like this more often because I feel that these are very relevant issues that often get overlooked due to time constraints and content and such.
~Nicki Lendo
Currently, I have a couple of students who should be placed somewhere on the autism spectrum, however, their parents refuse to get them the tests that they need, to determine exactly what is going on. It is very difficult for my CT, because there is only so much she can do for these students, one student in particular- V~ he has trouble with the alphabet, letter/sound recognition, letter recognition, etc. My CT has spent the entire year teaching him how to write his name and the sound and name of each letter that makes up him name. Although he has made great progress, he still needs so much more work and attention then my teacher can give him. I think it is important that he stays in a mainstream class, I just think that he needs extra help, because as of how, he is extremely behind, even for being in kindergarten.
Overall, I feel that my past CT’s have used many of the methods that Josh discussed. I think that it is so important that future teachers learn about autism since it is so prevalent in society today and since it is being recognized so much more than in the past. I wish that we would have speakers like this more often because I feel that these are very relevant issues that often get overlooked due to time constraints and content and such.
~Nicki Lendo
Basal Reading Programs
My very first impression of Basal Reading Programs were that these programs are absolutely ridiculous. I have looked through one of these programs and discovered that in order to teach using one of these, the teacher definitely does not need a four year degree in Education. At first, these programs seemed demeaning to me as a future teacher. Can I not think of my own questions? Must I be told what to ask my students? The programs are set up so that anyone can use this program to "teach" students how to read. However, after reading Tompkins, my opinion of the program has changed. So, now that I am done complaining about the program, I will move on to what I have learned.
The first and most important thing to remember is that a Basal Reading Program should not be the only reading program implemented in the classroom. One highlight of the program is that it gives teachers books that are grade-level appropriate, or where most students should be in terms of reading. However, students do not often fit with the grade-level they are in. Many are below, many are above, and some fit academically with the grade level. Teachers will need to provide different reading experiences for their students based on their needs. Students with a lower capacity to read will need books suited for their level of reading, as with those who are above the grade-level expectations for reading For students who are at grade-level in terms of reading, they should be provided with many types of books as well to help them to increase their experiences with different types of genres, writing styles, and to help increase their fluency. I do like how the Basal program offers instruction for teaching students the skills and strategies that are necessary to become fluent readers. These skills and strategies include predicting, questioning, and evaluating, all of which lead to a deeper understanding of what is being read.
The down side of Basal Reading Programs is that they have a set schedule to go by, when to read, what books to read. The whole program is very systematic. Students are NOT systematic. In order to make a program like this work in a real classroom, the teacher will need to incorporate it in a way that meets the needs of all of his or her students. The Basal Reading Program is probably something that I will use someday as part of the school curriculum, but I will make sure to be very cautious in the usage.
Until Next Time
*Lisa*
The first and most important thing to remember is that a Basal Reading Program should not be the only reading program implemented in the classroom. One highlight of the program is that it gives teachers books that are grade-level appropriate, or where most students should be in terms of reading. However, students do not often fit with the grade-level they are in. Many are below, many are above, and some fit academically with the grade level. Teachers will need to provide different reading experiences for their students based on their needs. Students with a lower capacity to read will need books suited for their level of reading, as with those who are above the grade-level expectations for reading For students who are at grade-level in terms of reading, they should be provided with many types of books as well to help them to increase their experiences with different types of genres, writing styles, and to help increase their fluency. I do like how the Basal program offers instruction for teaching students the skills and strategies that are necessary to become fluent readers. These skills and strategies include predicting, questioning, and evaluating, all of which lead to a deeper understanding of what is being read.
The down side of Basal Reading Programs is that they have a set schedule to go by, when to read, what books to read. The whole program is very systematic. Students are NOT systematic. In order to make a program like this work in a real classroom, the teacher will need to incorporate it in a way that meets the needs of all of his or her students. The Basal Reading Program is probably something that I will use someday as part of the school curriculum, but I will make sure to be very cautious in the usage.
Until Next Time
*Lisa*
Sunday, March 30, 2008
New Lit Peer Reflection
I decided to reflect on Amanda and Emily’s “E-Pals” New Literacies Project. I have never heard of E-Pals before and I thought that their presentation was very informative and easy to understand. I thought that their project was very appealing, interesting, and extremely accessibly- I thought it was great how they gave characteristics of the E-Pal program as well as a step by step process (with highlighted red boxes… which made it even easier!) on how to navigate through the actual website. I thought that exploring digital literacy through E-Pals was a perfect idea. I think it excels all criteria for digital literacy. I think that this program would be very effective, because it has all of the same benefits as the standard “pen-pals” but it is even better because it adds the technology aspect. Through this project, I learned about digital literacy, which is literacy for the 21st century~ it has all qualities of traditional literacy but it is in the form of blogs, emails, and writing workshops. I learned a lot about the technology, because E-Pals is something I wasn’t familiar with, so the entire presentation was new knowledge to me.
Overall, from this project I have learned that using emails and blogs, something that has become part of my everyday life, can be a very beneficial way of teaching and exploring literacy. I also think that it has showed me through technology, you and your students can communicate with students throughout the world, without having to wait for an actual letter in the mail. This is great for Language Arts because it takes literacy outside of the classroom. It is also beneficial for the students because it gives them knowledge that they can take home with them and use for the rest of their lives.
I do have one question about E-Pals though~ is there a screening process or something that can tell that it’s a real class? I just want to make sure that there isn’t some creep that is corresponding with the students, pretending to be a student.
~Nicole Lendo
Overall, from this project I have learned that using emails and blogs, something that has become part of my everyday life, can be a very beneficial way of teaching and exploring literacy. I also think that it has showed me through technology, you and your students can communicate with students throughout the world, without having to wait for an actual letter in the mail. This is great for Language Arts because it takes literacy outside of the classroom. It is also beneficial for the students because it gives them knowledge that they can take home with them and use for the rest of their lives.
I do have one question about E-Pals though~ is there a screening process or something that can tell that it’s a real class? I just want to make sure that there isn’t some creep that is corresponding with the students, pretending to be a student.
~Nicole Lendo
New Lit Reflection
Nicole Lendo
I believe that my understanding of literacy has grown exponentially. I feel that now I am aware of so many literacies (in depth) that are just as important as reading and writing literacy, but are often overlooked. I feel like I started this class believing that one could be literate in reading and writing (kind of) and then these literacies had components such as various concepts and comprehension (see concept map). As the class continued, I realized that there are more literacies than just reading and writing, such as cultural literacy, social literacy, economic literacy, environmental literacy, historical literacy, etc. I think that learning about these new literacies has changed my view on language arts because it has made the spectrum of language arts so much broader, encompassing so many other things aside from books and journals. I feel like you can still complete the language arts benchmarks and standards while incorporating all of these other types of literacies on top of reading and writing. After completing this new literacies project and observing my peers’ projects as well, I have learned a number of new technologies that can be used to teach these various literacies.
At first I wanted to do social literacy, but cultural literacy was just as interesting, so I (along with my group members) decided to explore cultural literacy using interactive maps. We wanted to do something that would be beneficial for our peers, so we decided to create an interactive map of beginning teachers’ salaries and average teaching salaries from various places in the US. This technology could also be used though in all of elementary school, from K to 5. I believe that in early elementary school, the teacher could use this to create a map about herself, create maps about her students (where they are from, where the school is, etc.), or create maps to show students different parts of the world (the students could even pick the places and the teacher could map out where they are). I think in upper elementary, students will be able to create map on their own, as early as 3rd grade. They could create their own autobiographical map, create maps that they can use to study countries, cities, capitals, etc. for social studies, or create maps to map out the places they would like to go. Students could create a map as a class, mapping our different cities and then writing their favorite facts about their own designated city. By using these interactive maps, cultural literacy is achieved because you will build and see a connection between the cultural aspects of each location and where it is on the map. By using an interactive map, you can browse from place to place with ease, which enables quick comparisons among locations and cultures, as well as developing the classroom community by building on the cultural literacy among the students in the class.
I think that providing effective literacy instruction means that you are providing your students with a vast amount of literacies and showing them various ways (like the different technologies we researched) to explore these literacies. I think it is important for teachers to set up their students with the tools and knowledge that will make them successful, regarding all types of literacy and I think that the new technologies can aide them in doing so. I think that the only support learners would need, would be a brief introduction that described how to use interactive maps. Students need to know the basics of operating a computer as well as knowledge of the locations that they would like to map out. This process would also include describing how to click on the place you would like and note where the dialog box is, and that it about it.
Overall, I think that this technology is extremely easy to use so it will be beneficial for the teacher to use, the students to use, and for the class to observe while it is being used. I personally don’t like maps or directions or anything like that, because I am TERRIBLE at reading them- however, this technology was very easy for me to use and it was actually fun. I hope that the students will feel that same way, excited to use the interactive maps, regardless of how they feel about maps, directions, or Social Studies in general. Although this could be used and focused on in Social Studies, Language Arts would also be prevalent in every aspect of the map because as you pick your places on the map, you can include a write up of each place, write stories about the places, poems, or really anything.
I believe that my understanding of literacy has grown exponentially. I feel that now I am aware of so many literacies (in depth) that are just as important as reading and writing literacy, but are often overlooked. I feel like I started this class believing that one could be literate in reading and writing (kind of) and then these literacies had components such as various concepts and comprehension (see concept map). As the class continued, I realized that there are more literacies than just reading and writing, such as cultural literacy, social literacy, economic literacy, environmental literacy, historical literacy, etc. I think that learning about these new literacies has changed my view on language arts because it has made the spectrum of language arts so much broader, encompassing so many other things aside from books and journals. I feel like you can still complete the language arts benchmarks and standards while incorporating all of these other types of literacies on top of reading and writing. After completing this new literacies project and observing my peers’ projects as well, I have learned a number of new technologies that can be used to teach these various literacies.
At first I wanted to do social literacy, but cultural literacy was just as interesting, so I (along with my group members) decided to explore cultural literacy using interactive maps. We wanted to do something that would be beneficial for our peers, so we decided to create an interactive map of beginning teachers’ salaries and average teaching salaries from various places in the US. This technology could also be used though in all of elementary school, from K to 5. I believe that in early elementary school, the teacher could use this to create a map about herself, create maps about her students (where they are from, where the school is, etc.), or create maps to show students different parts of the world (the students could even pick the places and the teacher could map out where they are). I think in upper elementary, students will be able to create map on their own, as early as 3rd grade. They could create their own autobiographical map, create maps that they can use to study countries, cities, capitals, etc. for social studies, or create maps to map out the places they would like to go. Students could create a map as a class, mapping our different cities and then writing their favorite facts about their own designated city. By using these interactive maps, cultural literacy is achieved because you will build and see a connection between the cultural aspects of each location and where it is on the map. By using an interactive map, you can browse from place to place with ease, which enables quick comparisons among locations and cultures, as well as developing the classroom community by building on the cultural literacy among the students in the class.
I think that providing effective literacy instruction means that you are providing your students with a vast amount of literacies and showing them various ways (like the different technologies we researched) to explore these literacies. I think it is important for teachers to set up their students with the tools and knowledge that will make them successful, regarding all types of literacy and I think that the new technologies can aide them in doing so. I think that the only support learners would need, would be a brief introduction that described how to use interactive maps. Students need to know the basics of operating a computer as well as knowledge of the locations that they would like to map out. This process would also include describing how to click on the place you would like and note where the dialog box is, and that it about it.
Overall, I think that this technology is extremely easy to use so it will be beneficial for the teacher to use, the students to use, and for the class to observe while it is being used. I personally don’t like maps or directions or anything like that, because I am TERRIBLE at reading them- however, this technology was very easy for me to use and it was actually fun. I hope that the students will feel that same way, excited to use the interactive maps, regardless of how they feel about maps, directions, or Social Studies in general. Although this could be used and focused on in Social Studies, Language Arts would also be prevalent in every aspect of the map because as you pick your places on the map, you can include a write up of each place, write stories about the places, poems, or really anything.
Notebook: Literacy
Nicole Lendo
3/12/08
TE 402-Lit
Notebook: Ideas and Examples of Fluency
Fluency is the ability to read quickly and with expression. Students must also be able to recognize words automatically. Tompkins stated that fluent readers have more cognitive resources available. Fluency has several components, including reading, phonics, strategies, vocabulary, and comprehension, literature, writing, and spelling. All of these components combined can increase reading speed as well as word recognition. Two of the most important aspects that I learned about fluency, is that it is a combination of instruction and experience and that non-fluency isn’t permanent. I think the latter is extremely important, because it shows that your fluency can be improved with the right practice.
Aside from reading fluency, children can also be fluent in a number of other things, including writing, speaking, and comprehension. I feel that fluent writers can write the alphabet with ease and can spell rather well. Fluent speakers are able to communicate well, using proper words and proper grammar. I think that there can also be comprehension fluency, which would include students who are able to use higher order thinking on a regular basis.
In my placement, I have seen reading speed improved by repeated vocabulary, as well as enhanced word recognition through mini lessons. I have also seen prosody through choral readings. I have also seen fluency in my classroom through word walls (common words and student names) and high frequency words throughout the classroom. Finally, through our class readings, I have also noticed that students using phonic analysis as well as syllabic analysis.
Overall, I have learned numerous new ideas about literacy as well as seen various examples throughout my placement. Although I focused most on reading literacy, this was just because I observe this most in my classroom.
Source: Tompkins, Chapter 5
3/12/08
TE 402-Lit
Notebook: Ideas and Examples of Fluency
Fluency is the ability to read quickly and with expression. Students must also be able to recognize words automatically. Tompkins stated that fluent readers have more cognitive resources available. Fluency has several components, including reading, phonics, strategies, vocabulary, and comprehension, literature, writing, and spelling. All of these components combined can increase reading speed as well as word recognition. Two of the most important aspects that I learned about fluency, is that it is a combination of instruction and experience and that non-fluency isn’t permanent. I think the latter is extremely important, because it shows that your fluency can be improved with the right practice.
Aside from reading fluency, children can also be fluent in a number of other things, including writing, speaking, and comprehension. I feel that fluent writers can write the alphabet with ease and can spell rather well. Fluent speakers are able to communicate well, using proper words and proper grammar. I think that there can also be comprehension fluency, which would include students who are able to use higher order thinking on a regular basis.
In my placement, I have seen reading speed improved by repeated vocabulary, as well as enhanced word recognition through mini lessons. I have also seen prosody through choral readings. I have also seen fluency in my classroom through word walls (common words and student names) and high frequency words throughout the classroom. Finally, through our class readings, I have also noticed that students using phonic analysis as well as syllabic analysis.
Overall, I have learned numerous new ideas about literacy as well as seen various examples throughout my placement. Although I focused most on reading literacy, this was just because I observe this most in my classroom.
Source: Tompkins, Chapter 5
Friday, March 28, 2008
Autism and Tompkins Chapter 6
Well, first of all I read Tompkins Chapter 6 for this week even though we are not discussing it until next week. The focus of this chapter was teaching students new vocabulary. I believe the best way to do this is through reading, reading, and more reading. I think that I really get this aspect from my mom. She is a really big supporter of reading, especially for younger children to learn new words. Reading is a great way to learn new vocabulary. The words are usually in a context such that the child can figure out the meaning of the word. When a child cannot figure out the meaning, there are many ways that they can do so. They can ask a parent, a teacher, a friend, or even consult a dictionary, which I recommend as a last resort. When students learn a new word from reading, they get to see that word used in a meaningful way, and will therefore learn how to use that word for themselves. I absolutely disliked learning new words from definitions while I was in school. Learning by definition or copying definitions from the dictionary gave me no context in which to use the word. So, I usually learned a new word and its meaning, and by this I mean I could state its definition, but never learned to use that word as an active part of my vocabulary. There are many opportunities in the classroom to allow students to read. I think that there is no excuse for students not to get ample reading time during the day in the classroom. This reading does not always have to be independent or story based, but can be with partners, the teacher reading aloud, and through reading informational texts. What is most important is that students get plenty of opportunities to read and be read to and to explore or discuss words that are currently not part of their vocabulary.
Secondly, I really enjoyed this past Thursday. I learned a great deal about Autism and how students with Autism can be incorporated into main stream classrooms. I really liked the different strategies given for behavioral approaches. I also like how these behavioral approaches can include the whole class so the child with Autism is not singled out, which will only produce more of a sense with the class that this one child is different than the rest. We, as teachers, need to work our hardest to ensure that all of the children in our classroom see each other as equals.
Until Next Time
*Lisa*
GO GREEN, GO WHITE, GO STATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Secondly, I really enjoyed this past Thursday. I learned a great deal about Autism and how students with Autism can be incorporated into main stream classrooms. I really liked the different strategies given for behavioral approaches. I also like how these behavioral approaches can include the whole class so the child with Autism is not singled out, which will only produce more of a sense with the class that this one child is different than the rest. We, as teachers, need to work our hardest to ensure that all of the children in our classroom see each other as equals.
Until Next Time
*Lisa*
GO GREEN, GO WHITE, GO STATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Friday, March 21, 2008
New Literacies
The new technology that my partner and I chose to use was that of graphic organizers. Graphic organizers can take many forms as seen in our presentation of this new technology. The concept of graphic organizers is not new as graphic organizers have been around for many many years. However, graphic organizers have been reinvented. Instead of the traditional pen and paper graphic organizers, graphic organizers can now be done on the computer and have become interactive. My partner and I were not able to explore graphic organizers online or easily on the computer because the downloads cost money, but we were able to make our own through the use of power point. This might not be the most effective way as it took much patience to use and to make, and it was frustrating trying to use power point. However, there are more effective and easy to use programs available. While the idea of graphic organizers was not new to me, using them on the computer was. Being able to make a graphic organizer online or on the computer brings a whole new meaning to the word organized. Many times, at least when I was younger, when making graphic organizers I would erase or start the organizer over many times. With a computer, this can be done with a click of the button. Another possibility for graphic organizers is to do them as a whole class to organize class ideas. This can be done with the use of a smart board. There are endless possibilities for ways to organize one thoughts, and this became easier with graphic organizers.
The knowledge needed in order to use graphic organizers is that of knowing how to read, write, use a computer, and to know how to use the graphic organizer. The students in my field placement are only learning to begin to read and write. They do know to read and decode some words, but for the most part, reading is a long process for them still. They are also learning how to write. Even though the students are just beginning to read and write, they use graphic organizers a lot in their class. The graphic organizer takes the form a concept map most times or a web and is often made by the teacher with a marker and paper. But, graphic organizers made on the computer can be used in this classroom if the proper technologies were available to this classroom. If the teacher had access to a smart board or a large projection screen to project the computer screen for the whole class to see, the teacher and students can work together to create their own classroom graphic organizers. Since the students are so young, pictures can be used along words so that students will remember what the graphic organizer is representing, and since there will still be text on the organizer, students will still have the opportunity to practice their reading skills.
In terms of my concept of literacy, it has grown greatly since I have been in TE 402. While in TE 301 I learned that literacy is just not learning how to read and write but also to be able to communicate, but in 402, my concept of literacy has greatly expanded. My concept of literacy has now expanded from reading, writing, and communicating, to that of obtaining skills and knowledge in any area that will allow a person to become successful. This could include literacy in certain types of technology, science literacy, math literacy, cultural literacy, religious literacy, music literacy etc. The concept of literacy in endless. In order to foster the development of literacy in the classroom, we as teachers need to be open to these types of literacy. Of course, we need to still teach the basics of literacy such as reading, writing, and communicating, but we can do this in the context of the new literacies such as technology, cultural, etc.
Until next time,
*Lisa*
The knowledge needed in order to use graphic organizers is that of knowing how to read, write, use a computer, and to know how to use the graphic organizer. The students in my field placement are only learning to begin to read and write. They do know to read and decode some words, but for the most part, reading is a long process for them still. They are also learning how to write. Even though the students are just beginning to read and write, they use graphic organizers a lot in their class. The graphic organizer takes the form a concept map most times or a web and is often made by the teacher with a marker and paper. But, graphic organizers made on the computer can be used in this classroom if the proper technologies were available to this classroom. If the teacher had access to a smart board or a large projection screen to project the computer screen for the whole class to see, the teacher and students can work together to create their own classroom graphic organizers. Since the students are so young, pictures can be used along words so that students will remember what the graphic organizer is representing, and since there will still be text on the organizer, students will still have the opportunity to practice their reading skills.
In terms of my concept of literacy, it has grown greatly since I have been in TE 402. While in TE 301 I learned that literacy is just not learning how to read and write but also to be able to communicate, but in 402, my concept of literacy has greatly expanded. My concept of literacy has now expanded from reading, writing, and communicating, to that of obtaining skills and knowledge in any area that will allow a person to become successful. This could include literacy in certain types of technology, science literacy, math literacy, cultural literacy, religious literacy, music literacy etc. The concept of literacy in endless. In order to foster the development of literacy in the classroom, we as teachers need to be open to these types of literacy. Of course, we need to still teach the basics of literacy such as reading, writing, and communicating, but we can do this in the context of the new literacies such as technology, cultural, etc.
Until next time,
*Lisa*
Thursday, March 20, 2008
New Literacy Reflection-Cultural Literacy
When we first started this experiment I felt that literacy was many things but my definition did not include any of the new literacy’s we were to learn about. I knew that culture played a role in instruction of Literacy however it was not on my sheet. I feel that after this project I have a greater understanding for what Cultural Literacy is, how it could potentially affect my teaching, and how detrimental it would be to a student if you did not understand/ know about Cultural Literacy. I gained his understanding by researching Cultural Literacy for the New Literacies experiment, and also by so of the readings/ discussion we have done in class. We have read a few articles on ELL students and their classroom experience involving literacy and the classroom discussions we had on those articles really helped me to think about what I would like to do to teach ELL students in my classroom, and this is how I came up with what I was going to do for the New Literacies Project.
For my project I decided to make a web page for future teachers that explains what Cultural Literacy is, how it may affect your classroom, and what some cultural norms of specific cultural groups are. The thought I do this is that future teachers will then understand what cultural literacy is and beginning thinking about how they would set up their classroom community/ teaching to respect the cultural norms of all students. I choose to create a web page because I thought I could be a useful tool for teachers everywhere to be able to access this information.
This Technology was new to me I had never before made a web page. However, I found the Google page creator to be a very helpful tool. It was very easy to pick the layout and background and then just add my information to the site. If you are using this site you need to have a google email address and password, which I already have, but to get one you just go to gmail.com and set one up. This email address becomes the beginning of the URL or link to your page once you publish your page. I was very worried that when I got done the site would not look professional and to “homemade” Looking. However, I was very happy with how it turned out it looks professional it is helpful. I really liked this project because it made me use a tool I had not yet used.
In thinking about how I could use this technology in my classroom I thought back to experiences my 1st grade students have had. I remembered them going to the library computer lab at the school and the librarian used a smart board to help them walk through the process of signing on finding their page and using it to go to reading games. I thought this was very interesting because I had never seen such young kids using the Internet. To use this technology I believe students need to have at least an Idea of how to do it (i.e. having watched someone do it). I also believe that students need to already have some computer knowledge such as some keyboarding and using a mouse for scrolling, clicking, double clicking and just simple navigation around the screen with it. It would also be very helpful to a student to be able to read so that they can follow the prompts given by the computer (i.e. Type user name and password then click enter). In creating a page a student would also need to be able to type/ write, therefore needing an understanding of keyboarding, spelling, and grammar. I don’t think that in first grade students would be able to find and view web pages on their own let alone build their own without help. I do think that allowing students in older grades to do this would be lots of fun. We talked a lot about book clubs and how cool would it be fore different groups to read different books and think about their roles while reading then make a web page about the book discussing the plot, vocab, characters, questions that occurred while reading all of the roles that hey had while reading and then to share them with each other and the class. I think that a lesson like this would be very helpful to students today who use the internet so often because it would allow them to see how web sites are made make there own and see what web sites can be used for. Very powerful stuff and very important to our technology age.
For my project I decided to make a web page for future teachers that explains what Cultural Literacy is, how it may affect your classroom, and what some cultural norms of specific cultural groups are. The thought I do this is that future teachers will then understand what cultural literacy is and beginning thinking about how they would set up their classroom community/ teaching to respect the cultural norms of all students. I choose to create a web page because I thought I could be a useful tool for teachers everywhere to be able to access this information.
This Technology was new to me I had never before made a web page. However, I found the Google page creator to be a very helpful tool. It was very easy to pick the layout and background and then just add my information to the site. If you are using this site you need to have a google email address and password, which I already have, but to get one you just go to gmail.com and set one up. This email address becomes the beginning of the URL or link to your page once you publish your page. I was very worried that when I got done the site would not look professional and to “homemade” Looking. However, I was very happy with how it turned out it looks professional it is helpful. I really liked this project because it made me use a tool I had not yet used.
In thinking about how I could use this technology in my classroom I thought back to experiences my 1st grade students have had. I remembered them going to the library computer lab at the school and the librarian used a smart board to help them walk through the process of signing on finding their page and using it to go to reading games. I thought this was very interesting because I had never seen such young kids using the Internet. To use this technology I believe students need to have at least an Idea of how to do it (i.e. having watched someone do it). I also believe that students need to already have some computer knowledge such as some keyboarding and using a mouse for scrolling, clicking, double clicking and just simple navigation around the screen with it. It would also be very helpful to a student to be able to read so that they can follow the prompts given by the computer (i.e. Type user name and password then click enter). In creating a page a student would also need to be able to type/ write, therefore needing an understanding of keyboarding, spelling, and grammar. I don’t think that in first grade students would be able to find and view web pages on their own let alone build their own without help. I do think that allowing students in older grades to do this would be lots of fun. We talked a lot about book clubs and how cool would it be fore different groups to read different books and think about their roles while reading then make a web page about the book discussing the plot, vocab, characters, questions that occurred while reading all of the roles that hey had while reading and then to share them with each other and the class. I think that a lesson like this would be very helpful to students today who use the internet so often because it would allow them to see how web sites are made make there own and see what web sites can be used for. Very powerful stuff and very important to our technology age.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
March 13th Blog
Since our noteblog was about Thompkins Chapter 5, Developing Fluent Readers, I decided to write about the article I chose to read for this week, “Schema: Thinking Aloud-Showing Kids How” by Miller. Not only did I find this article very interesting to read, but I found that it was extremely helpful regarding my lesson plans and mini-lessons. I feel that this article is very beneficial for teachers of younger grades to read. I enjoyed how the article was written- it kind of went step by step, describing aspects teaching using your students’ schema and prior knowledge. I really thought that the first and second step were the most important. The first step is that “authenticity matters”- It is important that the books and activities that are shared with the kids are real and meaningful. I feel that the kids know when the teacher is just making it up or winging it. The second statement is “Use precise language”- I think it is important to use repetitive language so the students can catch on (and so the ESL students can consistently follow what is going on). It is also important that you use the language that the students should be using- this type of modeling will be beneficial for the students’ responses during discussion. It is also important to ask the students “why”- they may be making connections within the book that aren’t apparent to the teacher, so instead of just writing them off, have them explain their understanding. Most importantly, the teacher states the objectives before the lesson starts- I believe that this is very helpful for the students because it shows them exactly what is expected of them. Overall, I think that teaching using schema is a very effective way to teach. I think it is helpful for the students to connect their current knowledge with their old knowledge, as well as connecting things across texts.
If you didn't read this article and are in a lower el class I would recommend it!
-Nicole Lendo
If you didn't read this article and are in a lower el class I would recommend it!
-Nicole Lendo
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Tompkins Chapter 5
What I found to be most interesting about this chapter is the section about Reading Fluency. Reading fluency consists of being able to read at a reasonable speed (100 words per minute for elementary students), recognizing words, and reading with expression. I think that the most important aspect of reading comprehenion is that of using expression when reading. I just had a recent experience in my field placement where a little girl asked me to listen to her read, so I did. She can read really fast. She was really pleased with herself, and I was impressed. I asked her if she could read with expression. She looked at me with such a serious expression and asked what is expression. I told her that reading with expression is reading with our emotions. I asked her to remember that when her teacher is reading Junie B. Jones, that when Junie B. is happy, the teacher reads with excitement, and that when Junie B. is mad, she reads with a tone of anger. The little girl looked at me funny, but she gave it a try anyway. She was able to read with expression, but only after she made herself slow down. It is only when students are forced to slow down and think about what it is that they are reading, that they will be able to comprehend what it is that they are reading. Reading at a good pace is a reasonable expectation because it should not take a student an hour to read a ten page book, since that would be frustrating for the student, but at the same time, the students should read at a pace that allows them to think about what it is that they are reading.
Until next time,
*Lisa*
Until next time,
*Lisa*
Gibbons 5
In order to post on something different, I am going to write about Gibbons chapter 5. The focus of this chapter was to help ELL's comprehend what it is that they reading. The key factor of comprehension when reading in English is that the student knows how to read and comprehend in their own language. When students know how to read in their own langauge, the strategies that they use to read and comprehend what they are reading often come into play when reading in English. Another key factor in comprehension is that of knowing the cuture. I feel that this is one of the greatest factors in reading comprehension. When students do not understand the culture they are living in, they are going to have trouble reading texts that come from that culture. In order to help facilitate reading comprehension for ELL's who do not have a firm grasp on the American culture, students can be paired up with a buddy. This buddy can help to explain to the ELL certain aspects of the culture they are living in. It would be most beneficial to the ELL if he or she were paired with a buddy during reading. When reading together, the buddy can make cultural concepts more clear for the ELL, and thereby make reading comprehension easier as well.
Until next time,
*Lisa*
Sorry this was sooooo late :(
Until next time,
*Lisa*
Sorry this was sooooo late :(
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