This article was interesting and also confusing in some aspects. For example, on pg. 69, I was frustrated due the fact that I had to reread several selections just to begin to understand the definitions being explained. These definitions were supposed to make the text easier to read; however, they presented a more difficult front for me. I became bogged down with the repetetive nature of the definitions, therefore, causing me to become aggravated and unmotivated to continue the reading. In contrast, on page76, clear and concise definitions are presented. This more "elementary" definition was much understandable and appreciated than those mentioned earlier.
A more positive aspect of the reading was that there was a reflection sheet for the composer and the viewer. I utilize this strategy during my teaching lessons by having my students write suggestions or comments about my teaching. After I teach my lesson, I also write a reflection containing positive and negative parts of my lesson in my own opinion. By using all of these suggestions/comments, I can improve or enhance my lesson before the next time I teach it. I really value other's suggestions on my work becuase it is not as biased towards or perhaps as difficult on the lesson as I am myself.
The next aweosme idea addressed or portrayed in the reading was the continuum on the evaluation sheets along with the comment section. I really like the idea of having a continuum instead of only set in stone options. By having this continuum, composers and viewers alike are allowed to place their score either directly on the provided sections or somewhere in between. This contiuum provides for the opportunity for the score to be either precisely in the middle of two provided sections or closer to one or the other depending on their view of the project being evaulated. In addition, there is also a comment section which allows the person to explain why he or she placed their mark where they did. Also, in this section, suggestions for improvement or encouragement can be written.
I also really liked the idea of having a knowledgeable student introduce the concept of creating a web page. I feel like this is a very good strategy because it places the explanation on the student's level. Supplemental guidance for creating the web page was mentioned in the form of a tutorial on the internet. However, my favorite aspect of the article was the idea that the teacher should participate in the web page creating/design assignment along with the student if they do not know the "rudiments of web design." Students will feel more comfortable with questions or problems that they may have during this assignment when they see that their teacher also does not know what to do beforehand. By experiencing this assignment with the students, the classroom is building a stronger sense of community.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Ch. 11 Developing Content Area Writers
Conley says "writing skill benefits from direct instruction, demonstration, feedback, and practice." Students should not be given a topic and be expected to be a successful writer on their own. Teachers should take the time to actually teach students to become good writers instead of thinking that they should already know. I know for a fact that several high school students who cannot write a paper without plagerising, are receiving a grade of an A for the semester. What a short sale for these students. Writing is a part of almost every program of study in college. A great many students have discovered that they were not as hot a writer as they thought they were before freshman comp. If we expect students to be great writers, we need to show them how to become them.
Journaling is a favorite pasttime of mine. I enjoy keeping a journal in my personal life as well as my professional life. It is a way for me to keep track of what is happening in my life and also a way to vent my anger or frustration sometimes. Journals can be brought into the classroom and become a very effective tool at measuring a what students are learning or understanding. By allowing students to journal about what they learn it involves them personally in the learning process. Students who journal about their personal lives may see journaling in the classroom as way to make the learning process more personal to them. Also, it activates schema for those students that are alread familiar with this process. According to the textbook, "journal writing can be used to capture the "what" or the knowledge students are gaining from their studies. Journals, especially those that summarize what students are learning, are successful means of writing in content areas because of the way in which journals encourage engagement with a subject."
One prominent force that was mentioned throughout the text reading was the fact that teachers to model students in every thing that we do. Under almost every heading, major and subheadings, the instructions for carrying out the strategies or ideas includes the word modeling or demonstrate. I believe that modeling for students is a vital part of student understanding. If we expect students to create a project or participate in some form of activity, then we, as teachers, need to make sure that we show them exactly what and how to do the processes that are required. It is amazing how much easier it is to understand what someone is saying if they are modeling what to do along with their speech. Students will be much more successful and become better writers if a teacher takes the time to model the writing process for them. Demonstrating can be the most effective means of instruction available to students when done correctly.
Journaling is a favorite pasttime of mine. I enjoy keeping a journal in my personal life as well as my professional life. It is a way for me to keep track of what is happening in my life and also a way to vent my anger or frustration sometimes. Journals can be brought into the classroom and become a very effective tool at measuring a what students are learning or understanding. By allowing students to journal about what they learn it involves them personally in the learning process. Students who journal about their personal lives may see journaling in the classroom as way to make the learning process more personal to them. Also, it activates schema for those students that are alread familiar with this process. According to the textbook, "journal writing can be used to capture the "what" or the knowledge students are gaining from their studies. Journals, especially those that summarize what students are learning, are successful means of writing in content areas because of the way in which journals encourage engagement with a subject."
One prominent force that was mentioned throughout the text reading was the fact that teachers to model students in every thing that we do. Under almost every heading, major and subheadings, the instructions for carrying out the strategies or ideas includes the word modeling or demonstrate. I believe that modeling for students is a vital part of student understanding. If we expect students to create a project or participate in some form of activity, then we, as teachers, need to make sure that we show them exactly what and how to do the processes that are required. It is amazing how much easier it is to understand what someone is saying if they are modeling what to do along with their speech. Students will be much more successful and become better writers if a teacher takes the time to model the writing process for them. Demonstrating can be the most effective means of instruction available to students when done correctly.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Smartboard or Promethium Board???
I can honestly say that I do not have experience with the Smartboard at all. I have limited experience with the Promethium Board because of my Classroom Management class from Intermmediate Block. During this class, we had a visitor come and explain some advantages of using the Promethium board. Before the instructor came to talk to us about the board, we were to take a tutorial online showing us how to use the Promethium board to our advantage in the classroom. I must say that I enjoyed learning about this new technology and seeing it in action. I think that I would definitely like to have the Promethium board in my classroom in order to show students different things firsthand immeidately, instead of them having to watch a video on a VCR. In addition, the Promethium board has added aspect to it called Activote. I am fascinated with Activote, it is like playing jeopardy. Each student is given an answer keypad and they enter their answer as soon as they know it. Immediately the teacher can see which students got the right answer and which ones chose the wrong answer. This tool would be great in studying for a test. Furthermore, I like the fact that the students can interact with the board. They can physically walk up, write on the board, and immediately see what they have written. By using new the new types of technology available to us, we can benefit our students in the greatest way possible for their education.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Chapter 7 Activating Prior Knowledge and Increasing Motivation
In Chapter 7, Conley mentions the phrase, that “when teachers fail to acknowledge what students know, they risk alienating them by ignoring a big part of their personal identity.” I am big fan of including a student’s prior knowledge in the classroom whenever possible. Students are more likely to take part in the learning and conversation going on in the classroom if a topic they know is being covered. Teachers that act like their students have nothing to offer definitely alienate their students in my opinion. This alienation makes students feel as if they are on a lower level that others in the classroom who might know more about the subject. Therefore, when the student actually knows about the topic, they are not going to participate because the teacher has totally made them uncomfortable about themselves and their knowledge.
The chapter also mentions anticipation guides. I personally am not a fan of these guides. I had a teacher that used them for every single chapter and the guides only made me feel like I was stupid because I did not know some of the questions. I know that Conley says that they provide some type of background knowledge for the students when they are used. However, if the student does not get any of the questions right, then is there schema not wrong because they answered wrong on the guide. I guess in my case, I could have just gotten burnt out on them, but I am not fond of them at all.
Conley discusses KWL charts in Chapter 7. I absolutely love KWL charts, even though some of my previous teachers made us feel like they were only to be used for earlier grades. I definitely disagree with that statement because sometimes teachers need to revert back to simple strategies to help students understand. The KWL is a perfect example of this type of strategy. KWL can be used with more complex topics that some students are not familiar with. Also, they can be used to enlighten students about a topic that they thought they knew a lot about, when, after reading about it, they learn they did not know as much as they thought. The KWL is a wonderful strategy to help guide students in the knowledge that is correct and well informed.
The chapter also mentions anticipation guides. I personally am not a fan of these guides. I had a teacher that used them for every single chapter and the guides only made me feel like I was stupid because I did not know some of the questions. I know that Conley says that they provide some type of background knowledge for the students when they are used. However, if the student does not get any of the questions right, then is there schema not wrong because they answered wrong on the guide. I guess in my case, I could have just gotten burnt out on them, but I am not fond of them at all.
Conley discusses KWL charts in Chapter 7. I absolutely love KWL charts, even though some of my previous teachers made us feel like they were only to be used for earlier grades. I definitely disagree with that statement because sometimes teachers need to revert back to simple strategies to help students understand. The KWL is a perfect example of this type of strategy. KWL can be used with more complex topics that some students are not familiar with. Also, they can be used to enlighten students about a topic that they thought they knew a lot about, when, after reading about it, they learn they did not know as much as they thought. The KWL is a wonderful strategy to help guide students in the knowledge that is correct and well informed.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Curriculum Lesson Plan
Curriculum Standard: 2b. The student will analyze text in order to identify, understand,
infer, or synthesize information. (DOK 2)
Objectives:
a. The student will distinguish which feelings are relevant to a particular section of text by using context clues embedded in the text.
b. The student will create a vivd paragraph about the topic given to them by the teacher.
c. The student will recognize that powerful words accompanied by adjectives and adverbs will make a paragraph much more interesting.
d. The student will infer how they would feel when presented with a situation like that in those portrayed in the text.
Big Idea: Being able to distinguish and understand feelings in text provides a better mental picture to go along with the words.
Preparation:
1. The teacher will read the book The Babe and I.
2. The teacher will model a Think Aloud while reading the story to help students interpret the feelings present in the text.
3. The teacher will ask students to describe a time when they have had strong feelings about a particular person, place, or thing and do a quick write about those feelings.
3. The teacher will model ways to determine the feelings being portrayed in the book by using the context that goes along with the particular feeling.
Guidance
1. The teacher will provide students with a Think Aloud while reading the book so that they can understand how to determine the feelings.
2. The teacher will model for students how to create a paragraph about how the character feels.
3. The teacher will use student suggestions for how to make the paragraph more visual by incorporating more powerful language and using adverbs and adjectives.
Application
1. The teacher will give students a topic for their paragraph, “How would you feel if you saw your Dad on the street selling apples?”
2. The teacher wil have students create a paragraph that answers this question and uses more vivid details so that the reader will be able to have a mental picture.
Assessment
1. The teacher will assess the students ability to create a paragraph containing powerful words by using a rubric.
2. The teacher will assess that students are correctly distinguishing feelings and inferring feelings that are likely to occur by informal observation of the student's quick write.
infer, or synthesize information. (DOK 2)
Objectives:
a. The student will distinguish which feelings are relevant to a particular section of text by using context clues embedded in the text.
b. The student will create a vivd paragraph about the topic given to them by the teacher.
c. The student will recognize that powerful words accompanied by adjectives and adverbs will make a paragraph much more interesting.
d. The student will infer how they would feel when presented with a situation like that in those portrayed in the text.
Big Idea: Being able to distinguish and understand feelings in text provides a better mental picture to go along with the words.
Preparation:
1. The teacher will read the book The Babe and I.
2. The teacher will model a Think Aloud while reading the story to help students interpret the feelings present in the text.
3. The teacher will ask students to describe a time when they have had strong feelings about a particular person, place, or thing and do a quick write about those feelings.
3. The teacher will model ways to determine the feelings being portrayed in the book by using the context that goes along with the particular feeling.
Guidance
1. The teacher will provide students with a Think Aloud while reading the book so that they can understand how to determine the feelings.
2. The teacher will model for students how to create a paragraph about how the character feels.
3. The teacher will use student suggestions for how to make the paragraph more visual by incorporating more powerful language and using adverbs and adjectives.
Application
1. The teacher will give students a topic for their paragraph, “How would you feel if you saw your Dad on the street selling apples?”
2. The teacher wil have students create a paragraph that answers this question and uses more vivid details so that the reader will be able to have a mental picture.
Assessment
1. The teacher will assess the students ability to create a paragraph containing powerful words by using a rubric.
2. The teacher will assess that students are correctly distinguishing feelings and inferring feelings that are likely to occur by informal observation of the student's quick write.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Chapter 5 Understanding and Using Texts
One of the major aspects of Chapter 5 that stood out to me was the section about making personal connections with the text. The book mentions that “students who are widely read in an area or have relevant life experiences often build on those experiences to confront complicated texts. By having background knowledge about a topic, students can better understand and interpret a text. If a teacher presents a reading selection with which students have no previous knowledge, then the teacher needs to take steps to insure that the students have something to relate the information to. By taking the extra time to provide some background on unknown topics, the teacher can help some students to better comprehend the reading.
Another section of Chapter 5 mentioned how sometimes different types of texts are not appropriated because they are confusing. I know from my own personal experience, that when I am reading any type of text that is not clear or is complicated, then I lose interest very quickly. The reading does not have to be so simple that it is not stimulating, but it also does not need to be so difficult that a dictionary is needed to understand the sentences. Some students struggle enough with just simply reading; they do not need the extra difficulty of having to fight with arrangement.
I really found the section on digital text very interesting. As mentioned in Chapter 4, by bringing in things that students are familiar with, the teacher stands a better chance of getting the students motivated and involved. Naturally, today’s students are more interested in digital text than reading a textbook. Even though the textbooks are still necessary, supplemental information can be found using the different forms of digital text, such as the Internet. In addition, the website list that the book presented for teachers to find helpful additional information was phenomenal. I know that I will find it useful in locating more reading materials for my students; reading selections that they are actually interested in reading, not just some that I give them to say they are reading.
Another section of Chapter 5 mentioned how sometimes different types of texts are not appropriated because they are confusing. I know from my own personal experience, that when I am reading any type of text that is not clear or is complicated, then I lose interest very quickly. The reading does not have to be so simple that it is not stimulating, but it also does not need to be so difficult that a dictionary is needed to understand the sentences. Some students struggle enough with just simply reading; they do not need the extra difficulty of having to fight with arrangement.
I really found the section on digital text very interesting. As mentioned in Chapter 4, by bringing in things that students are familiar with, the teacher stands a better chance of getting the students motivated and involved. Naturally, today’s students are more interested in digital text than reading a textbook. Even though the textbooks are still necessary, supplemental information can be found using the different forms of digital text, such as the Internet. In addition, the website list that the book presented for teachers to find helpful additional information was phenomenal. I know that I will find it useful in locating more reading materials for my students; reading selections that they are actually interested in reading, not just some that I give them to say they are reading.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Chapter 4 Assessments Response
Assessment should be varied, ongoing and guide instruction. A fearsome threesome I shall not soon forget due to the tenacity of Dr. Marilyn Foxworth. She practically seared those three components in my brain forever. By using assessment information, teachers can better know how to instruct students based on their interests, strengths and weaknesses. By taking into account all aspects of a student’s life, the teacher provides a better opportunity for student involvement, motivation and success.
Throughout the chapter, the phrase, “Do not rely on results from any one test” is reiterated. So many times so much focus is placed on one test that the outcome is somewhat clouded. Some students do excellent on standardizdized test but are not actually successful students in the classroom, and vice versa. The standardized tests should only be used as supplemental tool in determining student success, not the final verdict. However, many times, major decisions are hinged on a students score on these types of tests, when should be an overall view of the students work in the classroom along with the standardized test. By using all aspects of a student’s career, teachers can better grasp the level of learning the student is actually at, not how well they can take a test to suit some preconceived idea of where students should be.
The most interesting part of the chapter for me was the mention of portfolios. In my opinion, portfolios allow students a great deal of artistic freedom to express themselves. All the teacher needs to do is give students a guideline to follow, and then let the students go in any direction that feels right to them, as long as they cover the necessary material in the final product. In addition, student involvement will be much more prevalent because they are given a say in what is taking place in their curriculum. By allowing students ownership of an assignment, teachers get a chance to see the real student, not the one they are expected to be. I agree completely with what the chapter says, “Portfolios present the greatest variety of chances to represent a student’s personal identity, literacy skill, content knowledge and ways of knowing, communication and motivation, and knowledge and skill in content area literacy.” I most definitely favor portfolio assessments as opposed to other types because they provide a small window into the student’s life that might otherwise be closed to teacher eyes.
Throughout the chapter, the phrase, “Do not rely on results from any one test” is reiterated. So many times so much focus is placed on one test that the outcome is somewhat clouded. Some students do excellent on standardizdized test but are not actually successful students in the classroom, and vice versa. The standardized tests should only be used as supplemental tool in determining student success, not the final verdict. However, many times, major decisions are hinged on a students score on these types of tests, when should be an overall view of the students work in the classroom along with the standardized test. By using all aspects of a student’s career, teachers can better grasp the level of learning the student is actually at, not how well they can take a test to suit some preconceived idea of where students should be.
The most interesting part of the chapter for me was the mention of portfolios. In my opinion, portfolios allow students a great deal of artistic freedom to express themselves. All the teacher needs to do is give students a guideline to follow, and then let the students go in any direction that feels right to them, as long as they cover the necessary material in the final product. In addition, student involvement will be much more prevalent because they are given a say in what is taking place in their curriculum. By allowing students ownership of an assignment, teachers get a chance to see the real student, not the one they are expected to be. I agree completely with what the chapter says, “Portfolios present the greatest variety of chances to represent a student’s personal identity, literacy skill, content knowledge and ways of knowing, communication and motivation, and knowledge and skill in content area literacy.” I most definitely favor portfolio assessments as opposed to other types because they provide a small window into the student’s life that might otherwise be closed to teacher eyes.
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