High Quality Formative Assessment

1. What is formative assessment?

-Formative assessment is an assessment for learning , not an assessment of learning. It is also a way of improving student achievement.

 

2. What is the CENTRAL purpose of formative assessment?

-The central purpose is to put student learning at the center. It benefits the teachers in order to help focus on the students needs. However, the assessment is centered around students and their learning.

 

3. Connect a best practice in formative assessment to one research-based strategy.

-Giving feedback to students provides them with opprotunities to understand misconceptions they may have. Effective feedback is timely. Delay in providing students feedback diminishes its value for learning (Banger-Drowns, Kulik, Kulik, & Morgan, 1991).

 

4. Give an example of how a specific assessment can be used formatively and summatively.

-A rubric that is given to the students prior to the start of a project can be used to help students understand what the teacher expects, but it can also be used as a summative assessment at the end of the project to grade the final product.

 

5. Give an example from your field placement related to formative assessment and timing.

- When I taught students about shadows and the process of day and night, students were given a week to study all the information. They were given a student lab book that was taken home every night. The students were able to review the labs they have completed as well as complete homework that was given nightly. The lab book also had a page of words that would be tested along with their defintions and examples. This provided students with enough time to understand the information and pass the assessment.

 

6. What are some strategies to help formative assessment be more effective when providing students with feedback?

-Make sure the feedback is given in a timely manner so that students have a chance to correct misconceptions. Also, be sure to give students postive feedback.

 

7. Name two advantages to high quality formative assessment.

- The formative assessment allows teachers to identify struggling students as well as improve teacher instruction. It also gives students higher self confidence that will allow students to transfer positive thoughts in other learning aspects.

8. What are some challenges to implementing high quality formative assessment?

Double Journal Entry #13

Chapter 6: Affinity Spaces 1. Give an example of a "community of practice" in which you are currently participating in. Being a future educator, my "community of practice" is the clinical work I do in the schools. I work alongside a Host teacher (a person with experience in the field), and learn from them.   2.Why is the term "community" better defined in relation to spaces rather than groups of people? Community is better defined in realtion to spaces rather than groups because people aren't always in the same group (so to speak). People have different views, goals, and thoughts. Therefore, they are not going to be affliated in the same community just because of the things they do.   3. What is a "generator"? What is it's counterpart in school? A "generator" is the what the space is about. In school it is the content.   4. What is a "content organizer"? What is it's counterpart in school? The "content organizer" is how stuff is designed/organizer. This related to the lesson plans, we as teachers create, the yearly cirrculum plans, and even the monthly/weekly plans.   5. What is a "portal"? What is it's counterpart in school? A portal is something that gives access to the content in the space. This may relate to text or trade books, the internet, or many other gateways of learning.   6. What do people have an "affinity" for in an "affinity space"? How does this inform your understanding of good teaching? "what people have an affinity with (or for) in an affinity space is not first and foremost the other people using the space, but the endeavor or interest around which the space is organized" (Gee, 2004). This informs my understanding of good teaching because it does not judge or discriminate againist race, class, ability/disability, or gender. The affinity space also does not discriminate about the skilled and unskilled either. Basically, everything in the affinity space is a different experience for each person. As the people in the space make their own decision. The common interest is what brings everyone to the affinity space. 7. How do "affinity spaces" support inclusive classrooms? Choose two characteristics below to make connections between "affinity spaces" and inclusive classrooms. Affinity spaces support inclusive classrooms because they do not discriminate about the people in it. It fosters a sense of community and everyone shares a common vision. It also gives you the ability to connect with other people and solve problems together. There are many more reasons as to why affinity spaces support inclusive classrooms, but the main part is that people in the space don't neccissarily feel judge or different than the other people.   8. How are traditional classroom different from Affinity Spaces? Traditional classrooms are different from affinity spaces because students in the traditional classrooms are often labeled and seperated based on abilities and disabilities. Where in affinity spaces everyone is basically the same.

Double Journal Entry 12

Double Entry Journal #12

Chapter 5: Learning and Gaming 1 What is the main argument the author is making in Chapter 5. The main arguement that author is making, in chapter 5, is that facilitating learning can help outside the classroom, and without traditional schooling techniques. Students that are identified as "at-risk" are given dumbed downmaterial to learn when in reality they just need new/different outlet to learn.   2. What constitutes a theory of learning? "Learning is not infinitely variable and there are patterns and principles to be discovered-patterns and principles that ultimately constitute a theory of learning" (Gee, 2004). In other words, discovering these patterns and principles in whatever way you can constitutes a theory of learning.   3. Why did the author struggle to learn to play Warcraft III? What needs to proceed before good learning principles? Gee struggled to play Warcraft III because he "failed to engage with it in a way that fully recruited its solid design and learning principles" (Gee, 2004). "Motivation for all extended engagement" (Gee, 2004). must come before good learning principles. 4. How would have the authors struggle with learning to play Warcraft III been interpreted in school? In school, his struggle to learn is comparable to getting a bad grade (I.E an 'F'). It's considered a failure when in fact it's a precurser for later learning.   5 What kind of learning experience might be better suited for at risk students? Horizontal learning is better suited for 'at-risk' students. It allows them to get "their feet wet" (Gee, 2004) and experience many different things. They aren't building on the same old material rather gaining new experiences that will further their knowledge eventually.   6. Why does the school-based interpretation of "at risk" lead to bad learning? The school-based interpretation of 'at-risk' students leads to bad learning because it is a dumbed down version of material that is meant to help them with the basic skills they are struggling with.   7. What do schools need to do to function more like a good game? In order for schools to function more like a good game they need to involve their students in the learning . Not just mind, but body, too. Games often allow the players to feel as if they are in the virtual world they are manipulating. If teachers can accomplish this type of entracement then the students would perform better in school.   8. What is different about how good games and school assess learners? Schools assess learners "then deciding for the learners how these problems ought to be dealt with" (Gee, 2004). Good games, on the other hand, "solves the problem by letting learners assess themselves and learn things about what they do and do not know and what style of learning suits them here and now" (Gee, 2004).   9. What are the attributes of a fish-tank tutorial that make it an effective learning tool? How is it different than school-based learning? The attriubutes of a fish-tank tutorial that makes it an effective learning tool is that it is multimodal . It not only gives the skills/skill set visually, but in print and orally. The fish-tank tutorial is also effective because it is an example of Proximal Development which is based off Vygotsky's theory of what students can learn on their own, and what they can do with help. It is different because all too often teachers only teach in one mode and don't scaffold enough.   10. What is a sand-box tutorial? Why is effective? How is it different than school-based learning? A sand-box tutorial "is a piece of the real world, but sealed off to be a protected and safe place where children can explore" (Gee, 2004). It is effective because it is giving the person a real life example of the game with no penalties for wrong decisions. It is different from school based learning because teachers don't always provide a real world example of something during their teachings. Without a concrete example students often fail to see the importance of the material, and the realtionship it has on everyday life. 11. What is a genre? Why is it important for good learning? A genre tells you what type of something you have. For example, when reading a book you can read a true story (fiction), or a made up story (non-fiction). It is important for good learning because it identifies the types of skill sets, rules, and knowledge you will need in order to understand or play the game well. 12. According to the author, what do learning and play having in common? As they play the game the player becomes better and learns more information. When the learning stops the player will not have any fun, and in return, will stop playing the game. "For humans, real learning is always associated with pleasure and is ultimately a form of play- a principle almost always dismissed by schools" (Gee, 2004). 13. How are the skills test in good games different from skills tests in school? Skill test in good games are "developmental for the learner and not evaluative" (Gee, 2004). "Furthermore, they are tests if what skills mean as strategies, not decontexualized test of skills outside of application where they mean quite specific things" (Gee, 2004). 14. How does RoN support collaborative learning? RoN supports collaborative learning by providing a website that has chat rooms for players around the world to talk and stratigize together. They can learn information from each other and figure out how to solve things. They can also play againist each other and build on prior knowledge. 15. Match at least one learning principle of good games (on page 74) with each the following learning theorists you have studied in 3352: Dewey "They ensure that there is a smooth transition between tutorials and actually playing (customized unsupervised sandboxes are good for this)." Vygotsky "They let learners themselves assess their previous knowledge and learning styles and make decisions for themeselves (with help)." "They offer supervised (i.e guided) fish tank tutorials (simplified versions of the real system)." "They allow learners to discover the outer edge of their competence and to be able to operate just inside that edge." Piaget "They teach basic skills in the context of simplified versions of the real game so that learners can see how these skills fir into the game as a system and how they integrate with each other" Gardner "They give information via several different modes (e.g. in print, orally, visually). They create redundancy" Bandura "They allow learners to practice enough so that they routinize their skills and then challenge them with new problems that force them to re-think these taken-for-granted skills and integrate them with new ones. Repeat." Skinner "They create motivation for an extended engagement"

Double Journal Entry #11

Chapter 4:Simulations and Bodies

1. What does the author mean when he says, "Learning doesn't work well when learners are forced to check their bodies at the school room door like guns in the old West."

I believe the Author means that when students come to the classroom they are always asked to bring their mind only. They are not asked to fully embodied themselves in a concept. He says that when students are learning in a cultural process, "their bodies are invovled because cultural learning always involves having specific experiences that facilitate learning, not just memorizing words" (Gee,2004). He later says that when we are learning how to play gmaes we are ivovled in the learning which allows us to learn more content than just memorizing.

 

2. According to the author, what is the best way to acquire a large vocabulary?

The author says that the best way to acquire a large vocabulary is to have "...experienced the "worlds" to which these words refer" (Gee, 2004). If you have come across words before then you have already experienced them. This allows you to understand the words better because you have already seen and understood them.

3. What gives a word a specific meaning?

A word gets a specific meaning when it's used in a certain context. The author gives an example of the word "work". It has many differenet uses and can be used in different context. The meaning depends on the context in which the word is used in. There person reading or using the word will understand the word only in the context they have experienced.

4. What does the term "off the hook" mean in each of these sentences?

a. My sister broke up with her fiance, so I'm off the hook for buying her a wedding present.

 

off the hook here means that they don't have to spend the money to buy a wedding present becuase they broke up

 

b. Them shoes are off the hook dog.

 

Off the hook here means they are cool or stylish.

 

c. Man that cat was fighting 6 people and he beat them all. Yo, it was "off the hook", you should have seen it!!

 

Off the hook here means that it was exciting, or worth watching.

5. According to the author what is the"work" of childhood? Do you agree?

The work of childhood is play. I do agree with this. The more they play the more experiences they have. The more experiences they have the better off they will be.

6.Why is NOT reading the instruction for how to play a game before playing a game a wise decision?

"The texts that come with games are very hard to understand unless and until one has some experience of playing the game - experience which, then, will give specific situated meanings to the language in the text" (Gee, 2004).

7. Does knowing the general or literal meaning of a word lead to strong reading skills?

Knowing the general or literal meaning of a word doesn not lead to strong reading skills. Knowing the meaning of the word is pointless to say the least because if you can't apply the word then what's the point?! Especially if the word can mean different things in the different contexts.
 

 

8. What does the author mean by the terms "identity" and "game". Give an example of 3 "identities" or "games" you play?

The author means that every person plays a certain role in society. For example, I am a student, a teacher, and a server.

9. According to the author what is good learning?

 

Good learning is understanding words in the different contexts/situations.

10. How does understanding that being able to build a mental model and simulations of a real-word experience is closely tied to comprehending written and oral language support of change the way you think children should learn in school?

When students are given the opprotunity to participate in real world simulations it allows them to comprehend the written or oral laguage better. They can use their own experiences to tie into the simulations and bring it home, so to speak.

 

11. Why is peer to peer interaction so important for the language development of young children? How does knowing this support or change the way you think children should learn in school?

 

 

Double Journal Entry #10

 

Chapter 3: Language and Identity at Home

 

1. What are the features of the forms of language that are spoken in a home environment that align with academic varieties of language?

Announcing the beginning, middle, and end of the story and providing a brief summary. Adopting a frame that mimics story books. Offering a title and using syntacic structure that is typical of literary books. Using literary sorts of repition and parallelism. Using specific figurative device that is common in "high literature".

2. What are the features of Leona's specialized form of language?

 Leona uses forms of poetry as her specialized language. Her lines are parallel to one another and contains matching content. She uses repetition within here lines and stanzas. You could organize her story into different episodes. Her story involves complicated syntatics and an evaluation that connects the begining of the story to the end.
 

 

3. Why is Leona's specialized form of language not accepted in school?

 

Leona's specialized form of language is not accepted in school becuase "The teacher heard her as rambling. In fact, the teacher often thought Leona was going to start off on another story when she got to what we have called her "evaluative" section" (Gee, 2004).

4. Explain the contradiction between the research conducted by Snow et al. (1998) and the recommendations made by Snow et al. (1998).

 

5. What other factors besides early skills training will make or break good readers?

 

Other factors that will make or break a good reader is his/her sense of belonging. Students must feel valued and accepted in their social groups.

6. Why do some children fail to identify with, or find alienating, the "ways with words" taught in school?

Students fail to identify with, or find alienating, the "way with words" taught in school because of three reasons. One is the child is living in a home where the adults find "ways with words" alienating. Another reason is because the teachers make these varieties seem irrelevent. Lastly, students live in a society filled with technology. Thus, making students more interested in it's language rather than the normal language instruction.



Double Journal Entry #9

A Strange Fact About Not Learning To Read

 

 

1 and 2. The strange fact about not learning to read is the fact that the majority of the people that can't read are those who come from "minority groups whose members have faced a history of prejudice and oppression (Snow et al. 1998)". The reson being is because most students who fall into this catergory are usually "poor". They don't fit in with the middle to upper class student which alienates them from the other students. Thus, causing them to not be interested in school.

 

3."it seems a bit strange - creepy even - to claim that an African American child or a poor child might be inherently less able to engage with Pokemon than white or rich children. We do not, however, find such thoughts strange when we thnk about school learning, though we should" (Gee, 2004)

4.The difference between the traditionalists approach to learning to read and more progressive educators is the fact that the tradionalists are focused more on skill-base situation as opposed to the meaning driven based progressive educators.

5. Learning to read is not a natural process. Learning to walk and talk are more natural processes. Learning how to read is something that is learned.

6. The natural process is one with which we are born with (like walking and talking). An instructed process is where someone is instructing/teaching. The cultural process is one with which a person learns pertinent information that is based off his/her cultural upbringing. Reading should fall under  the cultural process. It is important for students to learn in a culturally rich environment.

7. Reading is taught as an instructional process. However, I believe that a cultural based process might be more beneficial to students because in most cases that culture will stick with them in what ever endevors they choose to embark on.

8. The fourth grade slump is atributed to the changing from learning to read and reading to learn. This change causes many students stress and often causes grades to drop.

9. Better predictors of successful reading is the early language experiences the students come to school with. The more experiences a child has with language and literacy the better able the student is to learn how to read.

10. Vernacular language is one that occurs on a daily bases and is gernerally more natural to the person. Whereas, the speciality language is learned and is more proper.

11. Early language ability is generally formed when a child is raised in a print rich environment prior to entering pre-k or kindergarten. The more experiences the child had prior to entering school the better equipped the child id to learning how to read. It is developed at home.

12. The traditionalist approach fails to teach kids how to read because it is not started early enough. It also doesn't account for their language experiences.

13. I don't think that it necessarily the parents fault that the children don't know a specialized language. It is hard enough to learn the vanacular of most places, so I believe specialized learning would be even harder. We also live in a society where there are millions of single parent, no parent, or working parent families. I feel as though providing food and shelter for their children might just be slightly more important that teaching their child a specialized language. They could provide them with the neccessary tools if possible, but I don't think that it is plauseable in most situations.


14. To be honest, it was not a hard reading. There were a few words that challenged me but once I looked them up and found a defintion for the word the meaning of the sentence became much clearer. I only had a few words that needed to be defined, so overall I think I did pretty well.

Double Journal Entry #8

Situated Language and Learning: A critique of traditional schooling

Introduction

 

 

1. The main challenege being addressed in this book is "how to get all children- rich and poor- to be successful in school, but to ensure also that all children -rich and poor- are able to learn, think, and act in new ways fit for our new high-tech global world" (James Paul Gee, 2004).

 

2. I think what the author means by "ways with words" is that each subject area has it's own special set of language and symbols. Thus, making it more difficult to like language in the first place. Each subject has their own "ways with words".

 

3. The core arguement of this book is that "people learn new ways with words, in or out of school, only when they find the worlds to which these words apply compelling" (James Paul Gee, 2004). This means that a person must be interest in the content of the place where the language is useful.

 

4. I have worked in some type of food industry since I was 15 years old. While working there I have picked up my own "way with words" that only applies to that particular resteraunt. My friends that don't work with me are often confused when I say things to them that only my coworkers would understand. For example, when talking to a cook behind the line, you would say "Inside, I need.." and you relay the information. When they have understood what you said their response is "Heard,..." They repeat what you said back. If I were to use this language at home it would not make sense to anyone else but me.

 

5. People learn their "ways with words" best when they can tie those words to an experience or situation. It makes it easier to comprehend the words when there is a connection between the word and an experience/memory.

 

6. In order for people to be successful in the 21st century people "must become 'shape-shifting portfolio people'; that is, people who gain many diverse experiences that they can then use to transform and adapt themselves for fast-changing circumstances throughout their lives" (James Paul Gee, 2004).

 

7. I do believe that he is right. Language that you would learn in the classroom is not the ONLY language students will need to be successful. The more 'tools' they have on their toolbelt the better. I highly believe that students need to adapt to this changing world in order to be successful. 



Student Interviews

Excelling student:

I interviewed a female second grader from my class. She is known to be a very good student. She told me that she enjoys school. She believes herself to be a good student and she tries to get her work done on time. When outside of school, she loves to play hide-n-seek, tag, and she plays with her brothers. She states that she is friends with Amelia and Jocelyn and they love to play together especially at birthday parties. Her good memory of school is when she recieved a "caught being good" card, and she does not recall any bad memories. Her favorite teacher was her Kindergarten teacher because she smells good, and she is very nice. Her ideal teacher is one that gives her extra play time, listens to her, and is supportive. The one thing she wished her teacher knew is that she loves school and would love to do more fun math activities.

My observations of this students supports my beliefs of her being a high performance student. She is always first to raise her hand, and rarely gets in trouble. She is always one of the first to turn in her work and usually gets all the answers correct. She is a very sweet girl with a big heart. I have also observed her interacting with students on the playground. At one point when we were leaving one of her "friends" hit her arm instead of giving her a hug goodbye. She became very upset and started to cry. I took her aside and spoke with her and she said she was upset because she gives everyone else hugs but her. After getting her to calm down, she was perfectly fine and content. I have also heard that she is adopted and that her brother is in the gifted program. I believe that she is feeling the pressure at home, as she has thrown some of the papers that she did not get a perfect score on in the trash can. When asked about it she stated that she didn't want to take it home. My theory is that she is feeling the pressure of her brother and is trying to be perfect, but sometimes doesn't meet those expectations.

Struggling student:

I interviewed a male second grader from my class. He is known to be a student who is slower with doing his work, and fails to complete homework/school work on time. When asked if he enjoys school he did say yes. He thinks of himself as a good student. When outside of school he likes to play on the swings, video games, and plays football. His classmates describe him as a good friend. He is friends with a student named Andrew and they like to talk and hang out on the playground. His favorite memory is his first day of second grade because they played many fun games and he met new people. He does not recall and bad memories. He says a good teacher is one who gets them up and moving more, is nice, listens to him, and does fun stuff all the time. He wishes his teacher knew his favorite video game is Little Big Planet.

Double Journal Entry #6

     The 'dominant paradigm' that is showing signs of wear is the traditional model of the teacher using a textbook as the primary source of knowledge for students. In a world that is gowing rapidly, in the technology sector, education was falling short. This is due to the lack of growth that was occuring in the education sector of the world.
     Project Based Learning is more beneficial to student learning than traditional approaches because "students who engage in this approach benefit from gains in factual learning that are equivalent or superior to those of students who engage in traditional forms of instruction (Thomas, 2000)." Students "developed a more flexible, useful kind of mathematical knowledge that engaged them in "exploration and thought" (Boaler, 1997, p. 63)."The article also states that students in the "multimedia program earned higher scores than the comparison group on content mastery, sensitivity to audience, and coherent design. They performed equally well on standardized test scores of basic skills (Penuel, Means, & Simkins, 2000)."
     Another form of learning that is more beneficial to students is Problem Based Learning. This type of learning is focused on reasoning and resources to solve a specific problem. Students usually work in smaller groups to investigate realistic problems, their solutions, and strategies to acommplish the solution. "This approach has been found to be better, though, in supporting flexible problem solving, application of knowledge, and hypothesis generation (for a meta-analysis, see Dochy, Segers, Van den Bossche, & Gijbels, 2003). Also,"students who participated in problem-based experiences are better able to generate accurate hypotheses and coherent explanations (Hmelo, 1998b; Schmidt et al., 1996) and to support their claims with well-reasoned arguments (Stepien et al., 1993). They also experience larger gains in conceptual understanding in science (Williams, Hemstreet, Liu, & Smith, 1998).
     Learning by design is another strategy that doesnt conform to traditional teaching tactics. In this strategy learners design something that reflects the knowledge they have learned. Students make several drafts, create prototypes, develop plans for through storyboards, and set up constraints. Fortus and colleagues (2004) "found that both higher- and lower-achieving students showed strong evidence of progress in learning the targeted science concepts, and that students were able to apply key concepts in their design work". Hmelo, Holton, and Kolodner (2000) "found that the design project led to better learning outcomes than the traditional approach to instruction".
     These strategies are different in many ways. For instance, in problem base learning students investigate real world problems by working in smaller groups whereas, in learning by design students create a product that has been perfected through many drafts and storyboards. Learning by design is best fit for topics in science and technology. Project base learning is best fit for mathematic topics.
         In my opinion, the most important benefit these types of learning have is the fact that students are actively involved in their learning. They benefit from doing hands-on projects rather than worksheets. They can use their knowledge to help gain a deeper understanding of the concept. Lastly, the students are taking charge of their learning and the teacher is only their for guidence. When students play and active role in their learning then they are benefitting greatly.

Double Journal Entry #5

"Teachers must know not only their subject matter, but their students as well. To do this successfully, they must accept the risk and vulnerability of openness to what their students suggest, and what they might not know themselves as teachers."

 

I chose this quote because I strongly believe in getting to know your students and using them to learn things that you may not know. Not only should I know my subject matter but I should spend the time getting to know my students. This will let the students know that I respect them and in return, they will respect me. If I am open to listening to what they have to say then when I speak they will be open to what I have to say. In the classroom, the students and the teachers should be learning.



1. What is reverent listening and how can it support Reverent listening?
Reverent Listening is the "recognition of the need for aid and sustenance by others and the good of human relationship and communion". This supports culturally responsive teaching because it allows students to feel comfortable and respected. The students respect the teacher just as much as the teacher respects them. The teacher is passionate about what they are teaching thereby making their students passionate about what they are learning. All of which make the possession of power equal for both students and teachers.

2. Give an example from your own schooling experience of what this quote means: "Reverent Listening is not to be confused with humiliation and domination by others who for us to listen,and even less so, with the kind of incompetence that wants to be told what to do" 
To be honest i'm not really sure I understand the quote. I get that you are supposed to listen to people and not use what they say to humiliate or show dominance over someone but I can't give an experience because I'm not sure that I understand fully what it means.

3. what is meant by a "laundry list" of value ethics? Give examples from your own schooling then explain how this approach to character education can be NON-culturally responsive.
I believe this means teachers decide what values and ethics are most important to them and use it in that order. Some teachers may value reading as more important like my 3rd grade teacher and another teacher my value math as more important like my 5th grade teacher. In both cases the subject they were more passionate about was the subject they focused on.

4.Have you ever had a teacher that at one time or another exhibited traits of reverent teacher? What did they do? How did they make you feel?
My fifth grade teacher was proabably the best teacher I have ever had. She was definetly a reverent listener. She would always listen to us and here what we had to say. She respected us just as we respected her. She learned many things right alongside of us and was always eager to learn new things. If a student said something that seemed a little off she would never disregaurd what they said she would write it on the board and research it later. Shoe would use that as a lesson not only for her, but for us too. Three of us were taking the same dance class and we were excited about our dance recital coming up. Our teacher showed up with roses for each one of us and watched the entire program. I felt like she actually cared about me and what was going on in my life. For that reason I will probably never forget her.

5.What factors contribute to a "toxic" school culture?
One factor that contributes to a toxic school culture is being blinded buy something that you want so badly (like good test scores of standardize tests). If the teacher is soley concentrating on making sure she goes over exactly what is on the standardized test and neglects the needs of the students then the classroom/school becomes toxic. When the listening stops the school culture becomes toxic because they fail to explore other ideas. k

6. Find a quote to incorporate in your philosophy of education and explain how it fits or changes your philosophy of education.

"Wise and provident leaders realize that all knowledge is incomplete and listen to others. A reverent leader is not arrogant because she knows she cannot know everything about every situation, but must rely on followers to provide ideas, ideals, and, sometimes, leadership, through which all can learn about a situation and provide solutions to problems."

I chose this quote to incorporate in my philosophy of education because it is something that I agree strongly with. I, myself do not know everything and I believe my students can teach me so much more than I know now. The way I learn is by listening to others and hearing what they have to say. Their input can help me see something that maybe I can't see. Everyone has different view points and we see everything differently. I can learn so much more if I shut my mouth and just listen. This quote fits perfectly into my beliefs and although listening is something I need to improve on, it is also something I think will help me and my students.

7. Reverence Activity
Reverence Pennies

This idea was such a great idea. Anytime you catch your students being reverent, you write their name on a penny. When they get a penny, the student puts the penny in his/her jar. At the end of the month or marking period the student can use the pennies to buy stuff in the school store. Pennies may also be taken away when the student isn't being reverent. You could even have the students give the teacher pennies when they think the teacher is being reverent to reineforce the mutal respect for each other.

Rud, A.G. & Garrison, J. (2010). Reverence and Listening in Teaching and Leading. Teacher College Record 112 (11) 2777-2792.

Double Journal Entry #4

While reading this article, I have learned many things. One thing I learned is that students who have differences in their dialect often have difficulties on standardized testing. I also learned that "code-switching" plays an impotant role in the classroom. It is the ability to use their home language interchangably with the 'proper' language. I have also learned that the more you bring the child's own dialect into the classroom the more they feel comfortable. When a students feel more comfortable in the classroom then they are more likely to succeed.

This article shows culturally responsive teaching by building meaningful bridges between home and school as well as acknowledging the legitimacy of the cultural heritages as worthy content to be taught in the formal curriculum. It build meaningful bridges between home and school because with 'code-switching' students are using their own language as well as what is classified as 'proper' english. Therefore students are able to switch between the two when the situation calls for it (in the case of standardize testing). It acknowledges the legitimacy of cultural heritages as worthy content to be taught in the formal curriculumn because it is allowing students to learn more about their own language as well as what is classified as proper.

I can remember in middle school we had a foreign exchange student in our class for about 3 months. During this time the teacher took in upon herself to make the student feel as home. She did this by allowing the student to relate concepts and ideas to his homeland (Italy). We also learned some Italian while he was here. She incorperated his cultural into ours which allowed him to feel more comfortable and welcome.

Where i'm from video

I am from poem

I am From...

I am from the sandy beaches of the “Sunshine state” to the historical battles of the “Keystone state”.

I am from living with mom during the week to staying with dad on the weekends.

I am from "quit tapping your tap shoes on the kitchen floor", and the sounds of cheers echoing during friday night lights

I am from the Irish Higgins family and the English Pilson family, from potatoes and bread being a part of every meal

From a loving mother who has literally given everything to her kids

From a father who has provided enough life lessons to last a lifetime

I am from four protective older brothers who have taught me to fight for everything I want in life, and an intelligent half-sister whose future is looking bright.

I am from a strong Christian background that has guided my life in a positive direction

I am from ranch dressing fights during Thanksgiving dinner, buying and selling toys with monopoly money in the living room, and scrapbooking all the memories to prove it.

I am from 2 beautiful nieces, and 2 handsome nephews whose laughter and imaginations light up a room instantly.

From a sister in law who has become a real sister, who has given advice and listened to my side of every story, and who has shared the same birthday with me for the past 15 years.

From a grandmother who has never failed to sing “happy birthday” to her grandchildren every year, to a grandfather that is greatly missed.

I am from family pictures that cover every inch of the house, from a shrine of the fallen but not forgotten hero of our family, and where being proud to be an American is the golden rule.

I am from a family that has had many ups and downs, bumps and bruises along the way but has never seized to amaze me with our unconditional love for each other underneath it all.

 

Double Journal Entry #3

CULTURAL CAPITAL

 

CULTURAL DEFICIT

 

1.       How does elementary reading instruction contribute to poor literacy attainment for older children?

Elementary reading instruction contributes to poor literacy attainment for older children due to the fact that teachers focus more on the process of reading rather than reading to find information, concepts, and ideas.

2.       What reading test scores good for?

Reading test scores are good for giving an idea of how much a student understands about literacy, but only to a certain extent. Test scores do not prove to be the most accurate way to pin point a students’ literacy ability.

3.       What reality about a literacy myth surprised you the most? Why?

The myth that surprised me the most was the one that states “students who struggle with one literacy will have difficulty with all literacies”. This surprised me because it is something that can be easily observed in a classroom. The teacher can see that a particular student may struggle in one area of literacy, but may also be excellent at another. For instance, my teachers in elementary school knew that I struggled in word problems, but was great at historical facts. They recognized this by listening to me read aloud, watched what books I’d pick up during silent reading, and by listening to the questions I asked during each tasks.

4.       What do you know about teaching reading comprehension in the content areas? Give an example of a strategy you might use to teach reading during a science or social studies lesson.

Teaching reading comprehension in the content areas can be very vocabulary dense. Students have to learn the term in order to understand what is going on. History is a great example of this vocabulary dense content area. With this type of lesson you may want to have vocabulary games, split the words up between students in small groups, complete an “Own your word” diagram, or even create graphic organizers for vocabulary terms, or important information.

5.       What kind of literacy do you have that was not acknowledge in school? (Literacy means being able to use texts and technologies to accomplish one's purpose in the world.)

Technology was not at imperative in school when I was growing up like it is in today’s classroom. Although, I can operate much of the new technology, I was not taught how to do so in a classroom. I was self- taught. Technology was just becoming big when I was in middle school and high school, and it wasn’t until then that I was shown how to use the basic technology.

6.       Give an example of a literacy practice.

 

7.       What is a discourse community?

A discourse community is all different types of literacies that people excel in. For example, my knowledge of cheerleading puts me in that discourse community. Someone that knows about reptiles is in his/her own discourse community.

8.       What can happen if students valuable multiple literacies are not recognized as valuable in school?

Students with multiple valuable literacies that are not recognized as valuable in school can become unmotivated. Being unmotivated can cause the student to shut down and stop learning. This affects the student in the long run. Keeping the student motivated requires the teacher to recognize each students’ multiple literacies and use them to their advantage.

9.       Give an example of how a teacher might build on the extracurricular literacy practices of their students?

For example, a teacher who is trying to teach students about the different types of triangles may use a students’ extracurricular literacy of basketball. Taking the students to the gym and visually showing the students each triangle (in regards to their position on the court and the position of the net) may help this student understand this concept a little better. Teaching students to use what they are good at to figure out a solution.

10.   Describe a time in which a teacher in your 4-12 schooling experience employed one of the research-base strategies to improve motivation.

In sixth grade I had an awesome English/Reading teacher. We started out each class period with a journal in which we could write anything we wanted to in. Then she chose people to share it if they wanted to. Every Monday we went to the library and we had 15 minutes to pick a book that we wanted to read. After the teacher approved it, we had to check the book out. Each Friday we had a 1-2 page paper due. This paper was a either a summary of the book, a prequel/sequel to a book you read, or a note to the author. She allowed us to choose what we wanted to do. If we decided that we didn’t like the book we chose then we were given the option to write a paper based off a topic she gave us, or we could write her a paper on what we would do different to make the book more interesting for the next reader. I loved that we were able to choose what we wanted to read. It gave us a sense of freedom and provided us with different literacy experiences. Some weeks she’d give us a specific genre we had to choose a book from (usually the one we were studying), but we were always given the right to decide for ourselves.

11.   Give an example from your own K-12 schooling experience that engaged in you in multicultural literacy development.

In fifth grade we had two new students enter our classroom late in the year from Mexico. Our school provided an ASL teacher full time to help with these students. Our class was struggling to involve these new students in day to day activities because we could not relate with them. So our teacher decorated the classroom to look like a festival in Mexico. She had help from the ASL teacher to do so. For an entire week we studied Mexico and heard stories from these new students (Mostly translated by the ASL teacher). They showed us where they were from on the map and what it was like there. On that Friday, we had a party with different Mexican food, decorations, and music. Although we could not always understand the new students verbally, we were able to connect with them on a different level, and this helped us relate to them more.

12.   What do teachers her gain recognition and respect from their peer also do well on?

Teachers who gain recognition and respect from their peers tend to well in other aspects. These include: providing a caring environment for their students, addressing diverse literacy needs of students, use approaches that foster critical thinking skills, develop quality relationships with students, participate in on-going professional development, and use many different teaching techniques. All of which make the teacher a great literacy instructor.

Citations

Bolima, D. (n.d.). Contexts for understanding: Educational learning theories. Retrieved from http://staff.washington.edu/saki/strategies/101/new_page_5.htm

 

Double Entry Journal #2

After reading "...As Soon As She Opened Her Mouth!": Issues of Language, Literacy and Power by Victoria Purcell-Gates, one quote stood out to me. On page 135 of the reading she states that teachers can do many things to help students achieve in literacy. The "First, and most obvious, teachers and schools must accept, believe and act upon the belief that children of poverty are learners, have been learning since birth, and are ready to learn at anytime, and will learn". For me, this quote is very powerful. I actually felt appalled when I read this. To think that some teachers disregard students because they don’t come from a family where literacy experiences happen every day is kind of unreal to me. I highly believe that given the right tools, experiences, and support any child can succeed in life. I believe that it’s the kids that come from “bad” homes that are destined to do great things. They have a lot to offer the world, but they need the help from educators and schools to be able to use that greatness in their futures.  I believe she is absolutely right in saying that we need to believe in them and believe in the fact that they can learn and have been learning. If we do this, then they, too, can believe in themselves.

Questions and Answers from the Reading

What is literacy Knowledge? Give examples of both print and non-print literacy knowledge

Literacy knowledge is the concept of children acquiring knowledge of reading, writing, and printed materials before having actual informal instruction, in kindergarten and first grade. Children often imitate the process of reading and writing without the ability to actually read and write. This imitation is extremely important in these early years. For example, my four year old niece, Sierra, will pick up a book and read it out loud to me. Although she remembers some of the lines in the book, she is not actually reading the book word for word. She knew she was reading by looking at the book and speaking out loud but was not aware that the words on the page were what she was supposed to be looking at. I have also witnessed a one year old who was learning how to talk. When we would ask her to say “thank you” she would mimic the sound of the words, but was not annunciating. She did this for most of the phrases she was taught. Although she thought she was speaking, in reality she was only verbalizing the sounds she heard in each phrase.

How do stereotypes interfere with literacy instruction?

Stereotypes interfere with literacy instruction because there is a lack of experiences the child has with written and spoken language. The fewer experiences the child has with reading, writing or speaking, the more of a struggle the formal education becomes. Learning how to read and write becomes more difficult for students who have never been shown letters and words. They don’t understand that each letter stands for a sound and all the sounds put together make up a word. It is not impossible to teach these children how to read and write, but it makes it more difficult for them to understand. Stereotypes also interfere when the parents are more interested in the success of their student rather than the teacher. When the parents are stereotyped their child becomes that stereotype whether it is bad or good. They are put off and seen as a student who will follow in their parents’ footprints. Thus, causing the student to slip through the cracks, and ultimately drop out of school altogether.

How do schools and teachers contribute to poor literacy instruction in school?

Schools and teachers contribute to poor literacy instruction in a few ways. The biggest reason for students to fail at reading and writing is the fact that the teacher and school does not show concern for the student who is not excelling in those areas. They allow for the students to move through the grades without the pertinent information necessary to complete the next grade level. Teachers often stereotype their students and instead of taking time to help the struggling student they pass them along to the next teacher. It takes one caring teacher to help a student learn more efficiently, but it also takes one teacher giving up on a student to allow that student to give up on himself.

What is the relationship between language, social class, and the denial of educational opportunity?

The relationship between language, social class, and the denial of educational opportunity is simple. Students who come from parents that are illiterate are often deprived of the literacy experiences necessary to succeed in formal education of this topic. These parents are often from the lower economic classes. Without the knowledge of how to read and write causes them to be unsuccessful in life which is why they are in the lower class. Teachers stereotype the low socioeconomic family and do nothing to help. They allow the student to pass each grade because they don’t want to help. If a middle class family had a child that could not read or write, the teachers would be all over that particular student. This is not the case for students of the lower economic classes.

What are some misconceptions about the relationship between language and literacy?

What can schools and teachers do to improve literacy instruction?

Schools and teachers can do many things to improve literacy instruction. First, teachers must believe that all students are leaners regardless of the economic status. Teachers can also give the students many experiences with written and oral language. This will allow the students to learn the more concrete aspects of the topic. Accepting the students own language and using it to their advantage is another way to help improve literacy instruction. Lastly, teachers must realize that students will use the appropriate oral language register.

How do you feel about use of the term "Proper English"?

When I hear the term “Proper English” I ask myself “what is that?”. Now I know what it means, and I know that we all should use proper English. I also know that most people in today’s society do not use proper English. There are so many slang terms for real words and there is many different ways to says different things. I do feel like there is a time and a place to use proper English, but those opportunities are growing smaller by the year. I feel as though students should still be taught proper English and should also be taught when it is appropriate to use it.

Related Article

This article was written to express the findings of a case study done on emergent literacy and social class. They chose 43 families from all ranges of family income. During their case study the researchers found a relationship between the families of lower social classes to those of higher social classes. The research concluded many things. One of the bigger findings had to do with the race of the family and the literacy involement had a direct connection to oral language development. You can find the other information on the link above.

Citations:

         Carolyn Chaney (1994). Language development, metalinguistic awareness,
                       and emergent literacy skills of 3-year-old children in relation to
                       social class. Applied Psycholinguistics, 15 , pp 371- 394 doi:10.            1017/S0142716400004501

         O'Brien, J. (2003, May 10). Tall tales of appalachia.
                       Retrieved from
                       http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/10/opinion/tall-tales-of-appalachia.html

          Purcell-Gates, V. (2002). ".. as soon as she opened her
                       mouth!": Issues of language, literacy, and power.
                       In L. Delpit & J. Dowdy (Eds.), In The skin that
                       we speak: An anthology of essays on language
                       culture and power

Double Entry Journal #1

Inclusive Education is the practice of including all students in every aspect of learning. This practice is beneficial to all students including, but not limited to: students with complex learning needs, students of diverse ethnic backgrounds, students having trouble with linguistics, students of diverse socioeconomic statuses, and students with varying abilities. Students in special education programs, bilingual students, homeless students, and mental health students are all included in this practice, too. Schools utilizing the Inclusive Education Practice typically form a sense of community for their students. Each student is urged to perform at his/her best and is recognized for each success. Problem Solving teams are created to devise plans that meet the need of each student. Parents and teachers are recognized as partners in the success of the students, and are advised to communicate with each other to form strong bonds. Students are only successful when they are made to feel welcome in the community and are given responsibilities within the school community. These responsibilities can include peer tutoring, peer mediators, and cooperative learning. Through inclusion, students learn to listen and respect others, and to communicate effectively.

I chose a Teacher’s Network Video that I found on youtube. The reason I chose this video is because it outlines the exact same thing the reading was talking about. It is about two teachers who co-teach a third grade classroom. One of the teachers being is a special education teacher and the other being the general elementary educator. They work together throughout the year utilizing many different techniques and practices. The inclusion practice is the main strategy they are using. This practice allows students to recognize the different needs of each student. The classroom evolves into a community in which all kids are welcome and can feel safe.  

Inclusion: Collaborative Team Teaching (CTT) in 3rd Grade


Works Cited:

Inclusion: Collaborative team teaching (ctt) in 3rd
            grade [Web]. (2009). Retrieved from http://citationmachine.net/index2.php?