It was very difficult for me to pick only ten words to teach to my students, especially because in my content area, nearly every word is a new vocabulary word! However, I believe that these words are all foundational to teaching a language to students. If I were asked to pick ten words to use in the real world, I would not choose all of these, but for a classroom setting, all of the words are essential. I want to provide the meaning and a very brief explanation of why I chose each word.
1. Conjugar (conjugate)
This word is used more than almost any other when grammar comes into play. There are multiple verb endings in Spanish that we do not use in English and it is a confusing concept. If I want to teach my students anything about verbs, they are going to have to know what "conjugate" means.
2. Cognado (cognate)
There are MANY cognates in English & Spanish, and recognizing that the words are similar is an excellent teaching tool because my students will be able to deduce what a word means rather than simply asking me to be their dictionary. Knowing what a cognate is and applying that knowledge will help them to gain ownership of their learning.
3. ¿Cómo se dice . . . ? (How do you say . . . ?)
In a language class, it is essential to be able to ask questions and check for comprehension. This is one of those phrases that is especially important in the lower levels of Spanish, but is applicable to every level. Knowing this phrase allows students to voice when they want to expand their vocabulary or to quell an uncertainty.
4. ¿Por qué? (Why?)
Why is a higher-order thinking question. I think the real question is why would I not choose to teach this word?
5. Pensar (to think)
Knowing how to say "I (you/he/she/they/we) think" is a basic form of communication. It provides an opportunity for students to discuss what they know and what their opinions are as well as a quick comprehension check. I think it is a crucial aspect of facilitating discussion.
6. Tener (to have)
Asking someone is they have something, be it an ability, a tool, an idea, is another important part of discussion and class preparation. Tener is a verb that is used in Spanish much more than we use it in English so it is an incredibly useful vocabulary word.
7. Querer (to want)
Wanting or desiring something automatically implies a deeper level of communication. My students will be able to share their goals, their aspirations, and suggestions of what they think works and doesn't work in my classroom. It is a way to create a more closely knit community, too!
8. (no/sí) entender [(no/yes) to understand]
Comprehension is key in any subject, especially a foreign language. If my students don't understand something, I want them to be able to tell me! Also, it is an efficient way to check to see if I am moving at an appropriate pace for their skill levels. I don't want anyone to feel uncomfortable because I never provided them with the tools to ask when they are confused.
9. Poder (to be able to)
Encouragement is a huge part of my own goals for my future teaching. I want my students to believe in themselves and to believe in their peers. In addition, this verb is very common and can be used in a variety of contexts, including reviewing other vocabulary.
10. ¡Bien! (Good!)
I want my students to know when they succeed. I hope that they are proud of their learning and they they have a positive attitude about my subject and in my classroom. Optimism is a tool students can use to advance their learning and it is fundamental for self-efficacy.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Diverse Classroom: Resource Addressing Students' Needs
How to Build a Culturally Responsive Classroom
This video is a little long, (watch out for the change in volume, too)but I think it is an excellent example of what is necessary to build a culturally responsive classroom. It is filled with inspiring quotes, input from real, effective teachers, and is based on empirical evidence. I hope you enjoy it!
This video is a little long, (watch out for the change in volume, too)but I think it is an excellent example of what is necessary to build a culturally responsive classroom. It is filled with inspiring quotes, input from real, effective teachers, and is based on empirical evidence. I hope you enjoy it!
Cultural Responsitivity
The culture of our nation is becoming ever-more diverse. This wide spectrum of diversity is most profoundly reflected in our classrooms. Although the United States has always been a diverse country, the issue regarding the many cultures that are made known in our schools has never been more prevalent than now. It is incredibly important to recognize that a particular culture has tentacles that reach into nearly every aspect of life. Truly being able to severe the roots of one's culture is nearly impossible. Also, it is not something we should strive to achieve. As educators, it is our responsibility to the be culutrally reponsive. That includes a staggering number of details to pay attention to.
I grew up in a nearly homogeneous culture. Everything I knew and was exposed to was mostly the exact same, culturally. I did not experience much diversity, although my parents ensured that I was not ignorant of the fact that diversity exists and that it is a positive aspect of the greater American culture. Regardless, I still did not know what it was like to be in a situation where I was part of a minority group. I have since had three absolutely incredible experiences which have led me to growing in my understanding of the richness of a diverse classroom and in being the odd one out.
Through an internship with the first graders Cedar Riverside Community School (a charter school specifically designed for the children of Somali refugees), I experienced the beauty of another culture, along with the stark differences regarding the types of interactions, questions, and learning styles that were presented by the students. It was so similiar, yet so distinct from my own school experiences. Another experience with diversity, in a school setting, greeted me when I began my field experience at Johnson High School on the east side of St. Paul. The school population is incredibly diverse, and, for the first time, I saw what it was like to have ELL students in a mainstream classroom. I have been challenged to realize that the setting in which I teach will most likely be very different from what I experienced. High school students bring an entirely different dynamic than elementary students, so that was something else to adjust to as well. It has been a huge growing experience. Lastly, I spent six months in Argentina. I was the one who was "weird" or "different" than everyone else. At first, it was quite unsettling. I have numerous fond memories of my study abraod experience, and I believe that completely being immersed in another culture was not only humbling, but vital to understanding how to be a better teacher.
There are so many things to be aware of when a classroom is filled with diverse students. From providing sheltered instruction to ELL students to using visual or hands-on activities to facilitate comprehension to implementing and teaching important learning strategies, the possibilities are nearly endless when it comes to creating an open and respectful diverse classroom. Students, even if they grow up next door to each other, come to the classroom with a different perspective on life and different tendencies. Those differences are not viewed as detrimental, and neither should the backgrounds of ELL learners be viewed in that way. Yes, they have language barriers. However, it is important to view those barriers as opportunities rather than insurmountable obstacles. Learning another language is complicated (trust me, I'm going to be a Spanish teacher!).
Students should be challenged appropriately, and that does not mean that teachers should lower their standards for ELL students. An unproportional number of ELLs are in low-track classes. I fear that this has little to do with their ability, but rather a lot to do with their language skills. Scaffolding is part of our job as teachers. We are masters at modifying ways of learning and activities to facilitate the many needs of our students. ELLs should be no different, it simply requires a bit more creativity on our part. Creativity is one of the most powerful tools a teacher can possess. It's time we start using it to create culturally responsive classrooms so that every students feels capable.
I grew up in a nearly homogeneous culture. Everything I knew and was exposed to was mostly the exact same, culturally. I did not experience much diversity, although my parents ensured that I was not ignorant of the fact that diversity exists and that it is a positive aspect of the greater American culture. Regardless, I still did not know what it was like to be in a situation where I was part of a minority group. I have since had three absolutely incredible experiences which have led me to growing in my understanding of the richness of a diverse classroom and in being the odd one out.
Through an internship with the first graders Cedar Riverside Community School (a charter school specifically designed for the children of Somali refugees), I experienced the beauty of another culture, along with the stark differences regarding the types of interactions, questions, and learning styles that were presented by the students. It was so similiar, yet so distinct from my own school experiences. Another experience with diversity, in a school setting, greeted me when I began my field experience at Johnson High School on the east side of St. Paul. The school population is incredibly diverse, and, for the first time, I saw what it was like to have ELL students in a mainstream classroom. I have been challenged to realize that the setting in which I teach will most likely be very different from what I experienced. High school students bring an entirely different dynamic than elementary students, so that was something else to adjust to as well. It has been a huge growing experience. Lastly, I spent six months in Argentina. I was the one who was "weird" or "different" than everyone else. At first, it was quite unsettling. I have numerous fond memories of my study abraod experience, and I believe that completely being immersed in another culture was not only humbling, but vital to understanding how to be a better teacher.
There are so many things to be aware of when a classroom is filled with diverse students. From providing sheltered instruction to ELL students to using visual or hands-on activities to facilitate comprehension to implementing and teaching important learning strategies, the possibilities are nearly endless when it comes to creating an open and respectful diverse classroom. Students, even if they grow up next door to each other, come to the classroom with a different perspective on life and different tendencies. Those differences are not viewed as detrimental, and neither should the backgrounds of ELL learners be viewed in that way. Yes, they have language barriers. However, it is important to view those barriers as opportunities rather than insurmountable obstacles. Learning another language is complicated (trust me, I'm going to be a Spanish teacher!).
Students should be challenged appropriately, and that does not mean that teachers should lower their standards for ELL students. An unproportional number of ELLs are in low-track classes. I fear that this has little to do with their ability, but rather a lot to do with their language skills. Scaffolding is part of our job as teachers. We are masters at modifying ways of learning and activities to facilitate the many needs of our students. ELLs should be no different, it simply requires a bit more creativity on our part. Creativity is one of the most powerful tools a teacher can possess. It's time we start using it to create culturally responsive classrooms so that every students feels capable.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Focusing on the Essentials
I truly believe that the title of this blog rings true: literacy is the heart of education. If student are not literate, they face immense challenges in life outside of the school walls. The fact of the matter is that in today's day and age, teachers are failing their students. Teachers are forgetting to incorporate literacy into every day lessons. They do not provide enough guidance or strategies to comprehend the text material. These patterns lead to downward spirals of less learning and more memorization. Yes, the stakes are high and the pressure is great, especially in light of standardized tests. However, educators cannot allow those obstacles to deter them to reaching out to students and to communicating that their teachers believe in them. We have faith in them because we have provided them with the tools to succeed.
Chapter 10 in Content Area Reading discusses the important of studying text. In schools, text is the medium by which we impart information to our students. Is it an essential piece of the curriculum, and, too often, it is neglected. Teachers cannot expect students to pick up a text and to immediately become experts regarding how to extract the important information. That is a completely unwarranted assumption. Instead, educators need to make a conscious effort to provide our students with the tools necessary to highlighting the most important points. The process begins when teachers choose which text to use. It is our responsibility to sift through the options and to choose a text with strong, clear, and effective text structure. From there, the tools for organizing information are nearly endless. The book highlighted many techniques for effectively raising the level of material that students retain including graphic organizers, note taking, and study guides. There were two specific strategies that stuck out to me.
The first strategy that caught my attention is called a guided reading procedure (GRP). The students read the text material silently. After they finish, they put their books face down, and are asked to recall the important information from the reading. The teacher records the facts that the students remember and after compiling the list, the teacher and the class go over what had been recorded. During this time, the class discusses important points and eliminates trivial information, modeling how to decide if something is important material or not. Then, everyone refers to the text to ensure that all of the main points of the reading were covered. I think this is an excellent strategy to develop students' reading and comprehension skills. It assesses their comprehension without singling anyone out, and therefore will help students not to fear providing a wrong answer.
The second strategy I really liked is a study guide called a selective reading guide. The teacher provides a specific purpose for the reading assignment along with guiding questions to aid comprehension and retention throughout the reading material. If any section of the reading doesn't apply to the purpose provided for the assignment, it is eliminated. I think this is a great way to help students not to feel intimidated by a reading assignment because they know exactly what they have to look for. The key to effectively implementing this strategy lies in the guiding questions. It is important to write questions that require deeper thinking. Otherwise, the students can use the material simply to skim for the answer. If that happens, they are unlikely to retain information at all.
We also read a supplementary article this week called "Focus on the Essentials of Reading Instruction." It outlines a rubric for new teachers and how well they direct their classroom's focus on literacy. Literacy is so incredibly important to learning and growing as a student, it cannot be overlooked. I think that every teacher should read this article. It is very well written and it provides insights regarding what practices to avoid, like Round Robin Reading, and which ones work effectively. The goal for a classroom should be that the teacher involves his or her students in critically thinking. We need to challenge our learners. Through effective scaffolding, we can slowly hand over the reins of their learning. That is the end goal. Our students need to take charge of their own learning, all the while being guided, ever so gently, by effective teachers who truly believe that their students can succeed.
Chapter 10 in Content Area Reading discusses the important of studying text. In schools, text is the medium by which we impart information to our students. Is it an essential piece of the curriculum, and, too often, it is neglected. Teachers cannot expect students to pick up a text and to immediately become experts regarding how to extract the important information. That is a completely unwarranted assumption. Instead, educators need to make a conscious effort to provide our students with the tools necessary to highlighting the most important points. The process begins when teachers choose which text to use. It is our responsibility to sift through the options and to choose a text with strong, clear, and effective text structure. From there, the tools for organizing information are nearly endless. The book highlighted many techniques for effectively raising the level of material that students retain including graphic organizers, note taking, and study guides. There were two specific strategies that stuck out to me.
The first strategy that caught my attention is called a guided reading procedure (GRP). The students read the text material silently. After they finish, they put their books face down, and are asked to recall the important information from the reading. The teacher records the facts that the students remember and after compiling the list, the teacher and the class go over what had been recorded. During this time, the class discusses important points and eliminates trivial information, modeling how to decide if something is important material or not. Then, everyone refers to the text to ensure that all of the main points of the reading were covered. I think this is an excellent strategy to develop students' reading and comprehension skills. It assesses their comprehension without singling anyone out, and therefore will help students not to fear providing a wrong answer.
The second strategy I really liked is a study guide called a selective reading guide. The teacher provides a specific purpose for the reading assignment along with guiding questions to aid comprehension and retention throughout the reading material. If any section of the reading doesn't apply to the purpose provided for the assignment, it is eliminated. I think this is a great way to help students not to feel intimidated by a reading assignment because they know exactly what they have to look for. The key to effectively implementing this strategy lies in the guiding questions. It is important to write questions that require deeper thinking. Otherwise, the students can use the material simply to skim for the answer. If that happens, they are unlikely to retain information at all.
We also read a supplementary article this week called "Focus on the Essentials of Reading Instruction." It outlines a rubric for new teachers and how well they direct their classroom's focus on literacy. Literacy is so incredibly important to learning and growing as a student, it cannot be overlooked. I think that every teacher should read this article. It is very well written and it provides insights regarding what practices to avoid, like Round Robin Reading, and which ones work effectively. The goal for a classroom should be that the teacher involves his or her students in critically thinking. We need to challenge our learners. Through effective scaffolding, we can slowly hand over the reins of their learning. That is the end goal. Our students need to take charge of their own learning, all the while being guided, ever so gently, by effective teachers who truly believe that their students can succeed.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Reflection on KWL Mini-Lesson
At first, I was rather intimidated by the WTL mini-lesson assignment. I had a difficult time imagining what I could possibly cover in the short five minutes we had to teach, and how I could incorporate my content area, Spanish, while never using the language. After I reread the section in Content Area Writing that described how to successfully implement the KWL strategy, the ideas started flowing, and I was relieved. After I decided to focus my mini-lesson on Argentina, I chose a target age group for my "students." Then, I made a chart that everyone in the class could use to organize their thoughts during my lesson as well as the potential to use it as a template for future teaching. I used the general outline of the main points necessary to thoroughly explain a strategy: what is it? why are we doing this? what does it look like (modeling it to the class)? scaffolding - gradual release of responsibility. I broke down the components of KWL and planned to use the handout as a visual example for the class. I wanted to make it clear that the things that I choose to implement in a classroom have a purpose. My students should know that the activities and strategies I choose are not a way to waste time, but have real value in their own learning process. It was important to me that I made that clear in the mini-lesson. I then decided that I would model the first column and would continue from that point. Finding a way to scaffold the information wasn't difficult because much of the information is in the textbook, but I wanted to make sure that I managed to jump start their ideas because they had little background knowledge. Once my ideas came together, I practiced a lot until I was sure that I was covering the most important material in a concise and accessible manner that was under five minutes.
My main goal was to teach the KWL strategy well and to present it as if I were teaching a real class. I didn't want my lesson to be a presentation because that is not what was assigned. I need to practice teaching (or as close to teaching as I can get) in order to improve. I thought that I succeeded in teaching the class rather than simply talking at them about strategy. I also thought that handout and using the flip chart paper worked well to facilitate what I wanted to communicate and to organize things clearly. That way, I could check to make sure that my "students" understood what I had instructed in the beginning before moving on and creating unnecessary confusion. Another aspect of my lesson that went well was using my pictures from Argentina to jump start ideas for the "What do you want to learn?" part of the lesson. It was a great way to make sure they had something to go off of rather than staring at their small group members because the amount of information they don't know is overwhelming.
I think my classmates truly learned how to implement the KWL strategy in their own classrooms. They have a basic template (the handout) that can guide them to adapt the strategy to their own needs and they have a concrete example of one way to teach the strategy. They also have the advantage of seeing what works well because they were on the other side of the desks - as students. I hope the realized that it is of utmost importance to explain why we, as teachers, are using whatever activity we choose and to make sure that the students feel like the new strategy is something they can handle before we move on to something else.
If I could do the demonstration again, I would want to explain that the "K" column will be comprised of everything the students think they know, whether the information is true or not. If something is contested by other classmates or is blatantly incorrect, the teacher can put a question mark next to that point to make sure it is addressed later. That way, no student feels pressured to provide only the "correct" facts, but everyone is open to sharing what they know. Also, I would have liked to have time for everyone to get into small groups and generate questions for the "W" column. That way, I could have stressed the point that it is important to group the questions on the master sheet so that the guide is more accessible to the students.
My main goal was to teach the KWL strategy well and to present it as if I were teaching a real class. I didn't want my lesson to be a presentation because that is not what was assigned. I need to practice teaching (or as close to teaching as I can get) in order to improve. I thought that I succeeded in teaching the class rather than simply talking at them about strategy. I also thought that handout and using the flip chart paper worked well to facilitate what I wanted to communicate and to organize things clearly. That way, I could check to make sure that my "students" understood what I had instructed in the beginning before moving on and creating unnecessary confusion. Another aspect of my lesson that went well was using my pictures from Argentina to jump start ideas for the "What do you want to learn?" part of the lesson. It was a great way to make sure they had something to go off of rather than staring at their small group members because the amount of information they don't know is overwhelming.
I think my classmates truly learned how to implement the KWL strategy in their own classrooms. They have a basic template (the handout) that can guide them to adapt the strategy to their own needs and they have a concrete example of one way to teach the strategy. They also have the advantage of seeing what works well because they were on the other side of the desks - as students. I hope the realized that it is of utmost importance to explain why we, as teachers, are using whatever activity we choose and to make sure that the students feel like the new strategy is something they can handle before we move on to something else.
If I could do the demonstration again, I would want to explain that the "K" column will be comprised of everything the students think they know, whether the information is true or not. If something is contested by other classmates or is blatantly incorrect, the teacher can put a question mark next to that point to make sure it is addressed later. That way, no student feels pressured to provide only the "correct" facts, but everyone is open to sharing what they know. Also, I would have liked to have time for everyone to get into small groups and generate questions for the "W" column. That way, I could have stressed the point that it is important to group the questions on the master sheet so that the guide is more accessible to the students.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Guiding Students to Believe in Themselves
Almost no one enjoys being unsuccessful. It is an inherent human trait to desire to excel, to be great at something, to be in control of one's own abilities. This concept has deep roots in the academic world. Students who do poorly in school, who do not believe they are capable of improving, or who have been told that they simply "aren't good at school" tend to have negative attitudes about school. They aren't motivated to go to class simply because they assume they are going to fail. Before they even step through the doorway, those students automatically put themselves one step behind. These attitudes are through no fault of their own, for the most part. Some people claim that "those" students just don't care. I believe that they are wrong. Life's circumstances and situations that affect our students are different in each and every case. They come to school with a lot more than just their backpacks. Our students are human; humans desire to do better, to be better. They do not want to struggle in school; they desire to succeed. That is where teachers come into the picture. We can be that spark that ignites an entire new world of possibilities, or just a heightened interest in school. Either way, it's worth the challenge.
Chapter 6 in Content Area Reading is titled "Activating Prior Knowledge and Interest." It discusses how to engage students so that they come to enjoy learning, and, perhaps more importantly, to believe in themselves. Teachers control the lesson plan. Curriculum may be forcibly put on our desks, but we are in charge of how the material that needs to be covered will be taught. The possibilities are nearly endless (within the confines of time and resources). Each classroom is a tiny society within the larger context of school. The authors of the chapter my class read encouraged and challenged teachers to help all of our students to develop self-efficacy. That means that students believe in themselves. They think "I can" instead of "This is stupid/difficult/you fill in the blank." But how can we help students to bridge that gap, especially when they have struggled in school for years?
The answer lies in motivation. If a student is motivated, they will take ownership of their learning, and that makes whatever they are learning incredibly meaningful. A key point of motivation is relevance. Learning should be based on what students already know. Prior knowledge is of HUGE importance in learning because it provides a stable foundation for new learning and a concrete reference point. If students have a reference point, learning new concepts or information is much easier. They make connections to their own lives and that only adds meaning to what is being taught! In addition, reference points can be springboards for educators. We can take a that reference and weave other perspectives, create challenges that our students have to resolve, stir up discussion, questions, and interests, and make learning so much more than memorization and preparation for filling in bubbles on a test sheet.
Learning is a life-long tool. It's a wonderful gift and it should not be taken lightly. As educators, we hold the power to engage our students or to watch as their attention and desire to learn fades into nothing more than a shadow of what it could be. Our tools are tried and true strategies, creativity, experience, advice, scaffolding, communication skills, and whatever else we bring as individuals. Our goal is to arouse the bottomless pit of curiosity and imagination that spring from our students' minds and are waiting to be tapped into. It's an intimidating task, but it's worth the effort. We have the power to touch lives. Let's be sure not to waste it!
Chapter 6 in Content Area Reading is titled "Activating Prior Knowledge and Interest." It discusses how to engage students so that they come to enjoy learning, and, perhaps more importantly, to believe in themselves. Teachers control the lesson plan. Curriculum may be forcibly put on our desks, but we are in charge of how the material that needs to be covered will be taught. The possibilities are nearly endless (within the confines of time and resources). Each classroom is a tiny society within the larger context of school. The authors of the chapter my class read encouraged and challenged teachers to help all of our students to develop self-efficacy. That means that students believe in themselves. They think "I can" instead of "This is stupid/difficult/you fill in the blank." But how can we help students to bridge that gap, especially when they have struggled in school for years?
The answer lies in motivation. If a student is motivated, they will take ownership of their learning, and that makes whatever they are learning incredibly meaningful. A key point of motivation is relevance. Learning should be based on what students already know. Prior knowledge is of HUGE importance in learning because it provides a stable foundation for new learning and a concrete reference point. If students have a reference point, learning new concepts or information is much easier. They make connections to their own lives and that only adds meaning to what is being taught! In addition, reference points can be springboards for educators. We can take a that reference and weave other perspectives, create challenges that our students have to resolve, stir up discussion, questions, and interests, and make learning so much more than memorization and preparation for filling in bubbles on a test sheet.
Learning is a life-long tool. It's a wonderful gift and it should not be taken lightly. As educators, we hold the power to engage our students or to watch as their attention and desire to learn fades into nothing more than a shadow of what it could be. Our tools are tried and true strategies, creativity, experience, advice, scaffolding, communication skills, and whatever else we bring as individuals. Our goal is to arouse the bottomless pit of curiosity and imagination that spring from our students' minds and are waiting to be tapped into. It's an intimidating task, but it's worth the effort. We have the power to touch lives. Let's be sure not to waste it!
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