The topic of emergent literacy was one that I was quite unfamiliar with because I had always seen the topic as one that applies more to Child Development majors. I realize now, though, that the topic is very important for me as an Elementary teacher as well. By definition, emergent literacy is the process by which young children begin the process of learning how to read and write. This usually occurs within the child's home environment within the family and continues through pre-school and a little bit beyond. It is very interesting to think about how children develop as readers and writers. When they are young, children often babble and try to imitate what the people around them are saying. We see this often when parents try to get their babies to call them by name saying "momma" or "daddy". As children grow, these learning patterns are extended to different facets of reading and writing. For example, many children may ask, "what is this?" because they want to learn new vocabulary for speaking. In addition, they may try to write or draw pictures to imitate people they see writing. It is very interesting to see the writing development of a child because it often follows a sequence of scribbling, simple letters, and then words, and often including simple words they know how to spell, such as "cat" or "dog". In order to provide an environment for emergent literacy, parents and teachers should talk to the children and inform them of certain words and vocabulary, as well as daily routines. Always challenge the child's limits and try to introduce them to as many new things as possible. In addition, encourage them to read books and talk a lot, and to also draw pictures and attempt writing. Challenge them to draw a picture about a story that they know and then force them to explain it to you to build reading comprehension skills. For teachers especially to build literacy within their learners they should try to find a variety of activities for their students to do to become literate. Make sure that they have a variety of experiences with reading, writing, listening, and speaking in order to get a balanced level of literacy.
Cultural capital is also another subject touched on in the reading. Due to the great amount of diversity in the world now, we are all exposed to different cultures each day. Cultural capital refers to the experiences that each child brings with them to a situation that allows them to succeed more than someone from a different background. For example, Americans are typically more familiar with everyday life in the USA than non-US residents, so when there are ESL learners in the classroom, they may have trouble understanding slang words that Americans understand fine. Another example that is more personal for me happened when I studied abroad in Spain last summer. When I went to school in Spain, I was very inexperienced with the schooling and way of life there, so it was much more difficult for me than the other Spanish students. With more cultural capital, I would have been able to participate in those classes closer to the high level of participation I have in our class today.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Week #3 Blog Post
This week's reading were interesting because they addressed the differences between recitations and discussions. I had honestly never thought about the two being different from each other until reading the articles, and then quickly realized that even though they are both different, I find them both beneficial. Even though recitations are more teacher-directed situations, I think these are, in some ways, more beneficial to the shy learners who experience high anxiety during discussion. For these individuals, class discussion may cause so much stress that they are unable to focus on the actual topics of discussion and what is relevant for comprehension. On the other hand, Almasi points out benefits of discussion within the classroom by stating that, "discussions of literature may be viewed as a social environment in which students can witness how group members work together to collaboratively construct meaning while also participating in the process" (p.43). The author also goes on to say how readers comprehend material much better if they are able to talk and discuss it aloud. If the teacher presents an idea to the class, the discussion will form around the topic, but then branch off to other areas to demonstrate other viewpoints. I see a healthy mix of recitation and discussion in my kindergarten class each week. My CT will sometimes ask students questions and they will answer as a whole and that will be the end of it as soon as the question is answered. Other times (and I feel this has a lot to do with the age group of my students) the CT will ask about a topic and the children will go off on tangents to start a discussion. For example, this past week my CT asked the students to describe the weather outside to her. When one student did this accurately, our CT began to move on, but other students starting chiming in about what snow is and what temperature is, which led my CT to give a science talk. When students do not participate in the conversations, my CT often scaffolds the discussion for certain shy learners. For example, she will call on them and ask them simple questions, or prompt these students by telling them what she is going to ask next, etc.
My field experience connect well with Goldenberg's article about instructional conversation. The author states that an instructional conversation is one that is engaging to the students in order to maximize comprehension and understanding. By gaining children's interest in conversation, they are typically more willing to be a part of the discussion and learn more in the long run. In my classroom I have seen this many times when my CT really "gets into" what she is teaching. For example, she incorporates her own personal experiences with the topic that they are talking about or tells stories to make the issue more personable. This article interested me because when I reflect on the teachers that most impacted me throughout my schooling career, it was the ones who had the strongest and most powerful instructional conversations.
My field experience connect well with Goldenberg's article about instructional conversation. The author states that an instructional conversation is one that is engaging to the students in order to maximize comprehension and understanding. By gaining children's interest in conversation, they are typically more willing to be a part of the discussion and learn more in the long run. In my classroom I have seen this many times when my CT really "gets into" what she is teaching. For example, she incorporates her own personal experiences with the topic that they are talking about or tells stories to make the issue more personable. This article interested me because when I reflect on the teachers that most impacted me throughout my schooling career, it was the ones who had the strongest and most powerful instructional conversations.
Week 2 Blog Post
This week’s readings were very interesting to me because my minor in Elementary Education is TESOL and so they were especially applicable to me as a future teacher of ESL students. The first article written about how to assess English Language Learners (ELLs) in a mainstream classroom was very interesting because I had never read anything like this before. The article stated that, as a teacher, it is very important to understand where each student is coming from and what their background in literacy is because each student is different. I thought that one of the most interesting points that Lenski made was that even though ELLs are most time categorized into one homogeneous group, there are actually many sub-categories within these students, which makes them much more heterogeneous. I also enjoyed how the article gave suggestions for how teachers can effectively assess ESL students in a more authentic way. By using journals, portfolios, and self-assessments, a teacher is able accurately assess a student in a way that is much more well-rounded and shows true levels of ability. This will also be a more personable approach because it will help the teacher get to know her students better individually by these assignments.
The article by Maples was also very intriguing to me because I had never heard of a teacher assigning homework to the parents. This article made me think a lot about the situation with parents in my field placement classroom because many of the students have no support from their guardians and do not have role models. I was very shocked by the large amount of response that the teacher received! I could never imagine that much response happening in my classroom. I do think, though, that this technique is definitely something that I am going to use for my future classrooms because it really gives you as a teacher a good look into where these students are coming from.
In regards to codeswitching it is very intriguing to see what a teacher can do to promote this. In my TE 494 class we are also learning about this topic and it is very interesting to me to see how powerful a teacher's feedback can be to their students. On the other hand, we also learned from the reading how hurtful the teacher can be to the learner when he or she does NOT give any feedback to the learner. For example, if a teacher returns a paper to an ESL student with only a grade at the top without any comments, the learner is not going to learn from his or her mistakes. On the other hand, it the teacher provides multiple comments, the learner may use those constructively to better their papers in the future. When I become a teacher, I will try my best to give a lot of feedback to each of my students. In addition, if it is possible I will encourage my students to meet with me after each assessment so that we can discuss the mistakes that were made and make constructive improvements for the future.
After reading the syllabus for this course, my goals are 1.) to learn how to teach Language Arts in new, innovative ways to students and 2.) to learn how to accommodate all learning styles with Language Arts, especially those who tend to dislike the subject.
The article by Maples was also very intriguing to me because I had never heard of a teacher assigning homework to the parents. This article made me think a lot about the situation with parents in my field placement classroom because many of the students have no support from their guardians and do not have role models. I was very shocked by the large amount of response that the teacher received! I could never imagine that much response happening in my classroom. I do think, though, that this technique is definitely something that I am going to use for my future classrooms because it really gives you as a teacher a good look into where these students are coming from.
In regards to codeswitching it is very intriguing to see what a teacher can do to promote this. In my TE 494 class we are also learning about this topic and it is very interesting to me to see how powerful a teacher's feedback can be to their students. On the other hand, we also learned from the reading how hurtful the teacher can be to the learner when he or she does NOT give any feedback to the learner. For example, if a teacher returns a paper to an ESL student with only a grade at the top without any comments, the learner is not going to learn from his or her mistakes. On the other hand, it the teacher provides multiple comments, the learner may use those constructively to better their papers in the future. When I become a teacher, I will try my best to give a lot of feedback to each of my students. In addition, if it is possible I will encourage my students to meet with me after each assessment so that we can discuss the mistakes that were made and make constructive improvements for the future.
After reading the syllabus for this course, my goals are 1.) to learn how to teach Language Arts in new, innovative ways to students and 2.) to learn how to accommodate all learning styles with Language Arts, especially those who tend to dislike the subject.
Week 1 Blog Entry
I think that our own experiences with learning language arts have a big effect on our ideas on teaching and learning. Typically people enjoy things more that they are good at and don't enjoy things as much that they aren't as good at. Therefore, it is likely that someone who really enjoyed language arts in school would put more of a focus on it when teaching it because they may think that others will enjoy it that much as well. I think this is a really important thing to think about, though, because not all students enjoy the same things, so it is important that the teacher does not let his or her beliefs interfere too much with their teaching. For example, I have had teachers before that push what they like or what they specialize in onto the rest of the class and EVERYTHING we did in the class related in some way to the topic that the professor was an expert in. In my opinion, that is not giving students the well-rounded knowledge that is crucial to their development. For me personally, even though I really enjoy language arts because it comes easier to me than other subjects, I will try very hard not to push that on my students because not all people share the same feelings that I do about the subject. For the question regarding our learning community, I am a little unsure of what the question is asking, but I am going to assume that it means the learning community that we have in our TE 402 classroom. Our learning community is composed of all people that have a desire to teach younger children and even though we are very different in age, each of us has something valuable to contribute to our colleagues. In our learning community of TE 402 we are very diverse even though it may not seem like it at a glance. Even though we are all in the Elementary Ed. program at MSU, we have all had different experiences that brought us to where we are today. For example, for some of our colleagues, this is their second degree. For others, they are starting a family or have their own family already. Others are married. Others come from another country. Even more general, we are diverse in what we want to teach and how we learn ourselves.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Blog Entry For Week 3
Comparing and contrasting discussions and recitations was useful in understanding how teachers can structure their lessons to make learning most meaningful to students. It was most evident how both discussions and recitations have benefits and drawbacks. After completing the reading, I believe that it is necessary to include both types of instruction in the classroom. However, it is also necessary to know how both types of instruction differ. For example, discussion is useful for students to share ideas and learn different view points. If I want my students to share ideas and learn what other are thinking, it is important that I am creating a discussion, and not asking them questions with single answers that I respond to. If I do not know what a discussion is, then I might think I am creating one when in reality I am not. To ensure that I am giving children an appropriate mix of discussions and recitations, then it is essential that I know what each type of instruction includes.
In my classroom, I am seeing a mix of both discussion and recitation. There are times where the children recall facts, and other times where they are asked to share their ideas, or any connections they may have between real life experiences, and the text. Often the head teacher shares her personal experiences, creating discussion and modeling how children can internalize the text.
It is obvious that the children have had practice with both types of instruction. The teacher uses cues as to the questions she asks, to help the children know what type of response is expected of them. She also will physically change how the children are sitting (by having them move to groups). When this happens, it is a cue to the children that they will be discussing their ideas in these small groups, and not recalling facts. Fact recall is more common during social studies, when all the children are in their assigned seats.
In order to ensure that all children talk and share their ideas, my head teacher often has the children share in small groups, or do quick writes. This way those children who are not comfortable sharing with the entire class can share in a more comfortable, private way. My teacher may also "beg" and ask different students to share their thinking. When doing this, she often re-assures the children that she wants to know what they are thinking or what they are doing, so that she can understand if they are getting the right ideas, or where they need help. After she states how she just wants to know, and that she will not judge them based on how correct or incorrect the answers are, then the students are more willing to share.
In my classroom, I am seeing a mix of both discussion and recitation. There are times where the children recall facts, and other times where they are asked to share their ideas, or any connections they may have between real life experiences, and the text. Often the head teacher shares her personal experiences, creating discussion and modeling how children can internalize the text.
It is obvious that the children have had practice with both types of instruction. The teacher uses cues as to the questions she asks, to help the children know what type of response is expected of them. She also will physically change how the children are sitting (by having them move to groups). When this happens, it is a cue to the children that they will be discussing their ideas in these small groups, and not recalling facts. Fact recall is more common during social studies, when all the children are in their assigned seats.
In order to ensure that all children talk and share their ideas, my head teacher often has the children share in small groups, or do quick writes. This way those children who are not comfortable sharing with the entire class can share in a more comfortable, private way. My teacher may also "beg" and ask different students to share their thinking. When doing this, she often re-assures the children that she wants to know what they are thinking or what they are doing, so that she can understand if they are getting the right ideas, or where they need help. After she states how she just wants to know, and that she will not judge them based on how correct or incorrect the answers are, then the students are more willing to share.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Blog Entry for Week 2 (January 19-23)
After completing the readings, it is apparent that each child and each learning situation is unique. There are many ways to support diverse learners in a learning community. First of all, it is important to ensure that the assessment a teacher is giving is right for what the teacher wants to learn. If a teacher wants to check a language learners knowledge of a new language, then the teacher should use a different assessment than if they want to learn what a language learner knows about the content of the material being taught in class. In order to fully understand what the child knows about CONTENT, then the teacher may have to assess the language learn differently than those who speak the native language. This is supported when the first article states, "An overwhelming majority of assessment tools are in English only, presenting a potential threat to the usefulness of assessments when ELL's lack of English prevents them from understanding test items." (Assessing English-Language Learners in mainstream classrooms, Susan Lenski)
Another reading (Opening Quality Lines of Communication: Seeing my students through the eyes of their parents) pointed out how one can learn a great deal about children and their learning styles from their parents. Parents know their children better than any teacher, because they see their children all the time, and have been with them since they were little. When one teacher had the parents write about their children, she learned information about them that would have taken a year to learn, if she had ever learned it at all. Instantly she was able to cater her lessons to what the children liked and were interested in. She also knew which children were experts in what. Finally, she knew more about their personalities, so she was able to structure her lessons to meet their diverse learning styles. It was exciting how parent can be an excellent source when learning what support diverse learners need.
Yet another article (Code switching: Tools of Language and Culture Transform the dialectally Diverse Classroom) points out how teaching English is not only beneficial to English language learners, but to all the children in the class as well. The children in the class will better understand their language, and how languages are similar and different. By making children competent in their own language, they feel competent and confident. They are able to determine what is appropriate at what time, just like they learn what dress is appropriate for different occasions.
All of the articles point out how there is no one way to teach language to children. It is important to learn about students and their thought process when teaching. This may come from checking assessments to ensure that they are checking exactly what a teacher is looking for, asking the parents for help and information, or from observing how all children can benefit from comparing and contrasting two different languages. The last text we read, from the book Scaffolding Language and Learning, points out how teachers can learn about children and their language from talking with them. Specifically, when teachers understand how language is structured, they will be able to identify strengths the children have, and then use these strengths to help children in areas they need improvement.
Another reading (Opening Quality Lines of Communication: Seeing my students through the eyes of their parents) pointed out how one can learn a great deal about children and their learning styles from their parents. Parents know their children better than any teacher, because they see their children all the time, and have been with them since they were little. When one teacher had the parents write about their children, she learned information about them that would have taken a year to learn, if she had ever learned it at all. Instantly she was able to cater her lessons to what the children liked and were interested in. She also knew which children were experts in what. Finally, she knew more about their personalities, so she was able to structure her lessons to meet their diverse learning styles. It was exciting how parent can be an excellent source when learning what support diverse learners need.
Yet another article (Code switching: Tools of Language and Culture Transform the dialectally Diverse Classroom) points out how teaching English is not only beneficial to English language learners, but to all the children in the class as well. The children in the class will better understand their language, and how languages are similar and different. By making children competent in their own language, they feel competent and confident. They are able to determine what is appropriate at what time, just like they learn what dress is appropriate for different occasions.
All of the articles point out how there is no one way to teach language to children. It is important to learn about students and their thought process when teaching. This may come from checking assessments to ensure that they are checking exactly what a teacher is looking for, asking the parents for help and information, or from observing how all children can benefit from comparing and contrasting two different languages. The last text we read, from the book Scaffolding Language and Learning, points out how teachers can learn about children and their language from talking with them. Specifically, when teachers understand how language is structured, they will be able to identify strengths the children have, and then use these strengths to help children in areas they need improvement.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
First Post
This is a test post. Just testing to see if Stephanie and Katie can access the blog, comment on each others posts and what not! I'm yet to do the reading, so once I finish them I will post. But quick question, we all three post, then what? We comment on each other? Do we comment on all posts or just one?
Thats all! Happy Wednesday!
Jessie
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