Reaction to Class 11/20/14

In life, I believe every human wants two things: to be heard and know what they are saying means something, that their words are taken into account by someone, somewhere. The article I read was Vocabulary: Questions from the classroom bu Fisher, Ogle and Blachowicz. The authors spoke of how failing schools promote children with insufficient vocabulary knowledge. They prosed pertinent questions such as: Which words should be taught? What do we know about vocabulary instruction? What specific approaches or strategies can help English Language Learners? I was enthused to hear and read specific resolutions to these questions. Unfortunately, this article gave only the Concept of Definiton map which displayed the word's definition, examples as well as non-examples. This reminded me of Freyer's Model. I know my students enjoyed creating their bricks for our Word Wall. On each brick, my learners put the word(s), roots, origins, visual, and example for each words. Fisher, Ogle and Blachowicz reinforced how application and repetition of vocabulary is critical for success. They also believe that economically disadvanatged are way below economically advantaged children in vocabluary instruction and development. The authors spoke of a vocabulary rich environment where children have numerous opportunities to speak, hear and read their new vocabulary. A "flood of words" and a "flood of books" were given as just one solution where teachers would be able to increase their learners' vocabulary. For visual learners, semantic mapping was brought up in order for children to "see" what differentiates one word from another. Numerous lists such as: The Fry Instant Words List, Living Word Vocabulary and the General Service of English Words for older students and English Language Learners were also supported by research that can serve as another source of information. Reading aloud was promoted as beneficial to develop new meaning vocabulary, word meanings, as well as aid students to go beyond their existing vocabularies and introduce new concepts and higher order words. Learners take in and digest new terms by using them numerous times and in different ways. As with any process, this does not occur overnight. Sometimes using cognates, synonyms, root words and/or origins, this may help to increase their vocabulary and make them more knowledgeable about words. In Putting 2 and 2 together, our group expert spoke to us about how affluent readers use such strategies as: parts to whole, analogy, whole and part to whole to acquire new vocabulary. Parts to whole is where students use prefixes, suffixes and/or parts to discover the meaning of a new words. The analogy method says just the prefix helps acquire meaning by defining what relation the meaning has to the whole. In this artcile, educators were encouraged to chunk and make connections to new words. We also learned about Research on Vocabulary Instruction in the Content Area. In this article, our group expert explained how affluent readers used graphic organizers to go from no knowledge to partial knowledge. They were presented with challenging words but applied PEP-Person, Event, Place in order for them to categorize vocabulary words in Social Studies. I like how some of my group members mentioned techniques they find helpful in their classrooms. Kaitlin brought up how she has her students create a Vocabulary Self-Collection where their own vocabulary is based on their interests. She will give them a list and the learners make their own lists as well. They then switch books and make trigger maps. She mentioned spellingcity.com. I also liked how she said when she has her students open a book, choose a word that they don't know. This allows them a chance to let their own language and individuality come through. Again, reflecting how we all want to be heard and know what we have to say has some importance.

Comprehension Jigsaw Discussion Blog

Good morning everyone. I no longer number my blogs because I think I am doing that wrong. This coming from a math teacher, Ugh! Following last Thursday's class, I clutched onto the Reading Mathematics More Than Words Can Say article probably from my profession and that I related to it the most out of the other articles given. In my first year at my school, our former principal, who was a math teacher for many years, reminded me that mathematics is its own language which was reinforced and restated in this article. I was also reminded of misused and confusing words. For example, my seventh graders this year struggled with the word "Fair" when we began simple and complex probability. We went over the different meanings of fair, used visuals, examples and non-examples. It took time but my goal was to clear up the confusion. At the same time, I am frustrated that I am behind in covering material in comparison to the other seventh grade math teacher. The expert in my group reminded us to create tables, charts, diagrams as well as classifying and categorizing. Basically, this article reminded us "to makes sense of dollars and cents." The next article was Promoting Reading in Social Studies. Our expert encouraged us as well as the article to LGL, label, group and list, which will force learners to reread, categorize, and engage with predictable text. I also like this approach because I believe this approach would help students to organize their thoughts. At the age I teach, I find organization of self, locker, backpack and yes, even thoughts, is an area my learners greatly struggle with. After calculating the grade level of the Social Studies textbook last Thursday, I liked that this article reinforced Inquiry Charts, front loading and ERT techniques. At a time when the information is maturing so rapidly but my students are not, I believe these approaches will aid concentration and focus to occur more efficiently. The ERT technique, Everybody Reads To....., is reading for a purpose. In this time when patience is thin and distractions are many, a time of quiet, meaningful reading is truly crucial. "Front Loading" was explained to us as accessing complex text by first using the learner's prior knowledge. The next article was Close Reading as an Intervention for Struggling Middle School Readers. Our expert explained to us that a study was performed because so many students were not connecting to the material and as a result, not passing state tests. An optional program was established. The attendance was exemplary with 94% but their special needs population was not included and they discovered that technology made very little difference in the outcomes. Learning was connected to prior knowledge and focus was on constructing a situational model. They also discovered that the issues were not solved with rigor. As a result of last week's class, I would like to try LGL especially when it comes to math word problems. This may help my students organize their thoughts and calculations. As of right now, the traditional factoring tree is avoided by many because their writing gets out of control and they can't read their own calculations. I have shown them another method but again, they are finding their numbers are illegible especially 4's and 9's. I constantly encourage my learners to lean on/refer to what they already know so "front loading" has been utilized by myself for awhile. I would also like to try the ERT time but take a mathematical approach or possibly use it as a last seven minutes of the period to come together before the bell rings. As a reading specialist, I would encourage and suggest these methods discussed in this blog as well as some other graphic organizers because I really organization is a consistent weakness in middle school. With the teachers, aides, specialists assistance and consistency, learners may just become organized individuals. I do believe consistent TEAM periods must be given to all staff members not just most. This year, I have no TEAM periods unlike the majority of my fellow colleagues so I do not see or talk to anyone this year. I would really like to meet with my middle or even elementary members perhaps before school or during lunch if schedules can not be worked out. I am all for change and learning new but it must be dome with consistency and organization.

Week 4- Responding to the Articles

As I was reading three out of the four articles, I sensed a common theme. White, female or male, preservice teachers need to be more aware of the needs, backgrounds, experiences and interests of their students. I agree but also feel that this is true of any educator no matter the gender, age, religion or race. Now, in 2014, with an African-American President, women in the Senate and Congress, times, beliefs and traditions, have truly changed. In my family, four female members are in the nursing field. Why not begin to adapt the teaching path where instead of spending time in a classroom, reading a book, have the student teacher spend a semester or two in an urban district. Then have the same student teacher spend another semester in a Catholic/private school. Following that, have the learner spend time in a charter school. Just like my family members, each nurse had to spend a certain period of time in a specific setting, psychiatric hospital, county jail, pediatrics, geriatrics, etc..., called a rotation where they experienced and worked under a licensed professional. In this case, the nurse comes out a bit more rounded having been exposed to settings that she or he were familiar with but also battled in extablishments that they never hoped to return to. In my personal educational background, I found life experience to be much more beneficial than classroom time. When I began at Wilson a decade ago, our former principal, Mr. Treanor always reinforced "educating the whole child." With this concept, I ran. I take the interests of my students and try to bring them or connect them to the unit/ topic at hand. I also see more and more interest for something new, curiousity. For example, one of my sixth grade classes is very interested in learning to speak Italian. The last two or three minutes when reminded, I introduce a new phrase or sentence in Italian. This is not a part of the math curriculum but it is something they are taking an interest to. Attract the student's attention with something they know like the teacher that introduced the idea of rhythm through a Robert Frost poem with rap. Yet keep a balance of exposing them to new. The Journal of Teacher Education brought up the concept of honest discussions in the classroom about such issues as teenage sex and drug use. Again, great concept and love the idea of discussion/talking in a time where only texting and tweeting occur but sense that very fine line we walk in this litigious society we live in. Talk is crucial in our field but yet with parents/guardians, educators must dot i's and cross t's in orde to avoid problems. I also like the idea of community involvement. Of course, guest speakers are great but what about having middle school students work a bingo or volunteer at a hospital? I attempt, as much as I can, to have my students make brown bag lunches for the Hoboken Shelter or make toiletry bags for PERC shelter. Again, it boils down to a race against time. Change is a slow process states the Journal of Teacher Education. Teachers must serve as an agent for this change. What about families, society as a whole? The book It Takes A Village comes to mind. Teachers do need to be an ingredient for change but there are many other ingredients as well to this recipe. Reading Horizons mentioned different approaches to curriculum such as transformation and social action as well as contributions and ethnic additive approaches. I particularly liked the Think Aloud and Four Corners mentioned in the Critical Literacy article. I play Four Corners in my classroom but with positive and negative numbers. The concept of encouraging students to think about each step, author, perspective and CD cover is sharp. Especially when I hear from my students how they are not asked their opinion or nobody cares or values what they think. Teachers do serve as role models just like parents, doctors, firemen, grandparents, police officers, etc.... All must be open and invite change to occur. Since change does not happen overnight, patience is crucial and valuable. To attend a workshop or class and learn new techniques are great but the key is to apply them successfully in your classroom. Hopefully, we, as educators, will become as diversified as the children we teach.

Response to Jigsaw

In response to last Thursday's Jigsaw activity, I have mixed feelings. On a positive note, I do really like that it is a social activity. I am sure the experts in my group and the rest of my classmates have heard me say "Each year, I notice more and more that my students do not know how to socilaize." I can't decide whether to point blame at technology or families working more so learners are home more often by themselves. As of right now, I say a mixture of the two. In my experience, students readily tell me that they rarely ever eat dinner together. As a result, I will try this activity with my seventh grade class first. Not that the sixth grade is bad but just maturity and age wise, I feel this acitivity might work better. I also like how five articles got discussed and covered in a sort of non-traditional round tablelike discussion. Now more than ever, I feel like the amount of material we have to cover far extends beyond the amount of time we have actually teaching, covering it. Meeting with professionals from my world, I grow in knowledge because they provide perspectives that I do not possess possibly due to the subject area that I teach. Being that we all are attending this class in order to improve, each one of my group meembers was open and actively listening to my point of view from my article. We also received instantaneous feedback as to how our fellow members thought and felt in regards to our perspective. The drawbacks I have to this activity are honestly few. Mainly, I believe it depends on the age you teach and the class itself. As stated before in the previous paragraph, my sixth grade students are very good to me but to each other, horrendous. I would have to strategically create groups before hand. I have no problem with this since I already do this in class but I would like to take time and actually think about the groupings. Since time is so precious, I wonder when to do this activity? I'm thinking before an assessment as a way to review. Possibly, I might even do this as a pre-test sort of. What do you remeber about fractions? I could create the groupings by operation. How long to give to the Jigsaw? Like an experiment, I will alter it according to success, how well it is working in my classroom. I will definitely try this activity with my class and see how it goes.