March 26, 2013
You are posting your Journal 2 for your online assignment today.
Read Chapter 9 (RWL) and Chapter 23 (FUN)
Key Points from the reading
- Prereading and During-reading phases of reading and writing across the curriculum are crucial
- If students don't develop a clear purpose for reading, they will not be efficient content-area readers and learners. They will not be able to monitor their comprehension if they aren't clear about what they should be learning.
- Second language learners experience difficulties in learning L2 vocabularies because the relabeling of concepts they have acquired in the native language with foreign terminologies makes it difficult for them to retrieve the newly learned words in the target language.
- Techniques that teachers can use to teach vocabulary: picture flash cards, enrichment packets, semantic maps, or webs; and songs, games and TPR.
- Deep learning requires not only comprehending but also remembering and communicating what they have learned.
Extra Websites you may find useful
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ReplyDeleteReview - What did you learn?
ReplyDeleteChapter 9, focused on strategies to use with students before and during reading texts related to content areas such as social studies, science, mathematics, and language art. Whereas reading material in the early grades typically consists of short and simple texts, content area texts are longer, more complex and filled with essential information. Strategies for content area reading thus emphasize understanding, selecting and synthesizing information for critical reading and academic learning. In pre-reading, you prepare students to read by developing purpose, motivation, and background knowledge about the subject matter of the text. If students are about to read about city government, for example, you might take the class on a field trip to their local government offices or show a film on the topic. Similarly, you might use photographs or a nature video to build background knowledge about marine mammals before students read a text about them. It is also important for students to know the purpose before they read. Thus you need to let them know why they are reading a chapter and what they should know when they've finished reading.
Reflect – What did it mean to you?
One way to do so is to provide a preview guide pointing out important topics in the reading. In this chapter you will find a variety of strategies to use before reading to assess and build background knowledge and set a purpose for reading. In the during-reading phase of content reading you'll want your students to monitor their comprehension based on their purpose for reading by teaching them various metacognitive strategies described in this chapter. Then your students will be able to gauge their own success.
Refine – How will you use the information in your classroom?
One strategy to teach is the use of headings and subheadings to create questions that students answer as they read. For example, if the heading says "Content Reading and Writing: Pre-reading", a question a reader will want to ask is "What is meant by pre-reading in content areas?" When students read such a text, they will want to be able to answer their questions about heading and subheadings. They might also use learning logs to write their answers to the questions they have generated with your assistance. During the pre-reading stage questions are asked, and predictions are made in order to set the purpose for reading and to activate prior knowledge. A variety of strategies enable readers to activate this critical reading process (KWL, Anticipation Guide, Pre-read Prep, questioning, etc.). By taking students through the process, teachers are modeling what good readers do before attempting an unfamiliar piece (C. Britt, ESOL Mini Conference, 3/23/13). Pre-reading gets students “thinking about” ways the text might connect: text to self, text to text, and text to world.
In my Stampede class this morning we were reading about Theme. I used this strategy to help my students understand what they were reading. We read the questions first and we discussed what theme was before they read the passage. We did a similar activity a few days ago and it didn't go as well. They all performed much better when the questions were read first. I asked them why it was easier and each of them said, "I was able to figure out what to look for when I was reading. Instead of annotating for anything, I was looking for examples in the text for theme and it made it much easier to find." Excellent points!
DeleteListening is the ability to identify and understand what others are saying. Sounds so simple, but like everything else regarding an English Language Learner (ELL) it’s more complex than it appears. There are many skills interacting together when someone is listening. Simultaneously when we listen we are predicting, guessing, using prior knowledge, identifying relevancy, retaining information, recognizing discourse and cohesion, intonation, and inferring. These are skills acting together is how ELL’s support language acquisition. Listening is often minimized when compared to speaking, reading, and writing. Listening is given less instruction and support of all the areas that are in use to acquire language. The fact of the matter is that we must hear the sounds of language before we can acquire language. Listening skills are integral part of how an ELL will perform in the new language.
ReplyDeleteIn our classrooms we all tend to predict when the students are going to really get into the lesson based on history and subject matter. On project day the kids are excited and really focus on the activity because the perception to them is that it’s a fun day. When listening to someone the same thing is in play. If the student perceives the conversation as cumbersome and boring then the message isn’t understood as well. Additional factors that affect listening comprehension are the speed at which the speaker delivers the message. The amount of background information is also a key component of listening comprehension. All of these factors take us back to the basics of ELL instruction. We must impart content vocabulary, background knowledge, and cultural relevance into the lesson. This enables the listener to better be able to receive and process the information and derive meaning from the spoken word.
Listening, to my surprise, is an active skill. I had always thought of it as passive in nature. Then again, I have never tried to acquire a second language so the need has never arisen for me to focus on a skill I take for granted. Listening is really a problem solving activity. It doesn’t always lead to understanding, but the process in which meaning is learned is far more complex than I ever imagined. When instructing ELL students I now have to take into account what level of understanding they have of the second language is and to what extent can they interpret meaning from the spoken word. Concentration is a difficult task for an ELL. I recall my own level of frustration in the German class we had at the mini-conference. Not being able to feel like you can contribute or provide any feedback in a class setting makes you feel useless and undervalued. It’s critical that we do our due diligence to create a level of comfort to our ELL’s so when we speak they are in a better position to process the information and tie meaning to it.
One of the fascinating things that I read in the entire chapter was the experiment on the Russian children when acquiring a second language. Not allowing them to speak when spoken to and requiring them to respond only in writing actually helped them perform better than the group that was allowed to respond orally. The rationale was that we are asking the ELL’s to respond too quickly when they’re not ready or able to do so. The other skills related to learning (reading, writing, and speaking) also showed more gains and progress in the group that wasn’t allowed to respond orally for 12 weeks. This further reinforces my contention that we must lay the foundation first and not to take anything for granted before we instruct the ELL.
Oral language is also a key component in second language acquisition. Research shows that we listen twice as much in the classroom as we speak. Spoken language has two primary functions, transactional and interactional. Interactional is the language that is necessary to maintain social relationships. I had no idea that learning to speak the language is more difficult than trying to understand the spoken language. If I were asked that question of which one is more difficult I would have answered incorrectly. Speaking is the actual display of competence in the second language. The lack of oral communication skills in many ELL’s is attributed to the fact that ELL’s are taught reading and writing in their home country with oral communication being an afterthought. The ELL’s often keep their L1 accent since the second language lacks a natural flow and ability to immediately respond in the second language. The impact this has in the classroom is that students must be able to not only hear us talk; they must be given opportunities to speak themselves in meaningful ways. Group presentations are an effective way to allow ELL’s to gain this experience without all of the pressure of doing it alone. Having to present only a part of a presentation is far less intimidating than delivering a presentation alone in front of the class. These opportunities allow ELL’s to gain confidence and experience as they reproduce the second language correctly. The best approach in acquiring new oral language skill is to integrate both social and academic speaking into the lesson. Social conversations are less intimidating and create a level of comfort for the ELL. Integrating vocabulary into the social conversation essentially uses what prior knowledge they have of the second language and moves it in the direction of acquiring content specific knowledge that is essential in second language acquisition. The use of role play, acting out plays, and delivering oral summaries of what they learned are fast and easy ways to assess understanding of the content while at the same time giving the ELL the opportunity to practice reproducing the second language in an environment where they can get critical feedback and constructive criticism in a positive way that won’t deter them from participating.
ReplyDeleteYou make a great point, Mr. Lacy! I experienced this in high school when I was learning Spanish. It was so much easier to learn the grammar rules and write than it was to speak. When we use oral language, we have to think in real time, meaning when I'm speaking Spanish, I have to translate my thought into Spanish and verbalize the word almost simultaneously. When we write, we have more time to think about what we want to say and how to say it the correct way. I still mess up when I get nervous or try to speak to quickly. This is why I never rush my EL students when they are speaking English. They need time! : )
DeleteWriting is a continuing process of discovering how to find the most effective language for
Deletecommunicating one’s thoughts and feelings. It can be challenging, whether writing in one’s native
language or in a second language. Yet, ESL learners put their thoughts on paper, see their ideas
in print, and share them with others, they find they develop a powerful voice in their new culture. Writing also enhances language acquisition as learners experiment with words, sentences, and larger chunks of writing to communicate their ideas effectively and to reinforce the grammar and vocabulary they are learning in class.
What did you learn?
ReplyDeleteChapter 9 of Reading, Writing, and Learning in ESL presents two interesting words—efferent and aesthetic for readers. Efferent focuses on specific information that readers gain after reading a passage. On the other hand, aesthetic emphasizes on reading for enjoyment. The chapter also explains various text structures that expository text often exhibits such as compare/contrast, problem/solution and cause/effect. Recognizing the text structure of a story or a passage helps the students to become more effective in both reading and writing because the students can retrieve critical details to answer the questions pertaining to the passage, or the students can use the information to summarize. Certain type of information utilizes specific organizational structure such as a recipe or a letter. Moreover, elements of a story and an essay require signal words or phrases that readers can recognize to identify the text structure.
What did it mean to you?
Since text structure is related to reading and writing, I should explicitly examine different types of texts. Cohesive ties express the connections between ideas, present a timeline or order, or indicate changes of evidence. For example, a compare and contrast passage will utilize certain words or phrases that hint modifications between two entities. On the other hand, cause and effect will apply explicit words like as a result, because, or since to conclude the motives or provide clarifications of the incident. Moreover, problem and solution will categorize terminologies to warn the shift in the passages or stories.
How will you use information in your classroom?
Learning from this chapter, I will emphasize on teaching the student the cohesive ties that use transitional words to indicate addition or deviation in the passage. There are three types of text structures that I would like to focus, and each type of organization has specific words or phrases that specify the change. By recognizing the cohesive ties, the students will be able to recognize the text structure involved. As the authors suggest, the students who learn to recognize different types of organizational patterns will improve their reading and writing. Thus, I would like to introduce the common terminologies, so the students can understand information being presented in a particular context. I do hope that they can identify the causes and effects, the problems and solutions, and the similarities and differences in the passages. Additionally, I will present various writing formats such as writing a letter will include certain information that places at a specific location, or describing a recipe that applies another style. Using cohesive ties, the students can add ideas, offer a solution, or modify its course. What is more, using graphic organizers, I can show the students how to write three-paragraph essay or use the cluster to teach new vocabulary words. Most importantly, the students should apply metacognition while reading, for this is the most effective technique checking their comprehension. When reading a sentence or a paragraph and if the students do not comprehend what they just read, they should reread the sentence, look up words that they do not know, or utilize other strategies to help them understand the passage. Besides, they should learn to store evidence as they read and continuously ask questions pertaining to why, what, where, and how the characters perform such actions. By answering these questions, they are actively involved and be able to reply to the questions related to the passage or to summarize the main ideas.
In Chapter 9 of Reading, Writing and Learning in ESL, the author identifies the importance of helping students identify text structures and cohesive ties in order to more completely comprehend what they are reading. This was very interesting to me because I had never thought about how transition words can help readers gain meaning. I know how transition words create flow and cohesiveness, but I now realize that they can also help readers connect ideas between paragraphs. By helping students use these cohesive ties in their writing, we can make them more familiar with their meanings and recognize them more when reading academic texts to understand the content. I also found the author’s discussion of self-monitoring strategies to be interesting as I have never thought about the importance of giving students strategies to redirect themselves when they become confused during a reading passage. Also, as part of self-monitoring, the Directed Reading-Thinking Method (DR-TA) can also provide structure to help students monitor comprehension while reading. By using headings and subheadings to formulate questions, educators can also preview text to help students gain understanding before reading the content.
ReplyDeleteIn Chapter 23 of Fundamentals of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, the idea of cooperative learning groups was discussed and caught my attention. Because it may take seven years for English language learners to acquire academic language, science teachers, along with all other content teachers, must find ways to make the curriculum accessible to these students as they are acquiring the language. The idea of cooperative learning group was very intriguing to me. The authors point out that these groups allow students to explore questions that they may have never addressed in whole group settings. The affective filters of EL students can be lowered as they feel more comfortable asking help from peers in their native language and apart from the whole group. When working in this setting, it is also important that students are given roles and set expectations for the group work. This will help avoid the “smarter” kids taking over and dominating conversation. In this chapter, I also liked the idea of using bubble diagrams to aid EL students with content reading. The diagrams provide mini word walls for our students as they read difficult texts. This resource can help make key words more familiar and accessible to all learners.
One of the central ideas in Chapter 9 of Reading, Writing, and Learning in ESL was the importance of fostering full participation of EL students in classroom reading, writing and discussion. One way to achieve full participation is to specifically match students with appropriate texts. For example, if all of the students are practicing research skills by working with a nonfiction text, a teacher could provide a wide array of books from which to choose. This allows for students of any level, either highly accelerated or needing significant support, to work with a text that is both challenging and accessible. By providing this type of support, English Learner students will be able to work on the exact same activity as the rest of the class, fostering cohesiveness within the group and a sense of pride and social integration for the EL students – a necessary component to their development as students in a new environment. We utilized this strategy in a recent lesson. Students were all required to choose a biography and complete six research based activities using their selected book. Forty books were selected from the Media Center, from a picture book about Tecumseh to a more academic (and longer) collection of biographies of influential journalists. Students were allowed to select their own resource, and, with some guidance, the students were all able to find books from which they could complete the assigned tasks.
ReplyDeleteWhile reading Chapter 23 of Fundamentals of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, I noted a similar emphasis on participation as a central component of learning. Science teachers are encouraged to use many strategies that require active involvement in a lesson. Using real objects and models is usually a hit with the students. Actually cutting into a frog to find its heart, lungs, etc. is a million times more engaging than listening to a lecture about how the body systems work together. Activities like this also cut down on the obstacle of a language barrier, since language is not necessary to learn in this type of situation. Even when such complicated activities are not part of the daily routine in a science class, cooperative groups that work on less elaborate tasks can also foster communication and participation. When an EL student in a group has a specific, independent contribution to make but can also rely on others for help, that student is poised to successfully take hold of his or her own learning.
This differentiation example is a perfect way to illustrate what we've been talking about for months in class. Allowing EL's choices in the text they deliver to the class is a way to break down barriers and stress that come with demonstrating competency. Students, as we all know, always look for the path of least resistence. Encourage that, at first. As the year goes on make the text more challenging that they read and slowly build their confidence until they are ready to take on more challenging text. It's important to build the foundation before we ask them to do something that could hamper their growth and cause them to digress. Students have an inherent need to be recognized and praised. Building their skill level at a pace they are comfortable with keeps them engaged in class and allows for them to continue to improve without all the baggage that comes from learning a new language.
DeleteReview: What I learned?
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 9 I learned that when reading and writing across curriculums pre-reading and during phases is very important. Two concepts that really captivated me were background knowledge and making the purpose clear. The background is learning that was built on prior knowledge and direct experience such as field trips. The meaning and the purpose is the topic being meaningful to the students. Providing students with the appropriate background information with the text is the key to Ell’s to become successful. The purpose should take place during pre-reading, during reading and post-reading. The first purpose is to motivate student interest and build background knowledge on the reading material. The second purpose is for the students clarify the purpose during the pre-reading stage. The third purpose is to provide a clear understanding of the texts organization and content by perusing the headings, subheadings, table of contents, etc. Field trips and films, simulation games, experiments, developing before students read a text, structured overviews, preview guides, anticipation guides are all ways that can provide a meaningful purpose.
Reflections: What did it mean?
In some way, form or fashions, I already use the above concepts in my classroom. However, I have used these concepts as a direct tool for me ELs. Activating knowledge is an important concept when teaching all learners during pre-reading. For ELs the purpose must provide a clear understanding. This will in return provide motivation of the reader then a purpose setting. Some helpful strategies include experiments, pictures films, etc. During reading the purpose can be based on the purpose, monitoring comprehension and engaging background knowledge. Some strategies include learning logs, annotating texts, asking questions, answering questions, etc. During the post-reading the purpose is organizing and remembering information and using information. Strategies include artwork, maps, summarizing, reporting, publishing and making a film. My plan is use these concepts in my classroom to differentiate instruction for content reading. I know I use these concepts in one way or another, but I have never tried them with as a direct approach to my ELs. To ensure that my students reading comprehension is on a successful path, I will apply these concepts directly to my ELs one on one.
Review: What did I learn?
In chapter 23, I learned that connecting the content with student's lives is finding real world examples to which students can relate, and use them to help explain the content. Inviting a guest speaker from a diverse background or reading an article that connects content with student interests are just a couple of ways to do this. Using graphic organizers and diagrams whenever possible, utilize visuals while explaining content, and ask students to connect with the material by drawing pictures, diagrams, and graphic organizers. This helps all of the students in my classroom, but it’s especially helpful for those students who are still learning English and may have difficult time learning in a lecture-based format. Research has shown that cooperative learning for ELL students can improve their English proficiency by working in groups with native English speakers. By working cooperatively, students are utilizing both scientific and everyday vocabulary in order to complete the task. Hands on activities can allow ELL students to interact with science content through lab investigations, simulations, and other types of kinesthetic learning. Utilizing these strategies will not only help ELL students learn science, it will be beneficial to native English speakers as well.
Connecting the content to real world situations is very beneficial for the students’ understanding of the content. It also motivates them to learn. In my math class, we did a project called ‘Math in Science’. In that project students connected statistics with weather forecasting. They gathered the information on a 10 day weather forecast with low and high temperatures and then organized the data in various graphs. This project really motivated my students to learn math. Although I don’t teach any ELL students, these kinds of activities will definitely enhance ELL students’ motivation to learn rather than lecture based teaching.
DeleteJournal 2
ReplyDelete(Teaching Science to English Language Learners
& English Learners’ Vocabulary Development)
Review: In chapter 23 from TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages), the authors discussed about how the learning of science should promote scientific literacy. They also talked about how learning science enhances English language learners’ academic language. In chapter 6 from RW & L (Reading, writing, and learning in ESL), the authors talked about various effective strategies that enhance students’ vocabulary development in different content areas. I have chosen two very interesting strategies that can be implemented in my science class.
Science Talks: In this strategy, students discuss science ideas and pose questions to each other and the group to consider and explore. There is no right or wrong answers and they will have enough time to think about ideas such as open ended problems. Many researches show that all students including ELL students participate in science talks and they share what they experienced in the natural world.
Word cards: Word cards are used to help students remember words for which they already know the meaning. To create word cards, students write the English word on one side with a picture and short definition or translation in their native language on the other side. They keep the words with them and review their words individually or with their peers when they have spare time.
Reflect: The concept of science talks is a great strategy for the students who struggle with gaining academic content knowledge. Several students, including ELLs, have many questions and thoughts about the natural world. However, they have no confidence to express their thoughts. Through science talks, teachers can create an interaction and thought-building in the science classroom to support the learning process. This strategy lets the ELL students practice their English language skills in a comfortable and accepting atmosphere.
I think word cards are one of the most effective vocabulary strategies. I always use this strategy in both my math and science classrooms with my regular students. This vocabulary strategy can be used with students at any level to help them learn and remember high- frequency and complicated words and specific content area vocabulary.
I totally agree with you in reference to Science talk. If students use this strategy more, there academic performance overall would increase. However, it all depends upons student interest and their willingness to interact and express their thoughts openly. ANd, I can see that the use of word cards would be a good asset to help in establishing conversations.
DeleteRefine:
ReplyDeleteScience Talks: When I start any new unit, I will always begin with brainstorming with the students. I will encourage every student to share what they know about the particular topic that I am going to teach. I will write down their thoughts and opinions on the board. Then I will teach the lesson. I will begin the conversation on that topic and will make my students lead the conversation. I will become a facilitator rather than the director of the conversation. During the conversation, I will take notes on what they said. At the end of the conversation, I will reflect on what the students said and appreciate their thoughts and opinions. Through this strategy, I will encourage my quiet students to express their ideas and new ways of looking at natural phenomenon. Science talks also enhance students’ confidence levels to speak in front of the class.
Word Cards: This is my most favorite vocabulary strategy. Whenever I teach a new concept in both my math and science class, I will use word cards to enhance my ELL’s leaning and developing content vocabulary. In my math class, my students will make word cards to remember each math concept. They will write the vocabulary word and an example on one side of the index card and the definition in their own words on the other side. When we practice the problems on a particular math concept, they will look at the word card to recollect the concept. In my science class, they will write each vocabulary word and a small picture on one side of the index card and short definition on the other side. When they have a quiz or test, they will review the definitions with their peers. Also, on their word cards, they can write the translation word in their native language. After the completion of each unit, they will glue their word cards in their respective content notebooks so that they can study them for the standardized tests.
I love the idea you shared about not just using word cards, but instructing the students to keep track of all the word cards over the course of the year. There have been times when I've asked students to use or recall a vocabulary word from a past week, only to find that just a handful of students can remember the word. Even if a student truly learns a new word, repeated exposure to and review of that word is necessary for the knowledge to stick. A physical, visual reminder like a word card is a practical and effective way to address this memory problem.
DeleteAfter reading Chapter Nine from the Reading, Writing, and Learning in ESL, I found two strategies that I like and have experience incorporating into my instruction. One of the strategies that I have used is a Web quest. In Science instruction there is a wealth of information on the internet. Web quests add interest and excitement for the students. Web quests are also beneficial in helping ELL students preview concepts in Science before it is taught. My students recently completed an Electricity web quest where they had to complete a scavenger hunt style question and answer. Also on this website my students were able to build an interactive series and parallel circuit. This helped my students because on the next day they actually built circuits in a lab experiment. The book gave a website that has examples of web quests for students on the elementary, middle and high school level.
ReplyDeleteAlso in chapter Nine, I liked the strategy of relating essay format to a model. In Science after every common assessment the students have to write an instructional paragraph on a given topic that was covered. Our former principal gave the teachers a hamburger graphic organizer that lets students organize their information into layers of a hamburger. It breaks down the topic sentence and supporting details to patties, bread, or lettuce and tomato. This is a simple diagram that can help students break down their thoughts and come up with good detailed sentences. ELL’s are able to apply this model to their paragraph and are able to earn a passing score according the rubric.
As I read chapter 23 in the Fundamentals of Teaching ESOL I liked reading about cooperative learning. I implement this daily with my students. Speaking is an integral part of the ELL’s comprehensible input. One of my favorite statements to my students is to “Explain to your elbow partner what this word means”. Students are then able to explain their thinking in their own terminology. Also laboratory experiments are essential for inquiry learning of Science. This can only be done with cooperative learning. ELL’s are able to share their ideas with other students and they are able to come to logical conclusions. With cooperative learning I have to be careful with my grouping by placing different level students into one group. The students benefit from having different opportunities to work together and collaborate with their findings.
I love to do webquests as well, and I think they provide great opportunities for students to self-discover, as well as learn how to find information and use the web properly(for academic purposes). I miss teaching social studies because I really liked doing webquests with my students. What makes them great for ESOL students is that there is an online dictionary at their fingertips, and even software that will read the text to you. I want to try and find more webquests to use in my math classes.
DeleteThe focus of both chapters 9 from RWL, and 23 from FUN is on teaching academic content-related material. Chapter 9 is a great general overview of strategies that help EL students break down and understand text, as well as ways to make the content more enriching and meaningful. Prereading is incredibly important because it builds meaning behind what the student is learning. This is a very valuable part of learning that teachers often forget about, or have trouble fitting it into class time. Even students that are not ELL have difficulty grasping text and content that is much more complex than content used and learned at earlier ages. Taking a multilayered approach to the content, which involves exposing students to multiple ways of previewing and exploring the topics learned in class, is the best way to fully engross students in the content. This can involve using technology, providing students opportunities to work together to solve problems, and opportunites to 'live out' the content—that is, to experience the content hands on through field trips and/or experiments. Chapter 23 expanded on this be getting more specific with strategies to help with science content in particular.
ReplyDeleteI feel that previewing content is incredibly important. In math class, I feel it helps my students tremendously to explain how the math we learn in class applies to real life. It’s a great opportunity for teachers to relate the content to the students, to open up discussion, and it ultimately helps to build a better student-teacher relationship. A lot of the strategies detailed in both chapters are recurring ideas we have seen, but that’s because they are proven to work. One of the things that really opened my eyes was the focus on the importance of structure. We recognize structure very easily (like the letter and recipe examples) and it helps us organize information in our minds. We take this for granted at times, because we forget that a way to help students deal with the complexity of academic content is to help them organize and structure the information in a way that helps them remember and apply it, and ultimately helps them pick up new information faster in the future. For example, teaching students how to recognize headings when structuring their reading can later be applied when students are taking notes or writing themselves, and they apply the use of the same structure that have been taught with.
I too feel that previewing is an important step in the learning process. Our school has placed a focus on SAT preparation. My warm-ups generally come from an SAT preparation guide. I try to find problems which use concepts we have already covered as well as problems which preview coming material. I like to show students where we are going with concepts before they begin certain topics. Sometimes the students are able to better find relationships between mathematical concepts when they see how they work together in a problem. There is also an "ah-ha" moment when students see a concept taught which has already been used in a problem.
DeleteBrook Buckelew
I agree with Ms. Onike in that it is important to know what knowledge my kids are coming to my classroom with. In Science the content changes every year and they are not able to remember some of the elementary units that they covered in the past. So previewing vocabulary and collaborative grouping will help students with new Science concepts.
ReplyDeleteHomework is something I fight with year in and year out. I assign small homework assignments 3-4 days a week and I get very few back, especially from many of my EL students. What I like this year about homework is that it is only 5% of their grade. This means that it barely effects their overall grade, but it does allow me to hold them accountable when it comes to tests and quizzes. When a student does poorly on a test or quiz, I can almost always refer back to "did you do your homework". If the answer is no, there's not much to say except to remind them the importance of practicing outside of the classroom. I also remind them that when they do their homework and bring in their questions to me, its much easier for me to help them fix their problems. When a parent gets upset because their child is performing poorly, I always bring up the fact that they are not practicing at home. It helps me remind parents that it is ultimately they're responsibility to make sure their child is keeping up with their work. I think homework is very important because it holds students more accountable, and collecting it helps them see you care. I know it's hard to give feedback on all of their papers, so sometimes I will do the assignment myself, copy it, and return it to the students that completed their homework so they can see any errors, etc.
ReplyDeleteThat is incredible that the math textbook changed the term "consecutive" to "same-side." Especially since the word "consecutive" is such a widely used word, encountering this term and understanding it in the context of math will help students develop a deeper understanding of this word later on. We should be utilizing strategies that make high level vocabulary accessible for students, not changing the curriculum to include artificially simplified words. That being said, I understand the dilemma the textbook publishers may have faced. I struggle with the same question when I think about modifying texts or assessments for English Learners - how much vocabulary simplification is a helpful scaffold, and how much vocabulary modification is actually a roadblock to growth?
ReplyDeleteJeff Lacy, Brook Buckelew, Miriam Martinez, Stephanie Tate
ReplyDeleteOxford Picture Dictionary for the Content Area
a) Materials are appropriate for (state grade level, language proficiency level, literacy level, age level)?
The materials are appropriate. The information is divided into content areas (Science, Math, Language Arts, and Social Studies). There is a complete unit that addresses general knowledge. This includes pictures with lists for ELL’s to identify and label.
b) How does this material provide opportunities to create comprehensible input?
The pictures allow the students to display understanding of vocabulary meaning. They have to identify and produce work that illustrates their level of understanding.
c) What goals might this material accomplish?
It will address the acquisition of new vocabulary through a series of activities. This can be used to identify the current level the ELL is working in.
d) What approaches to language teaching does it support?
The use of visuals/pictures/graphic organizers is used extensively to illustrate meaning that ELL's can quickly display their current level of understanding.
e) Is it engaging to students? Do students play active roles in its use? Is it culturally relevant and appropriate? Does it encourage/allow high standards of academic achievement?
The activities are engaging because it uses multiple approaches and not a pattern of activities and just a change in subject. It is culturally relevant with multiple types of people represented in the pictures. The book takes care to represent what type of students will be in the classroom.
f) Recommend how to use this material with ELs.
The use of these materials could be used to determine prior knowledge and get immediate feedback on how the student is performing. The materials also give the teacher a diagnostic view of the students to determine what Level they are currently performing. The book also has activities for Level 1’s and Level 2’s.
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ReplyDeleteIn Chapter 9, that are two important concepts that I felt are important strategies were prereading strategies and structured overviews.
ReplyDeleteThe first strategy described as prereading deals with developing motivation, purpose, and background knowledge. The prereading strategies serve several purposes. First of all, they motivate students’ interest and builds background knowledge on topics that students are to read. In the beginning of a lesson, students may have little or no knowledge about the content as well as they may have a misconception about the topic that can be clarified during the prereading phase. In this way, students are better prepared to read an assigned or pre-selected text. Secondly, students clarify their purpose for reading a particular text. In the explanation for assigning students to preread, you do want to let the students know why you are assigning the materials, what you expect for them to gain from it, and what they are to do with the information later. And finally, the prereading strategies help students gain a general idea of the text’s organization and content by perusing the headings, subheadings, table of content, and etc. For the English learner, direct and concrete experiences facilitate learning. These experiences build students’ understanding of their reading. And the most important thing to give to students is a chance to develop their knowledge of a topic before they read about it.
Structured overviews is the second important concept that I mentioned above. Structured overviews are visual displays of information which may be presented on an overhead projector, butcher paper, or tag board. They provide students with a basic outline of the important points in a book, chapter, or passage. Structured overviews preview and highlight important information and interrelationships of ideas and corresponding vocabulary. They give readers an idea of the relative importance of ideas and provide categories to assist comprehension and memory of key concepts.It is evident that English language learners face many obstacles when reading literature in English especially because most literature is culture bound. We expect students to have prior knowledge of literary genres such as fairy tales, myths, legends, and tall tales. If the teacher has not activated prior knowledge or built background information, knowing the vocabulary will not solve the problem. We have to recognize that most ELLs may be able to read the words but it doesn't mean they will understand the text.
As a teacher of Social Studies, I found this information to be very enlightening. Therefore in my social studies classroom, I can really see the use prereading strategies and structured overviews extensively. The use of both strategies will help my students in their learning process as well as help me become a better teacher for English Language learners.
In enhancing prereading strategies, students would be given a Web search activity. This activity would require them to work cooperatively on a given by researching on the computer. The research would be supported by photographs, audio and other support for comprehension. Additionally, a structured overview activity could be developed to be used with a Youtube Video of a content topic being covered so that students would have a good foundation of the topic to build upon while learning. This activity might assist a student in preparing to read a chapter of a text as well as help them organize information.
In conclusion, students deserve our best as teachers regardless to their reading, writing or learning handicap. We must be willing to go the extra mile in meeting their challenges especially as they prepare gradually for academic success.