Chapter 46 Free Voluntary Reading: Nothing Helps Reading Like Reading. Free voluntary reading is a powerful tool for involving students in the reading of English text. (Harrell 258) This system is used for encouraging silent, self-selected reading at the students' independent reading levels. Free voluntary reading supports comprehension, writing, grammer, spelling and vocabulary development among readers.
Free voluntary reading has been criticized because it is difficult to implement into the classroom due to the large number of books required, but has been shown to be an effective strategy for English language learners. The power of exposing them to a large volume of English text and the anxiety-reducing power of easy reading helps English language learners improve their reading skills.
Implementing independent reading into the classroom requires identifying the independent reading level of students, explaining the program to the students, discussing the books in groups and adding motivation over time.
It is important to identify the reading level of students so that you can gather books that are at their reading level to keep in the classroom. Make the books easily accessible to the students and organize them by reading level.
When introducing the free voluntary reading program to student, it is important to explain that reading helps them learn new English vocabulary and improves their writing, spelling and grammar. Implement a system where book can be checked out freely and keep track of the number of books being read by each student.
The teacher can discuss the literature with the students in groups. These discussion can be used to provide positive feedback to the students and encourage wide reading by introducing new authors of easy reading books.
To help keep the students motivated, new celebrations can be added throughout the year. Some examples of different celebrations would be: scheduling guest appearances by favorite authors, read-a-thons, and presenting awards to the students for their success.
It is very important to assess student progress. Keeping a log of the books they have read helps keep track of the progress they are making in the volume of reading they are doing. It could also be beneficial to keep a log of new words they are learning from the books they have read.
This strategy provides a great opportunity for students to practice reading independently and to learn new vocabulary. It is also very motivational for students, especially when they feel that they are accomplishing something.
It would be imperative that the teacher make sure that all of the student are progressing and participating in the activity. It is possible that some students may progress faster than others, leaving the slower readers feeling a little insecure. This would be the only drawback that I think might possibly hinder this strategy.
I like the idea of implementing this strategy into the classroom. It keeps the students involved in reading interesting material, while also having fun!
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Harrell Section V, Chapter 39
Chapter 39 Guided Reading: Providing Individual Support Within a Group Setting. Guided reading is an approach to teaching reading in a small group setting, while providing individual coaching. (Harrell 222)
Guided reading lessons are taught by grouping the students for instruction, beginning the process, reading aloud but not in unison and pairing students for additional practice.
Students are taught in groups that are reading at approximately the same reading level. Guided reading focuses on vocabulary development, individual instruction, and opportunities for verbal interactions, which is very useful for English language learners. It is beneficial to choose a book that is interesting to the students and on the appropriate reading level.
Teachers assess these students using running records to determine their reading levels. Running records are also useful in determining the student's use of self-correction and self-monitoring.
The teacher and students begin the guided reading lesson by walking through the book and predicting what they think is going to happen. As they walk through the book, they look at the illustrations on each page, predicting what will happen on that page, discussing and modeling the meaning of vocabulary that will be needed to read the page, and building background knowledge.
Then they read the book multiple times, with students reading to themselves at their own pace. The teacher monitors each child, listening to them read and coaching them on decoding, self-monitoring, and comprehension strategies. It is also good to pair the students up to read to one another andlisten to their oral reading one more time, coaching and celebrating their success.
After each child has been coached, the teacher then conducts a mini lesson based on the needs of the students. This time is used as an opportunity to discuss the story and determine wether the studetns need support in understanding what they have read. During the mini-lesson, vocabulary is discussed, clarified, and related back to the story. The teacher may also relate the vocabulary to illustrations in the story or background experiences that the students have had. After this mini-lesson is finished, the teacher then has the students engage in writing, phonics, or other skills activities.
I think that the guided reading strategy provides a great foundation for English language learners for reading in the classroom. This is a great way to progress through many different aspects of reading and it allows them to discuss and learn new vocabulary. It also gives them some socialization time with classmates which is very important. This give them a sense of belonging in the academic setting.
I don't see any setbacks to this strategy. I think that it is a wonderful way to work with English language learners intensively in the classroom.
Guided reading lessons are taught by grouping the students for instruction, beginning the process, reading aloud but not in unison and pairing students for additional practice.
Students are taught in groups that are reading at approximately the same reading level. Guided reading focuses on vocabulary development, individual instruction, and opportunities for verbal interactions, which is very useful for English language learners. It is beneficial to choose a book that is interesting to the students and on the appropriate reading level.
Teachers assess these students using running records to determine their reading levels. Running records are also useful in determining the student's use of self-correction and self-monitoring.
The teacher and students begin the guided reading lesson by walking through the book and predicting what they think is going to happen. As they walk through the book, they look at the illustrations on each page, predicting what will happen on that page, discussing and modeling the meaning of vocabulary that will be needed to read the page, and building background knowledge.
Then they read the book multiple times, with students reading to themselves at their own pace. The teacher monitors each child, listening to them read and coaching them on decoding, self-monitoring, and comprehension strategies. It is also good to pair the students up to read to one another andlisten to their oral reading one more time, coaching and celebrating their success.
After each child has been coached, the teacher then conducts a mini lesson based on the needs of the students. This time is used as an opportunity to discuss the story and determine wether the studetns need support in understanding what they have read. During the mini-lesson, vocabulary is discussed, clarified, and related back to the story. The teacher may also relate the vocabulary to illustrations in the story or background experiences that the students have had. After this mini-lesson is finished, the teacher then has the students engage in writing, phonics, or other skills activities.
I think that the guided reading strategy provides a great foundation for English language learners for reading in the classroom. This is a great way to progress through many different aspects of reading and it allows them to discuss and learn new vocabulary. It also gives them some socialization time with classmates which is very important. This give them a sense of belonging in the academic setting.
I don't see any setbacks to this strategy. I think that it is a wonderful way to work with English language learners intensively in the classroom.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Harrell Section IV, Chapter 31
Chapter 31 Word Walls: Displaying and Organizing Words for Easy Access. Word walls are alphabetical lists of words created in the classroom for the purpose of word study and vocabulary development.(Harrell 183) Word walls can be as simple as a list of words written on a sheet of paper.
Bilingual, or multilingual, word walls are beneficial in a classroom where students are learning English as a second language. Bilingual word walls serve as a reference for students as they write and interact verbally in the classroom.
There are different types of word wall that teacher can create for use in the classroom. Teachers will often create high-frequency word word walls and other word walls related to words being studied in connection to a literature or science focus unit. As the class moves on to different units they may take the words from the previous units and place them on a word ring and displayed for the students reference. It is also beneficial to hang a picture of the cover of the book to which the words are related next to the word wall. This helps students locate words by simply recalling the context in which the words were studied.
Word wall can be implemented into the classroom by following three simple steps: begin word study, use the word wall, and keep the word wall interactive.
Beginning a word study includes deciding on a format and brainstorming a list of words with the students. Arranging the words on individual cards in alphabetical order allows the students to access the words more efficiently. The teacher then hangs them on a wall or places them in a pocket chart. In the multilingual classroom, translations and illustration are added to support students' use of the words in writing and speaking. It is important to involve the students when adding words to the word wall.
When using the word wall in the classroom, refer to the word wall when a word is discussed. It is imperative that the teacher helps the students see the possibilities for the use of the word wall. When students ask for the spelling of a word that is posted on the word wall, draw the student's attention to it.
Using the words for activities such as word sorts, definition games, practicing syllabication, and phoneme segmentation is an effective way to keep the word wall interactive in the classroom. As word studies change and are completed, the words should be transferred to word cards and placed on a metal ring by punching a hole in the corner of each card. The ring can then be stored on a nail or hook in the classroom, easily accessible by the students.
I would use word wall in my elementary classroom in all different subject areas. I think it would particularly useful for multilingual students in language arts and reading. After reading the new stories in the textbook each week, I would review some of the words with the studets, that they think should go on our word wall. I think that it is important to use visuals along with written language to help them have a better understanding of what the word is and how it can be used.
I think that word walls are a very effective means for supporting new English language learners as well as proficient English speaking students in the classroom. I do not really foresee any problems that a word wall could cause in the classroom. They seem like a very reliable and advantageous resource to have.
Bilingual, or multilingual, word walls are beneficial in a classroom where students are learning English as a second language. Bilingual word walls serve as a reference for students as they write and interact verbally in the classroom.
There are different types of word wall that teacher can create for use in the classroom. Teachers will often create high-frequency word word walls and other word walls related to words being studied in connection to a literature or science focus unit. As the class moves on to different units they may take the words from the previous units and place them on a word ring and displayed for the students reference. It is also beneficial to hang a picture of the cover of the book to which the words are related next to the word wall. This helps students locate words by simply recalling the context in which the words were studied.
Word wall can be implemented into the classroom by following three simple steps: begin word study, use the word wall, and keep the word wall interactive.
Beginning a word study includes deciding on a format and brainstorming a list of words with the students. Arranging the words on individual cards in alphabetical order allows the students to access the words more efficiently. The teacher then hangs them on a wall or places them in a pocket chart. In the multilingual classroom, translations and illustration are added to support students' use of the words in writing and speaking. It is important to involve the students when adding words to the word wall.
When using the word wall in the classroom, refer to the word wall when a word is discussed. It is imperative that the teacher helps the students see the possibilities for the use of the word wall. When students ask for the spelling of a word that is posted on the word wall, draw the student's attention to it.
Using the words for activities such as word sorts, definition games, practicing syllabication, and phoneme segmentation is an effective way to keep the word wall interactive in the classroom. As word studies change and are completed, the words should be transferred to word cards and placed on a metal ring by punching a hole in the corner of each card. The ring can then be stored on a nail or hook in the classroom, easily accessible by the students.
I would use word wall in my elementary classroom in all different subject areas. I think it would particularly useful for multilingual students in language arts and reading. After reading the new stories in the textbook each week, I would review some of the words with the studets, that they think should go on our word wall. I think that it is important to use visuals along with written language to help them have a better understanding of what the word is and how it can be used.
I think that word walls are a very effective means for supporting new English language learners as well as proficient English speaking students in the classroom. I do not really foresee any problems that a word wall could cause in the classroom. They seem like a very reliable and advantageous resource to have.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Harrell Section III, Chapter 20
Chapter 20
Teaching Strategy...Learning Centers: Extending Learning Through Hands-On Practice. Learning centers are places set up in the classroom where students engage in hands-on activities that allow them to obtain addtional experience in using new skills, expand skills usage to more closely match their individual needs, and work cooperatively with other students. (Harrell 119)
Learning Centers can be implemented into the classroom by following these five steps: Identify skills to be practiced, introduce the centers, document the center work, bring students up to date, and assess student progress and understnading.
Identify the skills that the students need to practice and set up places in the classroom with materials that can be used for additional, authentic, and meaningful practice that can be used on those skills.
Introduce the centers to the students by effectively demonstrating how the materials are to be used and what your expectations are for the activities, and how their work will be assessed. It is important that the rules are displayed in the centers so that the students understand that center work is part of their assigned lesson and will contribute toward their grade. The teacher should also discuss and model the rules about cleaning up center materials and how students move from one center to another.
Introduce a the method in which the students will use to domunt their participation in centers. Documentation of centerwork can be done in a variety o fdifferent ways. It can be as simple as a list of names at the required centers or a work folder in which they will place all center work done each day. Make your expectations very clear as to which centers are required and which are optional.
Bring your students up to date by informing them when center are changed. Model the steps and procedures of the new center activity so tht the students understand your expectations and requirements of the new center. Centers should be changed regularly to provide student with the opportunity to practice new skills as they are taught.
Asses student progress and understanding by collecting and assessing the quality of students center work. Evaluation of center work is vital for teachers to make sure that the students take their center work seriously.
Center could be beneficial for students of all ages. I would use centers in the first grade when teaching phonics. There are so many wonderful activities to implement into centers when teaching phonics. Segmenting and blending center can be used with simple materials such as plastic letters and a filing cabinet. Use the filing cabnet to hold the magnetic letters and the children can take any ending sound and blend beginning sounds to make new words. This is just one way that centers can be used in this area.
Center activities provide many strengths for academic learning in the classroom. They provide additional practice on skills that have already been learned, it is an effective way to implement a variety of skills into small group time and they are fun for kids.
Class management and time would be the only obstacle that I see being a problem when using centers, but as long as the rules are explained explicitly and the teacher has modeled how the centers should work, neither of these should cause a problem.
I think that centers are a great tool in the classroom. They keep students actively learning!
Teaching Strategy...Learning Centers: Extending Learning Through Hands-On Practice. Learning centers are places set up in the classroom where students engage in hands-on activities that allow them to obtain addtional experience in using new skills, expand skills usage to more closely match their individual needs, and work cooperatively with other students. (Harrell 119)
Learning Centers can be implemented into the classroom by following these five steps: Identify skills to be practiced, introduce the centers, document the center work, bring students up to date, and assess student progress and understnading.
Identify the skills that the students need to practice and set up places in the classroom with materials that can be used for additional, authentic, and meaningful practice that can be used on those skills.
Introduce the centers to the students by effectively demonstrating how the materials are to be used and what your expectations are for the activities, and how their work will be assessed. It is important that the rules are displayed in the centers so that the students understand that center work is part of their assigned lesson and will contribute toward their grade. The teacher should also discuss and model the rules about cleaning up center materials and how students move from one center to another.
Introduce a the method in which the students will use to domunt their participation in centers. Documentation of centerwork can be done in a variety o fdifferent ways. It can be as simple as a list of names at the required centers or a work folder in which they will place all center work done each day. Make your expectations very clear as to which centers are required and which are optional.
Bring your students up to date by informing them when center are changed. Model the steps and procedures of the new center activity so tht the students understand your expectations and requirements of the new center. Centers should be changed regularly to provide student with the opportunity to practice new skills as they are taught.
Asses student progress and understanding by collecting and assessing the quality of students center work. Evaluation of center work is vital for teachers to make sure that the students take their center work seriously.
Center could be beneficial for students of all ages. I would use centers in the first grade when teaching phonics. There are so many wonderful activities to implement into centers when teaching phonics. Segmenting and blending center can be used with simple materials such as plastic letters and a filing cabinet. Use the filing cabnet to hold the magnetic letters and the children can take any ending sound and blend beginning sounds to make new words. This is just one way that centers can be used in this area.
Center activities provide many strengths for academic learning in the classroom. They provide additional practice on skills that have already been learned, it is an effective way to implement a variety of skills into small group time and they are fun for kids.
Class management and time would be the only obstacle that I see being a problem when using centers, but as long as the rules are explained explicitly and the teacher has modeled how the centers should work, neither of these should cause a problem.
I think that centers are a great tool in the classroom. They keep students actively learning!
Monday, October 4, 2010
Harrell Section III, Chapter 14
Chapter 14
Teaching Strategy...Manipulative Strategies: Using Objects to Connect Concepts. Manipulatives are concrete devices that students can move and manipulate to support their thinking and learning. (Harrell 84) They can be very beneficial in supporting language understanding in many subject areas.
Manipulatives can be representations of concepts being taught, such as models, or nonrepresentative manipulatives. Academic vocabulary is often supported by the use of concrete representation manipulatives, while non-representative manipulatives are used to manipulate abstract concepts such as number.
There are five basic step to follow in the use of manipulatives: identify concepts to be taught and ways to represent them, demonstrate and explain, provide guided practice, give students time for additional practice, and celebrate and review.
It is important to identify the concept that is being taught and the parts of the concept that can be represented by a manipulative. Devising a teaching plan that allocates the teacher to demonstrate the concept using the manipulative as an example is essential.
As you explain the concept to the students, demonstrate the use of the manipulatives simulataneously. The demonstration should connect the manipulative, the concept and any new vocabulary being introduced. The teacher should always model the way the students are expected to use the manipulatives.
The teacher should always provide guided practice in the use of manipulatives; walking the students through the procedure to be used and demonstrating how to use the manipulatives. The manipulatives should always be connected to the vocabulary to be learned.
Provide time for the students to use the manipulatives independently for additional practice. As the students practice with the manipulatives, the teacher should circulate around the classroom providing feedback and scaffolding language use.
Celebrate and review the students demonstration of new learning. Take the opportunity to connect the manipulatives to the vocabular and the concepts being learned one last time.
I would use this strategy in a 1st grade classroom setting. I think that one of my favorite stories to read is; There was an Old lady who swallowed a fly, by Simms Taback. This is a great book to read to the class with the use of a manipualative activity. I would have a large cardboard lady with her mouth cut out,(you attach a plastic bag on the back to catch the things she swallows in the story) and cut outs of each of the characters that she swallows in the story(small enough to fit into her mouth). Before you read the story, hand the cut outs to the students in the class (you may have more than one of each to accomodate the number of students in the classroom). Explain or review each animal and model what they will be doing as you are reading the story. As you read the story the student holding the animal that the old lady swallows, will take the "manipulative" and drop into the old lady's mouth. After completing the story, review all of the animals that the old lady swallowed and have the students retell the story in small groups using the manipulatives.
This strategy has many different strengths that are useful for language learners. The use of manipulatives helps them relate spoken and written to concrete objects. This helps them understand language and promotes language developement.
The only potential obstacle that might be found using this strategy is that the students may become too dependent on the manipulatives and rely on them instead of learning to use abstract thinking skills.
I think that the use of manipulatives is a great tool in the classroom. Children are active learners and manipulatives provide the opportunity for hands on learning.
Teaching Strategy...Manipulative Strategies: Using Objects to Connect Concepts. Manipulatives are concrete devices that students can move and manipulate to support their thinking and learning. (Harrell 84) They can be very beneficial in supporting language understanding in many subject areas.
Manipulatives can be representations of concepts being taught, such as models, or nonrepresentative manipulatives. Academic vocabulary is often supported by the use of concrete representation manipulatives, while non-representative manipulatives are used to manipulate abstract concepts such as number.
There are five basic step to follow in the use of manipulatives: identify concepts to be taught and ways to represent them, demonstrate and explain, provide guided practice, give students time for additional practice, and celebrate and review.
It is important to identify the concept that is being taught and the parts of the concept that can be represented by a manipulative. Devising a teaching plan that allocates the teacher to demonstrate the concept using the manipulative as an example is essential.
As you explain the concept to the students, demonstrate the use of the manipulatives simulataneously. The demonstration should connect the manipulative, the concept and any new vocabulary being introduced. The teacher should always model the way the students are expected to use the manipulatives.
The teacher should always provide guided practice in the use of manipulatives; walking the students through the procedure to be used and demonstrating how to use the manipulatives. The manipulatives should always be connected to the vocabulary to be learned.
Provide time for the students to use the manipulatives independently for additional practice. As the students practice with the manipulatives, the teacher should circulate around the classroom providing feedback and scaffolding language use.
Celebrate and review the students demonstration of new learning. Take the opportunity to connect the manipulatives to the vocabular and the concepts being learned one last time.
I would use this strategy in a 1st grade classroom setting. I think that one of my favorite stories to read is; There was an Old lady who swallowed a fly, by Simms Taback. This is a great book to read to the class with the use of a manipualative activity. I would have a large cardboard lady with her mouth cut out,(you attach a plastic bag on the back to catch the things she swallows in the story) and cut outs of each of the characters that she swallows in the story(small enough to fit into her mouth). Before you read the story, hand the cut outs to the students in the class (you may have more than one of each to accomodate the number of students in the classroom). Explain or review each animal and model what they will be doing as you are reading the story. As you read the story the student holding the animal that the old lady swallows, will take the "manipulative" and drop into the old lady's mouth. After completing the story, review all of the animals that the old lady swallowed and have the students retell the story in small groups using the manipulatives.
This strategy has many different strengths that are useful for language learners. The use of manipulatives helps them relate spoken and written to concrete objects. This helps them understand language and promotes language developement.
The only potential obstacle that might be found using this strategy is that the students may become too dependent on the manipulatives and rely on them instead of learning to use abstract thinking skills.
I think that the use of manipulatives is a great tool in the classroom. Children are active learners and manipulatives provide the opportunity for hands on learning.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Harrell Section II, Chapter 8
Chapter 8
Teaching Strategy...Academic Language Scaffolding: Supportint Student Use of Language in Academic Settings. "Academic language scaffolding supports students' successful participation in content-are instcution." (Harrell 50) Academic language scaffolding supports students in Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP). Cognitive Academic Language is the language that is necessary for the student to actively particpate in classroom learning experiences.
Teachers use a serious of scaffolding stratedgies in the classroom, which accomodate to students to be successful in academic lessons. These strategies include, modeling academic language; contextualizing academic language using visuals, gestures, and desmonstration/ and supporting students in the use of academic language through active learning activities.
Academic Language scaffolding lesson consist of the following steps: Identify academic vocabulary and language structures, design and teach an introductory activity, practice in pairs or small groups, guide and monitor the practice, review the vocabulary and language structures, and add technology.
Identifying academic vocabulary and language structures in the lesson being taught is a necessary function for students to successfully participate in the lesson. Theachers select vocabulary from the reading assignment and give explanations as a part of the lesson. The language function is how the student will participate verbally.
It is essential to design and teach an introductory activity that allows the scaffolding of both the academic vocabulary and language functions in a way that keeps the students from becoming stressed. Use things such as visuals to accompany the teacher explanation and model the use of language in ways tht the students will be expected to participate. If the academic language in the lesson is complex and the teacher is focusing on spelling, the teacher may want to leave the words posted the room for the students to use.
Pairs or small groups provide a great opportunity for students to interact verbally and practice their academic language in an authentic way.
Guide and monitor the students' practice by actively moving around the room and encouraging the student's use of academic language. Scaffolding techniques such as commenting on student's work, modeling the use of academic vocabulary, and describing ways that students are solving problems or working with the materials. Asking questions enables students to demonstrate their knowledge either physically or linguistically. Modeling academic language while students demonstrate is a great way to emphasize academic language.
Review the vocabulary and language structures used at the conclusion of the lesson. Provide an opportunity for the small groups to share their newly acquired academic language with the whole group.
Technology is a great way to enhance students' comprehension of materials.
For example, implementing academic language scaffolding into a lesson being taught on things that are hot and cold might look something like this: Introduce the lesson by reading the book, Hot and Cold. After reading the book make a T-chart on the board and organize the items in the book into "Things that are hot" or "Things that are cold".
Next, introduce the question, "Is it hot or cold?" As you hold up different pictures of items, have the students answer, "hot" or "cold". Model the academic language by confirming the students answer with a sentence. Write the sentence on the board, "The snow is cold." Continue doing this until the students seem to be catching on to the vocabulary.
For practice on the newly learned academic language, break the students into groups and give each group a felt board with cut outs of different items and have them arrange the items into the alotted columns labeled hot or cold and rows labed food, weather, etc... When the groups finished bring them all back together and discuss where they put the items and why.
Conclude by reviewing the newly learned academic language.
This strategy would be especially good for English Language Learners because of the repitition of language and the support provided through visual aid and scaffolding. I think that this is a great strategy to use at all age groups. As the academic content continues to broaden and become more complex academic language scaffolding is going to continue to be important to reinforce academic language in learning.
Teaching Strategy...Academic Language Scaffolding: Supportint Student Use of Language in Academic Settings. "Academic language scaffolding supports students' successful participation in content-are instcution." (Harrell 50) Academic language scaffolding supports students in Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP). Cognitive Academic Language is the language that is necessary for the student to actively particpate in classroom learning experiences.
Teachers use a serious of scaffolding stratedgies in the classroom, which accomodate to students to be successful in academic lessons. These strategies include, modeling academic language; contextualizing academic language using visuals, gestures, and desmonstration/ and supporting students in the use of academic language through active learning activities.
Academic Language scaffolding lesson consist of the following steps: Identify academic vocabulary and language structures, design and teach an introductory activity, practice in pairs or small groups, guide and monitor the practice, review the vocabulary and language structures, and add technology.
Identifying academic vocabulary and language structures in the lesson being taught is a necessary function for students to successfully participate in the lesson. Theachers select vocabulary from the reading assignment and give explanations as a part of the lesson. The language function is how the student will participate verbally.
It is essential to design and teach an introductory activity that allows the scaffolding of both the academic vocabulary and language functions in a way that keeps the students from becoming stressed. Use things such as visuals to accompany the teacher explanation and model the use of language in ways tht the students will be expected to participate. If the academic language in the lesson is complex and the teacher is focusing on spelling, the teacher may want to leave the words posted the room for the students to use.
Pairs or small groups provide a great opportunity for students to interact verbally and practice their academic language in an authentic way.
Guide and monitor the students' practice by actively moving around the room and encouraging the student's use of academic language. Scaffolding techniques such as commenting on student's work, modeling the use of academic vocabulary, and describing ways that students are solving problems or working with the materials. Asking questions enables students to demonstrate their knowledge either physically or linguistically. Modeling academic language while students demonstrate is a great way to emphasize academic language.
Review the vocabulary and language structures used at the conclusion of the lesson. Provide an opportunity for the small groups to share their newly acquired academic language with the whole group.
Technology is a great way to enhance students' comprehension of materials.
For example, implementing academic language scaffolding into a lesson being taught on things that are hot and cold might look something like this: Introduce the lesson by reading the book, Hot and Cold. After reading the book make a T-chart on the board and organize the items in the book into "Things that are hot" or "Things that are cold".
Next, introduce the question, "Is it hot or cold?" As you hold up different pictures of items, have the students answer, "hot" or "cold". Model the academic language by confirming the students answer with a sentence. Write the sentence on the board, "The snow is cold." Continue doing this until the students seem to be catching on to the vocabulary.
For practice on the newly learned academic language, break the students into groups and give each group a felt board with cut outs of different items and have them arrange the items into the alotted columns labeled hot or cold and rows labed food, weather, etc... When the groups finished bring them all back together and discuss where they put the items and why.
Conclude by reviewing the newly learned academic language.
This strategy would be especially good for English Language Learners because of the repitition of language and the support provided through visual aid and scaffolding. I think that this is a great strategy to use at all age groups. As the academic content continues to broaden and become more complex academic language scaffolding is going to continue to be important to reinforce academic language in learning.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Harrell Section II-Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Teaching Strategy...Predictable Routines and Signals: Reducing Anxiety. Predictable routines and strategies are crucial in the classroom to help reduce the anxiety of English language learners. These strategies are among the easiest and most important to implement into the classroom.
Set patterns, routines, and signals assist English Language learners in the classroom by allowing them to relax and not worry as much about the sequence of events and activities during the school day. This allows them to focus more of their energy on instruction and not as much on what they are expected to do next.
There are four basic steps to follow when implementing predictable routines and signals in the classroom: set up your room, establish routines, model routines, and contextualize directions.
Set up your room where areas are designated for certain activities, such as group activities, free reading, and partner work. Label the areas with sign and graphics to help the students remember.
Establish routines by setting up specific place for students to turn in assignments; pick up needed materials and keep the personal belongings.
Model each new routine as it is established in the classroom. Making sure to maintain the routines once they have been established is very important! Actively monitor students to make sure that the students are not confused about a classroom routine or expectation. If a student shows confusion, decide wether a set routine would reduce the student's confusion. Be sure to be explicit when modeling routines and make sure that each student understand the procedure.
Contextualize directions by being consistent when modeling as you give directions to the students. Modeling, gestures, and demonstrations are various ways to contextualize instructions. The most important part of contextualizing directions is to be consistent!
Predictable routines and signals can be applied in all classroom settings. These strategies can be used with all age groups. While elementary, middle school and high school students would all benefit in the classroom from the use of predictable routines and signals, it will be especially beneficial for the younger children in the early elementary grades. Incorporating predictable routines and signals in the classroom should not present any obstacles or time restraints for the teacher. These strategies should be a part of the daily routine and will not have to be modeled on a daily basis. Once these predictable routines and signals are established, the classroom should run smoothly and allocate more time to be spent on academic instruction.
I think that the implementation of predictable routines and signals is the most effective approach for classroom management. If your classroom is organized and managed well, the students feel less stress and are able to fully participate in the classroom community.
Teaching Strategy...Predictable Routines and Signals: Reducing Anxiety. Predictable routines and strategies are crucial in the classroom to help reduce the anxiety of English language learners. These strategies are among the easiest and most important to implement into the classroom.
Set patterns, routines, and signals assist English Language learners in the classroom by allowing them to relax and not worry as much about the sequence of events and activities during the school day. This allows them to focus more of their energy on instruction and not as much on what they are expected to do next.
There are four basic steps to follow when implementing predictable routines and signals in the classroom: set up your room, establish routines, model routines, and contextualize directions.
Set up your room where areas are designated for certain activities, such as group activities, free reading, and partner work. Label the areas with sign and graphics to help the students remember.
Establish routines by setting up specific place for students to turn in assignments; pick up needed materials and keep the personal belongings.
Model each new routine as it is established in the classroom. Making sure to maintain the routines once they have been established is very important! Actively monitor students to make sure that the students are not confused about a classroom routine or expectation. If a student shows confusion, decide wether a set routine would reduce the student's confusion. Be sure to be explicit when modeling routines and make sure that each student understand the procedure.
Contextualize directions by being consistent when modeling as you give directions to the students. Modeling, gestures, and demonstrations are various ways to contextualize instructions. The most important part of contextualizing directions is to be consistent!
Predictable routines and signals can be applied in all classroom settings. These strategies can be used with all age groups. While elementary, middle school and high school students would all benefit in the classroom from the use of predictable routines and signals, it will be especially beneficial for the younger children in the early elementary grades. Incorporating predictable routines and signals in the classroom should not present any obstacles or time restraints for the teacher. These strategies should be a part of the daily routine and will not have to be modeled on a daily basis. Once these predictable routines and signals are established, the classroom should run smoothly and allocate more time to be spent on academic instruction.
I think that the implementation of predictable routines and signals is the most effective approach for classroom management. If your classroom is organized and managed well, the students feel less stress and are able to fully participate in the classroom community.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Using On-line Video in the Classroom
On-line video is becoming a very popular asset to the classroom. I think that using video in the classroom provides a great opportunity for educators to get their students engaged and involved in what they are learning. Although technology is a wonderful asset to have in the classroom, it can also be tricky.
One of the biggest problems that teachers could face when using on-line video in the classroom is finding appropriate material that is accessible to the children without them being exposed to video that is inappropriate. I have done some research on the pros and cons of technology online and it takes a lot of time on the teacher's part to make sure that the sites being used are safe and secure.
One of the cons to using technology in the classroom, according to , is that "Some students will explore beyond the bounds and parameters of the project and become distracted by other activities that they find on the internet." As educators it is our responsibility to find the right materials online to incorporate into our lessons and find sites that are "kid-friendly". According to, , finding materials that are appropriate is an easy task. They recommend teachers should, "Limit your searches to respected sources. Most established newspapers, museums, libraries, radio stations, and institutions have specific channels on YouTube where they collect their content. Just search by the name of the outlet on YouTube (say, PBS), and that organization's channel will pop up. From there, you can search exclusively within PBS's content."
Although there are some disadvantages to using technology in the classroom, I think that there are far more advantages. Technology is a huge part of our modern day society and children are being exposed to it every day. Using video in the classroom is a great way to generate excitement about learning.
One of the biggest problems that teachers could face when using on-line video in the classroom is finding appropriate material that is accessible to the children without them being exposed to video that is inappropriate. I have done some research on the pros and cons of technology online and it takes a lot of time on the teacher's part to make sure that the sites being used are safe and secure.
One of the cons to using technology in the classroom, according to , is that "Some students will explore beyond the bounds and parameters of the project and become distracted by other activities that they find on the internet." As educators it is our responsibility to find the right materials online to incorporate into our lessons and find sites that are "kid-friendly". According to, , finding materials that are appropriate is an easy task. They recommend teachers should, "Limit your searches to respected sources. Most established newspapers, museums, libraries, radio stations, and institutions have specific channels on YouTube where they collect their content. Just search by the name of the outlet on YouTube (say, PBS), and that organization's channel will pop up. From there, you can search exclusively within PBS's content."
Although there are some disadvantages to using technology in the classroom, I think that there are far more advantages. Technology is a huge part of our modern day society and children are being exposed to it every day. Using video in the classroom is a great way to generate excitement about learning.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Library Scavenger Hunt
Hey everyone! Last week my Computers in Education class presented a scavenger hunt that involved the creation of QR Codes to a group of 5th graders at McMurry University.
We created videos that explained how to locate and use different resources in the Jay-Rollins library on the McMurry campus. The videos were linked to QR Codes which enabled the 5th grade students to scan the codes and watch the videos from their IPhone or Tablet computer. The codes were randomly scattered in different locations in the library, which made the project fun and educational at the same time!
I was in charge of creating the video for the Study/Reading Area upstairs in the library. You can watch my video by going to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0c67SXbLhI.
The 5th grade students were really excited about getting to use the IPhone to scan the codes. Overall I was hoping that the students would learn how many resources are available to them in the library and how they can be used. When we were done with the scavenger hunt, we asked the students what their favorite part of the activity was. My group said they enjoyed learning about the different parts of the library and how to locate those areas.
The activity went smoothly overall, but there were a few modifications that could be made if we were to do it again. Some of the QR Codes would not work and it took the videos a little long to upload, therefore we were not able to finish the entire scavenger hunt. I think that if we could have resolved these few minor issues, then the scavenger hunt would have been a perfect success!
This activity taught me that children are intersted in learning about new technology! The students in my group absolutely loved working with the QR Codes and the IPhone. They were very eager to get through the entire scavenger hunt and wanted to know all of the answers that we didn't get to complete.
We created videos that explained how to locate and use different resources in the Jay-Rollins library on the McMurry campus. The videos were linked to QR Codes which enabled the 5th grade students to scan the codes and watch the videos from their IPhone or Tablet computer. The codes were randomly scattered in different locations in the library, which made the project fun and educational at the same time!
I was in charge of creating the video for the Study/Reading Area upstairs in the library. You can watch my video by going to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0c67SXbLhI.
The 5th grade students were really excited about getting to use the IPhone to scan the codes. Overall I was hoping that the students would learn how many resources are available to them in the library and how they can be used. When we were done with the scavenger hunt, we asked the students what their favorite part of the activity was. My group said they enjoyed learning about the different parts of the library and how to locate those areas.
The activity went smoothly overall, but there were a few modifications that could be made if we were to do it again. Some of the QR Codes would not work and it took the videos a little long to upload, therefore we were not able to finish the entire scavenger hunt. I think that if we could have resolved these few minor issues, then the scavenger hunt would have been a perfect success!
This activity taught me that children are intersted in learning about new technology! The students in my group absolutely loved working with the QR Codes and the IPhone. They were very eager to get through the entire scavenger hunt and wanted to know all of the answers that we didn't get to complete.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Copywrite: Fair Use
It was brought to my attention today that there are several "rules" to abide by when using multimedia in the classroom and in student projects. Honestly I have never really thought about copywrite laws very much. I don't willingly ignore the laws, I just never put much thought into it.
In the article, "Fair Use Guidelines for Educational Multimedia" it states four fair use practices which should be considered in each instance, based on particular facts of a give case, to determine wether a use is a "fair use": (1) the purpose and character of use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes, (2) the nature of the copyrighted work, (3) the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole, and (4) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.
I think that it is important that teachers inform themselves of these rules and make it known to their students how important it is to follow the guidelines for copywrite and fair use.
I will definitely be more aware in the future of what information I am using and how I am using it.
As a teacher I think it is difficult to teach the general guidelines in a manner that is understandable to all age groups. When using multimedia in the classroom, the most important thing would be for the teacher to be familiar with the guidelines and abide by them in all aspects.
In the article, "Fair Use Guidelines for Educational Multimedia" it states four fair use practices which should be considered in each instance, based on particular facts of a give case, to determine wether a use is a "fair use": (1) the purpose and character of use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes, (2) the nature of the copyrighted work, (3) the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole, and (4) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.
I think that it is important that teachers inform themselves of these rules and make it known to their students how important it is to follow the guidelines for copywrite and fair use.
I will definitely be more aware in the future of what information I am using and how I am using it.
As a teacher I think it is difficult to teach the general guidelines in a manner that is understandable to all age groups. When using multimedia in the classroom, the most important thing would be for the teacher to be familiar with the guidelines and abide by them in all aspects.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Hello!
Hello everyone,
My name is Megan Pace. I am 26 years old and I am a student at McMurry University. I will be graduating in the Spring of 2010 with an EC-6 Education degree. I would like to teach children anywhere from Kindegarten to 2nd grade. I have two children of my own and I have always had a passion for teaching. I am very excited to have the oppurtunity to become a part of the teaching community.
My favorite teacher when I was going to school was Mrs. Toliver. She was my third grade teacher. She was always very sweet and everyone loved her class. She made it interesting and fun to learn. One of the most memorable things about her class was the "treasure chest." We could earn points throughout the week on different assignments and if you earned enough points you got to pick a prize from the treasure chest. I hope that I am able to make an impact on my students the way she impacted me.
My name is Megan Pace. I am 26 years old and I am a student at McMurry University. I will be graduating in the Spring of 2010 with an EC-6 Education degree. I would like to teach children anywhere from Kindegarten to 2nd grade. I have two children of my own and I have always had a passion for teaching. I am very excited to have the oppurtunity to become a part of the teaching community.
My favorite teacher when I was going to school was Mrs. Toliver. She was my third grade teacher. She was always very sweet and everyone loved her class. She made it interesting and fun to learn. One of the most memorable things about her class was the "treasure chest." We could earn points throughout the week on different assignments and if you earned enough points you got to pick a prize from the treasure chest. I hope that I am able to make an impact on my students the way she impacted me.
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