Like most of the others on the blog I would like to see myself teaching in the type of school and community that I grew up in. I can't say that I grew up in a very culturally diverse area but I wouldn't mind teaching in one. I went to public schools and see myself teaching in a public school district rather than private. From this class I hope to learn how to work literacy into all subjects throughout the school day. I also want to learn about working specifically with gifted students and also ELL students and how to keep them together but also work with them separately in class. In my placement I have a wide range of diverse learners. My CT has divided the students into different groups based on their literacy levels. There are ELL students all the way to students who are at the top of the class in reading and writing skills. Instruction definitely needs to be altered for these diverse groups of learners. My CT tries to work specifically with the lowest reading group including the ELL students.
I really liked how the Langer article kind of set up a possible outline for a way to teach literature so that students are creating meaning of the literary pieces. I am in a kindergarten classroom for placement and I think even in this young of a grade it is important to establish some sort of way to introduce literature so that the students are engaged and creating their own meaning from the stories being read in class. One of the suggestions in the article was to have the students develop interpretations and to relate it to their personal experiences. When my CT reads a story to the class she will stop periodically and ask questions to have the students somehow relate to the story, which keeps the interested and has them thinking more in depth about the story.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Jan 29 Blog / Digital Learner / Jan 31 Reading
In what type of school and community context do you hope to teach? How can this course help you prepare for that context or other contexts where you might find yourself teaching? What do you want to learn about literacy instruction? What kinds of diverse learners do you see in your placement? What are their strengths? Where does instruction need to be adapted?
Though I'm not sure if it's a realistic goal or not, in the future I hope to find myself teaching in a variety of settings before settling down in a district permanently to raise my own family. I would really enjoy to start out in an urban district teaching a variety of children, moving into a school overseas for a little while, and then perhaps settle down in a suburb. I think that this course can help me achieve these goals by exposing me to a variety of ideas in regards to teaching literacy to different types of children. In my placement I have a pretty diverse set of students. We have students from a variety of backgrounds and on a variety of learning levels. In this course I would like to learn how to teach a wide variety of learners in the most effective manner possible. I think that in my own course instruction needs to be adapted by trying to cater more towards the different learners and learning levels. When we do literacy activities I see many students who are excelling and many who are falling behind, with only some who from my view are actually on target.
With the idea of a wide variety of learners I enjoyed reading the Leland article's discussion of critical literacy. I know that many children are not exposed to cultures or races outside of their own and literacy is a good way to help them to learn about others. I think that it's important to discuss issues with children as a way to help them learn about and prepare for the world.
In regards to the digital native or immigrant quiz, the link in the syllabus didn't work for me, but from googling the terms I would label myself as an immigrant who grew up digital. There are many ways that I would label myself as digitally native, such as working a computer or vcr, but even having grown up in a digital age I find myself incredibly frustrated with technology and have (kiddingly) threatened to go Amish to avoid it. I think that technology is a great tool but am very frustrated at times with how digital we all have become.
Though I'm not sure if it's a realistic goal or not, in the future I hope to find myself teaching in a variety of settings before settling down in a district permanently to raise my own family. I would really enjoy to start out in an urban district teaching a variety of children, moving into a school overseas for a little while, and then perhaps settle down in a suburb. I think that this course can help me achieve these goals by exposing me to a variety of ideas in regards to teaching literacy to different types of children. In my placement I have a pretty diverse set of students. We have students from a variety of backgrounds and on a variety of learning levels. In this course I would like to learn how to teach a wide variety of learners in the most effective manner possible. I think that in my own course instruction needs to be adapted by trying to cater more towards the different learners and learning levels. When we do literacy activities I see many students who are excelling and many who are falling behind, with only some who from my view are actually on target.
With the idea of a wide variety of learners I enjoyed reading the Leland article's discussion of critical literacy. I know that many children are not exposed to cultures or races outside of their own and literacy is a good way to help them to learn about others. I think that it's important to discuss issues with children as a way to help them learn about and prepare for the world.
In regards to the digital native or immigrant quiz, the link in the syllabus didn't work for me, but from googling the terms I would label myself as an immigrant who grew up digital. There are many ways that I would label myself as digitally native, such as working a computer or vcr, but even having grown up in a digital age I find myself incredibly frustrated with technology and have (kiddingly) threatened to go Amish to avoid it. I think that technology is a great tool but am very frustrated at times with how digital we all have become.
January 30th Post- Sara Lorenc
I hope to teach in a community similar to the one I grew up in. I was raised in St. Johns, Michigan which is a small community of about 10,000 people in a very rural setting. The town is full of suburbs and could be classified as middle class. Everyone seems to know each other which gives the city a strong community feeling. I have interned for four years during my career at Michigan State and have been placed in 2 inner city Lansing schools and one suburban school in Holt; I have to say that I enjoy Holt the most because I feel most comfortable and secure in the surroundings because I have become familiar with them through growing up. Because teaching jobs are so scarce, this class will hopefully show me how to adapt my teaching style to accommodate all children and not just the ones I am used to teaching or feel comfortable teaching.I would like to learn different teaching rechniques to utilize when teaching literacy in general; I want to know all the components that correspond to literacy to make sure I am covering all bases. There are many diverse literacy learners in my placement; my CT takes students back 5 by 5 and tests their reading once a week and levels them in 4 different color categories. With one color being the highest reading level, colors in between being in between excellent and poor, to one color indicating very poor. The students are then placed in reading groups and are allowed more one on one time with the teacher if they are struggling and less if they are succeeding.
Reading: Hassett and Curwood: Theories and Practices of Multimodal Education
The reading presented how children learn multimodaly, which means their learning is influenced by the context they're in while learning and the context in which the text is presented. A student not only reads text for face value but also goes under a sub-conscious sociocognitive experience as well. The student sees the text but intakes the date depending on the font, color, placement, etc. Picture books also lend themselves to this category because the pictures presented in the books can also determine how one reads text. The teacher can help address and influence the way students looks at learning literacy through her lessons. She can model how and what is important when reading text and what visual cues to be aware of in order to get the most out of the text the students are reading.
Reading: Hassett and Curwood: Theories and Practices of Multimodal Education
The reading presented how children learn multimodaly, which means their learning is influenced by the context they're in while learning and the context in which the text is presented. A student not only reads text for face value but also goes under a sub-conscious sociocognitive experience as well. The student sees the text but intakes the date depending on the font, color, placement, etc. Picture books also lend themselves to this category because the pictures presented in the books can also determine how one reads text. The teacher can help address and influence the way students looks at learning literacy through her lessons. She can model how and what is important when reading text and what visual cues to be aware of in order to get the most out of the text the students are reading.
January 31st- Molly Shelton
I thought the Langer article brought up some good points I had never thought to analyze. First it was interesting to see the difference between reading literature and reading informative readings. We have a different relationship between the two types of reading. For informative reading, we usually look at the piece as a whole and gain insight through a linear fashion. We get on one track and expand our knowledge. When it comes to reading literature, the process includes envision-building. This describes the readers questioning and understanding the text at different points. Langer describes four different ways readers develop envisonment. These are not in any linear fashion but can be random. I thought it was very interesting to see these different envisonments, however I found it difficult to differentiate them at times. I found it helpful to read the possible ways for instructions with literature reading. These prompt question will really get the students thinking about the text from all angles and not just for comprehension.
I hope to teach in a school similar to the ones I attended. I would love to have a classroom with students who wanted to be there and wanted to learn. It would be great to be in a classroom that had newer technology so I could incorporate this in my teaching. Like my other TE courses, I am sure I will find new ways of making learning fun for the students and particularly literacy with this course. I also believe that I will learn new theories that I can incorporate in whatever type of classroom I end up in. I would love to learn more about the literacy standards for what grade and how to incorporate them in potential lessons. I would also like to learn more techniques for literacy with younger children who are just learning to read and write.
I am in a Kindergarten classroom for my placement. In my placement, the learners are very diverse. Many of the students are above the Kindergarten literacy level and many are severely below. There isn't much in between. This poses a problem for my CT. In order to keep her high students where they are at and bring up her lower students, she does small reading groups. These groups are based on their literacy level. In doing this, she is able to focus on the needs of that learning level. It seems to be an effective way of teaching.
I hope to teach in a school similar to the ones I attended. I would love to have a classroom with students who wanted to be there and wanted to learn. It would be great to be in a classroom that had newer technology so I could incorporate this in my teaching. Like my other TE courses, I am sure I will find new ways of making learning fun for the students and particularly literacy with this course. I also believe that I will learn new theories that I can incorporate in whatever type of classroom I end up in. I would love to learn more about the literacy standards for what grade and how to incorporate them in potential lessons. I would also like to learn more techniques for literacy with younger children who are just learning to read and write.
I am in a Kindergarten classroom for my placement. In my placement, the learners are very diverse. Many of the students are above the Kindergarten literacy level and many are severely below. There isn't much in between. This poses a problem for my CT. In order to keep her high students where they are at and bring up her lower students, she does small reading groups. These groups are based on their literacy level. In doing this, she is able to focus on the needs of that learning level. It seems to be an effective way of teaching.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Post January 31st- Tim
My goal is to teach in my community where I grew up. I loved going to school in my district it was a lot of fun. However there were some issues that I know as a teacher there I would try to change. It came to the point in my schools where teachers were just trying to get the year over with and with the population in the schools growing I think we need to try and make it as enjoyable as possible. I have just always dreamed of teaching in a school in Rochester so I could maybe make a change or help make the school system there a little better. I feel as over the year the schools have lost their connection with the community and that there is no talking between schools and parents as much. This is something I would want to fix because in order to do well in literacy or in any subject student need more than just what they get at school. Parents need to be involved at home with student learning and this is something I would bring back to Rochester Community Schools. This class will help me think of way to reach my student and use literacy to further their knowledge. I also think that this class will allow me to think of different ways to teach literacy and help me create a fun learning environment for my students.
I really like the Langer reading a lot. I liked how the article discussed different approaches to having student interact with literacy. It was interesting how all the approaches had the reader interact with what they were reading. The one of the 4 approaches mentioned that I personally liked the most was the one called “stepping out and objectifying the experiences.” I liked this one a lot because it has the reader take their time and think for themselves about how they feel about the reading and thinking of the experiences as they saw it. Overall I would use all four of the approaches because they make the student reflect on what they read and talk about the readings. This to me was a good article to make me think about what types of ways I would teach literacy in my classroom.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Digital Natives quiz
When it comes to the digital world, I was definitely born into it, but I have never been in love with technology. After taking the digital natives quiz I realized I am more relient on techonology than I thought, but I am also no where near what the article called a digital explorer, innovator, or addict; I am barely hanging onto the title of digital native.
I would definitely say emergent is a good way to define my digital literacy. I have become acquainted with the online article and online chapters that are now my textbooks and literature for many classes. I have not, however, come to enjoy them. My digital literacy is developing, and I am hanging in the balance waiting for someone to come and show me all there is to know about the digital world that I will eventually be required to use/know/understand, but I know that will not happen. I have embraced the aspects of the digital world that I enjoy, but have rejected the others. In order to really be successful, I feel that I will need to accept these other aspects I enjoy less and learn them well enough to help my future students.
Even though I was born into the digital world I am still learning, and even though we are all born into a world of literacy we are required to learn the basics and continue learning throughout our lives. I am finding that regardless if you are born into something, the world emergent still applies. Techonology is all around me, but if I chose to ignore it I will not be successful. The same is true for literacy. I need to be able to understand each of these in order to help my students through their emergent literacy. I cannot imagine how it would be to learn a new language, learn different academic subjects in this new language, and the digital world we have created all at the same time. After reading the Lenski article, I firmly believe a predictability log would be incredibly beneficial. A predictability log would expose their prior literacy experiences, but it could also show where they are at in the digital literacy world. Understanding how students have progressed in the digital world can be just as helpful as how they have progressed in the literary world.
Post for January 31st-Kelcie
I really enjoyed reading Hassett and Curwood's article on multimodal literature. It reminded me of the work that my students in placement are doing in a pilot program. Their program is called Reading Street, and they utilize a textbook, leveled readers, and online materials. While I do not really feel that the leveled readers are a great example of multimodal literature, the textbook and online materials definitely are. The textbook includes different fonts for different stories and great illustrations and graphics. The online materials have all of the stories and elements from the textbook, but they are brought to life. The stories are animated, there is a voice over of the stories so the students can have stories read to them, there are interactive games that enhance the learning of vocabulary and other literary elements, and finally there is a 'land' for each section that allows the students a great variety of options to choose from when it comes to their literacy experience.
I really liked when the article mentioned that, "meaning no longer lies in the text itself because there are many possible meanings, which change according to who the reader is, and how he or she relates to, negotiates, and makes connections across various textual elements (or modes) through an array of techniques for making sense (Hassett, 2006b). Based on my experience with the students in my placement, this statement could not be more accurate. The students are all reading the same materials with the same multimodal aspects, but they are each coming away with a very personal experience and understanding of the materials. Ultimately there is a goal for them to learn, and each of them are successful in their own way. It is fascinating to see what the students will recognize, and what will be meaningful to them.
Overall, I think this article ties into the Langer article when it comes to how the teacher should interact with literacy. I hope to teach in a classroom that allows the students' ideas and understandings to flourish, and I think both of these articles will really help when I am reflecting back on how I want to make sure this happens. Using a model that asks students to reflect upon multiple aspects of the literature they are reading, and has them reflect upon their understanding is great. If I can use this technique and include multimodal literature I think my classroom will be much better off.
I hope to eventually teach in Title 1 school in an area of high need. When I first realized this is what I wanted to do, I thought it had to be in a school in an area like Detroit, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Boston, etc., but I have been exposed to so many more areas just outside of my district that carry the dreaded Title 1 stamp. This literacy course is of huge importance to my future career as I am constantly reading the horrible statistics that coincide with literacy scores. I will definitely need to consult articles provided from this class, as well as gather insight on how best to approach difficult situations I might be faced with in a school with low literacy schores. I hope to learn how best to teach students literacy, and how to encourage students to enjoy learning. I was never encouraged to enjoy what I was doing, rather I was encouraged to do it because I had to. Hopefully I will be prepared for all types of leaners, and will feel confident in seeking help when I am not sure how to approach a situation.
I really liked when the article mentioned that, "meaning no longer lies in the text itself because there are many possible meanings, which change according to who the reader is, and how he or she relates to, negotiates, and makes connections across various textual elements (or modes) through an array of techniques for making sense (Hassett, 2006b). Based on my experience with the students in my placement, this statement could not be more accurate. The students are all reading the same materials with the same multimodal aspects, but they are each coming away with a very personal experience and understanding of the materials. Ultimately there is a goal for them to learn, and each of them are successful in their own way. It is fascinating to see what the students will recognize, and what will be meaningful to them.
Overall, I think this article ties into the Langer article when it comes to how the teacher should interact with literacy. I hope to teach in a classroom that allows the students' ideas and understandings to flourish, and I think both of these articles will really help when I am reflecting back on how I want to make sure this happens. Using a model that asks students to reflect upon multiple aspects of the literature they are reading, and has them reflect upon their understanding is great. If I can use this technique and include multimodal literature I think my classroom will be much better off.
I hope to eventually teach in Title 1 school in an area of high need. When I first realized this is what I wanted to do, I thought it had to be in a school in an area like Detroit, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Boston, etc., but I have been exposed to so many more areas just outside of my district that carry the dreaded Title 1 stamp. This literacy course is of huge importance to my future career as I am constantly reading the horrible statistics that coincide with literacy scores. I will definitely need to consult articles provided from this class, as well as gather insight on how best to approach difficult situations I might be faced with in a school with low literacy schores. I hope to learn how best to teach students literacy, and how to encourage students to enjoy learning. I was never encouraged to enjoy what I was doing, rather I was encouraged to do it because I had to. Hopefully I will be prepared for all types of leaners, and will feel confident in seeking help when I am not sure how to approach a situation.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Post for Jan 31 - Becky
I'm glad I was able to read Langer's article this week because in my field placement, my CT is beginning to teach the students how to make meaning out of text. They are beginning to do "think and shares" like we talked about in class: establishing partners that the students continuously turn to to discuss how the book is making them feel, if something like that ever happened to them, etc. While this works well for kindergartners who have never made meaning out of text before, it will probably not be a sufficient method for older students, which I may end up teaching. I think that using the "four major stances in the process of interpretation" will help my students constantly think about what the book is about, how it makes them feel, etc.
I also liked reading about the instructional strategies and what types of questions the teacher can specifically ask the students to guide their thinking. I'm always so afraid that I will be in front of my class and will completely blank on what to ask them in a situation like this. It will be helpful to learn these questions and practice them until they become natural in that particular situation.
I would like to teach in a school/community similar to what I experienced growing up: not only an area with seemingly unlimited resources, but a school that strived for exemplary grades and students that did the same. Everyone took their schoolwork seriously and did the best they could. The teachers practically never needed to get creative with how to motivate their students because they were motivated enough to please their parents.
The one main difference that I would change is that I would not want to teach in a private Catholic school. I feel that the content would have to be incredibly restricted; after reading articles about critical literacy I would love to expose my students to issues of poverty, homosexuality, various religions, etc. I know that this would be completely unacceptable in a Catholic school similar to the one that I went to. I want to have more freedom with the books that I use, so I hope I'm able to find a public school that will allow me to do so. I hope that this class helps me learn new ways of exposing children to topics that might be difficult.
I also liked reading about the instructional strategies and what types of questions the teacher can specifically ask the students to guide their thinking. I'm always so afraid that I will be in front of my class and will completely blank on what to ask them in a situation like this. It will be helpful to learn these questions and practice them until they become natural in that particular situation.
I would like to teach in a school/community similar to what I experienced growing up: not only an area with seemingly unlimited resources, but a school that strived for exemplary grades and students that did the same. Everyone took their schoolwork seriously and did the best they could. The teachers practically never needed to get creative with how to motivate their students because they were motivated enough to please their parents.
The one main difference that I would change is that I would not want to teach in a private Catholic school. I feel that the content would have to be incredibly restricted; after reading articles about critical literacy I would love to expose my students to issues of poverty, homosexuality, various religions, etc. I know that this would be completely unacceptable in a Catholic school similar to the one that I went to. I want to have more freedom with the books that I use, so I hope I'm able to find a public school that will allow me to do so. I hope that this class helps me learn new ways of exposing children to topics that might be difficult.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Literay Definition
Before my Teacher Education classes I thought of literacy as simply reading and writing. I can now say I believe that literacy is reading, writing, speaking and listening.
I can say that this is what literacy is too me from what I learned in these classes at MSU. TE 301 was the first time I realized that literacy has so many different components and that all of these components begin in children at a very young age. We only improve our literacy skills throughout grade school and college.
According to definition, to be literate means “able to read and write”. This directly connects with my original definition. While this may be the case, reading and writing have various skills within them that make reading and writing possible. When studying and practicing literature, we brush up on these skills only to make us better readers, writers, speakers and listeners.
I can say that this is what literacy is too me from what I learned in these classes at MSU. TE 301 was the first time I realized that literacy has so many different components and that all of these components begin in children at a very young age. We only improve our literacy skills throughout grade school and college.
According to definition, to be literate means “able to read and write”. This directly connects with my original definition. While this may be the case, reading and writing have various skills within them that make reading and writing possible. When studying and practicing literature, we brush up on these skills only to make us better readers, writers, speakers and listeners.
Literacy Definition- Molly Shelton
Before my Teacher Education classes I thought of literacy as simply reading and writing. I can now say I believe that literacy is reading, writing, speaking and listening.
I can say that this is what literacy is too me from what I learned in these classes at MSU. TE 301 was the first time I realized that literacy has so many different components and that all of these components begin in children at a very young age. We only improve our literacy skills throughout grade school and college.
According to definition, to be literate means “able to read and write”. This directly connects with my original definition. While this may be the case, reading and writing have various skills within them that make reading and writing possible. When studying and practicing literature, we brush up on these skills only to make us better readers, writers, speakers and listeners.
I can say that this is what literacy is too me from what I learned in these classes at MSU. TE 301 was the first time I realized that literacy has so many different components and that all of these components begin in children at a very young age. We only improve our literacy skills throughout grade school and college.
According to definition, to be literate means “able to read and write”. This directly connects with my original definition. While this may be the case, reading and writing have various skills within them that make reading and writing possible. When studying and practicing literature, we brush up on these skills only to make us better readers, writers, speakers and listeners.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Week 2 Readings
This week's readings started out on a very high note for me; I started out reading Lenski's's article, which while I found it a little dense to get through I also enjoyed it because it had a lot of great advice on how to teach ELL students, which is something that I am very interested in possibly doing for my career. I thought that it had some great advice on assessments and I like the idea of the Predictability Log to help get a better sense of my students.
Next I moved on the Fleming article, which though it saddened me, it also gave me a sense of strength. I ultimately would like to work in an urban setting. TE 401 I was in the urban section, and I am set to do my internship next year in Chicago in an urban school. It sounds cheesy but I would love to be the teacher that students remember who really encouraged them and helped them to enjoy school and succeed. At the very least I would love to be the bright spot in a child's day. I thought that the article brought up a lot of important points about understanding what some kids in urban contexts REALLY go through and how to be understanding of that. I also appreciated that it gave what I viewed as warnings to future teachers in urban contexts. I thought that it was an honest article and that I took away a lot from it.
Unfortunately, however, I ended my readings with Delpit. In perfect honesty I thought that the article was a lot of hypocritical whining, excuse making, and contradictions. I started out in a Redford school in a very "lower class" area where the majority of my peers were white. Eventually my parents worked hard enough and were able to move us to Farmington Hills, where I finished growing up in a "middle class" city and went to a "middle class" school where more than half of my high school was black. I will never forget that my ex boyfriend of that time received more money in scholarships for simply being black than for his educational achievements. I felt as though throughout the article she kept complaining about "those with power" but offered no ideas of what it was exactly that she wanted or wanted to change. She even mentioned at one point that it would be a "cultural genocide" to try to change the make up of other classes. It also made me very angry that she kept talking about how white people have no idea how to teach black kids; I was raised to know that people are people and therefore children are children. If I get placed into a classroom with black children I believe that I am more than qualified to teach them as well. Overall I just felt as though the article was pointing out racial differences and problems not in a constructive manner but to breed more hatred and try to put greater emphasis on racial differences and tension than there already is.
Next I moved on the Fleming article, which though it saddened me, it also gave me a sense of strength. I ultimately would like to work in an urban setting. TE 401 I was in the urban section, and I am set to do my internship next year in Chicago in an urban school. It sounds cheesy but I would love to be the teacher that students remember who really encouraged them and helped them to enjoy school and succeed. At the very least I would love to be the bright spot in a child's day. I thought that the article brought up a lot of important points about understanding what some kids in urban contexts REALLY go through and how to be understanding of that. I also appreciated that it gave what I viewed as warnings to future teachers in urban contexts. I thought that it was an honest article and that I took away a lot from it.
Unfortunately, however, I ended my readings with Delpit. In perfect honesty I thought that the article was a lot of hypocritical whining, excuse making, and contradictions. I started out in a Redford school in a very "lower class" area where the majority of my peers were white. Eventually my parents worked hard enough and were able to move us to Farmington Hills, where I finished growing up in a "middle class" city and went to a "middle class" school where more than half of my high school was black. I will never forget that my ex boyfriend of that time received more money in scholarships for simply being black than for his educational achievements. I felt as though throughout the article she kept complaining about "those with power" but offered no ideas of what it was exactly that she wanted or wanted to change. She even mentioned at one point that it would be a "cultural genocide" to try to change the make up of other classes. It also made me very angry that she kept talking about how white people have no idea how to teach black kids; I was raised to know that people are people and therefore children are children. If I get placed into a classroom with black children I believe that I am more than qualified to teach them as well. Overall I just felt as though the article was pointing out racial differences and problems not in a constructive manner but to breed more hatred and try to put greater emphasis on racial differences and tension than there already is.
Week 2 Readings -Emilee
One thing that really stood out to me about the Lenski article was the part about non-traditional ways to assess ELL students. Overall I thought this article was very informational and helpful. I have a few ELL students in my placement right now and it is interesting to read about different ways that can be helpful when assessing these students. Working with ELL students is already difficult and assessing them is probably not any easier. This article made a good point that teachers shouldn't assume that all ELL students should be assessed the same way. Even though they are all considered "ELL" students, that doesn't mean they all learn the same way or should be given the same assessments. I thought the ideas brought out in the Fleming article were pretty obvious. The idea that teaching in urban schools is going to be a challenging experience for most teachers is an obvious statement. Although after reading the article, it makes me want to never be placed in a urban area setting. Even though I thought the reading was somewhat obvious I also thought it was interesting and brought out a lot of valid points about urban area schools. Not being able to relate to the kids in your classroom could make it very hard to create a certain kind of environment that is comfortable for both the teacher and students. After reading the Delpit article I find myself feeling a little annoyed. The article talks about the idea that "the appropriate education for poor children and children of color can only be devised in consultation with adults who share their culture." Overall this article was stereotypical and I didn't really like it.
Literacy Definition
My definition of literacy has changed dramatically from the time I entered MSU as a freshman as an education major and continues to this day. When I began, fresh out of high school, I thought literacy simple meant reading in the literal sense that if one knew how to read and was literate that they were proficient in literacy. As I began taking education classes my definition began to evolve; from the time of TE 150, I began to see that literacy was something that had to be supported and coached from a very young age. I learned that the term "literacy" was not just about being able to read but more about the evolution of concepts of print and how a young child must master several steps in order for their literacy experience to take shape.
I would have to say that now, after taking TE 301 and 348, I have a very solid understanding of what literacy means to teachers who teach the subject to students. Literacy begins at an early age when children hear text read to them, not only books but signs, labels, etc. From this point on children become aware that these shapes make up words that can be read off the page and begin to notice text all around them. I believe it is important for parents to point out the the text they are reading to their children because this is the building block from where all literacy stems. As they age, children begin to learn letter sounds and are able to blend them into letter combination which in turn become meaningful words. Repetition and practice are important so that children can master this task in order to begin to build their word and sight vocabulary. Once children know letter combination they are able to blend them into words which will, in time, grow into being able to sound out harder words and help the child become a more independent reader. TE 348 taught me that there are several different types of children's literacy books that can help with mastering these tasks from picture books with few words to more intricate yet simple chapter books.
Literacy is not something that can be defined or learned quickly. There are several building blocks that must be mastered in order for literacy to be defined and achieved.
I would have to say that now, after taking TE 301 and 348, I have a very solid understanding of what literacy means to teachers who teach the subject to students. Literacy begins at an early age when children hear text read to them, not only books but signs, labels, etc. From this point on children become aware that these shapes make up words that can be read off the page and begin to notice text all around them. I believe it is important for parents to point out the the text they are reading to their children because this is the building block from where all literacy stems. As they age, children begin to learn letter sounds and are able to blend them into letter combination which in turn become meaningful words. Repetition and practice are important so that children can master this task in order to begin to build their word and sight vocabulary. Once children know letter combination they are able to blend them into words which will, in time, grow into being able to sound out harder words and help the child become a more independent reader. TE 348 taught me that there are several different types of children's literacy books that can help with mastering these tasks from picture books with few words to more intricate yet simple chapter books.
Literacy is not something that can be defined or learned quickly. There are several building blocks that must be mastered in order for literacy to be defined and achieved.
Week Two Readings
The articles for this week were very interesting. It was intriguing to read about the differences perceived differences between white and black teachers. In my opinion, teachers in general have one certain goal: to teach all students the information and life skills necessary to live their lives as competent adults. Because if this, I felt that the generalization and categorization of white and black teachers was somewhat disturbing. I do understand that there are strong cultural differences between the races however I do not feel that these cultural differences, while important and educational, should impact the overall content of what is to be taught in urban and sub-urban schools. The article also discusses how urban school teachers feel less than prepared to handle some of the difficult situations put in front of them. While I agree that urban schools are a bigger challenge to teach in than sub-urban schools, I do also believe that there are those teachers with the passion and drive to be in these settings and have the motivation to deal with the difficulties that come with teaching in this context. I also was confused about this part of the reading because I myself went to a sub-urban school and would prefer to work in one as I gain my teaching certificate, however, there are plenty of my peers, college students, who attended urban schools growing up and would have a better mind when dealing with the students and atmospheres in these settings; whether or not they were black or white.
I feel that graduating from the college of education can only prepare us so much for what we are to face in the future as teachers. Every one of us will be placed in a different school setting and are not specifically instructed how to teach from school to school. Programs offered within the college of education, such as the urban program, may prepare us more for this tyoe if setting however most of us who are beginning teachers will face the same challenges any where we go to teach. College can only prepare us for so much and that is why I believe that in order to be successful in any type of classroom setting simply takes experience above anything else.
Definition of Literacy
It is hard for me to come up with one definition for literacy because I think literacy can be a number of things combined. If you were to have asked me what literacy was before becoming a te major I would have probably just said the ability for someone to read and write and that's it. Knowing what I know now about literacy, it is a number of different things all combined into one. Literacy is the combination of reading, writing, speaking, drawing and it can include specific things such a phonological awareness, fluency, comprehension and vocabulary.
In my kindergarten placement my ct makes literacy a huge focus in her classroom. Her goal is to get the kids starting to recognize and read letter sounds, and also to be able to draw and express their ideas along with written words in their stories. Although my ct sets aside time to specifically work on literacy, she also includes literacy throughout their entire time in the classroom. They have writing workshop in the morning, and then during centers they will have a library center and if they aren't doing one of those they are getting a story read to them which is also a part of literacy. It is clear to see that "literacy" is not only just the ability to read and write but it is so much more.
In my kindergarten placement my ct makes literacy a huge focus in her classroom. Her goal is to get the kids starting to recognize and read letter sounds, and also to be able to draw and express their ideas along with written words in their stories. Although my ct sets aside time to specifically work on literacy, she also includes literacy throughout their entire time in the classroom. They have writing workshop in the morning, and then during centers they will have a library center and if they aren't doing one of those they are getting a story read to them which is also a part of literacy. It is clear to see that "literacy" is not only just the ability to read and write but it is so much more.
Literacy Definition
Anytime I am asked for a “definition” of something I almost always go to dictionary.com and look up the word. This is a habit that stems back to elementary school when we would have to look up words. To this day still whenever I have to define something or before I start writing a paper about a new topic I’ll look up the literal definition to help me as a jumping point. Looking up “literate” in the dictionary, the definition is as follows: “able to read and write.”
Before looking this up of course I already had my own idea of what my definition would be based on all of my experiences in TE classes and working with children in various settings. I would say that overall this definition covers the basics well. When you call someone illiterate you are essentially say that they cannot read or write- very basic. However, I would say that calling someone literate means so much more than just that they can read or write. A five year old can read and write, but not on the level that a twenty five year old can. To some people being able to read a Cosmo and write a grocery list is all they will ever be able to need to do and that is satisfactory. Other people however, say people in grad school, need to be able to read at least 100 pages of complex text at a time and then write a twenty page research paper about it. These are very different instances of literacy. Both examples are examples of literate people, but on different levels.
To me being literate means being as competent in reading and writing as possible for your own self and your own purposes at each stage of your life. In my own placement right now literacy is everywhere. Reading and writing is in every single aspect of the day, starting at the beginning where students fill out the hot or cold lunch slip, through each subject where they are required to read directions, text, questions, etc, and then write out responses. For me I am not exactly sure what my ideal literacy learning environment looks like, but I know that I want it to be as stimulating to students as possible. I know that I hope that in my classroom to have volunteers or workers of some kind who for a small amount of time each day could take students out individually to work with them on their literacy and to help pinpoint any problems they are having so that I might be able to help fix those problems right away and make them a stronger literacy student. In regards to literacy also I want to have a great classroom library. I used to go in for community service hours to my former fifth grade teacher’s class and tutor students. I remember being amazed at her personal classroom library; she had a giant bookshelf from floor to ceiling completely filled with books as well as two freestanding ones that she had organized according to reading level and then into genre. She’s been teaching now for fifteen years, so it makes sense that she’s been able to accumulate a resource such as this, but it’s absolutely a goal that I hope to model in my own class.
Though so far I haven’t seen a literacy lesson in the sense of explicitly teaching reading and writing, I have seen lessons that involve the skills of this. The students have a pretty good strength in their reading and writing, though when I’ve worked with some of them one on one I do see a need for improvement in their comprehension skills. I think that in the case of some of the students they are shy about speaking up for help. My classroom specifically has a lot of “problem” students- students that have moved several times this school year and are brand new to the class, students with parents in jail, students with emotional deficiencies, etc. In the cases of some of these students I think that it makes it even more difficult for them to excel in their studies. This is another thing that I want for an ideal literacy learning environment- I really hope that in my classroom that I can have a good relationship with my students parents so that we can communicate back and forth to help my students as much as possible. Also, I want to make my classroom a safe place for them to learn. I hope that I can help them to feel okay with asking for help when they need it, as well as if they don’t ask for it that I will be able to recognize when they may need it and start in right away about helping them.
January 17th Readings
Overall I found the readings for this day to be useful, but in general for me they were a lot of information that I have learned before, just restated.
The first article that I read was the Gibbons article involving teaching ELLs. I am a TESOL minor, so a lot of the information given was not new, but it was helpful to reread it. I think it's extremely important for teachers to understand that as the article said, even though a student may appear proficient in English in a social setting, that does not always necessarily translate over to an academic fluency. It's difficult to assess fluency completely, and often times I think that ESL students who perform poorly academically are labeled as unintelligent since the teacher may not recognize that social English fluency does not mean academic English fluency. Though not directly correlated, in my TE494 class we just learned about assessments and how important it is to offer a wide variety of assessments to students to truly find out their level of language; a student may be able to ace a written exam, but may fail an oral one, or vice versa. Being fluent in a language involves many components and it's not black and white at all teaching ELLs, or any second language.
Tieing into the idea of teaching students in a variety of ways the Tompkins article was a good refresher on the wide variety of learners and teaching strategies/ideas. There are so many theories out there about how students learn, and from what I've seen I don't think that any of them are right or wrong in general; every student is different and unique and will respond to each strategy accordingly. If used correctly each strategy can be used to really help the student to learn and grow.
One section of the Tompkins article that was brought up that I always personally have an internal battle about was the "Students Use Literacy to Challenge Injustices and Inequities" section. I know it's extremely important to address topics such as these since children are part of real life and real life is quite unpleasant at times, but I always find myself having an internal dialogue about when and how to approach these topics. My favorite thing about children is their innocence, and I worry that by presenting tough dialogue to them too soon that may be taking it away from them before necessary. For example, the book they suggested about the black and white soldiers to me seemed that if presented too early it might be presenting children to a problem they may not even know exist yet involving inequality and racial tensions. On the other hand though, if you don't present them with these things early enough it's a serious question of who will be beating you to the presentation and in what manner will they learn about it?
The first article that I read was the Gibbons article involving teaching ELLs. I am a TESOL minor, so a lot of the information given was not new, but it was helpful to reread it. I think it's extremely important for teachers to understand that as the article said, even though a student may appear proficient in English in a social setting, that does not always necessarily translate over to an academic fluency. It's difficult to assess fluency completely, and often times I think that ESL students who perform poorly academically are labeled as unintelligent since the teacher may not recognize that social English fluency does not mean academic English fluency. Though not directly correlated, in my TE494 class we just learned about assessments and how important it is to offer a wide variety of assessments to students to truly find out their level of language; a student may be able to ace a written exam, but may fail an oral one, or vice versa. Being fluent in a language involves many components and it's not black and white at all teaching ELLs, or any second language.
Tieing into the idea of teaching students in a variety of ways the Tompkins article was a good refresher on the wide variety of learners and teaching strategies/ideas. There are so many theories out there about how students learn, and from what I've seen I don't think that any of them are right or wrong in general; every student is different and unique and will respond to each strategy accordingly. If used correctly each strategy can be used to really help the student to learn and grow.
One section of the Tompkins article that was brought up that I always personally have an internal battle about was the "Students Use Literacy to Challenge Injustices and Inequities" section. I know it's extremely important to address topics such as these since children are part of real life and real life is quite unpleasant at times, but I always find myself having an internal dialogue about when and how to approach these topics. My favorite thing about children is their innocence, and I worry that by presenting tough dialogue to them too soon that may be taking it away from them before necessary. For example, the book they suggested about the black and white soldiers to me seemed that if presented too early it might be presenting children to a problem they may not even know exist yet involving inequality and racial tensions. On the other hand though, if you don't present them with these things early enough it's a serious question of who will be beating you to the presentation and in what manner will they learn about it?
readings for January 24th
The articles we read this week touch on incredibly important topics in education in our current times. However, they frusterated me. I have never felt so generalized or stigmatized in my life. The Fleming and Delpit articles discuss incredibly important issues, but have generalized 'white' and 'black' teachers as a whole which seems to me slightly inappropriate. I recognize that these articles have been written with great research and careful study, but I can't help but feel they generalize and leave out the findings that might go against their argument. As a white teacher who has aspirations of teaching in a Title 1, urban school, I feel that I am most interested in hearing the thoughts and ideas of anyone who is willing to help me become a better suited teacher for students in these schools. While I do have a strong educational background provided to me by the institution I chose to attend, I would consider myself ignorant if I felt I was given all the necessary information to be completely successful in my future career as a teacher. I am part of an ever changing era, and the ideologies and methodologies of teaching are ever changing as well.
In the Fleming article they discuss the discontinuity between the teacher preparation program and the real-life situations teachers face. It is mentioned that beginning teachers in urban schools do not feel adequately prepared for the real-world contexts of teaching. I have never been told during my education that I will graduate with a completed handbook on how to handle every classroom environment I might face. I have been told, however, that the preparation I have been receiving is a building block to aid and assist in as many ways possible in my future classrooms. I feel like this article could be written from the perspective of beginning teachers who were prepared extensively for urban schools, but who are not teaching in a suburban, middle to upper class school. There will never be a program that prepares you for everything, and beginning teachers need to utilize their resources to add to the preparation they received in college. I would like to note that my experiences have been varied throughout my education, and I am not aware of how every other preparation program works therefore I am biased in my opinions!
literacy definition
Literacy is an all encompassing word that describes reading, writing, comprehension, phonology, morphology, and the overall ability to communicate. I believe that without literacy not only would we be unsuccessful when it comes to reading or expressing ourselves through writing, but also in daily life. Literacy is an understanding that the words and sentences formed come together to make meaning, and without this understanding our communication would be hindered.
In order to really demonstrate my definition of literacy I will use an example from one of my fourth grade students. This particular student reads at a second grade level as fourth grader. He exhibits signs of improvement, but on a very small scale. He lacks prosody, fluency, and the ability to recognize words that should be site words by now. Due to his lower reading level, he has fallen behind in subjects outside of language arts because he is unable to read efficiently. In order to make sure that his knowledge and ability in other subjects is not diminished; my coordinating teacher has assigned me to read his exam questions to him. This has allowed him to demonstrate his understanding and ability in other subjects so that his reading level is not harming him.
His struggle with literacy has really caused him to struggle with learning because so much of learning involves literacy. When students flourish in reading, writing, and comprehension they are able to take that knowledge and use it when it is presented in different ways such as an historical biography being read in social studies, or a story problem in math. Either way literacy is present in all that happens in a typical school day; and to struggle with literacy often means struggling with all subjects.
In my placement not only do I see an entire literacy block of nearly two and a half hours, but I see the students working on science, social studies, and individual projects that all involve literacy. This past week I assisted the students in their science lesson on layers of the atmosphere and clouds. The students were required to re-create a certain type of cloud to go on their class bulletin board and they needed to write a ten word summary of the characteristics of the cloud. I also assisted the advanced reading group in creating their own constitution for the country they created. They were reading for social studies about the creation of the United States Constitution, and they were required to make their own. They needed to comprehend the text they had read, and utilize the vocabulary that was present in the book to help them create their own constitution.
Without literacy the school day would look quite different. Outside of math, I have yet to see a lesson given in any subject that does not involve literacy. In my own classroom I would like my literacy learning environment to look very similar to what I am a part of in my placement now. Not only is there a set time for students to really build their knowledge of literacy, but it is entwined in the entire day. I want the students to be able to recognize that literacy is not a subject that stands alone, but a necessary tool for all aspects of learning. In order to allow the students to experience the joys of literacy I would definitely provide them with the opportunity to give their input on reading materials and projects that focus on literacy which will hopefully keep the students engaged.
Literacy definition
My definition of literacy has changed overtime at first it was simply that it is a student ability to read and write. However, I am beginning to think it is much more than that. In my placement I see a lot of literacy from my CT and she focuses on more details than just writing and reading. She stresses to her students that they need to write neatly all the time and I never viewed neatness as a part of literacy. After I thought about it though it makes a lot of sense first off I am in a second grade classroom and there is a lot of sloppy handwriting and my CT believes that it is important for everyone to have neat handwriting. Which when I thought about it I remember that if I had neater handwriting school might have been easier for me a little bit. I would not have had to redo assignments and when it came time to edit papers people would not have had a hard time telling if I spelled something wrong. In terms of reading in the class the students are always encouraged to red during break time. But the student also has to talk with another student about what they read to show that they understand it. This to me goes further than just being able to read but being able to comprehend what we read. They also have literacy stations every Wednesday after lunch. It consist of five stations one is guided reading with the teacher, then computers in which they play spelling games and such, reading corner, leap pads, and then literacy worksheets. Each student is divided into groups based on their reading level. It seems to be effective in that the student get a lot of literacy instruction and have experiences with reading and writing. However, the student can be a little unfocused at times. Another big factor in my class is spelling words the student do an activity every day that involves their spelling words. Whether it is writing sentences or each word ten times the students have a lot of time to work with them.
I guess what I’m getting at is that my placement has opened up my eyes into what literacy actually is. That it is more than simply just the ability to read and write. Literacy is the ability for a student read but also understands what they read relates it to them, retell what they read and write about it. In terms of writing literacy is the ability to convey idea neatly in written form, organize thoughts, and be able to coherently write using their experiences
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